Bridging the View!

So, Colleen had a cute idea I thought I’d pass along. She has this thing for vintage linens, sheets, tablecloths, napkins, and pillowcases. (She calls it crispy cotton). They are beautiful. So she had this great hemstitched bridge set (a smaller card table sized cloth and four napkins). She wanted a change in her downstairs powder room, which has one window, so she folded the tablecloth in half and tacked it up as a valance and then pressed the napkin into thirds to use as fingertip towels. The cool matched set adds some nice character to the room! Way to go Colleen!

Grandmother's Know Best!

Did you know that the sun can bleach stains out of clothes? I have an old tablecloth that had an old stain on it that I had just about given up on it. I hung some clothes out in the sun and low and behold the stain is gone! I’ll have to try this on some other things that can’t be bleached! On a side note – is there anything that smells better than fresh linens dried in the sun – it brings me back to overnights at my grandmother’s when I was little…..miss ya Mil

For more great household tips, check out my website, www.mrsfixit.com or follow me on Twitter, www.twitter.com/Mrsfixit

I’ve been potting plants this week; I thought I’d pass along one of my favorite potting tips. Use diapers! Pick up an inexpensive package of disposable diapers (you can find them at the dollar store), cut the diapers into circles and slip them into the bottom of your pots, then put the dirt on top. This is a double duty tip (no pun intended!) The diaper will keep the dirt from running out of the hole whenever you water the plant and the little crystals in the diaper will absorb water and then release it as the plant needs it so you don’t have to water as often. Gives new meaning to dirty diaper huh!

Have you ever glopped up a patch job on a wall because you tried to sand it before the spackle was dry? There are some cool new spackles out there that go on pink and dry to white so they’re no question about when it’s time to sand – what will they think of next.

A tip: for a nice, smooth patch job make sure that your putty knife is wider than the repair that you’re making, otherwise you’ll end up with a bunch of overlap lines that you then have to sand down and you’ll be more likely to have to reapply!

You can get some great deals on furniture at yard sales, if a piece is structurally sound but the finish looks a little grimy and time worn don't pass it up, I'll tell you how you can revive it.

1. The first step is to clean the piece. Use a slightly damp cloth to remove any surface dust.

2. Grab a soft cloth, some mineral spirits and a pair of gloves. Pour a little mineral spirits onto your cloth and then rub the surface of the furniture working with the grain of the wood. Turn the cloth to a clean area and rub some more. Repeat the process until the cloth doesn't pick up any more dirt. Then switch to a clean cloth and give the piece a final buffing.

3. If there are still some imperfections in the surface of the wood try some superfine steel wool to lightly buff them out and follow it up with another application of mineral spirits.

4. For stubborn watermarks try spreading a thin layer of petroleum jelly or mayonnaise into the area and let it sit overnight. The oil will work out the moisture that is causing the ring. Then simply buff it clean in the morning.

For more great ideas - check out my website, www.mrsfixit.com!

I’m loving my new storage bags, Colleen turned me onto them! They’re big plastic bags that you load with your off season blankets and pillows and coats and then you vacuum the air out. At first I thought she was crazy but they shrink down to nothing and are airtight so you don’t have to worry about everything getting musty and damp in storage! Love it! She said there are travel ones too, what a great way to pack for my next trip. No need to check bags if I can pack everything in a carry on! I’ll bet they’ll be great for getting my son to college in the fall too.