Archive for August, 2009
It’s Tool Time
We’re asked pretty regularly for a list of our must-have tools and while we’re sure we’re forgetting something, here’s a rundown of our all-time favorites (most of which we store in the kitchen cabinet to the left of the stove- yes, we know we’re weird).
- Hammer and crowbar (no explanation required)
- Flat head screwdriver (for using with screws but also with a hammer as a makeshift chisel to pop off baseboards and trim)
- Tape measure (we have a huge beat up old Stanley one that we love)
- Phillips head screwdriver (another self-explanatory item)
- Plumber’s Putty, Liquid Nails and plumber’s tape (three major problem solvers that are always nice to have on hand)
- Box cutter, Exacto knife, straight razors (for everything from cutting vinyl tile to scraping paint off of a window or mirror)
- Channel lock pliers (we have a big one and a small one- they’re amazing for turning old rusted believed-to-be-unturnable nuts and bolts)
- Wrenches of all sizes (although we usually reach for the channel lock first since it’s such an all star)
- Needle nosed pliers (good for detail work and also handy since they have the wire cutting thing in the middle of the… uh, nose? mouth?)
- Level (because wonky is never a good look)
- Cordless drill (we have a little one for smaller jobs and a big manly battery operated one for the major stuff)
- Sandpaper (we like our electric sander but use regular old sandpaper and elbow grease far more- and we haven’t found sanding blocks that we like better than cheap sheets of sandpaper, so we stick to those… and save a few bucks while we’re at it).
- Caulk, a caulk gun, spackle and a putty knife (because it’s all about fixing those holes and cracks before painting- remember paint magnifies flaws instead of hiding them)
- Painter’s tape, high quality angled paint brushes (we love this one), paint trays, a roller extension rod, and high quality not-foam rollers (foam riles up paint and leaves you with more bubbles than the good quality wool and poly ones)
- An assortment of nails and screws (these are just things you should always have on stand-by so you don’t have to drive to Lowe’s or Home Depot fifty times per project thereby looking lame to the people at the cash register- we speak from experience here)
So there it is. A handy breakdown of our favorite tools. And since we know we’re forgetting something (or have yet to discover some life-changing tool) definitely let us know what you can’t live without when it comes to getting ‘er done.
Ride With Us To Texas, Won’t You?
After mentioning our near cross-country road trip last week, did you find yourself wondering how we entertained ourselves for over forty hours of driving? Well, we filmed a lot of it with our trusty Flip video camera. And we spent this past weekend not in the car (hootie hoo!), but trimming down all that footage into a little musical montage video of our road-trip-on-steroids.
For those curious enough to take the journey with us, we can promise you’ll see:
- Some less than healthy drive-thru decisions
- A bit of behind the wheel dancing
- Grade A nerd behavior in the form of a geographic-tastic driving game
- Sherry in bed with another woman
- Obligatory Burger footage
- Absolutely zero footage of Sherry driving (because it never happened)
- Fast-food inspired decorating ideas (we didn’t say they’re good)
- Sherry with her hair down (yes, for all you why-don’t-you-lose-the-ponytail peeps)
- Visiting cultural attractions – scratch that, visiting a Pottery Barn Outlet
- A preview of our adventures with the Bowers and my cousin’s wedding, which we’ll share more of soon.
So, without further ado, please enjoy the virtual road trip below (or watch it directly on Vimeo)…
And while we’re on the subject, tell us where we can get a sneak peek at some of your summer travels. Got any good road trip stories to share? Photos posted somewhere to view? If anyone else has iMovied a little road trip video, we’d love to see it. Long live long drives!
Fab Freebie: I’ll Drink To That
***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries***
Sherry and I can’t stop talking about how good the toasts were at my cousin Casey’s wedding in Dallas (Wedding Crashing pics to come…). There were five in total (two groomsmen, two bridesmaids and my other cousin, the bride’s teenage brother) and each was remarkably funny, articulate and touching. Most weddings are lucky enough to have one of those, let alone a handful. So in that spirit, we think this week’s prize from Mikasa Crystal & Dinnerware is quite fitting.
Mikasa’s been dishing out classic and stylish servingware for over 60 years (perhaps they were even on your wedding registry?) so we were stoked when they contacted us to offer up some free goodies for you our lovey readers. This week we’re serving up prizes to three lucky winners from Mikasa’s new Cheers Too line of glassware. Each set of four crystal drinking glasses features simple, modern designs that just make you wanna throw a dinner party. With lots of “beverages” on hand, of course.
- PRIZE: Your choice of the Cheers Too White Wine, Double Old Fashioned, or Highball Set of Four by Mikasa
- TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the words “I’ll DRINK TO THAT” and…
- BONUS QUESTION: Tell us about a memorable toast you’ve heard (or given!) and what made it great. We could all use a few good toastmaster tips, right?
- CONTEST CLOSES: Wednesday, August 26th at 8pm EST
- NUMBER OF WINNERS: Three
- PRIZE SHIPS: United States only this time.
- THE USUAL: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winners will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday. Good luck!
Get more info on our freebies at our Giveaway FAQs page. Images courtesy of Mikasa Crystal & Dinnerware.
