Apartment Remodel on the Cheap: Artist's Studio

My home DIY project (for the last four months; I'm a slow worker) has been to fix up the "useless" space under the stairs in my loft.  

I had an AHA moment when the roommate mentioned that he wished he still had his own desk to do his art on - why not make it a creative studio space? Roommate has a place to work, I don't have to share my coffee table with art supplies, the cat doesn't eat acrylic paints and die, everyone's happy. (I jest: we are very careful not to let anything ingest the poisonous paints). 

I'm posting because I always get discouraged when I read remodel posts and think, "oh, I can't do that, I live in an apartment, not a house" or "man, I wish I had $1000 to gussy up my apartment with, too." This is pretty simplistic stuff, but I think it might be helpful for someone else looking to spruce up a smaller space. 

The challenge has been getting as much use out of the space as possible, because it's so tiny; it's perhaps five feet deep and I can barely touch both side walls with my arms outstretched... not a scientific measurement, I know, but my measuring tape has gone missing.

Personal goal: do it on the super cheap, too, because spending money sucks.

I am soooo close to being done now; mostly I just need to straighten up and get some trash tossed, but the foundation of the space is there. 

Here is the part ready to show:

Cabinet cost: free! Snagged it from some acquaintances who moved recently, and I had screws for mounting already in my tool box. A little tightening on the loose handles, a good wipe-down to get the grime off, and it's pretty much ready. If I hadn't found it this way, I probably would have used freecycle or Craigslist. Someone is always moving and unloading shelving. 

[Protips: Hell, if you can't find anything online, just go cruise a neighborhood Saturday anytime after about 4pm when the garage sales close and grab stuff off the front curbs. Also good: apartment complexes near college campuses in May, August, and December when a lot of students are moving. They'll leave stuff by the dumpsters so they don't have to cart it home or take it all the way to Goodwill. I have in my time scored a vintage orange-leather chair and floor lamp that way, and a small patio table, and a milk create full of old books, and a rolling table I use as my mail center, AND a nice dark-wood bookshelf in mint condition. Bottom line: people are lazy; use this to your advantage. 

I draw the line at entering the dumpsters, because they tend to be full of trash and bugs, but anything outside is fair game if it's in decent condition. If someone left it next to the dumpster, chances are they recognized it was too nice to just throw away.]

The close-up tour:

Shelf for sharpeners, and samples of spray paint and paint markers. 

Cost: Free - I sent a sample request from the Liquitex website, and the sharpeners have been floating around the apartment for ages. 

(If anyone knows of any other free art sample spots, please do let me know)

The pull-out drawers are full of artsy pens, markers, and pencils. 

Cost: $20/month for an ArtSnacks subscription, grand total of $80 so far (more on ArtSnacks in a future post). I've been collecting the art supplies they send for about 4 months, so the roommate has something to art with. This is basically the only cost I've accrued on this remodel, so I'm not too concerned. The beauty of ArtSnacks is that I get cool art stuff to add to the stash without having to go buy entire marker sets or research art supplies at length.

 If you wanted to do this for less, I would recommend Craigslist, freecycle, and Goodwill. Also it can never hurt to contact art supply companies and ask for samples. 

Outer view of the fold-out drawers. I love these things!

Mini-moleskeins and some sort of fancy eraser, also through ArtSnacks. 

Top shelving! Will house things like the acrylic paints I don't want the cat getting into. 

Top of cabinet, with bonus stack of canvases I picked up at Michael's. 

Cost: $20/6 canvases. I love Michael's, and this was a glorious meeting of 1) waiting for a big sale and 2) downloading the iPhone app so I could use one of the attached coupons. Seriously, Michael's are almost always offering coupons (paper and electronic) and having sales; it really pays to wait until you can get something cheaper. 

Total cost for the remodel so far: $100 even, and that's really the bulk of the cost - I think everything else I have gathered was free. 

More to come on Unveiling Day...

Scenes from the Texas Legistlature

Just going over some photos from the prochoice rally (well, one of several) at the Texas Capitol while SB2 (previously HB1, previously SB5) was up for debate and testimony. 

It makes me so happy to see the number of people who will come out to support reproductive freedom, and stand for those who couldn't get the time off work or couldn't drive all the way across the state to make it. 

Perry signed the bill this morning, but there's no way it will hold against the first legal challenge brought to it. *sigh* This great big waste of taxpayer time and money brought to you by the Texas Republicans. 

(Please, let us not even get started on "tampongate" or the myriad other ways the Republican party is making Texas look like a group of backwater fools.)

View from the Texas Capitol Last Week - SB5

I was privileged to be at the Texas Capitol last week, out in support of the Texas Democrats, and against the restrictions on reproductive health care that the Republicans sought to pass. 

With a new special session coming up, it seems like a good time to lay some of the rumors going around to rest:

1. This was not an "unruly mob" - hundreds of people waited quietly in the gallery or in line between Sunday and Wednesday. We only got loud late on Tuesday when it became clear that the Republicans in the Senate were not going to abide by morality or the law. Did you know that at least one of the "strikes" they upheld to get Wendy Davis to stop filibustering was not, in fact, in line with the law?

2. The crowd was, as far as I could tell, mostly Texans. The prochoice movement in Texas is not as small as the people saying "we'll the crowd was bussed in from other cities" want you to think. 

3. This is not a prochoice/anti choice debate. SB5 would not outlaw abortion, as roe v. wade is still the law in the United States. Rather, the new bill would have closed all but 5 abortion providers in the state, causing huge segments of the population to be most likely unable to access their legal right to an abortion (getting an abortion takes multiple visits to the provider, and Texas is huge. Some women would lose up to four days of work, and in this economy that's unacceptable). SB5 would also outlaw abortions after 20 weeks. 

4. The Republicans falsified records to show that they had voted before the special session ended. This is not only morally reprehensible, it's illegal. 

Here's the scene shortly after midnight last Tuesday. I w proud to stand in defense of women's rights, and I can only hope we've gained some new activists who will stand with us as the new-new special session begins this afternoon. 

Memorial Day Weekend

  

The best decision I've ever made for a vacation: I split a cottage rental with two friends, and it was lovely! We got breakfast certificates for local restaurants (bacon waffles. Bacon. Waffles.), we made a fire, we spent far too much time in the hot tub (we set up a Super Nintendo). The best part is that bringing friends brings the cost down. 

And the cottage was adorable. I mean, look at this: 

Shopping adventures

I cannot stop looking at the baby cartoon on this packaging. It's terrifying! (Or do you think I'm overreacting?)

ClassClown Pictures is making a movie - GIVEAWAY!

Whoa, have I got a giveaway for you, dear readers! How often do you get the chance to win free swag AND get producer credits in a feature film?

The Company
Class Clown Pictures is an Austin-local, independent production company that wants to make funny movies for everyone to enjoy:

Our projects are written to engage the audience with intelligent, entertaining stories that do not rely on the usual short-cuts of extreme or gratuitous violence, sex or toilet humor. We will not substitute quality with “shock value” or “cheap thrills...” though we do appreciate the poetry of a well-timed belch.

Class Clown Pictures is drawing on a great pool of talent, and they have a fantastic array of movies lined up that they want to create. I've been privileged to help edit most of these scripts, and I can attest to the fact that they're funny and family-friendly without relying on gross-out humor.

The Movie
The film that Class Clown Pictures is currently working to fund is Code Enforcers, a comedy about the "joys" of housing authorities and the people who enforce their rules. If you've ever had to deal with an HOA I think you'll relate, but if you haven't Class Clown has plenty of links for you to . . . enjoy. For example: 10 Things a Homeowner's Association Won't Tell You. How can you possibly turn the ruthless rule of an HOA into a comedy? Well:

Dave Petty was never able to make it as a super cop like his forefathers, instead he spends his days - with his conspiracy-theory-loving partner Sue - enforcing the codes in Lakefield Hills, a snooty gated community in the Texas Hill Country. They make sure that trash receptacles are brought in from the curb on time, and grass does not grow past three and one quarter inches in height.  

Dave's only hope: every year the Governor holds a competition, with the best-of-the-best Texas law enforcement officers being hand-picked to enroll at the legendary Texas Rangers Academy... (read more)

The Giveaway 
Because Class Clown is funding this movie through the help of (future) viewers like you, this giveaway is focused strongly on helping them raise money and awareness. Which leads us to...

The Prizes!
This giveaway gives you so many chances to win something neat!

1. If you just want to help raise awareness, you can friend Class Clown Pictures, Like the Code Enforcer Facebook page, and tweet about the giveaway to be entered to win one of two Class Clown mugs. 
   
2. If you contribute any amount to Code Enforcer, you get extra entries!
3. If you contribute $40 or more, you get extra entries AND one of the bonuses from the Class Clown donations page! ($40: Class Clown Bumper sticker; $45-100: Class Clown T-Shirt; everyone who donates over $50 gets a free copy of the DVD) 
   
4. If you interact with Code Enforcer on Facebook by sharing your homeowner or HOA horror stories, you can get a ton of extra entries AND two contributors will be chosen by Class Clown to each win a mug!
5. If you get a team together to contribute $101 or more, you get producer credits in the movie AND you are eligible to win one of the two mugs AND the team that raises the highest amount gets free t-shirts for everyone in their team! And this doesn't have to be a whole lot: if you're a team of five and you each contribute just over $20, you're in the running for these prizes.

I am personally going to contribute a box of my favorite tea to anyone who wins a mug, as a nifty little bonus :D

I know you're all very excited, so I will cut to the chase and let you loose on the Rafflecopter form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Week Left to Enter!

Remember, there's just one week left to enter my Where Monsters Go When You Grow Up giveaway:

The Giveaway
Greg is giving away two autographed copies of Where Monsters Go When You Grow Up to one of my readers! I just know you're going to love it, so I've included lots of options for you to earn entries! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and remember that you can tweet twice per day (there are two different sets of text) for bonus entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Aw, my vacation is over

But I did get introduced to some interesting, small-town architecture. Had you ever seen a Jesus in cowboy boots before?

I need a vacation from my SXSW vacation

Hours and hours of helping people promote themselves at SXSW later, I am so ready for a looong weekend.

Happy International Women's Day!

It's that time of year again!

Wait, what's that?

You hadn't heard that International Women's Day is coming up?

If you had, count yourself lucky - I just heard about it a few weeks ago. Which is sort of sad, considering how long the holiday has been around:

What a great idea, though - a day to celebrate the gains women have made, while recognizing that we still have a ways to go. There are some wonderful resources on the International Women's Day website: conversation-starter videos, a list of celebrations by country, and ways to join in through social media.

In high school, I remember once hearing a male classmate ask a friend "what did women ever invent...other than tampons? (hurr hurrr)." How nice it would have been to, instead of fuming silently, be able to direct him to a video like this:

 

Are you participating in some way for International Women's Day?

Awesome Things: #2 (Gelatin Flowers)

I was both honored and humbled to be able to attend one of the Las Comadres comadrazos this past weekend. These Las Comadres events bring professional Latina women from all over the country to meet, make connections, and bond.

One of my favorite parts (other than the panels) is the exhibitor tables that are set up all around the main conference floor room. There were so many hispanic- and woman- run businesses to see, and most of them were completely new to me.

I was completely surprised by the table for Gelatin Flowers. Gelatin Flowers is, well, exactly what it sounds like: This company makes adorable, edible flowers in convenient little containers. I never thought I'd use the words "delicate" and "gelatin" in the same sentence, but just look at what they can create with what is essentially jello:

Beautiful. I graduate with my Master's this May, and I've been trying to think of something cute and summery to give as a parting gift for my guests. These gelatin flowers seem kind of perfect for the occasion:

*Sigh* Okay, enough time staring at tasty treats - I have classwork to complete if I'm actually going to make it out of school!

Creepy Photography #1

I know I'm not the only one who's noticed that most fashion/advertising photography involving women tends to look like it was done by a latent serial killer. Heck, Ms. Magazine's No Comment section has been posting examples for years.

Lately, though, it seems like every time I open a magazine there's at least one gratuitous example of an ad that is either over-sexed, murder-y, or both. I've decided to start keeping track of them for my sanity's sake, because I've had people look at me like I'm delusional when I point it out.

Today's photo is from Lucky Magazine. Maybe I've been watching a little too much Criminal Intent, but this reminds me of a crime scene. You've got a faceless victim, laying on the floor, surrounded by debris:

Where Monsters Go When You Grow Up Giveaway (TWO WINNERS!)

As an (aspiring) English teacher, I recognize the importance of reading to a child's development. And not just reading alone - reading together with adults is not only a great way for the adults to model good reading skills, it's also a wonderful way for children and family to bond.

Enter Where Monsters Go When You Grow Up! This book, written and illustrated by a father of two from Austin, TX, is designed specifically for adults and children to read together.

The story centers on a little girl,

the monsters in her closet,

and Daddy, who always comes in to save the night ("because everybody knows monsters are afraid of parents!").

Where Monsters Go When You Grow Up is not only a loving look at a parent who addresses his child's fears in a kind and humorous way, it is also a story of life and growing up: What does happen to those monsters in the closet when a child stops believing in them? What happens to Daddy when his little girl doesn't need him to save her from the big, bad monsters anymore?

I'm not going to lie; I tear up just a little every time I read this book, and I don't even have children yet. But, as Reading Rainbow said, don't take my word for it - here are some of the reviews from amazon.com:

As long as kids continue to have imaginations, monsters will always be with us. But just because we might know they're creatures of the imagination, does not mean that we should ignore the fears of our children who "know" they're real. This book shares one father's very loving way of dealing with those "pesky" monsters, while at the same time validating his child's beliefs and fears.

My wife and I just finished reading this children's book and intend to read it to our little grandchildren. In a very tender and sensitive way, Mr. Dorchak has handled children's irrational but very real fears of "monsters in the closet." Through this wonderfully crafted story, we see a parent not ridicule his child's irrational fears, but lovingly meet the child at her own level of understanding and deliver her safely from "the monsters." For every parent with a child who fears those "monsters" in the dark, this book offers a solution because everybody knows monsters are afraid of parents.

Where Monsters Go is a really cool book. It's great to see a children's book that is done specifically for parents to read to and with their kids! This is a fun, touching story with really cute drawings. The words chosen and ideas presented encourage conversations between parents and their kids. I especially loved the fact that it allows the parent to be the hero in their child's world - that is priceless.

The Giveaway

Greg is giving away two autographed copies of Where Monsters Go When You Grow Up to one of my readers! I just know you're going to love it, so I've included lots of options for you to earn entries! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below, and remember that you can tweet twice per day (there are two different sets of text) for bonus entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Awesome Things: #1 (Stickygram)

I'll admit that I was kind of late to the Instagram party. When I first heard about Instagram, the joke was that the entire app was dominated by people snapping photos of their lunch and hipsters posting photos of . . . whatever it is that hipsters like to photograph, I suppose. It took me ages to realize that Instagram could be a lot of fun (particularly when taking a road trip out into the middle of nowhere and wanting to leave a trail of clues, just in case you disappeared mysteriously).

As much fun as Instagram is, though, I found myself just a little disappointed. I kept thinking that there must be something "more" I could do with my pics and their hip filtered looks. Enter Stickygram:

Stickygram connects with your Instagram account to let you upload your pics. From there, you can do something that I think is very cool:

StickyGram began as an experiment by Kejia Zhu and the team at Mint Digital to create physical objects from the web. Bringing Instagram into the real world turned out to be an idea that excited people. After much prototyping and coffee, the StickyGram service was born.

For a perfectly reasonable price, Stickygram will send you nine-packs of magnets (each is about the same size as the photo appears on your smartphone) featuring your favorite photos! This service fixed two problems for me - I got to do something tangible with my Instagram photos, and I finally have magnets on my fridge that aren't those freebies you get from food-delivery places in college. Not only does my fridge look snazzy now, but my friends have been pleasantly surprised to come over and see snapshots of the fun times we've had together!

Despite the fact that they're shipping from overseas (assuming you live in the U.S., at least), I didn't find the wait to be terrible. The package that arrived was definitely worth it!

Head and Shoulders to the Rescue!

So, I am absolutely loving the Influenster programs I've been selected for! My favorite so far has been the Head & Shoulders box, which arrived with full-sized shampoos just like these:

Now, I've had scalp problems for years. The last time (almost a decade ago) that I tried using Head & Shoulders, the shampoo didn't stop the flaking and the conditioner made my hair all greasy. Instead I went to the dermatologist, who recommended an expensive, medicated products... that didn't stop the flaking and made my hair all greasy.

Fast forward to 2012, and I receive the NEW Head & Shoulders "damage rescue"shampoo and conditioner to try. Figuring I've got nothing to lose, I give them a whirl... and I am completely impressed!

The Head & Shoulders Damage Rescue system was developed specifically to nurture scalp and dry/damaged hair with intensive care, leaving hair up to 10X Stronger in Just Four Washes. Because of the carefully balanced combination of ingredients in the formula, Damage Rescue delivers both, intensive hair and scalp care with the proven anti-dandruff efficacy of Head & Shoulders.

Gone is the weird smell I associated with Head & Shoulders, replaced by a rather pleasant fragrance. My hair looked shinier and nicer than it has in ages; I got a bunch of complements that afternoon and the next day! Most importantly, it works!

I've been able to toss away the medicated formula - which I never liked because it contains steroids and isn't covered by my insurance - and I can just use this set every couple of days. Head & Shoulders Damage Rescue gets two thumbs up from me!

For a Happy Face

I love, love, love getting free samples! I judge companies based on the presentation (please don't just send me a sample in a cheap envelope; that looks unprofessional) and the content (you know what's cool? Including a coupon) of the freebies they send out to their current/potential customers.

A packet of samples arrived from Mario Badescu today, and I have to say that they passed with flying colors! I had filled out the MB questionnaire - not even that long ago! - on my skin type and issues, and the company sent me a bunch of recommended products for my skin type. The set even came with a list of every item and detailed instructions for use.

At first glance, the samples seemed awfully tiny. I remember thinking, "how is there even enough here for me to try everything once??" Now that I've used them, though, I see that there's actually enough for me to try each sample for about a week! How cool is that?

Roommate S and I decided to do our skin care routine together tonight so we could sit around and sip wine in our face masks. Here is my Mario Badsecu routine:

The Enzyme Cleaning Gel, which was nice and light and made my skin feel very clean.

The Cucumber Cleansing Lotion, which didn't sting like I expect most astringents to.

Followed by a 20-minute wine break for the Drying Mask to set. The mask smelled really strange, but my skin looked amazing when I rinsed it off!

Finally, I wrapped up by applying the Hyaluronic Eye Cream, which I was pleased to note you need very little of for one application.

Result: I like these products! My skin feels great, and my only real complains is the smell of the Drying Mask. I can't wait to do the morning routine they recommend tomorrow!

Adventures in Clean

I've been watching the London Olympics with the roommates all evening while I work, and we just saw an intriguing commercial for a new Disney movie called The Odd Life of Timothy Green. The movie, about a mother who takes off on "the ultimate adventure in clean," looks very cute, and Jennifer Garner (who I love) plays the mom!

The commercial reminded me about the Frigidaire campaign currently in progress, to help promote the movie - and help out Save the Children! If you visit the Frigidaire Facebook page you can learn more about how the Frigidaire Affinity front-load washer can help you spend more time with your family than in the laundry room, how to remove common summertime stains, and how to give a free $1 donation to Save the Children. 

Plus, the Adventures in Clean app lets you turn your own uploaded photo into a personalized movie posted, which I think is really cool. As a bonus, all participants are entered to win a new Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer set!

I don't have kids, but even I would be pleased to upgrade our washer so I can spend mess time messing with it and more time enjoying the company of my roommates.

Frigidaire has the following information on their page:

Parents know that some of life's greatest moments start in the dirt. Fortunately, the new Frigidaire Affinity^© Front Load Washer delivers a better clean, so you can get the most out of life with your kids … and then get it out of their clothes.
Show us your favorite memory in the dirt to enter for a chance to win a signed movie poster of “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” and a new laundry pair¹, every time you do Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children's US programs.

A Very Fancy Morning

Look at the cute little package that came in today!

Fancy Feast was running a promotion on their Facebook page a few weeks ago, and the freebie just came in this morning. One the one hand, it's a neat idea: a breakfast-themed snack for the cat, and a package of instant coffee for the human. On the other...well, it's a small step from being a crazy cat lady gift. I don't really know where I come down on this one, but the box is a great stroke of marketing, and I'm sure the coffee will come in handy when school starts next month!

50 Shades of Aaargh

I try so very hard not to judge a book without at least attempting to read it - which is why I've never trash-talked Twilight, although I will happily mock the movies I have seen, and this kind of bit me in the behind with 50 Shades of Grey. 

I'd been hearing a lot about it, from both ends of the spectrum: people (hilariously) trashing the novel online, and people declaring it the best piece of erotic fiction ever. Although I had an instinctive dislike of 50 Shades of Grey, I reserved judgment...until I saw a librarian writing about how nice it was that any book was getting his teenagers to spend more time reading. 

At that point, I couldn't resist the urge to examine 50 Shades more closely, so I ponied up for an ereader copy. The housemates fortunately joined me in what turned out to be an incredibly painful experience, and we spent the next five nights taking turns reading out loud and doing voices for all the characters.

Result: I have many, many problems with 50 Shades of Grey. The most superficial complaint is that the writing is shoddy. This book could have benefited greatly from a few good editors, particularly ones willing to point out that no one cares very much about the main character's "inner goddess." 

My other complains are much more bothersome, at least to me personally:

1. The relationship between Anastasia and Christian Grey is borderline abusive, yet never really identified as such.
2. People who choose to practice BDSM, either as a lifestyle or just in the bedroom, are portrayed as suffering from deep-seated personal issues.
3. I'm completely certain this writer has never, ever, done any of the sexual things mentioned in the book. There just isn't very much "erotic" in this fiction.

Of course, I feel that I should also give some space to people who don't hate the book quite as much as I do (which still making great points), such as the Bitch Magazine article Thinking Kink: Safewords:

Whatever else 50 Shades of Grey may have got wrong—and I know many of you feel that it got A LOT wrong!—the book does at least acknowledge the existence of safewords. Unlike other media representations of kink that I've already discussed here, 50 Shades reminds readers that in BDSM, “the Dominant may make demands of the Submissive that cannot be met without...harm” and therefore “the Submissive may make use of a Safeword.” The infamous contract that Christian Grey presents to Anastasia Steele also helpfully details the difference between "yellow" and "red" as safewords (the former tells the dominant the sub is close to their limits, the latter is a call for the dom to stop everything 

Upcoming Giveaway from Tropical Traditions!

I am so excited - I received a nice package from Tropical Traditions the other day! It contained a jar of cocoanut oil for myself and the roommates to experiment with, and a letter informing me that I've been approved to run a giveaway so another reader can try it out, too.

I am of course going to use the oil myself, so I can review it when I host the giveaway, but I'm completely jazzed to be able to put up my first giveaway soon :)

Two of my friends (Gamer and The Cowboy) have told me cocoanut oil is great for popping popcorn. Considering that we're about to introduce one of the roomies to the Indiana Jones series, I'll have an occasion to try that out very soon...