ZoeCat's Profile

We did a modified lasagna to change a large weedy expanse of lawn into a flower bed. We used a tiller to cut up the grass and loosen the soil, then tilled in loads of compost. After planting, I put down a thick layer of newspaper and heavily mulched over it. A year later my perennials are flourishing, there is no grass, hardly any weeds (and they are easy to pull since their roots are in the mulch rather than the soil), and the rock hard clay has turned into a soft soil that is easy to dig.

Yes - when we bought our house, the bathroom (which has no windows) was painted mental institution beige and had a huge oily smoke stain on the ceiling above where the previous owner had burnt an eight inch diameter scented candle, apparently for years.

I had washed everything, but it was still just hideously grim. A few months later, I was still deciding what color to paint it but finally one Saturday, I just couldn't take it anymore. A gallon of bright white Kilz primer covering every surface was a 300% improvement and gave me an actual sense of emotional relief. And it was already prepped when I finally settled on the perfect soft aqua. Who says color doesn't affect mood?

Sorry - not as funny as K-Mart's "Ship my pants" ad.

Cointreau is a classic, but I really like Licor 43 in my margaritas -- it's an orange-vanilla liqueur from Spain. Delicious!

How timely - I'm about to hang the the ones shown in the last picture in the bedroom. I've been considering them for a while (love the rabbits) and lace curtains seem to be the solution to adding privacy while keeping light. I've have been second-guessing myself about whether lace curtains are too old fashioned. Guess not - these all look great.

About a year and a half ago I remodeled my kitchen with Ikea boxes/drawers and Scherr's doors/fronts and they are still going strong. Love the soft close for the doors and drawer. Love the internal organizers, especially for my pull-out spice drawers. Love the deep drawers that can handle the weight of cast iron pots. It's true that they deliver everything in separate packages and pieces, but when I found one thing missing , it was no problem getting it replaced even though it was weeks after the shipment.

There are so many ways to build off the basic boxes to make your kitchen look unique. I highly recommend Scherr's - they have a huge selection of woods and styles, everything fit perfectly and I was able to design the cut-outs for glass front cabinets exactly how I wanted them.

And I second the poster who said to look beyond Ikea for the pulls -- there's so many to choose from to make your kitchen look unique. And if you're considering glass fronts, Bendheim glass has an amazing selection and cut the pieces perfectly.

I totally covet a BlueStar range -- they "only" made them in 93 colors when I was looking at them.

I love orange blossom water! It's great mixed with greek yogurt and honey as a "dressing" for fruit salad. It's also delicious added to homemade lemonade.

Cookware & More is having their 20% off sale on All-Clad Irregulars - I bought a couple irregular frying pans last year and whatever makes them irregular is imperceptible to me. The 6oz irregular saute pan is $160 on sale.

http://www.cookwarenmore.com/

Twenty years ago I rented a little mother-in-law studio when I was in grad school in Albuquerque - it was an adobe cottage with loads of light, high ceilings, a fireplace, what seemed like miles of 1940's green linoleum counter-top (my favorite color), a 40s gas stove with a griddle, a bathroom with a solarium big enough to put a dresser in and a back yard with flagstones around a huge cottonwood tree. And it was $240 a month (for an extra $10, the land lady let me use the washer and dryer). I LOVED that place!

Then about 10 years ago, I rented the top of a 20s Cape Cod in NW DC. It was like living in a treehouse with all the light and the view. It had hardwood floors, a huge kitchen with a farmhouse sink (though a ridiculously small fridge) and a clawfoot tub. Unfortunately, the last year I was there, the land lady moved out of the downstairs and rented it to crazy tenants. When she finally decided to sell a few months later, it was time to move anyway but it was wonderful while I was there.

I love the house we finally bought a couple years ago, but I still remember those rentals fondly.