Retro Chairs...Dated Fabric...BLEH

My parents got me an adorable table and chair set for Christmas. The duplex I live in is amazing but very short on space. What makes the table and chair set so awesome for me is how compact it it.

However, my friend put it best when she commented on how the fabric looks like it's from her grandmother's condo. The wicker is retro looking but the fabric isn't quite pulling that off. So I've been on a search for fabric that I like, that would also hold up well to consistent butt pressure. (Heh, butt!) Everything I was finding was too expensive, wrong kind of fabric, or the most common...JUST PLAIN OOGLY.

Cue World Market. (Are those angels I hear singing?) World Market has some of the most incredible stuff, I pretty sure they are responsible for a good fourth of my paycheck....well, maybe not as much as that but close! I found these gorgeous napkins. Good fabric with just a bit of stretch but still sturdy, pattern is awesome, love the colors and the price is right. Score baby.

World Market Gorgeous Napkins!

Then it was just a matter of borrowing my Dad's staple gun (thanks Pop, you're the best!), buying some shorter staples....

Unscrewing the bottom and going to town with the staple gun. I started with the four sides where the fabric would end up being shortest (between the corners) and stapled those  four places down taut. Once they were done it was just a matter of going around, pulling the fabric tight, and using probably double the amount of staples I needed. Screw the bottom back on....

And you've got yourself a snazzy new retro but not dated table and chair set! Bam, how ya like dem apples?!

DIY Gel Air Freshener

Christmas and New Year's have come and gone. And for some reason they left some weird odor lingering beneath my sink. Everything is clean down there so I'm throwing my hands up and getting all DIY-er on it.

The line up...Orange and rosemary essential oils (choose whatever floats your nose), mason jar or other container, salt, and gelatin

Take half a cup of cold water and bloom your gelatin. While that sits, bring half a cup of water to a boil. Set your water off the heat and add 1 tablespoon of salt (this helps keep the gel from getting moldy), 10 drops of essential oil, and the gelatin. Whisk until everything is all nice and mixed. Pour into your container and let cool.

Once it is solid, set out and enjoy. So far mine is fairly mild but honestly, that's what I prefer.

Here is the original recipe, the only change I made was quantity and taking out the food coloring. It seemed rather pointless to me.
http://tipnut.com/homemade-smelly-jelly-recipes/

Christmas Bling

Living solo in a small place means that my tree is small and my decorations aren't decadent. Which makes me kind of sad, I love going big for the holidays. This time of year is magic to me. Considering I'm a big kid, that makes sense.

Pinterest to the rescue! There have been tons of pins with people hanging ornaments in their windows...I was sold! Then finding simple ornaments in the Target dollar aisle, SCORE! Borrow some ribbon from Momma and I'm in business.

I love how it adds a touch of color and cheer without being a huge amount of effort or expense.

Added bonus, the ornament colors go perfectly with my Moroccan living room!

And my mini Christmas tree that I've had since middle school...covered with ornaments I've been collecting in that same time frame. Presents don't quite fit under there so the nearby chair will have to do!

Merry Christmas y'all, don't forget the real reason for all the joy and festivities this time of year.

"The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the City of David!" Luke 2:11

All Purpose Spray Cleaner

I've been trying to shuffle the harsh chemicals out of my house but I don't want to lose any cleaning power. I'm kind of a germophobe. Thank goodness we have some naturally strong stuff that won't mess your system up.

This spray gets used on everything in my house...counters, tub, toliet, sinks, door knobs, cabinet pulls. It smells pretty good to boot.

Here are the goods.

White vinegar, tea tree oil, castile soap, hydrogen peroxide

The vinegar and tea tree oil are antibacterial, so I don't have to worry about this just cleaning the crud I can see and not the crud I can't see. Castile soap helps cut grease and any weird stains. Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleach so it disinfects.

With the exception of the castile soap, I got all this stuff at the local Wally World. Shhh, don't tell the other hippies I went there. If you're having trouble finding the tea tree oil, look in the vitamin aisle by the pharmacy. The castile soap I got from a health foods store .The Healthy Home Market in Charlotte is great, huge selection and multiple locations, love them!

Here's an article about why castile soap is a better choice than a lot of the "regular" soaps that are so widespread nowadays.
http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/221/1/Castile-soap.html

I have a spray bottle I got from Ikea for $1, whoot! I used sharpie to write my "recipe" on the bottle so when I need a new batch, I don't need to track it down on my computer.

1 cup water
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon castile soap
1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide (yes, I used the chemical makeup, nerd power)
1 teaspoon tea tree oil

Dump it all in the bottle and shakeup. Bam. Instant cleaning power.

Cost breakdown
Water-Free!
Vinegar-$0.05
Castile soap-$0.02
Hydrogen peroxide-$0.02
Tea Tree Oil-$0.67

Total cost-$0.76

Not bad, saving money and the world!

Here's the site where I got my basic recipe from.
http://savvybrown.com/home/homemade-granite-marble-cleaner/

Herbage

I'm growing herbs!

No, not that kind, silly. The kind you cook with.

See!!! I planted parsley, basil, and chives. I can't remember which one this is, it's either parsley or basil. Yay for keeping track of your plants!

When I got these seeds, it was a packet of these tiny balls. If I'd knocked it over I never would have found the goobers again, they would have disappeared.

Seems pretty insignificant, right? I was doing my Bible reading this morning and I came across 1 Corinthians 15:38-41. (Version of the year is The Message.)

"Some skeptic is sure to ask, 'Show me how resurrection works. Give me a diagram; draw me a picture. What does this 'resurrection body look like?' ' If you look closely at this question, you realize how absurd it is. There are no diagrams for this kind of thing. We do have a parallel experience in gardening. You plant a 'dead seed'; soon there is a flourishing plant. There is no visual likeness between seed and plant. You could never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed. What we plant in the soil and what grows out of it don't look anything alike. The dead body that we bury in the ground and the resurrection body that comes from it will be dramatically different. You will notice that the variety of bodies is stunning. Just as there are different kinds of seeds, there are different kinds of bodies-humans, animals, birds, fish-each unprecedented in its form. You get a hint at the diversity of resurrection glory by looking at the diversity of bodies not only on earth but in the skies-sun, moon, stars-all these varieties of beauty and brightness. And we're only looking at pre-resurrections 'seeds'-who can imagine what the resurrection 'plants' will be like!"

This BLEW MY MIND.


Think about it...humans, animals, birds, fish....sun, moon, stars...These wildly intricate works of art. COMPARED TO A SEED.


I love God's creations, to see the science, art, and downright magic behind His creations. And even these...just a seed compared to not just the new creation He's bringing, but also to our new resurrection bodies. Something even better than even what I have now? I see the seeds I planted a few weeks ago, compare them to my body now. I see the plants I have now (not even full grown at that!) and can't even begin to imagine my new body.

Our God is mighty indeed.