Windowless Room❓️ No Problem. Make a FAKE Window 🌞

 

I had the idea of designing a Dining room and including an arboretum style window feature. Then I came across somebody who had a room that didn't even have a window in it at all and I was inspired. 😃

But when looking for "Fake Window" ideas and watching several YouTube videos (by Men 😣 with power tools) on the topic, I discovered people had OVER complicated it and spent waaay too much money on it. 

Plus, when I heard the phrase, "So just go over to your table saw ..." I thought, "How many people out there watching this have a Table Saw?" 

or have the electrical knowledge to install a "Smart Controller". 

Get real❗️🤨

And, when it was finished, it didn't actually look very nice. Pretty boring and plain. 😴

So now I have I leaped into action to tell all you regular, non-builder types (men AND women) how to do this cheaply, (excuse me), FRUGALLY and simply and make it look way nicer.

YOU WILL NEED

🔴 Glue Gun  (or some type of PVA glue)

🔴 Small, Shallow Crate or Shelf unit

🔴 Pretty Nature Picture  on PAPER Wall Paper

(Can often be gotten for Free if you ask for an old sample where Wallpaper is sold 

 OR  get nice similar pictures from an old magazine and make a collage of nice outdoor images YOU Like) ☺️

🔴 LED Lighting 

(I chose LED because it doesn’t get hot if on for a long time)

🔴 Strong Adhesive Wall Hooks

(a Myriad to choose from. Get the ones most suitable for you.)

🔴 Nails and a Hammer 

(make sure the nails aren't too short because they need to anchor the wooden box to the walk and hold some weight) 

You're probably already seeing where I'm going with this but let's break it down. (I mean Build it Up) 😉

BUILDING  Your WINDOW

1. You need to choose WHERE to hang it up very carefully. 🤔🤫🧐   You need to find the studs in the wall. You do this by KNOCKING all over the wall. It will make a hollow sound until you knock on a wooden stud.

(Take your time because this step you need to get right) 

2. Cut your nice outdoor image the same size as the crate.

3. Glue the paper to the bottom of the Crate. (leave to dry/cool a bit)

4. Stick your LED lights to what will be the TOP of the window to shine down.

5. Nail box to the wall with several nails wherever the studs are. 

Again, take your time to make sure it's LEVEL. I recommend just putting in a couple of nails to start, then putting a little  water in an empty flat bottle, laying it on top of the box, and seeing if the water is level. 

(Our eyes can play tricks on us) 😵‍💫

Once you're sure it's LEVEL, then you can hammer in more nails to make it more secure.

6. Attach Sticky Hooks to your Box which you can place your curtain rod on.

 (Follow directions on Hook package)

7. Find a Rod or stick (Dollar Stores and Hobby stores are good places to get those cheaply), lay it on your Hooks and 

BOOM ❗️💥

Decorate your window however you want. 

🪷🌿🪷🌿🪷🌿

Keep in mind this is just a starting point for your creativity, and designed to get your creative juices flowing. You can adapt it according to your building knowledge, crafting abilities and available budget.

You might be able to cut out a recess in the wall and add a window frame and special lighting on a Dimmer Switch 

OR 

Maybe you can get an empty cardboard vegetable palette, paint and decorate it and stick in a touch controlled LED light, like the kind you put up in closets and under cabinets for extra illumination on work surfaces.

( This simpler version is great for people who RENT because you're not investing lots of money, you can take it with you and, because it's lightweight, you haven't had to put a bunch of holes in the wall.)

🌺🌿🌺🌿🌺🌿

Finally, I'm hoping this will inspire you creative Video Makers to make your own version of this and post it to inspire more people to get creative.

And (if you feel so inclined) put my hashtag #LauraLeeWasHere and the Link back to this blog in your video description.

Thanks for stopping by. 🙋🏻‍♀️

Love Always, Laura-Lee 

 

Cheap, Easy and Fast Party Preparation

 

Have you ever wanted to invite people over but you never did it because you didn't think you had enough space, time or money?  

Then THIS is the post for you.

Let's start with ...

INGREDIENTS: (first prices are in Canadian Dollars)

English Muffins (Sometimes called Crumpets)

2 Packs of 6  - $3.70 each $ 7.40 ($ 5.35 US)

1 Can Condensed Tomato Soup $1.90 ($1.40 US)

1 Batch Green Onions $2.40  ($1.75 US)

Processed Cheese Slices (White) $5.00  ($3.70 US)

TOTAL:

$16.70 ($12.10 US)

14-Pack Rice Cakes (Cinnamon/Caramel) $3.50 ($2.55 US)

2 -Cans Pineapple Slices - $3.00 each - $6.00 ($4.35 US)

1 Cherry Yogurt (or anything Red) $4.50 ($3.25 US)

TOTAL:

 $14.00 ($10.15 US)

Assembling Your Eats

🔴 Cut Your Crumpts in Half

🔴 Open Your Tomato Soup

🔴 WASH and Cut Onions 

  (Cut off and throw away Narly bit at end)

🔵 Lay Crumpets open on Microwaveable Plate

🔵 Smear on Soup (Sparingly.  Remember it's CONDENSED)

🔵 Sprinkle with Cut up Onions

🔵 Put on Cheese Slices (cut into wedges or strips)

🔵 Zap for a minute or two

NEXT

🔵 Open bag of Rice Cakes (usually 12-14 per bag)

🔵 Smear on Yogurt

🔵 Open Pineapples, Drain

 (put on Paper Towel few extra minutes to make dry)

🔵 Place slice on top of Yogurt

❣️ Put on nice plate to serve

😛 Let your guests Chow Down

You've just Fed 10 People for $30.70 ($22.35 US) with PLENTY to go around.

(And the Pineapple Rice Cakes will get some "oohs" and "ahhs" too.) 😲

☝️🌱☝️🌱☝️🌱☝️🌱

This proves again that you don't have to be rich to have a party. And if you live in a dorm room, small apartment or small house you will learn the truth of one of my favorite sayings,

"Homes Full of Love Have Elastic Walls".

I've hosted many, many parties just at my living room coffee table with people sitting on the floor around it. People still refer to them YEARS (sometimes DECADES) later as some of the best times they've ever had.

This is just meant to give you an encouraging STARTING point to demonstrate you should never let a lack of money stop you from celebrating.

But get as creative as you wish AND ...

don't WAIT for a Special Occasion.

 Life is WAY too short for that. 

MAKE a Occasion Special! 😃

The Truth with Love,

Always Laura-Lee 

(This idea is even rarer than I thought. I had a really hard time trying to find an image of people celebrating in a HOME that wasn't at Christmas time and didn't involve people all facing the same way watching a Big Screen. As you can see my top photo is from the 1970s! )

PLEASE NOTE

I'm NOT promoting one Brand over another.

You may be able to get an even better deal than the prices I've stated depending on your local stores and availability.

 Also, all my blogs have NO Ads and NO Stores

Impromptu Office Party (with Vending Machine Food & Common Office Supplies)

 

Hit the office Vending Machines and raid the Supply Room and see what you can create. This is what I came up with after looking at a list of the “Top Items Sold in OFFICE Vending Machines” and

“Top Essential Office Items”

FOOD

Melt Milky Way bars in a microwaveable mug and spread on Larabars cut into bite-sized pieces.

Top with Nuts or Popcorn

DRIZZLE melted Milky Way on

Cheesy Crackers (Cheez-It, Ritz) or Tortilla chips (Doritos)

 

Wrap Kit Kat bars, broken into bite-sized pieces, in Fruit Roll-Ups

Wipe out  In/Out Trays 

Line with Clean white Printer Paper or Paper Towels to put food on.

DECORATING

Use a Hole Punch to create Confetti (use colored paper or print something colorful on paper to make your confetti more decorative) and sprinkle around on a desktop.

Do this SPARINGLY! A little goes a long way and it is the DICKENS to clean up later!

Take a roll of STRONG Paper Towels (the cheapy stuff won't work) 

Unwind a length long enough to cover a desk or table

Make some light Tea (Not Coffee)

Scrunch up the paper towel and pour tea over it

Hang to dry a few minutes then spread it out as an “aged” Table Runner.

Post-It Sticky notes. (Oh, what a bleak existence it was before these were created) 😱 🧟‍♀️

 Write ONE letter on each NOTE  to spell out something.like “Hurray! It's Friday” and stick them to a wall

Cut square Post-It notes in half into triangles

Layer on top of each other to create Pinwheel Flower and tape together in the center at the back. 

Stick up somewhere.

Bubble Wrap (if not available cut from the inside of an envelope) 

Cut into a big flower shape for a Funky table top place mat 

OR 

Cut out 3 equal-sized, smaller flower shapes.

Cut slit between two petals (just to the middle) and wedge the 3 together at diagonal angles to create 3D Bubble Flower

Staple on a piece of string and hang up with a push pin or tape somewhere they can dangle and swing freely.

PRINTER PAPER

(Back in the “olden days* when I worked in Offices this was called “Photocopy Paper”)

Quick and Simple Streamers

Cut printer paper into triangles and tape to a string.

Hang it up (TaDa❗️)

Accordion Flower

Fold 3 pieces of Printer Paper into accordion

Fold accordion in half

Cut End to round it (to make a petal shape)

Fan out and tape all 3 together.

These are just a few ideas to get your creative juices going. I hope my simple ideas inspired you to realize you can have an IMPROMPTU PARTY anywhere at any time.

You don't need a caterer or a bunch of money to create a Celebration. Or even an official occasion.

We can get so focused on life, work and troubles that we need to take a pause and find a couple of hours to enjoy ourselves.

Trust me, no matter HOW busy you are at work, the company won't fall apart if you take an extended break every now and then.

In the long run, a moment of refreshment and some laughter will increase your productivity, encourage good working relationships and, when you look back on that job years later, you will have good memories.

I hope I helped.

The Truth with Love,

Always Laura-Lee 

YES❗️Coloring IS an Artform

 

I haven't made a post here for a long time but I have still been crafting and coloring.

I've even learned how to color using an App and a STYLUS! 😲😳

WooHoo❗️😃 Laura-Lee takes a Quantum Leap into the 20th Century 😊

"Uh. Laura-Lee? We're actually in the 21st Century." 😒

I know. I know. But don't rush me. 🤨

Here's some of what I've been doing.

 And, trust me, if I can learn new things in my 50s, YOU can too. 🫵🏻

(Oops❗️🙊 Accidentally outed my age on the internet again. Sort of.)

At CHRISTMAS

My  KLINGON Reindeer 

Released to Fly

PEACOCK Colored for my AUSTRALIAN Friends on

Australia Day

🇦🇺  🇦🇺 🇦🇺 

ReCreating the Classics

Mona Lisa as a BLONDE is much more likeable

There now. 😊
The Screamer  isn't quite so frightening this way.

Encouraging People to not be SHY in expressing themselves.
Being Unique makes you less boring.

Asking Thought Provoking Questions 🤔

And just having F U N❗️ 😃

Expressing my Christianity
WINGS with CROSS of JESUS

The Scars of JESUS allow us to
"Live long and Prosper"

🍁🌿🍁🌿🍁🌿🍁🌿

See how much you can say with a Coloring Page.🙆‍♀️

🖍🖍🖍🖍🖍🖍🖍

Now it's YOUR turn! 🫵🏻