Rantings of a Creole Princess

Shower Curtain Hooks for Purses

Would you ever think to do this?  What if you did several rows of rods with lots of hooks up top where that useless space is????????????????

Fleur De Lis Waffle Maker

Fleur De Lis Waffle Maker

MUST.OWN.NOW.

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

When's the last time you forgot a load of clothes in the washer and had to re-wash them?

Nesting...

How old were you when you started taking pride in how your living space was decorated?

How to Clean Mold and Mildew from an Outdoor Rug!

It's that time of year again folks!  SPRING!!!!!!!!!!

Yall know I love my deck and usually I pack it up for the cold months but this winter was so mild...I didn't.

And my outdoor rug got jacked up.

 

~

 

 

I've been looking for a new one I like just as well with no success and decided to go old school on the one I already own.  The rug was in good shape...it was just gross as all get out.  No fraying or anything like that...just dirt and mold and mildew.

Where I'm from we fight crime with crime.  So yeah...mold begets BLEACH!

LOL!

I mixed 6 cups of bleach with 12 cups of water (1 part bleach, two parts water) and, using a deck scrub brush...I scrubbed it down really good and let it dry overnight.  GO ME!

 

~

 

It's looking good again!

SIP:  Yall know yall need to clean that deck again right?

Me:  Baby steps SIP...baby steps.

Do you have an outdoor rug?  How do YOU clean your outdoor rug?

Battery Operated Light!

 

I've been wanting to add some additional light in my bedroom closet for a while now.  There is one little crappy fixture in the middle and it doesn't do much by way of adding light.

 

I needed something at the bottom to see shoes so I searched for a fluorescent lite that uses batteries.

I bought this one and installed it yesterday.  GO ME!  12-Inch Fluorescent Lite

It's PERFECT! 

I'm chipping away bit by bit at this Spring cleaning/improvement list of mine!  How about you?  Did you make a list?  Have you been chipping away at it too?

How to Clean Faux Wood Blinds

We have white faux wood blinds hanging in the windows in the front room of our home.

Jaru and Lucy don't care.

That said...the bottom 6 slats on the blinds are gross.

To me.

How would YOU clean them?

Do you think I should take them down and scrub them?

Do you think it would be okay to scrub them good while hanging?

What would YOU do?

 

UPDATE!

So...I just got some warm soapy water and a towel and went row by row.  All you have to do is push the one above the one you're working on up and wipe.  Then...flip and repeat.  GO ME!

 

Houzz

I hate my friends for introducing me to this site.

Seriously.

HATE.THEM.

You will too.

www.Houzz.com

SPRING CLEANING: How to disinfect your garbage disposal!

It's that time of year again folks.  The time when you're thinking about all the stuff you use daily that you probably don't CLEAN daily. 

One thing I don't do anymore is try and do it all at once cuz then I'll get all flustered with the amount of work it takes so I try and break stuff down and do it piece by piece.

This morning I did the garbage disposal. 

I'm pretty good with tossing egg shells in to help keep the blades sharp and with putting lemon peels in pretty often to make sure I never have any odors so I'm okay there.

It's pretty simple to disinfect it so it's something you can do pretty often if you use it as often as I do.

Step 1:  Pour a cup of baking soda in.

Step 2:  Pour a cup of vinegar in and let it bubble up and do it's thing.

Step 3:  Pour a pot of hot water in.

DONE!

GO YOU!

How do you disinfect YOUR disposal?

What do YOU use vinegar for?

Uses for White Vinegar

Leftover Tomato Paste

I was reading a magazine and there was a quick blurb about how to save tomato paste.  It stated to put it in a plastic bag and freeze it and break off pieces to add to soup, stews, etc.  Even said you could add it to a Bloody Mary.

I thought that was sooooooooo cool!  If I ever use the tomato paste in a can again...I'm sooooooooo doing this with the leftovers!

Do YOU save tomato paste?  How?

Either / Or

Do you make up your bed with the pillows flat or propped up against the headboard?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

What would you do if you were in the middle of vacuuming and your vacuum stopped working.

Toilet Seats

Recently we changed a toilet seat at 13700.

Then...The Robinator decided we needed to change other toilet seats at 13700.

Apparently this is a big, huge man thing.

You know...to have a GOOD toilet seat.

So dude researched the best replacement toilet seats.

He decided I should share it with yall cuz yall might be in need of new toilet seats too.

And I just do as I'm told.  BEMIS Sta-Tite Round Closed Front Toilet Seat in White

SIP:  o_0

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

If you had to leave home for a month for work...would your husband (S/O) remember to change the sheets without you reminding him?

Xanax

 

I have a friend who jokes that they have to take Xanax whenever they go to visit their family.

Recently I found out they were NOT joking. They shared that it helps them not be on edge so much when it comes to dealing with their people because their family is a special bunch.

Made me go hmmmmmmmmm...cuz seriously...I might need to get me some of that. ROFL!

Have YOU ever used it? Do you know anyone who does?What do YOU think about it?

Clorox Splashless Bleach is NOT a disinfectant!

 

I'm not a fan.

 

And I'm feeling some kinda way.

So...every Friday I disinfect my bathtub with a cup of bleach because I use my tub darn near 6 times a week and I don't trust the jet thingys to get really clean with the daily clean that I do to it after I get out.

So I fill the tub up past the jets, add a cup of bleach and run the jets for 20 minutes.

I have issues...yall know this.

So I was at Walmart around the holidays and there wasn't any regular bleach.  There was splashless bleach so I got that cuz it's bleach right?

You would think.

So I used it and my tub filled up with suds which freaked me out so I stopped the jets.  I was weirded out so I got out the bleach to sniff it and yall...it didn't smell like BLEACH.

At this point I'm thinking I got a bad batch of bleach so I went out to Target and bought some more bleach.  The REGULAR kind.

No problem with it at all.

So I was perplexed.

THEN I LOOK IT UP ONLINE AND I FIND OUT THAT SPLASHLESS BLEACH ISN'T A REGISTERED DISINFECTANT!!!!!!

CLUTCH THE PEARLS!  NOW I FEEL LIKE MY WHITES AREN'T PROPERLY CLEANED!  OHMYGOODNESS!  I'M ITCHING  NOW!  DID YALL KNOW THIS?  DID YOU KNOW THE SPLASHLESS BLEACH DOESN'T DISINFECT LIKE THE SUPER DOOPER AWESOME REGULAR BLEACH??????????

Home Bar 101

Home Bar 101: Build It & They Will Come:  The Broke Socialite’s Gradual Approach to Setting Up a Home Bar

Question...

What do YOU dust with at home?

How often do you dust?

What's your dusting day?

My FAVORITE Small Kitchen Appliance!

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

I've had several version of this countertop grill over the years and this one is, by far, the smartest.  I love that you can take the grill plates off and wash them and you can flip them over to be used as a griddle.  The thingy that catches the oil which runs off the meat is under it and is a neat and clean way to capture the grease. 

It's so easy to make quick and healthy meals with this whiz and it makes me happy.  GO ME!

Do YOU have a countertop grill?  Which one?

Touch-Up Painting, etc...

I started doing touch-up painting at 13700 yesterday.  See...I thought I wanted a new color so I've been waiting on some inspiration but yeah...I like the yellow on the main level so I'm keeping it.  I finished all but the foyer area and I was planning on doing that sometime today.

Or not.

Did yall know they make spackling now which comes out the tub pink and once it's dry enough for sanding it turns white?  I.LOVE.THAT!  Whoever did that deserves some kinda really huge award.  That is simply soooooooooooooooooo awesome to me!

I do want to do some wall stripes in the front living room.  (Calling that room a formal living room just sounds weird to me cuz we are nothing next to near formal.  LOL!)  Imma do the wall that you see when you first walk in the the house.  I've been wanting to do it for a while so I went ahead and purchased what I'd need to do it properly (that paint plus primer stuff and some frog tape) so I can have it at the ready whenever the inspiration hits me.  I think I finally know what I want to do to that room to make it something we'd actually use.  See...when people come to 13700, they immediately roll back to the family room.  That's always been the way it is.

So...I wanna make it bright and fun.  Something that will make folks want to stop and enjoy instead of rolling straight to the back.  I might even hide a small television in there.  I see cream, amber and bronze/brown accents in there with some lime-ish green thrown in for a fun pop.  I need art, chairs, an ottoman, maybe a bench, and I might change out the tables which are currently in there to something more square in shape.

HOWEVER...just cuz I finally see it means nothing.  LOL!  It will take me forever just to find the chairs I want probably.  *sigh*

BUT I GOT A PLAN!!

Anybody working on any home improvement things?  Any home improvement goals?

 

Whatchu know 'bout that?

In the room we had wood paneled, there was olive green shag carpeting.

Yes...you read that correctly.

Olive green shag carpet.

To this day I can't look at shag carpet or shag rugs and think anywhere next to near of it being chic or fashionable.

What about yall?  Have you gotten over thinking shag carpeting is old school?

Did you ever have shag carpeting in a house you lived in?

Question...

When's the last time you cleaned the remote controls at your house?

What about your kids video game controls or their hand held Nintendo games?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

When's the last time you cleaned the top of your fridge?

Christmas 2011 Wrap Up!

What was  your FAVORITE gift?

Who gave it to you?

Were your kids surprised and happy?

Did you have to cut anybody?

WE'RE STARTING A NEW COMPANY!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOTICE!

Monnie & Robby will come to your home, take down your Christmas decor and pack it away neatly for the sum of $6,000.

Why that amount you ask?

We figure that's what we'd value such a job.

*sigh*

Are YOUR decorations still up?

Um...by the way...this is something I was creating to get ready for organizing everything this year but didn't finish it yet.  You can start using it and fix it up for you.  I'm not going to use the part for the addresses and just put them in for you guys because all I'm going to do is print out my Holiday list on my Entourage (Outlook for you PC people.).  If yall want me to post it when I'm finished with it...let me know or just improve upon it for your needs on your own.  I purchased my last holiday organizer from Hallmark 5 years ago and this year was the last year it accomodated so I figured I was gonna just recreate something that made sense for me.

Download Holiday Manual

Thanks Jeff @ Executive Electric in Maryland!!!!!!!!!

I was on the highway the other day and saw an electrical work van with the name Executive Electric on the side along with their phone number.

I called them because our outside sockets haven't worked for a while now and I wanted to put my lights up outside.  Robby was convinced it was something minor because all other plugs in the house work fine but hey...neither he or I couldn't figure it out.

So Jeff from Executive Electric called me back and I told him what the problem was and he told me it sounded like we just needed to locate the GFCI and reset it.

Clean Maytag Bravos with Affresh?????

The other day a light came on my washer stating it was a "clean washer reminder."

(Insert Scooby Doo voice HERE)  AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU?????

Then I noticed there was a thingy for cleaning the machine with AFFRESH.

Which annoys me.

Cuz I dislike being told what to do...what to use.

But I didn't know what else to do.

So I bought the stoopit AFFRESH crap at Target for $9 and just ran it on the cleaning cycle.

I'm feeling some kinda way.

My old basic washer didn't need to be cleaned like this.

Does YOUR washer need to be cleaned?  How often does that light come on?  Is it necessary to use that AFFRESH stuff?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

 

When's the last time you cleaned out your linen closet?

What do you do with worn towels? 

Do you try and keep them all as rags?

Thanksgiving Planning Worksheet

 

I always like to have the majority of my Thanksgiving shopping done early and I consider myself pretty organized in how I get it done.

I made a sample spreadsheet for yall to use.  Mine is set up so that the only thing that prints is the "grocery shopping list."  The other stuff gets filled in while I plan around my dinner time and dishes.

It should be pretty basic so you can add your own items, etc. to it.

Hope it helps!  Download SAMPLE - Thanksgiving Planning

Extreme Couponing

I was behind one of those extreme couponers the other day.  I didn't know it until it was too late.

I did wonder why the guy had like 15 boxes of some random cereal but hey...I didn't pay attention to much more than that.

He'd also purchased everything in the bin for beat up cans and boxes, etc.

And I thought to myself...is all that really worth it to your quality of life?

Sure...he paid like $20 for a basket full of crap but seriously...it was a basket full of crap.

What do YOU think?

Yall proud of me?

We help you keep up with Hollywood gossip.

2011 Thanksgiving Menu!

We prolly need to eat straight veggie until Turkey Day cuz seriously...it's about to go DOWN-T!

Turkey

Gumbo

Creole Cornbread Dressing

Stuffed Peppers

Green Bean Casserole

Dirty Rice

Kale

Roasted asparagus, portobella mushrooms and red onions

Crawfish Macaroni and Cheese

Cranberry Sauce

Southern Comfort Cake

Sweet Potato Pie

If yall are going to try and make ANY of these for the first time...ya better ask your questions now cuz ain't nobody gonna have time to answer questions closer up.

Oh...and yall all know my standard answer as to what to substitute for shrimp is GUMMY WORMS.

Cuz really?  That ish cray...

Oh...and yall know if you ain't got anywhere to be or where you WANT to be for Turkey Day...yall are welcome at our table.  Just let me know so I may plan accordingly.  Our table is always filled with some amazingly fun people and we have a BLAST!  LOL!

Yall getting ready?  What's going to be on YOUR menu this year??????

In theory...

...this was a good idea.

In practice...I'm returning this console. It doesn't work with how we watch television.

*sigh*

Back to the drawing board.

Connected by DROID on Verizon Wireless

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

What scents of candles that smell like food do you like?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

When's the last time you looked at your doorbell???????

We just realized ours is cracked and we're totally wondering how long it's been that way.  ROFL!

Turkey Plates and Platters

Bountiful Turkey Serving Platter

My mother had a turkey platter with a turkey on it.  Alive and strutting around all harvesty looking and whatnot.

That used to freak my out.

Cuz I've always been weird.

Hey...weird kids make weird adults.

Did YOUR mother have plates and/or platters with a turkey on them?  Do you?

Convo at 13700

A friend was leaving 13700 yesterday and stopped and took a good long look at this:

Friend:  I'm confused.  What's going on here?

Me:  Well...I removed the curtains and had them cleaned.  Then...I got them back and was putting them back up when the phone rang...three weeks ago.

Friend:  Did you three weeks ago?

Me:  I'm not proud of it.  It was lovely seeing you again. 

Friend:  iCan't.

Me:  Drive safe!  Toodles!

Monday Night Dinner Party

I don't go all out for dinner parties during the week.  I just add a few things to the table as is and serve the food.  VOILA!

I enjoy cooking for friends and spending time with them so...even if I'm busy as HELL.  This is all about who I TRULY am.  A Southern Belle who loves entertaining at home no matter WHAT!

Do YOU have dinner parties on school nights?

Oxo Laundry Drying Center

I must have this in my life STAT! OXO Good Grips Laundry Drying Center

Doesn't this look AWESOME???????  I have a wooden one that is kinda flimsy I've been wanting to replace.  GO ME! 

Do YOU have an air drying thingy?

Air Freshener

Which types of household air fresheners do you use?

Question...

Did you make your bed this morning?

From SIP: One Ply Toilet Paper

Just.

No.

Which humidifier should I buy?

I'm in the process of purchasing a new humidifier and am overwhelmed by all of the information Mr. Google is offereing up.  I usually just put a pot of water on to boil in the kitchen/family room but I think I'm ready to upgrade.  LOL! 

Do you own a humidifier?

Which one?

Why did you decide on that one?

Does it work well?

How much are the filters and how often do you have to change them?

If you had to replace it tomorrow...would you go with the same one?

New FAVORITE thing!

What's YOUR new favorite thing?

Mine?  A new under the counter paper towel holder from Bed, Bath and Beyond.  LOL! 

Interior Design

I'm in the process of thinking about finally doing our front living room.  Here is the basic design map I'm using.  I'm trying to do it the right way and price it out first.

When's the last time you re-did a room in your home?  How'd you do it?  Did you use any designing tools?  Did you set a budget?

How long did it take you to complete it?

Vacation Home

Where would your DREAM vacation home be?

Tell the truth and shame the devil!

Is all the laundry done AND put away at YOUR home?

 

SIP:  I like how this question flowed after you got dressed in front of the dryer.  You're hot.shit Mingo.

Question...

Is your nightstand CURRENTLY neat?

Home for Sale!

If you were getting ready to put your home on the market...what things around the house would you want to do to maximize how much you'd sell it for?