Have you ever gone through a relative’s s jewelry stash to discover old pearls? Not necklaces, but individual pearls that once made up a necklace or bracelet, but now are rattling individually in a box? One of the tests of quality in any bead necklace is to see if they are individually strung and knotted after each pearl or bead. Antique jewelry oftentimes ended up in a drawer or box because the string broke. Wouldn’t it be nice to recycle these precious beads by reading a book, either recreating a vintage piece of jewelry or creating your own design?

The Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist is a great site to learn step-by-step the art of restringing pearls and more using the Tri-Cord Knotter™ . For jewelry artisans and hobbyists and for all of us with jewelry in disrepair, this site has loads of information.

Don’t Get Strung Out Or Be Strung Along!

Dollar Stores not only provide great savings, but carry many items that you normally don’t come across in your local hardware store.

A snake to clear out a clog is not unusual, many times they are used to clear out a clog in the toilet, bathtub or shower–anything clogging the septic system. However, you don’t want to use a snake that unclogged the toilet in your kitchen or bathroom sink. This handy little snake is just the right size to handle that job and after a plunger–again, not one used on the toilet, please–should be employed prior to any commercial anti-clog solutions.  Won’t solve large blockage problems, but is a great item to keep on hand for small problems and maintenance.  Eco-friendly and for just $1, you can’t go wrong.

This is part of Markdown Mom’s Toolbox, and should be part of yours.

Slipcovers are a great boon to interior design.  They not only serve to protect your furniture and thus save on costly upholstery bills, but are a quick inexpensive way to change your home decor.  However, they can be very expensive to buy, a wingback chair slipcover can run you at least $100 and a slipcover for a sectional into the $1,000’s.  Just putting a throw over your furniture ends up with it slipping and sliding and not staying put, even with ready-made they have a tendency to not stay put that makes for constant readjustment.

Markdown Mom has an inexpensive way to make a better fitting slipcover, no sewing, and with little time involved.  First of all, consider the fabric that you want for your slipcover and it’s purpose.  If you have pets and want to protect against scratching in addition to being able to remove fur from the fabric easily, consider canvas or another very tight weave durable material. 

1.  To make any slipcover or piece of cloth conform to your chair, loveseat, sofa, or sectional visit your local home improvement center.  Long pieces of drywall edge beading are easily cut to fit your needs and are very pliable. 

2.  Cut pieces to fit between the back and seat cushions of your furniture, and along a padded arm and the seat cushion.  This will tuck the material into the seat, back, and side and will keep the slipcover in place regardless of who sits on the furniture piece.   Use a snippers for cutting vinyl and metal for the best results.  This V-shaped, beaded plastic strip costs under $3 a strip and will be sufficient for one sofa depending upon the size. 

3.  Cut the back piece first, and then the side arm pieces–which can be smaller than the actual side length.  Put the cloth on your furniture and tuck the “V” shape into the couch.

4.  To make an easy fit for the side and back, buy some self-sticking velcro®–again, at the home improvement center and finger miter the corners of your sofa or chair back and sides, tucking in the fabric.  Pin and do the same to the other side of the sofa until you have the back sufficiently tight.  Do the same process for the sides.  Industrial strength velcro comes in black or white, and you can get other colors to match your fabric in the sewing notions center of a fabric or craft store.

5.  Remove the pins and replace with velcro by creating a strip to be attached to the inside part of the fold and adding it’s corresponding loop strip to the back of the sofa in the same location.  Do the same for the sides creating a hospital bed corner.    

Easy, quick, and cost-effective.  Want to make it spill resistant?  Spray it with silicone.  For fabric amounts refer to upholstery yardage for your furniture item and add a few yards to it, just in case–plus you can make pillows out of any leftover material. 

A set of Allen wrenches are always handy to have; in fact many of today’s furniture that requires assembled pieces use allen wrenches and some kits come with them.  But what if you are an apartment dweller, or not into the carpenter thing.  Well, if you rent an apartment or own a home with a garbage disposal, sooner or later something that shouldn’t have will go down into that cavernous mouth and freeze up your disposal?  What to do? 

Well, don’t stick your hand in if the motor is running.  Not a good idea.  You can cut the power and attempt to remove the item.  Sometimes that works, not often, but sometimes.  Or, you can go to your local Home Improvement Center and purchase a universal key by insinkerator®to loosen the blade.  What this universal key is a fancy Allen wrench that goes in the bottom center of the round end of your garbage disposal–that’s right, the unit under the sink, not the top.  This will release the blades so that you can remove the item, and then secure the base again by tightening with the universal key. 

For under $6, saving time, money, and not sharing epithets and blame is priceless!

A number of years ago‘, MDMs friend, Georgeanne, introduced her to this fabric warehouse located in an industrial park in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Park. SR Harris is owned by a father and son team, Sid and Scott Harris, and for those of us who are bowled over by fine fabrics and terrific deals, pack a lunch and plan to stay the day. Scott goes to Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York several times a year to add new inventory to the warehouse’s extensive selections. From Italian fleece, fine silks, designer color leather hides, upholstery and drapery material, camel hair and cashmere, Pendleton wool, Italian mohair, wool Sairee w/glitter, down pillows, beadling, and all the trimmings here is a necessary stop for decorators, quilters, fabric artists, haute couture designers, crafters, and home sewers. Most list prices are discounted at the checkout by 50%! You can find designer fabrics from Ralph Lauren, Jones of New York, DNKY, and others. Tips:

• Be sure to find out your final price before cutting or having the fabric cut. Once it’s cut, it’s yours.
• Discounted fabric is exempt from further reductions.
• Leather goods are sold by the piece, not by the yard.
• Go to the online site for coupons and arrival of new fabrics.

Click Here to See Markdown Mom’s Slide Show of SR Harris→

Many items today that are made of brass come with a sealant, so that polishing is a thing of the past. On sealed brass with a lacquered finish, simply wipe with a clean, damp cloth. However antique brass is another story. If you do not want to keep the patina that comes with age, then you must use elbow grease and polish the brass. Anyone who has polished brass the old way knows that it’s a hit and miss to find an effective polisher, but one polish to do the trick is right in your kitchen cupboard. Catsup or Ketchup, no matter how you spell it, will clean, brighten, and polish antique brass. Use a soft cloth to apply the ketchup, followed by a damp cloth to remove the residue, and then a dry cloth to buff and remove any remaining liquid. Handy, economical, and eco-friendly, what more could you ask for?

"School days, school days, good ole golden rules days."  Well, more than reading, writing, and arithmetic these days for the DIYer, the schools have abundant opportunities to widen your world and to enjoy the finer things of life.  You can learn to be a gourmet chef, a jeweler, or learn to dance with the stars.  Community Education is the best bargain around since it is low cost, and ultimately adds to the knowledge, experience, or lifestyle of the recipient.

Recently Markdown Mom attended a cooking class on making pita bread at her local middle school.  This was a great class that not only had us make our own pan pita bread, but included making hummus, cucumber dip, roasted creamy eggplant dip, at the same time providing information on nutrition and the benefits of eating healthier. Our instructors were Ilone Hamilton and Jeanie Pekkala. 

Breaking up in groups of 4, they  took us step-by-step through the process of making pita bread using a caste iron frying pan. 

From scratch, the yeast was prepared, the dough was mixed, allowed to rise, kneaded, rolled into a ball, divided into 8 equal pieces, allow to rise, rolled into a 6" circle, and placed into an ungreased pan to fry/bake.  That was the exciting period when the pita bread would actually rise and form bubbles in the pan. 

During the breaks when the dough was rising, Ilone and Jeannie would instruct us on the delicious fillings for the pita bread.

At the end of which we were able to sit back and break bread with the other students.  We not only enjoyed the feast that we had prepared that night, but felt empowered to continue our culinary exploration with other classes.

Classes through your local community schools or continuing education programs offer an opportunity to explore your talents, pursue your interest, and enlarge your world while providing an opportunity to meet other members of your community. 

The costs are nominal, the pita class was $5 registration fee + supplies.  Other costs follow a similar fee structure depending on the number of times the class meets.  Classes include general interests that contain a potpourri of activities from crafts, finances, hobbies, to cooking classes, sports, languages, interior decorating, and computer training to name a few.

With Ilone and Jeannie’s permission, Markdown Mom will take you through the steps of this recipe, pan pita bread, in addition to the oven baked recipe at a later date.  Right now, MDM is anticipating the new Spring Schedule for Community Schools–who knows what new adventure awaits!

Rust-0leum® has been around for a long time sprucing up our lawn furniture and other metal objects.  However, like paint itself with its’ new century textures and faux paints, Rust-Oleum has developed a new set of utilitarian specialty paints that not only meet the needs of our home offices, but blend into our home decors as well plus has even more applications.

Rust-Oleum® now has available a paint to make your own dry erase board, on the wall, or anywhere.   Can be applied to drywall, masonite, wood, metal, or cement.  Great idea for home offices, message centers in the kitchen or mudroom, or for kids bedrooms or playrooms. 

Another great product from this manufacturer are the chalkboard paints.  At first you could only get them in green or black, however, Rust-Oleum has come out with a Chalkboard Tint Base that allows you to create chalkboard surface in 12 different colors.  The applications for this paint are just too numerous to mention.

And believe it or not, both the Dry Erase Paint and the Chalkboard Paint can be applied over Rust-Oleum’s Magnetic Latex Paint Primer.  Oh, be still my DIYer heart!  You can create your own dry erase/magnet board or your own colored chalkboard/magnet board or area.  The possibilities are endless!

Minnesota is noted for its’ rugged, independent people.  Talented, educated, and industrious are all qualities that personify its’ citizenry.  Despite economic hard times, they press on and for all of us savvy consumers oftentimes you have only to look in your own backyard for some quality products and bargains.  Such is the case of the Duluth Trading Company.  Now one would think by its’ very name that this store is solely for the rugged, outdoor type, while this may be true, you do not have to be Will Steger or Sam Cook to find something terrific that makes you say:  ‘I didn’t know they had something like that–cool!’

MDM found a remarkable quick fix tape that will surpass MDM’s Toolbox must have, Duct Tape.  This X-Treme Tape is heat resistant up to 500° Farenheit due to its silicone base, withstands UV rays, acid, and fuels, and serves as quick fixes for electrical repairs and is air and water tight if your pipes spring a leak!  You can use it on muffler repairs, air ducts, and radiator hoses.  Comes in 6 different colors, and a kit of 6 rolls, each 10 ft. long and 1 Inch thick for $29.50.  Just think what the Red Green Show and our crafty DIYers can do with this product! 

This site is having a sale right now and features some terrific sales, and check-out their Last Chance Countdown where items are reduced every Wednesday until they’re gone, The Scout’s Weekly Special where you will find a great item reduced up to 60% off! 

Great site for our outdoor bargain hunters, travelers, and handymen and women, and it’s in:

 Markdown Mom’s Own Backyard!

Usually with the advent of any holiday when there will be a large gathering of family and friends, our cleaning mode is in high gear. 

After having so many cats in a house with wall-to-wall carpeting, wool berber and synthetic deep pile, the next redecorating episode will include new flooring preferably wooden floors and ceramic tile.  But like many homeowners you don’t want to incur the expense until it is absolutely necessary. 

Now, certain stains from pets can be removed if you act quickly, that is if you are aware of them.  However, there is always a corner, or under the bed, couch or some place not involved in your daily cleaning routine that can hold a surprise such as an upchucked hairball, barf, or feces.There are excellent products on the market to aid in the removal of same; but,  Markdown Mom has found that if any liquid product is applied too soon, it can often make the stain worse.   Here are a few tips to help rid your carpets or rugs of these pet stains:

• Remove any dried material by scraping the surface with a spoon or  butter knife.  Usually if the material has dried, it is easier to get up than if it is still in liquid form.
• Take a cleaning scour pad (above photo) to the spot if a shadow of the stain remains on the carpet.  The cleaning ladies hosts of the BBC’s How Clean Is Your House, have used sandpaper to get up paint and other hard to remove materials.  Markdown Mom has found that the scour pads for  cleaning teflon-coated pans work very well and are less abrasive.  Do not wet, use them dry and remember do not rub back and forth, unless you don’t care how the nap will be affected.  These cleaning scour pads are also great for getting in the corners of carpets and upholstery and picking-up pet fur and hair.
• Work from the outside of the spot to the inside.  This is a good practice not only when using the scouring pad, but also when you apply any liquid to the spot.
• When working with a wool carpet, use a steamer on the spot and block with white paper towlette to get up the moisture.  Be careful not to oversoak any carpet because you can damage the jute.
• After  following these steps, then apply cleaning soap such as Resolve® Carpet Cleaner.  Do not apply an ammonia-based cleaner to wool carpet!  Do not rub back and forth, go from the outside of the spot in one direction inward.
• Remove all soap residue by rinsing with water.  This does not mean hosing the spot.  Take a white rag, dip it into clean water, dab the surface, and remove excess moisture with another white rag or paper toweling, pressing firmly.
• To avoid shrinkage, place a white rag or plain white paper toweling over the spot and weigh it down with a book.  Change the damp cloth or toweling frequently.
• If there is a shadow left from the stain, try a mixture of white vinegar and water  and dab the spot–this is good only for light carpets since it acts as a lightening agent.  Be sure to test for color fastness in an inconspicuous spot. 
• Be sure to spot your carpet before any attempting a complete carpet cleaning of a room. 

Unsure about other stains and for more tips, contact the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).

All those potluck parties to go to and that 3 bean salad just looks tired–same old, same old.  Well, spice up your selection with this quick, exotic  salad and sit back and gracefully receive the many compliments you’re bound to get.  Be sure to look a little hassled, as if that’s hard to do during this frantic time of year–but  remember image is everything and you wouldn’t want to give the impression that this tantalizing offering took no time at all–even though it did, but, hey, that’s our secret.            

ATHENA SALAD

      Dry Ingredients
       *2, 6-oz cartons of cherry tomatoes diced in thirds (pictured left)
      *1/2 cup greek olives (black and green-Try Archer Farm’s Greek Olive Feta Cheese Medley)
      *1/3 cup fresh mozarella or feta cheese cubed
      *1 lb box Penne Pasta

       
    Oil Mixture
      *2 Tblspns balsamic vinegar
      *1/3 cup olive oil

       *2 Tblspns chopped fresh or dry Italian herbs-rosemary-thyme-basil-oregano

Mix chopped cherry tomatoes with greek olives and cheese.  Drain pasta and immediately pour cold water over the pasta to cool.  Then mix tomato and cheese with pasta and stir in oil mix. Serves 6 to 8 people.

*Archer Farms products carried by Target Stores.

You have started your holiday baking and somehow it seems to get harder each year.  The family has grown and when you get more than 2 people in the kitchen you can’t move around, not to mention the long lines at the bathroom.  Well, here is your last chance to enter to win a $100,000 kitchen and bath makeover from DIY.   Yeah, you could have been entering once a day to win, but, hey better late than never.

Enter today, It Only Takes One To Win!

Isn’t being organized the mantra of today’s busy life? 

You say you know that you have a cat, however, it went down in the basement and because of all the boxes you  hear scratching every so often, but darn if you can locate him.

Your chldren have decided to go for the gold in pole vault and they practice daily by leap frogging over the piles of stuff in your home.

Your single brother-in-law can’t get to his closets or even to the walls of his large home because he is an "antique dealer" and can’t part with the 3 dining room sets  he has stored among his other "valuables."

Your basement is neat with everything boxed and marked in the basement, but you have to leave a trail of bread crumbs to find your way out of the maize.

You would fix food to eat for you and the family, but you can’t get at the stove?  Good thing they have take-out.

 Then MDM has the solution for you!

 Now you can save 25% shelving  at the store dedicated solely to that objective of making your life simpler by getting it organized, and enter a super sweepstakes too.  The Container Store ®  has joined the popular magazine/t.v. show Real Simple to win a professional organizer’s visit to declutter 3 rooms in your home  in The Organized Home Sweepstakes plus win an additional $3000 in merchandise from The Container Store.  How cool is that? Better hurry, sweepstakes ends October 21st!

IKEA® is one of MDM ’s favorite shopping destinations in the Twin Cities, but it can be very hectic to shop there on the weekends because of the crowds.Well, MDM found a great time to shop the IKEA store across from the Mall of America yesterday at 6:30 PM–or so she thought.  However, more than likely it was due to the Twin Cities being under a Tornado Warning that had something to do with limiting the number of customers since most had sought the shelter of their homes rather than a store.  But neither snow, nor sleet, nor dark of night can stop the intrepid bargain hunter! 

After parking the car in the ramp just as the sirens went off, we went up to the restaurant for some good old swedish meatballs with lingenberry sauce and small, red boiled potatoes.  No sooner had we got our food, then we were asked to exit the restaurant and follow the employees directions to the tornado shelter. Parting a Minnesota from a scandinavian dinner can get ugly and it was only with the utmost assurances by IKEA employees bordering on a sacred vow that our food would be there when we returned, that we reluctantly shoved ourselves from our tables.  However, the more skeptical and brazen among us brought their food with them anyway. 

Like troopers, and Garrison Keillor can probably affirm that Minnesotans at one time in their young lives were either girl scouts or boy scouts, we followed their  orders and were herded through a blocked out path created by the employees to the "shelter."   We soon found out  there were more of us than the shelter could hold and so it was children and pregnant women first.  By choice,  the rest of us stood outside the shelter area hoping that nothing would happen since we were standing next to the warehouse shelves with stacked inventory including boards, furniture, and anything that could become a projectile.  One customer asked if a couch fell on her, would they give it to her for free?   Now there’s the heart of a true bargain hunter!

The employees mentioned that this is about the third time that this situation had occurred since IKEA’s Minnesota store opening and the other times involved employees only.  They may have to revamp emergency preparations should  this happen when the store is filled with customers.  As mentioned before, the weather and time of day had kept the number of customers down, but still there were too many to provide adequate shelter for.  After the "all clear,"  we returned to our cooled dinners, but were treated to cookies and chocolate–see, IKEA knows sweets and chocolate cure everything –even eating a cold meal. 

Notwithstanding all the excitement, MDM recommenced her shopping, briefly interrupted,  and noticed that IKEA had just received a new shipment of bamboo plants from $1.99-$4.99/each.  Additionally there was a large selection of woven scatter rugs for $1.99 and the "As Is" section had a number of furniture pieces, lighting, rugs, drapes and slipcovers.  Also, for the DIYer many furniture parts were available anything from computer tops, glass cabinet doors, to shelving. 

Now is the time to pick-up the new free  IKEA  2008 catalog, or wish book as we call it .

It was an eventful day and all MDM can say about it is Uffda!

Well, MDM is succumbing to the shopping network hype, the store decorations, and the leaves changing colors–the first day of Fall and the coming of Halloween.  Although, this year the first day of Fall traditionally determined by the Fall Equinox is  September 23 and Halloween, of course, is October 31st., nonetheless, pumpkin season is upon us.  To commemorate this event and for all of us who are pumpkin-carving challenged,  Pumpkin Carving World offers 10 FREE stencils to make your pumpkin the envy of the neighborhood, and to let your pumpkin personality shine through.  Just register and they will send you printable stencils to download. 

Carving Pumpkins–Great Family Fun!