Saturday, August 29, 2015

Four Days & Four Drawers Mini Organizing Challenge: DIY Kitchen Utensil Drawer Dividers

Welcome to the end of Four Days & Four Drawers week. This week I was dedicated to accomplish four organized drawers within four days, and once again, I am sliding in just under the mini-challenge wire. The cool thing is I almost accomplished six drawers in four days. The not-so-cool thing is that when I was complete with the DIY portion of two of those drawers, I wasn't 100% satisfied with my work. So although I am not quite ready to share the final two drawers yet, fingers crossed I will get those finished up this weekend.


But today is not about what I didn't get done, and all about celebrating what I did accomplish. The final two drawers this week were both kitchen messes that I have been meaning to deal with for quite awhile now. Next to our range we have two drawers that are dedicated to our cooking utensils and kitchen gadgets. We have never been ones to keep an abundance of random kitchen tools on hand, but we do have a few favorites that we find quite beneficial to our daily cooking and meal preparation.

When we unpacked our kitchen boxes, we did it quickly to clear our guest room for visitors. Everything was tossed into the specific cabinets and drawers as planned, yet not in any organized fashion. Although the drawers and cabinets are not extremely messy, they definitely need a little love and attention.

The top drawer holds our spatulas, slotted spoons, pastry brush, can opener, masher and salad tongs, as well as our herb chopper and pizza slicer.


I had started trying to organize the next drawer down with some organizers I picked up at the Container Store awhile back, but I wasn't 100% happy with the result.


After looking for a few options that would fit our spatulas and drawer measurements, I found myself coming up short. And when I can't find exactly what I am looking for, I turn directly to DIY options.

We have created wooden drawer dividers in the past, but with all of the odd shapes and cuts for our kitchen tools, we decided that we needed an easier solution than the one we used previously.


For the dividers themselves, I picked up a five pieces of 3" oak hobby boards from Home Depot. After I added a few of our unused tools to our donate box, I arranged the remaining items in the drawer.


Then we just measured and cut each drawer piece one at a time (straight and simple cuts). We placed them into the drawer at the approximate location that fit our layout and worked our way from front to back.


While each of the divider pieces were in their planned location, we used a pencil to mark each board to keep track of our template/layout.


After everything was measured and temped out inside of the drawer, it was time to make them stick. We didn't want to do anything permanent to our new drawers, so we had to find a way to affix them together while keeping them removable as well. I considered using wood glue and small nails or staples, but I didn't want the visual messiness of those options. I found this tutorial and decided our best bet was to go with construction adhesive.


It is important to select an adhesive that will dry clear/transparent because the glue is placed along each divider seam.

Prior to gluing, we placed down a layer of parchment paper to protect our drawer.


We then put our drawer dividers back together based on our pencil markings, using the drawer as a guide to hold all of the pieces together while they dried.


We first placed glue on the edge of each board with our finger. When the board was pressed against another board, the glue would squirt out through the seams. I used a cotton swab to clean up any drips or chunks and occasionally also added in a bit more glue to be sure everything was going to dry solid. Above you can see the adhesive initially comes out white, but below you can see it clearing up as it dries.


Once the dividers were dry (I waited a couple of hours), I removed them from the drawer so that I could line the drawer with true drawer liner (the same liner I used for our pantry and our essential drawer).


Although I typically use anything from cardstock to gift wrap when it comes to lining drawers, this stuff is the "real deal" and has held up quite well in the other kitchen drawers. Plus, I appreciate keeping the lining consistent throughout the entire kitchen space.

Top drawer done and filled:


And the next drawer down also completed and filled:


Prior to this drawer project we had already purged the majority of our utensils and tools down to our very favorites, however, I did go ahead and purchase a new set of matching measuring spoons since we only had a few miscellaneous sizes of previous sets remaining (which also ended up in the donate box). Above you may have also noticed that we had a spatula that was slightly too long to be placed in our drawer sideways, but being that it is made of wood, we were able to easily take a small portion off of the handle to make it fit where we wanted. #victory


The entire cost of the project came down to the pieces of hobby wood and some glue. To achieve beautiful wooden dividers that fit our exact tools and needs, I think it was $20 and time well spent.



As much as I love (LOVE) acrylic dividers, I also appreciate trying something new. By mixing things up from our "go to" option, I was able to maximize how we utilize the drawers and create a clean look with wood that blends in seamlessly with the drawers. Double win.




Have a great weekend everyone and cheers organizing our homes one fabulous drawer at a time!


** Catch up on the remainder of the mini series with our home office drawer here and our school supply drawer here. **

Slowdown in house-price growth masking Dublin issues, say Property Industry Ireland

The slowdown in house-price growth in Dublin is masking a continuing crisis in the housing sector according to Property Industry Ireland, the Ibec group that represents businesses working in the property and construction sector.

Referencing this week’s CSO figures, the group claims that while house price increases have moderated, prices are rising faster outside of Dublin than in the capital.

Director at Property Industry Ireland, Peter Stafford said: “In Dublin, house prices increased by 0.7% in July, while outside of Dublin they increased by 1.2%. This welcome slow-down in prices is not a symptom of a healthy balance between demand and supply, but is likely caused by the impact of the new Central Bank mortgage lending policy.

“The rapid increase in rents in the same periods suggests that potential purchasers are trying to raise deposits or buying outside of the capital where prices are lower. A complete review of Irish housing policy is urgently needed.”

The post Slowdown in house-price growth masking Dublin issues, say Property Industry Ireland appeared first on MyHome.ie Advice & Blog.

Last Night's Lessons Learned

I made the below post on social media, last night.

Lessons learned on the ranch today:
1) Baby calves panic when their momma gets sick and they are separated.
2) Momma Cows get upset when baby calves panic. Even when the baby isn't theirs!
3) I can semi rope.
4) Flower Boy can bulldog like nobody's business!
5) Princess Sheba and Miss Royal are the two most patient dogs in the world!
6) I need a bath!

Here's the story behind it!

This Momma Cow got sick.
Sunday, she was fine.
Monday, she was fine.
Tuesday, she wasn't feeling well.
Wednesday, she was down!
(I will tell you more about her sickness in next week's Moo Cow Monday post.)

She was so sick she didn't argue getting to the pen, loading into the stock trailer, receiving a shot, or being placed in a pen at the house, without her baby.
At the time we were loading her, we couldn't get her baby along with her.
The baby was left in the pasture, as we knew we needed to get the momma care.
Her baby would be okay, with the herd, until the next day.
We have several Granny Cows in the herd.
The baby could nurse from them for a bit.

Yesterday was the next day.
I apologize for not having photos or a video, but I will do my best to paint the pictures in your mind.
(A lesson learned, aside from these, is I get busy working and fail to take photos.)
:-)
I got home from work.
Flower Boy was waiting on me.
I ran into the house changed into my tennis shoes, a pair of running shorts, and a tee shirt.

We pull into the pasture.
Call the cattle up to the catch pen.
All the Momma Cows come into the pen.
A few of the calves enter the pen.
The little baby, that has the sick momma, she doesn't enter the pen.

SHE RUNS!

We take some time.
Let the cattle settle.
Flower Boy attempts to rope the baby.

SHE RUNS!

Now, when you are missing your momma, one would think, you would come to meet the persons trying to help you get to your momma, right?

Lesson Number 1 Learned!

We take a different approach.
Flower Boy drives the truck.
I walk behind the calves.
They are directed towards the catch pen.
When we get close to the catch pen,
I grab the rope.
The calves are then herded into the catch pen by the truck and me with the rope.
Flower Boy jumps out of the truck, slams the gate, grabs the little calves back leg, I throw the rope on her neck, Flower Boy bulldogs the calf, and the Momma Cows become very upset!

Hence Lessons 2 thru 4!

While Flower Boy is tying the calf's feet,
I run all the other cattle out of the catch pen.
Making sure the gate is secure, with the cattle on the outside!

This little calf was born July 15th.
No matter how hard we try, we always seem to have a summer born calf!
She is a fancy little heifer.
Her body is square.
She is also very strong!
There was no way we could load her onto the back of the truck.

Flower Boy "Can you hook on to the gooseneck?"
Me "NO! I will stay here with her. You go get it!"
With the cake feeder on the back of the truck, I can't see to back up to the trailers.
It would have taken me an hour to connect the trailer and get back.
Flower Boy could do it much quicker than I.

Off he goes!
Leaving me, in the catch pen, with the hogtied little heifer, who weighs twice my body weight or more!
She struggles to get loose!
She cries!
The other Momma Cows ram the fence panels to get to her and ME!
They beller and paw the ground!
I talk to them and her.
"Clam down!"
"We are only trying to help."
"This has to be done to get her back with her momma."
"Go tend to your own babies!"

I pat and pet the little heifer.
Doing all I can to keep her calm
AND
Myself!

It's getting dark.
I look around.
I notice, we are laying/sitting in the discharge/recycle end of the cake line.
The calf and I are covered with cattle poop!

Acknowledgment of Lesson 6!
Soon Flower Boy arrives back with the stock trailer.
We pull the calf into the trailer.
Untie her feet.
She stands up.
We deliver her to her momma!

Momma and Baby pair up!
Baby cries!
Momma moos!
Baby starts nursing!

Our job is done!

Lesson 5:
All this time,
Princess Sheba and Miss Royal have been patient.
They have both sat in the truck without a single whimper, whine, or bark to get out.

As for the lessons we realized this morning?
1) Always saddle the horse!
2) Always take the stock trailer!
3) Wear jeans and boots!
4) Bruising and body stiffing start a few hours after the rodeo!
5) Look back and laugh at yourself!
6) Go to lunch together and laugh some more!

Flower Boy,
I am so blessed to have you as my partner!
How about a Ranch Rodeo Team?

XOXO,
Rancher Girl

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Almost half of rented homes in Dublin have poor energy ratings

Almost half of rented houses and apartments in Dublin city have low energy ratings putting their tenants at risk of fuel poverty, according to a Dublin City Council commissioned report.

The report by Codema, the energy advisory agency for Dublin local authorities, found 48 per cent of rental properties had a Building Energy Rating (BER) of D or lower. The scale runs from A to G – with G-rated homes being the most difficult to keep warm.

The Spatial Energy Demand Analysis report shows the energy use and costs in more than 200,000 homes, rented and owned, in the city. The best energy ratings were found in areas with large numbers of new homes such as the docklands and the north fringe of the city around Clongriffin and the newly constructed parts in Ballymun.

The city’s older suburbs and the city centre fared worst with low BER ratings in both poor and affluent older areas. “The most common BER is a middling D rating, with some of the older areas of the city averaging lower E and F ratings,” the report states.

These lower ratings are found around the Liberties and St James’s Hospital and stretching out to Drimnagh, Crumlin, Terenure, Rathmines and Rathgar on the south side of the city, and on the north side, Stoneybatter, Mountjoy, East Wall and out to Cabra, Phibsborough, Drumcondra and Marino.

The lowest BER ratings were found in two of the poorest areas of the city. These areas with G ratings are both in the north inner city around North Frederick Street and Dorset Lane off the North Circular Road.

In the North Frederick Street area, the study identified 135 dwellings, 128 of which were “ very small apartments or flats” and 120 were built pre-1970. “The cost of keeping these dwellings heated sufficiently is estimated to be €1,318 per year, per dwelling.”

The study identifies the areas most at risk of energy poverty, based on the three most influential factors; the energy efficiency of the home, affordability (in terms of unemployment), and the cost of energy per household.

The 10 areas most at risk of fuel poverty were: Cromcastle, Coolock; Cappagh Road, Finglas; Muskerry Road area, Ballyfermot; Landen/Lally Road, Ballyfermot; sections of Blackhorse Avenue in Dublin 7; Belvedere Avenue, Ballybough; Ventry Park, Cabra; Arran Quay; Sherrard Avenue, Ballybough; and Cabra Road.

The study uses the CSO “Small Area” data, the smallest geographical breakdown used for statistical purposes. Each area studied has between 50 and 200 homes. Just over 35 per cent of Dublin city homes have had a BER assessment, but some areas have significantly higher rates. In Dublin 1, 60 per cent of properties have BER certs, this is likely due to the high number of rented properties, the report said, because landlords must have BER assessments to offer a property for rent.

“A real concern is the number of rented dwellings which have very poor BERs,” the report said.

The post Almost half of rented homes in Dublin have poor energy ratings appeared first on MyHome.ie Advice & Blog.

house number six - a "before" tour

It really was love at first sight for me. Fifteen years ago on my very first visit to Charleston, SC, I fell in love with this city's beauty and charm; and I dreamed of one day calling it home. It's been almost a month now since we closed on our home here, and I still wake up feeling like I'm on vacation......or like I'm still dreaming.........despite the unpacked boxes (yes, we still have boxes to unpack).


At first look, I loved the double front porches but wasn't crazy about the green color of the house .....but it's growing on me.....and I have some plans. Initially I wasn't looking for a "new-ish" house. I wanted something old with lots of character and tons of potential. When our home in Kentucky sold (the original inspiration for the blog - hence the name "our fifth house") I was ready for number six to be an oldie but goodie and tackle a full-on renovation project. But, as it turned out, this sweet young house is the one I fell head over heels in love with and the one where I could see my family living in for years to come. She's got that fresh out of college, bright eyes, I can take on the world outlook, and I'm pretty pumped that I get to be her design mentor. ;)

What I loved about the house, besides the open floor plan, gorgeous hardwood floors and backyard view, was the way I could see my family living in this space. I had plans to give you a full empty house tour, but my camera battery died mid photo shoot. And of course the charger was packed......and I couldn't find a store that carried a charger that would work for my battery...........and so there went my game plan. So instead I'm going to give you a mix of empty room photos that I shot the day we were handed the keys and some photos from the MLS listing (so you can see how it looked when we toured the house).

I'm a fan of the glass paneled double front doors which let in tons of light in the entry foyer. The foyer is pretty large compared to any foyer we've ever had, and I can't wait to get started decorating this space.

Watch out for our guard dogs!
The room to the right is what the previous owners used as a sitting room/living room, but since my hub works from home I'm setting it up as his home office/ the bar room.



There's a little bathroom in the hallway leading to the kitchen, and I have big plans that may or may not include a fun wallpaper.......maybe.


I've showed you the kitchen before and shared my plans to give it some Phillips family personality.


I liked that the stairs are off the kitchen, and I really love the open floor plan which is something we haven't had in a house since house #3 (in Richmond, VA). The dining area leads right in to the living room, so while I'm cooking and cleaning up I won't be separated from all the family action.



The living room leads out to the screen porch which is what sealed the deal for me with this house.


I fell in love with the backyard view. This house backs up to a large pond, and it is just so, so beautiful!


The backyard is pretty much a blank space, and I've got all kinds of fun ideas to make the backyard a great place to entertain.


I'm pretty sure I squealed out loud when I opened the door to the laundry room/ mudroom while we were touring the house. That built-in makes my organization-loving heart ridiculously happy.



The master bedroom with it's three large windows stays really light and bright throughout the day.


And I'm pretty pumped about the fact that the hubs and I now have separate closets.......

..........and separate vanities as well.


When we toured the house my hub thought this space at the top of the stairs was a giant waste of unusable space, but all I could see was the potential to carve out the perfect home office for myself.


Both kids have a decent sized bedroom. This room is my boy's room, and it's already been painted.


This is my girl's room, and she's requested a light pink for the walls.


The guest room is a nice size, and it's at the top of my design to-do list as we've already got a bunch of upcoming guest visits on the calendar.


This is the family hangout room and I have a bunch of fun ideas swirling around in my head for this space!


These little dormers are going to be so much fun! I can't wait to get started!


So that's the before house tour friends. Even though we won't be tearing down walls or gutting the kitchen and bathrooms (at least not any time soon.....maybe in 20 years or so) I hope you'll come along for the ride as we give house number six a big dose of Phillips family personality. We're all excited to be living in our dream city, and I can't wait to let the decorating and design adventures begin!

UHeart Organizing: Shut the Craft Door

One of my favorite things to do is to curl up with a cozy blanket, a cup of coffee and a good storage book or magazine. Flipping through page after page of colorful and streamlined storage solutions is oddly comforting yet invigorating at the same time. It is a passion I have had for so many years now, and for me it never gets old.

I find myself most drawn to organized playrooms, craft rooms and home offices. I just love that these spaces are ones that allow you to let go and play with color. My eyes get all big and heart shaped whenever I see lined up craft paints and acrylic drawer dividers with bright gift wrap showing through. #majorweakness

So when my fellow color lovin' friend, Cassie of Hi Sugarplum, shared her recent craft closet with me, I couldn't hold back my excitement. She paired the ever-so-incredible Elfa system (yes please) with her beautiful supplies to create a very practical and drool worthy solution. What I love most is that someone could essentially store and entire craft room worth of supplies on a single door (so no craft room needed). But as much as the point is to conceal everything behind closed doors, I am not sure I would ever want to shut these craft doors. Here she is to share more details so you can have the same heart eyed reaction I did.



Hello my fellow organizing fanatics! I'm so excited to be back on Jen's rockstar blog sharing my latest organization overhaul with you. Our families vacationed together last week, and in-between riding the waves and whipping up batches of icy cocktails, I picked her brain for tips and ideas! So not only was it an amazing trip, but I also came home motivated to whip every nook and cranny of my house into efficient, organized shape!

We've been in this new home about six months, and in that time we've remodeled the Kitchen and given the Master Bedroom a makeover. The design of the remaining rooms is coming along slowly as well, but I have stalled in regards to some of the major organization spots for our family... like a Command Center, Mudroom, and Craft Closet (click the links to see how we did them in our last house).

I'll admit I've been paralyzed with indecision, so much so, that six months later, this was the state of our craft and wrapping supplies. Not real convenient for a blogger with a creative daughter!


I'm lucky enough to have a spare bedroom with an amazing double-door closet... A prime spot for an office with perfect craft storage. (We're looking at the doors and vaulted ceiling, not the wallpaper border left behind by the previous owner! That's Project #187 on our list!) But without clear direction, I let my uncertainty prevent me from even getting started. Finally, I read back over my mantra for last year... and decided to just start somewhere! Besides, it could only get better, right?!


I already had a Container Store Elfa system for our gift wrap, and it fit perfectly on the inside of one door.... So I decided to utilize the other closet door with the same system for many of our craft supplies. I typically bring home an assortment of baskets and sizes to see what works best, then return the others.

Tip: There are several lower-priced door storage options, but I've found the Container Store's to be the most sturdy. So I wait for one of their big 25-40% off sales to stock up!


I'm proud to say the contents of four boxes of craft supplies are now neatly organized on this single door...and more importantly, they are finally accessible! Roll that beautiful bean craft footage!


I'll break it down for the detail-oriented crowd. #mypeople

Basket 1: Pails of pencils, markers, paint & stain pens, scissors, rotary blades, and the taller items like Modge Podge and sealant.

Basket 2: Specialty paints and finishes


Baskets 3 to 5: Craft paints (in rainbow order, because, duh!)


Basket 6: Pails of brushes, foam brushes & daubers, tubes of Rub 'n' Buff, clips & rubber bands

Tip: Small buckets from the Target Dollar Spot are perfect for corralling and separating supplies. Yep, I basically just wrote you a permission slip to shop at Target!

Basket 7: Specialty papers, contact paper, wallpaper samples...these are used mostly for craft projects like this, and lining drawers or covering walls like this.



How about one more pic of the paints just to get our hearts racing?


Another plus of this system, is how easily my existing gift wrap station transported to the new house... I just reattached it to the door, tidied it up a bit, and was good to go!


Baskets 1-3: Assorted ribbons


Basket 4: Gift tags & ribbon remnants

Basket 5: Gift bags & tissue, pail of tapes & scissors


The magnet strip is great for holding canisters of smaller tags, and notes like birthday reminders.



Basket 6: Wrapping paper

Tip: To hold tall tubes of paper, use a deep basket at the bottom, and a gift wrap rack for the top.


Clearly I share Jen's weakness for pretty papers, and HomeGoods just feeds my addiction!


I'll admit, these organized doors are now part of the tour when friends come by to see the new house... And I may open them with Vanna White flair! #okayItotallydo (We're looking at the doors, not the inside of the closet!)

Well obviously, now you're looking at the inside of the closet... that will be Phase 2.... Let's focus on the delightfulness of Phase 1 for now! I'm just thrilled to have all our craft and wrapping supplies out of boxes, and at our fingertips! And I crossed the biggest hurdle... Getting started!!



Do you let your fear of imperfection keep you from even getting started on projects? I'm learning that the worst thing that could happen is I have to start over later... And who said that's a bad thing?! ;) Thanks for letting me stop by.... Happy organizing, lovebugs!

See more of our Organized Spaces here, and Home Tour here.





"Hi, I'm Cassie, a DIY and design-obsessed Texas girl, and lover of travel, fashion, sarcasm and Mexican food. When I'm not hanging with my sweet and funny family, you can find me kicking the '80s out of our home, one budget project at a time, on my blog Hi Sugarplum!"