lifeabundant's Profile

Malissa & Chris, your home & site are amazing. Talk about a small, carbon footprint! You truly have achieved this beautifully & together (love that!)!

It is a shame that you were attacked & accused of plugging by someone that hadn't even taken the time to read the comments. If that person had done so, they would know that you were merely responding to to requests for more photos, etc. You responded with such resolve, warmth & genuine character that I wanted to visit your site!!! Thanks for inviting us into your home & life!

Beautiful space with genius storage & placement, LOVE that dining set & the vintage glass storage.

Does anyone have suggestions for polishing a lightweight, brass rolling (bar?) cart that I thrifted? My first thought was to use Brasso (i.e., apply Brasso, allow to dry completely & polish). But, I'm thinking there would be serious rag-snagging since the shelves are solid brass panels perforated with cross shapes similar to these:
http://brass-grilles-shop.co.uk/perforated-polished-brass-grilles-ranges-10-c.asp
Moderate tarnish/patina is fine. I think it just needs a good, thorough polishing to pretty it up before use. I reeeeally don't want to paint it. Any suggestions?

Beautiful foliage, furniture & cast iron!

Please share the source of that beautiful tea towel.

@Chris Perez, thanks for this info.

I second the rave for Craigslist for selling furniture. A few years ago, I sold several inherited furniture items there ... totally worth the effort (unlike garage sale).
* For efficiency, I typed my listing/item description text in a Word document template for my item description (dimensions, specifications, material, brand/type, age, price, etc.) ... cutting & pasting each finished listing from Word to Craigslist. I saved each item description in Word for future reference.
* Clear photos taken from every angle ... key!
* To avoid scam calls, I learned early-on not to include my phone number in the listing. Instead, each of my listings had a statement telling interested potential buyers to email me their phone number.

Hope this helps someone.

Trust and believe ... baking soda is your friend ... especially combined with hot water & a little elbow grease. Sprinkle the inside with baking soda, fill with water & bring it to a boil. Then, let it soak/marinate a while before scouring it to remove the burnt on mess.

This worked so well with burnt-on oatmeal in the bottom of a vintage enameled cast iron Le Creuset pot ... I thought the pot was ruined. But, this method worked wonders, no vigorous scrubbing required (so no risk of ruining the enamel coating).

I keep a jar of baking soda under my kitchen sink for scrubbing pots & pans or soaking casserole bake ware to loosen baked on food. The stainless steel mesh scrubby is great to have on hand as well. I've always loved Bar Keeper's Friend & Bon Ami; but, there is no need for either since baking soda works just as well.

I look forward to making these tomorrow. It's a good thing that letting the batter rest makes better pancakes ... otherwise, I would be tempted to make these right now since (It's late & I didn't eat dinner).

@Dabney Frake, thanks for this post ... enjoyed it & especially loved the unique pieces you chose in both price points. Keep these posts coming (despite all the potentially discouraging naysaying). Your "usual refrain" was on point. Your post & point are true, timeless & relevant to Apartment Therapy, design, style & life! The amazing instant gratification of (re)creating one's own haven/home piece-by-piece on one's own terms/style/dime is ... priceless!