CasaSugar

How-To: Remove Contact Paper Adhesive

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:00:12 -0800

Remember how I covered my hideous linoleum floors with woodgrain contact paper? Well, while they looked fabulous, it came time to take them off. The contact paper itself was easy to remove, but as expected, a very tough adhesive residue was left. I tried literally everything to get rid of the sticky mess - WD40, Goo Gone, vinegar, Oops!, you name it - and searched far and wide on the Internet for tips to no avail. In the end, thanks to a tip from a friend, I was able to remove the residue. Want to know what the magic potion was?

How-To: Decorate With Yellow

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:06 -0800

Yellow isn't my favorite color, but it's certainly a very powerful one. A room painted in a soft, pale yellow can instantly create a quaint, country vibe, while one pop of bright yellow in a dark room makes a space look modern and adventurous. But using yellow can be difficult. Some hues look dated if used in the wrong way, and it's also a color that can very easily clash. So check out this slideshow to learn how to decorate with yellow.

Source

View Slideshow ›

How-To: Decorate With Gray

CasaSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:49 -0800

If you read my November must haves, you know that this month I'll be giving you tips, advice, and ideas for adding color to your home. As part of these "Color Theory" posts, I'm going to focus on different ranges of color each week. This week, I'm beginning with cool colors, showing you how to decorate with specific colors, how to use color in small spaces, and how to paint and upholster with color. I've covered turquoise and lavender, so now it's time to move onto one of my all-time favorites: gray!

Source

View Slideshow ›

How-To: Decorate With Turquoise

CasaSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

If you read my November must haves, you know that this month I'll be giving you tips, advice, and ideas for adding color to your home. As part of these "Color Theory" posts, I'm going to focus on different ranges of color each week. This week, I'll begin with cool colors, showing you how to decorate with specific colors, how to use color in small spaces, and how to paint and upholster with color. I'm kicking this off with one color I'm really loving lately: turquoise! Take a look at how you can decorate with this greenish-blue hue.

View Slideshow ›

How-To: Upcycle Objects For Flower Display

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:00:21 -0700

There are plenty of wonderful vases in the world to display your bouquets. But let's be honest, the flowers themselves are where it's at. So why not upcycle some objects you already own to display those stems? I've collected a few vase alternatives for you, some of which may truly surprise you. So check out this how-to!

View Slideshow ›

How-To: Get Rid of Fabric-Eating Moths

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:34 -0700

If you've opened your closet and realized that your favorite cashmere sweater has holes all over it, you've probably got a moth problem. It's unlikely that the moths are attracted to just that one cardi, so there are a few steps you should take to ensure your whole wardrobe doesn't suffer the same fate. That is, unless we're talking about all those reindeer Christmas sweaters from grandma.

To learn how to kick those buggers to the curb, read more.

Clothes moths feed on wool, feathers, fur, hair, lint, paper, and even cotton, linen, silk, and some synthetic fibers. But in general, they especially crave fabrics that have been stained or soiled with food, beverages, perspiration, sweat, oil, and urine. In many cases, you can't even tell that your apparel has been stained, so you should always clean your garments before you store them.
If you've already discovered you have a moth problem, you should wash all of your clothes in the infested area in hot water and detergent or dry clean them.
When it comes time to store your out-of-season clothes, you should keep them in airtight containers such as plastic boxes and bags, metal containers, or wooden (cedar is ideal) chests.
Moths tend to develop under humidity. So, if your closet or storage space is near a bathroom or humidifier, you should ventilate the area by opening windows or using a fan.
Clothes moths also prefer darkness. So if you have an alternative place to store your apparel that is bright, consider moving your clothes. You might also leave on low-energy lightbulbs such as CFLs or LEDs to light your closet.
To capture the male clothes moths in order to stop the breeding process, use a pheromone trap in your closet.
You should also vacuum your closet thoroughly in all cracks and crevices, as well as carpeting. Use a flashlight to identify lint and hair at the baseboards, in air ducts, and corners of the room that you might not see otherwise. If you have upholstered furniture in your closet (lucky lady), make sure to vacuum it thoroughly as well.
As for moth repellants, mothballs are tried and true, but they can also be harmful to your health, and leave a strong odor on your clothes. So, you can make a sachet with these herbal mothball alternatives. Cedar chips tend to lose their effect after the wood has dried, but cedar chests, which are airtight, are often effective.

How-To: Keep Your Wool Rug From Shedding

CasaSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:15:10 -0700

Wool rugs are beautiful and natural, so they're a wonderful addition to your home. But since wool comes from an animal that sheds itself, rug shedding is inevitable. But it's also not a major battle if you learn a few tricks to deal with the shedding.

First of all, you should put your rug in a low-traffic area. People treading on it causes friction, which in turn causes it to shed its fibers. So a wool rug is better placed under a dining table than as a runner in a busy hallway or in a living room where you spend most of your time. To learn some other tricks to deal with shedding, read more.

You should vacuum your wool rug regularly. At some point, your rug will cease to shed, so if you vacuum it regularly you will expedite that, and you'll be removing the fibers as they shed - essentially forcing them to shed.
Furthermore, when you vacuum, you should use your vacuum's attachments. Wool rugs are sensitive, so this will prevent you from sucking the rug itself up into the vacuum.
As I mentioned, shedding is inevitable. But you can conceal your rug's fibers by purchasing a rug similar in color to your upholstered furniture. For instance, the shedding from a white wool rug will be very obvious on your navy blue sofa.

How-To: Be a Groupie

CasaSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:00:01 -0700

To Jonas Brothers fans, being a "groupie" comes naturally. But there's another kind of group love I'm rooting for, and it concerns our new CasaSugar Decor Community. Hopefully, you got the lowdown on it from my introduction on Tuesday and are ready and rarin' to join a group!

You probably all know (and love) my decorating group Su Casa, where you share photos of your home and latest design projects, because it's sticking around. From tiny nooks to entire bedrooms, if I dig your designs, your photos and projects could be featured on CasaSugar! Are you a Su Casa member yet? If not, join! Before you join, you should make sure you register though, if you don't already have an account.

Don't get me wrong, I love Su Casa, but I've got two brand spankin' new groups I'm super excited about. To "meet" them, read more.

Lovely Little Vignettes is the place to share photos of the small vignettes you create in your home, or those you see online or a friend's home. Be it a vase and a picture frame on your bedside table, a painting and a souvenir on your fireplace mantel, or a paperweight on a stack of letters, we want to see how you make the small beautiful! And again, I may feature your very own lovely little vignettes on Casa if I like them! Join the group here!

So Fresh and So Clean is dedicated to cleaning! From small tasks like drying glasses to tedious ones like powerwashing your deck, I want to hear your tips, trials, and tribulations on getting your house. Unforutnately, cleaning is one part of home living that's never going out of style, so let's help each other through it! Join here.

How-To: Store Your Household Batteries

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:00:17 -0700

Like humans, batteries are perishable products that deteriorate from the start of their lives. But, like eating well and using SPF, there are a few things you can do to slow their aging. Following an old wives' tale, my grandmother always kept her batteries in the freezer. As it turns out, that's not an ideal place to store them. Learn how to store your batteries when you read more.

Batteries should be kept in a cool, dry place - ideally around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Contrary to my grandmother's practice, Duracell and Kodak agree that batteries should not be kept in the freezer. You can store them in a refrigerator, but to prevent condensation you should keep in them a sealed plastic bag. Definitely do not store them in a warm place; this will inhibit their performance.
Whenever possible, keep your batteries in their original packaging.
Store batteries with their negative and positive terminals AWAY from each other, so that they're not conducting idly.
Keep lithium and nickel-based batteries stored at a 40 percent charge.
Store new and old batteries separately. If you store them together, power will be drawn from the new one, shortening its life.
Leave any plastic caps on your batteries (like the 9V ones) on until you need to use them.
If you are not going to be using any battery-operated appliance for a month, remove the appliance's batteries and make sure to store them as stated above.

How-To: Decorate a Dual-Purpose Space

CasaSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:55 -0700

Having lived in a studio in the past, I've experienced first-hand the trials and tribulations of trying to make one room play two roles. I have many friends living tiny apartments who try to cram the furniture meant for both a living room and a bedroom into the same room, and let me tell you, none have succeeded. It's not only studio dwellers that encounter these issues, though. Sometimes a home office needs to double as a living room, or a bedroom as a workout room. If you're in the same boat, I have a few tips for you.