Basement Windows

A small change but a big difference.

We have a bedroom in our basement with two windows just like this one. They don't let in much light, so every little bit counts but for privacy sake they need to be covered. And typical of most basement windows they draw bugs and spiders.

So I was stuck with the dilemma of how to cover them without blocking light or providing safe haven for Aragog and his gang. After several years of pondering the problem I came up with the idea of putting some kind of thin paper over them. It would provide privacy and I could easily clean the dust and cobwebs away.

This paper was very pretty when I bought it but it had a waxy coating on it and I could never find any type of tape that would hold it up, not even that handy tack worked. And over time the wee bit of sunlight coming through caused it to dry out and start to crumble.

So I was back to trying to find something to cover them. I was putting away some wrapping paper one day when it hit me, tape sticks to tissue paper like a magnet and tissue paper is sheer enough to let in light while being opaque enough to provide privacy.

Yes, that's a donkey and an elephant you see there. We haven't found a

red/white/blue Bison (Independent Party) yet but when he do he'll join his fellow running mates.

Tissue paper is much cheaper than fancy artist paper, much easier to find, and comes in lots of colors and patterns, so I can recover the windows as often as needed without breaking the bank or going out of my way to find supplies.

I'll be joining Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Lots of other metamorphous happen over that BNOTP, take a moment and check them out.

Thrift Scores ~ Dishes and Light switch plates

G and I went to a local thrift store to look for supplies for a project (I promise to post it soon as we're finished). While we were there I found another set of dishes and fell in love. Because the pattern looked rubbed in places and I because I was trying to be frugal I only bought two. I planned to use them decoratively but then once they had been through the dishwasher they didn't look so bad after all. So I went back to buy the rest because I figure since there already a bit used looking it wouldn't matter so much if they get broke or chipped. Sure enough the first time I used them one of the kids dropped one, he was worried he had broken it I kept reassuring him that I paid only .50 cents for the plate and it was no big deal. He hadn't broken after all. I bought 6 plates, 6 salads, and 4 fruit bowls for $14.

For me that's the great part of thrifting. If it gets broke I haven't lost something valuable and I get to go shopping again *smile*

When I went back to get the plates I discovered another great thrift score. The store had a

whole display of light switch covers of different styles. I bought 4 ceramic covers for $2.50 each. I would have bought more but these were the only styles they had that would fit my switches and my decor.

Before

These are plastic but at least they're not pretentious like the fake brass switch plates (they further down in this post). Please ignore the peeling paint, we had a very mischievous cockatiel for awhile and just haven't had the time to repair the damage.

After

Before

Ugly pretentious brass switch plates.

After

Pretty ceramic switch plates.

Aren't they nice? I think they look so much better than the others, btw I did not choose those fake brass plates, I think they look tacky. I'm a bit of a purist and if I had decided on brass I would have bought brass, not fake brass. The fake brass plates begin to rust over time and rust is not a petina I care for no matter how fashionable it may be right now.

Another view of the after.

PS; the curtain is tied that way to keep the cats from

shredding it while trying to look out the door.

I'm adding this to BNOTP for Met Monday. There's lots of great transformation so go check them out.

Little Things

I know it's small and insignificant to most but I think details like this matter. I don't like things to look messy so I'm always trying to improve on things. Unfortunately I'm afraid that most people would never guess by the state of my house that I am this persnickety.

Most people know that the cords to blinds can be very dangerous to children and pets. We have a friend who had a kitten hang it's self on a mini-blind cord. For that reason I've always kept the cords tied well out of the way of curious hands and itchy paws.

But I've always thought this looked messy. And in some places like our big picture window I don't have anywhere to put one of those hook things you wind the cord around and honestly I'm not real found of the way they look either.

So I came up with this solution recently. I let the blinds down at far as I wanted them to go when closed, then I took the remaining cord starting at the top and using a very large hook I crocheted it into a chain and pulled the little ends through to finish it off. Now it doesn't look so messy but is still out of the way of small children and my kitties.

You can do this without using a crochet hook by simply making a loop at the top and then pulling a loop of cord through it over and over to create a chain.

Go here to see how it's done. Or search on crochet chain to find lots more examples.

The Shower Curtian

Housework is time consuming, tedious and often hard and is only complicated by health issues, in fact it can be hazardous to your health if you are allergic to cleaners, mold, dust, ect as I am. Or have asthma as I do.

Recently while staying at a hotel I was pondering the fact that hotel shower curtains are never moldy. For a long time now I’ve assumed it’s because someone cleans the bathroom daily but during our recent trip it occured to me, the reason the shower curtain isn’t moldy is because it’s not plastic, it’s nylon and although nylon clothes aren’t very breathable they are much more so than plastic.

When you push the curtain to the side and leave it (this is the case more times than not in my house), it traps the water and produces the perfect environment for mold and mildew. Even when stretched open it still doesn’t breath and will often stay wet all day, again the perfect environment for mold and mildew. Of course you can spray it with one of those cleaners on the market meant to be used daily but for those of us with asthma this is not an option.

So when we got home I did a google search and found this site, Hotels To You. I ordered this curtain; I’ve had it up for over 2 months now and the thing I notice is that even when has been pushed to the side all day it’s usually dry within 4-5 hours. Mold can’t grow on dry surfaces. And it does work to keep the water off the floor so there’s no concerns there either.

For me this shower curtian is a boon because it significantly reduces my exposure to things that trigger my asthma (chemicals, mold, mildew), it cuts down on the stress to my arthritic shoulder and back because I don't have to do so much scrubbing, and it reduces the time I spend cleaning as well.

Of course it’s not the most fashionable thing and it’s not going to win any beauty contest but personally I’m willing to sacrifice style for clean and healthy.

But in an effort to make it more appealing I’m going to try and hang the old sheer decorative curtain over it to see if it will work. I'll let you know how it goes.