Good Idea #37: Pintrest

Have you heard of Pinterest?  If you are into design, art, party planning or anything else that wants for inspiration; if you just like collecting images from the web; if you are a blogger; you need to be on Pinterest.  Pinterest allows you to collect all those items, inspirations and good ideas in one spot and categorize them to create your own inspiration boards.  It also allows you to check out what everyone else is pinning and repin their ideas to your own boards.  Every pin saves the link back to the source so you and others will know where all your inspiration came from.  Finally, if you're a blogger, Pinterest makes it really easy to share your pins with your blog readers.  Each pin has a code that you can embed right on your blog and allows your readers to link back to your pinterest account and see where your pins came from!

Check out my Pinterest here: http://pinterest.com/twoseekhome

happy pinning!

Good Idea #36: Alice's Bucket List

A while back I shared information about the Pink Polka Dots Guild, a group of young friends in Seattle out to raise money for brain tumor research in honor of their friend, Sydney who died from a brain tumor at the age of eleven.  Today I wanted to share another way that you can help kids (or anyone) fighting cancer.

Have you heard about Alice?  Maybe by now you have and if you haven't you probably would have heard about her soon even without my help.  Alice is a 15 year old girl in UK who has been fighting cancer for four years.  She is now terminally ill and has created a bucket list of things that she wishes to do during her remaining time.  Alice started a blog about her bucket list and her quest to complete the items earlier this week and within days has gained thousands of supporters from all corners of the world.

As I write, Alice's blog has over 10,000 followers and she has nearly 8,000 followers on twitter (she just joined last night).  Her sister, Milly, has raised over 24,000 pounds for Cancer Research UK through her Race for Life page.  Alice has been trending on twitter and is now drawing attention from the media. 

It's fascinating to read through the comments on Alice's blog posts.  Friends, relatives and total strangers offer her everything from moral support to suggestions on how to achieve her goals to money to help her complete them.  Readers offer free massages, haircuts and photos shoots (all items on Alice's list) as well as contacts to movie theaters.  Many readers comment that they have tweeted Cadbury World or contacted Alton Towers about her wishes to visit.  One friend wrote:

Hi Alice,

Can not manage swimming with sharks but I can organise feeding sharks!

Mind your fingers x

This weekend, Alice will get to cross one thing off her list after she goes to see (and apparently will meet) British pop group, Take That.  

The first item on Alice's wish list, however, is one that many of us can help her out with.  In Alice's words she wants "to make everyone sign up to be a bone marrow donor."  In the UK, Alice is supporting The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register.  Here in the US we can support Alice by signing up with The National Marrow Donor Program.  The process is simple.  If you are eligible to donate marrow, you simply sign up and are tested to determine your compatibility.  If at any time you are a possible match for a person needing a marrow transplant, you are contacted and further tested.  If you are the best match for that person you undergo a simple out-patient procedure that could save someone's life.  In Alice's words once again:

I'm excited about the things I am going to be doing, but the biggest thing has to be all the people who are joining bone marrow donation schemes because of me.  I read on someones post that it is really painful.  Well, mostly bone marrow is taken as cells via a needle and I have had it done.  I was 13 when I had my first transplant and because they used my own cells, I had to have them taken out (they call it harvested) and then stored and put back in some months later after more chemo.  I'm not just saying this, but it really didn't hurt at all.  I had a tiny bruise from the needles and that was about it.  I was a bit tired too but I'm always tired so that may not have been the cells.

So go ahead and check out Alice's blog.  If nothing else, it might make you feel a little warmth for this young girl and all the love that the world is giving her.  It might inspire you to knock a few things off your own bucket list.  Or it might inspire you to knock something off hers by joining a marrow registry.  Or it might just make you smile.

Links:

http://alicepyne.blogspot.com

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/millypyne1908/1

Follow Alice on Twitter:  Alice_Pyne

UK:  www.anthonynolan.org and www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/bonemarrow

US:  www.marrow.org

Good Idea #35: Salted Caramel Spread

I love that Design Sponge shared this deliciously easy recipe for Confiture Caramel au Beurre Salé (Salted Caramel Spread) from photographer and pastry chef Kathrin Koschitzki.  I can't wait to try it for myself and to start giving it out as gifts whenever the occasion is right.  So simple!

Click here for the full d*s post and recipe!

Good Idea #34: Grilled Peaches

If you've never grilled a peach before, you have to try it.  Grilled peaches are just the simplest and most delicious summer treat.  The process is as easy as you could hope.  Just halve your peaches, remove the pit and throw them on a warm grill or grill pan.  It's best to choose peaches that are nice and firm because they will become softer as they warm.  If they start to get too soft on one side just flip them over for a bit so that they cook through on the other side.  This time I tried brushing them with a little olive oil and sprinkling them with some black pepper.  I'm curious to try other spices in the future.  Maybe some ground basil or thyme or a little cayenne pepper.  A different spice on every peach!  Grilled peaches make for a great appetizer, side dish or dessert.  The possibilities are endless!

Good Idea #33: Barn Weddings

Last night we had the pleasure of attending the wedding of our good friend Misha to her partner Tracey.  They were lucky to have beautiful weather for Oregon in mid-May and the ceremony was outdoors among the trees between two lovely old barns.  The ceremony was held inside one of the barns which was lit up by candles, strings of lights and warmed by a wood-burning stove.  Husband and I have a softspot in our hearts for barn weddings because we had one, too.  Ours was in New Hampshire in September, 2009 in sunny but slightly cooler weather.  The ceremony was outdoors overlooking a lake and the reception was held in a lovely old barn on the grounds of a historical Shaker village.

I think a barn is one of the easiest way to have a simple, tasteful, and beautiful wedding.  It doesn't detract from the fancy atmosphere that you want a wedding to have and it provides a warm and lovely setting for both ceremony and reception.  Most importantly, a barn provides interest in itself and requires very little decoration.  A few strings of lights, some candles, or some paper lanterns are all you need.  I wanted to share some photos of both our wedding and the wedding we attended last night.  Congratulations to Misha & Tracey!

Click Here to see all the photos!

Good Idea #32: Mini Photobooks for Under $3

Nate Berkus never fails me, but this time he managed to omit a key piece of information.  When he suggested on The Nate Show yesterday morning that these mini photo books from MyPublisher would be a great mother's day gift, he neglected to mention that they are only $2.49!  Not only that but because these are a new product for a limited time they have free shipping included and new customers you get a second copy of their book for free!  These books would not only make a great mother's day gift, but at that price they would also make great party favors, wedding favors, and so on.  If these had been around (and I had known about them) when I got married I would have made little books for each member of the wedding party with pictures of my husband and I with each of them.  Wouldn't that have been a great gift?  I definitely plan on keeping this little product in my bag of tricks for future gifting needs.  Such a good idea!

Good Idea #31: Clean and Freshen

Last time I vacuumed I made a few little mistakes.  First, I vacuumed over an area in the kitchen that was wet.  Then, I vacuumed up some dirty kitty litter that had spread out of the litter box.  Then I left the wet sticky mess sit in the vacuum canister for over a week.  Today I broke out the vacuum again, and as I really should have expected, the air filtering out of the vacuum reeked of week-old litter box.  Gross.  But, I've actually been meaning to clean our vacuum, so this was the perfect motivation. 

We leave our vacuum out most of the time, partially as a reminder to use it and partially because of limited storage.  So when the vacuum becomes covered in dust, it doesn't look so great in the middle of our living room.  I did the obvious, wiped down the whole outside of the vacuum and all the attachments, then I tackled the filter canister.  First of all there was cat litter and dust caked in the bottom... let that situation sink in... so I gave that all a good wash.  For the filter, I used another hand-held vacuum to suck out as much dust as I could from between the folds and then wiped it all down with a damp paper towel.  This is when I had a completely spontaneous but brilliant idea.  I pulled out my trusty bottle of Febreeze fabric freshener and doused the whole filter in the stuff.  I'll have to let the whole thing dry out before I give it a try, of course, but I'm anticipating that the next time I vacuum the whole apartment will have a very lovely smell of Febreeze rather than of stinky cat litter.

Good Idea #30: Real Simple Couponing

As I've mentioned, husband and I are saving up to buy a house in the very near future.  One of the ways we're saving is by taking some time out to clip coupons for our everyday shopping.  If you use coupons, however, you may be able to sympathize with how frustrating I find it.  How do you walk through the grocery store, push the cart, juggle all those little scraps of paper, keep track of your shopping list and have any idea whether you're actually getting a good deal on something all at the same time.  Here are a couple of tips that work for me:

The first is a little on the OCD side, but it is really helpful for me.  You know when stores put things on terrible sales just to trick you into buying them?  Or they raise the price then put the item on sale for the same price it was last week?  Or when you buy a certain brand just because you have a coupon for it and it turns out another brand would still have been cheaper?  I have a really bad memory for numbers and I can never remember what I paid for tomatoes last time I bought them so I keep track of the prices I pay for the items I buy on a regular basis.  After each time I go shopping I come home and record how much I spent on cereal, soup, vegetables, pasta sauce, etc in a simple excel spreadsheet.  I also record where I bought it, what brand it was, whether it was on sale and whether I used a coupon.  I take this list with me when I go shopping and if I'm wondering if that sale on bagels is really any good I can look back at what I've spent on them in the past.  Maybe I will realize that $.10 off really isn't all that special or that bagels are that price at another store even when they're not on sale and I'll wait until another week to buy them.  Or I might realize that this is the best price I've ever found bagels for so I might buy several bags and put them in the freezer to save for the future.  Taking a few extra minutes to do this each time I go shopping has definitely saved us a good handful of change and relieves a lot of shopping anxiety for me.

Speaking of shopping anxiety, how are you supposed to keep track of all those coupons?  And even if you know what coupons you have, how do you juggle them with your shopping list and the calculator you're using to check the unit price of everything you buy (OCD, I know)?  Then you put your coupons down in the cart and they slip right through the slots and end up all over the grocery store floor.  Sometimes I think I will pay the money I'm saving with coupons just to not have to deal with this mess.  Then I found this little item:

This coupon wallet (I have the green one) from Real Simple is a brilliant little lifesaver.  It is cute and well-made and small enough to keep in your purse or in the glove box in the car.  It has file pockets for your coupons with changeable labels and it has pockets for your lists or store loyalty cards and even a place for your pen.  Best of all, the strap folds back and it will attach right to your cart - so no more juggling!  One tip:  don't try to attach it to the handle of the shopping cart like the picture on the tag indicates, it doesn't work.  However, it attaches beautifully to the child seat.  Brilliant!

Happy Shopping!

Good Idea #29: Color Inspiration

This Friday Joi over at Nuestra Vida Dulce shared with her readers the color paradise that is design seeds.  You may know that husband and I are looking to buy a house in the (we hope) near future.  So there may be a lot of painting and decorating for us in upcoming months.  When that day comes, I'll be returning to design seeds for some serious inspiration!

Visit:
www.design-seeds.com
www.daveandjoi.blogspot.com
www.twoseekhome.blogspot.com

Good Idea #28: Preserving Vegetables and Herbs

I was planning on doing a little spring cleaning today, beginning with my kitchen, but I am easily distracted.  I don't know if I opened my refrigerator or if I was thinking about what to make for dinner tonight but somehow it occurred to me that there were several things in there that were most likely not going to make it until we get to eating them.  So instead of cleaning I spent the afternoon making sure I don't have a whole bunch of food going to waste.  Here's what I did:

Asparagus:   Asparagus is an easy one.  It can be frozen if you really want to hang on to it for a while - do it the same way I freeze celery (keep reading) - but I have never had asparagus go bad on me.  The trick is to remember that asparagus is a flower.  It's simple, trim the ends (just a little - you don't need to trim off as much as you will before eating), put it in a glass with a little water in the bottom and keep it in the fridge.  If you're keeping it for a while, changing the water now and then doesn't hurt and it will last for weeks.  I promise.

Cilantro:  You know how cilantro comes in those giant bundles even though it is such a potent spice?  I never have enough uses for it before it wilts.  I got a curious about whether I could freeze it for later use and started doing some research.  First, I discovered that storing cilantro in water, the same way as with the asparagus above helps extend its life in the refrigerator.  So I did that with the small portion I might envision using in the near future, but what about the rest?  The general consensus seems to be that cilantro is the most difficult herb to freeze because it wilts, turns black, and most importantly loses all of its flavor after a relatively short time in the freezer.  However, apparently it can be done so I gave it a shot.  I combined a few different suggestions and started out by blanching the leaves, then separating them and letting them dry on paper towels.  I froze the leaves in small batches spread out on plates so that they didn't all stick together (this only takes about ten minutes or so for each batch).  Then I put all the leaves together, wrapped them in a damp paper towel and stored them in a freezer bag with as much of the air squeezed out (carefully) as possible.  Frozen cilantro won't work for garnish, and maybe not even for my favorite fresh pico de gallo (keep reading), but with a little luck it will be good in a cooked dish.  Any recipe suggestions out there?

Celery:  I always buy celery because it's an inexpensive snack but it just ends up sitting in the fridge waiting to be cut up.  I went to do just that today, only to discover that the celery was all floppy.  In doing a bit of research, I discovered that celery, too, can be stored standing in water, just like asparagus and cilantro (as can other leafy herbs, such as basil).  I also found rave reviews for wrapping celery stalks in tin foil for extending life.  However, now that my celery has already expired, what to do?  Similarly to the cilantro, I cut the celery into pieces that would fit into freezer bags and blanched them.  I did the leaves, too, since I can use those in making broth for soups.  I dried the pieces on paper towels and froze them spread out on plates for just about 15 minutes or so.  Then I packed them up in freezer bags and stowed them away.  They won't make good snacks, but these will be great for any kind of cooking for several months.

A word about blanching:  I had never done this before, but it is incredibly simple.  Blanching is simply cooking something in boiling water for a short period of time and then placing it immediately in cold water for an equally short period of time.  Use a mesh strainer or similar contraption to transfer easily from hot to cold.  This kills bacteria in the food and in the case of freezing vegetable and herbs, helps preserve color.  It seems that the time for blanching is determined by the consistency of the item.  For something fragile and leafy, place in hot water for one minute and then cold for one minute.  For something sturdy like asparagus, do three minutes in each.  For celery (right in between) do two minutes in each.  It's that easy.

Peppers and Tomatoes:  I could have frozen the peppers and tomatoes I had lying around, too.  Tomatoes can simply be thrown in freezer bags whole, halved, or quarters and put in the freezer.  Peppers can be seeded, sliced, blanched and frozen the same way as above.

However, I decided to use some of that cilantro and make a big batch of pico de gallo to freeze instead.  This is almost easier then blanching vegetables.  Just throw together whatever tomatoes, peppers, and onions you happen to have lying around.  If I'm going out of my way I might pick up some nice looking heirloom tomatoes for taste and looks, but tonight I just had a few regular old vine tomatoes and it's really not much different.  I find that three small tomatoes, one large pepper and about half of a smallish onion is a pretty good ratio for a small batch, but alter it to what you have an what you like best. Just chop everything up then add cilantro to taste.  I like to add a little fresh garlic if I have it, or some garlic powder; it gives it a little something extra.  And that's all there is to it.  I'll be freezing the pico de gallo in freezer bags instead of in a storage container to try to keep as much air out of it as possible.  We'll see how it tastes in a few weeks!

For more info on freezing veggies and herbs check out these links:

Kalyn's Kitchen's posts on Freezing Fresh Herbs

This Summary of How to Freeze Vegetables

The National Center for Home Food Preservation's guide to freezing food

Good Idea #27: Appalachian Adventure

A good old friend of mine has just set out on a six-month hike up the Appalachian Trail.  Grace and a friend left Athens, Georgia on Saturday and will end up in Katahdin, Maine in mid-October.  The pair will be using the time to channel their creativity and find inspiration for art, photography and writing.  The journey is inspirational and I envy the months that they will spend in the great outdoors.  Follow Grace and John's fascinating journey at:  www.awayfromtheclank.blogspot.com

To learn more about the Appalachian Trail: Click Here

Update: Eco-vacation in the Virgin Islands

Hi folks!  We're back from vacation and back to life.  I thought you'd like to check out a few pictures from our stay at Maho Bay Camps on St. John, USVI.  I would recommend Maho to anyone looking for a serene, simple vacation and who is concerned about the impact that big resorts have on the environment.  Maho does its best to conserve resources, recycles glass and paper through craft projects (recycling services are not available on the island) and uses elevated walkways and structures to reduce its impact on the surrounding landscape.  The attitude is laid back and focused on the outdoors and a simple way of life.  This is not a resort for the spring-breaker looking for a week of partying but is perfect for families and anyone else looking to avoid that type of experience.  In short it was a wonderful week of hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, swimming and true relaxation.

Click below to check out more beautiful pictures of our trip to St John!

Good Idea #26: Eco-vacation in the Virgin Islands

I'll be taking a hiatus from blogging for the next couple weeks, but I wanted to share a little bit about where I'm going!  I'm not just excited to got to the Virgin Islands for the first time and spend a week on the beach during away from the rainy Portland spring, but I'm also excited that the resort we'll be visiting is entirely environment friendly.  I'll share pictures of our trip when we return, but for now check out more about the resort at www.maho.org.

Good Idea #25: Happy Birthday Birthday Cake

Today is my Birthday!  How fitting that Apartment Therapy just featured this awesome birthday cake mold today from Generate.  Such a good idea.  The only thing that would have been better is if I could have gotten it in time to make myself a cake for today!  Here's what I did instead:

Husband and I began the morning early with breakfast at Black Sheep Bakery, a local (mostly) vegan bakery that is just a couple blocks from our apartment.  I was planning on trying the vegan biscuits and gravy (the gravy is vegan, too) but they were out of gravy.  So we went ahead and got some very non-vegan egg, cheese and bacon on our vegan biscuits.  All parts, vegan and non-vegan, were a delicious and filling beginning to the morning.

Husband headed off to work for the day and after washing down my breakfast with some coffee and delicious chocolate-covered macaroons (a birthday gift from husband) I got a rare chance to chat with my very busy east-coast best friend, Marcie.  It is always wonderful to hear from her!  Her lovely little daughter's birthday is today, too, so I know I will always have a chance to chat with them on March 10th!

I also got to talk to my whole family today.  My sister, Nana and parents all called to say hello and wish me a good day.  I got to do a little writing, too, before Husband came home to make me a birthday dinner.  After dinner I made myself a batch of cupcakes.  Yum.  And finally I got to take a little time to sit down and share my day with you.  Happy Birthday to me!

Good Idea #24: Getting Rid of Fungus Gnats

Hi my name is Caroline and I have fungus gnats.  Gross.  But actually not all that gross.  If you have houseplants you may be familiar with this pesky little problem.  Fungus gnats are little flies, similar to fruit flies, that live in the moist soil of house plants.  They are completely harmless but are annoying and can quickly get out of control if you don't take action (note:  by "out of control" I really just mean "very annoying and difficult to get rid of").  Today however, I came across some very timely help for getting rid of fungus gnats.  Let me begin by telling you the story of this very sad little lemon balm plant:

I've had trouble with fungus gnats in the past and have often resorted to throwing out entire plants to get rid of them (sad story, I know).  This time, however, I am determined to save my little plant.

Lemon balm is supposed to be an extremely easy herb to grow.  It grows quickly and can be invasive if planted in a garden but on it's own it thrives.  Recently, my lemon balm started to deteriorate and I discovered that it had been growing so well that it had outgrown its little pot.  So I re-potted it in this nice big terracotta pot, but now I have a new problem.  The number one way to get rid of or prevent fungus gnats is to let the soil dry fully between waterings.  But this pot is so big and the terracotta hold so much water that I can't seem to get the soil to dry completely before the plant starts getting very thirsty.  Now I have fungus gnats AND my plant is dying. 

I was just noticing a few little gnats flying around my apartment when I sat down at my computer to scan through a few of my favorite blogs.  Almost immediately I came across a post by Ashli from Maillardville Manor on getting rid of fungus gnats!  Ashli suggest a few things that I already knew about like drying soil thoroughly and using those little yellow sticky fly catchers, but she also gave me two new tips.

I will now by adding potatoes and sand to my fungus-gnat-fighting artillery.  Apparently, if you cover the top of your soil with fast drying sand the gnats will think your soil is dry and won't lay eggs there.  Also, the larvae are apparently attracted to potatoes, so placing a fresh potato wedge on top of the soil each day will allow you to easily throw away many of the little guys before they become annoying adults.

I will be trying both of these tactics and I hope they will help other plant owners out there, too.  Check out all of Ashli's tips at her original post by CLICKING HERE.

Now I'm off to meet with a real estate agent for the first time about possibly buying our first house!  Have you been following all of those new developments?  Check it out at: www.twoseekhome.blogspot.com!

Sweet Home 3D Update

I've been working on finishing up my apartment in Sweet Home 3D and wanted to share the results.  Now that I'm done, if I want to rearrange my apartment all I have to do is move furniture around in the program and see how it looks.  Here are the photos of my finished product as my apartment is now:

Read my original post on Sweet Home 3D or visit www.sweethome3d.com to learn more about it and download the program for free!

Good Idea #23: Sweet Home 3D

This week design sponge contributor Kate Pruitt shared her Top 5 Apps for Design Lovers on My Life Scoop.  One of the five is a free, downloadable room design program called Sweet Home 3D.  This program is so much fun and, once you get the hang of it, very easy to use (I recommend watching the video tutorial first).  You can start from scratch or upload a floor plan of your house or room as a guide.  I found a floor plans for my apartment building on a rental website.  It was a slightly different model apartment, but I only had to measure a few walls to make the corrections.  You can change the wall and floor color, add doors and windows and then start adding furniture.  The furniture database is pretty complete, and you can manipulate the dimensions and color of pieces to match your own.  This is my apartment so far:



It's a bit time consuming to get all the furniture right (I've been at this for a couple hours now and this is as far as I've gotten).  But once you get all the furniture in there you can start having fun.  Has there ever been any easier way to rearrange your furniture?  You could try endless configurations and even move things from one room to another with no sweat.  This will be great for figuring out how furniture will fit into a new place, too!

Speaking of which, did you know that you can find out more about my current place and my hopes to move at my newest blogging endeavor?  Click here!

Good Idea #22: Best Potatoes Ever

Here's another irresistible and incredibly easy dinner idea.   These are the best baked mashed potatoes I have ever had, let alone made myself.  The trick is loading up on the bad stuff.  The recipe actually called for whipped cream (as in, real cream that has been whipped, not sugary stuff from a can).  I didn't have any cream so I used almost an entire small tub of sour cream and it worked great.  Then add in a ton of Parmesan cheese.  For the amount above (about 6 good sized potatoes) I used about 3/4 cup.  Of course a little butter, salt and pepper to taste is always welcome.  The cheese and cream make the potatoes amazingly light and fluffy.  Then you just butter a dish and coat it with bread crumbs, plop the mashed potatoes in and stick them in the oven until they brown up on top.  I would have browned these longer, but I misjudged how long it would take and started the rest of my meal too soon.  Next time I'll make sure they have at least a good 30 minutes on about 400 degrees to get good and crispy.  Paired with a grilled steak (my cast-iron grill pan is a good idea in itself) and some steamed asparagus this meal was about as delicious as they come.

A note for budget-conscious carnivores:  we save money around here by splitting one fat steak and loading up on delicious and more reasonably priced potatoes.  Eat your steak and keep your money, too.  Yum.

 

Good Idea #21: Love of My Life

One of my favorite bloggers, Jen, got a pretty awesome Valentine's gift from her husband Kev.  He set up a website where people from all over the world can share their love.  Participants simply print out the Love of My Life flyer, take a picture of it wherever they want, upload it to the site and dedicate it to a loved one.  In just a few weeks there have been posts from all over the world.

So get in the Valentine's spirit and dedicate a flyer to a loved one.  Head over to withoutyouitsjustnot.us to see all the posts and to share the love!

Good Idea #20: Two Free Projects

We're getting to the point in our lives when we're thinking about buying a house.  The lease on our apartment is up in a few months so in hopes that we might not have to renew we're saving like crazy.  This means we're working on a zero dollar decorating budget.  Here are two quick updates that I did this week without spending a dime:

I am always up for some good shelving.  Unfortunately floating shelves haven't ended up being a priority in our decorating budget.  I decided, money or not, I really wanted a shelf above the little desk that we have in our bedroom.  So I made one out of a cardboard box.  I had a really sturdy shoebox lying around, so I simply cut the end off the cover, angled the corners and covered it with my favorite sturdy wrapping paper from Ikea.  Covering the corners was a little tricky and took some patience, but it's hung pretty high up so you can't see the imperfections.  Of course a cardboard shelf doesn't do much for our book collection, but it makes a perfect little decorative display for some photo mats and a little mahogany buffalo.

I think it adds a little height and interest to the wall over the desk.

We've also had this big blank wall in our apartment for the two and a half years that we've lived in this apartment:

This September we bought two large photographs of Zion National Park for ourselves for our first wedding anniversary.  They came mounted on museum board but not framed.  For the last five months they've been sitting in our bedroom just waiting for a mischievous cat to take a good swipe at them.  Needless to say we've been getting pretty anxious to get them up on the wall, but with no budget for custom framing I had to resort to other methods.  There was no way I was going to ruin the photos or museum board with double stick tape or by sticking tacks through it, so I ended up simply tacking the top and bottom of the pictures with nails:

It ended up working really well and is a great temporary way to get the photos off the floor and fill that empty wall at the same time.

Little things like this freshen up and add new life to a living space and of course save money for bigger and better things! 

And... Click here for four more quick and easy project ideas on ApartmentTherapy.com.