1 point for me, 0 for the turnbuckle!

Long ago, I mentioned that I was building a bed and that I still had some things to do to get it all put together. Today, I put the finishing touches on my bed and I'm so excited about how it turned out! My bed is finally now painted with hardware on it to pull the bed in and out. My father helped me put those on and finish it up.

I was waiting to show you all because I wanted to complete a project first that I had in mind for the area above the bed. I painted it to match the bookshelf and radiator cover in my apartment because I wanted to use it as a display for some of my photography. The only problem was that I had been asking my   father for help to complete the turnbuckle project. The turnbuckle would make it so I could hang a wire across the display to hang the photos on. I've never used a turnbuckle before but I understood the basic concept. My father explained to me how to put it up but I kept putting it off...and putting it off...and putting it off. I figured perhaps I could con him to do it before I actually had to. ;) My mom and dad were actually going to come up and help today, but things didn't work as planned. Today, I finally mustered up the will to take the project on by myself! I accomplished it! It wasn't really that hard at all to tell you the truth. Now, without further adieu, I present my completed bed!

The dreaded turnbuckle!

Bed painted and with hardware on! So much easier to pull in and out!

Displayed photos.

Bed pushed in like a couch for when company comes over. I am going to add some pillows.

Pulled out for sleeping! :)

Today's lesson? Turnbuckles are not to be feared.

Doing good on day off.

Yesterday, there was a major blizzard here pretty much all day. So, I locked myself inside and spent a lot of the day lounging in my bed. Yeah, I know. I was going to take a nap, as all of that being lazy I was doing was making me tired. Then...I decided I would be better off being productive.

I looked around me and realized this: I'm a pig. ;) Yes, overnight my place had turned into a giant disaster. Clothes stacked in piles, papers and boxes all over the floor.

Many people closest to me would realize that this isn't all that abnormal. I have quite a history of stacking clothes in piles and letting my living areas become a disarray. Usually, I clean it and get it all nice and organized and then gradually it becomes a huge mess again until I cannot stand it anymore and I have to clean it up or go insane. I chose cleaning.

Reflecting on how it had become this way, I narrowed it down to a few things. New boots arriving, Friday clothing dilemma and Saturday night costume party. Friday and Saturday, while attempting to make outfits, it led me to pull a lot of clothes out of the closet in a hurry and not put them back. My boots arriving contributed to boxes and papers being tossed all over. I also had my coupon collection in a heap next to the filing cabinet.

I got to work starting to put everything away. However, I quickly got sidetracked by another project I had thought of earlier in the week at work. A lovely woman had donated some coupons to the food shelf. Previously, I had mentioned my thoughts of offering budgeting and thrifty living classes to the food shelf. I did discuss this with my bosses, but it seemed there wasn't too much enthusiasm about it. I guess they had tried it in the past and there wasn't much interest. When the woman donated her coupons, it sparked the thought that since I am couponing anyways, why don't I bring in the coupons I am not using so others CAN use them? Perhaps if they are made more readily available to them, they would be more apt to use them. I got to work, cutting out my own coupons and the leftover coupons I wouldn't need. I arranged mine in my new coupon caddy that I had received in the mail during the week. You can find these here.

I had so many coupons for the food shelf, I needed some way to arrange them. I began searching online for other coupon caddies and I discovered a way to make a coupon caddy yourself at home. I wondered if I shouldn't have done this for myself so that I didn't spend $8.00, but I realized that I really needed something that could be kept out of the way and the one that I purchased is perfect as it sticks right on the fridge. I love it! Also, when I was clipping my coupons, guess what I found? A coupon for a FREE coffee, no purchase needed at Butter Bakery Cafe, one of my most favorite places to eat in Minneapolis. Yep, the people there know be my name. (A testament to my previous spending habits.) SCORE! May be using that this week as I need to get some work done where I'm outside of my house and not easily distracted.

For the food shelf however, this would be perfect! Thus, I began my project.

Place envelopes one after the other and glue flap.

Place following envelope on top of glued flap, ensuring it is straight and not impinging the envelopes natural fold.

Place your coupons in the different envelopes.

Label all of the envelopes in different categories

Fold the envelopes like an accordian, one up, one down, etc.

Do not glue the last envelope flap and fold that flap over the rest of the folded envelopes but don't seal. Tie together with ribbon or string. Ta dah!

Oh, and by the way...this is how my place turned out. Not perfect, but a definite improvement!

What is one of your constant organization battles?

 What have YOU done today for someone else lately? What small project could you do to improve the lives of those around you?

Home and Health

Okay, okay...I've been pretty lame with blogging this week! I have been busy working on some projects though! This week my Dad came over again and helped me with some other things in my apartment. My bed is now nearly finished but I still have a bit of painting to do on it. Pictures soon to come!

He helped me with one other nerdy project that I was super excited to get done. My friend, Carissa, compares me to older women when I talk about this, but I love this! Yes, I'm a nerd, perhaps similar to a grandma AND I have a fruit basket! A hanging fruit basket! I love it! Very excited that it's now hanging in my kitchen and not just on the floor!

I have many other projects yet to be done in here, but I know that I will eventually get them done.

Today, I completed another goal which was to do some more sports activities I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now and haven't. I biked the Stupor Bowl. It wasn't as challenging as I was expecting except for finding the locations of the places I need to stop. (North Minneapolis, I have not been able to understand how you work and I'm not sure I ever will.) It was quite an interesting experience, one I am not sure I will do again but I was glad that I accomplished what I wanted to. It may have helped to have someone with to keep me company, but no such luck.

Honorable mentions to Recovery Bike Shop for fixing my bike up in less than 2 days so I could do this race. They provide really great service (they even helped me strap on my car carrier so I could take the bike home) and are EXCEPTIONAL people! Please go check them out!

March to hilltop. Starting point.

Starting point.

Self-portrait mid-race

Sometimes events like those seem to make me acutely aware of the fact that I don't think I really fit in or subscribe to any one group. I don't NEED to belong to a group and I'll never pretend to subscribe to anything I don't really believe in. Just, why does it always seem I'm not enough of one way for certain groups? Not hipster enough for hipsters, not biker-ish enough for bikers, don't drink enough for drinkers, it's really interesting. If anything, I did the race and I accomplished my goal and it gave me something to ponder. I guess I've realized one thing. I'm ME. ME is good to be and I guess I'll just have to have my own group! :) The goal getter group. Anyone care to join?

Guess what day is tomorrow?! SALLY DAY!

Big D's Master Plan

Ok readers, I'm back! No, I wasn't slacking all weekend or "out in the club gettin' tipsy." I was quite productive actually! I can't blog EVERY day of the week if I'm to accomplish my goals. ;)

This weekend was Big D's Master Plan weekend. My Dad, (Big D as I sometimes call him), developed a plan for bed frame that I was needing to utilize space more efficiently in my apartment. I had this brilliant idea for a bed frame that would slide in and out. As a couch when pushed in, as a bed when pulled out. Basically, I was the creative thinking and my Dad was the genius behind this bed frame that we spent most of this weekend constructing and putting into action. I'll run you guys through the steps:

Step 1

Devise your master plan. If ever my father will be building you something, there will be a master    plan. I'm not criticizing. This is what has avoided mistakes time and time again. One of the many things learned from my father? Always draw it out and make a plan!

Big D's Master Plan

Step 2

Cut it. I'm pretty sure measuring fell somewhere before here but I have no pictures of that. ;)

Step 3

Screw it. And I don't mean in the, "Ah! Screw it!" kind of way.

Step 4

Lay it out and make adjustments.

Step 5

Install it.

Step 6

Enjoy the vision of your work.

Step 7

Have a beer! I really should have invited Dad to one but Mom was in a hurry to leave. Next time, Dad! (Oh as a side note, the beer cost nothing. Had it leftover in my fridge from NYE! Yippee!) The bed still has some minor adjustments to be made. Handles, a paint job and a couple of other things. When that is complete, I'll post a final pic. Also, I did do a lot more helping than what it appears in the pics...so don't go feeling all bad for Big D.  ;) Someone had to document it though! Big Momma (yep, I call her that sometimes too) was our cheerleader. Don't worry though, she's more than willing to dive in and help. She took my curtains with her and is hemming them up to the length I need and is going to help me hem my pants up later. Thanks Mom and Dad...you're the best!

I realize that making this bed frame took some money, but this was actually a wise investment and the money may be returned. My landlord indicated she may like me to leave this here when I move out so that the next person can use it. I agreed on the condition that she pay for the supplies. I am keeping the receipts and should she wish that I keep the frame here, the investment in the supplies will later be returned to me! 

With regards to food, I still have not had to go grocery shopping. I have stock frozen that I'll probably make a soup with tomorrow and today I used the cheapest food available for meals: eggs. Today was cut up onions and green peppers with eggs. I also made some quesadillas to go with it. I made the tortillas from scratch which I've decided to do from now on as when I buy whole packages, I never finish them and they go to waste. Additional bonus? No plastic bag to toss out. Tortillas are super easy! I'll explain below.

Tortilla press

Cooking a tortilla up

To make your own tortillas you'll need:

Tortilla press

1 bag of Maseca (you can get this at any Latin American market and most Cub Foods and other grocery stores carry it as well)

Valentino's hot sauce (if desired)

Water

Mix the Maseca and water. I don't really have any certain quantity I put, it depends on how many tortillas I need to make. You just need to mix them with your hands (I start with a fork then move to my hands) and make sure the dough is neither too sticky or too dry. Should be just in between. Sometimes at this point, I'll add some Valentino's hot sauce for a little extra kick. Sprinkle a small amount of Maseca on each side of the tortilla press so the tortillas do not stick. Make a small ball of dough and place in the tortilla press. Close cover and press down. Voila! You have a tortilla. Cook it on the stove, each side until it appears cooked (not too cooked though, should just turn white and be a little stiff).  Hope some of you can try this! I love fresh corn tortillas!

Paint Spill

The last 24 hours have been, well hellacious. My "simple" project of painting a bookshelf turned into an all night project when I tipped over the paint can. Oops! While this does not involve eliminating objects or being thrifty, to me, it's part of my being organized project. I would like to be happy in my new home. I painted my bookshelf, radiator cover and a back wall to a built-in unit. It's going to look really nice when I get my photography hung up there!

Before

After 

I also accomplished a few more things in the process today. I eliminated more clothing, my closet is organized so everything will be kept inside (see pics below) and I also was able to sell more books today! It makes me enthusiastic to know that even this clothing will be cut down when I make edits with Sally.

The above mentioned Sally project is still and progress and I did some work on it today as well. I realized I have clothes that actually have been waiting to be washed for approximately one year. Yes, I said ONE year! Why? They are hand wash only and I could never bring myself to do it. I always had so many other things going on or by the time I got home from work, I simply did not have the motivation. That said, today I cleaned my one year old dirty clothes. They had been sitting in a laundry basket for all that time. From now on, I will avoid hand wash only clothing. It's just not very easy-maintenance friendly.

More ambitious projects are lined up for tomorrow: heading to the dry cleaner and tailors. I have buttons from coats that need to be sewn on. Now, that is not very thrifty but I will say this: one of them is pleather, I prefer not to mess with that when it comes to sewing on a button. The other coat I have attempted to sew the button on once before and it just fell off within a week or so. I think  it needs a heavy duty sewing, I'll leave this to the professionals.

With respect to the Sally project, I would like to get my clothing looking in order before we do an edit of it. The new skill to be learned? Hemming pants. My sister-in-law recently took a jab at me because this is the Alyssa method of hemming pants:

Hemming - Alyssa Style

SAFETY PINS! I know she is right but I lack the skills (not to mention the sewing machine), so safety pins it is! She did tell me about this glue-type stuff they sell at Walmart for this, I just can't bring myself to do my clothes though. I'm pretty certain, however, that I have an Aunt or Grandma that can teach me these skills. I need to get this taken care of before Sally discovers my safety pins!

There is a lot on the plate for tomorrow so I shall bid you all a farewell as I will need my energy for the day's work ahead of me.