Julia Wise's Profile

Display Name:	Julia Wise
Member Since:	7/25/09

Latest Comments...

I see people getting into story stones, too: http://jdwise.blogspot.com/2012/10/project-story-stones.html Visual Storytelling Without Books Flag this comment	10/14/12 4:50 PM
I love your style, and especially the red/yellow/green. House Tour: Kyle's Jamaica Plain Gem, 1 Year Later! Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Flag this comment	8/23/12 2:39 PM
Note that you can use a drinking straw to pit cherries. I tried it this summer, and it was great. The Best & Worst Gadgets: America's Test Kitchen's Gadget Guru Tells All Flag this comment	8/23/12 2:18 PM
Hmm, this is not the top post I'm hoping for on AT. Maybe something related to...housing? What Does Every $100 Get You In The Tablet World? Flag this comment	1/25/12 8:01 PM
I make yogurt in a quart-size jar every week. I heat up the milk to boiling, let it cool to a little over body temperature, and pour it into the jar with a few spoonfuls of last week's yogurt. Let it sit in a warm place overnight, and presto: yogurt. 10 Uses for Mason Jars Flag this comment	6/1/11 3:49 PM
As a kid, the most magical places in my backyard were where the plants made little caves. One was under some pine trees, which you obviously won't have for a while. But the other was where some honeysuckle vines drooped over next to a fence, which you could certainly do. Vine teepees would be great: http://www.sunset.com/garden/backyard-projects/vine-covered-tepee-00400000016381/ How To Fill Our New Empty Yard Good Questions Flag this comment	4/27/11 8:16 PM
But I don't think "don't be a consumer" and "live minimally and frugally" have ever actually been trendy. I think very few people ever actually lived like that for environmental reasons. And for those who do - how is that "missing the point"? My strategy is to use things others don't want - used clothes, furniture from the trash. Occcasionally somebody gets rid of really good quality items. But for the most part, I'm happy to live with other people's imperfect castoffs. The things don't last forever, but I saved them from the trash. It's greener and a lot cheaper than buying new heirlooms. Why Sustainability Is Boring and Merely 'Consuming Less' Misses the Point Flag this comment	2/20/11 9:05 PM
Pre-heating matters for some things (as she said, baked goods) but not others (my lasagna and creme brulee come out just fine, thanks). A Good Side Effect of Living Green: It's Thrifty Cookie & Laurie David Flag this comment	1/11/11 5:41 PM
This is delightful. Patricia's Downsized Digs House Tour Flag this comment	9/2/10 9:48 PM
Speaking of Pioneer Woman - there's totally a description of drawers for flour and sugar in one of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I think it's at the end of "These Happy Golden Years". Kitchen Envy: Pioneer Woman's Sugar and Flour Drawers \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn Flag this comment	7/16/10 7:36 PM
Also, the "reusable cutlery"? Doesn't everybody have a drawer full of that? It's not like a fork is going to shatter if I take it on a picnic. Outdoor Dining: Fine Dining Al-Fresco to Picnic Perfect Roundup \| Apartment Therapy Re-Nest Flag this comment	7/14/10 5:36 PM
I actually enjoy the movement in that it allows people to make connections they wouldn't have otherwise. Yes, I'm doing the same things my mom and grandma did - cook from scratch, line-dry clothes, garden. (And I don't enjoy kneading bread, which is why I bought a $10 bread machine at Goodwill. My favorite appliance.) Since discovering the "radical homemaking" and "urban homesteading" labels, I've connected with people in my town, books, and websites that taught me to do things my mom didn't teach me. I never knew how to make a rain barrel or sprout garlic on my windowsill. Even if the labels are just new names for things people already did, having a "movement" can make it easier to find the information. Are You a Radical Homemaker Failure? Salon.com \| Apartment Therapy Re-Nest Flag this comment	7/13/10 7:48 PM
If you live in an apartment building, check out the basement for spaces where you can dry clothes. In my building, there are unused storage areas that are basically little corrals of chainlink fence. Perfect for hanging laundry over, and you can stick small things like socks in the holes. The $5 Indoor Clothesline And Why We Can't Live Without It \| Apartment Therapy Chicago Flag this comment	7/13/10 7:24 PM
I'm reminded of the advice "The pie crust you make is better than the one you don't." Weekend Meditation: It Doesn't Always Have to be Fabulous \| Apartment Therapy The Kitchn Flag this comment	7/11/10 8:08 PM
Bring your own meals, or at least some basics for eating them. Cloth napkins, a jug of water, reusable cups. I had one of the best meals of my life in a food court at a travel plaza. We packed our own - homemade bread, fancy cheeses, apples, milk, squares of chocolate. 5 Ways To Make Any Vacation A Little More Green \| Apartment Therapy Re-Nest Flag this comment	7/9/10 9:18 PM
That first object certainly looks ergonomic and durable, but what is it? A chamber pot? Against Throwawayism: Iittala's Philosophy \| Apartment Therapy Re-Nest Flag this comment	7/9/10 9:10 PM
I love the paint color with the bright curtains. Happy and calm a the same time. Just beautiful. Violet's Small, Sloped, Splendid Space \| Apartment Therapy Ohdeedoh Flag this comment	6/27/10 3:02 PM
The bathroom and kitchen are darling. I love the bathroom mirror. Small Cool 2010: Amy's Bed Nook Tiny Division # 27 \| Apartment Therapy Chicago Flag this comment	4/21/10 9:01 PM
The bed kind of freaks me out. But I love the kitchen. That wallpaper! Small Cool 2010: Madelene's Swedish Light International Division # 17 \| Apartment Therapy Boston Flag this comment	4/19/10 8:45 PM
Wow. Those blues - in the wallpaper and the paint color in the first picture - are just magical. Small Cool 2010: Alexandra's Open Plan Little Division #19 \| Apartment Therapy New York Flag this comment	4/19/10 1:03 PM