CasaSugar

Organic Fall Table setting

dezignerwannabe — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:23:45 -0800

Here's my thanksgiving table - I wanted an organic look and feel so I used wood charger plates, woven leaf placemats, linen napkins and wood napkin rings along with some cute little bird condiment cups and leaf serving plates. The centerpiece was just a glass jar that I filled up with wooden pears. The stemware is an amber crackle glass.

Come Party With Me: Fall Lunch - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:32 -0700

When creating a tablescape for an autumnal lunch, let the colors of falling leaves be inspiration. A mixed leaf wreath hanging on the front door immediately sets a festive tone. If hosting the event outside in an area where the weather is chilly, have a fire pit or heater. Pumpkins are an affordable and appropriate decoration when stacked near the dining table. Light cream pillar candles and place on the table or around the lunch location.

Cover the table with an orange cloth, brown placemats, and cream plates. Roll napkins, slide into leaf napkin rings, and place one on each plate. Serve the lasagna in a sage green baking dish. Selecting one versatile wine glass that can be used for the mimosa, wine, or water will save you time after the party. Instead of washing three glasses per guest, you'll only have to wash one!

Shower Curtains...Great ways to use them!

cheekyredhead — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:38:15 -0800

When I was a kid we moved every year because of my Dad's job. Mom was always finding new uses for all sorts of things. I have seen her do some very cool things with some really unusual things. This has taught me to look at any object as options.

I have found the wonderful world of shower curtains...and the possibilities are endless. Let's look at some of the facts...they are either water repellent or water proof. One typical size shower curtain can cover the top of a queen-size bed. Often they do not have a seam and are usually one complete piece...which is great if you need a really big piece of fabric. They are relatively inexpensive and can be found in various colors and prints. Possibilities...are endless.

I bought 2 in maroon velvet-like shower curtains and used them to recover my dining room chairs. All I needed was a pair of scissors, a screw driver and a staple gun...and it took only one hour. My neighbor paid me $50 to show her how to do hers.

In college...I used three matching ones in my room. One as a curtain in the window of my room, another to cover a folding screen to use as a room divider/camo cover to hide unsightly laundry. Another to use as a bed cover...which I never slept with but used to protect my real bedding from my roommate and her party crowd that visited frequently. All could be tossed in the wash and even hung back up while still wet.

With a shower curtain I have recovered an old chair, made pillow covers, and even hung it as wallpaper. Yes...wallpaper.

In an old rental with really gross avocado green paint that they would not let me re-paint. I covered one really odd-shaped wall with one fabric shower curtain made out of a very light water-repellent fabric. How? In an old quart size jar I dumped about five tablespoons of regular white school glue and filled the rest of the jar with warm water and shook it well.

Place shower curtain in a bucket or sink and soak it in the glue/water. I had cut the end off of the curtain that had the ring openings and that left just enough fabric to cover the odd wall. Squeeze any liquid out that you can. Place the curtain on the wall starting at the ceiling, smoothing it on the wall as I went with a soft sponge.

When I moved out I asked the owner if he wanted it removed. He was surprised to see how quickly it came off after spraying it with Windex. I washed the wall and it was the same old ugly wall again in less than 10 minutes. (Note...if the paint is a "flat" paint I wouldn't try this)

I used the same method to cover a weird-shaped window over my power-jet tub in my new home. When it was almost dry I cut the edges to the window and used a flat-head screw driver to tuck the fabric into the window edging. It looks custom and only cost me $40 and it matches my shower curtain...how'd they do that?

Shower curtains make great table cloths and often can be cut to size and sometimes you don't even have to hem them depending upon the fabric. At the 99 cent store you can get heavy duty plastic shower curtains which make the best paint drop cloths.

Sometimes shower curtains come with a surprise...the rings. Yes they are usually really ugly...but they come in handy when you have to keep a roll of wire together. I use them for managing cords behind my computer/TV/stereo. They make a great chain to occupy a little one with...use common sense here. They also can be used to keep belts in tow in the closet, and I have even used them as napkin rings.

So...these are a few of my classic ideas. Do you have any to share?

Essential Guide: Eco-Chic Wedding

Jnel J — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:27:54 -0700

Eco-Friendly

♥ From the wedding dress to the menu to the favors and transportation, what to know to start reducing, reusing and recycling for your eco-chic affair.

♥ Nature's way
Research locations where the proceeds support eco-friendly causes. State parks and nature preserves are a great place to start.

♥ Daytime I dos
Celebrate during daylight-and if possible, outdoors-to cut down on electricity. If you're set on an evening celebration, consider candlelight-soy candles burn cleaner and longer than traditional wax candles-to help illuminate the venue, and create a romantic ambiance.

♥ Minimize paper waste
Find a printing company that uses 100 percent recycled paper that has been processed without chlorine-or one that prints on paper embedded with wildflower seeds that can later be planted. Then, choose a simple design and use a postcard as a reply card. To announce your big-day details, use Brides.com's My Wedding Web Site. Only print out information cards for guests who don't have internet access.

♥ Dress the part
Recycle a dress-whether it's your mother's gown or a gorgeous find from a vintage shop. If going retro isn't your style, look for a dress in a natural fiber, like hemp-satin (visit Conscious Clothing getconscious.com), or find a simple white dress that you can alter, accessorize and wear again. Jewelry also makes a great "something borrowed." What better excuse to raid Mom's or Grandma's jewelry box!

♥ Start a green home
Look for eco-friendly home and garden stores that have registry options, like Branch Home, branchhome.com, or Design Public, designpublic.com.

♥ With this ring…
Pledge your commitment to the earth and each other by choosing a ring made with environmentally-conscious precious metals-such as Leber Jeweler's Earthwise Jewelryline, leberjeweler.com/earthwise, made with recycled gold and platinum. Or, opt for eco-friendly, handcrafted wooden rings from Chicago Joinery, chicagojoinery.com, or Touch Wood Rings, touchwoodrings.com.

♥ Flower power
Before choosing your bouquet, look for a florist that supports organic flower farms and uses local and seasonal wildflowers so you cut the emissions that would be generated by shipping flowers from far away. For centerpieces, use oxygen-producing potted plants, which guests can take home, and incorporate organic fruits, vegetables and berries.

♥ Put your best face forward
Even if you're a natural beauty who doesn't wear much make-up, consider enhancing your look for your wedding photos. Choose a brand of cosmetics that uses natural and organic ingredients-and of course, that avoids animal testing.

♥ Eat green
Talk with caterers about using local, organic fare and make sure they offer enough options for vegetarian guests.

♥ Toast the earth
Support winemakers who are as passionate about nature as they are about their vineyard by serving biodynamic or organic wines at your reception. Start your search at the online shop for Appellation Wine & Spirits shop.appellationnyc.com, a New York City wine shop that specializes in organically- and biodynamically-made wines

♥ Plan a biodegradable picnic
If you're planning a simple and outdoorsy rehearsal dinner, think twice about purchasing throw-away plates. Consider renting dishes, silverware and cloth napkins, or use biodegradable dishes and flatware made from cornstarch, potatoes, sugar cane or tropical leaves.

♥ Do the environment a favor
When it comes to wedding favors, give a piece of fruit from a local orchard, or share a living gift-like a tree sapling or a small potted plant-with each guest. For those traveling via airplane, distribute packets of seeds. Soy candles or soap also make great green favors. Or, if you have a favorite pro-environment organization, let your guests know in the wedding program that in lieu of favors you're making a donation in their honor.

♥ Skip the rice
Throwing rice after a wedding ceremony can be dangerous for birds, and throwing birdseed that contains non-native or invasive plants can cause problems if you're saying your vows in a nature preserve or state park. Instead, look into tossing native wildflower seeds or flower petals, or have your guests blow bubbles.

♥ Enjoy an all-natural honeymoon
Plan a honeymoon where you can commune with nature-say, at an eco-resort that protects and preserves the environment.

♥ Consider eco-travel
Your honeymoon flight, along with the flights of all the guests who travel to your wedding from afar, will produce large amounts of CO2 emissions. Think about investing in renewable energy credits (or green tags) to help offset your global warming impact.

♥ Getting around
Think about having your ceremony and reception at the same location-or offer transportation between the two sites-to avoid excess car emissions.

15 Ways To Annoy (Or Most Likely Lose) Your Roomate

leeluvfashion — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:18:33 -0700

-Arrange thirteen toothbrushes of different colors on your dresser. Set one aside from the rest. Laugh hysterically at the one toothbrush. When your roommate asks about it, refuse to discuss the situation

-Break the window with a rock. If your roommate protests, explain that you were hot. Open and close the broken window as you normally would.

-Bring in potential new roommates from around campus. Give them tours of the room and the building. Have them ask about your roommate in front of him/her, and reply, Oh, him/her? S/he won't be here much longer.

-Buy a toy gun. Clean it every day. One day, put a Band-Aid on your forehead, and refuse to discuss the gun ever again.

-Buy a McDonald's Happy Meal for lunch every day. Eat the straw and the napkin. Throw everything else away.

-Cut the faces out of all your pictures.

-Do all your homework in the bathroom, using the toilet as a desk.

-Don't shower for three weeks. Complain often about the stench. Demand that your roommate do his/her laundry.

-Every time you take a shower, yell audibly, I'm melting, I'm melting!

-Every time the phone rings, turn on the stereo at full volume and begin to violently slam-dance with your roommate. If s/he asks about it, say, Oh, that damn hypnotist....

-Drink lots of lemonade. Talk obnoxiously for hours about how much you love lemonade. Then, one day, paint your face yellow. From then on, complain about how much you hate lemonade.

-Frantically scribble something on paper. When finished, eat it. Start again.

-Name your books. Call them like dogs when it's time to study.

-Play hide and seek with yourself. If your roommate asks what you're doing behind the couch, under the table, etc., look at them exasperatedly, come out of hiding and tell him/her that s/he gave away your hiding place. Refuse to talk to him/her for several hours.

-Talk back to your Rice Krispies. All of a sudden, act offended, throw the bowl on the floor and kick it. Refuse to clean it up, explaining, No, I want to watch them suffer.

http://www.flickabooger.com/archive/2008/05/15/15-ways-to-annoy-your-roo...