Bathrooms can be a cramped storage space- especially in older homes or apartments. In my tiny studio apartment in downtown Seattle, while the bathroom is relatively enormous it does not have even a single drawer, cabinet, or shelf! Using this space well, without cluttering the room with shelves, vanities, and drawer units has been a…
Quick Tip: Easy Winter Flag Storage without Folding
In order to graduate from the small ultra-conservative liberal arts college I attended after highschool, the eccentric little college required a potential graduate demonstrate two proficiencies above and beyond typical academic competency. Each student was required to (1) demonstrate proficiency in a swimming test, else be forced to take a semester of swimming lessons after…
How to Convert a Vintage Cosmetic Suitcase into an Organized Art Supply Storage
I’m almost as excited to share this project with my readers as I was to complete this project for myself! Creating this vintage train case turned marker holder has been my goal for a while, but it’s taken some patience to find the perfect train case and marker holder that fit without wasting a lot…
When Looks Don’t Matter but Storage Does: Cheapest Possible Bin Storage
Last Updated: Years ago, running a mail order business with hundreds of products out of a small outbuilding behind my parent’s house, my father devised an exceptionally cheap method for quickly building highly compact, highly organized storage. Although it’s admittedly not at all nice to look at, this system will store thousands of small…
Tips for Cooking in an Ultra-Small Tiny House Kitchen
When people imagine living in a tiny house, often the initial vision of the experience skips over the minutia of day-to-day living and how an ultra-small space makes many things- like cooking- a little more complicated. In this article, I wanted to talk a little bit about tips and methods I use when cooking…
7 Unique Ways to Organize Art Supplies
With the exception of professional artists with dedicated out-of-home studios and hobbyists with the luxury of dedicated studio space, art supplies storage never turns out looking quite as good as the uber-organized craft rooms depicted in magazines. Instead, art supplies tend to spill into common spaces, especially for those of us who paint at the…
How To Create a Rental Friendly Accent Wall: 8 Damage-Free Ideas
1. Get Permission to Paint an Accent Wall Some property managers will give a green-light to requests to repaint a room or a single wall, but in many cases- painting is not allowed. Despite this, painting an accent wall can often still be negotiated. Even if you can’t get “permission” to paint you can still paint- …
Create the Home Decor Equivalent of a “Capsule Wardrobe” to Simplify Holiday Decorating
Today, you can easily spend a huge amount of money on holiday decorations: Halloween decor that becomes an eyesore on November 1, Thanksgiving decorations that become unseasonal 3 weeks later, and Christmas decor which is appropriate for 5 weeks at best. Rejecting this holiday-specific marketing for outdoor decor, a few years ago I resolved…
8 Essentials for Solo Travel
After I sold my business in 2015, I had the opportunity to do some traveling. Even though I’d dreamed of travel… I didn’t go. I did not have a travel companion and was afraid to go by myself, so I did not go. Fast forward 2 years and a cross-country move, and in 2017 I…
6 Weird Ways to Make Money as a Grad Student
Graduate school is an odd season of life. While many work full time during graduate studies, often others, like me, discover their graduate program isn’t a good complement to a standard full-time job and, like me, seek alternate ways to maintain an income while working towards the next career goal. For me, during even the…
Tips for Solo Travel In Croatia – Travelling by Bus
Unlike most of Europe, Croatia lacks a well-developed rail system. Thankfully, I found the transportation options available by bus to be more than adequate and most of my bus experiences in Croatia were preferable overall compared to train travel that same summer (2017) through Italy. I rank transportation by comfort, stress level, and the…
5 Reliable Sources for Free Flea Market Inventory
“Free inventory.” At the suggestion, you might think of curbside finds or perhaps a way to rid yourself of bad Christmas gifts, but as I’ve maintained a flea market booth, I’ve generated a surprising number of consistent sources of free inventory for my flea market booth. Below, I’ve outlined 5 of my best sources…
6 ways to Repurpose a Vintage C Clamp
One easy way to add a bit of a not-too-harsh industrial vibe to your home is with vintage C clamps. Once only used for woodworking and similar construction projects, C clamps can be used to support shelves, add hooks, or secure items where you need them. C-clamps blend well into interior decor. Today’s utilitarian, shiny…
How to DIY a Hair Removal Lip Waxing Kit for Travel
Recently while browsing (of all places!) Anthropologie’s website I came across a product I thought was pretty genius but dramatically overpriced: A small and adorably labeled tin that contained pre-waxed waxing strips that, when warmed slightly, can be used for waxing your upper lip when you are away from home or salon. It’s…
How to Clean and Deodorize Vintage Luggage
Since moving into the urban equivalent of a tiny house, I’ve learned to be very, very creative with storage. One of the ways I keep my art supplies handy but neatly organized is by using vintage luggage- especially train cases. Train cases make perfect storage for illustration markers, artists paint storage, and place to tuck away…
DIY: How to Make Your Own Sea Glass at Home
I’ve always been enamored by sea glass. When I was eleven, growing up in Kansas, I vividly remember opening an envelope from a pen pal on the coast that contained the beautiful soft frosted glass pearls she said were known as “mermaid tears” in her family. As I’ve become, in my professional life, a person…
Felt Food Waffle: Video Tutorial & Free Pattern
I’ve chosen to make this pdf pattern and full instructions free. If you find it helpful, a donation in any amount is appreciated. Contributions help fund future felt food free-pattern-making adventures. This post features a video showing the full waffle making process, a list of supplies to gather, a printable pattern, and finally a…