Bruce Littlefield's Life 101 » Decorating

Garage Sales – Bruce on Home Wizards

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:33:24 +0000

Last weekend, I was back on the fabulous Cindy Dole’s radio show, Home Wizards, to talk about my summer passion: garage sailing! Tis the season, and I’m trying to head out every weekend this summer to hunt for treasure. Cindy’s helpful show also features other handy home hits, like these great moving tips and guides to buying the perfect grill. I always have such a good time talking with her! Check out clips from our chat here.

Household Tips – RecycleBank

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:24:21 +0000

Got clutter and a kind heart? Then RecycleBank is for you. Schedule a junk pick-up with the program and they’ll haul your unwanted stuff (old stereos, cracked cell phones, magazine stacks) away, making sure it’s recycled and disposed of responsibly. In return, you get points you can redeem for gift cards at RecycleBank’s website.
To figure out what you need and what you don’t, check out Better Homes and Garden’s 7-Clutter Reducing Tips and their 4 Easy Ways to Get Rid of Clutter.
And if you have an excess of Post-It notes, you can always get inspired by this Savannah College of Art and Design senior’s brilliant project. (Honestly, a lame excuse for a cool video.)

Life 101 – Mastering the Garage Sale

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:01:39 +0000

Canada’s Globe and Mail did a feature on me for their weekly “Guide to Your Life.” Writer Dakshana Bascaramurty (try saying that three times fast!) interviewed me and wrote what I think is the best synopsis of my greatest garage sale tactics for both buyers and sellers. Whether you’re buying or selling, here’s how you can stretch your dollar at the weekend yard sale. And grab a copy of my book, Garage Sale America (on sale at Amazon for $7.58!) It’s an adventure across America to see what $1000 can buy and it’s a truck full of fun.

American Fun – Wedding Season

Bruce Littlefield — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:12:26 +0000

Shine your shoes and print out that wedding registry (before somebody else gets them the giant salad utensils). It’s June, and it’s officially wedding season. Even if you’re not the one tying the knot this summer, wedding season has something to offer everyone.

This bride had all 110 of her dance students as her bridesmaids! A Guinness Book of World Record! They did not dance to Chris Brown.

I’m loving this gorgeous Indian wedding from Better Home and Gardens.

Again, no Chris Brown. Thank goodness.
Save the dance for the reception: Like this happy couple.

Dinner Party Talk – Doggie Dye Jobs

Bruce Littlefield — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:39:54 +0000

Lions and Tigers and Dogs, oh my! Would you? Could you? According to the Daily Mail (where you can see Chows that are dyed to look like pandas!), apparently the latest craze in China is doggie dye doos, recrafting your pooch to look like other animals. The Chinese are quick to unleash bizarre trends, but is a multi-coloured dye job going to far? This is a mystery than can only be solved by a snack-loving, crime-fighting, pronunciation impaired hound: SCOOBY DOO, WHERE ARE YOU?!

Household Tips – Be Cool (For Less!)

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:28:15 +0000

It’s the beginning of June, and we’re all starting to sweat a little. But if you find yourself reaching for the “cooler” button on your thermostat, freeze (ha.) There are tons of small changes you should make around your home to keep things cooler and save a pile of cash. I love these Commonsense Cooling ideas from Better Homes and Gardens mag. Did you know that planting a tree can save on energy costs?! And here’s a Texas home that’s super energy-efficient, saving the owners tons of money on AC costs each year. And with those wow-I-am-sitting-in-an-oven summers of Texas, that’s saying something.

American Fun – Beard Championships

Bruce Littlefield — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:07:02 +0000

In case you missed it, this past weekend the World Beard and Moustache Championships took place in Bend, Oregon. There were four fantastic facial hair categories: 1) Best moustache; 2) Best partial beard (goatees, van dykes, sideburns, musketeers, etc.); 3) Best full beard; and 4) Freestyle. (Anything goes. Anything. Be creative.) By the “looks of this video, ” Freestyle wins the day.
By the way, I like this bearded group: BTUSA. In addition to more hair than a busy barber’s floor. They have nice membership rules: “The competition is open to everyone.” We need more groups who include everyone in the fun.

Life 101 – Garage Sale Season Opens

Bruce Littlefield — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:32:16 +0000

The season is upon us. This weekend I’ve already got a mapped out list of my garage sale stop and shops. Refer to Facebook for Jay Blotcher’s “off-beat yard sale,” (a pop-culture smorgasbord), Ken Greene’s “Yarden Sale,” (includes delights for the garden), Stephen Gilman’s “UlsterCorp Barn Sale” (amazing stuff all for charity) and Hilton Purvis’s “Estate Sale” (from Eames to Limoges). Maybe I’ll even sneak over to my favorite Hudson Valley flea market, Stormville. One thing’s for sure, I’ve been inspired by Jailbreak.com’s list of the 100 best vintage lunchboxes to add these pop culture icons to my hunting list.

Quick Fixes – Ex Wife’s Wedding Dress

Bruce Littlefield — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:25:21 +0000

I love people who make lemonade out of lemons. Kevin Cotter is one such dude. His wife (of 12 years) left him and left behind her wedding dress. He asked if she wanted it back. She said, “No! Do whatever you want with it!” So, he has! He’s started a blog to find 101 uses of his ex-wife’s wedding dress. He’s up to 21, which include everything from a Darth Vader scarecrow to a pasta strainer. Revenge isn’t sweet.

Holidays – Mother’s Day

Bruce Littlefield — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:13:23 +0000

Don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day week. You’ll want to find a way to appreciate the good way YOU turned out and thank your mom. She probably had a lot do… as Cher and Raquel explain.

Ideas that will make Mother’s Day Magic:
Fancy-up flowers (put flowers in unconventional containers like watering cans, crockery, and coffee mugs)
Write her something special (in a store bought card, a poem, a story)
Give sweet treats (homemade chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate chip cookies, or a gift certificate to her favorite restaurant)
Or think clever keepsakes (I’ve scored great stuff at Home Goods for under $20 for framing photos, hand print cloth napkins with your kids, make a bouquet of gardening tools, etc.)
Most of all, say “I love you!“