The Bird Feeder Where Every Bird Finds His Perfect Perch

(AND EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO BUILD IT)

We have all seen the garden bird feeders that get hung by a black rod iron pole.

It is functional, but not particularly eye catching or attractive. Furthermore, if there are a lot of birds in your area, all of them have to compete for a roost.





As many of her family and friends are aware, Meri in Walla Walla created a practical, attractive and organic solution that resulted in, what I think to be, the most beautiful bird feeder I've ever seen:

This has been a labor of love, crafted from the branches of her generous, ever-producing curly willow in her yard.

A few more images:

Thank you, Meri, for allowing me to post this and also for allowing me to cut my own curly willow branches as a souvenir!

Girl and Horse Acrylic Painting

I am that girl who always dreamed of being around horses and that hasn't changed into adulthood. Last year I was playing a lot with acrylics and this appeared on the canvas. Thought I'd share...

Bengal Cat: The Animal Versus the Window Washer

We had our first (and probably only) window washer clean the windows of our apartment today, and the Animal was pretty disturbed to see a person hanging outside our six-story window.

Trevor and I love natural light and rarely draw the living room blinds, so she knew something was about to happen and, curious as always, had to get a closer look.

Her first suspicion that something entirely new was going to rock her world occurred when the foot appeared outside the window...

... Followed by a bucket and some legs...

 

And then she started to become really alarmed! 

Always the curious one, she leaned in for a closer look...

 

By now the cat was meowing like crazy!!

The window washer was bemused.

Eat: Recipe of the Week - Marvelous Meatloaf

05 June 2010

A loaf of meat.

It doesn't sound very appealing, especially if it elicits memories of an overcooked, dry hunk of ground beef  swimming in gravy.

I came across this delicious and SIMPLE "marvelous meatloaf" recipe in Home Hacks on Apartment Therapy. The reason why I knew it was great on sight is because it's wrapped in bacon.

Not you're average loaf of meat.



I've posted some pictures of the process, and I'll let you visit the site yourself for the recipe:

This recipe is not only a tasty rendition on a classic dish, but it's practical, too:

After you've packed and wrapped the meet in the tupperware, instead of dumping it in it's new form on parchment paper, simply add a lid and put in the freezer until the day you feel like meatloaf for dinner- then just thaw in the fridge while you're at work and Voila!

Project: To Build a Table (another one)

After my first experience with building a workbench/table, I've refined my needs and tastes and am now brainstorming several other ideas.

I've come across my new favorite blog, Knock-Off Wood, that's all about Ana White and her endeavors to create furniture and supply free plans. It is seriously cool.


Perusing her site gave me a couple of great ideas, one of which is a "knock off" of her secret-storage desk:






However, I want the table to be modern & sleek and huge. I'm not sure yet if I'll endeavor to create "secret storage" like the desk above, but I'd like to create an industrial hybrid of Ane White's desk with this kitchen storage (I think the old file cabinets not only look cool but they make for incredibly dynamic, flexible, rolling storage!):

A quick sketch resulted in the following:

(Like I said, it's a SKETCH only)

Not sure of the dimensions yet.

I'll also probably buy some industrial stools- I've always loved the style of Tolix and found some similar stools- the Tabouret on Overstock.com that are closer to my budget:

* I'll post my progress once it gets up and running *



I also found these links to other people's projects that are pretty cool:

Marybicycles

Last Night Of Your Life (LNOYL)

 

Project: Platform Bed With Storage

This DIY platform bed has storage and is a cool solution to partition the sleeping space of a studio or loft, and DEFINITELY my next project:

INITIALS MARQEE

I found this on The Maiden Metallurgist, and I have to say, it's totally nifty. (What isn't fun about oversized, home wall decor that just happens to be your initials?)

RETAIL versus DIY MARQUEE ON THE CHEAP:

Urban Outfitters - $178  (!@%*!)

The Maiden Metallurgist - $18

   
Need I say more?

Bengal Cat : Breeders in Seattle, WA

Ever since Matsu (a.k.a. The Animal) came into our lives, I've become a HUGE fan of Bengal cats.

While searching for a little cat, I had trouble at first finding a reputable breeder. I've therefore compiled a list of the local breeders in the Seattle and surrounding area:


SNOWYSPOTS BENGALS Monroe, WA
Matsu was born here and I can't say enough great things about Julie and Darrin. The cats are raised underfoot and are very well behaved and socialized.
BENGAL FLATS OF WASHINGTON
EPSILON BENGALS - Matsu's sire lives here! 
DREAMQUEST BENGALS

WHIDBEY BENGALS

DADAELIS BENGALS

ABSOLUTELY OF WASHINGTON
TOUGH AND MIGHTY BENGALS
AVANTI BENGALS OF WASHINGTON
ENCORE BENGALS OF WASHINGTON
BELLA BENGALS OF WASHINGTON
JAVAJUNGLE BENGALS OF WASHINGTON 

 (Assembled from www.bengalcats.com)

I also recommend looking into the Bengal Rescue Network as well as local purebred rescue shelters such as CPR in the Pacific Northwest.

Finally, PLEASE crosscheck your potential bengal source with The International Bengal Cat Society's Disciplinary List. This list provides information about breeders who have been suspended or banned from TIBCS due to negligence or dubious business practices.

Project: Renter's Indoor Bike Rack

Floor-to-Ceiling, MOVEABLE Bike Storage Using Tension -   An EXCELLENT and INEXPENSIVE Small Space Solution.

I’ve lived in the city for a while and 2 bikes have already “disappeared” from their racks outside. I love the idea of storing my bikes in the apartment, but then there is the frustration of having to climb over bikes if you’re trying to get to the bathroom or get the milk out of the fridge (I *might* be exaggerating, but you get the point). The options for storing bikes off the floor aren’t many when you are renting. Here were my requirements for bike storage indoors:
- No holes in the wall or ceiling
- Capacity to store two bikes off the ground
- A system that is tall enough for 11′ ceilings
- Minimal cost – no more than $50 – $60.
- STURDY
- Not ugly. seriously.

REI and Amazon.com sell nice, sleek bike racks like what I’m looking for, but nothing fit my style/utility/price criteria.

I concluded that I’d have to “invent” my own. I researched how to join pipes to create a sturdy tension rod, and researched various methods for securing “racks”. But then I found an inexpensive DIY solution on one of my FAVORITE sites, Ikea Hacker:

http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/2008/02/stolmen-bike-rack.html

Thank you, Michael, for posting your bike rack solution!

Thus, I spent a weekend collecting the materials, cutting pipe, and assembling. With the help of my lovely boyfriend to mount the bikes…..

VOILA!

Cost: 

Square Aluminum Pipe- $10 (Home Depot)

1 Ikea-Stolmen Tension Rod – $15 (from Craigslist)

4 Ikea-Stolmen hooks – $4 (Ikea)

2 Ikea-Stolmen attachments – $5 (Craigslist again)

6 2″ Bolts & nuts – $2 (Home Depot)

Total: $36.00

Project: Build a Planter - Save Money

Since planter boxes always seem to be not quite the dimensions I want for not quite the price I want to spend, I decided to get creative and build my own.

I have the joy of living a walk away from the Re-Store ( see the site for more info, http://www.re-store.org/index.php , it’s gorgeous) and after some creative exploration and some great planning help from Jeremy the Re-Store guy, I found some treated cedar siding, 0.5′ x 6′ long, for under $1 a piece. Hallelujah!


I wanted my planter to be 1′ tall by 6′ long, so I hammered metal “panel-things” (I have no clue what they’re called by actual handymen) to connect the boards so that they were two boards’-width, i.e. one foot, high.
Enough chat, here are pics of the final, although plant-less, product. I think you’ll get the idea:

(Do you see what I mean when I say call them metal “panel things”?)

Perhaps the planter isn’t perfect, but it’s perfect for my purpose. And I don’t think the plants will mind…

Also, I’d like to give a shout-out to my dad and Trevor for helping me with the tedious and LOUD hammering of those pesky metal panels!

I’ll update these pictures once greenery gets planted.

Bengal Cat : The Animal, An Update

The Animal has really settled into our lifestyle. She pads around the apartment with us and is always eager to help in so many ways….

For example, she helps unload groceries after grocery shopping:

She oversees the prep-work for cooking:

She’s full of advice about doing the laundry:

She wants to help, not only around the house, but with bill-paying and filing:

Much to our chagrin, she even has a hand in our cleaning and grooming!

Yikes!

Cat Tree Alternatives

Ugly Cat Trees (no offense, cat-tree builders)

 


The Animal loves her ugly little carpeted cat tree (donated by my dad, who was very eager to get it out of his house I might add). I want something for our wonderful kitty to climb and jump and scratch all over, but most cat trees seem like they are simply elevated beds that are always in the way of things. I decided to do a little research….




Two favorites are the HOLLYWOOD FRANKLIN Cat Tower and the HICAT Cat Climber:

Hollywood Franklin

The Appeal:

- Floor-to-ceiling tension (so no worrying about the thing toppling over or needing to find space for a massive base for the tree)

- They both look like an industrial take on something that one would find in NATURE. The Hollywood Franklin looks like a mod tree- perhaps a Ginko. I almost expect the “leaves” to turn bright yellow in the fall. The Hicat looks like one massive tree trunk that you  decided to build your house around instead of chopping down one more tree in the world, and I imagine your cat feels similarly.

- In short: they ain’t BUTT-ugly.

http://hicat.co.uk/

And of course, great things typically have their disillusionments as well:

- PRICE!

In order to purchase a truly functional Hollywood Franklin, I’d have to buy two “Pack A’s” (approx $77/ea) and one or two “Pack B’s” (approx $55/each). So in the end, I’m spending well over $200.00, which I’m just not interested in.

The Hicat, unfortunately, isn’t sold in the US- only in the UK & possibly the EU. If you’re lucky enough to have someone in the UK who will let you use their address for shipping, and then send it over to SEATTLE (where I am), the price- NOT including the eventual international shipping, amounts to about somewhere around 82 – 224… Great Britain Pounds, of course.

So how can somebody with a humble wallet such as mine POSSIBLY get there hands on an attractive, useful cat tree?? Is it the ultimate fate of our kind that we must resort to the hideous, carpeted monstrosities that represent most cat trees under $100? Must we sacrifice for the pleasure of our cats? Can there be NO COMPROMISE?!

This blog entry represents my personal determination to find something budget-friendly, useful, and above all attractive (or at least “artful”), and it is a call to all other do-it-yourselfer’s who detest turning to their wallets, checkbooks and CC’s as the ultimate solutions to these problems. PLEASE comment with any ideas!
Thus far, I’m thinking of seeking donations of emptied carpet rolls from carpet warehouses and Craigslisting sisal rugs….