DIY, fashion, house and home, How To, humor, self-help

Un-decorating My-Summer Party | Part One

Un-decorating My-Summer Party.

Conflicting party vibes, only need apply. *wink

Isn’t it oh, so bittersweet?! On one hand, I find myself longing for these warm, summertime vibes of oceanic breezes to linger. While on the other hand, I can hardly contain thine excitement, boisterously espousing:

“Only a few more weeks to go before our beloved pumpkin spice err’ything gets popp’n !”  

One thing’s for sure, I have found that I have much to do before summer’s end!

And, it’s most dizzying!

Alas, I’ll be sharing my many, unfinished outdoor projects, half-ass gardening results from this year (not all my fault tho… darn you, lack of rain!), some hasty decluttering indoors, refreshing of spaces and wow!

That’s a lot of content to send your way before we get back to my real life of hustling for those acting jobs, running a business, and oh yes, writing.

Ohhhhh…. So. Much. Writing. To be done.

Un-decorating My Summer Party |Part 1 |Shift your focus!

Un-decorating My-Summer Party - Part One

So, before we get too overwhelmed, check out the last two videos posted on the YouTube (and Rumble) Channel, where I guide you on where to start when it comes to getting ready for fall, decluttering a space, and how to work with the wardrobe that you got instead of heading to the stores for the latest fashions, or opting into the fast fashions from those beyond-cheap apps using essentially, slave labor!

This week, let’s start with the fact that I had two – yes, count them _ TWO, different un-decorating reveals! We’ll start with part one below. This was the un-decorating I began before I decided to go all HGTV and give my kitchen, dressing room, and office small makeovers.

Decluttering Your Closet : a few tips to try

There are always a few questions the experts ask us to query when decluttering.

  • Does it fit?
  • Did I wear it?
  • Have I worn it…. ever?
  • Would I buy it again?

While all very good, I also add this into my decluttering routine.

  • How do I feel when I look at it? Good? Bad? So-so?
  • Is this who I still am? Who I want to convey to the world?
  • Is this still working with my current style?
  • Is this still working with my current body shape? Clothes, over time, can misshapen, shrink, or we can outgrow them.
  • The “One in, Two out” Rule – for every item purchased, two like-items should be prepared to go. Ex. I bought 3 new dresses; 6 old dresses gotta go.
  • For “on the fence” items, I use the black box (or black trash bag) method. I put it inside, let some time pass, and if I have not thought about it, or searched for it, take it back out and wear it, it goes. It’s a goner. Bye-bye.

When it comes to what the Minimal Mom likes to call the, “Time Will Tell” bin/box/bag; pick a time that works with your lifestyle. Meaning, I will allow my black box to hang tight with all my other donations boxes/bags for about a season.*Okay, sometimes four seasons – Ha! But for real, If I haven’t pulled WHATEVER it is I was unsure about, it’s clear it’s time for it to go. This way my actual decision was made for me in a way. It removes the stress of regretting that I tossed it as it sits there in its waiting basket, awaiting it’s final destination. haha.

Maybe you have items you might be able to resell. Great idea! If you have the time, energy, space, and mental bandwidth to execute the next set of tasks of helping you move said “sellable” items along – then I say, “Go for it!”

Mid-Summer’s Gardening Woes : Or is it?

And, while it may be too late to plant anything for harvest this year – at this point – except maybe three radishes… I will be giving planting my onions, and garlic another go round this year as I think my timing was just way off in prior seasons. I just learned about something in gardening called “over-wintering.”

But, before we go conversating with that future fall-planting self, let’s give some mid-season planting and crop love updates, in the video below:

My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover
DIY, house and home, humor

My Mediterranean (Courtyard )Makeover

My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover! I know what you’re thinking. This has zero to do with writing, acting, or new music. And… you’d be correct.

My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover

It’s that time of year again where I shift my attention from that show business thing to some real life things. Enter,  home and garden, and a bit o’ that house-wifery lifestyle. Writers, and artists alike, from time to time, there comes a moment where you need to get out and live life. Whatever that means for you… find it, and do it. For me, it’s been reconnecting with that inner creative from your childhood, making things, creating things that really no one else would see.

As an adult, maybe this includes a failed loaf of bread, or a bad set of shelves made from cardboard, you know, something that had a lot of vision but execution was questionable. For me, that’s a peek into my  homemaking-thuglife.

Ha. Omgosh. *slaps forehead

While I have been constantly filling my cup with  filming and collecting b-roll like a maniac for quite a many months, (holy crap! Maybe two years worth at this point! Oyvey!) …getting situated to edit, organize, blog, pod’, and publish is very tasking, and ohhhh… so time consuming. 

And I tend to talk myself out of it…

Often.

<3 my work but take timely breaks!
<3 my work but take timely breaks!

It’s not that i don’t LOVE my time-honored crafts –    please don’t drag out the soap box – my cherished routines of the feathered penmanship – Oh Geez – the deep, inner thoughts I dare to dream – Nope. – the library’s pages dost thouThat’s it. – a ladder’s step up to a book’s dreamy lyrical hop scotch – What. Does. That… Even. Mean. Stop it.

Okay. Cheerio. The British accent too

*Sighs. 

Today, it was time to fill my cup in another way. My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover! What’s with the cup references?

Hush. I’m trying to be poetic. Well, knock it off and get to the point.

Geez, your pushy this post. *shakes head

Today, I take to my creative unruliness within my bones and while pacing my boring – it is boring – truly boring – gosh, it truly is so boring – boring entryway. It was time to freshen up that space! I’ve been wanting to do something with this area for so long and so much so that last year prior, I began it’s journey from blah to Ah!

Ay there. Don’t forget to mention how boring it was.

First, with that old lady grocery cart. That is the most embarrassing utility cart ever to be put into production; but, ever so useful! It can carry a truckload of groceries from trunk to countertop in one trip and for that… I’ll gladly be coined a retired old maid; if need be! While the rest of you take fifty trips’ on those hauls, I’ll do just the one. Funk you berry much! *curtsy, and a wave

What was that? What. That? That what?

That “funk” thing. Oh! That! Yes, yes… I’ve been working on my vernacular to exclude words of the curse-related and swearing-kind. Ah. Gotcha. Okay then.. whatever, carry on.

Adieu!

The most fun for me during this courtyard makeover had to be hand painting a Greek-inspired textile rug. Is it technically a “textile” rug; since it was painted? Wait. What is a textile? It’s the pattern?

textiles are the material? Or the pattern?

No. It’s the material, I think.

My gosh, does it matter?

I think it matters. People who know what that word actually means; it will definitely matter. Ugh. Just move on from the textile thing. Yes, grand idea. 

 So, moving on without figuring out exactly what textiles are – material? pattern? don’t know – I already knew I didn’t want to spend another dime on buying rugs that just keep getting ruined. (I have Bruno, and the hubby. Between the two, fuhget about it. Dirt. Hair. Textiles. Pick your battles.) Plus, I just love how the Greek Isles harbor so much white and bright Cerulean Blue hues within their landscape.

My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover

Hold on. You know what Cerulean Blue looks like… but still a no, on textile.

Adding a few touches, like whitewashed pots, raised, in multiple sizes placed strategically on/around the floor, the trellis accents on the walls with faux flower boxes to mimic that Mediterranean sidewalk and a few chairs and customized bench accented with those bold blue shades to present tied with a bow. It all came together – while an eternity passed – just one piece at a time. And I wouldn’t have changed the pace nor time it took to do so.

Oh! You know what I’d like to add to My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover? Some bougainvillea. I LOVE those low maintenance, drought-resistant, pretty plants! I’m getting ahead of myself – again. Maybe next go round. *shrugs

Watch the quick transformation for My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover Reel here:

This was just a precious diy project and now it is a lovely space for laughing, enjoy cafes, reading or just an eye-pleasing walk through as guests come to visit our home.

At some point, I have a sneaking suspicion I may throw a little more white paint around and add a few white columns around the space. But, for now, I’ll enjoy what I’ve done thus far; as its so pleasing now to enjoy my reading out on that courtyard patio with an iced, anything.

And, that is right where I want to be!

Enjoy the long form of My Mediterranean (Courtyard) Makeover video transformation here!

gardening gnome newbie spring summer series returns rita slanina
house and home, How To, humor, self-help

Gnome Gardening Newbie Returns

The gnome gardening newbie returns to the scene of the garden for yet another go! THE GARDENING GNOME NEWBIE DITL DECLUTTER REFRESH

GARDENING GNOME NEWBIE DITL DECLUTTER REFRESH

We’re back for another season of the SPRING SUMMER SERIES FOR 2022! Okay, I’m not a gnome, but I sure as heck feel like one as I roll around in the soil, plucking, planting, kicking up my heels in the dirt! It’s declutter, refresh time and It’s my second year to plan the dirt kicking, plant the seeds and somehow I don’t feel like I’m getting much better at this squash sitting thing. I digress. Let’s DITL!

BRUNO

Bruno the puppy has more gnome-like qualities though as he goobers mischief as soon as my back is turned! So, with high humidity, soon-to-be lazy days ahead this fine Summer, and loads of videos and television watching in my future, I thought it was time to hit ya with the first installment of how my garden started this year, how I prepped and planned it!  So… let’s…..

GET SEEDS & GET GROWING!

A FEW LESSONS LEARNED IN R2

Ah… the monsoons are back, and the garden is a’growin’!

  • ITS NEVER TOO LATE! If you haven’t gotten your seeds for your garden and aren’t getting it growing; you are NOT missing out! But, don’t continue to sleep on it, y’all! There is still plenty of time to get outside and throw down some seeds! I was binging some vids the past couple days on what seeds to put out in your garden in July for you slackers that will produce a harvest that you can still rave about to your friends as though your a gardening savant!

CORN, RADISHES, BEETS, BEANS, CAULIFLOWER, SQUASH

  • FIND YOUR ZONE! I find it’s best to check the farmer’s almanac to find out what ZONE you are in first to make sure but the veggies mentioned above should fare well regardless. I’m in zone 8a, which means, I get humid heat & snow in the winter. But I also average a 200 day growing season… what luck!! Woo! However, what works in fall/winter does NOT necessarily work in spring/summer. But it’s fun to just try and see how it goes. That’s literally half the fun of gardening.
  • DON’T TAKE GARDENING TOO SERIOUSLY! It WILL drive you nuts. Just enjoy the journey. For real. Some plants will make it and some won’t. That was probably my biggest hurdle last year. I was so frustrated but this year, I realized, it’s a learning process and until you toss down the seeds and see what happens… just for the fun of seeing what happens… that’s when you will get it.
  • BUY SEEDS FROM YOUR LOCAL FARMGIRL, HOMESTEADER, FARMER’S MARKET. Another lesson I learned from last year is that all the seeds bought commercially are pretty much one size fits all. They come from the same place, no matter where you have bought them. While – in theory – this sounds fantastic, it’s not always practical in application. Sure, you’ll harvest something but when I started buying from the farm girl in my town who literally has been doing this her whole life, my gardening took off! For roses, I did buy from Jacksons & Perkins, and they have fared quite well. My grapevines from Gurney’s, were a 50/50, one made it/one didn’t. I purchased some seeds from Lowe’s online and some are doing great and others were buttkiss.

The upswing in homesteading, growing one’s own food, or learning how to just rock a great herb container in the windowsill has skyrocketed in all our homes. A lot of peeps are now thinking – Holy Poo! – what if this no-grocery store thing – goes down again? How will we eat? An economic collapse bc of a tyrannical government is feeling less conspiracy and more probable these days! How do we handle it if something this cray cray goes down?

*uh oh.. impending tangent ahead?

No lol ..but my interest in this topic is deep.

Circling back… *wink

oh thank goodness.

Early Fall Season Deals! Save up to $30â—Š off our Fees on Flights Use Coupon EFALL30.

PLAN. PLANT. DECLUTTER. REFRESH.

broccoli leaves gardening rita slanina GARDENING GNOME NEWBIE DITL DECLUTTER REFRESH
Broccoli leaves are just as tasty & useful as the florets themselves!

This is my second year gardening and believe me, when I say, I used to believe I could keep a plant alive to save my life  and now I am harvesting my own greens for salads everyday… it’s awesome to know that anyone can learn to do this! ANYONE!

So… show us!

Geesh , so impatient. Check out the fun on my DITL on how I got organized this year, what I planted and my blunders! THE GARDENING GNOME NEWBIE DITL DECLUTTER REFRESH! Hopefully this full 20 minute video on Rumble will inspire you but if you’re short on time cruise down to the shortened version!

FULL 20 MINUTE VIDEO ON RUMBLE BELOW

OR CHECK OUT SHORT VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE:

*Special thank you to our sponsors and to you… our readers! Please take a moment to check out any affiliated links. No purchase is necessary; but every purchase does help us continue the work we do! Thank you!