RenoVation Part Deux: Spray It Forward

Side note (that's not really on the side of anything): Super apologies for dropping off of the face of the earth. August was rough, to say the least. We are back on track and roaring to go! 

Another not-so-side note: Thing 2 was featured on being tazim. Check it out!!

Getting organized is key when you want to save time and more importantly, money. Prep work will keep the headaches away and the stress levels down. 

Tip #1: Make a production list of things you would like to do. Then make a second list of what can be salvaged instead of purchased new. I reference my Pinterest account under my "For RV Remodel" board for inspiration on where I can save the most.

In my case, I reused the handles. They were very…let's just say, not my style. Every. single. handle was brass and a lot of the RV was just covered in brass. On the other hand, everything was well-made, and definitely not worth scrapping. Our RV just needed a little pick-me-up. I explored on Pinterest, but unfortunately couldn't find any project that I'd like to do. (Hey, it happens.) So I decided that I was just going to spray paint them white. They look brand-new! 21 handles = $6. Done.

Moving on: The shower to the RV was a disgusting shade of diarrhea. It was sort of a "yellow snow" color, if you catch my drift. I wanted to purchase a whole new shower, and I didn’t care how much it was gonna cost. I just wanted it out. That's how much I hated it. Then, my husband convinced me that I should just spray paint the inside and it would look just as new. (Hmmmm? He must be part Asian. LOL) So, he took on that project and voila! good as new.  

Total cost: $40 for a few cans of Krylon Fusion. Tip #2: Always check with the paint people to make sure you won't need to prime or what you'll need to actually get your paint to stick to plastic. 

Labor: He did it all. Pat on the back and a high five for the husband.

(P.S. They make other colors of spray paint. I just choose white.)

 Spray paint has come a long way. It comes in a variety of different colors and different textures. You can pretty much spray paint anything and make it look new. It is extremely easy and the finished product is awesome!

And I heard 'em spray,

Foodie Penpal: What I Sent: From the Bay to LA

So, the way Foodie Penpal works is kinda funny, but very efficient. You sign up, you're paired up with two people: one person you will be receiving a package from, and one person you will be sending a package. In the previous post, I revealed the packaged that I received from Peggy. Now, I'm gonna show you a little of what I sent off to Monique!


Funnily enough, Monique grew up in San Francisco and currently resides in Beverly Hills. I'm from the Bay Area, as you know, and I've worked in Beverly Hills in the past. I knew instantly that Trader Joe's would be out of the question since those are pretty plentiful in California and probably one right down the street from where she lives. (My initial instinct was to hook her up with some Boudin bread, but I knew it wouldn't last, not in my house nor in the mail. It's pretty blasphemous to not eat it fresh, honestly.) A few things about Monique that I learned:


- She's Italian
- She is a baker more than a cook
- No allergies…right on. Not having to worry about killing somebody is always a plus.


Okay, I'll stop talking now. Here's what I sent:

Full contents! L-R: McCauley Olive Grove Corn Nuggets, Skyflakes/Rice Crackers (#1 strawberry basket), Knox Gelatine, Nagaraya BBQ cracker nuts,  Primo's Spinach Dip mix, local honey sticks, and a bonus gift: little melamine spoon measures. :)

Skyflakes: plain crackers, but they're so much more buttery than Saltines. Rice crackers: The perfect combination of sweet, salty, and all Asiany flavors. (Yeah, I said "Asiany", so?)

Contents of basket: Local items like olive oil (from the orchard down the street), Spinach dip mix (from Tracy, CA), local honey sticks, and the bonus gift: melamine measuring spoons!

McCauley Olive Grove Corn Nuggets: Super sweet, but like the note says, "…like a mix between caramel popcorn and corn pops." Sounds like a freaking awesome combination to me. I like these especially because there's not crap stuck in my teeth afterwards. Apparently, she thought they had a garlic flavor to them (oopsies?), but thank God that wasn't the case. That'd been so weird. lol

Gelatin envelopes and a recipe!

Last, but definitely not least: Nagaraya BBQ Cracker nuts

I used berry baskets to contain everything in a neat little package, and twine/index cards to attach my notes. This was really fun to put together, and by the looks of Monique's blog post, she had fun receiving it! 


What a great first Foodie Penpal experience. Can't wait to do it again!

Blogathon Wrap-Up #blogathon2

The Biannual Blogathon Bash was really fun and interesting!

I wasn't sure about it, since I'm a noob, but everyone was super kind and helpful (especially on Facebook). There was never any pressure to keep up or do more (or anything, really)…which in turn, made me want to do it all. I found some things that were really valuable, and plan to use in the future with all of my writing endeavors.

I dedicated 16-18 hours between June 22 and June 25th. In that time, I did:

• a few mini-challenges
• signed up for certain beneficial networks
• signed up for Rocks and Roses
• signed up for Foodie Penpal
• learned how to make a recipe printable (!!!!)
• entered a couple contests
• caught up on 1/5 blog posts (3/5 are half-written. I have to send them off to Thing 1 to go collabo on them)
• and primped the blog a bit! (See: added informational links on Thing 1 and I -------------->
•  <------------- tweet button, and a few homies -------------->) 

All in all, a very enriching and learning experience, super glad to have had it.

I guess I forgot to add the wrap-up entry, oh well! Done and done!

Thanks again, Kathleen, and Xenia for letting me know about it. Can't wait til the next one :)

Onward and upward,

PS Thanks for the compliments on my handwriting! LOL!