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Archive for July, 2012

Rainy Sunday was rife with house cleaning. So, as I do dusting, sweeping and mopping the living area, I bid in time to “redocorate”. Er, only the pieces on the center table. I got fed up with the blue pottery displayed on them. Time for glasses and yes, “candles”…I sooo love candles

Remember the oval glass (my daughter thought we would use it a small aquarium^_^) I bought on a thrifting spree three two weeks ago? It has found it’s purpose here as a candle holder. Added some old marbles, too…

Found me some small seashells (I just love them, too^_^)…and two crystal candle holders to go with it.

 And, to complete the look of the center table, I added in the two towering pink candles which I had find in a rundown shop last year…

 There’s the glasses on the tinted glass top table…

 Oh, there’s not much change in the living room. I just wanted to capture its cleanliness before the kids can make it all messed up again

Cleaning the house is too exhausting but seeing it spotless clean and oh sooo smelling fresh, nakakawala ng pagod

How was everybody’s weekend? Have you done some house cleaning, too?

We live in a time when expenses come in the most unexpected time. Two weeks back, we purchased a replacement for the water tank that bore huge holes that sends water spurting like fountain into the storage room nearby. Replacement is imminent. Sending money right off our savings and off to the home depot.

Then, just this weekend after cleaning the house, one of the casters that holds our desktop computer break off. We tried to fix it. Unfortunately, the metal that holds the castor had been eaten by rust therefore, there was nothing more to hold it in place.

Needed a replacement also? I guess so. Anyways, it served us years already. The husband had the liberty of fixing the monitor desk when it nearly collapsed a year back. It was time for purchasing new desk before all the units in there would come collapsing ruining the computer, printer and all.

With shoulders shrugged, I went online browsing for prices, designs and applicable shipping costs for a computer desk. There were great designs I saw online. I got overly excited. Then, my eyes fixated over a very pretty glass computer desk. I am sure it will fit into the corner where our computer is placed. And, the glass designs will complement the overall look of the study area. Tinted glass in  black casing…simply awesome. Might as well plan out to purchase a new office chair that would go over it. It would save me on shipping.

Wouldn’t it?

I took the liberty of posting here the before and after look of our hutch.

It was the first furniture I bought right after my wedding. We tallied the money me and the husband had left after all the wedding expenses and found out we could afford to squeeze to buy this hutch (china cabinet). Price was 6500 pesos way back in 1992. It had originally housed our wedding gifts. Through the years, thanks to decluttering and yet, finding new stuff that would soon be the new clutter, it became the armoire for my teapots and other knickknacks…

Soon thereafter,  I nearly got tired seeing how the freestanding cabinet got lost over the theme of the house. I even considered selling it. This was the before look. From its original wood and the clear varnish had wear off…

Then, upon seeing home design shows, particularly Carter Can on hgtv, I junked the idea of selling the piece. Instead, I played on with the paint one summer when the rest of the family were helping me to revamp other furniture in the house.

And, here’s how the piece and the paint went…TOO DARK? YES. Because, I couldn’t get the “green” that I wanted. It’s supposed to be green as a “moss”…dunno what happen^_^ Anyways, that’s the fun part with paint. There’s always room for “repainting”…Hoped to ton down its color into something bright and sunshiny the next time around

For now, as long as it complement the entire theme of the house…it shall stay where it was…

blurry? sorry, took the shot with an iPod^_^

 That was before… 

 This is it NOW… too much traffic in there:)

NOTE: After the repainting job, I realized, I need not be afraid to follow what design inspiration I have. Tendency for errors are huge. First time. But, there’s always room for a SECOND TRY, is it?

Before checking out the full description of the citizen signature watch I did browsed online earlier, I ran up to the town to check on the newly opened paint shop I saw while driving the kids off to school. I asked for few sample swatches so I could show it to the husband and the kids.

Yes. We’re planning to have the house repainted. But, the budget has always been overshadowed by other “immediate” and equally important expenses in the house. So, repainting plans had to take a backseat.

Luckily, I “coerced” the husband to pushed through with repainting the rooms first. He agreed after weighing off our budget. And, the kids have been overly excited.

For now, I am holding the swatches, and can’t seem to decide which colors to apply to the bedrooms.

What can you suggest?

Just as when we were deciding what colors to be applied on the bedrooms, I think I have found just the right colors for the master’s bedroom. I am not really sure, but, I am into green lately. Yes. The green can soothe and calm a tired soul. I am pretty sure the husband will agree with me on this. For one thing, it’s a safe color. He’s hesitant on my first choice, yellow paint. Uh-oh.

Ain’t the bedroom photo looked striking enough? The addition of simple yet striking furniture like the dark wood bed and the orangy lounge seat added extra brightness to the room.

Photo from http://www.hgtv.com/designers-portfolio/room/transitional/bedrooms/7365/index.html#/id-7370

Yes. I am definitely getting excited. I wished for the rain not to come next weekend so we can start the project right away.

July is about to end. More than halfway through the year. Few more months it shall be Christmas time again. Time for gifts. I so love receiving pressies.

I am all set for writing my wishlist for the holidays.

• Travel with the family this November or December.
• A whole new 6-seater round table with Lazy Susan in the middle. I am willing to trade off my oval table
• Oh. Yes. Buy me a nice dress in time for the holidays. A one shoulder red sheer chiffon, pretty please.
• For my techie wish, I am seriously checking up a tablet pc online. Will somebody so sweet hear my pleas?

Is it too early for Christmas wishes? I think not. As the old aphorism goes, “Early bird catches too many seeds”.

Had catch up with Picker Sisters on the Lifestyle Channel yesterday afternoon. The show is an American reality television show starring lovely ladies, Tracy Hutson and Tanya McQueen, who have both an interesting eye for finding gems out of junk shops, flea shops, and antiques shops around the U.S.

I enjoyed the episode where both girls travel to Alabama along with their trailer and stopped by two remote shops selling items made of steel. Shop where they find items that were super rusty and old. Yet in the end, the two girls ended up buying a whole lot for their home decor shop.

I super enjoyed this kind of show. I am interested at how they can transform those old and odd finds into something new and functional. Revamping or repurposing old items can save a lot of money. More importantly, it is one way of saving our natural resources by salvaging old materials.

When the husband arrived home one night, he gladly showed me the new dodge ram seat covers he purchased on the home depot near his workplace.

Yes, it looks entirely masculine. The reason why I wanted to put up a fight upon seeing it. But, then, looking at how the seat covers make his car more sporty and yes, clean –who am I to disagree. It is his car in the first place?

Yesterday morning, as I get busy organizing my vanity shelf, I noticed at how many sunglasses me and the husband have. And, imagine the clutter it would create after each usage. It’ll be just thrown on the top shelf never minding to find the case, another reason for the vanity shelf to cause too much clutter.

So, while I was clearing things up, I took up this round canister (A zero DIY project in the past. It is just an empty cookie tin can. I pasted old gift wrapping paper all over the can. It use to hold mails which now finds a separate shelf in the mini office). Got some idea to hang frequently use sunglasses all over the tin can…thinking it would be easy finding what to use…and, would be just as easier, too, to bring it back. That way, clutter would be minimized…

with organizing comes also “dusting”. Yay!

With the repurposed tin can, I get to hang my Firmoo Glasses which I got for FREE online.Thanks be to the company for sending me 4 lovely sunglasses. I love every piece of it.  They’re my current favorite. They come with 4 plastic cases which can protect the sunglasses from scratches. The plastic cases were also to prevent the sunglasses from bumping unto each other when placed in storage. Besides the plastic cases, the Firmoo glasses were also sent with 4 cloth cases for easy and comfortable handling.

How’s that for high style sunglasses that comes with durable casing. All I needed to do now is a good container to stack them up. And, yes, there they are…ON PARADE…with me and the husband’s…

 Yes, there’s room for few cases on the inside can…There will never be a reason now for forgetting each case. It’ll be visible outright. And, I wished there’ll be no more alibis for clearing the top shelf of our vanity…

For the time being, the sunglasses is neatly organized. Until when?

How about you? How do you keep your sunglasses organized? Please feel free to share your tips. I’d be delighted.

Yes, finally, our plumbing problem had been solved. We had purchased a replacement for the water tank which burst out into a water fountain a week ago. We contacted a plumber whom we always called in whenever there’s problem regarding our water system. From there, the plumber suggested we replaced the pressure switch which have been forming rust into some parts. He said it’s the reason why the pump had not been automatically shutting off. The pressure switch’s the small part which is attached near the engine and the tank. It is wired to the pump which then connects to the panel board sending electricity to power on the water tank.

Even when we, homeowners ensures the maintenance of our equipments in the house, there should come a time, when usage and serviceable life have been reached, it shall needed to be replaced. Therefore, it is a must to always save so as the time when there’s expenses that can not be avoided, we can readily purchased new ones.