Monthly Archives:

August 2011

The Disney UP House Gets a Real World Treatment

One of our favorite animated movies of all-time is “UP”, and central to the movie is the house that the old man decided to move with him as he went exploring. You can now see a real life version…

Top Picks For Fall Paint Colors

With fall quickly approaching, you may have the urge to change something in your home. Personally, I find myself spending more time on decorating, de-cluttering and organizing my abode in the weeks before winter, almost as if I’m preparing…

New Beginnings at the Dahl House: Nesting Series

With the help of some great contributors we’ve covered some elements of nursery design and preparing for a baby as well as recycling a crib and tips for doing-it-yourself while pregnant. We’ve put a lot of these tips into…

Power Tools On Fire: Welcome to the Tool Race

This past weekend we had the absolute joy of attending the Third Annual Ohio Tool Racing Championships in Columbus, Ohio, and we could not have been more impressed. Run out of the Columbus Idea Foundry, the concept is that…

DuPont WeedFree Landscape Fabric is Going in the Sandbox

We got tipped to a new product from DuPont that promises to eliminate the problem of weeds in our garden. Their WeedFree Premium landscape fabric supposedly provides a strong defense against weeds and helps promote healthy plants and shrubs.…

Giveaway: Fish Foam Premium Glass Cleaner

We’ve been using over the counter window spray cleaners for years. Some work better than others but many of them leave a lot to be desired. From running to streaks, cleaning windows isn’t always as easy as you’d think.…

Trucks of Tool Bloggers: Made in the USA

I’ve often shared my love for my Ford F150 and apparently I’m not alone. I took a quick survey of fellow tool bloggers who were more than eager to share their trucks with me and how they felt about…

Get Stuff Done During A DIYcation

It’s been awhile since we checked in with our good friend, the fabulous DIY Diva. And when we did, she gave us a brilliant idea: the DIYcation. Makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? If you have a lot of things…

Slide Heavy Appliances with the Help of Windex

We are the proud owners of a new Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer from Lowe’s. We had them delivered and stacked, but the problem is, once stacked they become even heavier and more difficult to move. Fortunately the delivery…

Bid On A Pink Custom Range From BlueStar

What could be better than whipping up a first-class meal on a state-of-the-art gas range? How about if the proceeds from the appliance’s auction benefit breast cancer research? Chef Marcus Samuelsson (the winner of Top Chef Masters season 2…

DIY With Disabilities

We’ve often talked here at Charles & Hudson about things like universal design, how to DIY with temporary medical conditions (read: pregnancy), and what to do if you’re mid-project and injure yourself. But something we haven’t touched much upon…

How To Buy a New Matress

Last Tuesday marked a monumental day around our humble abode — the long-awaited arrival of our new bed. The glorious piece of furniture (including mattress and box springs) was a wedding gift from my dad and stepmom, and it…

Our Inaugural Run With FrogTape

About a year ago the blogosphere was all abuzz about FrogTape, a new painters’ tape product with paint-blocking technology purported to stop paint from bleeding under the tape. With that in mind, the point of the tape was to…

Why You Should Go To A Really Really Free Market

This past weekend we had the chance to check out our city’s monthly summer Really Really Free Market — as in, yes, everything really, really is free — and we’re digging this latest urban trend. Really Really Free Markets…

Would You Try Edible Spray Paint?

File this one under the “What will they think of next?” category. And yes, you read the post title right: today we’re talking about edible spray paint. Thanks to the team at Shelterrific for alerting us to this fascinating…

Learn A Few Tricks From The New IKEA Catalog

Today felt like a holiday when we received our mail — the new IKEA 2012 catalog sat innocently in our mailbox, its near pristine pages just crying out to be thumbed through. While we are pretty avid IKEA shoppers,…

Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal With A New Garage Door

Whether you’re considering selling your house or simply want to freshen up your home’s exterior, you can’t go wrong with installing a new garage door. In fact, this project consistently ranks high on Remodeling magazine’s Cost v. Value report.…

Pet Peek Fence Portal: A Window for Your Dog

Maybe dogs wouldn’t be so aggressive or bark so much if they could see what was beyond their fence? Well the pet peek could be the perfect solution. It looks easy to install and if you’ve got a curious…

Barbie’s New Dream House: Complete With Solar Panels!

The Barbie dream house — such a splendid creation, isn’t it? I know I confessed my extreme tomboy tendencies yesterday, but I also had a Barbie dream house. Mansion is a more accurate description, and I spent hours concocting…

Concrete Lego Blocks Are The Real Deal

Growing up, I was quite the tomboy. And looking back at my preferred toys, it’s no surprise that I now write about home improvement and DIY. Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, blocks and a pint-sized tool kit topped my list…

Should You Paint Your Roof White?

During the sweltering days of summer, painting your roof white seems like a fantastic idea. The idea is to make your roof more reflective so that it doesn’t absorb as much heat, which will keep your house cooler–and likely…

Paint Your Own Wall Mural

Our friend Nick has a passion for music and wanted to incorporate this into the design of his new home. You can take his same concept and create your own wall mural using a design of your choice and…

Upcycle Your (Recalled) Drop-Side Crib

My daughter will be turning one here at the end of August, and as a child always in the 95th percentile of growth with no sign of slowing down, I know her babyhood is quickly ending while her toddlerhood…

Keep Your Grass Green During A Heat Wave

I’m about to make a strong statement: I hate summer. Don’t get me wrong – I love spending time outside, swimming, dining al fresco, going to the lake. But Kansas City (and much of the country) is in the…