Works for Me Wednesday!

Today is Works for Me Wednesday, hosted here. I'm participating this week with my tip for making those wonderful magic erasers last longer!

I don't know about you, but I am completely ADD when I have one of those wonderful little bits of foam in my hand. I clean and scrub one very grungy area only to notice a spot on the wall or woodwork. Without thinking, I swipe it and leave behind...a most decidedly NOT improved area of my home. The grunge on the exterior of the sponge has created another chore.

One day, after just such an experience I eyed the offending sponge. I just KNEW that there was clean, useable sponge under the grime. So, I grabbed a serrated knife and...


Suspicion confirmed! Look at that lovely, clean interior! I tried just peeling the top layer off to use the interior, but it crumbled in my hand.

So, I decided to cut the larger sponges into smaller ones first.

Worked like a charm, and now I make much better use of this valuable cleaning tool.

Works for me!

I haven't had time to "really" craft,

but this remake of the ugly pullcord on my pull-down attic steps was a welcome change. I'd been wanting to do it for a while.

I replaced the cord with wire on which I'd woven beads I found on clearance at that Wal store. The picture is terrible, but certainly gives the general idea of what I did. There is no way these pics could do the beads justice...or convey to you the fact that my wall and ceiling aren't nearly as dirty as they seem! But here goes...

Want more fantastic ideas? Head on over to W8tng4Him

The Shame of Procrastination

What doesn't work for me? I've just gotten around to doing my first "Works for Me Wednesday" post and the rules are changed? Arrrrrrrrrrrgh! That just goes to show that what doesn't work for me is PROCRASTINATION and my silly, silly highly distractable brain. My life if riddled with it. I think that somehow I got the idea that when I came home full-time those cute little forest animals would give me a hand and keep me on track. Worked for Snow White, right? Okay, well, I must move on with it before I get distracted. Again.

I record "Sewing with Nancy" and several other craft shows- which I watch when the progeny is at his granny's. So I was sitting there watching her be oh-so-industrious when my eyes travelled to the vacant window. An empty decorative rod hung there above stark white mini blinds. The rod used to be occupied by a drape whose color I could just not make myself like. When we finally got a new sofa this year, the color really didn't work. So I took it down, and because I had a picture in my head of how I wanted this particular window to look, I just never got around to doing anything else with it.

You guessed it: until yesterday. I got up off my derriere and put together this treatment below. It looks just like the one in my head. Cost: free! Made from a drape I already had put back and some beautiful ribbon. Luxurious ribbon. Ribbon so soft it feels like water in your hand. Free ribbon. At Christmas 2 years ago my darling hubby got me some wonderful PJs. They came folded and neatly tied with beautiful ribbon. I couldn't bear to throw that ribbon away, so I kept it in my stash - knowing someday we would be reunited. Yesterday was that day!

First, I made a loop of said ribbon and made a bow and extra "tail" as shown here:

Then to attach the tail and bow to the loop:

Which turn out like this

Then to gather the other materials needed, loop the drape through our new ribbon hangers and place on the rod.

Viola! It's simple almost to the point of being stark - but I just love it.