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Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:02:55 -0400

Backyarding and Karen's Loaded Potato Salad Experience

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 16:00:31 -0400

My quest to restore used or build furniture for my new place has reached the backyard. I went to...

Daft Punk - Get Lucky (Full Video) (by djeevs)

Thu, 30 May 2013 05:53:44 -0400

Daft Punk - Get Lucky (Full Video) (by djeevs)

Looking forward to summer in the Hill District. (at The Hill)

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:54:34 -0400

Looking forward to summer in the Hill District. (at The Hill)

“I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to...

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:55:25 -0400

“I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met.”

motherearthnewsmag: Pressure Canning Basics: Fearless Food...

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:05:13 -0400

motherearthnewsmag:

Pressure Canning Basics: Fearless Food Preservation

Whether pressure canning or using a water bath canner, home-canned food is a gift you give yourself. Learn how to use a pressure canner to preserve food safely and save money on groceries all year long.

By Tabitha Alterman

I just fell in love with this bag

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:11:05 -0400

I just fell in love with this bag

Today was dedicated to the indoor plants. I’ve been...

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:21:31 -0400

Today was dedicated to the indoor plants. I’ve been rescuing houseplants from “Lowes’ Rack of Death (the “sale plants” for about 8 months now and I’m running out of room on window sills, the bar cart (which was converted to accommodate my “rescuees”) and the floor in my living room. Yesterday, while at Lowes, I purchased two terra-cotta hanging pots, then proceeded to rescue their potential occupants- a very small palm and what I believe is a peperomia. I also picked up two cans of spray paint -one white gloss and one Sunrise Red gloss- and white primer.

I woke up at 6:30am and found that it was relatively warm and partly sunny. I took a chance and placed my pots outside along with others I’d purchased, but had not gotten around to painting. I used some collapsed card board boxes to cover the ground, and began spraying away. I used the white primer to coat two pots and used the red paint for the remaining pots. The Sunrise Red does not need a primer. I used for my mid-century modern chest of drawers restoration project a few months back with incredible results (click here for the post and photos).

While I waited for the first of many coats to dry, I began repotting some plants I’d bought over the last few months. Then I brought all the plants and trees outside to enjoy the fresh air and warmth of the sun. I’ve researched how to acclimate indoor plants outdoors for some time, and will bring them out each day for a few hours for the next few weeks until they are out all day, and for the remainder of the summer. After repotting, I gave them all a nice shower and let them sit for 3 hours while I applied two more coats of paint to the terra-cotta pots.

Fortunately I didn’t have to drill the hooks into the brick because they were never removed during the rehab. There are about five or six more hooks on the exterior rear walls of the house where I may put additional planters. I have been promised a rain barrel from the Kingsley Association, so I will have a nice green backyard to enjoy this summer. Now all I need is outdoor furniture. I see trips to Construction Junction and Goodwill in my future….

theydesign: Eriks Designbuss is the coolest mobile design...

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:37:18 -0400

theydesign:

Eriks Designbuss is the coolest mobile design studio in Sweden.

Quilts of Hill District Carnegie Library librarian, Joyce...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:49:40 -0400

Quilts of Hill District Carnegie Library librarian, Joyce Broadus. These quilts are a part of a staff exhibit at the main branch in Pittsburgh. I was strolling through the library for the first time, after picking up tax forms. Typical me, but what a wonderful find!

Restored mid-century modern chest of drawers from @CJReuse With...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:00:29 -0400

Restored mid-century modern chest of drawers from @CJReuse

With the help of a very dear friend, I was able to restore a much needed, and very inexpensive ($30.00) chest of drawers I purchased at Construction Junction, the local reuse center in Pittsburgh.

Paint:

I chose red, because I love the pop of it opposite the exposed brick wall in my bedroom. I used an entire 32 oz. can of Rustoleum Gloss Sunrise Red for 4 coats (no primer needed). This is automotive paint, so its a super high gloss, especially for a red. The final coat was a mix of paint with mineral spirits to smooth it out. The mineral spirits was also quite handy for cleaning the brushes. And yes, I used a 2 inch Purdy brush rather than a foam brush. Foam brushes leaves small bubbles in the paint while drying. I purchased a sample size amount of a walnut colored paint for the very bottom to balance it with the brown of the top drawer.

Accessories:

I also swapped out the handles for knobs, which I purchased from Anthropologie ($8.00 each). It occurred to me that I may want to place my television + DVD player or some plants on top of the chest. So I purchased 2 yards of cloth from JoAnn’s Fabrics to wrap around a 1/2 - 1 inch board.

Project cost: $132.00

Chest of Drawers: $30.00

Rustoleum Gloss Sunrise Red: $9.00

Sample Walnut Paint: $4.00

Odorless Mineral Spirits: $20.00 (2 containers)

Purdy 2 inch Brush- $8.00

Sand Paper: $3.00

Knobs: $48.00

Cloth: $10.00

Challenges:

After cleaning the brushes with the mineral spirits, I had to think about the disposal process. I did not want to pour those chemicals into the toilet or sink. I still have it for the next paint job I do, stored in a glass jar. However, when I no longer have use for it, I will have to find a hazardous waste drop-off center to dispose of it. This definitely made me rethink how I paint in the future.

Overall Satisfaction:

I am very pleased with the final project outcome. I spent a bit more money than I anticipated (the $48.00 for the knobs was more expensive than the chest of drawers!!), but it was completely worth it. The paint and accessories brought up the value of the piece and it looks amazing in my room. It also gave me the confidence I need to continue on with my goal of not purchasing new furniture for my home.

abluegirl: Living Wall These vegetated surfaces don’t just...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 09:16:01 -0400

abluegirl:

Living Wall

These vegetated surfaces don’t just look pretty. They have other benefits as well, including cooling city blocks, reducing loud noises, and improving a building’s energy efficiency.What’s more, a recent modeling study shows that green walls can potentially reduce large amounts of air pollution in what’s called a “street canyon,” or the corridor between tall buildings.

For the study, Thomas Pugh, a biogeochemist at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, and his colleagues created a computer model of a green wall with generic vegetation in a Western European city. Then they recorded chemical reactions based on a variety of factors, such as wind speed and building placement.

The simulation revealed a clear pattern: A green wall in a street canyon trapped or absorbed large amounts of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter—both pollutants harmful to people, said Pugh. Compared with reducing emissions from cars, little attention has been focused on how to trap or take up more of the pollutants, added Pugh, whose study was published last year in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

That’s why the green-wall study is “putting forward an alternative solution that might allow [governments] to improve air quality in these problem hot spots,” he said.Compared with reducing emissions from cars, little attention has been focused on how to trap or take up more of the pollutants, added Pugh, whose study was published last year in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

That’s why the green-wall study is “putting forward an alternative solution that might allow [governments] to improve air quality in these problem hot spots,” he said.

Full Gallery

myedol: Rap Quotes by Jay Shells This awesome project plots...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:30:38 -0400

myedol:

Rap Quotes by Jay Shells

This awesome project plots various locations in New York city that are mentioned by rappers in songs. Jay Shells places these street signs at the exact locations mentioned by the rapper and inadvertently creates a hip hop scavenger hunt that I’d love to take part in. I really hope these signs are never removed because it’s really interesting to know that when you stand below one of these signs, you’re standing at a point that has had a part to play in the evolution of hip hop culture. I’ve embedded a video below where Jay Shells gives more insight into the project.

Artists: | Twitter | Website | [via: Laughing Squid]

Watch:

Holy Fucking ShitBalls: In 4 Sentences, Justice Elena Kagan Completely Dominates the Guy Arguing Against Gay Marriage

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:01:15 -0400

Holy Fucking ShitBalls: In 4 Sentences, Justice Elena Kagan Completely Dominates the Guy Arguing...

Captain Sky - Super Sporm.wmv (by zeromansleepz) (I’ve...

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 21:22:22 -0400

Captain Sky - Super Sporm.wmv (by zeromansleepz) (I’ve been looking for this song for years. Now if I can just find out how to buy it…)

Erasure In My Arms (U.S Version) (by Yelens82)

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:08:00 -0400

Erasure In My Arms (U.S Version) (by Yelens82)

thisbigcity: SimCity 5 has been released, and it offers a...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:37:24 -0400

thisbigcity:

SimCity 5 has been released, and it offers a sustainable, suburban and slightly more human view of urban development. Check out our review in full here.

Before + After of @CJReuse Footstools: I was a bit concerned I...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:00:27 -0400

Before + After of @CJReuse Footstools:

I was a bit concerned I would not find a suitable method to remove the rust from the legs, and paint from the rubber. I was determined not to use harsh chemicals during the process. Stand paper did the trick on the legs and Castille Soap and Scotch Brite (and a lot of elbow grease) removed 95% of the paint. The rest I scraped off with a razor.

I am not certain of what to do with them after I repaint them, but for now they are snake plant stands.

This is my 1000 tweet, and how appropriate it’s of this...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0400

This is my 1000 tweet, and how appropriate it’s of this blog entry. My friend Majestic posted this on Facebook a few months back and it still resonates with me. The “business as usual mode” we want to stay in is over. Some of us know things have changed. Many of us are still unaware. But the writing is on the wall now….literally. No excuses.

My Experiment with Homemade Essential Oils

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 17:00:45 -0400

I’ve been scouring the web the past few days for instructions on making essential oils....