How To Freshen Old Grout Between Tiles in 3 Easy Steps

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

If you didn’t already know, it should really come as no surprise to anyone that I am slightly OCD.

Yup, I’m the one who needs all the pictures perfectly straight, the furniture dusted, and my floors ARE clean enough to eat off of…for reals.

Our house is kinda old, built in the late sixties or very early seventies, and we haven’t done a major overhaul on the kitchen, so I still have the old porcelain tile with white grout, which poses difficulties keeping spotless and sanitary even for someone like me whose middle name is “Bleach”.

Every so often, I step out of my Louboutins, throw down my Chanel, and get my hands dirty for a purpose — to freshen and reseal the grout.

Until we remodel and tear out the countertops, this is an excellent method of keeping everything looking clean and fresh.

And it’s SO easy!

This is what I use; it’s bright white ‘cos that’s my grout color. I purchased it at Home Depot — it’s pre-mixed and EASY to use.
STEP ONE:

I use my finger because I’ve tried a lot of other tools and nothing works better. I don’t even wear gloves, but you really should.

Just scoop up a mess of grout and push it into the space between the tiles, dragging your finger down along each square ’til it’s filled and even.

Make sure you really wash that stuff off your hands; it’s very drying and probably toxic!
STEP TWO:

Take a rag or a sponge (or both) and carefully wipe away the excess grout. Let it dry overnight and then wipe off the tiles again.

STEP THREE:
See the little brush? Turn the grout sealer upside down and squeeze just until enough sealer coats the brush; continue to squeeze, and paint all the grout with the sealer, let dry for about an hour and add a second coat.

When it’s dry, wipe the tile with a clean, damp cloth to remove any excess grout.

Voilà!

Beautiful grout again…sparkly clean and shiny, easy as 1-2-3!

Recycled, Repurposed, Reborn, and Reformed

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

It’s not always about Chanel.

Yes it is — well, I say yes, our bank account says no.

Whatev.

Moving on.

As much as I loves me some designer fashion — especially Chanel — I really don’t like to throw anything away ‘cos I think I’ll always find a use for everything if I save it long enough.

No need to toss out those nasty old cracked and faded Crocs,
merely fill with a little soil and some succulents!
Voila!

Crack a wineglass when you partied too much???
Fill with a little soil and more succulents.
Just don’t try and drink out of it again…

Chipped a dish?
Once again, fill with rocks and soil — and more succulents!
These need a little water; looking kinda sad…

Yeah, I break a lot of things.
More broken coffee cups, more succulents.
This is the desert, after all.
And yes, that’s a broken tile, too!

Repurposed fruit basket stand.
I painted it black ‘cos it was all rusty, lined the baskets with black plastic, filled with soil and planted begonias on the bottom and fuchsias on top.
Did you notice that the basin beneath it is not very photogenic?
It will have to go.
I found the Trix rabbit whilst digging. No one knows where it came from!
No, I’m not from the UK, but sometimes “whilst” is a great word.

Tell me about anything you’ve recycled, repurposed, reborn, or reformed.

Repurposed – Grampa’s Old Toolbox (everythingsucculent.com)
Succulents: The Busy Woman’s Plant (proplants.com)
Succulent garden ideas: mixed succulent beds in a modern garden (tended.wordpress.com)

I love elephants of all colors

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

White elephant: A possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of. According to Wiki, the tradition derives from tales which associate a white elephant with the birth of the Buddha, as his mother was reputed to have dreamed of a white elephant presenting her with a lotus flower, a common symbol of wisdom and purity, on the eve of giving birth.^[5]Because the animals were considered sacred and laws protected them from labor, receiving a gift of a white elephant from a monarch was simultaneously both a blessing and a curse: a blessing because the animal was sacred and a sign of the monarch’s favor, and a curse because the animal had to be retained and could not be put to much practical use, but cost a significant amount to maintain.

Hmmm…that sounds very much like a description of Princess Rosebud, don’t you agree?

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals month….I’ve protested and spoken out with Peta against the cruel practice of elephant rides at our San Diego County Fair in Del Mar. The life of a captive elephant (or any animal) trained for humans to profit by is barbaric and must end. Please join me in caring about the lives of other species. We must work together to end animal abuse. Click on the link to learn more: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/tags/elephant+rides/default.aspx

Here’s my very own white elephant. She is extremely beautiful and, as you can see, quite useful, holding a vase of alstroemeria flowers from our garden. I found her at Ross Dress for Less for $29.00. The vase is from Anthropologie. I picked up some color chips from Home Depot to repaint the wall for contrast but I haven’t decided on a color yet.

More elephants!