Nail Art: Part 6, No Chip Nails for Covid-19

Before

It takes prep work by my Manicurist to pretty-up my nails.  Then, there's the intricacies of the work itself. Not that she does not get paid well, mind you. She should be wealthy from what I've spent at her nail salon thru the years, LoL. 

 My fave about my nails --- they last and do not chip!  Great for vacation time and special events. Especially great for this season of Covid-19.

still a favorite!

Nail Art: Part 1

Nail Art: Part 2

Nail Art: Part 3

Nail Art: Part 4

Nail Art: Part 5

Proverbs 28

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LIST: Hints on Renovating an Old Home

pc: R C E

Jessica Helgerson shares her golden rules. (Domino Mag.)  
Jessica Helgerson  didn’t plan on becoming an interior designer—it all happened haphazardly. When she was in college, she stumbled upon an info session about UC Santa Barbara’s design program, signed up for an evening class, and was pretty much hooked. Fast-forward 20 years later, and she has her own firm that specializes in renovating historic homes. Some people might consider revamping older spaces a logistical nightmare, but Helgerson welcomes the challenge. 

“You have to work on them until the floor plan makes sense,” she explains. “It feels almost like erasing: The right plan is underneath there—you just have to get to it.”

Given that she’s worked on nearly 100 old houses throughout her career, we’re cool with calling her a certified expert on the matter. We chatted with Helgerson about how she approaches these delicate projects and why creativity is sometimes overrated:

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON LEITZ

Take Your Cues From What’s Already There

Instead of trying to impose a brand-new look, she pays attention to the era the property is from: What materials were used, what details are prominent, and what other work the architect is known for. For Helgerson, the house itself is the best mood board because it effectively outlines the pieces and finishes that work in the space. “If you’re working on a mid-century house, that immediately limits the material palette that makes sense for a house of that time,” she says. “In a way, the constraints of an older house are gifts.”

Then she layers modern, playful moments through decor. “We’re not building period sets, after all,” adds the designer.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINCOLN BARBOUR

It’s All in the Structure

“You can’t decorate your way out of bad architecture,” says Helgerson. The first thing she does before tackling any project is look at floor plans and figure out what can stay and what needs to be rejiggered so the layout flows. If she does have to rework anything, she sticks to one golden rule: Avoid angles at all costs. “They started angling walls in the ’60s to be kind of funky, but then you wind up with all of these rooms that are hard to furnish,” she says. 

“You can’t decorate your way out of bad architecture.

Don’t Splash Out on the Temporary Stuff

Helgerson always splurges on renovation materials and tightens the budget on decor. “I’m a total thrift store junkie,” she says. “I love old things, and I find them to often be made better than new items—and way cheaper, too.” She keeps a running list in her bag of all the pieces she might need for a client, including the correct sizing, just in case she stumbles upon an estate sale or vintage market. Her latest score? An antique delft tile mantel she sourced in Montreal. Major win. 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON LEITZ

Hunt for Decorative Clues

You don’t have to restore an old Victorian to its exact former glory (we have dishwashers now, not iceboxes), but Helgerson recommends including some references to the original space to stay true to its character: “First, look at the house itself. Are there nice details, and how can you repeat them? Is there a cute cutout on the doors or an interesting base accent?”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON LEITZ

Stay Away From Trends

Her number-one tip for first-time renovators: “Don’t try to be too creative!” says Helgerson. Save the bright colors and plush textiles for accent pieces (like pillows and chairs), but keep anything that’s permanent on the simple side. That doesn’t mean your project will end up looking like a stark-white box. For proof, take a peek at Helgerson’s portfolio, which is filled with sculptural lighting and rich hues. It all comes down to her design philosophy: “Just do the right thing for the house.”

“Just do the right thing for the house.”

Read the full Domino Magazine article H E R E

What I’ve Learned From Renovating 100 Historic Homes

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Living Like Y2k In a Covid-19 World

Our state's  Shelter-in-Place declaration has been heeded and started off with a bang as Hubby felt very motivated to clean and organize.  Overstuffed, disorganized, messy storage room be gone! We found soap, toilet cleaner, air fresheners, home decor, photos, Epsom salts, candles, Starbuck's tea, and food!!  Lookeee here: 2-pound cans of unopened, vacuum-filled dehydrated veggies from our stockpile of Y2K food.  Three cans of mixed vegetables, 1 can of Carrots, and 1 can of  Broccoli -- all canned in 1999.

These foods are sometimes touted to last maybe 25 years; but do we trust these online posts??  Our answer is yes.  Our cans were never opened, not bulging; kept in a cool, dark spot;  did not smell rancid nor look discolored.  Might do other posts on recipes using these. 

 However, Do Your Own Research if in a similar situation or uncertain;  and proceed at your own risk. 

opened can of dehydrated mixed-veggies

Average Dehydrated Product Shelf Life
Product	Years
Apples	20+
Adzuki Beans	25+
Alfalfa Seeds	15+
All Purpose Flour	10 - 15
Bakers Flour	15 - 20
Barley	30
Black Turtle Beans	25
Blackeye Beans	25
Broccoli	25
Brown Rice	3 - 5
Buckwheat	20+
Butter & Margarine Powder	3 - 5
Buttermilk Powder	10 - 15
Cabbage	25
Carrots	25
Celery	25
Cheese Powder	10 - 15
Cocoa Powder	10 - 15
Corn	20
Cornmeal	20 - 25
Cracked wheat	20
Flax	10 - 12
Fruit	20+
Garbanzo Beans	25
Garden Seeds	3 - 5
Germade	30
Gluten	5 - 10
Granola	1
Great Northern Beans	25
Groats	30
Hard Red Wheat	30
Hard White Wheat	30
Honey, Salt, & Sugar	∞
Hulled Oats	30
Kamut	30
Kidney Beans	25
Lentils	25
Lima Beans	25
Macaroni	20+
Millet	25+
Mixes *	3 - 10
Noodles	10 - 15
Onions	25
Peppers	25
Pink Beans	25
Pinto Beans	25
Popcorn	30
Potatoes (all)	20
Powdered & Whole Eggs	5 - 10
Powdered Milk	25
Quinoa	20
Refried Beans	25
Rolled Oats	30
Rye	30
Small Red Beans	25
Soft wheat	30
Soybeans	10 - 15
Spaghetti	20+
Spelt	30
Sprouting Seeds	15+
Tomato Powder	10 - 15
Triticale	30
TVP	10 - 15
Unbleached Flour	10 - 15
White Flour	10
White Rice	30
Whole Wheat Flour	10 - 15
Yeast *	3 - 5
∞ = Indefinitely.  Shelf life estimates are based on industry studies from sources deemed reputable. Since individual storage practices and conditions will vary, Food Assets and the canneries must disclaim any liability or warranty for particular results. * Products that contain yeast (leaven) should be considered as having a shorter shelf life than products that do not contain this ingredient. There are active enzymes in leaven, which create carbon dioxide gas, the same gas used in food storage (dry ice method). The gas is harmless to food. Leaven by itself has a 2 year shelf life (see Yeast above).

source: FOODASSETS.com

Shelf Life of Freeze Dried and Dehydrated Food

How Long Does Dehydrated Food Last?

What Happens to Your Brain When You Declutter

Y 2 K (Year 2000) Problem

REDDIT post by AJE

imgur post

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