Domestic Geek

I hate ironing.

With a passion.

Have I mentioned that I hate ironing?

OK, to be fair, it's not so much the act of ironing itself as having to do it on an antiquated Ironng Board. I hate my board because it's a pain to set up and take down, the cover gets dirty and dusty since I use it so infrequently, it's too tall for my short frame so it hurts my back (the other setting it has is way too low), once it's up it becomes a collecting spot for everything. There is also no good way to store it. I have one of those plastic hangers on the back of a closet door, but if I open the door too fast, the board comes crashing down. I also have one of those compact ones on the closet door of my craft room so that I can iron fabric when I sew, but it's ugly and unsightly, not to mention totally awkward to use.

I try my best not to buy garments that need ironing but invariably I always end up with a shirt that I love that is made from a fabric that is not wrinkle free. I tend to leave clothes in the dryer too long and need to quickly iron out the wrinkles before work. It's just a fact of life that I have to iron. This is the 21st century, why can't somebody design a board that doesn't get in the way when not in use, but is full sized and easy to use? Oh, wait — somebody did!

The folks at Better Lifestyle Products have the coolest ironing board I have ever seen. It is a full sized board that sets up and folds away in seconds, has a paintable cover so that it blends in with the surrounding decor, can be installed at any height and can be used in the smallest of spaces. There's a nifty video of the board in action on the site. It becomes a complete ironing center complete with clothes rack and iron holder. This is so neat — I want one!

Here's what I hate about living around other people. The total lack of consideration for others.

The people up the street bought an ATV for their kids. Ever since they have been driving it up and down our street. Since we live at the end of a cul du sac, they have to turn it around right outside my craft room. It annoys the living daylights out of me. One of the kids trying to drive it is not even old enough to be in school yet and drove it right out in front of my car loaded down with younger siblings/cousins. Yeah, responsible parents them. These are the same people that crank up their stereo with Mexican polka music when they're working on the truck (not allowed supposedly to do repairs on premises) so that it drowns out my television.

It sucks because when I get home from work, all I want to do is sit and decompress, not listen to the droning of an atv engine all freaking evening.

Must. Get. Land.

I bought myself the greatest little alarm clock at Wal-Mart a couple of weeks ago. It has an internal battery like a computer that keeps the time while the unit is off, such as in cases of power failure, unplugging, etc. The computer chip also takes into account for daylight savings and such. There are dual alarms so that I can have a Monday-Friday work alarm and then a separate weekend alarm. It's also got a radio in it and a huge display. All in all, not too shabby for around $20.

Here's the problem, though.

Even though it has a dimmer function, the display is still really freakin' bright. Now, not being one to like lots of light when I sleep, it's a little annoying. I was thinking that maybe I could put a piece of window tint on it to cut back the glow, but I don't happen to have any scraps of that around. Going and purchasing a kit just to do a small clock is a huge waste of money since I was so happy to get this clock so cheap. Figures that the guy I used to know that did this for part time work moved to Kansas and I no longer have contact with him.

Does anyone reading this have a scrap of window tint that they'd send me? PLEASE?!!

When Marcus and I got back from dinner, we were looking at all of the spiders that have spun webs outside on our siding. We were discussing that we really need to get another pressure washer to get those webs off. They really are unsightly and our hose just doesn't have enough power to get them off since our water pressure here is so lousy.

We used to have one and we used it a lot. They are great for cleaning engines and getting the crud of of wheel wells when you're washing your car.

There is a really cool electric pressure washer I'd like over at CarGuyGarage.com. It's definitely an invaluable tool that every homeowner should have.

We all have those special memories captured on film or pixels — new babies, graduations, weddings, first homes, cherished pets. You could blow those photos up and frame them, but why not turn the most special memories into a treasured work of art?

The folks over at PaintYourLife.com will take a photo uploaded by you and turn it into an actual painting. These are not simply inkjet prints done on a canvas substraight as some other companies do. These are actual paintings done by real artists. The artists work in different mediums (oil, charcoal, pastel, etc.) and will pick a style that is the most suitable for the type of photo you submit. They will get started on your painting with a 20% down payment. You get to give feedback through the process (via proof photos on their web site) and if you are not satisfied with the result, the piece will be modified or done by a different artist. Once you are happy with the finished work, you pay the balance and your one-of-a-kind painting will be shipped to you.


With the holidays coming up, why not get a family or pet painting ordered for that person who's always a little hard to buy for? I can't think of anyone who would not be blown away by such a unique and thoughtful gift.

So, I had that previous post almost all typed up, was just putting a few finishing touches on it before I was going to hit Submit and "poof" — the power went out. I really need to replace the battery in my Universal Power Supply. I've also misplaced that cool LED flashlight that Dave got me for Christmas. I remember last using it to take a look inside my G5, but darned if I can remember where it went after that. Grrrrr. I'm sure it had something to do with record-setting heat here in Denver today. Of course, it went out for about an hour, so I missed the end of the Bronco game. Thank goodness for the Internet to tell me that we won over the SF 49ers 17–13. Whew. I mean, I know it's only preseason, but you've got to get the season off on the right foot, especially when you're playing the team that knocked you out of the playoffs last year.

Now that it seems the power is back on for good (it went out again shortly about five minutes after it first came back on), I guess I'll try to head to bed.

I love using pegboard. In fact, I have some of the wooden stuff hanging in my craft room. There are so many useful little hangers that you can purchase to organize all of your supplies and have them easily within reach. The bad part about using the wooden stuff is that the hole scan get enlarged with lots of use, it can crack and when it gets dirty, the only solution for cleaning it is to paint over it.

I didn't know that metal pegboard existed, but I just found some over at CarGuysGarage.com. When we have our garage, I'll definitely opt for that. There are so many different styles, too. Diamond plate, brushed metal, galvanized steel, powder coated colors...even one with an American flag! It comes in so many configurations and sizes, too.

Metal pegboard would definitely hold up nicely in the garage and could easily be cleaned of all the oil and grime associated with garage tools. It could also withstand the weight of the heavier tools we would need to store there.

Marcus and I have never owned a set of really nice dishes. Since we decided not to get married and thus never had to pick a china pattern, it's never really been a priority. As I'm getting older, however, I would love to have some beautiful Dinnerware with which to entertain guests.

I found a great site, Crystallia Dinnerware & Crystals, that offers all the various components needed to have a beautiful table all in one place. In addition to the amazing china by well-known brands such as Vera Wang, Wedgwood and Lenox, they also have linens, flatware and crystal stemware. There are some gorgeous Waterford Crystal flutes that I would love to own!

Definitely check this site out if you're looking for fine dinnerware or gifts. There are special deals being offered on various kinds of items. They even offer a registry service and gift certificates.