stephaniemojo's Profile

ask the super or landlord if you can keep your ladder in the furnace room.

I'd remove the stairs and the base altogether. then Id put in a highly textured faux wall of bricks and stairs something like this http://www.123rf.com/photo_14470178_abstract-stairs-on-brick-wall-in-interior.html. You could also make the exterior of the fireplace a lot more interesting by turning it into a rectangle that goes to the ceiling all grey or off white cement with a fine metal lattice over it or a decorative wrought iron sculture .With your hard wood floors your living room could be really outstanding. Or to save money put a wall in front of the stairs put the sectional along it -neutral color, with gutsy large art above it. paint the fireplace a bright color. Just balance the color in the room after that.

FEEDLY to the rescue!

My cat since 16 years passed away last summer. I want a Mojo pillow .

While pasta is cooking...dice fresh tomatoes, finely chop Italian parsley (lots) and one small clove of garlic.
Drain pasta, cook garlic in olive oil, add tomatoes parsley, pasta, and parmigiana cheese.
Salt and pepper, toss, and serve.
That's my scrumptious, fast and easy, committed to memory, recipe.

It's gross.

Not the right place for this column.
I came for design not dear Abbey.

Thorough, easy and cheap, extermination?
It's called (food grade) Diatomaceous earth (DE). You can find it at garden centers. Non food grade is hazardous to you and your pets.
Here's the action plan for serious infestation:
-wash and machine dry on hot, ALL bedding.
same for cloths and what not on the floor.
-dry on hot cycle all other fabric in the room.
now bag these in sealed garbage bags.
-trash: magazines and books and piles of papers that are on the floor. Seriously de-clutter your bed room.
-examine the mattress if it's very spotted in blood and your problem has been going on unchecked for 3 month+, trash it and the box spring too.
You need to wrap them in saran wrap to bring them to the curb. Slash them with a utility knife so no one else picks them up or write BED BUGS on them.
-To salvage the mattress and box spring- vacuum thoroughly, that means rip off the backing on the box spring to get to the inside.
Now treat theses with DE, all over. Put no more of a thickness than you would put baby powder on your self.
More is not better, it's dirty.
-Vacuum and wash the whole room.Everything in it and ALL surfaces. Spray your bed frame and head board with bleach (especially) in cracks and corners.
-Now the easy part, lightly powder your floor and baseboards. scatter it with a rag or duster.
Don't wash and sweep the floor for ten days.
-Put your bed back together. place a thin large piece of plastic over your mattress for ten days. Make your bed now, over the plastic. Use dark bedding.
-put your stuff back in your drawers and closet.
In a few days you won't have them any more.
If after the tenth day you still have them trash, the mattress and box spring, wash the bedding and do DE again.
After that if the problem persists it's time to call the exterminator or move. Your problem my be under the floors and behind walls.
Treat the sofa and chairs in your house with a light powdering of DE and cover with a plastic too.Treat along side of base boards in whole house with DE for prevention of spreading.
Did you know? Roaches are the natural enemies of bed bugs. Respect! DE kills those too.
After the clean up and treatment, a stiff drink is in order.
Cheers and courage to you.