Best Way to Line Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers - Con-Tact Brand Paper

Cabinet & Drawers I Covered in My Daughters New Home

Con-Tact® Brand Creative Covering Adhesive Shelf Liner in White Marble

When you buy an older home or rent an apartment, the inside of your cabinets can be like new by simply lining them with Adhesive Contact Paper. 

Our daughter has moved at least a dozen times since she graduated from high school.  First to dorm rooms each year, then to various apartments throughout her grad school years, and most recently due to job changes.  I'm not very helpful with moving boxes and furniture, therefore my job on moving day is to line the cabinets throughout the house with Contact Paper.  It's a great way to ensure that dishes, towels, and clothes will be placed on a clean surface. 

As we all know, apartments and dorm rooms frequently have annual occupant changes.  As a result, apartment kitchen and bathroom cabinets, as well as closet shelves, can be in varying states of cleanliness and condition.  Shelves can even have cracks or splinters in them that will ruin clothes.   Kitchen cabinets can have all kinds of stains or even unidentifiable gunk on them that require gloves and a face mask before you want to get close to them, much less, store your dishes or glassware on.   Contact Paper is a lifesaver, literally, in rental dwellings or when you buy a previously owned house.

How to Lay Contact Paper

Like anything we do to improve our homes, there are a few tricks to laying Contact Paper if you want it to look nice in addition to being clean.  First and foremost, measure then cut.  There are lines on the back of Contact Paper that guide for a pretty straight cut.  I intentionally over-cut the sides by 1/4", then trim it.

I always lay the straight edge at the front of the cabinet, which means the cut edges will be on the sides and back.  I trim those edges with a boxer cutter.

How to Lay Contact Paper in Cabinets

In cabinets, I start peeling the backing off in the front, pressing down the adhesive side to the shelf, and work from front to back, slowly removing the paper backing a little at a time.  After the backing is completely off, I smooth down the entire surface (again from front to back) with my hands.  If a small bubble is in the paper, I use a straight pin to pop the bubble, release the air, and smooth it out.

How to Lay Contact Paper in Drawers

For drawers, I start at the front and work my way to the back.  Even if the drawers are removable, it is easier to get it laid flat and straight by starting at the front.  Also, you really want a prettier edge on the front that will show.  Some bottoms of cabinets or drawers are warped and it is impossible to get perfection. 

How to Lay Contact Paper on Shelves

For long removable shelves, the process is the same except I start on one end and work to the other end.  That is easier since the widest area is from side to side.

For a very small shelf, like a linen closet, I remove the backing completely and carefully lay the Contact Paper in place, then smooth it down with my hands.

If you are covering an extremely warped bottom or shelf, it may be necessary to cut the Contact Paper with a box cutter in an area that won't show or get a lot of wear and tear to force it to lay flat.  

How to Lay Contact Paper in Deep Cabinets

In all cases, I try to work with one main piece.  However, deep bottom kitchen cabinets will require two lengths of the paper in order to cover them.  I start with the piece that is cut for the back of the cabinet. Then, lay the front piece with the back edge of the front piece overlapping the front edge of the back piece.  That will help prevent the back piece of Contact Paper from coming up when you slide around products later or push them toward the back.

Benefits of Contact Paper

• Adheres to a just about Any Surface
• Gives a Clean, Non-Toxic Surface to Cabinets & Shelves
• Wipes Clean with a Damp Cloth
• 100% Vinyl
• Easily Removable  (so you won't lose your rental deposit)
• Thick Paper Surface that Won't easily Rip or Tear during normal use
• Lasts for Years (even decades, if desired)
• Comes in a Variety of Designs & Colors, including clear

How Much Contact Paper is Needed

Probably the hardest thing to determine is how many rolls you will need to cover an area.  I recommend buying more than you think you will need and returning unopened rolls.  

The last kitchen cabinets I covered for our daughter required 5 rolls of 18" x 20" Con-Tact Paper to cover all of the shelves and cabinet bottoms.   

Regardless of the store or seller, be sure you buy only Con-Tact Paper Brand for lining cabinets & shelves.

Examples of Designs Available

 Con-Tact Brand Creative Covering, Self-Adhesive Shelf Liner, Multi-Purpose Vinyl RollCheck Price Con-Tact Brand Creative Covering Self-Adhesive Shelf and Drawer LinerCheck Price Con-Tact Brand Creative Covering Vinyl Self-Adhesive Shelf and Drawer LinerCheck Price Con-Tact Brand Creative Covering Self-Adhesive Vinyl Drawer and Shelf LinerCheck Price

 

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Wonder Woman (2017) Movie Review

The new movie, Wonder Woman (2017), took me by surprise.  I didn't expect to like it.  As a matter of fact, ever since I saw the first preview for it in the theater, I have made comments about how no one could ever be Wonder Woman after Lynda Carter.  However, when my son gave me the DVD for Mother's Day, of course I immediately popped it into the DVD player for us to watch together.  I now freely admit, Gal Gadot is fabulous as Wonder Woman and I loved the movie.

I was a teenager during the Wonder Woman television series back in the seventies and I can easily remember how much the guys in school "admired" Lynda Carter.  Admittedly, her costume was too racy for me to want to wear, but everyone thought she was perfect.  In today's world, that Wonder Woman costume seems rather mild by comparison to many of the others that are made for women.

Speaking of the costume, the new costume design for Wonder Woman is pretty awesome.  It seems more appropriate for an Amazon warrior.  While it still has the corset bodice, it is designed to resemble armor.  The gladiator paneled skirt is definitely an improvement.  In my opinion, this costume does give Wonder Woman more credibility as a fighter instead of just a visual feast for men.

Wonder Woman Movie (2017)

 Wonder Woman (2017) -
Available on DVD, Blu-ray, Amazon Video, & MoreCheck PriceI loved the way this movie gave us the entire backstory on Diana, Wonder Woman.  If I ever knew it, I certainly didn't remember it.  That alone made the new movie worth watching.  I also appreciated the historical setting.  From the very beginning, we are able to identify the time period simply by the German insignia on the uniforms.  The soldiers wore the iron cross (WWI) instead of the swastika of the Nazi party (WWII). 

After a few "current day" introduction scenes, we are transported back in time and to the island of Themyscira, homeland of the Amazon.  Diana's mother is the queen of the Amazons and she desires to keep Diana safe.  Defying Queen Hippolyta's orders, the queen's sister, Antiope, starts training Diana as a warrior.  Both women know Diana's true identity and purpose, but the queen wishes to protect her as long as possible.  Antiope wishes to prepare her for the inevitable.  When Hippolyta discovers Antiope is training Diana, she is furious, but after reasoning with her, Antiope convinces her that Diana needs to be trained for war.

When an airplane breaks through the barrier that separates our world from the island of Themyscira, Diana dives into the water to investigate.  She subsequently saves the pilot's life and brings him to shore.  Unfortunately, Steve Treyor's plane is followed by a warship and the first battle of the movie begins between the Germans and the Amazons.  Once the Germans are defeated, the women interrogate Steve.  By using the lasso of truth, they are able to quickly get information about "the war that will end all war".  Recognizing that humanity needs her help, Diana volunteers to take Steve back and aid in the war against Ares, the god of war.  Together, Diana and Steve travel back through the separating barrier and to London.  "Wonder Woman" is determined to fight against darkness and evil, but Diana finds that isn't as easy to identify as she expected.

My Recommendation  - Wonder Woman (2017)

Wonder Woman (2017) is truly a wonderful movie.  I encourage everyone to set aside any preconceived notions about Wonder Woman and watch the new movie.  I think you too will be pleasantly surprised. 

 Wonder Woman [Blu-ray]Check Price

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Crooked House Movie (2017) Review

Agatha Christie never disappoints!  Crooked House is an awesome mystery. 

As always, Agatha Christie held me spellbound until the very end.  I had no idea who the murderer was and the ending was completely unexpected.

I don't know how I previously missed seeing one of the movie versions of Crooked House.  Apparently, there have been several.  I was thrilled to discover an Agatha Christie book plot that I had neither read, nor seen a film adaptation of the story.   

If you love a great mystery, if you are an Agatha Christie fan, or if you happen to be seeking a wonderfully suspenseful movie, I highly recommend Crooked House.   I don't know about any of the other movie versions, but I do know this 2017 version is phenomenal and Glenn Close is superb as Aunt Edith.  

The Plot of Crooked House by Agatha Christie

When Aristide Leonides dies at the age of 85, every member of his family and household are murder suspects.  He was extremely wealthy and each family member had reasons why they would want him dead.  Since they all lived together in his mansion, they all had opportunity and access to his medicine, which was mixed to create a lethal poison.

The family was not sad over Leonides death.  In some ways, it was a relief to several of them because he was a controlling patriarch who enjoyed playing games with their lives.  He used his money and their dependence upon him, to wield power over them.  Now, they were free from the overbearing, oppressive bully in their lives.

Everyone thought they knew what would happen to his estate in the event of his death, but they were all wrong.  Unbeknownst to his sons, his grandchildren and his first wife's sister, Leonides had neglected to sign the will that left them all heirs.  Because there was no legal will, his young wife stood to inherit everything by default.  

Even before they knew about the unsigned will, family members were not particularly fond of his wife and they were more than willing to cast the blame for his murder on her.  Even the police suspected that his wife, Brenda, and her lover had poisoned Leonides.   

As you would expect, Brenda did not like the family either and was thrilled to find out she would inherit everything.  She did not hesitate to show her happiness over this turn of events. 

Leonides granddaughter, Sophia, hired her previous lover, who also happened to be a private detective, to investigate the murder.  She worries that Scotland Yard will not be respectful of the families privacy and she wants Charles Hayward to protect them from unnecessary probing. 

You now know the basic plot.  Two sons, two daughters-in-law, three grandchildren, a sister-in-law, a young wife and her lover all living in the same house, who all have means and motive to kill the head of the family, Aristide Leonide.  Scotland Yard is even depending on Charles Hayward to figure out which one is the murderer.  See if you can figure it out before the last 10 minutes of the movie!

By Senator Stabenow
(Senator Stabenow, Glenn Close and Faustino Venzor.)
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Glenn Close in Crooked House

Glenn Close stars as Edith de Haviland in Crooked House.  As always, she is fabulous.  I can't imagine any other actress ever coming close to her performance.  She was totally and completely believable as Aunt Edith.

Edith was Aristide Leonides sister-in-law by his first marriage.  Therefore, she was his children's aunt and his grandchildren's' great aunt, but they all call her Aunt Edith.  She is a bit eccentric, self-assured, intelligent and strong willed.  I loved her!  

In my opinion, Glenn Close as Edith made what is clearly a wonderfully suspenseful book plot into a phenomenally superb movie.  

 Crooked HouseCheck Price

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Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer Reviewed (Model 63325)

I love my Hamilton Beach 63325 6-Speed Stand Mixer! 

For many years, I was tempted to buy a stand mixer, but I simply couldn't justify the multi-hundred dollar cost of the one I thought I wanted.  Every time I entered a department store, I would mosey over to the kitchen appliances and allow myself to be mesmerized by the beauty of a shiny new stand mixer.   

Several times my husband offered to buy one for me, but I refused to let him spend that much money on a mixer.  He even ordered one online as a surprise for me once and I cancelled the order myself citing the ridiculously high price was just too much.  I told him if it ever went on a 70% off sale, we could talk.  Of course, that never happened.   

However, my daughter and son-in-law did the unthinkable without my permission a few years ago.   They gave me a stand mixer for Mother's Day.

The Gift of the Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Stand Mixer

I should note that the children were smarter than me.  They knew I needed a stand mixer, but they didn't choose the shiny and pretty model I was entranced by in department stores.  They looked at a durable, dependable, yet lightweight beast.  

I confess, I hadn't even considered the weight of the "beauty" I thought I wanted.   It's a good thing they thought of the weight though because I do have to move my stand mixer (11 lbs) each time I use it.  I would never have been comfortable lifting and moving the "beauty" (26 lbs).  Lifting my "beast" and carrying it from counter to counter is almost effortless for me.

The first time I used my Hamilton Beach stand mixer, I stood back and watched, amazed at how it did that work for me.  I definitely appreciated everything about it.  

You might think that being lighter weight would cause the mixer to hop around on the counter while mixing.  It does not.  It has nonslip feet and they definitely work!  

I also thought I wanted a glass bowl, but the Hamilton Beach stand mixer has a stainless steel bowl.  As it turns out, the stainless steel bowl is fabulous!  It is also much lighter than a glass mixing bowl, plus it won't break if I drop it.  Now, I have to tell you, I am thrilled that it came with stainless steel instead of glass.

Features of the Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer, Model 63325

My Homemade German Chocolate Cake

• 6 Speeds
• 3 Attachments:  Flat Beater, Whisk, & Dough Hook
• Head tilts up and locks into place to easily add ingredients 
• Beater has excellent bowl coverage - very little need for scrapping sides
• Nonslip Feet
• Lightweight (11 lbs)
• Mixer Unit Wipes Clean
• Attachments and Bowl are Dishwasher Safe
• Inexpensive by Comparison 

I want to take a moment to address how well this stand mixer mixes.  When I make a German chocolate cake, I do stop and scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure it is getting completely mixed.  That truly may be more habit on my part than necessity.  However, heavier batters, like my carrot cake, do not require scraping the sides of the bowl at all.  The flat beater does an excellent job of scraping, stirring and mixing.

The only advantage I now see to the beauty over the beast is that you can purchase separate attachments like a food grinder, pasta maker, ice cream maker, etc. that work by using the motor of the stand mixer for power.  If I ponder that for long, I realize I'm not likely to ever buy or use either of those separately purchased attachments.  If I want either of those things, I can buy the individual machine that is made for that specific purpose with it own motor.  

In case I forgot to mention, the Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer (the beast) costs almost 1/4 of the price of the one I thought I wanted (the beauty).  Ironically, that even beats that 70% off sale I was waiting for before I would make a purchase.

Thank you again to my daughter and her sweet husband for giving me what I really needed, the Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer. 

 Hamilton Beach 6 Speed Electric Stand Mixer with Stainless Steel 3.5 Quart Bowl, Planetary Mixing, Tilt-Up Head, 300W Motor, Black (63325)Check Price

   

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Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer Reviewed (Model 63325)"  written by:

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Cabinet Door Spice Gripper Clips Strips Reviewed

Sometimes the simplest things are truly the best solutions! 

I have spent months trying to find a spice rack for my kitchen that would be pretty and convenient.   I looked at shelves, counter-top carousels, cabinet shelf risers and more.   I even considered converting one of my kitchen drawers into a spice holder.  But none of those ideas were the solutions I really wanted.

In our previous home, I had a gorgeous spice cabinet that I absolutely loved.  However, when we moved into our current house, that rack was too tall to hang on the wall between my cabinets and counter.  While I welcomed the taller kitchen cabinets, I really did hate to say goodbye to my lovely spice rack, but life moved on.  

At that time, I settled for an ugly, plastic carousel that would fit in my panty which was meant to be a temporary solution.  Now, nearly 20 years later, I am still using that carousel, except over the years it has been shoved further and further back into the pantry so I don't have to look at it every time I open the pantry door.  The spices I used most often sat on the front of the pantry shelf for easy access, but when I needed something behind them, it was a major pain to move everything around. 

This past Thanksgiving highlighted how desperately I needed a different spice storage solution.  With at least 4 cooks in my kitchen, too much of my own time was spent searching for the spices we needed back on the old carousel.  If anyone else tried to find a spice, they inevitably knocked jars off the spinning carousel.  

Truly, enough was enough!   And, so the search begin.  You can see my solution pictured on the right.

Pantry Door Spice Holder Installation

I resolved my problem with a set of Spice Gripper Clip Strips.  These strips were extremely easy to put up.  I cleaned the door with the alcohol pad that was included, removed the back tape protector strip and pressed my new gripper clips in place.  I did not use the included screws.  They were not necessary.   

My new spice holders are lightweight and plastic which means they will probably break eventually with daily use, but they are so inexpensive that I am not sweating that eventuality.  The convenience of having my spices hung on the pantry door is well worth any downside in the future.

Viola', instant spice rack inside my panty door and extremely convenient! 

I will be the very first to tell you how shocked I am that I love, I mean absolutely love my new spice gripper clips.  I should have done this decades ago.

 

Pantry Door Spice Holders Description

 SimpleHouseware 30 Spice Gripper Clips Strips Cabinet Holder - 6 Strips, Holds 30 JarsCheck PriceThe gripper clip strips have 5 clips per strip.  However, you can separate them into shorter strips if so desired.  The 5 clip strips are perfect for my pantry door, so I didn't need to shorten them.  

I was originally concerned that the space used when the door closed would be basically the same if the spices were still sitting on the shelf.  But, I was amazed to see that less than an inch of space is required to remain bare on the shelf in the front to accommodate the hanging spices.  Fabulous!  Not only do I have new convenient spice holders, but they are also space-savers.  Even better!!!

The strip package is a combination of white hangers and black hangers.  I used both.  Mixing them does not bother me even though I thought it would.  Perhaps, I am just grateful to have a spice holder solution. 

The only negative that I have found is that I will be required to replace each spice with the size spice jar on each clip once I use it the first time.  Since the hangers are plastic, they won't spring back to a smaller size once they are stretched out to hold a wide bottle.  Again, I can live with that.  After all, there are no nail or screw holes in my pantry door and I prefer that mild downside over holes in my cabinet door.

 

 Simple Houseware 30 Spice Gripper Cabinet Holder - 6 Strips, Holds 30 JarsCheck Price

    

Illegal Harvest: An Up-cycling Mystery Reviewed

Illegal Harvest: An Up-cycling Mystery Reviewed
(Roni Rainer Mysteries Book 2) 

A few months back, I was delighted to review Death Takes A Spin:  An Up-cycling Mystery which is the first book in the series.  Today I want to introduce you to the second book in this fabulous series by Beverly Owens.

If you have read Death Takes A Spin, you will already be familiar with the main characters in these books.  However, if you have not read that book, please allow me to give you a quick list and description of them.

The Characters of Illegal Harvest:  An Up-cycling Mystery

Roni Rainer inherited her grandmother's antique store, Revived.  In an attempt to keep the store profitable, Roni has started up-cycling (renewing) old decor in order to make it have new appeal.  After all, the current generation does not embrace antiques just because they are "antiques".   

Her employees definitely help to make the store, and the book, a success.  Clay is most often the first employee you would meet if you entered the shop.  He is delightfully animated and fun, especially when he encounters a spider.   In spite of his fear of spiders, he genuinely cares for his co-worker, Charlotte, his favorite "little spider".   Charlotte has an artistic eye for up-cycling, which makes her an invaluable employee.  She can simply look at a piece and her mind is flooded with ideas for creating a unique work of art in furnishings and home decor.  Her work is extremely popular with customers.  There seems to be a touch of romance in the air between Charlotte and CC, a temporary employee who appears to be making a permanent place for himself at the shop.

Valerie is Roni's best friend and divorce attorney.  Together they head the committee responsible for the planning and development of the new Beaver Falls skate park.  The two friends were appointed by the city benefactor, Willie Smythe, who was murdered in the first book, Death Takes A Spin. 

Kitchi is also a very important character in the book.  He is Roni's dear friend and "adopted" grandfather who has taught her the ways of his American Indian ancestors. This will prove to be a valuable resource for Roni in the Illegal Harvest plot. 

Last, but by no means least, you will also get to know Mitch, a deputy sheriff who recently returned to Beaver Falls.  Mitch has long been in love with Roni, but is patiently waiting for her and the right time.

The Illegal Harvest: An Up-cycling Mystery Plot

 Illegal Harvest: An Up-cycling Mystery
(Roni Rainer Mysteries)Check PriceStill recovering from the last murder in their small town, Beaver Falls is once again shocked when the body of Mateo Hernandez is discovered.  No one can fathom why this young man would be killed.  He has certainly never been the cause of any trouble.  When a nearly starved and terrified woman shows up in town, she is able to shed light on why Mateo is dead and why she fears for her own life. 

Roni finds herself in grave danger when she crosses the path of the murderers.  She knows just enough to be suspicious, perhaps even frightened, but not enough to know anything for certain.  However, the murderers know she is watching and they warn her to back off.  Between her deceptive husband, the warnings from the killers, and her deepest concern for her two daughters, Roni finds little peace.  Her normally safe environment has definitely been disrupted.  

My Recommendation

The Roni Rainer series is an easy enough read that I won't hesitate to recommend that you read both books in order.  The first book in the series does a thorough introduction and develops each character to such a degree that you feel you know them personally.  I believe knowing them beforehand will help tremendously when reading the second book, Illegal Harvest.  

Both books are spellbinding mysteries that you will definitely want to read! Both books are available in paperback and for Kindles.

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Illegal Harvest: An Up-cycling Mystery Book Review Written by:

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