Creative Ideas magazine and decided to use them for that.

did it. For more specifics and lessons learned in the tutorial on my blog. #Itching4Spring

stalk from the bottom piece that you cut off and throw away? Cut off the end that you would normally "throw away" and then place it in a small dish filled with warm water.

Next "pot" the celery stalk (Stalk Side Up) or place in your garden. Just dig a small hole, fill it with water and set the end in the hole, then cover it up with an inch or so of soil. Water thoroughly. That is it! Now the "end" will grow into a full stalk of celery! Rinse and Repeat and you never have to buy celery again! Talk about a way to save money! This photo is taken on day 7 and as you can see it is working!

with your kitchen scraps? Vermicomposting is the answer and , even better,a worm bin is efficient when you're continually adding new material, unlike your outdoor compost pile. Composting at home in a worm tub is most suitable for smaller families and apartment dwellers, or can be used in combination with an outside composting method. A well-tended worm bin shouldn't smell, so some people will keep them in a kitchen cupboard if they're short on space or just want it handy for adding their kitchen waste. The garage or basement are also possible locations for your worm bin. (Note: do not add animal waste, bones, fats or meat to your bins or compost piles. That will make it smell and draw unwanted visitors!)

Follow the easy steps below to set up your own worm bin and begin vermicomposting at home. Set the finished lidded bin on a couple bricks on a tray to collect any drips. You will keep plant matter out of the landfill and have the benefits of compost and compost tea for your houseplants, worms for feeding birds and pet reptiles and going fishing, too!

See my blog post at http://ourfairfieldhomeandgarden.com/diy-pro... for more composting information and worm sources.

#Gardening

lives in San Diego, near the ocean. The landlord told her there is a humidity problem living near the ocean and she will see mold growing inside, she has been getting unusually sick and thinks it is due to the mold issue. It sounds like he was letting her know about mold, and that she could keep on top of it herself. Do most homes in that area have trouble with mold and humidity? Is this a usual thing? is this normal?

years earlier when visiting some friends I noticed a huge stack of shutters by the road-they were renovating the outside of their home and throwing out the old shutters. EEEEEEKKKKKK! Throwing out!!???? I immediately loaded them into the car and hauled them home-not knowing at the time what I'd do with them; but I knew it would be fun!

So, here we are needing Nook privacy–and a shed full of wooden shutters. Handsome went out and purchased four 4 x 4 posts, hinged the shutters together; and after cementing the posts in the ground nailed our hinged shutter fence to them! We are not sure why our friends had two different colors of shutters on the outside of their house?? White for some, gray for the others........ BUT, didn't matter to us, because we painted them a wonderful French blue. {We painted the other side a bark color to blend in with the trees-since this was the side facing our neighbors. We weren't sure they would be as excited about the French blue as we were. In fact, we know that they wouldn't be.}

So, if you come across (or already have!) some old wooden shutters-have fun making a little nook for yourself!

Here's what you need to make a fence out of old shutters:

* as many shutters as you would like the fence long–we have 10-6 feet hight shutters

* 4 x 4 posts (that are 2 feet taller than your shutters)-about 1 every 3-4 shutters (depending on the width of your shutters)

* 2 sets of hinges for each set of shutters

* nails/screw to attach shutters to posts

* cement for posts

1. Paint the back side of the shutters-once installed you will not be able to get to this side! (Be aware of any neighbors that may not be as excited about your nook as you are–so, be considerate in your color choices for their side. )

2. Measure off how many feet apart you will need a post, dig a hole that is 2′ deep, put post in, fill with cement. When dry, cover with dirt.

3. Attach shutters together with hinges-make sure the 'hinge' is on the back side, spread out flat

4. Once cement has dried-usually 24 hours-attach shutter sections to posts using nails or screws. (Screws are a bit more sturdy for this project, but nails will work just fine.)

5. Paint your side of the fence! {When we painted ours–we didn't make it opaque, we wanted a weathered look. That is hard to see in the pictures-if that is the look you are looking for it will only take one coat.)

6. Cozy up your Nook with furniture, plants, walkways, etc.

7. Sit and listen to birdsong while sipping your coffee!

Some things to remember:

**be sure to check your shutters to make sure there are no decayed places before using.

We used shutters that were found....so the total cost of this project was $35! Woohoo!

In the Nook~

Daune

Cottage in the Oaks

www.cottageintheoaks.com

For some more fun shutter ideas that I found...head over to my Shutters! Board here: http://www.hometalk.com/b/710723/shutters

#Love2Repurpose

#SpringFever

#Itching4Spring

#BeforeandAfter

year round. For bird safety, the mirrors are placed parallel to bird flight paths in my narrow side garden. In open areas, I cover the larger mirrors with lattice. There's more details on my blog. http://www.empressofdirt.net/using-mirrors-i...

various kinds of succulents. It will take about a month to fill in. This will come back every year. You can find a step by step tutorial on my blog. Happy Gardening!