I love old houses, they exude character and charm, but lack in many modern amenities, such as the closet light fixture. I have not wanted to have a light fixture installed and have been looking for a long time for a nice plug-in corded light. I have found many corded lights, but I was having a hard time finding one with the switch on the socket. Most corded lights either have no switch or the switch is down on the cord, which doesn’t work for my purpose — that was until I found The Color Cord Company. This is a perfect solution for those that rent and can’t add hard wired lighting — added bonus, the cord comes in fun colors! 
Air Plant Terrariums and Vases Monday, Dec 1 2014
Decorating and DIY and For The Home and Fun Tips and Garden and Living and Products air plant terrarium, air plants, crafts, DIY, diy gifts, diy vases, gifts, holiday crafts, holiday decorating, homemade gifts, terrarium, terrarium vases, tillandsia, tillandsia terrarium, vases 11:20 am
I stumbled on light bulb terrariums on one of my internet searches and I decided to make some. As it turns out it takes a bit more work to remove the innards of a light bulb than I wanted to do, and after removing the innards the entrance hole is still quite small. I found a nice alternative — glass ornaments.
Supply List:
Tillandsia’s (air plants)
Glass ornaments (tops removed) and other suitable containers
Sand and/or perlite
Rubber bumpers (sold at hardware stores)
Small figures and ornaments such as: rocks, shells, twigs, moss
Tweezers
Chopsticks
Cardboard or a funnel
How to make the terrariums:
First, water your Tillandsia and let it dry. Now take your container, and if it is round add the bumpers to where you want the bottom to be. This will keep your container stabilized. Then fill the container about a third of the way up with sand or perlite using a funnel or a flexible piece of cardboard. Add your Tillandsia and figures. Use your tweezers and chopsticks to position the plant and the figures. It’s that easy. Now go be creative!
Here is where to find information on caring for air plants
DIY Ornaments Sunday, Nov 30 2014
Decorating and DIY and For The Home and Fun Tips and Living and Products and Tips christmas, crafts, decorating, DIY, diy gifts, diy ornaments, dogs, german shepherd, gifts, holiday, holiday decorating, homemade gifts, horses, kids and crafts, ornaments, snow globe 5:54 pm
Here is an easy, fun craft that you can do with your kids — Snow Ornaments with miniature figures. They will look great on your Christmas tree or lined up on your mantle, and they make great gifts.
Here is what you need to make these cute little ornaments:
Clear glass ornaments (available at craft stores)
Perlite (available at garden stores)
Small animals or figures (available at toy stores and/or craft stores)
Rubber bumpers (available at hardware stores)
Tweezers and/or chopsticks
Small soft brush on a wire (available at most drugstores in the cleaning isle)
Funnel or cardboard
Ribbon
Take the ornament and add 4 bumpers to the bottom of the glass so the ornament will stand upright.
Next, remove the top of the ornament and add the Perlite about 1/3 of the way up the ornament. Use a funnel or some cardboard to pour the Perlite in the ornament.
Now place your desired figure or small animal in the ornament. Once you get the figure in, use the tweezers or the chopsticks to position your figure. Once the figure is positioned, slightly tap the ornament to make sure the figure is stable. Once the figure is stable use your brush on the wire to clean off the dust from the inside of the ornament. If the figure falls over just reposition it.
Place the top back on the ornament. Once the top is back on, you can add a ribbon to the top if you desire.
Get the Frizz Out! Friday, Jan 25 2013
Beauty and Products and Tips Beauty, brazilian blowout, clarifying shampoo, Coppola, Coppola keratin complex, express keratin treatment, frizzy hair, gray hair, grey hair, hair, keratin, keratin express blowout, keratin hair treatment, shiny hair, smooth hair, straight hair, wiry hair 5:38 pm
Keratin Treatment Week Two
Keratin Treatment Week Six
I have been on a quest for quite some time for a solution for my frizzy hair. I thought Argan Oil might be it, and it helped, just not enough. I finally succumbed to a Keratin Hair Treatment (Brazilian Blowout). I have straight (with some waves and now lots of frizz), processed (graying) hair. My hair has always been weather sensitive, which means it tends to be pretty flat when the air is dry and very frizzy when the air is humid, misty, foggy, etc. However, in the last few years my hair had been more on the frizzy side, even on non-humid days.
As more gray hair grew in, I started having more issues with my hair. My hair’s texture was changing and becoming more wiry and frizzy. In fact, the reason I went with the Keratin Treatment was I had a section of hair near my face that would poof up no matter how much product or styling I did, and the rest of my hair would lay relatively flat. I was also finding that I was having a lot more hair in the shower drain, on my pillow and on the bathroom floor. I kept thinking I was going bald. Every time I had my hair cut I would ask my stylist if I was balding. Of course she said no, but it was hard to believe with the amount of hair I was seeing everywhere.
My hair stylist recommended the Express Keratin Treatment to make my frizzy hair more manageable, and told me it would last about six weeks. I was also told that my hair might be very limp/flat for a week or so after the treatment. The original Keratin Treatment lasts up to 5 months, but is much more expensive and the treatment takes much longer to do. The Express sounded good. If I hated my hair after the treatment it would only be a matter of weeks, not months, before it washed out.
The Express treatment at the salon goes like this: wash hair with a clarifying shampoo that opens the cuticle, towel dry hair, apply Keratin Complex, blow dry and then flat iron the hair. The treatment added maybe another twenty minutes onto my regular color/cut appointment. It is recommended that you use a sodium chloride free shampoo after the treatment so you don’t strip the keratin from your hair.
My hair was definitely flat/stick straight and super shiny after the treatment My hair stayed flat and stick straight for about a week after treatment (I wash my hair everyday). After the first week I got some body back in my hair, but without the frizz.
My treatment lasted over 9 weeks, however during the last few weeks my hair was not as smooth and shiny, and the frizz was starting to return – it was still way more manageable than before the treatment. The best part for me was (and is) that I no longer am seeing gobs of hair in the shower drain, on my pillow or on the bathroom floor. My hair is back to what my hair was like before all the crazy gray hairs invaded. It is definitely worth the week of super flat, straight hair.
Keep it Covered Wednesday, Nov 28 2012
For The Home and Products and Tips dish cover, food, food cover, green, microwave, microwave cover, microwave plate cover, office kitchens, time saver 1:05 pm
I found this by accident when I was in the Crate and Barrel Outlet store a few weeks ago. It was only $1.50 — a great value. I use this microwave cover all the time. How did I live without it? It saves on plastic wrap that always stuck to the food and it saves on microwave clean up. Every office and home should have a few of these covers. Office microwaves get a lot of use, and unfortunately not much in the way of clean up. If you have an office microwave you know what I’m talking about. The microwave cover is vented to let steam out, yet protects against splatters, and it is dishwasher safe. You can find it here.
That’s a Wrap Monday, Oct 15 2012
Decorating and Entertaining and Fun Tips and Products and Tips bags, gift boxes, gift wrap, gift wrapping, labels, packaging, twine 1:58 pm
Here are fun items for making unique and interesting gift packages. Click on the links to find online sources for the various products.
Not your Mom’s Masking Tape
Gift Packaging: Cello Bags, Pillow Boxes, Gift Boxes
The Search is Over, Maybe Tuesday, Jan 24 2012
Products anti-aging, argan oil, Beauty, dry skin, hair, hair products 2:28 pm
I am continually searching for that product that will help smooth and condition my hair. I had heard Argan Oil was good for dry, dull hair. It would smooth hair and add shine without being oily. However, most of the hair products with Argan Oil also contain silicone, which can damage hair. I wanted to get away from silicone products so I tracked down a local (Berkeley, CA) supplier of cold processed Argan Kernel Oil, Lhasa Karnak: http://www.herb-inc.com/products.html, and have now been using the oil for several months. It was $14 for a 30 ml bottle and since it only takes a few drops I still have about two-thirds of the bottle left. I found that not only is Argan Kernel Oil great for my hair, but it works on chapped lips, dry hands, and on dry areas of my face. The key to remember is to only use a couple of drops, especially if you get acne, you can always add more if needed. For hair, rub a few drops in your hands and then apply to damp or dry hair, either just on the ends or all over if your hair is very dry. It seems to help protect the hair from the heat of the hair dryer, as well as smooth the hair. I’m happy with this simple, pure product and love that it doesn’t make my skin or hair feel oily.
Wonderful World of Plants Sunday, Nov 28 2010
Garden and Products gardening, gifts, nursery, ornaments, plants, succulents, tillandsia, wreaths 12:00 pm
I came across this great local San Francisco nursery, Flora Grubb Gardens: http://floragrubb.com/idx/index.php, 1634 Jerrold Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124; 415.626.7256. You will find inspiration for your gardening needs and great gift ideas for the plant lovers in your life at Flora Grubb Gardens. I especially like the succulent wreaths and the forest floor ornaments with a Tillandsia plant inside.
Grind It Up Saturday, Nov 27 2010
Cooking and Products cooking, hand blender, immersion blender, puree 11:51 am
I don’t know why it took me so long to purchase an immersion blender, they really reduce cleanup time and speed up the soup making process for pureed soups. I went with the basic Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick Hand Blender, because I was mainly planning to use it to make pureed soups. The Cuisinart CSB-76 was about $30 and well worth it. If you are going to use yours for ice or on raw food you might consider a model with a stronger motor.
I love products that simplify tasks, before I purchased the immersion blender I would end up with several dirty pots and a dirty blender when making pureed soups. Now all I have to do is blend right in the pot and when I am done the hand blender comes apart so I can either hand wash it or put in the dishwasher. The soup making time and the cleanup time are greatly reduced.
Aromatherapy While You Clean Sunday, Aug 22 2010
Green and Products all purpose cleaner, biodegradable, cleaning, counter tops, floors, products 7:31 pm
I’ve just started using Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Lemon Verbena All Purpose Cleaner. I have to tell you not only is Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day biodegradable and it has a nice scent, but it also cleans really well. I have cleaned hardwood floors, slate floors and ceramic tile floors with it. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day All Purpose Cleaner consistently leaves the floors gleaming. I put about a 1/4 of a cup in a gallon of warm water and I don’t even need to rinse. I also use it in a spray bottle to clean counter tops, walls and cupboards. I put about four tablespoons in a large spray bottle then fill the bottle with water and it’s ready to go.
The No Nonsense Assistant 