Home Repair Minimalist: August 2010

Harvesting Basil Seeds

A kind reader pointed out that I glossed over the seed part of basil harvesting, so I thought I'd give you an easy visual. The first photo is a basil spike after the flowers have dried up and the spike itself has turned brown. This will typically occur in the early fall in most plant hardiness zones in the U.S. If you need to check the zone for your area, there's a handy link at the bottom of

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Harvesting Parsley

Choosing a method for harvesting parsley is always a judgment call. Parsley is the little black dress of the herb patch. It can work with lots and lots of dishes, is a very green, bushy little plant that looks good in the garden and is relatively easy going, as in not fussy. It's also available for snipping all summer long.

It is so ubiquitous, in fact, that around the holidays some grocery

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It's not ALL about paint!

Sometimes paint just isn't the way to go...and yes, I know what I'm saying. Case in point: this chair (scroll to the end of the post). It has been restored to it's 1884 glory, and that's just as it should be.

"D" also had this amazing coffee table. Once again, I don't have a before picture--but the finish was faded and the varnish was peeling, and the whole thing was very wobbly and shaky.

Stripping and sanding this table was a nightmare! Look at all the amazing details on the legs and on the top edge.

I took the whole table apart so it could be re-glued. I finally found a use for the two boxes of copy paper I bought a couple of months ago--they made the perfect weights! I stained the table with Minwax Dark Walnut stain, and then I used Minwax hand-rubbed polyurethane for protection (I love that stuff).

I told "D" she is NEVER allowed to paint it! I love it just as it is. It still looks old, but it glows now.

Then she had another little table that belonged to her mother (no before picture here either ). The original finish was some yellowish-fake-wood-grain looking thing--I'm sure there's an actual name for that style, but I have no idea what it is! Then, because that was unattractive, it was painted white. The original wood was beautiful underneath.

I finished this table with a different product: Minwax Polyshades in antique walnut. Ugh. I don't care for it, and I wish I had stuck with the winning combination on the other table! However, the end result is still pretty.

The marble is original to the table, but it's not the "in" thing right now. I think we need to find a vintage-y covering for it now!

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Harvesting Basil

Harvesting basil for winter access is fragrant fun. Your patch of fresh basil, catnip, parsley, oregano and rosemary can be bountiful contributors to your winter herb stash if you have a few hours to spare.

Over the next few weeks, we'll cover some gardening ground as it relates to fall and winter herb harvesting projects, culminating in a step-by-step tutorial for making herb wreaths.

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Beating Bedbugs Naturally

The admonition ". . .and don’t let the bed bugs bite." was never truer than it is today when super pesticide resistant bedbugs are taking a bite out of a record number of unprotected sleepers. Barring a few super noxious and possibly illegal chemical treatments, bed bugs can be a challenge to get rid of. I wrote a blog about it a while back that you should review if you're having problems.

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Custom Memo Board

My friend "D" wanted a BIG memo board to organize some of her office stuff--and make it pretty. Censational Girl posted some great instructions on how to make one here, so off I went!

"D" wanted her memo board to be 3 ft x 4 ft. I chose to use a thin sheet of Lauan, mostly so it wouldn't be enormously heavy! I covered the board in a thin batting, and then with a brown twill. The ribbon is a cream-colored grograin, and it took almost 15 YARDS of the stuff!

Buttons for decoration were going to be expensive--but then I was inspired. In the jewelry-making section of JoAnn's, I found two strings of flat beads that would work instead! I used exactly two strings, and they were buy-one-get-one-free. You can't see it in the picture, but they aren't just plain brown, they look like stone with all the pretty variations and colors.

I like this one so much, I think I need one for myself now, above MY computer! I'm thinking something big...and bright...with flowers!

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I really have been busy

Life has been extra busy lately, but something that has me feeling good is the completion of a new project--another bench! I found this treasure at a garage sale:

Isn't she purty?? Let me just say that there was a LOT of great furniture at this particular yard sale, but the owner obviously thought VERY HIGHLY of what he had! This little bench, however, with the caning completely missing from one side, was a good buy!

My friend "D" had been wanting a bench for her bedroom, so I sent her a picture of this one immediately. Sold!

The plan was to put an upholstered seat on the bench. I had a piece of plywood cut to the general dimensions by my table-saw-owning friend. Then I made a pattern out of scraps of wrapping paper to follow the curves and corners of the bench. I taped the pattern directly to the plywood, and...

Look at this! I cut this shape out my very own self with my very own jigsaw! (I bought the jigsaw a couple of months ago. Had to wait until it was properly "aged" to use it, you know.)

Please ignore a couple of little zigs into the wood. I promise they won't show.

First a layer of 2" Nu-Foam went on the plywood, and then I stapled a layer of batting on with my pneumatic stapler (another fun toy) to give nice smooth edges.

Next came the fabric! Do you recognize it? It is the same that is on this bench at the end of my bed! I had just enough left.

Oh, I probably forgot to mention the paint job. I used Rustoleum's flat black paint, and then distressed it to show the pretty details.

I love the pretty curved handles.

I added three buttons on top. I used my stapler to staple through all the layers of fabric and foam, and then hot-glued the buttons on. That particular method seems to work just as well (and it's a lot easier) than stringing them through holes in the plywood.

Here she is in all her glory!

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A little ‘Retro’ here – Some rather Prim!

And I don’t mean in decorating!

Thought I’d take you on a trip to the past…follow me through my growing up years and right on into today!

I was organizing my folders on my computer and putting some files that are huge with photos and documents from family genealogy onto CD’s– and for safe keeping and when I got to my family I thought what a fun idea to put me growing up…wish I had more in-between photos but what you see is what you get.

And NO giggling!!! Not Allowed!

I was born July 10, 1944 to the name Karen Sue…supposed to be named Lindy Lou..OMGosh can you imagine…lol
Mom said she was so out of it from the medication that she blurted out Karen Sue…OH THANK YOU MOTHER!!!

So here I am at age 2 – 1946
…had to fight curls then and now! Having short hair keeps them away.

Me an my cousin on my 2nd birthday
- he’s trying to get some of my ice cream cone

Still 2!

Let’s move on up…this is getting too repetitive!

I took Tap and Ballet classes…the day of the recital – I was 5 here

Christmas with my brother and sister – age 7, 1951 – yes, that’s really way back!

Again look at those hideous curls! Age 7

Growing up a bit…age 9…the sweater I’m wearing is a funny story…it was my mothers – but it was pure wool…she washed it and then it was mine! lol And I just loved it so – I had to wear it for school pictures.

Age 10 Mom took me to the Carnival this day and we each had our picture taken in the photo booth. Always remember this day!

This is when I start to get the years mixed…but I do know it was when I was between the ages of 12 and 15
Oh My Gosh….look at that slicked back hair!

If only I had known then that I’d only have my mother with me for just a few more years.

One Christmas morning – Dad got a Parakeet as a gift and I’m holding it for all I’m worth so it doesn’t fly away

Easter morning in my new Spring outfit ready to head to church

Well here’s where the really short hair comes in and stays for almost the rest of my life – hated those curls!
It grows out a bit here and there but always I go back to short somewhere along the line.

Remember the birthday picture with my little cousin…this is him.
We lost Gary in the 70’s during the Viet Nam War…he was a Machine Gunner in the front lines

Now why did mom always have me ‘pose’?

Am I praying…Nope, wasn’t praying…I’m posing…guess she like that!

Eeee Gads….more posing…lol - what is it with the hands for goodness sake1
Notice that ‘Capris’ were big back in the 50’s??

OMgosh I just found this one – it was in my sisters ‘picture’ folder….tooo funny
No I’m thinking I’ve got a problem here…it might not be mom making me do this hands thing and looking down….
I just might be praying that someone would stop taking pictures of me!

Holy Moly – time for a break here if you need one…this one hurts my eyes, what is is doing to you….LOL,
What in God’s name was I thinking!

My gosh it just keeps getting worse!

This was at a family picnic and I do believe it was in 1959 – I was in Jr. High end of the 8th grade
This is the one photo that I look like our two sons Darren and Brett…well, they look like me!

Okay now we’re on into high school…this one was just before I turned 16 – went up north to visit a friend for a week and there were mosquitoes everywhere…wouldn’t ya know she snapped the photo just when one bit!