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Zhahira's Profile

Display Name: Zhahira
Member Since: 10/21/08
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Latest Comments...

Great transformation! My mom has a china hutch in much better condition, but she's contemplating storing the top and just using the base... I might recommend she give it a shot after seeing this!


Before & After: Trashed Hutch Turned Vanity Dresser
Sweet Pickins

2/14/12 5:32 PM

Yay! So happy! I would love working here! Except the open desk on the other side would drive me batty (because I'm OCD and it seems messy/chaotic to me.) But I love the colors and the fact that you share the desk! :)

And I don't think it would be too hard to work that way. Clearly these people have never been college students sharing a table in a crowded library. ;)


Before & After: Sad Office for One Becomes Happy Workspace for Two
2/14/12 5:30 PM

This isn't really my style, but I love how you've created so many balanced and interesting vignettes around your home! I love little spaces that make me want to study them like a painting.

Also, I would live in that upstairs room year-round!!


A Contemporary Space in the Queen City
House Tour

2/14/12 5:24 PM

I don't think the drop ceiling is all that terrible. It makes the room seem cozy. :) I also have a feeling it helps the room stay a bit warmer in a New England winter!


Andy & Andrew's Vintage Modern
House Tour

2/14/12 5:16 PM

When I had track doors, I just used a towel or a sponge to soak up the excess water. Then, I would spray it with Tilex Mold & Mildew (miracle product, but only spray it when you're going to leave the house for a few hours immediately afterward!!!) and it would get rid of most of the grime and scum left behind. That, and a Mr.Clean Magic Eraser. :)


Tips For Cleaning Shower Door Track?
Good Questions

2/14/12 9:18 AM

We have a Keurig in my office break room, and it drives me up the wall. Half the time the water levels are low so it needs refilling, and the other half of the time there's no good coffee flavors available. (The vast majority taste gross... Luckily our office FINALLY found some flavors I can tolerate.) Meanwhile, I bought my mom a little knock-off generic single-cup maker that uses little pre-packaged mesh-ey pods (instead of plastic k-cups), and she's addicted to it... but it makes SUCH weak coffee!

I would much rather buy some locally-roasted beans, grind them on Sunday mornings and store them in a tupperware, then toss them into my baby 5-cup coffee maker for 5-10 minutes in the morning. Huuuuuge difference in flavor!


$51 Per Pound: The Deceptive Cost of Single-Serve Coffee
The New York Times

2/10/12 9:24 AM

wowie zowie!!!! Amazing!


Before & After: Jill's Dresser Goes Tall, Dark & Handsome
Junky Vagabond

2/9/12 9:09 PM

Lovely job! While I preferred the original cabinet color myself (I've lived with crisp-white cabinets before, and all they're good for is spotlighting the tiniest of stains and dirt like giant monstrosities, in my opinion!), I like everything else. The gray tiles and the more subtle recessed lighting are my favorite parts!


Before & After: Jenna's Big Kitchen Reno on a Budget
2/6/12 1:55 PM

Nice!!! At first I also thought the stencils were a little overkill, but if you try and picture it in a similarly-designed room (very white/light, delicate designs) it seems very mature, clean, if just a touch feminine. I like it!


Before & After: Dresser Goes From College Party to Pretty
2/6/12 1:50 PM

I normally like to let my home just smell like life (so to speak), but every time my boyfriend goes for a workout he comes back and stinks up the whole house! His shoes stink, the workout clothes stink, the socks stink! Even sticking them in a closet doesn't help. So I succumb and light a candle scented like plants and herbs (pine scent, basil, sandalwood, cotton, etc.)

If you keep away from perfume smells (flowers, cotton candy, etc.) you usually can't even tell it's an artificial scent.


The Fragrance of Home: Making Sense of How Your Home Smells
2/3/12 11:54 AM

Really, don't we have to put up with some small annoyances no matter where we live? There's no such thing as a perfect apartment (within most people's price ranges, anyway!) This should be more like a list of "Non-Negotiables" that are deal-breakers!

My Deal-Breakers:

1. No oil heat. NEVER again. So expensive, such a hassle, and so inefficient!!
2. No upstairs neighbors. I've tried it, generally I can't cope with it. I'm living in a wonderful townhouse right now, and even though the neighbors to the side of us play their electric guitar loudly every evening, it's still better than having someone stomp above my bed while I'm trying to sleep.
3. Full kitchen - i.e., garbage disposal, dish washer, and a full-sized oven. I've learned that life is MISERABLE without these things!!!


What's on Your "Next Apartment" Checklist?
1/25/12 2:30 PM

My only advice is to use ziplock bags (with a true zipper) to store your socks and undies, because if you strategically sit or kneel on the bag while zipping it, you can turn it into a vacuum-compression bag!! I save lots and lots of space that way!


Well Designed Travel: How to Pack Lightly
aka Fitting Everything I Need for 3 Months Into 2 Bags!

1/25/12 9:02 AM

Yay Austin! I always get lazy though, and I end up bringing my old clothes to one of those donation box things you see on random streets. The signs say they might be sold for profit... I wonder, are they actually supporting good causes?


Big Pile of Usable Discards? Great Places to Donate in Austin
1/18/12 2:43 PM

I do the same thing, but with podcasts! I subscribe to the daily news podcast from the BBC and start it up while I'm brushing my teeth. I almost never reach the end of the podcast, so I know that if I'm hearing some of the last stories for the day, I had better get a move on!!!


Create a "Get-Ready" Playlist to Leave the House on Time
1/18/12 2:31 PM

It's official: the chalkboard paint thing has gone too far.


How To Make a Christmas Tree with Chalkboard Paint
12/21/11 2:10 PM

My boyfriend grew up in Australia using just "dunas" (duvets) without sheets, and he's got me hooked on it now! We have an oversized one (it's a Full/Queen on a Full bed), and love it. He's never mentioned using teeny ones perched on top? Maybe it's just not an Aussie thing.


Under the Covers: A Different Look for the Duvet
12/14/11 10:39 AM

Reading the renovator's comments, it makes sense.

I have a hope chest from my grandmother that had the same kind of gorgeous wood design as the Before cabinets, but it was warped. I took it to a wood furniture restorer, and he told me that turns out my grandma was cheap and bought some sort of discount chest made up of like 10 kinds of wood, so he couldn't stain it because it would turn out crazy. We ended up spray-painting it creamy-white with a faux-wood grain design (the guy is an artist, it looks so real!) and it's sooo pretty now. I was so sad that I couldn't restain the original design, but if it can't be maintained then the white paint is a nice option.

Now what I hate is the black counter tops. They just suck all the life out of the room! ;)


Before & After: From Wrecked to Airy White Kitchen
Two Thirty-Five Designs

11/30/11 9:32 PM

I'm sorry, this is just taking the chalk paint thing a little too far. In my opinion that ruins the desk!


Weekend Project: Add A Chalkboard Panel To Your Desk
11/26/11 1:35 PM

Yaaaaaay Boomerangs! JP love, what!


Best Shops for Party Supplies in Boston
11/23/11 9:22 AM

I went to grad school at Northeastern (where the undergrads are encouraged to take semester-long internships three times while in school, so they're constantly moving in and out of apartments.) From what I hear, the best way to snag a great apartment at this time of year is to be open to subleasing.

Many times, people are moving out of Boston for a semester but they had no option except to stay in a lease that runs all the way to September. If you sublet from them for a few months, usually the landlord lets you have first dibs on signing a brand new lease when September rolls around, and you can continue on as though nothing ever happened. It's a great way to find really nice apartments at any time of year and possibly save some money too (since the subletter is usually desperate!) If you're anxious about it, find a subletter that's willing to get the landlord's permission or sign a document. I think most if not all landlords in Boston are completely fine with sublets--as long as they get the monthly rent check!


Winter Apartment-Hunting Tips in Boston?
Good Questions

11/1/11 9:02 AM