The Counselor Movie

I would like to start off by saying that their are many Home Improvement blogs out there and many of them are great. But who has all day to sit around searching the Internet for home improvement ideas? Not too many are able to so I decided to gather up what i think are the 10 best ones out there. Please note that we may share different opinions so I took the liberty of addressing just about every topic in home improvement. If you want the links they will be in the source in the same order.

The macho number 1……..I have to give this number one slot to a blog on remodeling your apartment. It shows many detailed pictures of various homes that have been made over by their owners. They are creative fun and just totally amazing to look at. If you are looking for ideas for a home makeover then you need to have a look at what these people have done. You can follow the link here if you like.

The amazing number 2……(And no I don’t mean the one you do in the bathroom for you outside the box thinkers). I have to give this slot to a blog posted on Home Improvement Place. It is called Remodel Attic and it talks about remodeling that cramped attic you have been dreaming of remodeling into a spare room. This blog has amazing photographs for those visual people and it also triggers those great ideas to come out of head to make it personalized.

Now number 3……..This slot can only go to one blog and this is the only one that comes to mind for this special

slot number. i have to give this one up to DIY Guides. They have numerous of blogs on their site and some of them are really great unusual ideas. But to narrow it down I will say the number 3 blog goes to a blog that goes in to detail about installing pavers. It is a good basic blog about installing them. Even the outside needs change sometimes.

Number 4 for free……(Had to throw in a tongue twister). Do you have spiders in your house? Well some people do so here is a dedication to them. It is a blog about how to get spiders out of your house for CHEAP. So if you are looking to save a buck and need to remove some pests this is the one for you. Good luck with the spider problem too.

Halfway Between O’ number 5…….Are you having trouble with the wiring in your house? Looking to fix it yourself? Then I have found a blog just for you. It is a blog about electrical tracer tools. It is good to read if you are planning on working with those pesky wires. Nobody wants to get electrocuted.

Reliable number 6…….Do you have a window in your shower? If you do then your window could be suffering from damage from the water. I have located a blog telling you how to waterproof your windows and save yourself from future window replacement or worse.

My favorite number 7…….No one likes to experience a stopped up toilet so I have located the perfect blog to help you with ways to unclog that disaster in toilet. Mess free ways are always appreciated when it comes to dealing with the toilet so these are some of the best ideas out there. This blog will take you step by step so you can’t mess up.

I am sure you can count but yeah it is number 8…….This is a blog for people struggling with wallpaper that is falling off in places or lifting up. I have experienced this problem myself and wish i would have come across this myself when i need it. If you are looking to find out how you can fix your wallpaper with messing it up worse. It is great for inexperienced people working with that big hassle of a job (wallpaper that is).

Patiently waiting number 9……. i have to give this one up to a guide about installing a new breaker in your main panel. This can be a challenging job if you do not have proper training and can be expensive if you pay someone else to do it for you. So go ahead and check this blog out so you can get an understanding about what you are doing. No one wants a visit to the emergency room.

Finally number 10……Last but not least the number 10 spot has to go to a blog explaining how to deal with house floods. Many floods happen each year and you may be struggling with the damage after wards if you don not have flood insurance so this is a blog dedicated to help you stay away from paying thousands to have it fixed by someone else.

Table runners are always a big hit in our house when it comes to gifts for grandparents or special Aunts and Uncles. Due to the fact that nearly everyone has a table or piano they like to keep protected, this project is bound to be a big hit with whomever you design it for. One bit of advice, make several of these at once. They are far easier to do as a multiple project and once they are finished, you will be glad you made extras as well.

This project is a fairly easy one though it does take a couple of days to complete due to the fact that the fabric paint needs to dry. Your expertise in basic embroidery will also add or lessen the time spent on this project so plan for about 3 days total time from start to finish.

Supplies needed:

Scraps of fabric for the end triangle on runner, quilt blocks if used and backing. If you desire, you can use the backs of shirts (woven not t-shirt material) of the “handprinter”. That will make the project much more personal. Or you can purchase fabric to match a décor. Approximately 1/3 yard will make this runner if you make it about 3 feet long….1/2 a yard will be needed for longer runners. If you are making several runners, 1 yard of fabric will give you enough for approximately 3 runners.

Cream/natural color muslin. About 1/3 yard again will give you enough for 6-8 blocks for your runner, plus some left over for mistakes or other projects you might want to assemble.

• Embroidery floss in colors of choice. Embroidery needle and frame to hold fabic taunt.
• Small picture a child has drawn, no larger than 8″ x 8″ so it will fit on the muslin.
• Fabric paint in your choice of colors
• Foam disposable plates (one for each handprint color desired)
• Wax paper sheets (one for each muslin square)
• Thread, needles and other misc.

After cutting muslin squares into 12″ square blocks, set each block to be used on a piece of wax paper to protect your table or counter. I place them also on trays so they can be moved out of the way when the prints are finished and left to dry in a safe place.

Having child hold hand with fingers apart and outstretched, dip the child’s palm into the paint and place centered on the muslin. Tell child NOT to move their hand but to press down firmly and lift STRAIGHT up. Wash child’s hand immediately to remove paint.

Do not move muslin square until handprint dries. It is on wax paper and will not stick to the point of causing trouble. Moving it may smear the child’s print.

While squares are drying, place picture child has drawn on sunny window, tape in place. Hold muslin on top of drawing, tape if possible to avoid muslin moving. With a pencil, outline lightly the picture. Remove from window the picture and muslin.

Using the outline on the muslin. Line embroider the outline of the picture using colors of the child’s choosing. I try to match them to the picture. When finished set aside.

Sew the muslin squares to the inner embroidered square using strips of accent fabric in the color and width of your choice. This will be different for each runner as tables and needs differ as well. On the outer edges of the handprint squares, sew a triangle shape (or any geometric shape of your choice.) This will be the end of your runner.

You can now sew a very narrow band approximately 1 ½ ” to the edges of the runner for accent or simply trim it to even up the sides. Placing this face down on your backing fabric, pin into place securely. I usually do not trim away the extra until I am finished but some prefer to cut the backing to match and then sew. Again that is personal preference.

Sew a ¼” seam on all outer edges leaving a small area in the center of the runner to turn. Clip seams at regular intervals and cut off excessive fabric. The closer you get, the neater and crisper your edges will be. Turn rightside out and press lightly on reverse side using pressing cloth underneath fabric. Be careful to use cool iron as fabric paint can and will melt if subjected to extreme heat. I usually only press the edges and leave the rest of the runner alone but that is personal preference. Turning under open edges of runner, sew seam shut with small stitches. Press with pressing cloth again if desired.

And your runner is done. You can at this time add a date and/or name of child under the handprint with a sharpie or fabric marker. I add my dates on the back of the runner or add them below the picture using embroidery. I think it adds a finished touch and reminds the user of the ages of the children and the date in which it was created.

This is a simple project and one that can be done with several different handprints for grandparents, aunts, uncles and even teachers if you are so inclined. The possibilities are endless and are limited only to your imagination. Good luck and happy crafting!

One of my most favorite times of the year is Halloween. The weather cools off, the houses get decorated and I get to take the kids to get free candy! While most people decorate their homes for the seasons, it’s easy to get carried away and potentially create trouble instead of making your home look great for Halloween. From hanging lights to displays in the yard, I’ve seen homeowners use and abuse their home for displays and decorations. Before you decorate your home for Halloween, be sure to review these tips and prevent costly home repairs and problems.

Hanging Lights

A lot of people like to hang lights up during Halloween. If you’re going to hang lights from your homes fascia or soffit, invest in a bunch of plastic clips. These will break away first before they damage your aluminum or vinyl soffit/fascia panels. Never drive nails or screws into your soffit or fascia! Water will enter your roofs eaves and cause untold amounts of structural damages. ·

Yard Displays

From simple pumpkins to blow-up inflatable Frankenstein’s, yard displays make any yard look great for the Halloween holidays. But no matter what you put out in your yard for your trick-or-treaters to enjoy (or scare) be sure that the area underneath gets reseeded with grass after the display is long gone by adding grass seeds and a layer of hay before you install your spooky yard display.

Electrical Connections

Many of today’s coolest Halloween displays are in need of some serious electrical power supplies. It’s very important that you use only quality heavy-duty power cords when using extensions cords for yard displays. Also, you should plug directly into a separate circuit breaker outlet when using multiple power cords. You’ll prevent damages to your homes power supply by using a separate circuit that takes any power surges first, instead of your expensive GFCI outdoor circuit. Best of all, you can flip a single switch to shut it all down when you’re turning off your lighted displays at night.

Pumpkin Preservation

Keeping your carved pumpkin fresh and new after it’s been gutted and chopped up can be difficult at best. To keep mold at bay without removing the moisture is tough to do. There are a wide variety of solutions that people swear by, but the most effective one I’ve used so far has been a solution of borax and water. Mix a few scoops into a spray bottle and fill it with water. Coat the inside and outside of the pumpkin once it has been carved and allow it to dry thoroughly before placing the top back on. Keep real candles indoors and use an LED pumpkin light instead. It will keep the pumpkin fresh even longer and you’ll prevent fire hazards too.