CasaSugar

Love It or Hate It? Jonathan Adler Peace Hand

CasaSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:00:06 -0800

At last night's Moth Ball, an annual benefit for The Moth, a New York-based not-for-profit storytelling organization, Indian-British novelist and essayist Salman Rushdie was presented with a Jonathan Adler-designed Moth Award. Peculiarly, you can purchase the very same statuette, Peace Hand ($225), in Adler's stores or online. I'm all for harmony, but I think it's a bit taboo that anyone with the dough can take home their own Peace Hand statuette. Poor Rushdie.Source

Casa Verde: Mothball Alernatives

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:00:00 -0800

A moth is one pest you don't want to invite into your closet. But, mothballs are party poopers, too. Mothballs slowly evaporate into gas, and if their two active ingredients, naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene, are inhaled, they can be harmful to your health. Luckily, there are alternatives that'll keep your sweaters and your health safe from harm. To hear them, read more.

Cedar blocks or chips
Rosemary
Thyme
Dried cloves
Lavender
Cinnamon sticks
Eucalyptus
Bay leaves

Nearly all household ingredients! If you're going to use herbs as an alternative, make a sachet for them by filling a small canvas drawstring bag with a mix of ingredients. You can also add drops of essential oils of any of those herbs.

How-To: Spring Organize Your Living Room

CasaSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:00:26 -0700

Spring is the perfect time to get your home clean and organized. To help you get inspired, I've whipped up a Spring Cleaning Checklist, which you can download and print out. The PDF lists cleaning and organizing duties room by room, to keep things simple. Earlier today, I expanded on my PDF tips for cleaning your living room, so if you haven't read my post on cleaning, definitely do so.

To see my tips for organizing your living room, read more.

Relocate Winter-related items such as fireplace tools and wool throws. Make sure to toss some cedar balls in with the wool throws, so they won't suffer from moth damage.
Donate old furniture and accents that are cluttering the space. Choose your favorite local charity, or go with one of the bigger, national charities that does great work, such as Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul.
Recycle magazines that have spent too long sitting on the coffee table.
Toss anything not in good enough condition to donate. If the objects are large, arrange a pick-up from your waste service, or take it to the dump, which will probably involve a fee.
Add media storage for CDs and DVDs and baskets for storing items such as games. Consider digitizing your music collection to save space, and see my picks for storage below!

Dawson Storage Ottoman in Dela Gunmetal - $449.00	Sedona Magazine Basket - $34.95
Canvas Media Box - $34.00	Sawhorse Media Credenza -Small - $299.00
Windham 48" Corner Media Stand - $399.00	Wooden Magazine Rack - $100.00
Canvas Magazine Butler - $22.00	Black Riley Media Stand - $349.99

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Your Favorite Product Designer of 2008

CasaSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:00:18 -0800

As part of our Best of 2008 polls, you named Jonathan Adler as your favorite product designer this year. I'm with you on this one; from pottery and pillows to furniture and rugs, Adler does it all, and fabulously I might add. He even designed the award statuette for this year's Moth Ball! And, he's got something for everyone, at prices high and low, so even the most cash-strapped of us can get in on the Adler. This year especially, I've been wowed by his updated needlepoint and cheeky pottery pieces.

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How-To: Share a Closet With Your Main Squeeze

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:45:11 -0700

If you've grown accustomed to the relative luxury of a closet space that belongs to you and you alone, it's often a reality check when you move in with a new spouse. Many times, your former sanctuary of neatly hung dresses and perfectly aligned heels is interrupted by the need to share that closet space with your honey's stinky sneakers and college sweatshirt collection. If closet space is at a premium at your home, and you're suddenly splitting one closet's space between two people, there are still ways to get around the possibly distressing mess that this closet can become.

To see my tips, read more.

No matter what, try to keep things neat. Don't let clothes collect on the floor of the closet. If one of you is the repeat offender, start fining a quarter per messy item, or better yet, create a system of rewards related to keeping your joint closet clean.
Invest in some organizing systems. Ikea has some simple and effective closet systems, and I also love this one.
Matching hangers really make a difference, as does organizing them!
Figure out what you really wear! Donate all of the clothes you haven't worn in the past year to a charity of your choice. This will free up needed space in your closet, while also benefiting your community.
Rotate seasonal clothing. Put Winter clothes in storage, along with some cedar balls to keep away the moths.
For some inspiration, check out Haze's closet remodel.
Keep stinky shoes (such as you or your honey's running sneakers) in another area, where they won't overwhelm your closet.
Consider using a multipurpose piece of furniture for additional storage, such as a Brighton bed, which has coordinating storage drawers that slide underneath.

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