Saturday, March 27, 2010

Dog Hair Unlimited

I don't just have dust bunnies, I have dust dinosaurs. Especially at this time of year, I am shocked by the staggering amount of dog hair that keeps collecting in the corners, under tables, closet floors, on my ice cream, etc. Everyday, I'm down on my hands & knees chasing the rolling dog hair tumbleweeds across the floor. It can be maddening.

Since I haven't yet replaced the tile floors with wood and because I still haven't found a vacuum cleaner that I really believe is worth the money and actually works well on dog hair, I've been using my shop-vac. It's big & somewhat bulky but it has great suction (I have to be careful not to suck up a sock or other no-no items - like a small chair), a really long hose (I can vacuum almost all the way up the stairs without moving the canister - could I be any lazier?), and it works better on dog hair than any other vac I've owned.

One weapon of choice that I have found to be extremely helpful removing pet hair from rugs, upholstery, bed linens, etc. has been the Gonzo Pet Hair Lifter (I am not associated with this company in any way, nor do I receive any money from them - unfortunately :) I still find myself down on my hands & knees wiping the Pet Hair Lifter (it looks like a sponge) across my throw rugs but I get tremendous satisfaction from seeing all the hair that comes right off! It works better than any vacuum I've tried. With the amazing amount of hair that I've been able to hunt down & capture, I keep thinking that our dogs should be BALD by now. I keep waiting. However, I'm beginning to understand what people see in those strange, alien looking bald cats . . .

Surely someday the higher powers will find a use for shedding pet hair (like maybe doggie toupees or couture dog hair dresses) but until then, the war between house & hair goes on . . .

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Monday, February 1, 2010

Quick & Easy Recycled Paint Chip Wall Art

Several months ago, I bought a unique wall accessory at a home decor store. It is metal/wire with alligator clips so it can be changed out with whatever the imagination can dream up. At first, I used it to create a collage of local vintage postcards and then at Christmas, it was used for displaying cards. Then, after the holidays, it sat empty for a couple of weeks. Finally, today, I decided I had to find a temporary "fill" while I considered the next installation phase. I couldn't stand the empty frame any longer!

Luckily, inspiration struck while I was organizing my office - I found an out-of-date paint fan deck and I decided to use the paint cards as the art. I went through the deck, pulled out
colors that were repeated in the adjacent rooms, clipped them in place and voila, done . . . at least for now! Cheap, Easy & Recycled.

Happily, I am not the only one who liked this idea. Here are some other examples of paint chip artwork: