Two friends asked about window film at separate times last weekend so I figured that as long as I was gathering the information again I might as well post it again. I've mentioned window film before and a lot of this information was previously gathered for this post on window film for my stint as Guest Blogger over at Design*Sponge.

I love window film for a (possibly) inexpensive way to cover windows that don't have a view of much of anything. It's a low commitment and easy to remove solution for renters, takes up no space at all for a window that is in a hallway or a door, and lets in a lot of light. I use it in the place of cafe curtains in a few places to only block out the bottom half of some windows.

There are a few options which I'll list below going from expensive to cheap to unfamiliar to DIY, but first I want to give you a warning. This is the warning: beware using clear contact paper. It seems perfect, and a few years ago I used and removed it easily in my SF apartment. But the second time I used it and went to remove it the @#$%ing adhesive stayed on the glass. I spent a very long day surrounded by Goo Gone, Windex and various scrapers picking that @#$%ing adhesive off three windows. Tears were involved. Arms were unable to be completely lowered to my sides for a time. I think the adhesive formula had changed in the intervening years. So, unless you are ready and willing to go through this yourself I suggest you use one of the options below.

Strossel Design: I have the Geranium film in the window over my kitchen sink, it's a much nicer thing to look at than my neighbor's siding. Upside: It doesn't have any adhesive. Downside: It's expensive. The height of the panels work out well to block out the bottom half of a window. There are a number of patterns available, white on translucent. Available at Rare Device and Scandinavian Design Center. Strossel Design website.

Maria Liv: I really like the effect of branches just on the other side of the glass. I have not used this one but Ex Libris shows how she used the branches design to block the view in from windows next to her front door on Flickr. There are a number of designs, white or gray on translucent. You can find this at Scandinavian Design Center.

Gila brand film from a hardware store. I see this in the aisle of Lowes that has the window blinds. Most of the designs are less that lovely, but the plain frosted film is fine. Upside: The roll is very, very wide. Downside: The roll is very, very wide. The roll is wide enough that it can be difficult to find a surface big enough to measure and cut the size you need. I currently use this on the window in our office that, sadly, has a view of our neighbor's holly tree which is encroaching on our roof. (The picture above shows some seams, which is only there because I accidentally cut the film too small and had to create an overlap.) This has a pretty strong adhesive backing, but I've had little trouble removing it using the accompanying Gila brand removal spray (you can borrow mine if you need it). Also a plus, the Gila film offers some UV protection. Gila website.

See also: Door Sixteen left a gap around the edges to create some privacy in a bathroom without completely blocking out the window. Megan B at Shelterrific used some film from Window Film World to create a bit more privacy for the sliding glass doors in her kitchen without losing the light. I also really like the modern vertical slat design (first image) created using frosted film in this living room shown off over at Apartment Therapy.

Amorf Frost film from Ikea: I found this in the Bathroom section of the Marketplace. Upside: It's very inexpensive. Downside: The rolls are narrow and so are better suited to small windows, and the texture of surface of the film isn't as nice as other films. I currently use this on a door which has a few small windows, and a small bathroom window. Backing is not adhesive, really easy to remove.

Emma Jeffs: I have not tried this, but the description says it has a slightly adhesive backing. It comes in a bunch of graphic designs and a few colors, my favorite is the white pixels. Available at 2Jane, Pure Modern and Design Public. Emma Jeffs website.

Brume: This is a company in the UK and I know very little about the film, but I love the cut out designs they have. With a little careful work with an exacto knife you could likely do something inspired by these designs. Brume website.

Trove: These are new to me, I only know them from a post at Design*Sponge. Pretty and motion filled designs, and it looks like the panels are very large. Trove website.

Application and removal of window film. I'm going to quote myself from the Design*Sponge post here:

Window film is applied by spraying the window with slightly soapy water. I simply put a drop of baby shampoo in a spray bottle and fill it the rest of the way with water. You don’t want to use something like a dish detergent as this will create too many bubbles which can be difficult to push out from under the film.

Before removing the film backing cut it to the size of your window, you can hold it in place to see if you need to trim a little more off. Spray the window with your soap mixture, peel the backing off the film and apply right away. The back, or smooth, side of the film is statically charged and will attract lots of dust if you remove the backing too soon. The small amount of soap in the water creates just enough surface tension to hold onto your window film, you can slide it into place while it’s still wet, and once it dries it will hold until you remove it. After the film is in place I use a clean, dry cloth to gently push air bubbles to the edges of the film so that they can escape.

Non-adhesive window film peels off cleanly leaving you with a little bit of soap you need to wash away, I used a regular window cleaner. Adhesive backed window film like the Gila film is more difficult to remove, but I was happy to find that the window film remover they sell worked like a charm to remove the film and any adhesive it left behind.

Image by and belongs to All Buttoned Up.

DIY options: There are a handful of DIY window film solutions as well. I really love this option at All Buttoned Up, she used a white-on-white cotton fabric soaked with spray starch to cover a window which turned out beautifully. Laundry starch will clean up easily. (I've also heard of people covering whole walls using a lightweight fabric and laundry starch. This frightens me as I imagine the clean up for a whole wall would be messy, but hey, it's an option.)

Design*Sponge has a post on painting your own designs on window film. (I have to note again that I don't recommend using clear contact paper because of the trouble I had getting the adhesive off the glass when I went to remove it. Use Gila or the Ikea stuff instead if you can.)

A few last notes on other things I've tested: One of the first projects I did on this site, way back in 2001, was testing what sort of DIY window film would work in my tiny San Francisco kitchen that looked out into the uninteresting space between buildings that did nothing but allow neighbors on four floors to see into my window. I used liquid laundry starch (which came in a bottle) to stick tissue paper on my window, a section of small squares of contact paper, as well as a section of various amounts of beer mixed with epsom salt. The tissue paper didn't stay on the window long, the beer was fun (and can work as a holiday decoration) but the tidiest looking one was the clear contact paper. I used it for a year and a half in a San Francisco apartment and it came down cleanly (again, my later use of contact paper ended with tears during clean up, you've been well warned, etc.) Another thing I tried once up on a time was painting gesso directly onto glass. This worked well, and even covered the outside of a shower door without being affected by the water, but clean up was frustrating and I found myself tired of looking at brush strokes after not too long.

This month the Grassroots Business Association is holding an Ice Cream Social and we'll have, yum yum, Molly Moon's Ice Cream for you to eat.

The official copy:

This month we are inviting fellow business people, artists, crafters, people interested in starting their own businesses, etc. to our first Ice Cream Social. Grassroots Business Association started small but it has now grown to almost 300 members. We have had some amazing classes and events and have many more scheduled for the year. We wanted to have a social event since we have less time these days for social time. Come hang out with other small business owners, eat free ice cream sponsored by our friends over at Molly Moon's and pimp yourself out. Who knows, you might meet future clients or customers, or find a web designer or find someone to photograph your wedding. And who doesn't love FREE ice cream?

Find out all about this event here. It will be on Wednesday, July 15th, 7 p.m. at Vermillion in Capitol Hill (across and down the street a bit from the Value Village).

Don't forget your business cards and other promotional items!

Tell me you'll come? We'll be back at Vermillion this month, and I miss having Grassroots meetings there (we outgrew the room, which is great! but I still miss it). I love everything that the Vermillion gallery has had in their space. Let us know you're coming over at the Grassroots Meetup.com Group so we know how many spoons to bring.

Yarn Farm, Part Three: A Tale of Two Yarns. At Twist Collective. This is another fascinating view of a yarn mill.

decor8 » Daisy Janie: New Organic Textiles For Spring!.

Can I dye normal clothing to super black status, thus fitting into my all-black work dress code? | Ask Metafilter.

Craftzine.com blog : How-To: Make Real Oilcloth.

I made the Peach White-Wine Sangria from Gourmet twice last weekend and found it a bit sweeter than I like, so I changed the recipe a bit the second time around, and I doubled it. Because, you know, when it comes to Fourth of July parties more is better.

Here's what you'll need:

• gallon jug
• four cans peach nectar (11.5 ounces each for 46 ounces total)
• two bottles of dry white wine (I used Hogue Fume Blanc)
• zest from one lemon
• juice of two lemons (or 1/2 cup)
• 2 cups of basil leaves
• 15 to 20 basil sprigs
• two peaches, diced or wedged (depending on how lazy you feel and if you want the fruit to end up in the drinks)

Combine the basil leaves, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium saucepan and bruise the leaves with a spoon. (You can also add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar now if you'd like.) Add two cans of peach nectar and heat until it's just reached a simmer. Pour through strainer and into a heatproof pitcher (I use an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup at this point) and allow to cool for a while. Discard the basil leaves and lemon zest. Then pour into the gallon pitcher, something that seals if you're on your way to a picnic (I used the larger version of this Rubbermaid one and it didn't spill when it fell over in the trunk of my car), something pretty if you're entertaining at home. Add the peaches, basil sprigs, final two cans of peach nectar and bottles of wine. Chill for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.

The mixture will be thick, so serve it over a glass filled with ice, or if you find yourself at a party with no ice (say your friends have owned the house for only a few hours so the party is all bare-bones style) it tastes pretty good mixed with a bit of cold ginger ale. (Thanks to Maggi for that discovery!)

Basil peach sangria currently chilling in the fridge. We have four BBQs this weekend (yay!) so I'm making a lot of sangria, these are the two for today.

Despite seeing them everywhere I still love the large tissue paper poofs, you can find instructions for how to make them here at Martha Stewart (also here).

Hello from my dining room!

Cool kitchen contraptions - Seattle PI Looks like Chicago metallic (half way down) has a three channel lasagna pan. Convenient if you only really want to make lasagna for one or two people.

Orangette: Brown bag it The chickpea salad that is simple and delicious and seems is consistently one of the more popular on Orangette's site. I've made it so now I understand.

Lard: After decades of trying, its moment is finally here. - By Regina Schrambling - Slate Magazine We had herbed lardo spread on bread at Carne Vino in Las Vegas and it was amazing.

CakeSpy: Pity The Fool...and the Grunt, Buckle, Slump and Cobbler: An Examination of Fruit Desserts Scott loves fruit desserts so this will be an essential guide when we discuss biscuit topping or crumble topping issues.

Michael Pollan at Seattle Speakers' Forum

Make Bread Cones · Edible Crafts

Bakerella: Where I shop… Oh my god.

Get people caffeine-buzzed off of my cookies | Ask Metafilter

New Finds: Condiment Gun - CHOW. I wonder if you could also drill a larger hole in a regular water gun? Or is that crazy talk?

Amazon.com: Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces: Gayla Trail: Books. Yay! A new book from Gayla at You Grown Girl.

Lovescool - For the Love of Dessert » Bake it Pretty. Those orange yellow cupcake liners? Swoony.

Food photography setup, at Wrightfood.

Food Photography Setup - Post Production, at Wrightfood.

My hair is very slightly wavy. I'd like it to be more wavy - almost curly. | Ask Metafilter. Advice on how to get curlier hair without adding much time to a morning routine.

Laura Lee's All In One Guide to Going CG.

Please help me Identify a Perfume/Fragrance | Ask Metafilter. Good suggestions for light, citrusy perfumes.

Peter Thomas Roth Oily Problem Skin SPF 30. at Outblush.

Pick Punch Make guitar picks from anything. Interesting. I wonder if it would actually punch through a credit card? Or should Scott just keep using his keychain nail clippers to make a pick? (From Alyssa, thanks!)

The cultural signifiers and genre sexism of urban fantasy :: Rebecca Blood. Rebecca points us to a very good article.

The Park Bench: How to Meet and Woo a Nerdy Girl. Very funny, I like Tip #11.

Make hay while the sun shines : Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm. Susan Gibbs explains why this isn't just a saying.

cheese straws | smitten kitchen. Perfect party trick indeed.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Bowl Sundae - Ruhlman.com. My goodness I love this.

DIY Maraschino Cherries at Edible Crafts

pork, knife & spoon A blog all about pork!

BaconCamp / Bacone totally brilliant, bacon cooked into the shape of a cone. Puts my bacon cup to shame, really.

New Finds: Garlic-Destroying Bowl I once watched Chef Reinvented make a paste of garlic by throwing in a little salt and dragging a knife across the mixture. I couldn't recreate it at home, maybe this bowl would sooth my ego? At Chow.

Brie: Should You Eat the Rind? At Chow. I've never figured this out.

Donut Day! at Cook & Eat. For a moment I thought that was a ham and cheese donut. Now I must try to make that.

Whole Wheat Drop Biscuits I used regular milk for these and with a little butter and honey they were a quick save to an otherwise boring breakfast.

A Defining Moment A tested and approved version of no-knead bread that includes whole wheat flour and steel cut oats. At Kiss My Spatula.

lemon, parmesan & chickpea cabbage salad at everybody likes sandwiches

Bahhh-licious! 3-D soup crackers, gluten free. At Design*Sponge.

A big thanks to A Sheherd's Tale, the blog of the Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm, for being a sponsor on this site. I've talked previously about the farm and how amazing it is that Susan can keep an amazing blog considering how very, very much she does. I'm truly in awe of her, the business, and how much goodness she brings into the world. If you don't already follow her adventures I highly encourage you to do so, she gives such a generous window into her world. And if you are looking for an incredible gift for a knitter or spinner, I suggest again a share in the fiber CSA would be perfect.

Say hello to the cuteness:

Cave B Estate Winery. Found via Seattle Tall Poppy's Twitter stream, full of great food info.

How to Make Your Own Irish Cream Liqueur | The Hungry Mouse. Found on Edible Crafts.

Tasty crops for a gin garden? | Ask Metafilter. Now, I could get into this sort of edible gardening.

Margarita etiquette | Ask Metafilter. Is there an accepted way to get to enjoy the salt?

Peach White-Wine Sangria Recipe at Epicurious.com. I'm going to have to find a reason to make this sangria sometime soon.

A big thanks to MirrorMate Frames for being a sponsor for this site. I've talked about their custom sized and easy to install frames for mirrors previously, but I didn't get a chance to go into how much I appreciate their attention to detail. I have a huge mirror, 39 x 63 inches, that I inherited with this house. It's incredibly heavy and the edges are chipped. When I was first reading about MirrorMate Frames I figured they wouldn't work for my huge mirror because it sits on the floor and I thought the frames would need clearance around the outside of the mirror. Turns out, the MirrorMate people had already considered that and can make frames to clear when a mirror is up against a wall or counter. They've also taken into consideration if a mirror is held up with those clear plastic clips and can build the frames so that the clips don't interfere with the frames sitting flush against the surface of your mirror. They even have a video on their website that shows all the steps of assembling and placing the frame, which is made as easy for you as possible and includes temporary placement corners as guides.

More reasons to like them: they are doing everything they can to be a green company, their frames are build here in the USA, they are woman created and owned and the entire idea was started when Lisa Huntting needed a solution for the mirrors in her bathroom and decided that if she couldn't find it she would make one.

This one might be something a lot of you do already, but if you don't please allow me to recommend that the next time you buy bacon you get an extra package to squirrel away in the freezer. It leads to happy Saturday mornings like this one:

Him: Let's make french toast. Do we have something to go with it?
Me: Let me check the freezer... YES! WE HAVE BACON!

I cut the whole package of bacon in half only because I find it easier to separate later (it also is easier to cook crispy when you don't have to worry about the other end burning). I cut a strip of parchment paper the width of the bacon then put a strip down, fold over, put another strip down, fold that over, etc. Put it in an airtight container in the freezer and when you need some you simply unroll the package and pop out a few strips at a time. There, so much nicer than trying to pry off a strip from a frozen mass of bacon.

update: I just wanted to add that I have seen this a few places before I started doing it. The one that immediately comes to mind is this post over at Eating Well Anywhere.

Cool Feet Laptop Stands available at Delight.com. Scott and I were just talking about needing this very thing when we hook up the laptop to the tv to watch online shows like The Guild.

Women in Tech, Gina Trapani and Tiffany B. Brown. Cinnamon on two women in technology that she admires.

Leaked: first video of Ico/Shadow of the Colossus creators' Trico - Offworld. Eee!! We're going to buy our next gaming console based on which one will play this game.

Where Can I Listen to Other People's Conversations? | Ask Metafilter.

Superfiller. Find a Filler to Qualify for Amazon.com's Free Shipping! The Amazon Discount Table is also really useful when you just need something like an extra SD card.

Guest bedroom window. At Door Sixteen. Great post about repairing old windows with links to resources.

Target Pod Chair We need a few casual chairs, and in a room with an orange wall, but I don't know if I these would flop-able enough.

Nexus medicine cabinet Really nice in-wall medicine cabinet. At Ikea Hacker.

diy wednesdays: wallpapered medicine cabinet We're getting ready to redo a bathroom, I like this idea for decorating the interior of a medicine cabinet. At Design*Sponge.

Delight Your Room Wallflowers! available at Delight.com I like these better than most of the wall stickers.

Silicone Door Stop (set of 3)-- Better Living Through Design Simple and functional.

Strips 4 Seat Sofa-- Better Living Through Design I hate itchy sofa fabrics, maybe I could make a quilted cover like this one should I ever, uh, accidentally buy an itchy sofa.

Advice for growing hops | Ask Metafilter

ironing board cubby spice rack She used screw eyes as shelf supports that are easy to adjust to make the shelves level, very clever!

Mighty Girl » Green Pockets by Maruja Fuentes

shelterrific » more fun with window film

swissmiss | Mila. A nicely minimal profile shoe rack.