My Review of Veganese

Originally submitted at LUSH USA

If you've got hair so fine you fear conditioning will flatten any chance you've got at body, never fear. Veganese is so light it's meant for those with fine hair. A herbal balance of lavender, rosemary and lemon keep your hair shiny and your scalp toned, while agar infusion (seaweed) mo...

Veganese

Not my favorite

By Seattle Lady from Seattle, WA on 6/22/2012

 

2out of 5

When you survey your stash, you label this product: None of the above

Pros: Great Smell, Adds Shine

Cons: Too Light

Best Uses: Fine Hair, Daily Use

Hair Type: Straight Hair

Describe Yourself: Product Junkie

I bought the small size of this and am glad I did. I have regular hair, that can go a few days between washings, or be washed every day and react just fine. My hair is not exceptionally thick, but it is not thin by any means. This conditioner was just too light for me. Once it was dry it held a lot of static and got tangled really easily. This would be a great product for people fine hair that isn't oily. The smells is wonderful, but the bottle sits half way used in my shower and guests use it instead of me.

(legalese)

CSA Box!

Today was the first day of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) season! Dan and I went in on a small share to split. It costs $27.75 a week for 18 weeks at Helsing Junction Farm, I think they still have shares available if you are interested!. We prepaid because I signed us up in March, so it is smooth sailing from here! The pickup location is about a mile from my house so I can just swing by after work and pick up the box. The instructions say to bring a bag to put your share of the produce in and leave your box to be refilled next week. The share we got also includes bouquets of flowers most weeks too :)

This week our box included

A bunch of Tokyo Cross turnips, 1 bunch of  Pink Beauty  radishes

1 bunch of arugula, 1 bunch of rapini

1 bunch of cilantro, 1 bunch of mint

1 bunch of chives, 1 bunch of garlic scapes

4 pints of strawberries

I  meant to take a picture of everything in the box before I packed it and brought it home, but I was just too excited, maybe next week I will remember. Now, out of this selection I have never tried rapini and garlic scapes, so naturally I used these tonight for dinner. I read online to treat the rapini like swiss chard, kale or other leafy green that can be blanched and then sauteed. I blanched the rapini and then put in ice water, dried it off and then sauteed it with fresh bacon pieces. It was delicious. As for garlic scapes, where have they been my whole life?! I am going to look for them at a farmers market this weekend and get some more! YUM! I turned it into pesto using some olive oil, pine nuts, and finely grated parmesan in the blender. The garlic scape pesto is amazing, a little hot and lots of flavor. Dan grilled some steaks and we put the pesto on top. I know I already like cilantro pesto too, so I might be starting a pesto obsessed summer.

Pesto, it was so good I was eating it plain before the meat was ready

Blanched rapini and cooked bacon ready to go into the  skillet with red pepper flakes and  S&P

Completed meal, this picture was snapped right before we ate. 

I am so excited for the next 17 boxes and to see what creative meals we come up with. Dan is a great cook too, but he is more of a griller so we will see where that goes.

On a separate note I got my itinerary for my trip to Israel next month and I cannot wait! It is going to be so fun, more on that in the coming month. 

Until next time, 

Tufted Headboard

Hi Everyone,

Today I am going to go over how I made my own tufted headboard. I have wanted one of these forever, and drool over the beds from Ballard Designs and the price tag was just too much for me! I looked around the web for a long time looking at tutorials and inspiration and finally turned to guidance from Jenny at Little Green Notebook for a process to follow. My take was slightly different, I had help from both my parents (thank you!) and was able to make it start to finish in a few hours. Great project and I am very excited to get into bed and go to sleep at night now.

The fabric I used was one I purchased at Pacific Fabrics in the SODO district. I chose a mushroom brown velvet type of fabric. I wanted something that looked rich and would match whatever decor comes my way in the future, like in a guest room or something. I purchased 2.5 yards of the material to cover a headboard that is 64 x 30 inches.

The next step was acquiring the foam for the inside and batting to wrap it in. Foam is not cheap people. I got the foam for the headboard from Jo-Ann Fabrics and had a 40% off coupon and the price still made me choke a little. It was by far the most expensive part of this project. I bought 64 x 60 inches of foam, which was more than I needed, but now I have left over foam to play around with on something I will dream up soon. The batting was on sale for $3 a yard, I got 2 yards of that too.

Jo-Ann fabrics uses an electric turkey knife to cut the foam, it was  a clean cut too! 

The next stop was at Lowe's for a piece of pegboard. I had the guy cut the pegboard into a piece that was 64 inches long by 30 inches wide. At this point my mom and I were pretty giddy with the smell of sawdust, doing projects are totally addicting, and I get it from her haha. 

Measure twice, cut once!

We were excited about the giant saw


 

After this we headed home to get started. The first step was to measure the board and figure out how to make the curve on the top corners. My mom helped me use the trash can lid to draw a half circle on the corners and then I cut it out using a jig saw, it was really quick and easy and adds a lot of character. 

Here is the line to follow with the saw, I went for the larger of the 2 options. 

Quick cutting on both corners

Here is the board ready for the next step.

After the corners were cut I laid the foam pieces on top and traced the curve and then cut the foam to be same size. Unfortunately for me my parents do not own an electric turkey knife so I used a regular knife instead. The cut was not quite as clean, but it did the job without a problem. 

Then I mapped out where I wanted to space the holes. The pegboard make this pretty easy because you can just count the holes and follow a pattern, no drilling required which is nice and less math that way. 

Mapped out on the board

Mapped out the foam

After I drew the dots on the foam I used a knife to cut holes through the foam on the holes so it could be accessed through the back of the pegboard easily.

After I had cut holes in the foam I used a spray adhesive to stick it to the pegboard, I did this step because the tutorial I read recommended this, and it could probably be skipped if you are careful and keep the holes lined up. Mine were not all lined up very well despite trying. Once the foam was attached to the board I wrapped it in batting and stapled it to the back of the board. 

 

This is where things got much more exciting but also a lot more stressful. Doing the tufting was not hard, but it was long and took patience. Luckily I had both my parents helping and we were able to get it done pretty quickly (I think, how long does it take other people to tuft things?). The technique we used was pretty unique and made it go a lot faster. 

My dad was on the backside of the headboard and I was on the front. We started at the top and in the middle. He would thread the upholstery need through to me and slide a straw from a WD-40 can along side the needle. I would thread the button on the front and arrange the fabric and then would pinch the WD-40 straw between my thumb and forefinger, and stick the needle into the straw and it would go right back out the same hole it came through. He would then take the ends of the thread and knot it around a button on the backside and would pull it tight. 

View of threading the needle and straw (red thing) through  the backside. 

Threading the button and arranging the fabric before sending the needle back  through

Pinch the straw in between thumb and forefinger

Put needle into the straw and push it back through the same peghole  in the back

Now, repeat this step around 36 times and you're done! Good thing my parents really like me to help me, it got done pretty quickly. But I did fix a tuft before I hung it on the wall by myself and used the straw technique and it took me about a minute to do it by myself, it really goes much faster that way. Maybe other people are just pro at sending the needle through the foam, I am not so a little guidance really helped. 

My assistants who helped even when they thought my creative vision was fuzzy

Luckily my mom has a HUGE collection of buttons and I was able to find enough that were the same, the right size and was able to spray paint them to match the fabric. I considered making my own buttons for about 10 seconds, but at ~$1 a button that thought was fleeting. If my mom didn't have a large collection I would have shelled out for it though. 

After all the tufts were done we put the headboard down face first and pulled the extra fabric tight and stapled it to the back. Pretty basic on this step, just watch out for the holes in the pegboard and staple around those. The extra material was cut off and then I ran a strip of brown packing tape over the edge of the fabric just to help it lay very flat. 

To hang the headboard I used D-Hooks and wire and then 2 screws in the wall. The headboard is not very heavy, just an awkward shape. I screwed the D-hooks into the pegboard (easy to measure thanks to the holes in the back). I ran a piece of wire through the D part and tied it off.  I quick measuring on the wall and used a level to  make the marks even and then put screws in the wall. And voila! 

View of tufts

Now I have a bald wall above my bed, I took down my beloved mirror, it was too much bulk on the wall. Don't worry, I have some ideas for the wall.

I think that is all on this project that is important. I would absolutely do this project again for another bed in the future, it worked beautifully and was pretty fun too. Sweet dreams :)

Until next time,

Kerri

Cat Box Solution

Hi Everyone, this is just a quick post I thought was clever but did not come up with on my own by any means. I live in a good sized, but still small space. When I adopted my cat I had the full intention of toilet training her, but after a few weeks of owning her I decided against it for health reasons, if she were to get blocked I would have a hard time knowing until her behavior really changed!

I was stuck with a litter box. It was in my bathroom next to the toilet. It was ok, not good, not great, just a necessity I hated looking at. The shower curtain occasionally would get in there too which was just gross. Also there was litter EVERYWHERE in my bathroom and the second to last thing I want to step into with clean feet is litter (first is poop, duh). So I did a little googling on solutions and was seeing all kinds of great Ikea Hacks, google it if you never have. They were a little more money than I wanted to spend but great brain food. There were also some crazy faux planters with a palm tree on top and unscrewed in the middle, they were inexpensive and also really obnoxious, in my opinion. A few weeks before this I bought a great basket chest at Ross to put all my linens in, and I realized I could just cut a hole in the side and bam! hidden cat box. So I went to Ross and wanted to buy the same one, but it wasn't there which is why I hate Ross and TJ Maxx (actually I love them though). But there was a basket chest that was the right size, it had a cheap fabric lining but it was a great price and could be modified easily. I brought it home, cut out the lining, and used a steak knife to cut a little door in the side. I put a towel in the bottom and a big litter pan on top of the towel. I showed Minnie where the litter box was and she pretended like she couldn't see it, typical cat. I gave her about a day and then got rid of the other litter box. We haven't looked back! I have the basket in a corner of my living room and the side she goes in is close to the wall. No one would know the litter box was there unless they were told. Just an easy, quick and inexpensive solution to the litter box dilemma I know many people who don't have a lot of space face.

Basket is attractive and inconspicuous, just how I wanted. 

Hole in side, the basket was really easy to cut. 

How to clean it, just open the lid! 

It was a piece of cake, and although not glamorous or pretty, really useful and something that makes my life much easier.

Until next time,

Kerri

Easy (ish) Earring Holder

Hi Everyone, today my post is about an easy storage idea that is inexpensive and quick (my favorites).

Lately everywhere you turn there are these adorable earring holders that are just a frame with a screen stuck inside and you hang the earrings on the screen. I recently was with my mom at a market and these were for sale EVERYWHERE. Every shape, size, color, etc etc etc. But they were $30-$50. I wanted one of these so I decided to make my own. I will break down the cost for you and put in some pictures.

I went to my Goodwill to find a frame, I wanted one that would not crowd my vanity area in my bathroom that is already very cluttered with lovely makeup tools, dental paraphernalia, contacts, glasses, hair brushes, whatever you name it. Anyway, back to the frame. My boyfriend ended up finding one that was originally from Ikea that was a long rectangle. Great shape, bad color. It was black and needed some TLC but the shape was right, and I can work with that. The frame was $3.99 I think. Then next we went to the True Value and bought some screen. I bought 2 feet of screen for $2.49.

Screen, frame, staple gun and tin snips. This part took the longest. 

Next I realized I needed to cut the screen to fit in the frame, so I borrowed some tin snips from my work and cut it to fit. I stapeled it inside the frame and did a little bit more trimming (with my little cat assistant of course). The trimming of the screen once inside the frame was the most difficult part of this project for a few reasons. First off I was too lazy to go dig out work gloves, so I got a few pricks from the sharp screen edges. Second, it is such a tight space to be cutting in that it was hard to cut close to the staples and straight because the tin snips are thick. But in total I probably only spent 15 minutes cutting the screen. I thought I needed to give myself lots of extra screen inside the frame edges (why? not sure, just me trying to be prepared for whatever haha).

I chose a bright yellow to spray paint the frame because it fits with the colors of my bathroom. The color is Rust-Oleum Painters Touch in Lemon Grass. The spray paint costs $3.97 for one can at my Home Depot. It took a few coats to completely cover the black frame, but was easy enough.

The color I chose, so sunshiney and happy

My assistant checking to see if it is dry, also yelling for me to get back to work! 

The frame was not super stable, and originally I thought I would put some small nails at the corners but then I decided I could just put a blob of hot glue in each corner and hold it together tight while it dried. Doing this before putting in the screen would have been smart...oh well. Also on the back of the frame I put a little saw tooth hanger that I had in my stash on the back to hang it up. I just eyeballed it in the middle. And voila! New earring holder! In total I spent $10.45 on the earring holder. Not too bad, also Now I have 3/4 can of lovely yellow spray paint for my next project...hmm.

Saw tooth hanger, had to sub a staple for a teensy nail.. I only had 1 left! 

Completed frame! Looks so cute!

You can see how it goes with the shower curtain I made :) 

This was a great project and I got a little giddy hanging up my earrings on it!

Until next time,

Kerri

Color Changes Everything: Nightstands

Hi Everyone, my next attempt at blogging is here and I have an actual post. Something I reall enjoy doing in my spare time is DIY projects. I have redone a few dressers, book cases, a hutch that now holds my fish tank, lamps, knitting, etc etc etc. This time I actually thought ahead of time about making this project into a post.

This project started about a year ago when I knew I would be moving into my own apartment and had no furniture. I was craigslisting like crazy to find pieces that I liked and knew over time I would redo them, but not sure how. I found a deal on 2 matching night stands and a nightstand/little cabinet for about $25 if I remember right. I went out to look at them and ended up taking home a book case and the fish tank hutch as well. About $50 later I had 5 pieces of furniture that smelled like weird craigslist house. When I got the keys to my new place the furniture was moved in and promptly painted white (they were all in various forms of ugly). Everything was painted white with very very very light green details (I was scared to commit to something darker, but slowly it is all being changed). Fast forward to now. I redid a dresser and painted it bright green with gold knobs and just love it.

After much deliberation about what to do with my adorable French inspired night stands I decided to take the plunge and paint them bright green to match the dresser. I did not do much prep work on the nightstands like sand them down, which was a bit of a mistake but life goes on and I was too excited this time to wait. Usually when redoing furniture it is a good idea to sand it first. I just cleaned this really well and started spray painting. The color I used for the dresser and nighstands was Rust-Oleum Painters Touch in Eden. This color is hard to find, I tried to find it in the town my parents live in, literally not in any store in town or the next town over. I could only find it at my Home Depot. It's a beautiful bright green, it really reminds me of the Pacific Northwest and all the lush trees.

Nightstands before, and my assistant too haha

Spray paint in my experience is the best to paint furniture with, it is easy to even out and dries pretty quickly. 

Nightstands during painting, they look so different in green! 

Bedroom with nightstands back in, iphone camera would not focus correctly :(

Dan's nightstand

Top of my nightstand

Whole nightstand

 Anyways, I put a few coats of the spray paint on the nightstands and then a gloss on top to project from water stains and whatnot on top of the nightstands. They are lovely. This was a pretty easy project that required no tools and was quick enough for me to do after work and stick back in my bedroom the next day.  One of the easiest ways to revamp a piece of furniture is to paint it another color!

Until next time,

Kerri