Tina over at Traveling Mama just opened an Etsy shop were 100% of the profits go to help a school in Morocco - yeah, 100% - I was impressed, too! Setting up a shop, especially as an ex-pat generating income abroad and all the tax hassles - well, it's no small feat. So when I saw that 100% of the profits of her new Etsy shop where getting donated, I sat up a little straighter.
To kick off the grand opening of her shop she hosted lots of giveaways on her blog - one of which was this pair of Morraccan slippers - which I won! I think the last time I actually won anything was back when I was a kid on a long family road trip. We were making another bathroom/gas stop and the minivan was jammed with vacation stuff. I walked into was apparently the grand opening of the gas station store and happened to draw the winning number for a giant, blown-up Ruffles potato chips swim raft! Everybody in the store thought it was so cool and they made me take it. I was horrified and remember standing with it outside on the other side of the van trying in vain to squeeze the air out of the raft before my parents saw me/it - my dad had just been saying "No more buying stuff! I mean it! There's no more room in this van!" - so I was relieved when my dad came around the van and burst into laughter when he heard the story - he probably saw a panicked me saying, "I didn't buy it - I won it and they made me take it!".
I'll gladly take these slippers! In Germany, when you visit friends, even for an evening, many people bring their own slippers or extra socks. I don't really have a great portable pair yet, so these will be my visiting hausschuhe!
To get your own, available in a rainbow of colors, or to see some other fun things for sale to support a Morrocan school, head on over to the Traveling Mama Etsy shop!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Free Printables for Jams and Cans
I meant to share these cute labels earlier, but forgot.
If you need labels for jams, marmalades, or pickled cukes, peppers, etc. check out the free pdfs from German magazine Brigitte. Be sure to click to their page 2 for more!
Totally cute!
Happy weekend!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Ninainvorm Inspires
The bunting just kills me!
The bird and dots are so cheery - and in my favorite colors!
*pictures from Nina's blogHer home was just featured in two magazines - and it's inspiring enough on it's own. As you can see on my Etsy favorites, she's topped my list just now. If I were one of those big-budget people I'd be in danger of dropping a couple hundred in her shop, but, until that day arrives, I'll have to settle for window shopping.
Just looking at her stuff has got my wheels turning for some little Nina-inspired creations in my own home! Really! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Jam Jar Pendant Lamp Tutorial (sorta)
We succeeded in our efforts with the jam jar lights that I'd been dreaming of earlier. I have to say this was my idea, Stefan's manpower, and some know-how contributed by a friend with electrical training (thanks Eric!). We think they're pretty cute in the kitchen.
This was a good summer vacation project as it didn't require much money (the most expensive things were the energy-saver bulbs), but it did require a LOT of time. This was due to our inexperience, even though we did work visually from the links in this post. Things you'll need:
IMPORTANT: because the bulb is essentially encased in a thick glass jar and lid, there is no way for the heat generated to escape. This is why energy saver bulbs are essential. They generate far less heat than a regular bulb. You wouldn't want a jar shattering everywhere!
We first used our wire cutter to cut the large center hole in the jar lid. This will be where our bulb and it's connector will go through. Our bulb connector had two rings you could tighten on either side of the lid. Some will just be bigger on the inside of the jar to keep the jar/shade from falling off the bulb.
We then used an awl to punch ventilation holes in the lid. This was deemed optional, but we wanted to be extra safe. Because the lamps hang so far from the ceiling to be near the table, we don't see a ring of speckled lights on the ceiling (which I was actually hoping for, but whatever).
Now it gets a little tricky. There's some stuff going on inside the bulb connector's casing to get the white raw cable connected. I didn't get a picture of that. We had this explained to us by the salesperson in the hardware store. I didn't understand the technical German. She apparently forgot to sell us one piece, so when it didn't work, our friend, Eric, told us what to get. So you're on your own for this part.
Because we had 3 lamps (1 wasn't bright enough and 2 looked stupid somehow), we had to get them connected to meet the one connection point in the ceiling. This is where you need the electrician's cable cutters to shave off the casing of your raw cable and connect the insides to a sharing box that is then connected to the ceiling lines. Before you connect everybody, first slide the decorative cover on, then slide on cable hook holder thingies (see picture) to each pendant's cable. Screw a little hook into the ceiling right where you want your pendants to hang from. The hook will carry the weight of your pendants. Slide the cover up over all the hook and electrical gadgetry and you're finished!
We had to cut a wider hole in the bigger decorative cover to accommodate the three pendant cables. You'll notice we actually have 2 covers on the ceiling. This was because our ceiling connection wasn't centered over our table. The little cover just has the basic ceiling connection in it. The bigger one is to hold all the other stuff from 3 pendant cables, hook, etc.
The only thing I don't like about our project is that the energy saver bulbs cast a blue-ish light when it's dark out and we don't have enough natural light to counterbalance. I'm not sure if bulbs are made that don't do that, but if so, we don't have them in our area of Germany. I suppose you could paint the jars with a thin coat of paint to offset this, but it doesn't bother us that much. I would also wonder about any off-gassing of paint that close to a heat source.
This was a good summer vacation project as it didn't require much money (the most expensive things were the energy-saver bulbs), but it did require a LOT of time. This was due to our inexperience, even though we did work visually from the links in this post. Things you'll need:- access to the fuse box for the socket you're working in so you can shut off the power when you fiddle. The light switch alone is not enough. 220 or 120 volts is nothing to mess with.
- jars with lids that screw tight
- energy saver bulbs that will fit inside said jars
- awl
- wire cutter
- electrician's screwdriver
- electrician's cable cutters/splicers
- raw cable
- bulb connectors*
- ceiling hook
- cable hook thingies*
- electrical connector pieces*
- decorative casing(s) for the ceiling
IMPORTANT: because the bulb is essentially encased in a thick glass jar and lid, there is no way for the heat generated to escape. This is why energy saver bulbs are essential. They generate far less heat than a regular bulb. You wouldn't want a jar shattering everywhere!
We first used our wire cutter to cut the large center hole in the jar lid. This will be where our bulb and it's connector will go through. Our bulb connector had two rings you could tighten on either side of the lid. Some will just be bigger on the inside of the jar to keep the jar/shade from falling off the bulb.
We then used an awl to punch ventilation holes in the lid. This was deemed optional, but we wanted to be extra safe. Because the lamps hang so far from the ceiling to be near the table, we don't see a ring of speckled lights on the ceiling (which I was actually hoping for, but whatever).
Now it gets a little tricky. There's some stuff going on inside the bulb connector's casing to get the white raw cable connected. I didn't get a picture of that. We had this explained to us by the salesperson in the hardware store. I didn't understand the technical German. She apparently forgot to sell us one piece, so when it didn't work, our friend, Eric, told us what to get. So you're on your own for this part.
Because we had 3 lamps (1 wasn't bright enough and 2 looked stupid somehow), we had to get them connected to meet the one connection point in the ceiling. This is where you need the electrician's cable cutters to shave off the casing of your raw cable and connect the insides to a sharing box that is then connected to the ceiling lines. Before you connect everybody, first slide the decorative cover on, then slide on cable hook holder thingies (see picture) to each pendant's cable. Screw a little hook into the ceiling right where you want your pendants to hang from. The hook will carry the weight of your pendants. Slide the cover up over all the hook and electrical gadgetry and you're finished!
We had to cut a wider hole in the bigger decorative cover to accommodate the three pendant cables. You'll notice we actually have 2 covers on the ceiling. This was because our ceiling connection wasn't centered over our table. The little cover just has the basic ceiling connection in it. The bigger one is to hold all the other stuff from 3 pendant cables, hook, etc.The only thing I don't like about our project is that the energy saver bulbs cast a blue-ish light when it's dark out and we don't have enough natural light to counterbalance. I'm not sure if bulbs are made that don't do that, but if so, we don't have them in our area of Germany. I suppose you could paint the jars with a thin coat of paint to offset this, but it doesn't bother us that much. I would also wonder about any off-gassing of paint that close to a heat source.
Now to get a real cushion on the bench and some art on the walls!
PS: If you like the look but don't want to do it yourself, you can buy them here, starting at 45- Euro each. Pendants like mine start at 72- Euro each. So mine is worth 216- Euro, yet...not! DIY rocks!
PPS: Here's a better photo as of April 2013:
PPS: Here's a better photo as of April 2013:
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Sew fun!
Last week I received a sewing machine for my birthday - so exciting!! There are so many things I've wanted to do, but because I had no sewing machine, couldn't. So now I'm really looking forward to getting into the sewing groove.
The last time I really sewed anything was in the early 1990's when I was in 7th grade Home Ec. For some reason my teacher approved my dorky idea to sew a jumper. All the other girls were making scrunchies and boxer shorts (back then it was cool in CA for girls to wear guys boxer shorts as shorts, go figure) - easy projects. I ended up getting a C+ because my hem was totally asymmetrical and the gathers were wadded up in clumps along the waistband. After that, I was done with sewing. But starting 4 years ago things like Amy Butler stuff, and Joel Dewberry fabric, and people making cool stuff like this, this, and this were crossing my radar and making me reconsider.
So I found this 1981 Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing book (this book is a post in itself, what a riot!) in a giveaway pile before we left the US and swore I'd learn to sew when we moved to Germany. Two years later I finally have a machine! I'm done with jumpers - in more ways than one - and knew I needed to start with something simple. So I used a free pattern online from Spool, available here, to make a sewing machine cozy. (I considered this cover, but was scared of the curve at the top. In hindsight, it probably would have been much easier with far fewer ratty/clumpy seams!)
My beginner-ness is apparent.
The seams inside look like Frankenstein's face,
the corners are far from perfect:
and upon close examination of the bottom hem you think, 'Bastelproject' (craft project, kiddie style).
BUT Ich habe es selbst gemacht! I did it myself!
Thankfully the machine's instructions were in both English and German. But the illustrations were pretty crummy and a few times I panicked knowing that if I couldn't figure it out with my recollections of 7th grade Home Ec or the 1981 Reader's Digest guide, I was going to have to wait a week to hunt down somebody who could explain it to me. Stefan could read the German, but he'd be even more clueless than me!
In the process of doing this project I was reminded that I need to go out and buy a few more basic sewing supplies. I did this project with just scissors, a few straight pins I found, and a measuring tape. Thankfully I had a few spools of thread lying around. I had to do all my markings using a regular pencil and holding the measuring tape against the fabric! I could've waited, but I REALLY wanted to do a project right away! =)
However, all's well that ends well here in the land of novice sewers. No more off-gassing PVC plastic cover for my sewing machine! I channeled Scarlett O'Hara and the Sound of Music and used curtain remnants to make a machine cozy that matches the rug in my office.
I'm looking forward to more projects. I'm trying to keep it simple and do things that aren't complicated or involve too many directions. I figure if I can accomplish a bunch of simple things it will encourage me to keep going and eventually try more difficult things. Yay!
The last time I really sewed anything was in the early 1990's when I was in 7th grade Home Ec. For some reason my teacher approved my dorky idea to sew a jumper. All the other girls were making scrunchies and boxer shorts (back then it was cool in CA for girls to wear guys boxer shorts as shorts, go figure) - easy projects. I ended up getting a C+ because my hem was totally asymmetrical and the gathers were wadded up in clumps along the waistband. After that, I was done with sewing. But starting 4 years ago things like Amy Butler stuff, and Joel Dewberry fabric, and people making cool stuff like this, this, and this were crossing my radar and making me reconsider.
So I found this 1981 Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing book (this book is a post in itself, what a riot!) in a giveaway pile before we left the US and swore I'd learn to sew when we moved to Germany. Two years later I finally have a machine! I'm done with jumpers - in more ways than one - and knew I needed to start with something simple. So I used a free pattern online from Spool, available here, to make a sewing machine cozy. (I considered this cover, but was scared of the curve at the top. In hindsight, it probably would have been much easier with far fewer ratty/clumpy seams!)
My beginner-ness is apparent.The seams inside look like Frankenstein's face,
the corners are far from perfect:
and upon close examination of the bottom hem you think, 'Bastelproject' (craft project, kiddie style).BUT Ich habe es selbst gemacht! I did it myself!
Thankfully the machine's instructions were in both English and German. But the illustrations were pretty crummy and a few times I panicked knowing that if I couldn't figure it out with my recollections of 7th grade Home Ec or the 1981 Reader's Digest guide, I was going to have to wait a week to hunt down somebody who could explain it to me. Stefan could read the German, but he'd be even more clueless than me!
In the process of doing this project I was reminded that I need to go out and buy a few more basic sewing supplies. I did this project with just scissors, a few straight pins I found, and a measuring tape. Thankfully I had a few spools of thread lying around. I had to do all my markings using a regular pencil and holding the measuring tape against the fabric! I could've waited, but I REALLY wanted to do a project right away! =)However, all's well that ends well here in the land of novice sewers. No more off-gassing PVC plastic cover for my sewing machine! I channeled Scarlett O'Hara and the Sound of Music and used curtain remnants to make a machine cozy that matches the rug in my office.
I'm looking forward to more projects. I'm trying to keep it simple and do things that aren't complicated or involve too many directions. I figure if I can accomplish a bunch of simple things it will encourage me to keep going and eventually try more difficult things. Yay!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Balcony Bliss
There are so many things we want to do with our balcony, but the first thing to do was clean it. It looked like it hadn't been used/cleaned in years, so there was some serious scrubbing to be done. Too bad I don't have a 'before' picture, because it really is gleaming now!
We've attempted to eat several meals out here (combating wasps is next on our agenda), read several hundred pages, had phone conversations, and even a pedicure has already happened on our newly cleaned balcony! I'm even tempted to do a sleep-out night like this now that I know it's actually had a deep clean...
This winter we plan to hang a bird feeder in the tree tops just past the railing. We might even put up the flower boxes along the railing and plant some hardy winter plants. Realistically, I think the flower boxes won't happen until next spring.
Meanwhile we'll just enjoy our collection of dahlias on the windowsill, courtesy of our downstairs neighbor's garden.
We've attempted to eat several meals out here (combating wasps is next on our agenda), read several hundred pages, had phone conversations, and even a pedicure has already happened on our newly cleaned balcony! I'm even tempted to do a sleep-out night like this now that I know it's actually had a deep clean...
This winter we plan to hang a bird feeder in the tree tops just past the railing. We might even put up the flower boxes along the railing and plant some hardy winter plants. Realistically, I think the flower boxes won't happen until next spring.
Meanwhile we'll just enjoy our collection of dahlias on the windowsill, courtesy of our downstairs neighbor's garden.Monday, August 17, 2009
End tables: Take 2
I can't believe only 8 weeks ago we were not living in this apartment yet. We have done a LOT in 8 weeks! I've been too busy to even blog the progress, but for now: We got rid of our lame DIY end tables and have these guys.
I like how there's not a lot of visual bulk to them and how there's a shelf below to stash books and magazines (thereby creating visual bulk...ahem).
Health Insurance in Germany: our experience
I don't want to go on forever about this but it's a hot topic lately, and it pertains to feeling at home in Germany. I want to say that in terms of our health care/insurance here, I'm pretty happy. Reading this prompted me to say my piece. (broad brushstrokes here, mind you)
Health insurance in Germany is NOT socialized. Germans get upset with that term as they do not want to be a 'socialist' country. The German government also does not pay for citizen/resident health insurance, they just make it illegal for somebody not to have insurance of their own, through a privately run company. The government has also stated the minimum requirements of a health plan and how much it can cost based on a person's income. This guy's post talks a little bit more about how that works.
We're an exception to his statements in that Stefan is a government employee who's position allows us to qualify for the "privat" insurance even though we're not fantastically rich or self-employed. Privat sounds like "private", but it's a false friend for English speakers in that all insurance here is private, it's just that "privat" means you can get a whole lot more in one policy than the 'basic' government required plan (used lightly here b/c 'basic' actually covers a TON over here). A lot of people get the basic type of plan (give or take a few small things) and will get an additional extra policy to upgrade a few things. (Stefan's mother does this.)
Our privat insurance is such that the government pays 45% of almost all of our medical costs. We then get a policy to cover the remaining 55% plus the few small things the government doesn't cover. If and when we have kids, the government will cover a bit more and the insurance company a bit less. Again, this is only because my husband is a government employee. Otherwise it would all be covered under a private company's policy.
All things considered, the coverage I have right now is probably the best I have ever, or will ever, have. Absolutely everything is covered and we have no co-payments. If I had a rare disease and the only treatment available was in Timbuktu, my insurance would pay for that treatment and my transportation to and from Timbuktu. That's pretty nuts. We're also not paying a fortune for it.
I had a short hospital stay last year and - while clean, professional and friendly - it just wasn't what I was used to from my days in the US. There were no privacy curtains, it wasn't as modern looking as US hospitals I'd seen, the food all seemed like it came from a can, and it seemed like just anybody could walk in and out of the place. We were satisfied with the care and pleased with the demeanor of the staff, it was just different than I expected. This may not be the case of every German hospital, but it seems to be commonly accepted practice here. I suppose if this were to be true across Germany, a more no-frills approach to hospitals would make their bills lower.
I also know some presecriptions can be expensive and tricky to get approval for. That's a downside. It's also bad that when I walk into a doctor's office and tell them I'm a "privat" insured patient I can count on getting an appointment faster than if I weren't. Doctors can charge privat patients more, but the patient doesn't really care too much because their insurance pays all of it. There are fine points to all of this, but overall, it's not a perfect system, but it does work pretty doggone well.
So that's a short-ish version of my health care experience in Germany. As far as other experiences: when living in Denmark 18 years ago we saw doctors based on our address and it was covered by the government. We didn't really like the care we got there. Maybe it's different now? England: I've yet to meet an English resident who loved the NHS. I'm actually scared to live there if I only had the NHS to rely on for my health care. Canada: long lines, long waits, quotas, etc. I hate how ridiculous it is for my grandmother to get fast care without my aunt there to advocate for her. My uncle left Canada to practice plastic surgery in the States so he could function on his terms and not the government's. He actually only wants to do reconstructive work for injured and abused patients or those born with birth defects - he wasn't allowed to do JUST that in Canada thanks to quotas. Go figure.
I would like it if the US government would get involved in some way, even if it's just a start. Obviously no idea is perfect, but neither is ignoring a huge problem. I had nearly a year of no insurance in the States and it was scary. So many developed countries around the world have had the government step into the health care fray and either completely control it or just make regulations about it - I think there are plenty of examples to learn the pros and cons from and think to just do nothing is really stupid.
That's my two cents.
Health insurance in Germany is NOT socialized. Germans get upset with that term as they do not want to be a 'socialist' country. The German government also does not pay for citizen/resident health insurance, they just make it illegal for somebody not to have insurance of their own, through a privately run company. The government has also stated the minimum requirements of a health plan and how much it can cost based on a person's income. This guy's post talks a little bit more about how that works.
We're an exception to his statements in that Stefan is a government employee who's position allows us to qualify for the "privat" insurance even though we're not fantastically rich or self-employed. Privat sounds like "private", but it's a false friend for English speakers in that all insurance here is private, it's just that "privat" means you can get a whole lot more in one policy than the 'basic' government required plan (used lightly here b/c 'basic' actually covers a TON over here). A lot of people get the basic type of plan (give or take a few small things) and will get an additional extra policy to upgrade a few things. (Stefan's mother does this.)
Our privat insurance is such that the government pays 45% of almost all of our medical costs. We then get a policy to cover the remaining 55% plus the few small things the government doesn't cover. If and when we have kids, the government will cover a bit more and the insurance company a bit less. Again, this is only because my husband is a government employee. Otherwise it would all be covered under a private company's policy.
All things considered, the coverage I have right now is probably the best I have ever, or will ever, have. Absolutely everything is covered and we have no co-payments. If I had a rare disease and the only treatment available was in Timbuktu, my insurance would pay for that treatment and my transportation to and from Timbuktu. That's pretty nuts. We're also not paying a fortune for it.
I had a short hospital stay last year and - while clean, professional and friendly - it just wasn't what I was used to from my days in the US. There were no privacy curtains, it wasn't as modern looking as US hospitals I'd seen, the food all seemed like it came from a can, and it seemed like just anybody could walk in and out of the place. We were satisfied with the care and pleased with the demeanor of the staff, it was just different than I expected. This may not be the case of every German hospital, but it seems to be commonly accepted practice here. I suppose if this were to be true across Germany, a more no-frills approach to hospitals would make their bills lower.
I also know some presecriptions can be expensive and tricky to get approval for. That's a downside. It's also bad that when I walk into a doctor's office and tell them I'm a "privat" insured patient I can count on getting an appointment faster than if I weren't. Doctors can charge privat patients more, but the patient doesn't really care too much because their insurance pays all of it. There are fine points to all of this, but overall, it's not a perfect system, but it does work pretty doggone well.
So that's a short-ish version of my health care experience in Germany. As far as other experiences: when living in Denmark 18 years ago we saw doctors based on our address and it was covered by the government. We didn't really like the care we got there. Maybe it's different now? England: I've yet to meet an English resident who loved the NHS. I'm actually scared to live there if I only had the NHS to rely on for my health care. Canada: long lines, long waits, quotas, etc. I hate how ridiculous it is for my grandmother to get fast care without my aunt there to advocate for her. My uncle left Canada to practice plastic surgery in the States so he could function on his terms and not the government's. He actually only wants to do reconstructive work for injured and abused patients or those born with birth defects - he wasn't allowed to do JUST that in Canada thanks to quotas. Go figure.
I would like it if the US government would get involved in some way, even if it's just a start. Obviously no idea is perfect, but neither is ignoring a huge problem. I had nearly a year of no insurance in the States and it was scary. So many developed countries around the world have had the government step into the health care fray and either completely control it or just make regulations about it - I think there are plenty of examples to learn the pros and cons from and think to just do nothing is really stupid.
That's my two cents.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
what's cookin' in the kitchen? Pt 2
I love my new kitchen. Boy have we come a long way! Last week I was inspired to make some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, so since I didn't have my cookbooks yet unpacked, I propped up the laptop in the kitchen and pulled the KitchenAid off the shelf. Check out all the work space!!
I usually buy my pb at a local Asian market because it's cheaper and more like the all natural style. This time, for some reason, I only had the overpriced imitation pb from the German grocery store. It tasted kinda Crisco-esque but I wanted those cookies, so I just went with it. They still tasted pretty good, but wow! did it make the dough fluffy! I'm certain it's what contributed to making nearly every cookie break in half on the cooling racks.
By the way - thank you Martha Stewart for the idea of using little curtain tension rods to organize large, flat items. I've added more rods and items since this picture, but suffice to say there is hardly a clang when I have to pull out the right piece!
Never mind that tension rods here are 4 euro + each.... It's part of the pain of organizing. The counter is looking pretty good now:
but now it's even better since Stefan finally got around to installing the under-counter lights we'd purchased.
Our knives are finally out of the drawer and neatly organized. Did you most knives aren't dulled from chopping, but from improper storage (ie banging against stuff in the drawers)? I'm also happy that they're out of reach of the little people that visit us from time to time.
Yep, we're pretty happy with the kitchen. All the hard work is paying off and it feels good to enjoy the results! We're hoping to get my jam jar lamp thing finished - we tried this weekend, but ran into a few hiccups, so once we talk to our electrician buddy we hope to get that finished this week! Stay tuned!
I usually buy my pb at a local Asian market because it's cheaper and more like the all natural style. This time, for some reason, I only had the overpriced imitation pb from the German grocery store. It tasted kinda Crisco-esque but I wanted those cookies, so I just went with it. They still tasted pretty good, but wow! did it make the dough fluffy! I'm certain it's what contributed to making nearly every cookie break in half on the cooling racks.
By the way - thank you Martha Stewart for the idea of using little curtain tension rods to organize large, flat items. I've added more rods and items since this picture, but suffice to say there is hardly a clang when I have to pull out the right piece!
Never mind that tension rods here are 4 euro + each.... It's part of the pain of organizing. The counter is looking pretty good now:
but now it's even better since Stefan finally got around to installing the under-counter lights we'd purchased.Um. Hello. That is MY kitchen.
Our knives are finally out of the drawer and neatly organized. Did you most knives aren't dulled from chopping, but from improper storage (ie banging against stuff in the drawers)? I'm also happy that they're out of reach of the little people that visit us from time to time.
Yep, we're pretty happy with the kitchen. All the hard work is paying off and it feels good to enjoy the results! We're hoping to get my jam jar lamp thing finished - we tried this weekend, but ran into a few hiccups, so once we talk to our electrician buddy we hope to get that finished this week! Stay tuned!
Contact, is the answer, is the reason...
Name that TV show. (Americans only, sorry)
I had some leftover contact paper that my parents had sent me for a project at our old apartment (covering hideous 1960's tiles in the old kitchen). I decided to give my little storage room a facelift. Why did my parents send me American contact paper? Because I can't find anything like it here in Germany that isn't covered in permanent adhesive, and we couldn't risk it not coming off the tiles in our old place. Here's our current storage room before:
I didn't expect it to make such a huge difference in my everyday life, but both Stefan and I are pleased with how much more pleasant it looks. It also helps that we put all the empty boxes in the attic and installed some more kitchen baskets.
I had some leftover contact paper that my parents had sent me for a project at our old apartment (covering hideous 1960's tiles in the old kitchen). I decided to give my little storage room a facelift. Why did my parents send me American contact paper? Because I can't find anything like it here in Germany that isn't covered in permanent adhesive, and we couldn't risk it not coming off the tiles in our old place. Here's our current storage room before:
and after:
I didn't expect it to make such a huge difference in my everyday life, but both Stefan and I are pleased with how much more pleasant it looks. It also helps that we put all the empty boxes in the attic and installed some more kitchen baskets.
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