Archive for May, 2007

Wakie wakie!!!

flying_alarm_clock

You are lying in your bed, you can feel the morning sun on your belly, but you just want to sleep in for a while. Then you remember it’s a working day and the alarm clock should sound any minute. You get a bit cranky, but try to enjoy the few remaining minutes until the alarm sounds. You think to yourself that you’re too lazy to get up and deactivate it, so you prefer waiting until it sounds so you can hit that snooze button and go tight back to sleep. A few minutes later, the moment comes, and the alarm sounds, you hit the clock, but it doesn’t stop. You hit it again, noting, finally, you hear a swoosh right beside you and remember, you have the Think Geek’s Flying Alarm Clock, which will not stop until you chase it’s rotor. It flies around in your room, maybe hits you in the face a couple of times, until you catch it and place it back. Worse thing is that the alarm is screaming all during the process. But think positive: you woke up. No problems with the boss.

15 minutes of…everyting

quarter clockLook at this image. No, it is not a cropped image, it is the full picture of a clock. This is the Infinity Wooden Wall Clock and if you haven’t noticed yet, it has something missing: 45 minutes (43, more precisely) or 8 hours. It gives you AND your kids a great mind exercise, trying to figure out the time if it isn’t shown on the panel. Did I mention it looks great? Personally, I gazed several tens of minutes at it, because this idea is one of the best and most original I’ve seen in a while. And before you get too enthusiastic, I have to tell you, this clock doesn’t save you any time, nor does it give you an excuse for being late. Its price range is around 35 dollars, so it is fairly affordable, but imagine what it would cost if it would be whole. I’ll tell you: it would be 25 percent off. So, look it up and make your order now. Believe me, it’s not a waste of time.

Quick storage

art shelf

Need a place to store your tools or whatever you use frequently? A shelf is a good way for storage but not always practical. Bowls, baskets or buckets have the same problem. Plus, they can fall over easily and you have a bigger mess than before. What about a mid-way solution?

This home made shelf provides great storage for pens, pencils, scissors, markers, candles or whatever you can think of. No waste of space on your desk, no danger of falling objects from the shelf. Order one, make one yourself, but try it out. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed

art shelf 2

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Window cling

cling

Ever had trouble with stained glass or patterned windows? I have patterned glass in the doors between my rooms and I have the bad habit of leaving everything open behind me. So not once I came home to find these windows broken, because of the draught. Besides the huge mess it makes and being dangerous, I find it very expensive to cut a new window every time it breaks and if only one breaks, I have to find the same pattern, which of course is nearly impossible, or change all of them so they match. So when I came upon these window clings my face brightened up and I said to myself: “no more patterned windows. Only plain glass”. Why? Well, these clings give me the patterns decorative function and the semi opaque property that assures the limited intimacy of each room. As a bonus, they are really cheap (compared to patterned glass) and easy to use. No glue needed, because the thin layer of foliage sticks statically to the flat surface of the glass. The broken glass problem is not solved, but at least my pocket gets an ease out of this product.

Have you got “it”?

sun_room

I am talking about “it”. You don’t know what “it” is? Well, the fully scientific name is “the ‘it’ room”, and its explanation would be the most attractive room in your home. Usually, it is the living room, or should I say “was”, because recently, more and more people focus in different directions: a fancy, spacious bathroom, a very intimate and romantic bedroom, a “playhouse” in the basement with a pool table and an XBOX or just a large living room with a plasma screen TV with Dolby Digital Sound, the so-called “media room”. Think about this the next time you remodel your home or when buying a new home. Figure out where it will be, what’s if going to do and what you need to put in it. Don’t wonder too far away, keep your budget in mind. Give your home some life, besides your exciting one. Give the neighbors a reason to envy you.

Vinyl Bowl

snack-tray

No, not the material, the product. I saw these on a website for about 40-50 dollars. But why not do it yourself? Surely you have an old vinyl disc or know someone who has a collection with pieces he or she doesn’t need. Just get yourself one, craft a wooden shape, throw into the microwave and play. Careful though, vinyl becomes toxic at higher temperatures so be sure to clean the oven thoroughly afterwards. Also, if you’re not sure of what you are doing, ask someone who has some experience with microwave experiments or lat it go. If you like the idea too much, search the internet and buy one.

What can I tell you about their use? Bowls, trays, cups, pots. Store your snacks, small objects like nail clippers, buttons, dice, hair pins and so on. Plus it will surely arouse your guests interests. If you make them yourself, you might even become popular.

Trouble with the light

I’m not talking about lightness. I’m talking about the light bulb itself. I’m sure everybody is familiar with the squeaking noise produced by unscrewing of a light bulb that has been there for a while. Or worse, most of you met the situation where you try to unscrew a burnt light bulb and you’re stuck with only the glass part in your hand. What about the rest? How do you get it out of the socket? First of all, when it comes to electricity, never play. I don’t say you have to call a repairman for such a “huge” problem, but be safe. Switch off the power and it might be even safer to disable the fuse for the room, if you can access it and know which it is (If we’re talking about a fixture, unplugging it will do). Now, the rest I’ve read, but didn’t try. Don’t laugh, it is not a joke: grab a potato, push it into the socket and unscrew. The explanation is that the potato embeds into the metallic piece, just like the glass part did, so it’s a replacement. From here on, you get the idea. I don’t know why potato, probably because of it’s physical proprieties in raw form. Screw in>Replug>Turn on.

bulb thread

Wait! Before you screw in the new bulb, it’s a very good idea to lube up the thread with a tiny amount of Vaseline. It is a good conductor and a very good lubricant. This way you rid yourself of both the noise and the stuck in light bulb part. I don’t recommend other lubricants because I don’t know their properties. For your experimentation look for lubricants that are recommended for metals and are good electrical conductors. These two conditions are enough.

Decoration arrangements

How to arrange your paintings, photos, sculptures, ceramic decorations and so on? This is a very common question and frequently met problem. Especially if you have a lot of them and love them all alike. First, let’s take a look at the methods of placement: we have hanging, propping or simply placing.

1. Hanging is suitable for paintings, framed photographs or floral decorations. It has the advantage of occupying non usable surface, like a shelf or a portion of your floor. It is the preferred method if you have a lot of free space on the wall and have no furniture or shelves to cover up. An empty wall is boring and lifeless, it gives the room a sad, lonely feeling. And if you don’t like messing around with home-made decorations and don’t have any paintings either, frame a few of your favorite photos and make yourself a photo wall.

propping2. Propping is the best way to fill up your cabinet, shelves or night stands. I don’t suggest paintings, but photos, little carved woods, icons and so on, are welcome in these places. Maybe you want to wake up an the first thing you want to see is a picture of your family, to brighten up the morning. Or you like to see a photo of your lover in front of the mirror while you do your make-up for the date. And the best thing is, if you change your mind or get bored, you can move them around or replace them, unlike with hanged decorations, where you have fixed positions.

Placing objects on the ground is not a recommended method, unless your decorative objects are larger in size, like a sculpture, a vase or an antique clock, for example. These are more pieces of furniture, decorative furniture, and can’t be hanged or propped. I personally discourage these objects, especially if you have a smaller home, because they take up a lot of space. Not their surface alone, but you also need a clear viewing space in front of or around them, which can be many times larger than the object itself.

So choose your decorations wisely and make sure they are looked at, otherwise they are not worth buying.

Faucet vs. Fountain

Faucet fountainFaucet Fountain 2

Well, not exactly “vs.” but a two-in-one. More precisely it’s a faucet that can be used as a drinking fountain. You must have seen children too lazy to get a glass to pour water in, so instead they just stick their heads right under the faucet and dig in. This gesture can now be eliminated with this this drinking fountain attachment. Just mount it on your faucet end and use as usual. If you want a drink, just hold the cap closed and water blanches out of the hole on the top of the attachment. It’s pretty handy and easy to use, but I would watch out for water pressure. It’s very easy to obtain a puddle in the middle of your kitchen. And the cap might get in your way when trying to wash the dishes. Otherwise, it’s a neat idea.

A creepy idea

We’re all used to the disposable forks, knives, spoons, plates, cups and other such things, right?

snap apart

Well, take a good look at this, because I don’t think you’ve seen this coming. It’s so stupidly simple but I for one, wouldn’t have thought that someone would actually do this. This “Snap-Apart Place Setting” includes a plate, a fork, a knife, a spoon, a toothpick, a pair of chopsticks for Chinese and even a ring for napkin placement. It is the combination of disposable cover and the “snap-apart” trend used in hardware for keeping modules together. Just put it on the table and you’ll see, your guests won’t have the heart to touch them. What’s next, they’ll include the meal too?