Lighter Hair and Whiter Whites--a few ways to use the sun this summer

Blonder hair, bronzer skin, and whiter whites?  

Many of us have been incorporating the sun into our beauty regime since we were in Jr. High--lemon juice on our hair to make it blonde while we baked for hours to achieve the perfect bronze.  But did you know that you can use the sun to clean your clothes? And standing in the sun for 15 minutes is more effective than taking vitamin D supplements?  Did you know you can elevate your mood AND make your white's whiter simply by taking a step into the sun?  As temperatures creep into the triple digits this week and you're stuck inside, sipping cold iced tea and working on your blog/inside-project-of-choice, why not let the sun do a little of the extra work for you?




1. Brighten your Whites.

my sun tea

The sun emits ultraviolet rays which have the ability to break down organic stains on fabric (note, the sun will not be effective on inorganic stains such as paint, ink, some food stains etc).    The sun does this by breaking apart the molecular structure on a stain, which, in turn, changes the way light is reflected on the fabric (Heida).   Be careful when putting your colors in the sun as well--it'll bleach those too.

2. Disinfect and Freshen your linens 
In addition to bleaching your fabrics, the sun's ultra violet rays can also disinfect and freshen your linens.  That's right, put your stinky, musty, and mildewed items in the sun and let 'em bake.

3. Make sun tea.
So, I grew up drinking this stuff and have never become ill from sun tea.  Apparently, if you don't make sun tea the correct way it can grow bacteria which is harmful, so proceed cautiously.  In a large glass jar, place sprigs of mint leaves, lemons, sugar or honey, and black tea (make sure the tea is caffeinated, as the caffeine will help stave off bacteria that may grow in luke-warm water).  Let it sit in the sun for 3-4 hours.

4. Soak up some D's.  
Step outside for at least 15 minutes to get your daily dose of vitamin D.  A healthy dose of vitamin D will not only reduce your chances of developing certain diseases, but it will also put you into a better mood and help regulate your immune system.

Little Manhattan: Claiming Air Rights in your Kitchen

"Cuius set solum, emus set usque ad calm et ad infers." For whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven and down to Hell."

Someday I'll have my giant kitchen with a Viking gas range, copper hood, and a chef's rack hanging from the ceiling, holding my All-Clad, Calphalon, and copper-ware.  But for now I have my little orange kitchen, linoleum checkered floor, and terra-cotta colored counter-tops.  And, to be honest, amid all of my dreams of grandeur, this little kitchen is the place I feel most comfortable.  I love to wake up in the morning, make coffee with my love, and sit within the cheery walls of this little kitchen.  

With that said, my kitchen is very small.  I think of it as my little Manhattan, where the only place to go is up.  Since it is so small I have allowed my more attractive pans and dishes to become part of my kitchen's decor by hanging them on the wall rather than hiding them away in a cupboard.  After making these changes in my kitchen I suddenly had 2 cupboards and 2 drawers free, where I could organize my goods as well as hide my less attractive wares.

Following are a few ways to maximize the real estate in your kitchen (note, you will need a drill.  If you don't have one and can't borrow one, you can rent them from Home Depot.  However, I believe a drill is essential to the independence of any woman.  The moment I bought a drill I decided I could do anything.  I bought mine for $30 at home depot).

my magnetic spice rack.
As it turns out all of my
spices were old.  Here are the
4 I have left.

I. Make a magnetic spice rack.

By making a magnetic spice rack you can free up an entire spice drawer for something else in your kitchen.  If you have had your spices for more than 1 year you need to throw them out, anyway, as they are now flavorless.  While making your magnetic spice rack if you see you need to replenish your spices, take a trip down to your international grocery, where you can find spices at a quarter of the price.

1. Buy magnetic spice jars at World Market, Bed Bath and Beyond, or Wal-Mart ($2 each)  Label them with appropriate spices.

2. Purchase a small sheet of aluminum from Home Depot ($4).  Ask the kind sir with the orange apron in the hardware department to drill a hole in each corner.  If you feel confident in your drilling abilities, then this is something you can easily do yourself.

3. Hold your piece of aluminum up to the wall, using a level to make it straight.  Mark inside your drilled holes so you know where to put your anchors.

4. Place drywall anchor in the wall. 

5. Drill your spice rack into the wall.

8. Hang your spices.

II. Hang your pans on the wall

I originally hung my pans on the wall because I wanted my kitchen to look like Amelie's (yes, yes, that was also during my black hair bob phase). Then I realized that I really liked having an extra cupboard, where I could put my less attractive kitchen-ware.  In my dream world I would have a pan rack, hanging from the ceiling.  However, since those cost $200-$600 I decided to hang stationery hooks on the wall instead.  I bought mine at World Market for $2 each.  You can also get them at Hobbie Lobbie or you can get cast iron hooks at the flea market for $1-$4 each (the cast iron hook guy is always outside and has his shop in a tent near the Bradford St. entrance).  Since my kitchen has a South American feel I bought these cute little Mexican Tile hooks.  

1. Place anchors in the wall where you want your pans.  Remember, these pans are now going to be fixtures in your kitchen, so put them in a place that is aesthetically pleasing.

2. Drill your hooks into the wall.  Make sure they're secure before placing your pans on them by tugging on them.  

3 Clean the bottom of your pans, as they will now be facing your kitchen.  I recommend Bon Ami or Bar Keepers friend.

III. Buy a magnetic strip for your knives

IV. Put up an extra shelf.  

In my kitchen I have 1 free wall.  On this wall I put up 3 shelves, where my pretty dishes sit.  I have also purchased glass jars in which to place my tea, coffee, flour, surgar, etc (Apartment Therapy has a great blog on open kitchen organization).  The space inside my dish cupboard is now used for my less attractive dishes, mixing bowls, and pans.  If you still need extra room in your kitchen you can place little hooks on the underside of this shelf for your coffee cups.  For 1 shelf you'll need 2 L-Brackets, a straight piece of wood, anchors, and screws.  You can buy L-Brackets at Home Depot for a dollar, or you can wait until the flea market and buy cast iron Brackets from the cast iron man (about $4 each)

1. Mark the wall where your anchors will go

2. Screw in your anchors, then L-Brackets

3. Place the board on top of the L-Brackets and screw into place.

Click here to learn how to install an anchor

Click here to learn how to use a level

Click here to learn how to use a drill

The Price of Purity--toxic free cleaning.

I'm coming clean.  I am a social-eco-freindly-ist.  I only recycle when I have company.  I refuse bags at the grocery store so the cashiers like me (and those reusable totes are so cute).  And when I must have a choice, I choose paper even though studies show that plastic is less toxic for the environment.  However, when it comes to the things I am breathing inside my house I always, always go the natural-green-eco-friendly-organic-enviromental-whateverwe'recallingitatthismoment route.  Unfortunately, as the ingredient list gets shorter, the price gets higher.  However, with a few cheap household items you can make your own organic cleaners and clean the way they did before chemists
made cleaning products.



Not only are organic products better for the environment and family, but they also smell good.
In the words of dear Coco, "A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future."  Likewise, a house with no scent has no past worth remembering.  Every time I smell cranberries and cinnamon together I feel like I'm at home.  It was a mixture of my mom's cranberry and cinnamon candles and the Murphy's Oil soap she used to clean our wood floors.  With that said, choose your scent.  Go down to your local, organic grocery and choose the essential oil that fits your house and season.  Think of it as an investment.  This will be the most expensive thing you'll buy for these cleaners.  Right now mine is Lavender and Hops.  I'm also considering tangerine, verbena, cyprus, bergamot, or cinnamon.

Every day cleaner for countertops, linoleum, and windows
Mix the following in an empty spray bottle (Home Depot has one for 89 cents):
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 cups water
15-30 drops of your essential oil

At first when you spray this it will smell like vinegar.  However, as it dries the vinegar smell will go away and the scent of your oil will remain.



Tough Cleaner
You can also make a baking soda paste by mixing the baking soda, water, and your oil.  Then scrub with the paste and wash off with water.


If this doesn't work, sprinkle the tub with baking soda, then pour white vinegar on top of the baking soda.  Let it fizz.  Then scrub with a brush or sponge.  After the grime is gone, clean it with your every day cleaner.



For Furniture
1 t olive oil
1/4 c. lemon juice or vinegar

To clean dark Hardwood
Brew your favorite black tea.  (use 5 teabags to 2 quarts of water--let is steep for 5-10 minutes).  Let the tea come to room temp, then mop the floors.  The tannins in the tea will make your floors shiny, the oils will moisturize your floors.

click here for other recipes

you can't take the fancy out.

The roof leaked. The window sill was rotting. The floor creaked and caved around the 60 year old heater in the floor. The grass had grown 2 feet tall because I couldn’t afford to put gas into the mower. I sat on my couch, eating my meal du jour, a hot dog and mayonnaise, while I sipped hot water from a Hutschenreuther teacup (Richelieu), signed and numbered “33.” 

Hutschenreuther Richelieu 

Hot dog and Mayonnaise

do these really go together?




















Yes, yes, it is true. Fancy moved out of her parents’ house and into a place of her own, carting only her Hutschenreuther and an old silver spoon she got from her mother. It’s a well known fact that the women in my family can pick out the most expensive thing in the room because it’s the first thing to which we’re drawn. We’re fancy girls. We want it all. And really, let’s be reasonable, what’s the point in having cake if you can’t eat it too? 

And yet, amid all of the frill, there’s the survivor, the warrior, the girl who will stop at nothing for freedom and a love to call her own. Though she may have to trudge through the rain, sell her dresses to buy groceries, hold the soles [souls] of her shoes together with duct tape, and wear mud on her shirts because she can’t afford detergent, she will survive. She will make due. She will rise above and conquer. And she’ll look good doing it. 

This, my friends, is why I present you with the fancy girl’s guide to being poor. Because you can take the girl out of the fancy, but you can’t take the fancy out of the girl.