tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79192148613699449352011-08-23T13:07:52.913-05:00This blog is dedicated to the idea of using recycled, second-hand, or hand-me-down items to decorate your home. Along the way we will explore ways to preserve our environment.Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.comBlogger211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-54655867013175306042009-01-21T21:08:00.003-06:002009-01-21T22:19:16.797-06:00

'Water Displacement #40'The product began from a search for a rust-preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. They were successful with the 40th formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-60741445561156849792009-01-09T20:46:00.007-06:002009-01-09T21:28:58.302-06:00

Need some some tips for putting empty plastic coffee containers to good use? Wash them thoroughly in soapy dishwater, rinse well, then air dry. Or you can do what I do and run them through the dishwasher before reusing. Here are some ways I reuse plastic coffee cans:1. Make a mini-compost bin next to your kitchen sink. Once it is full just add it to your compost bin outside, or spread it over

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-66692006740951306602008-12-31T18:24:00.002-06:002008-12-31T18:25:14.219-06:00

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-62221646173213255482008-12-25T12:02:00.004-06:002008-12-25T12:08:11.515-06:00

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!Debbie

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-90561710251242563652008-12-07T10:57:00.010-06:002008-12-07T12:45:48.218-06:00

Good morning.....today I would like to share some exciting news with you. I have just launched a new website....Patchouli Rose....home decor and fashion. I have always loved this decorating style and after buying Robin Brown's new book, A Bit of Velvet & a Dash of Lace, about her business, Magnolia Pearl, I was on a mission to start my own bohemian style home decor and fashion site featuring

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-29182535324894901572008-11-10T23:50:00.002-06:002008-11-10T23:56:06.717-06:00

My new blogging friend Maggie of Secret Women's Business posted about a new environmental magazine on her blog a few weeks ago. The magazine is "Positively Green" and is geared toward women. If you would like to know more just click here.

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-64075181821658022342008-11-09T20:32:00.003-06:002008-11-09T20:41:29.197-06:00

I found some wonderful tips for recycling and reducing waste during the holidays on the Bath and North East Somerset Council website and wanted to share them here with my readers. Reduce, reuse, and ENJOY!Tips for Recycling and Reducing at ChristmasChristmas can be a very wasteful time of year but with a bit of thought there's a lot you can do to help reduce the amount we throw away over this

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-91504416535591432012008-08-19T22:49:00.005-05:002008-08-21T10:20:20.230-05:00

Doesn't relaxing in a warm bath filled with water treated to either energize, sooth or relax your body sound wonderful? Just keep reading to learn how you can make your own bath salts for a fraction of the cost of expensive store-bought products.The following information is taken from the eSSORTMENT website:Bath salts are simple to make and with proper storage can have a shelf life of several

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-52696931085413352402008-08-06T09:18:00.004-05:002008-08-06T09:30:25.676-05:00

Click here to find out how your actions impact the global environment and discover a number of simple ways in which you can make a real difference. Thank you to HSBC for emailing this link to me!

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-3341218946409028632008-06-08T09:56:00.003-05:002008-11-18T16:08:45.730-06:00

I've been looking through yard and garden magazines while I'm vacationing at my mom's and found several great ideas for repurposing items that I thought were worth sharing:* Old bowling balls......use one in place of a gazing ball in your garden. The marbled ones look prettiest and are much more durable than a glass gazing ball. Just place them hole side down on the base of a birdbath or

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-34385780343194419022008-04-20T13:44:00.000-05:002008-04-20T13:50:08.394-05:00

Natural RemediesThis came to me on email from a friend and I wanted to share it with my readers....lots of good uses for honey and cinnamon. I don't know where these were tested and if they all actually work but some of them may be worth a try.Facts on Honey and Cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-16435635017086973622008-03-30T02:02:00.000-05:002008-11-18T16:08:46.005-06:00

On March 29th, people everywhere turned off their lights–to make a statement, to help find new ways to reduce their impact on the environment, and to start a movement that ends with a solution to the common challenge we all face.....To read more about his incredible event click here: Earth HourIf you participated in Earth Hour 2008 please post a comment and tell us how not having electricity for

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-35408435378351572372008-02-18T22:32:00.000-06:002008-02-18T22:34:43.380-06:00

I just received these tips on email from my sister-in-law and wanted to share them here with you!Go GREEN when you CleanHomemade Drain Cleaner2 cups baking soda2 cups salt, regular table, kosher or rock½ cup cream of tartarCombine and mix all of the ingredients in a covered container. Label and keep out of reach of children. To Use:Boil 2 cups of water on the stove. Pour ¼ cup of the cleaner

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-86267723488706709122007-11-11T20:29:00.000-06:002008-11-18T16:08:46.334-06:00

Hi everyone.....meet Beau, the newest little boy in our family! Doesn't he look sweet? My husband calls him our "miracle dog". Beau was abandoned about half a mile from our house and came to us one afternoon about a month ago covered in ticks and fleas and very, very hungry. I called the nearby neighbors to be sure he didn't belong to anyone and after no one claimed him he became our little boy.

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-87608991687222435132007-11-11T20:19:00.000-06:002007-11-11T20:27:51.183-06:00

What could be better than cleaning your home with all natural cleaners? While I was browsing blogs one evening I came upon this lovely website, French General. As well as having absolutely lovely antique French textiles, there are also wonderful tips and recipes for making and using organic cleaning products which can be found in the Au Natural section of the website. I can't wait to try these

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-83863109558860228932007-10-13T17:50:00.001-05:002008-11-18T16:08:46.770-06:00

How I turned THAT to THIS!I was aiming for a "shabby cottage" look when I started redecorating this room. First, I painted the paneled walls a color called White Chocolate...yum! I got a real bargain on a scalloped floral wallpaper border at a local store for only $3 a roll in the clearance bin and it was perfect for the look I wanted to achieve. With that done, I began looking for curtains, and

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-59816246810954225302007-10-13T17:33:00.000-05:002008-11-18T16:08:47.171-06:00

You are probably thinking ewwwwwwwwwww! Well, this post is about recycling your leftovers into a new, tasty meal. Here is one of my favorite recycled dishes:Baked Potato SoupServes 22 leftover baked potatoes, skin removed3 cups milk2-3 T. flour1 T. margarineDash of salt.Melt butter in a medium size saucepan. Add flour and salt, and then add milk slowly. How much flour you add will determine

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-42873347494327088502007-09-05T23:27:00.001-05:002008-11-18T16:08:47.689-06:00

BEFOREMy cottage living room is furnished and decorated entirely with hand-me-down, garage sale, thrift store and otherwise recycled items. The first photo shows the living room as it was when I took possession of the cottage. The walls were painted blue and the trim was white. After painting the walls and trim "White Chocolate" and adding a cottagy border, I began furnishing and decorating

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-45694908203058562282007-08-30T13:41:00.000-05:002008-11-18T16:08:47.913-06:00

A couple of years ago, after spending TOO much money on Christmas gifts, I suggested to my family that one of the gifts we give each other should be "recycled". Our definition of recycled in this case is pretty liberal.....the item can be bought at a thrift or second-hand store, or it can be something we have that we no longer want and think someone on our Christmas list might like. Of course, I

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-10392355522587096352007-08-13T23:20:00.000-05:002008-11-18T16:08:48.128-06:00

Reduce....the amount of the Earth's resources that we use.Reuse....don't just bin it, could someone else make use of it?Recycle....can the materials be made into something new?Recycling doesn't always have to be BIG event.....there are many small ways we can reduce, reuse and recycle every day. I regularly reuse plastic shopping bags to line the small trash cans in my house instead of purchasing

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7919214861369944935.post-31436088552120448262007-08-08T00:55:00.000-05:002007-08-08T04:11:05.028-05:00

Because I live in a rural area where we don't have a recycling center available, I worried that I had not been doing my part to recycle and conserve. Suddenly one day it occurred to me that I have actually been recycling all of my adult life without even realizing it! Merriam-Webster defines the term "recycle" as: to adapt to a new use, to make ready for reuse and to bring back. Each one of

Debbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13667920524954629650noreply@blogger.com2