For the love of Turquoise

This summer, we took a little trip to O.C. MD. 

When we got there, we quickly discovered there was a car show called,
Cruisin' OC
going on that weekend.  

The cars had completely taken over town! 

 I must confess though, 

I'm a bit of a car enthusiast!

If you knew me, you would know that I'm crazy for 

MUSTANGS!

Soo while our weekend was motor revvin' LOUD-

I totally enjoyed it! (at least for the first day)

Well, I fell in love with this beautiful 

California Mustang....and the color was luscious!

After seeing several old turquoise cars,

I looked at hubs and said,"I have to paint something turquoise!"

SO I decided on the laundry room.  Most our home is earthy, with the exception of the grandchildren's playroom.  

I didn't get a "before" picture.  

Forgive me, please!

But suffice it to say, my laundry room was very boring. It was antique white with a cutesy border like this..

... And it had endured several years 

of grown children using it.....

need I say more?!

So Here It Is......

my new

Vintage Laundry Room

These pictures make the paint look a bit periwinkle.  But trust me, it's not.  It's very turquoise-ee and cheery.

No makeover in this house is ever complete before a trip downtown for some junkin'!  I found some sa-weet junk to go with some of the stuff I already had.

 Check out those dresses on the wall...

They were my doll dresses when I was a child.

An elderly neighbor lady made me many of my dresses, and would also made a matching dress for my dolls with leftover fabric.  Cool huh?

Gotta love blue jars and blue insulators!

Do you iron?  Some people say they NEVER iron.  I don't iron anything that I deem unnecessary.  But I do iron..as needed.

 Love this old chair!

Brooms and mops discretely tucked behind the door.

I keep this handy tray beside the washer and dryer.  

I created it several years ago after seeing something similar on Martha Stewart.

I also keep a cheat sheet for stain removers,

and one for stain removing supplies.  

Do you make your own laundry detergent?  I have been making my own for years.  I have tried several recipes.  But I have settled on a recipe from MaryJane's Magazine.

I luv rag rugs!

And speaking of cleaning....

While I had the room cleared out for painting, I did some major cleaning, and cleaning out!

I used these tips for cleaning the inside of the washing machine.
It worked beautifully. (btw, I love this blog)

And  I purged all the stuff I didn't need in an attempt to keep things
simple....

Living Simply and Deliberately...
Enjoying a new clean and cheery
Turquoise
Vintage Laundry Room...

For more Martha Laundry room tips, click here.  But I'll warn you, it may make your head spin!!

Spring Cleaning- the homemade way

It's time for SPRING CLEANING!  So it's a great time to share my favorite CLEANING RECIPES with you all.  We've all seen them before....I've probably tried them all.  But here are the 3 recipes I call my favorites.  All three come from MaryJanes Farm magazine, which also happens to be one of my favorites! 

 

Powdered Laundry Soap

1 bar (4-6 oz) Castile Soap, grated (Fels Naptha can be substituted)

2 cups Borax

2 cups washing soda

1 cup baking soda

Combine and use 1/4-1/2 per load.  This is low sudsing.

I often double or triple this recipe just for convenience.  Also, with this batch, I used Fels Naptha Soap because it's easier to find in my area. 

***********************

All Purpose Cleaner

1 T white vinegar

1 T lemon juice

1 T liquid Castile soap

1 T Borax

1 cup distilled water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle

(I usually triple this recipe)

*******************

Window Cleaner

1/4-1/2 t liquid Castile soap

3 T white vinegar

2 cups distilled water

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle.  Shake gently before using.

Castile soap and other interesting items can be purchased online at Lehmans.

And Remember............Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Col 3:23

Happy Cleaning.............