Whole-house Humidifier Updo Tutorial

So here I am in Colorado, where the humidity level is so low, my skin has already started to mummify. So what has a gal to do, to avoid turning into Tutankhamun, may you ask? Easy. Ask Craigslist and you shall receive! * Insert butt-ugly-whole-house-humidifier here. *

I have been wanting one of these for a while now. I first saw this exact model when I came to visit one of my friends, here in Colorado, a few years back. I remember her filling it and spending time on its maintenance (which I am in no way looking forward to), but I also remember breathing easier inside her home than outside! So off I went, scouring CL for a decent priced unit to bring home. I found this one for $40. Hold on, hold on, before you jump the gun and think it's a steal, I have to inform you that it was absolutely and utterly nasty when I picked it up! I had not anticipated it coming from a SMOKING household...and it was too late to turn back by the time my nose gave me the hint (I had driven across town, and that was the only unit like this on CL). So, I took the foul beast home and proceeded to spend the following 4 hours, yes you read that right 4 hours, detailing this sucker from the inside out. Let me tell you that smoke, but in particular tar, and humidity do not get along in a dusty environment! The dust had mixed with the tar and turned into a gooe-gluey mess! There was a lot of toothbrush scouring action on all the nooks and crannies, especially in and around the fans. Can you say yuck? I guess that, if it wasn't for the fact that this model retails from Sears at close to $200, I would have been livid. Oh, who am I kidding? I WAS LIVID. But I didn't really have anyone to blame but myself. I should have known better, and asked if the item was from a smoke free home. I guess it's a lesson learned!

Anyhow, back to the humidifier. I knew, from the moment I saw the listing, that I would have to update this guy. He looked so sad with its fake woodgrain paneling look. I felt like I HAD to give him a new style. The upside to this piece was: hard plastic construction and flat panels. That makes a perfect surface for contact paper! So off I went looking for a nice, graphic, modern-print, self-adhering shelf liner. I happened to snag this 2 pack for $5.99 at one of my favorite stores: Marshalls! I know what you are thinking: "I will never find the same one now, discount stores only have one of a kind items"! Do not despair my peeps, this particular company has a website:

themacbethcollection.com 

They sell tons of stuff, including contact paper in awesome, colorful prints. So stop the whining, and go get yourself some cool, modern liner to start your own projects with! (and no, I did not receive any compensation to name this company. I am only writing this down for your benefit).

This project took about 1 hour total to complete. Although, I have to admit, I am quite experienced at using self adhesive liner from many projects I tackled during the years (an entire fridge, kitchen tiles, a steamer trunk, a backsplash for my first ghetto apartment and much more). I love contact paper because it's so easy to use, it's fairly simple to apply, it offers a drastic change to whatever you use it on, but most of all IT'S CHEAP! So here is the quick breakdown of this project:

I started with my ordinary ugly humidifier unit.

I gathered my supplies: a pencil, a ruler (I had my level handy so I used it instead), a pair of scissors, my adhesive shelf liner and an exacto knife. Yes, those are Mrs. Rufus' fuzzy boots you spot on the top right! She is always around helping me out when I start tackling a new piece ^__^

My next step was to measure the front panel for size, and trace my outline on the back of the paper. The graphs on the back are there to help you. Use them to your advantage. Make sure you cut a little more than you will actually need. The paper never really sticks EXACTLY the way you want it (you will see what I mean at the end of this post), so if you have a millimeter or two extra you can trim it down to size, rather than ending up short.

The next step is to stick your paper on your subject. In this case my ugly 'humidor'. I always start from the top left corner, and work my way down to the bottom left corner. Once you have an entire side stuck down where you want it, it seems easier to keep things straight. Make sure you gently smooth your paper down as you go. If you pay attention and work slowly you should be able to get the paper to stick without trapping any air bubbles. I do all of the above just using my hands and fingers, but you may find useful to use a smooth flat object, like a credit card. The backing of the shelf paper always has instructions as well. So you can rely on those for guidance. If you do end up getting some air bubbles, try to unstick  your paper and to smooth it back down again paying more attention this time. If those stubborn little suckers are still there you can carefully poke them with a needle and push the air out. Here is my front panel midway through.

Once you are finished adhering the paper to your surface, trim any excess with the exacto knife. Try to cut in one continuos motion, to avoid snags and jagged edges. 

So now that the front panel is done, it's time to concentrate on the top panel. Again, I measured out my needed piece, traced the amount on the reverse of my paper and I made sure I had excess to trim. Since this time I had a lot of excess (due to the rounded shape of the panel) it was harder to keep the panel straight. I used the frame of the humidifier to help me keep the paper lined up. This is a graphic print, so if I had stuck the liner askew it would have been noticeable. 

Again, smooth all of your paper down starting from the top left corner and work your way down first and then to the right. Once you are finished applying the liner, trim the excess.

And tadaa! There you have it. 

My job is done, and I can now enjoy my finished piece.

So, on my first post I said I was here to share my successes but also my failures. So here it comes. Are you ready? Here is my boo-boo on this piece. Because NOTHING in life is perfect...and we better realize it, and start dealing with it, and avoid disappointments of sorts. I tried my best to keep the paper straight but I ended up askew by a millimeter at the bottom right. I may be the only one to notice it, but here it is. 

The reason I let you in, on this 'faux pas', is because I want you to realize that often when you see a project online it only LOOKS perfect, but reality is, we all make mistakes and we all mess up. The important thing when you upcycle, like in life, is to just try not to focus too much on the negative but instead keep your eye on the positive and move on to your next piece. Never think that you don't have it in you. That you could not achieve what another person has. Remember, if you put your mind to it you can do it! Happy upcycling!

Kitty talk

Ok, so here I am with a bit of kitty-kat info for anyone who may care to hear about improper elimination. Improper elimination is the technical term for a cat who may urinate or defecate outside his/her litter box. For one reason or another, many cat parents find themselves in this very annoying situation, at one point or another, in their cat's life. In my circle of friends, I have somewhat end up being known as the crazy cat lady, the go-to-gal to consult if you have any feline related question. So this topic has come up many a times! I am going to group most of my do's and don'ts here for your benefit :)

1. THERE IS NO SUCH A THING AS IMPROPER ELIMINATION OUT OF SPITE! Cats do not know such feelings as spite or hatred. They simply react to stressors and problems in their territory to attract your attention (sometimes that's in a stinky manner). They are simply crying out for help and demanding your attention to resolve the issue. Once the issue has been solved, most of the times they revert to be the proper, well mannered cat that you loved and cherished.
2. ALWAYS MAKE SURE THEY ARE HEALTHY. There are many health conditions that may associate with improper elimination. Urinary tract infections (UTI's), constipation, diabetes and so on. If your cat starts thinking outside of the box, take him/her to the vet and make sure there is nothing medically wrong.
3. LITTER SIZE MATTERS. I often cringe when I see what size boxes cats are forced to use on a daily basis. There are very few boxes, sold out there, that can fit an adult size cat comfortably. A cat needs to have a good amount of space to turn around and to choose an area that is not soiled. If your box is the size of a paper sack, how can that be enough for a grown cat? You want to make sure your cats adore their potty! A happy cat = a happy home! I chose to make my own litter box out of a 50 gallons storage tote as I could not find one that size. Yes, you read that right, fifty gallons. And no, I do not own a maine coon. When I got the box I only had Rufus -- a kitten (she was 3 months old and weighed a little under 3 lbs). Yes she looked ridiculous in that huge box, but she learnt to love all that space to roam around. And that's what matters. The bigger the box, the better...remember size does matter!
4. LITTER STYLE MATTERS. All cats are not made alike! They all enjoy different styles of boxes. Some of them are happier with covered boxes (they may like the privacy) some of them prefers open boxes (the dust content and odors do not linger as much). So make sure you switch it up and try to figure out what your cat likes best. Some people are not fond of cleaning the litter box, so they will resort to using automated self cleaning boxes. In my experience they are not the best idea. For once, I like to clean my box and see what's going on. I like to see how many times a day they peed, how many times they pooped and off course I can realize really quickly if something is wrong (diarrhea, constipation...). That cannot always possible with a self cleaning box. Secondly, I have had a chance to see how these 'machines' operate (I had a few friends that had different kinds) and I was not impressed with the results. It seems like many of those boxes leave behind a lot of small crumbs. These small particles become very smelly as they are left to marinate in the box. I have smelled the worst smells from what was supposed to be a clean box. I just rather scoop out my box daily and not ever knowing it is there.
5. LITTER BOXES AMOUNTS MATTERS. The cat's rule of thumb is: one litter box per cat plus one. So if you have one cat you need 2 boxes. If you have 2 cats you need 3 boxes...and so forth. It may seem ridiculous to some...especially if you have 4-5 cats in the house. But believe it or not having more than one litter box may be the best thing you can ever do for your cat. If you live in a multi level home, you should try to have a litter box for each level. A cat should never have to go too far to go potty. Also in a household with multiple cats, having more than one box can help if both animals need to use the box simultaneously. 
6. LITTER BOX PLACEMENTS MATTERS. You should try to place your litter boxes in quiet areas. Away from loud noises and other animals. Sometimes cats can grow afraid of a noise and decide to stop using the box all together. You should also pay close attention to the other pets in the home as sometimes there could be some bullying issues. If a cat feels threatened or bullied in his litter box he will definitely stop using the box and find a new place to call bathroom. The litter box should NEVER be next to the food and water bowl. That is a big NO NO for a cat. Would you like to have your dining room table next to the toilet? No? Well, neither do cats! Remember...their sense of smell is far superior to yours! Be smart and put yourself in their shoes!
7. LITTER CLEANLINESS IS A MUST. Cats are very clean animals. They are very particular about being clean (grooming about 50% of their lives....mmmm, cleaner than humans I may suggest LOL). They are also gifted with a sense of smell that is 14 times as strong as yours! So imagine what that box must smell like to them!!! Don't be lazy and clean the litter box once a day! Period! If you would not appreciate going potty after you have left a 'brownie' in the bowl to marinate all day, then neither will your cat! So get that scooper out and scoop the box once a day.
8. TERRITORIAL ISSUES. Cats are not like dogs people! Keep that in mind if you are thinking to introduce a new cat into your household. Chances are, your in-residence cat will not appreciate that move. It takes MONTHS of hard work to introduce a new cat. Disregard this clue and reap the unpleasant benefits! Most of the times if you really take your time and do all it is needed to properly introduce a new cat, you should not have improper elimination enter the equation. However, with a few stubborn cats this may still present an issue and you may have to permanently separate the two cats for the behavior to stop.
9. DRY FOOD VS. WET FOOD. As most cat owners, I had 2 cats eating kibble...that was until Smokey started to have litter box trouble! I was oblivious that kibble was to blame...I only knew that Smokey was going #2 in front of the litter box rather than inside. His poo was hard as a rock, so I thought he was just constipated and needed fiber. For a while I added canned pumpkin to his diet. He had no problem eating it, and it was a good source of fiber. But the problems continued. To top it all, I finally realized that he had a massive blockage and I had to rush him to the emergency room for UTI surgery. About $2000 later I found out that the culprit was most likely the dry food. Cats do not have a sense of thirst (in nature they get their fluids from their pray), so eating kibble they are constantly dehydrated. In addition, dry food is just packed with minerals and nutrients and, without water, these cannot properly be flushed out of their kidneys and therefore cause UTI's, painful bowel movements and so forth. If a cat feels pain while eliminating, he will learn to associate the pain with the box. He then will try to find another suitable spot, in the home, where to try to evacuate hopefully pain free. Cats naturally have the need to bury their waste, so they often chose blankets, bedding and such areas as their plan B. Switching your cat over to a completely wet food diet may be the best thing you'll ever do both for your cat and for your wallet. Since his surgery, Smokey has been on a wet ONLY diet (I use kibble as a snack in between meals or if I am gone overnight -- for its convenience). I feed him a can of wet food a day (mixed with a can of water...sort of like a soup). I split it in half and he gets 1/2 of it in the morning and 1/2 of it around dinner time. This ensures that even if he never makes it to the water fountain, he still get a full can of water a day. He has been doing great on this regimen and I have started to do the same with Rufus's wet food. Sometimes it may be hard to get them to eat this soupy concoction, if they turn up their nose try to add the water a spoonful a day. Start with a little until your cat gets used to the texture and flavor and work your way up to a 50/50 water/food ratio.
10. GOOD QUALITY FOOD. One cannot feed cheap/poor quality food and hope for the best. I often think that a lot of cat's health issues (and subsequent litter box etiquette faux pas) can be attributed to crappy food. You don't eat only junk food, so neither should your cat! When choosing a canned (or dry food for snacking) read carefully the ingredients list. If all I see is BYPRODUCT or MEAL, I run for the hills. I want the first ingredient listed to be a protein source: chicken, beef, fish, duck, etc. Not chicken byproduct or chicken meal! Cats need to eat muscle meat, bones, organs etc to be healthy...not just scraps! That's what a byproduct or a meal is. A mixture of meat scraps that are leftover from meat processing plants! Another thing I don't feed my cats are GRAINS. Cats don't need much carbohydrates and all the corn and grains that you see in cat food are only there to act as a filler. They make the food cheaper and the flour binds it together. They are not there to provide any nutritional value! Cats are not herbivores. They do not need corn in their diets! So stop feeding them cheap food and you will save money and trouble in the end!

One of my favorite sites to learn about cats and their 'upkeep' is catinfo.org

I found it to be an endless source of sound/unbiased information ranging from nutrition to bathroom etiquette. So, if you want to know more about your cat, just head over to this site and read away! This may just be the best feline website you will have stumbled upon! 

Upcycling 101

So you are ready to start tackling your very own refinishing or upcycling project. 

So now what?

Where do you start?

Well let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Where to find your inspiration:

Well, that's the easy part! Inspiration can be found anywhere. 

You can find inspiration in nature, you can find it at a friend's place, you can find it at design stores like Ikea, but most of all you can find tons of inspiration online! If you are interested in refinishing a Queen Ann style piece, just type 'queen ann painted' or something similar on a search engine, then click on images. That alone will bring up tons of inspiration. If you don't find what you are looking for, try a different combination of words such as 'queen ann refinishing' or something alike. Try to stay pretty vague, nothing too specific...that way you can pull up a broader array of images. 

My absolute must for anything decorative, fashion forward and design driven is Pinterest. 

Pinterest is a great website where you can follow your friends taste, where you can gather information and store it for later, and where you can just browse by category the things you most care for. As it has been said: "when there is nothing going on on Facebook, there is always something to look at on Pinterest"! So get out there, open your free account and start pinning and re-pinning your images! 

Were to find your pieces:

I think the bestest (yes bestest is a word...I just made it up myself!) place where to scavenge for vintage, retro, antique or just plain OLD furniture is Craigslist. 

I am literally obsessed with CL. I spend numerous hours (probably too many hours) perusing the site in search of cheap, viable, fun pieces that I can transform into something mine to love. It's a bit like an online garage sale really. Sometimes there are stunning pieces for dirt cheap, and sometimes people try to sell crappy stuff for inflated prices. Stay away from the latter and learn to discern the difference! The purpose here is to get nice quality pieces without having to break the bank. If you are willing to spend tons of $ then you might as well buy new, from a big company, and forgo the whole 'refinishing' thing. The great part about upcycling is that you get to not only save money --and put a bit of your own personality in your piece-- but you get to RECYCLE and, by doing so, you get to keep tonnage out of the landfills and dumps. Isn't that awesome? What can be better than saving money while being green? I don't know what is. Sounds pretty perfect to me! 

Another great place where to find good pieces is second hand stores. When I lived in North Carolina my two favorite stores were both Habitat for Humanity (respectively in Sanford and Pinehurst)...but here in Colorado their store is definitely NOT a good hunting ground. If that happens to you, don't get discouraged. Honestly, it takes time to discover the thrift stores in your area that offer the most in the furniture department. Most of them just offer an array of useless junk, and crap ton of clothing. Start getting out there, talk to people in your area, and see if you can find some stores that offer a good selection at really good prices. 

Another avenue is to go garage sales hopping. Obviously that intels more dedication. In order to find the best selection you need to be hitting the sales as early in the morning as possible. Second hand stores often obtain their pieces this way, so they are the first ones to show up in the morning to snatch up the best items. If you expect to get them for yourself, plan to get an early start (as early as 6-7 a.m. depending on the starting time of garage sales in your area).

You could also go to estate sales, but remember those are not exactly cheap. Estate sales are usually done when a family member passes and the heirs want to get rid of the bulk of the estate quickly. They usually hire a company that takes care of the whole thing. Such companies try to get the fairest price for the family, so your best bet may be to go on the last day, towards the end of the day. They may be more willing to accept offers on the last day/hours as the sale's end is nearing. I find that haggling is always a viable option in any of my transactions. I ask politely if they will take x instead of y, and that's it. If they say yes good, but if they say no that's the end of it for me. I don't get into a ping pong match of offers. I find that too demeaning for both parties. As it turns out, more times than not, people are very willing to work with you on price. So ask away, the worst thing they can say is: no. 

What to look for in a piece: 

Whenever you are looking to upcycle a piece, ask yourself what's most important to you. 

What I am mostly looking for, when shopping for a piece, is: design. I carefully look at the lines of the item. Never mind if it has an outdated oak finish, try to overcome your own prejudice about the coloring of the piece. After all, that's what you are going to deal with when you refinish the piece, right? So, look at the shapes critically. Try to imagine what that silhouette could look like with a fresh coat of paint. 

The second thing I look at is: quality. It is not always easy to get good quality, solid, hardwood, sturdily constructed pieces...but those are the ones you want! Ideally you want to get a piece that is well put together, that was made with care and that will last you for many years to come. 

So how do you know if a piece is hardwood? Well, often you can just see it at first glance. The wood grain will be visible, not just in coloring but also in texture. If you look at the piece at an angle, you should be able to detect the tiny grooves and the design of the grain. Laminated pieces and particle board usually do not have those little grooves or texture as they are printed, literally wood pattern painted on the lamination. 

But what do you do if you can't see the grain still? Well sometimes it helps to just look at the underside of the piece, or maybe inside a drawer. Looking at the 'gut' of the piece can be helpful, as those areas are most often overlooked when it comes to finishes. This makes it easier for you to identify what material they are made of if no paint, stain or lacquer is present.

Another thing I always look for is: dove tail joints. If you spot them, 9 times out of 10, that means you have a quality, solid-wood piece in your hands. 

The weight of the object is also helpful. Wood is usually heavier than particle board. If the piece is very light, most of the times, that means it is not made of solid wood.

Should that stop you? Absolutely not! I have gotten many pieces that are made of plywood or cheaper grade materials because I absolutely LOVED their lines. The important thing is that they are well made; not wobbly or with broken parts (unless you are willing to repair them, that is) and that off course you like them! 

What to look for in your FIRST project:

If you are at your first attempt to refinish a piece, I would encourage you to stick to a simple one! Unless you are crafty by nature, or have had some sort of experience with painting in the past, it will be wise to choose something small like a chair, a coffee table, a small shelf, or something of that sort.

A smaller project will be easier and quicker to complete. There is nothing worse than picking a piece too large and getting burned out or overwhelmed mid way through! You want to build up your endurance and your skills over time. 
Another thing I can advise for your first projects is to choose a very simple style piece. It would not be wise to choose an intricate carved piece, or something with a detailed carved trim...that takes some expertise and you would end up getting frustrated and abandoning the idea of upcycling. That would be a waste! Wouldn't it now? So stick with simple lines and small pieces and you will be successful. 

I hope this is enough info for now to help you in the search of your next treasure.

Happy hunting!

And the adventure begins

So here I am.
Addicted to glamour.
Addicted to cats.
(Hence my blog title: The Glam Cat)
Addicted to decorating.
Addicted to all that's fashion, design and style. 
Addicted to upcycle and freecycle.
Addicted to DIY.
Addicted to all that's homemade with love.

So here is my attempt to put out there, in the virtual web, my ideas and small projects, my successes and my failures. 

I hope someone will find these pages inspirational and useful. 

Welcome to all, and to all a good read!