From Drab to Fab (again)

So it must be true that those who enjoy interior decorating also love to entertain, well, actually I can't remember the last time I invited people over. On the contrary, I do enjoy listening to music louder than my laptop speakers can go. Alas, Spotify now has an app available as a Google Chrome extension... that means I can play Spotify on my TV through Google Chromecast . If you have no idea what Google Chromecast is lemme tell you it's pretty cool... and cheap! Google Chromecast is a little stick you can buy at Walmart ,  Best Buy  (if you're a have to have it RIGHT now type of person who can't wait for an item to be shipped) or purchased online directly from Google . But hold on, before you buy the stick you must be sure your TV is HDMI ( High Definition Multimedia Interface)  compatible. HDMI is pretty much standard on all newer TVs (purchased since 2009) but some older TVs have the feature as well. Just look on the sides or back of your TV, if it's not labele...

In my post  No Dust is a Must , I was on a mission to find a better carpet deodorizer and dust repelling furniture polish. I must say I am very satisfied with my choice of furniture polish, Pledge Multi Surface Everyday Cleaner  in a spray can. I purchased the Glade Cashmere Woods scent at Walmart. I love the way the spray smells, however, the smell does not linger. It has been about two weeks since I initially dusted and over time a minimal amount of dust accumulated.   Photo by C. Scharton So you may be wondering about the carpet deodorizer... well I have yet to find a better alternative than powdered product. I had the grand idea to use a black light to find problem urine areas, so after doing a little research online I found this LED black light , also available in WalMart stores. The package specifically says it can help locate pet stains, and it does. However, there is no telling how old the stains are and the phosphorous, which causes the glow, doesn't seem to go a...

Today's title comes from a cheesy song I remember singing in a second grade musical and it went something like this " Turn it off, turn it off!   Running water… Turn it off, turn it off!  Save the power... Turn it off, turn it off!   Running water…" Don't ask me why stuff like this sticks in my head, but it has and while this was a cute song to sing in second grade it's basic message is ringing true as an adult.   Since moving back to Kansas I have a hard time understanding my energy bill.  How can the bill for my 900 square foot apartment consistently be higher than the bill for my mother's 1300 square foot (plus a basement) house? Below is a table of my monthly energy bills since I moved in... Date Range Days KWH Bill Amt Feb. 19 - March 17 26 days 603 $85.68 March 17 - April 15 29 days 252 $42.15 April 15 - May 14 29 days 386 $59.54 May 14 - June 13 30 days 550 $78.04 June 13 - July 15 32 days 1011 $135.11 July 15 - Aug. 13 29 days 562 $80.16 Aug. 13 - ...

If you have a chance to raid your parent's garage, license plates can make great home decor... and they are... free! But that depends on where you acquire them, a couple weeks ago I went to NOTO  and in one of the shops used license plates were going for $9 a piece. That can add up quickly. Of course, license plate decor is nothing new, but when adding a twist (literally) you can create a unique work of art. Photo by C. Scharton If you can't find a variety of license plates, but you have numerous plates of the same style and year you can paint them, cut them (however that might prove to be challenging), bend them - the possibilities are endless. 

Awhile back I was visiting one of my friends and  I noticed he had a rather exotic looking trashcan. He took a boring plastic kitchen trashcan and gave it a faux stone finish, it looks really cool in person. Photo by C. Scharton He simply spray painted the trashcan with a textured Krylon Natural Stone Finish spray paint and BAM! You have a stone-esque trashcan. Photo by C. Scharton And if there are any music loving decorators out there, I came across this amazing compilation of songs featured on NPR.  http://www.npr.org/music/allsongs247/  

So, it has been a hot minute since my last post. I have been busy galavanting around the country. I went to Georgia and stopped in the Smokey Mountains on the way home, which were beautiful. However,  I brought my dog and Gatlinburg is not an overly dog friendly town, FYI, none of the restaurants I found would let her sit on the patio and Crystelle Creek that  http://www.bringfido.com  recommended was closed at 9:30 pm. However,  Brookside Resort  allowed dogs. We had a great room that backed right up to a river! Brookside Resort Gatlinburg, TN  Upon returning I have one thing on my agenda and that is getting my apartment clean and ready for school to start! My mom let me borrow her carpet cleaner so I have been busy shampooing the carpets. In addition to shampooing the carpet I have to vacuum and I, for a while, have used powder carpet deodorizer...it works okay. It leaves my carpet smelling fresh for a few days but in my bag-less vacuum cleaner, it makes ...