Things I've Been Up To Lately

Spring is a busy time around here,

and now we are smack dab into early summer.

It can be a challenge to get blog posts done this time of year with gardening, caring for our critters, my kiddos dance recital, and soon canning all of the delicious goodness that will be coming from the garden, keeping me busy.

Before you know it, it'll be County Fair Time and shortly after hubby and I will be venturing to Alaska for a week with his sister and her husband. We will be taking a belated 25th Anniversary Celebration Trip.

So thought I would just take a few minutes and share some

of what's been going on for me...

Seriously...I couldn't believe my hubby was planning to toss this rusty beauty...

sorry buddy but not in this household.

My answer to that is PLANT FLOWERS IN IT! (or sell it on Etsy)

Junky Yard Art

(Can't wait for the flowers to fill in and the grass to get greener)

The bathtub spent a lot of years as a water trough for my horses, the blue bench was a freebie at a yard sale, and hubby gave me "the look" when I snagged it. You know the one...Don't ask me why but the rusty old saw blades have just been hanging around in various places forever so thought I would group them altogether.

 My Grandfather's Vintage Artwork

One of the main goals I had for summer break, was to get our spare room,

which also serves as an office space/sewing room...reorganized.

In the closet I came across a vintage art portfolio of my grandfather's, my grandmother had given me years ago, and in it was a painting and some art lessons with instructor feedback, all dated July 1965.

What better way to enjoy and honor my grandfather, who was very talented, than to have these gems framed and displayed in my office/home. So that's the plan!

I've even managed to get out in my workshop and work on a few

Junkin' Restyle Projects...

Pop Crate & License Plate

Patriotic Artwork

(Yard Sale Find Canvas, Paint and a Painted Cardboard Star)

Tute on how I made that cardboard star in the works right now...
so stay tuned

Restyled Metal Box

Will make a great planter or storage for towels or something, I haven't decided yet.

So as soon as kiddos dance recital is over this weekend I will dive into more of the many projects I have laying around the workshop, some I will have up for sale in my Etsy Shop Toodlefetties Restyled & Rusty, and some I will no doubt keep for myself...I seem to do that way more than I should.

What kind of fun Spring/Summer stuff do you have going on?
Please share, I would love to hear about it!

Stop by and give my Toodlfetties Restyed & Rusty Facebook Page  a LIKE as well

would love to have you follow along.

Have a great day!

Toodles

Sorry Stanley Steemer Didn't Need You!

This weekend we had some fabulous weather, followed by a late night thunderstorm that rattled the windows and shook us all out of our blissful slumber. Of course now that it's getting close to the Memorial Holiday Weekend, it's cold, windy and a little rainy.

I had a lot going on over the weekend, I was determined, however to get the carpet in my living and dining rooms shampooed. The dirty feet of pets, child, hubby and icky spring weather always leaves my poor carpet in desperate need of attention, and I just couldn't stand it any longer.

So I decided to get out the trusty old carpet shampooer and get it done!

Only to discover I was out of carpet shampoo.

No worries...Homemade cleaning recipes are all over the internet and I knew I had jotted one down somewhere, so after scrounging around in a note file I keep for things I may need someday...

Success...a batch of carpet shampoo coming right up!

White Vinegar + Liquid Dish Soap + Hydrogen Peroxide + Essential Oil = Carpet Shampoo

the homemade way...

Here is the recipe I used:

1-1/2 qts. Hot Water (not boiling)

1/4 c. 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1-1/2 tbsp. Liquid Dish Soap

1-1/2 tbsp. White Vinegar

1/8 tsp. Essential Oil

All brands of your choice, I used the ones in the photo because they are what I keep on hand.

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together, adding the dish soap to the water and not the other way around or you may end up changing your name to Bubbles. Pour into shampoo machine according to it's specific directions and shampoo that carpet.

I doubled the recipe to fill the reservoir in my machine and it worked great, left my carpet clean and fresh smelling.

I am no expert, but one thing I did notice was when emptying the dirty water after I finished, it didn't have that nasty, kind of like a sewer on a hot day smell...ewww...which usually comes with sucking up all of that dirt and grime.

Another advantage I can see of making my own carpet shampoo would be money saved. The ingredients are all products that I keep on hand any way so I didn't have to buy anything special. I don't have a cost break down, but it wouldn't surprise me to be pennies per ounce verses the $12 or $13 dollars it usually costs for the not so big jug of the other stuff that really doesn't smell or work that well.

If I can use a more natural or homemade product to get a chore done, and save money too...well I am all over that!

Next I think I will give the homemade bathroom/shower cleaner I've read about a try.

Stay tuned and I will let you know how that goes.

Have a homemade cleaner recipe or environmentally friendly way of tackling household chores? Please do share, I love to hear what other people are up too.

Have a great day!