The answer to "Where's your bathroom?"

One of the most asked questions when you have friends or family visiting is "Where's your bathroom?"  You may already have a prepared answer, complete with directions for right and left turns, and the number of doors you'll pass on the way.   Some guests will still play the game, "What's behind door #1?" And "Oops - that's a closet -- where they obviously stashed all their stuff cleaning up for this party." You could always just leave the door open and hope the toilet seat is down.  We simplified this whole process by adding "Powder Room" to the bathroom door.

Easy to apply vinyl lettering, only takes about 2 minutes to install.   Available in black or white, and some custom colors, to fit any decor.  Contact us at askcreativeliving@charter.net for details on how you can get one for your home!  Happy Creating!

Done In A Day: Easy Spice Shelf

I enjoy cooking and have accumulated an entire cabinet of spices - some used often, some purchased for one recipe that I've promised myself to make again someday.  I was recently digging through the stacks of spices crammed haphazardly into the cabinet when one jar came tumbling down and shattered.  "That's it," I muttered, and headed for my workshop in search of a better alternative.  I found some 3/4" scrap shelf board,  2.5" wide, then measured my inside cabinet dimension.

 I cut three 12" long sections to serve as the spice shelves, then cut two sections of 3" for legs to elevate the shelves.  I also cut two sections of  5" and 7" for legs, in order to stagger the height of the shelves and maximize space.







I secured the leg boards to the shelf board with wood screws.

After completing all three shelves, I placed them in the cabinet, tallest in the back, shortest in the front, and organized all my spices on the shelves.  Space underneath the shelves allows for the seldom used spices.  I love my organized spice cabinet, and cooking is enjoyable again!

What to give Mom for Mother's Day?

Wondering what to get Mom for Mother's Day? 

1. Give her your gratitude. Say "Thanks Mom" for the never ending list of stuff she does for you! 

2. Give her TIME -- do the dishes for her, vacuum your own room, pick up the groceries -- anything that will give her own time back to her! 

3. If you feel you need to spend money on her -- give her a GIFT CERTIFICATE for Creative Living Home Design! How many times has she said she'd love for someone to help her pull her home decor together? Our Mother's Day Special - $50 for one hour of home design -- we will use what she already has and give one room a fresh new look! We help with furniture placement, colors, accessories, focal points, and room organization. She'll love the fresh new look, and when Mom's happy, everybody's happy!

Homemade Ice Packs

An Ice Pack is something to keep on hand for when you need it, and inevitably, you or someone in your home will need one.  When I smashed my fingers recently, I searched through the freezer,  found an ice pack shaped like an oreo cookie (for a lunch box), one frozen as solid as a brick, and a third one that had been accidentally cut open, with the contents drained into the freezer drawer.  A lovely retired nurse (named Lynne) suggested I make some homemade ice packs to keep in the freezer.  Find the simple recipe below.

Ingredients and supplies:
2 cups water
1 cup rubbing alcohol
freezer zipper bag, quart size (I used two)

Fill zipper bag with water and rubbing alcohol. Freeze. (I double-bagged to avoid any future spills into the freezer drawer.) The rubbing alcohol keeps the water from freezing solid.  The best ice pack I've ever used!  We even decorated them with polka dots and encouraging words, and a bow, of course!