Einstein had it going on.

Now, not all of us have the option of hanging out in our favorite sweats, but we can translate this idea of paring down into our own wardrobe. It may seem like a completely boring way to live, but after trying it for a while, I’ve found it completely refreshing. You cats might consider doing it just for one area of your wardrobe–for instance, your work clothes.

For my work palette, I’ve chosen black, gray, camel, white, and navy (only because these are my favorite colors). If you like hot pink, however, choose hot pink.  Be forewarned, though, not many things match hot pink. Except for maybe lime green.

So, with my palette selected, I can, at any point, throw pieces together without having to even consider whether they match. I no longer have that one shirt that only goes with that one skirt–and I don’t have to find a spot to store non-mixable pieces, either. No more standing in front of the closet for ages trying to decide what to wear. Morning routine–simplified! Also and added benefit: shopping–simplified! It’s so much easier to shop now that I’m not inundated by a ridiculous number of choices. I can easily zero in on that adorable gray sweater on the rack rather than the sparkly, sequin hot pants calling my name from the corner. If, however, the hot pants could be worn under my work clothes, well, then…maybe. I think we all need more sequined hot pants in our lives, don’t you?

Now, if your clothes are your method for expressing yourself, this may not be for you. You may really need those 500 pairs of shoes and 45 bags. If so, more power to you! For me, a simplified wardrobe is one fewer thing to think about. In this case, fewer choices equals less hassle. And, no…it’s really not boring at all. After all, don’t you end up wearing the same thing over and over anyway?

And, bonus! Since I don’t have to think about what to wear I can take all that extra brain power and put it into something more creative…like this post!

Until next time, KISS (that’s keep it simple, stupid)!

Author’s note: In all honesty, I’m also the creepy person in the grocery store who buys like 20 cans of green beans. I may, in fact, be insane. Or, brillllllllliant!!!!!

Front Yard, circa 2007. You've come a long way, baby.

As you can see from the before, it was pretty much a blank slate. And, I hate grass. I hate grass like I hate Applebees. I hate mowing. I won’t water. I hate battling weeds. Because of this unadulterated hatred of lawn, my goal for the last three years has been to eliminate most of the grass from my front yard.

For this, I turned to xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is a method of gardening with native or low maintenance/water plants in such a way that it eliminates the need for irrigation, mowing, or generally any hassle (except for an occasional weeding). Little by little, blister by blister, I’ve been working to expand the bed in my front yard.

Normally, I would first remove the top layer of sod to build the bed. In this article, we’ll take a look at the lazy man’s way using newspaper and mulch. Removing the sod is ideal, but it does have its drawbacks–many times removing the sod can also remove the top couple of inches of soil (of which I only have about 3/4″–the rest is clay. Very. Hard. Clay.) Also, it’s hard. Like really hard, back-breaking work. So, this spring when I decided to expand the bed even more, I used the newspaper method.

You ladies probably already know all about this junk, but for those of you who don’t, the newspaper method involves using a layer of newspaper, covered with mulch, to kill the underlying grass. The drawback is that you have to wait a long time until you plant the area. Ideally, you should do this in the fall so you can plant in the spring. You want to wait this long so that you can make sure all of the grass is dead before you start digging holes in your paper. Otherwise, you’ll spend all your time battling the grass that springs up in your bed.

Also, if you decide to use this method, try to pick a day that’s not so windy so you don’t have to go running after your newspaper as you start to lay it out.

Supplies

• Newspaper
• Garden Edging (optional for the lazy folks)
• Mulch
• Shovel/Rake
• Gumption

Step 1: Outline the area for your garden using flour, paint, or a hose.

Step 2: Dig the trench for your border and add in border edging (if you’re doing this).

Digging the trench.

Step 3: Lay the newspaper out onto the ground inside the edging. Be sure not to be stingy. Don’t leave any holes and make it thick if you can (4 to 5 sheets is ideal).

Step 4: You can wet the newspaper if it starts to move around. I covered mine with topsoil, but this may have been a mistake–I think the topsoil makes it a little easier for weeds to grow in the meantime.

Add your newspaper and dirt.

Step 5: Put on a generous layer of mulch. Some people say it doesn’t have to be much, but unless you want to spend a bunch of time weeding, I’d add a couple of inches. I had a really small budget for my project and didn’t really use enough mulch, so I’ve had to spend more time weeding than I’d really like.

Mulch. Mulch like the wind.

Step 6: Put away the hose and lawn equipment and bust out a margarita. Your mowing days are over!

In all seriousness, this method worked out pretty well for me. I was able to add in about 150 square feet of new garden bed in about 3 hours. If I’d had to remove the topsoil, it would have easily taken me the entire weekend (and would’ve required a major back massage). Now, my yard is ready for planting with more low maintenance plants like loripetalum, agapanthus, breeze grass, and dianthus. I don’t currently have any type of irrigation system in the yard, and don’t plan to use one. All of the plants survive strictly on rainfall (which this year hasn’t even been close to being an issue). In addition to being eco- and water-conscious, my yard is by far the best-looking in the neighborhood. For reals. Most of my neighbors’ yards are fugly. You saw their bathroom, right?

The (mostly) finished product.

Until next time, happy xeriscaping!

P.S.–Thanks to Leisa for keeping all that newspaper for me.

Piece of cake, right?

For this project, I had some framed butterflies that I’d purchased at the flea market forever ago. Yes, they actually do sell something other than dragon-shaped incense holders at the flea market. Anyway, after years of moving, falling on the floor, and being exposed to humidity in the bathroom, the frame was pretty much falling apart. The frame was a weird size, so replacing it would have been too costly. So, I decided that I would transfer the butterflies into a shadowbox frame.

For my frame, I purchased a ready-made 3/4″ deep shadowbox. The frame came with a swanky black velvet backing and, had I been framing a sweet belt buckle or cigarette butt, I may have used it. But, I wanted the backing to be a little bit more delicate, so I purchased a fabric quarter instead.

Supplies: Frame, fabric, double-stick tape, hot glue, nerves of steel. Knew I forgot something.

To cover the backing, I just cut the fabric a little bit larger than the backing and mounted the fabric using double-stick tape. I wrapped the excess around the back of the backing and taped it down. Since nobody’s going to see the back, I decided it didn’t need to be neat. That’s how I roll, Martha.

You'll need a steady hand and a stiff resolve to complete this project.

Here’s where the game of Operation comes in. You know, the kid’s game Operation? Well, this was like the game Operation but without all the riotous laughter and buzzing. The first butterfly I picked up immediately lost its wing. I decided it was time to bring out the big guns–specifically, the hot glue gun. I used a small dot of glue to reattach the wing (and the other wing after it also fell off). The butterflies were so delicate, just trying to remove the spider web of glue string threatened to destroy them. Fingers shaking, I used a small dot of hot glue to attach each butterfly to the fabric backing (not archival or removable, I know).

I put it all together and got it up on the wall. Finally, I could breathe again. And viola, beauty! Nature! Insects!

Looking purty in the newly painted master bath.

The total cost of the project for the frame and fabric was about $12. Cost of nerves of steel–priceless.

Until next time, happy glue gunning!

Here's a sample of a bathroom in our neighborhood. You get the idea--fuuuuuuugly.

So here’s the deal: Three years ago, our bathroom was ugly. Not just ugly, but fugly (no offense, Le Boy). The harlequin diamond patterned wallpaper and builder-basic boring fixtures didn’t exactly create the relaxing spa-like experience one would hope for in a bath. As our house is a starter home, I’ve been keeping our bathroom updates on the cheap.

So far, I’ve primed and painted the wallpaper (which already looks about a milliondy times better) and replaced the boring chrome towel rack with an oil rubbed bronze-colored beauty.

After replacing the towel rack, I sort of created a new problem. I now have an oil rubbed-bronze towel rack, chrome toilet paper holder, and brushed nickel light fixture. See the problem? If not, read the previous sentence again. Bronze, chrome, brushed nickel. Now, for some people, this might not be an issue. But, for me–this ain’t gonna cut it.

So, now we come to the mini-makeover part of our mini-makeover. With just a little bit of spray paint, some know-how, and good looks, we can turn a mis-matchy poop room into a thing of beauty.

Step 1: Turn off the power. Seriously. Turn it off. Working with electrical stuff is really not that hard. Just remember, if you don’t turn off the power at the breaker box and you touch the wires, you’re getting a new hairdo and potentially a funeral. Our electrical box was not extremely well labeled. It took a few tries before I found the bathroom breaker, incidentally labeled as “General Lights” (there were about six breakers labeled this way).

I'll cut you, yo.

Step 2: Remove the light covers/bulbs. Since our bathroom was recently painted and I did such an awesome (not) job of taping, the paint had sort of sealed the light on the wall. Rather than risk tearing the paint, I just ran a razor knife around the light to make sure it was separated before I tried to remove it.

Step 3: Remove the light from the wall. You probably have wire nuts (the little red thingies in the picture) connecting the wires from the light into the wall. To get these off, just unscrew them like you would open a cap on a tube of toothpaste. Then, untwist the wires and remove the light.

Be sure the electricity is turned off by this point!

Step 4: Use painters tape to protect the bulb holders and the wires on the back. You don’t really want spray paint gunking up the works. And, here’s some general advice on spray painting: Use it a well ventilated area (no huffing, please). Also, elevate the items you are working on so they don’t stick to the surface. A good trick to spray painting screw heads is to use an old toilet paper tube or piece of cardboard. Lastly and MOST IMPORTANTLY go slow. Be patient–many light coats is much better than one thick drippy coat.

A box lid makes a great paint splatter container.

Step 5: LET IT DRY! Nobody wants to see your thumbprints all over everything.

Step 6: Reattach the light to the wiring (remember, black goes to black, white goes to white, copper ground to copper ground–a monkey could do this… probably). Screw everything back together and don’t forget your wire nuts. Add your light covers and bulbs. I purchased three new light covers on clearance for this update (hollahhhhh).

Step 7: Turn the power back on and gaze in amazement at your awesome abilities as an electrician. Though, in all fairness, I didn’t get my wires connected very well and the light didn’t come on at first. I told you this was not going to be like Martha!

That’s it. Cheap, easy, and no dudes necessary. All for about the cost of dinner at Carrabba’s–just dinner, no appetizers or wine. Now all of our bathroom accessories are matchy-matchy and all is well with the world (except the ugly chrome sink faucet, but that’s a project for another day).

No 80's wallpaper here! P.S. - Don't look at the faucet.

Until next time, happy house-making-over!

I can’t get rid of my hairy (m)animals and I refuse to shave my entire body. What’s more, that junk can show up in all sorts of places. So, here’s a little handy tip for busting that miserable stuff in a place you might not expect–lampshades!

Our cats enjoy a good butt rub on the shades. Alas, I shall defeat you, Hair.

Yes. It’s even on the lampshades around this joint. But, here’s how we defeat the hairy beast–a tape lint roller! And, if you already thought of this, congratulations. You are smarter than me because I literally just thought of this yesterday. So shut up, smarty pants.

Just a quick swipe with the roller and all your dreams come true…if your dreams happen to consist of removing hair from a lampshade. No more having to wrestle with an unruly vacuum, hoses, and attachments (if vacuum mixed martial arts is your thing then, by all means, go to town with the sucker). The lint roller method works on any kind of shade (if you have a paper shade, be sure to make the tape a little less sticky with a swipe across your pants first so it doesn’t tear the shade).

So, get out there and get to rollin’. Until next time–happy householding!

I know I said I’m an overachiever, but as you can see from my tips, I’m actually inherently lazy. Everything is designed to cause the least amount of hassle in my daily life.

A couple of these details are dirty doors and light switches. I know, I know. It seems obvious, right? But when’s the last time you took a look at them? A really, good, nose-touchingly close look? Well, take a look at the photos below. Gaze with amazement and disgust on the before photos of my garage door and light switch:

Yucky, yucky, ew, ew.

Yes. Gaze with amazement (and don’t forget the disgust). Now, again we may walk past these types of things every day and we may not even notice them, but just by taking 10 seconds and cleaning them up, you can make a big impact on your psyche (and you may even earn your Martha Stewart Brownie Badge for cleanest doors and light switches).

Double ew.

If you don’t have one already, a Tidy Tyke’s best friend is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Wet it, swipe it, and years of grime disappear in seconds. No scrubbing, no chemicals, no painting, no cellulite–wait, what? 10 seconds, done and done. (This post not sponsored by Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, unfortunately.)

Now, gaze with updated amazement and wonder at the finished result below.

Tah dah! I receive validation from a clean house! Yay me!

It just doesn’t get any better than this. Unless someone happens to do it for you. But, for most of us, that ain’t happening. Until next time, happy cleaning! No, really…happy cleaning.

Le Boy likes to play games of the electronic variety. He plays them often and he owns many. These games and game systems come with a lot of accessories like headphone thingies, wiry-type knotted rats’ nests, and the Internets. Needless to say, Le Boy had made quite a mess in our home office. Exhibit A:

Exhibit A: Le Boy's Desk/Shelf Area

But, Le Boy had made a valiant effort. He had storage boxes. He had bins. He had shelves (see Exhibit B). But, he just wasn’t taking full advantage of what those things had to offer.

Exhibit B: Le Boy's Bookcase

Here is where I stepped in to offer my expertise. “Please,” I pleaded, “can I help you organize your office?”

“Sure,” he sighed, “knock yourself out.” And so the fun began.

The first step in any organization project is what I like to refer to as PURGING. First, remove everything from what you will be organizing (while you’re at it, take this opportunity to clean/paint/refresh the area). Take a good, hard (and honest) look at what you will be putting back. Do you really need four sets of iPod headphones? Do you really need to keep every birthday card everyone has ever given you? If the answer is “yes,” that’s fine. Just know that you have to make a designated place for it in the finished space.

If the answer is “no,” get rid of it. This is usually where most people have a problem. People are very attached to their stuff. I mean, I know it took me a long time to get rid of the wrapper that held the Sweet Tarts that the boy-in-my-senior-class-in-high-school-who-I-was-desperately-in-love-with-but-wouldn’t-give-me-a-second-glance gave to me. (Alas, that’s a story for a different day.) It was hard, but I threw it away.

Unless you have a 10,000 square foot house, you’ve got to be able to part with some things. If you have trouble making decisions about items or feel like you’re too attached to the stuff to make a decision, enlist the help of one of your friends. Outsiders will be able to talk you through each decision to see if you’re being logical about what you keep or what you purge.

Also, if the answer is “no,” try to recycle or donate as much as you can. Try not to throw everything in the trash (please luff the Earf as we only have one).

Luckily, Le Boy had already been through the purge stage by the time I got to him. His items just needed some fine tuning.

I like to call the second step in the process GROUPING. This is where you take the mess and begin to make it make sense. Here’s a big note, though. If you’re helping your own Le Boy to get organized, make sure he’s in on this step. The organization of the final space has to make sense to his Le Boy brain, otherwise he’ll never be able to maintain it. Also, it helps in actually being able to tell one kind of wiry-type knotted rats’ nests thingamajig from another.

Subdivide and conquer.

After you have everything grouped, it’s time for CONTAINING. Seriously, contain the mess. It’s so much more visually appealing. There are lots of great options nowadays for organizing. Boxes, baskets, bins–you name it. And, they’re usually very affordable. For the best visual impact, buy a bunch of the same type of container. During your containerizing stage, you may need to divide and subdivide items so they are more easily accessible within the larger storage bins. This is the issue that kept Le Boy from wanting to use his storage boxes. He felt like he had so many small items, that if he stuck them in the boxes, they’d just end up in a tangle. Which they did. So, we worked on subdividing within each box and bin. For this we used the container within a container method. These inner containers don’t have to be fancy. Use recycled jam jars, take-out plastic containers, even old business card holders.

Cables are subdivided within the gaming bin.

For Le Boy’s project, we used plastic zip bags to contain individual cords that went back into the larger gaming bins. This way, they will be easily identifiable as gaming cords and ta-dah…no more rats’ nests. We put the gaming items he would be accessing regularly in one of the boxes over his desk.

The last step is what I like to call COMPOSING. This is really what you’re doing. You’re composing your visual space. Here’s where you really get to be an artist. Use art concepts like balance, negative space, and color. And, don’t forget, when you’re putting everything back into your space, leave room for art or other treasured objects.

Here are the final results from Operation: Organize Le Boy:

Exhibit A: Now with more tidiness!

For the bookshelves, we were sure to include some artwork and family photos (and yes, that’s a Mexican wrestler mask).

Exhibit B: Now with more Lucha Libre!

So to recap, the steps of organizing (as made up by moi) are:

1. PURGING
2. GROUPING
3. CONTAINING
4. COMPOSING

And, for goodness sakes, try to make it fun. Try organizing in your underwear. Or make some cupcakes to eat during a 10-minute break. Or eat cupcakes in your underwear.

Just keep in mind that a little bit of time invested now will help you to have a hassle-free and happier home later on. Until next time, happy organizing!

Photographic Evidence of Classic Overachievement

This weekly series will chronicle my adventures in home renovation, organization, and design. I’ve named it Simplify Your Summer because many of the tips and tricks are based on making your life easier. The goal of this project is to help you create an organized, easy-to-clean home, so you can spend what little precious free time you have on more important things (like watching Biggest Loser while simultaneously consuming an entire pint of Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream–it’s called multi-tasking, people).

I’ve got lots of project planned for summer (like a mini-master bathroom facelift). I’ll also be sharing a few of my past projects, along with my best cleaning and organizing tips. This is going to be like Martha Stewart on crack, but without all the minions to do all the work (so, basically slightly imperfect and much slower). So, hold on to your britches! First up on the projects list, Operation: Organize Le Boy.

Hi Ladies! Just a few photos from my summer garden to tide you over until we start back next fall. Hope you all are having a great and creative summer.