Monthly Archives: April 2011
Painting MVP
Remember that weekend before Bath Crashers premiered? The one that Nate and I decided to spend repainting the master suite for our premier party?
Well this little tool was the MVP of the weekend.
Not only did the Shur Line Pro Edger save us precious time, but also neutralized a big fight between Nate and I. You see when it comes to painting trim – Nate is a perfectionist while I am more a free spirit.
This tool stopped Nate from spending countless hours taping up the trim. And this tool stopped me from upsetting him by winging it and going freehand.
How it works
The Shur-Line is basically a paint pad with wheels. You coat the removable pad with paint and then place it against the edge (ceiling/baseboards/molding) you are painting so that the wheels guide the device along the edge. Not only to the wheels act as a guide, but they also evenly space the paint so you get an exact edge. This came in very handy on our uneven ceiling. Instead of noticing the the uneven plaster, you just see a nice, even line.
Want to see it in action? Here’s a YouTube video I found.
I have read a few negative reviews online about this, but I think the frustration is due to application technique. On our project, I would say it took a couple tries before I got the application right, but I had nothing to lose (but time) so I kept working with it. After than, it went fast.
I found that it worked best when you didn’t load the pad with too much paint. Also, make sure to keep the wheels and sides clean.
What would have taken us 3-4 hours to accomplish with tape (because we all know I would have let Nate win the argument) took less than an hour with the Shur Line Pro Edger.
So for less than $5 this little tool will be staying in our paint supplies for years to come. I just wish I had tried it sooner! Imagine how much money we would have saved on blue painters tape!
Planting Seeds
I love vegetable gardens for so many reasons. Watching plants grow from seedlings. Exploring the ecosystem surrounding the garden. The smell of tomato plants when you touch them. And of course harvesting the vegetables.
I even love watering the plants before work and then checking on them when I get home.
First summer in the house, I planted vegetables in the backyard as soon as we moved in. It was a late planting but I didn’t care. I had a decent crop with transplanted plants, but the yard didn’t get enough sun to replant the veggies there the following year.
So I moved the veg garden to the side of our house. Unfortunately it was another bust. This was worst than the first year. Not enough sun caused fungi and nastiness on most of the plants.
And now this year our backyard is a mess. We’ve killed off half of it for a new patio we will be installing soon. The rest is still too shady, but I still want vegetables. So, I have decided to go with a container garden next to the pool. We think this is the one place in the backyard that gets eight hours of sun. So fingers crossed.
In the containers, I planted Spring varieties like lettuce, chard, radishes, carrots and sweet peas. I also have a pot of cat grass for the kitties.
Inside I started herbs from seed that will be transplanted once they are big enough. I got oregano, basil, cilantro and sage so far. I can’t believe I already have a few starts.
Once the temperatures rise, I’ll start a new crop of tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. Those guys will be transplants since I didn’t start the seeds early enough this year.
Anyone else starting their vegetable garden? What are you planting?
My pretty orange star
I was picking up 99 cents pineapple the other day at Safeway and came across this lovely perennial called the Orange Star (or Sun Star). It was love at first sight, so she came home to live with me. (Hey, I was saving buckaroos on the pineapples so why not?)
I think she’s going to reside in the front living room, but my mind isn’t made up yet. Stay tuned.
Our mailbox looks good
I caught myself saying the title of this post as I drove to work this morning. Boy am I a dork. But our new mailbox really does look fabulous.
Here’s a comparison shot of the old vs. new mailboxes. There is certainly a difference in size. Is this a reflection of how mail has changed in format since 1952? I really don’t know the answer to that, but it does make me wonder.
After removing the old mailbox, Nate and I decided where to hang the new one.
With concrete block construction, it is much easier to drill into the mortar than the actual block. After we picked the proper alignment, Nate drilled holes and then we installed the mailbox.
The mailbox came with an optional privacy screen. Here’s with the privacy screen – kinda blah, but I am sure it necessary for some homes and apartments.
And here’s the mailbox without it – much better! We decided to leave it out to show off the decoration since we were not too worried about people taking our mail.
So there you go. A few more projects and I think we may have a kick-ass front entry on our hands. Watch out!
What a tax refund bought me
I was really lucky to get a tax refund this year. I decided to spend it on two purchases I have been thinking about for quite awhile.
A new mailbox
First up is a new mailbox for our entryway. Its been hard for me to find a nice looking, long lasting mailbox. I first tried to update the original one with a new coat of paint, but it isn’t holding up. If it was the right size, I may have spent the time refinishing it again, but we really wanted a larger mailbox that could hold periodicals. So the search began.
What we were looking for in a mailbox:
- Modern, but house appropriate
- Wall mounted
- Stainless steel or Brushed nickel
- Big enough to hold periodicals
- Well made
My quest lead me to the Salsbury Stainless Steel Mailbox. I love the satin stainless steel finish and the decorative pattern across the front. Although for $80 it is an investment, its going to do wonders for our curb appeal. It’s just fabulous and can’t wait for it to arrive in the mail.
Vitamix Blender
Next up, is a huge purchase for me. A new blender. For someone who has a smoothie for breakfast almost every day, a blender is a necessity.
I have been contemplating buying a Vitamix blender for quite sometime. The $400-500 price tag was very difficult for me to justify. Really, for a blender?
Well, last week my one year old Black & Decker blender went kaput and I had to figure out what to do. Do I buy another “cheap” model or do I bite the bullet and invest in a Vitamix? Although it is a steep price, the Vitamix really was the best option for me.
Reasons why I purchased the Vitamix 5200:
- 7 year warranty
- Power – a whooping 2+ peak hp motor
- Amazing reviews on Amazon
- Makes my daily smoothie quickly
- Replaces my food processor
- Replaces my coffee grinder
- Can “Dry” blend to create meals & flours
- Makes nut butters & soup
Hands down the Vitamix can just do more things than the average blender. I like multipurpose appliances. I don’t have the space nor money to spend on many appliances.
I like the reliability. The Vitamix brand has been around since 1937. I can’t think of another machine I own that has a 7 year warranty. If I am going to pay the big bucks than I expect it to last all 7 years if not longer.
So after much deliberation, on Monday I took a big breath and purchased the Vitamix CIA Professional Countertop Blender on Amazon.
Later that same day, I stopped by Costco and found basically the same model for $100.00 less. As far as I can tell, the only difference between the two, is 1) the CIA branding, 2) a 20 Recipes and Techniques from the CIA Master Chefs cookbook and 3) the color selection. So, I purchased it and am returning the Amazon model.
I have used my Vitamix for breakfast smoothies the last two mornings since I purchased it. I have to say I am impressed. What took me about 5-10 minutes of cutting up fruit and mixing the contents when the blender “froze”, now takes about 2 minutes. This thing pulverizes ice in seconds. Looking over the standard cookbook, I can’t wait to try out soup, dip and even making my own flours.
Overall, I am very excited about my two purchases. Although its a lot of money to spend, I do know that I will be enjoying both purchases for years to come. And you know that the Federal government is thrilled that I used my refund to stimulate the economy.
