Blue or Red?

Image from House Beautiful

image via Shelter

image via Unknown

Image from Elle Decor

My Chairs

I have Chinoiserie Chippendale faux bamboo chairs that I bought at my favorite junk shop - and although they were originally green I am considering either a hot orange-y red or a royal blue, or maybe a light pink shell. Opinions? I am hoping to use oil paint (I find the finish more even and durable)- Does anyone know where to get oil paint in great colors? I usually mix RustOleum paints to get my own colors, which has led to uneven results - does anyone have a better source?

Sorry about the long absence - late June and early July were busy for me :)

Continuing world wide kitchen table discussion that started at 'Down to Earth' website.

We are in economic hard times. The government would like everyone to spend their way out of said poor economy. If you want to stay one step ahead of our crazy new 'non' taxes that are really taxes ... just renamed that are sure to eat a great percentage of your hard earned money ... you might want to consider some cost saving ways to help ease the coming financial collapse of the late great United States. I have been able to trim quite a bit from our budget by rethinking how our money is being spent.

In the hair care department alone, by letting my natural color shine through, and letting my hair grow out a bit (requiring fewer cuts), I've gone from $900 per year down to $100.

Savings $800

We discovered when Ann was away on vacation for ten days that no one was watching TV (other than the news). We have been paying $61 per month for satellite service. I can catch the news on line or in the newspaper, thereby saving $732 a year.

By planning a large grocery shopping trip once a month and not purchasing as many prepackaged food items (instead making most of our food from scratch) I have been enjoying a savings of ... get this ... 30 to 40 % of our average food bill. This includes the savings from making most of our natural cleaning products and not buying all of the paper disposable goods we once used.

In a typical month I fill up my vehicle once every three weeks costing approximately $45. Past driving habits would require a fill up once a week. Savings: $120/month. We live 13 miles from the closest grocery store ... so by making my once a week trip to town our cost has gone down tremendously. DH's car gets super good mileage. He drives a 1999 Ford Escort with over 250,000 miles and averages about 40 mpg. No trading in his clunker for us!

Our generation has been sold a bill go goods ... and as a nation, we've fallen for it hook, line and sinker. We are over consumers. Our economy is in a free fall fix. There were too many merchants peddling the same old stuff. When you start thinking outside the box, and get off the fast track of consumerism, it doesn't take long to figure out how to make do with less. Yes, even in the cleaning products that you buy. With a supply of baking soda, soap, vinegar, and some cleaning rags made from your old terry cloth towels you are off to a good start making natural cleaners and start saving money ... as well as being kinder to your health and the environment.

It's time to take back the home making and life skills of our grandparents and ancestors that were not tainted by the 'sin' of over consumerism.

Watch What You Say!

Insurance For Bloggers? The Chicago Tribune reports that bloggers need to purchase personal injury protection against charges of libel or slander. The coverage is not very expensive and could save you a fortune.

"Blogging has made everybody in the world a potential editor in chief. In the past, you might have had a day or two to cool down or ... to shoot that letter via snail mail to [the newspaper]. There was someone there who would police what you said. All or some of it might make it into the newspaper," Spicer said. "Today, in a matter of a half-hour, you could have set up your blog and gone out and said your piece about any number of issues."

The easiest solution is to refrain from libeling or slandering anyone in your blog, but I know that is easier said than done, particularly when you are trying to grow your readership through expressing strong opinions. It's not just bloggers who need this protection: active users of social media sites (or parents of such children!) should seek this coverage as well.

Apartment Vacancy At Highest Level In Two Decades: The Wall Street Journal reports that the national vacancy rate for apartments is at its highest level in 22 years, and this increase comes at the time of year that should be a peak leasing season.

The housing downturn initially offered landlords the chance to lure troubled homeowners into the rental market. But the pace of job losses shattered any inroads that apartments might have gained from the housing bust. Apartment vacancies began to rise at the end of 2007 before accelerating further as the economy deteriorated last fall.

Many landlords are in danger of defaulting on property mortgages obtained during the era of easy credit if these vacancy rates don't fall again. These landlords feel pinched, unable to reduce rents to attract new tenants because that capital is needed to make mortgage payments. It's a tough situation.

A. J. Farley runs Farley Home Services, a home inventory documentation service. Please visit us on the web at EverySingleItem.com. Thanks for your time!