"Upcycled" Wine Bottles

In keeping with my new desire to talk about ways to be eco-friendly in your daily life, I thought I would share with you a couple amazing examples of upcycling wine bottles.  "Upcycling" is reusing something in a way other than it was first used.  For instance.  If you have a shower curtain, and it's gotten old, and you decide to use it as a drop cloth when painting - that's upcycling.  It's sort of a play on the recycling trend by recycling something for a new purpose instead of putting it in a blue bin or bag.

Today I'd like to focus on a topic that is close to me right now, as I am trying to remove tricky labels... Wine Bottles.  Wine bottles can be used for many things.  We plan on upcycling a few wine bottles as vases in our living room, but here are some of my favorite wine bottle upcycling ideas:

1. Drinkware:

Find these on Esty by following this LINK

These glasses are old wine bottles.  The narrow portion of the bottle is cut and removed & the top is cleaned up for usage.  Most of the people that make the glassware reheat the bottles to give them a smooth edge.  I think it's a great way to reuse the bottles & a great way to use recycled glass for drinkware.  The cobalt blue glass is my favorite.  Check out Etsy for all kinds of these glasses, ones made from beer bottles, liquor bottles, some are etched - great idea!

2. Lighting:

Photo of Jordan & Landon's house from
landonjacob.com - their house was featured
on younghouselove

Ever wonder what people can do with all the tops that they cut off the bottles to make the glasses?  Here is a great photo where they were used to make a light fixture.  The green and yellow bottles are lovely & they are housed with a hand made wooden box.

3. Outdoor Tiki Torches:

Photo Credit & How-To: Link

Here is a super unique way to light your patio without having to mow around tiki torches shoved in the ground.  These old wine bottles get a new life as outdoor torches.  Follow the link  under the photo for the how-to instructions.

4. Wall Mounted Vases:

Photo Credit & How-To: Link

Here is a great way to add a little punch of color to any room without having to buy a new vase, or set anything on the table!  Check out the link under the photo for the How-To.  I like the paint on the wall to tie the table and vases together.

5. Candle Holders:


Photo Credit & How-To: Link

Here is another use for all of those bottle tops!  A grouping of these would look amazing on any one's dining room table as a great centerpiece, or even for a restaurant or winery wedding reception!
There are dozens of ways to use everyday items as something new in our life.  I found at least 10 other things that wine bottles can be used for while searching for these few uses.   I personally love these ideas and think that everyone could use at least one of them in your own home!

"Green-ing" Your Home

I suppose the word "Green" is the most famous buzz word of the past 5 years.  Green your home.  Green your new building.  Green your cleaning products.  We have been inundated with the term, so much so, that people outside of the building profession are familiar with the trend.  I know that I have heard it a billion times in the last five years, and while some trends may be just a money making scheme, there are some real merits to making our living spaces more eco-friendly and sustainable. 

Building and being "green" sometimes involve a tricky conundrum - sometimes something very sustainable is the exact opposite of eco-friendly.. take vinyl siding and windows for example.  Their manufacturing process is AWFUL for the enviornment - it's a petrolium based product, which is a finite natural material - but vinyl siding and windows are extremly low, borderline no, maintenance and will last in any installation for well over 50 years.  So which is the better side of this coin, the fact that vinyl sustainable and low mainenance, or the fact that other products are more eco-friendly and use renewable resources?  I guess that's part of the on-going question and really needs to be looked at on a case by case basis.

I am a LEED AP, so I know a few things about making a building green vs. making a building sustainable.  I know a little about what can make the environment happy, and what can just be bought by spending more money... but regardless, taking care of our planet should be in each of our list of top priorities, so I'd like to add a Eco-Friendly Section to this webpage, as well as address ways to make your home more eco friendly.

I will try to stay away from the popular buzz words, but I do think that there are little changes that we can make to make a difference.

One thing that came to mind when going through old emails the other day, was the use of bamboo.  The particular email was from Crate&Barrel, showcasing some of their bamboo accessories (which I will show some of) but there are lots of ways to use bamboo in your home.

Bamboo is a VERY renewable resource.  It has less than a 10-year regrowth cycle.  In fact it can be harvested every 2-5 years.  And there are dozens of ways to use it in your home.

Accessories (as promised from Crate&Barrel)

Bamboo Wastecan, Scale & Hamper from Crate&Barrel

Cabinets:  Bamboo is being used for making cabinets - kitchen and bathroom cabinets.  They are lightweight, sleek and can be stained in just about any color.  They generally have about the same life span of any other wood cabinet.  There is an expressed bamboo "grain" that is a little unlike regular wood that you can see in the photo below:


Photo Credit: Link

Flooring:  Oringinally when you thought of bamboo flooring you thought of the light wood color, lighter than birch almost, however, now they make bamboo flooring in a variety of colors and stains.  There is some debate on whether the product will hold up to wear as well as other wood materials, but because it's such a new material, I think the jury is still out on this one.

Photo Credit: Link

Photo Credit: Link

Sinks:  I found a couple of different places selling bamboo sinks!  To me it looks a little like a salad bowl, but it's beautiful & could be perfect for your sleek bathroom installation.

Photo Credit: Link

Other Miscellaneous Uses:  Clothing and textiles (bedding, towels, clothes, etc);  alcohol; paint brushes, bicycles, cutting boards, fencing, countertops, kitchen accessories, furniture, and hundreds of other items.  We personally have a bamboo cutting board, baskets & have looked into purchasing bamboo sheets - they are incredibly soft!

Now, there is some controversy with the product, like I mentioned before, there is a conundrum.  While this is a very rapidly renewable product, it does have issues.  Bamboo is not as much of a locally grown product as we would like.  There are a lot of labor, transport & subsequent fuel costs involved in bamboo products, especially flooring.  There are very few, if any recycled materials in the bamboo products that you purchase.  Due to area and low labor costs, most bamboo is grown and harvested in China, where there are social issues involved.  Bamboo harvesting can be devistating to the land itself - where short term planing can cause erosion of the nearby soil.  The plant is also considered somewhat of a "weed" branching off and spreading wildly, which becomes an issue when planted near forests, where it has been taking over.

However there are other positives.  The growing of bamboo does not require pesticides, and is considered organic.  For most products there is a long life cycle on the material.  The material is lightweight and does add a lot of weight to your current structure.

For me, using bamboo is one of those things that I can see being a postivie, where less of our old growth forest are being harvested, less of the large trees are being taken down, which to me is more devistating than transport issues.  But you can make your own call.  I vote thumbs up for bamboo.

How have you used bamboo in your daily life?

Laid Back Weekend

So admittedly, I did nothing over the weekend.  I mean, I cleaned and de-cluttered and did loads of laundry, regular house stuff, but I did nothing creative this weekend... Hopefully this week I will be inspired by the warmer temperatures and sunny weather to get some stuff done!

Photo Credit: Link

So what am I working on?  I am working on cutting and hemming the drapes for the basement.  This would be much easier if I actually had an area of floor that was 6'x9' to spread this thing out, however I don't so I am putting it off because it's a chore.  I did fold them over and hang them up to see how they looked in the basement.  I found a few things out by doing this. 

First review, the canvas is much heavier and denser than I thought it would be.  The weight of the drapes pull the pretty taught wire down a bit, so I'm having to take a little extra room off the bottom so they don't drag.  They are also no where near sheer, so the natural light will be diffused a bit.  I think I can prevent some of this by not pulling them entirely to the far wall, leaving the window exposed to the room.  I suppose when I cut the extra 2-feet of fabric off of them, they will be a bit lighter!  And now I get to start thinking of projects to do with the extra 2-feet of fabric!

We have also started the "yellow-ifying" of the living room.  I purchased a great citron and cream fabric to make new pillows.  I am also debating getting some great fleece in the citron color and mixing it with a cream fleece color to make a bright throw for the room.  I also got some great citron yarn to make flowers from.  It matches the fabric perfectly.  I'd like to get a few lighter weave baskets for the fireplace, to punch up that area, but that will have to wait until I find them on the clearance rack somewhere!

I also started taking labels off the wine bottles that I want to use for the yarn flowers in the living room, but it's such a pain!  So I thought I'd do a little research on the best way to remove pesky labels and share that information with you today.  Sometimes removing the label is as easy as soaking it in soapy water, but what your left with is a sticky mess on the bottle, and when it's the bottle, not the label that you are after, this doesn't help.  Here is some information that I have found on the subject.



Photo Credit: Link


1. The most commonly suggested method is one that I've used many times, some with success, some without.  Fill your sink with warm water.  Add 2-3 drops of dish washing liquid.  Put the bottles in the water and let them fill so that they sink to the bottom.  Leave to soak for 20 minutes.  Some labels will peel off, some won't.  A lot of places suggest using a razor to scrape off the excess.  I suppose I could give this a try, and pray that I don't slice a finger open!  My biggest problem with this is that there is usually sticky adhesive left on the bottle and the dish washing liquid doesn't always dissolve it.  Using this method along with another mentioned below might be the golden ticket!

2. Cooking Oil:  Most people say that saturating it with cooking oil will take the sticky right off.  I thought I had figured it out myself because the label of the olive oil bottle, where saturated with oil peeled right off.  So I tried this method.  I painted on vegetable oil onto each bottle.  I peeled off the loose label, then applied again.  Nothing, this didn't work at all.  I am going to try it one more time with olive oil, and a cotton ball or old rag, which is what some people suggest... we'll see if that works.

3. Fingernail Polish Remover:  This is another product that people suggest using.  Apparently some of this on a cotton ball will take the goo right off.  I haven't tried this yet, but I might get desperate.

4. Goo Gone:  We have some of this in the basement, I suppose I'll try it, but this isn't really sticky adhesive, it's dried glue with bits of label on it, very stubborn, I'm not sure if goo gone will get rid of this mess.

5. Lighter Fluid:  This one was the most surprising to me.  I'm not a fan of using flammable liquids for cleaning purposes, nor do I like using them inside the house, but dozens of people are claiming that this is THE trick to use.  I'm not sure that I will be trying this.. sounds dangerous and smelly!

6. Ammonia:  People claim that if you soak a rag in ammonia and apply it to the label for two hours, it will immediately peel the label right off.  If it's being extra stubborn, you are to reapply the rag for another hour.

7. Hair Dryer:  A lot of people suggest warming up the label with a hair dryer, to re "goo" the adhesive, making it easier to remove.  Hold it 5" away for 15 seconds. Some even suggest filling the bottle with really warm water to achieve the same effect.

8. White Vinegar:  Soak a rag in white vinegar.  Let rag sit on the label for 10 minutes, remove and remove the label.

So as you can see there are a bunch of recommended different ways.  I think that perfect method lays somewhere in-between, and the odds are that different adhesives probably like different methods better.  Regardless, I need to do something to get all of the bottles off of my kitchen counter top.  I'll make another post when the bottles are clean, and let you know what worked for me!

CasaSugar's Weekend DIY

It's Friday & Casa is bringing us a whole new batch of Weekend DIY!
Here is a list of the projects that they have up for this weekend:


Photo & Project HERE


1. DIY Sillouhette Headboard
2. Boot Dripper (photo above)
3. Photo Display
4. Cover and old Lampshade
5. Valentine's Day Matchbook Card
6. Felt Ball Trivet
7. Message in a Bottle Valentine
8. DIY Valentine's Day Cards
9. Turn an old rug into a beautiful block print rug

Check them out for yourself here: Weekend DIY

Grey & White Bedroom

Today I'm going to do a slightly different take on my Inspiration Boards.  I was totally inspired by West Elm's new catalog, and can't rave on enough about one particular bedroom set up.  It made want to literally jump into bed in this bedroom.  It's elegant, modern - using clean line and modern, but classic colors.  It made me want to talk about it, and find ways that you could bring this look into your bedroom today without totally copying it out of the catalog.

Take a look at this bedroom and tell me that you don't love it -

Photo: West Elm

I love that the cool grey color almost seems warm against the stark white room.  But I do think that there are a few things that you could add or substitute to put together this look on a budget.

First you have to start with the grey rosette quilt.  The one that is shown is by West Elm, of course.  It is the ruffled circle quilt & shams.  There is something about the texture of the ruffled rosettes that really draws me to this particular quilt, as I have not always been a fan of quilts.  It looks soft and comfortable while still being totally chic.  Are there substitutes out there, sure, but I would splurge on the real thing - it's worth it.

Next you will want to add a modern, white headboard.  The one that is shown is the Moroccan Headboard by West Elm - but almost any open weave headboard could give the same effect.  I would go with something that is a solid wood, and not a metal headboard, as the wood cutouts offer a sturdy look, while still a glimpse of the wall behind.

Next you will want to pick a light grey color to put on the wall.  Something preferably a few shades lighter than the quilt itself.  It will be a nice "in-between" color to mesh the white and the grey.  Add a bright white trim to keep the contrast.  You could do a very light grey ceiling or keep it white.


Colors: Lily White, Iced Cube Silver, Gray Cloud & Bunny Grey by Benjamin Moore

 You can keep the look crisp and fresh by adding white furniture - dresser, nightstands and even large white framed mirrors on the wall and a standing mirror on the floor.  These accessories will pop against the grey walls.  Add silver pulls to keep with the grey theme.

I like adding other white, grey and silver accessories like different pillows, throws, vases, even figurines to the nightstands.  Mercury glass would also look great here.



Linear Glass Blown Candle Holders - West Elm,
Grey Oblong Leaves & Fieldcrest Luxury Decorative Pillows - Target,
Set of 3 Myah Wall Panels, Target, Rococo 3 Wall Art, Target,
Footed Mercury Hurricane - West Elm

 But what really sets off the whole room is the nice touch of natural accents.  In the photo you will see one basket and a desk lamp, but I think you can add a touch more natural color and still get the great grey and white contrast.  Try a natural floor, or a natural throw.  You could have a bedside chair in a natural tone or a rattan chest.



Organic Ruched Throw & Mongolian Lamb Pillows - West Elm,
Jack Table Lamp - Crate&Barrel, Castela Trunk - Target,
Square Seagrass Storage Basket - Target, Tarkett Oak Flooring - Home Depot

  Put it all together and you have your own modification of this room.  I'm totally in love with grey right now, and wish that we had chosen to paint at least one room this great color.. maybe we'll take another look at the half bath walls before the re-do takes place.

Could you ever do a room almost completely in grey and white?  Personally, I know that I could.

We have lamps!

After what seems like a year long search, we have finally found lamps for our bedroom!  They are perfect.  Let me introduce you to these beauties:

The lamps have a glass bottom, sort of in the shape of an upside-down acorn squash.  The glass is a smoky quartz color.  The shades are a pearly mocha and the accent is silver.

Ignore the mess & the brightly striped sheets - they are our flannel sheets - probably on their last year of life, but really warm, so we sacrifice look for function!  But you can see the edge of the duvet and the headboard.  The lamps match perfectly.  We got them from Marshall's for $30 each!  What a deal.

This gives us inspiration and motivation to get that other table built!  It still sits in pieces on the basement table...

Speaking of the basement - just to give you a quick update on the basement project, we got our "curtain rod" system in the mail this week and installed it this weekend.  We hung the hangers and now I just need to quickly cut and hem the drop clothes to make the curtains.  Here is a quick sneak peak of the progress.  These were fairly easy to put up, but it took some time to get the cord perfectly taught.

I have no idea exactly how long it will take to make the curtains, but they are in the works!  Right now they are 5'-9" x 8'-9" and they need to be 5'-9"x6'-5", so there is a couple feet to take off the end, but I'm thrilled to have this room done!

Have a great week everyone!  I'll update you on the progress as it gets done.  I can't wait to share the after picture!

This Season's Colors

There is nothing like curling up on the couch with a new magazine or catalogue.  They inspire SO many ideas, so many things I'd like to do.  I just never have the money to go "all out" and change up the room.  However, I have been wanting to make a few changes to our living room, just to freshen it up.  And I think I have some creative ways to do this.  Since our basement project was our January project (I promise an update on that soon), the living room update will be our February project.  Something to make our house a little springy.

First of all, I figure that this is the best time to introduce you to our living room?!

Here area a couple shots that we took when we were looking at the house:

And here is the current shot of our living room:

Our color palette for the living/dining room has been a light green, dark green, cream and dark red.  It's a lovely combo, and I'm sure that for the cooler months I will go back to it, but in looking through our catalogues lately, both West Elm and Crate & Barrel have me inspired to try a new look, a new palette if you will.

Light Green, Medium Green, Dark Green, Cream & Citron (very similar to Chartruse).
Here are a few photos from their recent catalogues just for inspiration:

Photo Crate&Barrel



Pillows from West Elm

Vases from West Elm



Rug from West Elm

 I think that this style would work wonderfully in our room.  The fireplace is a creamy yellow and will really tie the theme together beautifully.  So here are a few "easy on the budget" items that I have planned.  First I am going to switch up the pillows on the couch, some green, some yellow, some a mix of both.  I am going to hit the Home Goods stores, as well as Pier1 and World Market to see if I can find any of these colors on sale.  Because they are springs colors, it might be difficult to find, but that is my first quest.


Pillow - Crate&Barrel

I'd like to get a nice light cream throw to put on the back of the chaise part of the sectional.  Something with a nice modern texture.  Something like this throw from Ikea - The Ofelia

I am going to do a craft project using old green, yellow and clear wine bottles for the mantle.  I will be using a great little project that I found at Country Living.  Here is a photo of the project... just imagine the "flowers" in shades of green in great colorful vases.  I will be detailing this project for the blog as soon as I get started on it. 



Photo: Country Living

I'd like to find a couple of old drinking glasses and put a few votives in to mix in with the photo above.  I'm going to check the same discount stores for these as well as possibly checking out Goodwill for some antique type glasses.

And the last one is a maybe... just maybe, if I get really fancy, I might even throw in a couple of Citron window panels on the ends of the rod, with the cream panels for a little extra color.  Or maybe a citron fabric with a pattern in cream.

I am going to attempt to put this together this weekend, lets see how it goes!  I'll update you as soon as it's finished.

Meanwhile, my sister has purchased for me, and put in the mail my curtain rod for the basement curtains - YAY!  I'm very excited to get that in the mail & get the basement on the path to "finished".

Expect lots of fun at our house very soon!