sw_in_austin's Profile

We considered using Kickstarter to raise funds for a team of high school students to travel to a creative-problem-solving competition. Our conclusion was that Kickstarter's guidelines, which focus on "creative" projects, weren't a perfect fit for our project.

Kickstarter has to approve each project and our timeline was short (and we were afraid of being rejected) so we went with another crowd-sourced funding site, called GoFundMe. The user interface isn't nearly as slick as Kickstarter but it still allowed geographically distant supporters of our project to easily make donations. I think for something like a sports team (where a lot of the donors are probably friends and family members, which was our situation), something like GoFundMe would probably work as well as Kickstarter (we raised $3,500 in three weeks and you get the money for even if you don't meet your goal; fees are about the same as KS). For other projects (like the arts-based things Kickstarter is more geared toward), where supporters may be friends of friends of friends of the fundraiser, KS is obviously fabulous. And the tips mentioned in this post apply to both.

When I redid a bathroom a few years ago I wanted to mount the shower curtain rod higher than normal but still use a standard length shower curtain. I used 18-inch strands of ball chain (cut from longer pieces bought at Home Depot) to hang the curtain about 9 inches below the rod. It's worked great for nearly 6 years (silver finished ball chain on a nickel rod).

Totally cool and in my n'hood to boot! Definitely an Austin kind of place. I think I recognize the exterior and now I'm going to be stalking it in hope of further glimpses!

And I just have to say — we're a few blocks from the river/lake that runs through Austin and rats are always around. We've had them in our house again and again no matter what we do. Just a constant battle and not a sign of some kind of house neglect.

I enjoyed looking through the first issue but I agree that it's harder to read than some other on-line magazines. Many of the images are pixelated and the quality of the graphic design seems a bit rough or maybe just unfinished. Hopefully things that can be addressed in the next few issues. Good luck with the project, Janell. I do enjoy the blog.

These all sound like wonderful cool dinners but I just had to comment on the idea of early August being "the last gasp of summer before cooler weather sets in." Here in central Texas we'll be lucky to get our "last gasp" in late October, with highs probably in the 90s until at least the middle of that month. Then again it will be 60 here in February so maybe it's a fair trade?

We installed the shower curtain rod extra high in a bathroom a couple of years ago and instead of getting an extra-long curtain I cut 3-foot lengths of ball chain (from the ceiling fan department at Home Depot) and used those to hang the curtain so that the top falls about 18 inches below the rod. An unexpected benefit: The curtain slides on the rod much more easily than it did with regular rings. I was afraid the ball chain would rust or discolor or something (although it was sold as stainless steel) but nearly 4 years later it still looks good.

Two years ago we installed a 30-inch-wide, 10-inch-deep single bowl undermount stainless sink from a company called Ticor (we bought model S112; Ticor makes a wide variety of sizes and styles). We bought it from Galaxy Tool Supply in Chicago (via the interweb) for about $200. It's 16 gauge and fabulous, in addition to being considerably cheaper than a comparable Blanco or Franke sink (which are often lighter weight, 18 gauge SS). The Galaxy Tool Supply staff was extremely helpful, paying for the return of a damaged sink and getting us a new one overnight.

The sink is quiet (it came with a stainless sink grid; most of the other manufacturers charge extra for the grids) and sturdy. Other than being made in China (which I know would be a problem for some) I see no downside.

We heard about the Ticor sinks on the GardenWeb kitchen forum, a great resource if you're planning a kitchen project.

I've got to agree on the microplane but my new fave are some awesome tongs I bought at Williams Sonoma. I use tongs for many things but I've always had a problem with failed locking mechanisms (so they spring open unexpectedly). These new ones (can't remember the brand but they are German or Swiss and a bit pricey) have some supercoolio locking mechanism where they only open if they're pointing down. So if they're pointing up they lock closed. No springing open. I have always used tongs for everything and these are the absolute best. I may have to get another set (pair??) with silicone tips.

What about Paula's Texas Orange and Texas Lemon? Great liqueurs, handmade locally. Check them out at www.paulastexasspirits.com/.

When I bring Austin food along as a gift it's usually either salsa or some fresh corn tortillas from El Milagro. Go straight to the source at the El Milagro factory, with it's small storefront filled with interesting stuff, on Sixth Street just east of I35. www.el-milagro.com/

I purposely set the shower curtain rod high in our redone bathroom just to keep the shower from seeming crowded. I then used bead chain to suspend a standard curtain at a height that put the bottom edge below the edge of the tub. I cut 12 identical lengths of bead chain, strung them through the curtain ring holes at the top of the curtain and connected the ends with those little snapping gizmos, which came with the chain.

I bought the bead chain in the lighting department at Home Depot but I'm sure you could get it elsewhere; I've seen big rolls at a local locksmith. The bead chain slides easily on the rod; I was worried that it would get tangled but mostly it doesn't and it's easy to untangle if it does.