Be Jane.: Personal Experience

Time to get ready for the spring

Fri, 18 May 2007 22:09:59 GMT

So just as June is right around the corner I would have to say that its finally time for me to my spring cleaning and this weekend is looking like it is the going to be it. I am dying to redo my closets and I have the perfect closet system that would make getting dressed my dream but the house we live in was built in 1922 and built of lathe and plaster. (I used it in my last house and it made me the neatest person I've ever been in my life!) I would need studs to hang this system off the wall so for now I will just have to live with the 1920s rack currently there.

Wish me luck.

Heidi

Jet Blue definitely not Jet Green!!

Tue, 01 May 2007 22:32:48 GMT

Alright, now I rarely get up on my pedestal and spout anything but I kind of feel like I need to. In the last few weeks I've done a great deal of traveling between going to Memphis, Nashville, Detroit, Houston, and New York City and I was able to see first hand how many airlines are trying to do their part with the whole "GREEN" thing. I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of the airlines I flew are now starting to recycle all of the bottles, cans and newspapers that come off of the airline. Seeing as I travel a great deal and already feel guilty for the polutants I am adding throught it, it makes me feel better knowing that at least they are conscious of our world.

That was until I took my last flight, a trip from NYC to my home in LA. On this flight not only did Jet Blue not recycle any bottles, cans or newspapers, they also have individual size servings of Jet Blue water that they pass out to the entire plane at the end and through out the flight to anyone who asks for water. Now I need to preface this with I happen to love flying their airline but I have written them about this and I have to say it is making me think twice about whether or not they really do care about their customers, as they say they do, and if I should continue to book any flights on them.

Am I the only person who's noticed this and written in to them? Does this bother anyone besides me?

Heidi

In Detroit!

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 22:28:51 GMT

Alright so Eden and I had a really great time in Houston working with the ladies from the National Charity League Wednesday through Friday last week. Then I went on to Detroit for my Aunt's suprise 70th birthday party! I'm still in Detroit and I have to say it's nice to come back "home" after soo long of being gone. (For those of you who don't know, I lived in Detroit until I was 16.)

I'm supposed to leave for NY on Wednesday to go and do the Mike and Juliet Fox Nationa Morning Show on Friday. I'll let you know once we have a time set in stone.

Heidi

Going to Houston!!

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 23:52:32 GMT

So tonight I'm getting ready to leave for Houston tomorrow moring. Eden and I are going to the National Charity League event they are having there in which Eden and I are going to speak. So far it looks like the weather is going to co-operate and be around 80! I'm actually looking forward to sitting by the pool a bit when we're not working.

Otherwise I really don't have any ideas about Houston, never been there before. Does anyone have any good suggestions on what to do or where to eat?

Heidi

Gorgeous Inlaid stone floors

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 22:34:34 GMT

Okay, so yesterday's post got me inspired to look at my pictures from our trip and I also came across some pics of inlaid stone floors that I couldn't resist showing you. (And yes, I know I looked like and was a complete goober taking pics of the floor everywhere I went.)

Make sure you click on the mosaic floor pic to see all of the absolutely amazing detail put into it.

Amazing wood floors

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:45:27 GMT

Okay so I don't mean to bore you all with pictures from my trip to Northern Europe this summer but I couldn't resist taking pictures of all of the amazing inlaid wood floors. These were actually from a museum in St. Petersburg called the Hermitage.

I don't know the type of affect they have on you but to me they made me want to go back and learn how to do this from scratch.

(Make sure you take a look at the one that is the same design on the floor as on the ceiling! They are the 3rd ones down. Click on any of them for much more detail.)

Magnetic drawer locks to childproof

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 17:47:35 GMT

So here's the deal. My brother and sister-in-law are giving birth in less than a month and have been looking into childproofing things while they still have time. They called me last night to ask if I had heard of the magnetic childproofing locks for drawers and cabinets.

I went online to see if I could find it and what it appears to me is that the locks only open when you place the magnet that comes with the lock over where the lock sits. I guess it magnetically unlocks it. (I am attaching a pic of something similar, I don't know if it is the same one they are looking at.)

The problem is that they asked me if it was any good or even worth looking at. They wanted more specifically to know if:

1) they kept the kids out

2) if they were actually adultproof and difficult to open

I would love to get back to them with a response but I don't have one. Anybody have any experience with these or childproofing?

Soo proud of my hubby

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 19:48:37 GMT

I did the stupidest thing on Sunday. I was cleaning up around the house and tried to close a cabinet that has a latch that looks like it's from 1952. It has never closed once in the last 4 years we've lived there and for some reason I wanted that door closed. So I messed with it a bit and got it to close, the only problem was I hadn't remembered that opening it was going to be an issue as the knob wasn't connecting to the mechanism.

I got it to shut, was excited to have the door closed and then realized "DOH!" I couldn't open the door. So I took off the lock with a screwdriver figuring that I would open the door and put the latch/lock back on regardless so that you wouldn't see the other paint color that was underneath. Instead my husband messed around with it for 10 minutes and actually fixed the darn thing!! I have to say I am very impressed considering I am the one who does most of the home improvement around our home.

Heidi

Funny Fairytale

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 23:56:56 GMT

I just got the funniest email and want to share it with everyone I know. I already sent it to all of my girlfriends and have heard back from most of them so I think you'll like it as well:

World's Shortest Fairytale

Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl, "Will you marry me?" The girl said "No" and she lived happily ever after and went shopping, drank martinis with friends, always had a clean house, never had to cook, had a closet full of shoes and handbags, stayed skinny, and was never farted on.

The End.

Heidi

Rochester was fun!

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 02:39:03 GMT

So after going to Memphis last weekend, Eden and I were in Rochester, NY this past weekend for the First Annual Home and Garden show. We spoke on Friday and Saturday and met some really neat Janes! We also got to meet Norma Holland from 13WHAM TV when she interview us early on Friday morning. She was soo sweet and went out to dinner with on Saturday night and brought her sister Andrea. Between the four of us, we didn't stop laughing for hours. I was actually hoarse by the end of the night!

Memphis-Good Southern Hospitality!

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:09:23 GMT

For those of you that don't live in the Memphis area and didn't get our newsletter regarding the Southern Women's show, I just got back from there after speaking on both Friday and Saturday. I have never been to Memphis before and I have to say that everything from the people, to the food and blues were great! I really enjoyed getting to meet all of these wonderful ladies that came to hear me speak about how to make your home a place you love to live in.

I came back in last night rather late (tried to get on an earlier flight but it was completely booked) and guess who was on my plane?! Jane Seymour! I so badly wanted to go up to her and tell her about us and Be Jane because everytime I Google us, up comes her website and information! I didn't though because she seemed tired enough and like she didn't want to be bothered. So today, being just the 2nd day I've had off in over 3 weeks, I am going to relax and enjoy the heat wave in Los Angeles!

Have a great day!

Heidi

Funny email...

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 20:33:06 GMT

Here's a great email that Eden's husband just got from a friend:

I have to tell you something funny to share with your wife...

I've been doing a lot of home makeover stuff these past couple of monthes - painting, re-decorating, building furniture, yard stuff... A LOT!

This morning my son came down stairs to find me looking up info about tile removal/replacment/painting and said....

"Mom, just for ONE day.... DON'T Be Jane!" (I bought the TShirt from her site!).

I wish her so much success!! : )

~jill b.

Guess where we are...

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:10:41 GMT

I am actually writing to you from my computer (duh) on an Amtrak train going from New York City to Washington DC! Eden and I came to New York on Wednesday (2 days ago) to do a taping for CNN's Open House (it is expected to air in a week or two) and now we are on the way to DC to do appearances at the Capital Home Show in Chantilly, Virginia.

I know it sounds stupid but I love the fact that we took a train instead of took a flight. To me it's our little way of trying to keep this world from melting away. With all of the things you hear every day about how important it is for everyone to do their part I always try to find a way to make a difference. Like on Thanksgiving, my husband and I took the train down to San Diego instead of driving. (The funniest part of that was the fact that it was such an enjoyable trip and driving is such a bear, that my husband vowed that he wouldn't drive down for Thanksgiving ever again ;). Anyway, that's my exciting train story.

Back from Minnesota

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 03:03:24 GMT

So we got back late last night from Minnesota and I have to say we were very pleasantly surprised. We found the food to be really good and the people to be very nice. We were actually in Minneapolis and loved their walkways around the city! You could spend your entire day walking around downtown and NOT NEED A JACKET!! Which is saying a lot considering the high temperatures while we were there was 15 degrees fahrenheit. I wouldn't mind going back there anytime they ask.

Now it's back to work in Burbank, which by the way is supposed to be almost 80 degrees tomorrow. It's so strange to go from a true winter climate (more like the one I grew up in) and then end up back in sunny California.

-Heidi

Going to Minnesota

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:58:34 GMT

So I'm trying to figure out what to pack because we are going to Minnesota on Monday and it is FREEEEEEZING cold there right now! To tell you how cold, the current temperature is 4 degrees. There's not a 1 or a 2 or possibly even a 3 in front of that...just 4!! And to add insult to injury, the "real feel" is negative 12!!

I am going to freeze my booty off!! I'm grateful we'll only be there for 2 days otherwise I might turn into a Jane-sicle!

Painting straight lines...

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 18:20:02 GMT

The funniest thing just happened, one of the guys who works for us came up to me around a week ago as he had bought a very cool paint (I think he said the brand name was Aura) and he painted one wall with it in his bedroom. He used blue tape to make the lines but found that when he removed it that the color has bled through the tape. So I showed him the technique we used for the horizontal stripes in Ellen's room (using clear, painter's caulk on the edge of the tape you are painting on).

He spent most of the weekend working on it. (Poor guy, he had his whole house painted in Swiss Coffee and didn't realize that he had both semi-gloss and flat...and painted the wall with the semigloss and then needed to paint two coats of flat to cover it!) He just came up to me and emphatically asked why they don't teach this technique at every paint store/paint section. It's really only a difference of $2.50 (or so) and a bit more time but when you're done it really does look professional. He was so funny he said he had his neighbors come over and see his new paint job and they were all very impressed!

Just thought you would find that funny.

In case you want to see how we showed Ellen how to paint perfect stripes every time, here's the link:

Perfect Stripes Every Time

OUR BOOK IS IN PEOPLE MAGAZINE!!!!

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 21:28:05 GMT

I just walked down to the local newspaper/magazine stand and picked up the most recent copy (FEb 12th, 2007) of People magazine. I went with Brooke, our director of marketing, and we each picked up a copy and started flipping. When we got to page 47 there we were on the bottom part of the page with a few simple handywoman tips!

Sorry for having been gone for so long...

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 20:34:59 GMT

I am so sorry it's been so long since I last updated the blog on a regular basis but life has become a bit hectic since the beginning of the new year. Forgive me for the flurry of blog posts that I am about to put up but I want to make sure I get everything up that I wanted to before I forget again.

-Heidi

On iVillage Live...

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 05:25:50 GMT

Hello again from Florida! Eden and I did the iVillage Live show this morning and had a blast! We were on with Guy and Sissy showing them some of our favorite tools and talking about our book. We also got to introduce Sandra (Jane) Johnson, one of the Jane profiles from our book.

If you want to take a look at the segment, just click on the link below:

The Janes on iVillage Live

I promise to add more pictures as soon as I get them from the person we had to borrow a camera from (both Eden and I totally forgot to bring a camera-what do you expect when you make us get up at 5am in the morning to catch a flight ;)

-Heidi

Another great email...

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 05:25:31 GMT

While Eden and I left for Orlando this morning so that we can do iVillage Live tomorrow, Brooke back at our offices got a great email from one of our community members that I couldn't resist sharing with you. I can relate to this on sooooo many levels.

"I've told many of my friends about this story and also had intended to put up a brief story of mine on the message boards...In October, at 48, newly divorced, empty nester and the proud owner of MY new (older) home...a month into this new life...my master bath toilet handle broke & of course NOT wanting to rely on my adult sons to rescue Mom, I purchased a metal toilet handle with arm...needless to say my tools were with ex so I improvised! Removing the glued handle & replacing it with the metal one plus breaking the metal arm to fit inside the tank, (the pkg. said you'd need a hack saw)...all with a bit of imagination...only tools used: metal cuticle clippers and a metal nut cracker retrieved from the kitchen nick nak drawer! Although no one was around to see or hear me...it was if I was the first female to ever score a Super Bowl touchdown!...of course I now have a few "real" tools and "Be Jane" definately has helped with the confidence!

Thank you for the opportunity!

Donna Beville"

I can't tell you the number of times I did something with the "wrong" tools but still got the job done right! I just love hearing stories like these!

Busy, Busy, Busy: Rick's Radio and Mr. Fixit Show...

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 21:12:47 GMT

Well today has been a busy day and it's only just after noon! Eden and I had 2 radio interviews this morning to chat a bit about the book. The first one was a bit early...at 5AM!!! Though it was for an interview with Rick Allen on Rick's House Radio Show out of Tennessee, whom I adore! He is probably one of the nicest people you will ever talk to, on the show he even told one of his callers that he lived nearby and would come to his home to take a look at the project he was looking to do and tell him who he needed to call! Now that's what I call Southern Hospitality! He also offered up another one of his delicious-sounding, heart hardening recipes. It was for a ham and cheese spread that you could also make into a cheese ball. Now this one I can make because I think I can find canned ham and about 8 different types of cheese (not forgetting the vinegar based mayonnaise that is ever so important!). The last one needed potted meat and I just could find any out here in California.

After I got off the phone (and took a nap), then I got to chat with Tracy Hankins and David Schmitke from the Mr. Fixit show out of Portland, Oregon. I wasn't expecting too much considering it's pretty hard to top Rick but I have to say that these guys were so much fun. For some reason, maybe all of my trips to the home improvement center, I was expecting them to talk down to me considering the vast amounts of knowledge these guys possess around home improvement. Boy was I wrong! Instead we chatted about our favorite tools and the stupidest things we'd done. They were so fun I think I would have enjoyed talking to them on the phone just for the heck of it.

All I can say is that I feel very lucky to have spent time today chatting with 3 people, whom I would like to call part of, my home improvement homies! ( I added pictures so you could see who I'm talking about, first is Rick, then David, and then Tracy.)

The Rolanda Show!

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 00:21:44 GMT

Yesterday Eden and I were on the Rolanda show on the radio and had a blast! She was soo sweet. In between segments she admitted to us that she had paid a handy man to replace all of her door knobs in her house just recently. She was shocked when we told her that it was really just 2 screws to replace one. She saw the project in the book and about died when she saw how easy it was.

She's actually really fun to listen to, here's her website address if you want to listen to her show.

The Ro Show

Heidi

Happy New Year!!

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 19:42:25 GMT

Happy new year everyone! I hope you had the perfect new year's! We actually stayed home, made a really good dinner (cesar salad, filet mignon, mushrooms and double stuff potatos) with a nice bottle of wine and a few friends...just the way we like it. I always prefer to stay somewhere on New Year's just because of the whole drinking and driving thing.

Anyway, welcome to 2007...the year from heaven!!

Back from New York!

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 17:39:41 GMT

Hello! We're back from NYC and we had a great time. I'm still totally jet-lagged but I promise that I will write this week and tell you all about the trip. Until then, here are the highlights:

1. Went to Rockafeller Center (didn't skate...the line was waaaaay too long!)

2. Saw the windows on 5th Ave (took tons of pics that I promise I will post this week---they were amazing!)

3. Ate amazing bar-b-que at Dinosaur Bar-b-que in Harlem (some cousins took us. YUM!)

4. Saw relatives that live in NYC and some that were in town for the holidays (that was a nice treat!)

5. Did the Today Show with Ann Curry on Thursday the 28th (went off without a hitch!)

6. Got to meet and take a picture with Matt Lauer (he was actually very nice to us!)

That's all for now but like I said, I promise to fill you in more this week put up pics to show you more!

Happy New Year!

Heidi

Not always a glamourous job!

Thu, 21 Dec 2006 22:46:48 GMT

Just in case you think being a Jane means looking glamorous, I thought you might get a kick out of some photos of me working on the kitchen cabinet doors in our office. Here I am in my full glory...paint, dust and all!

Christmas in NY!

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:53:09 GMT

So I am going to be in New York over the holidays as Eden and I will be on The Today Show again on the 28th. So I decided to make the most of it (considering we would have had to come in on the 26th anyway) and leave on the 23rd. I've never spent the holidays there and am seriously looking for suggestions.

I know we have to go to Rockefeller's Center to either ice skate and/or sip on something warm while watch the ice skaters. I'm also toying with the idea of going for a horse and carriage ride through central park but I've been told that typically it is 10 degrees colder in the park than in the city. For right now I'm on the fence with this one.

Besides that, maybe try to go see a play. At this point, I'm leaving it up to you all to let me know where I should eat, what I should see and anything I should do. I've been there numerous times but it's always been for business and I have some free time this trip that I'd really like to take advantage of.

Let me know what your favorite holiday restaurant or adventure is in New York because I'm a bit lost.

No Finnish carpenter is a finish carpenter...

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 22:57:06 GMT

When I was in New York this past week I was chatting with a friend who told me that in the Scandinavian countries a carpenter always leaves a very small piece of each project unfinished because once the project is done then they can hang up their tool belts for good.

Just thought that was an interesting way of looking at finishing a project.

Wall of plants!

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 02:51:33 GMT

This summer I was in Europe for a family vacation and while we were in Paris we came across a brand new museum. I believe it was for African art though I'm not sure because I didn't go in. The reason why I bring it up has more to do with the fact that one of the outside walls was completely covered in plants!

It was amazing! I went up very close to see how they did this and it seems that they have covered the building with a mesh of some sort that the roots to of the plants grab onto it and then they have water running through this mesh to hydrate the plants. Then there is actually a drain at the bottom of the wall for all of the dripping water. (In case you were wondering, it's not a wall made out of plants, it's a wall made with plants covering the wall!)

It was so cool I had to take pictures, just click on the ones below to see what I'm talking about. (I especially love the one with the Eiffel Tower behind it!)

Water pressure issue?

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:11:56 GMT

OK, so I added a 1/4" piece of copper tube (flexible) to the L on the top of my water heater to create a water line for my ice maker. (It actually was the coolest thing, I clamped on the tube and just screwed it in...sooo easy! I didn't even have to turn the water off!) So the water is coming from the cold water coming into the water heater itself.

The ice maker is working perfectly, there are no leaks at all anywhere though for some reason, as soon as I put in the line the water pressure on my kitchen sink is down to about half of what it was before I put in the copper tubing. The even more strange thing is the fact that the water pressure is lower for both the hot and the cold water (it has hot and cold handles).

So I am completely stumped. If it was just the hot or cold, if it was affecting other faucets or showers in the house or if there was a leak, I think I could figure it out, but considering it's none of the above I am completely perplexed.

Anybody have any idea of what it could be or how I can change this? At this point all I can figure out is maybe I should change out the faucet.

Please help.

Catching up with old friends

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 02:03:57 GMT

Last night I got to catch up with a girlfriend, Lisa, that I went to school with in Miami. We hadn't spoken in over 10 years and it was really great catching up with her! So much had changed since we'd last talked that it took us close to an hour just to catch up (and that was the Reader's Digest version!)

She had recently split up from her husband and she has a 3 year old son. She told me the cutest story about how she and her little one put on their hurricane shutters (she used the cordless drill while her son used his playskool one). Though my favorite Jane story I heard was when they both painted his room...together!!! How cute is that! I am dying to see the pictures of him painting and how the room turned out.

Lisa said she would forward along pictures and I will put them up as soon as she sends them.

-Heidi

Lavender Stainless?!?!

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 23:42:14 GMT

I have to tell you a funny story I heard last night from one of ladies that works here at Be Jane, Amy. Well Amy had been having problems with her dishwasher for a while now and had gotten sick of washing her dishes by hand so she went out and got herself a new dishwasher so that she wouldn't have to wash all of the Thanksgiving dishes by hand.

She ordered a stainless steel dishwasher and it was supposed to be delivered yesterday before 9am. Of course the truck broke down so they didn't reach her house until 10:30am and it took a good hour to get her old dishwasher out and bring the new one in. At this point Amy was trying to keep her cool because she needed to get out of the house.

Finally they brought the new dishwasher in, unwrapped it and Amy got a good look at her dishwasher and it was purple!!! At this point she was doing everything in her power to keep her cool and asked the guys, "What is that? Because that's not the dishwasher I ordered!"

One of the guys delivering the dishwasher said, "It's your new dishwasher. Are you sure you didn't order this?"

"Of course I'm sure, I ordered a stainless steel dishwasher and this one is purple!" Amy said trying not to completely lose her cool at this point.

He turned to her and said, "What do you mean? This is some of the brand new lavender stainless steel appliances that just came off line. They are the hottest thing on the market!"

Trying to be cool, she said, "I'm sorry but I ordered a stainless steel dishwasher." At this point she had resigned herself to all of the Thanksgiving dishes being done by hand.

Then the guy got a huge grin on his face and said, "No, I'm just messing with you! It's actually just the film on it that protects it from getting scratched during delivery! I get customers all of the time!"

So now you won't have to worry about some delivery guy pulling the wool over your eyes!

Great email from another Jane...

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:09:30 GMT

I just got the greatest email from a Jane from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada that totally made me smile. I thought you might enjoy it. ( I just sent her a list of all of the top tools she would need to get started.)

Dear HEIDI,

Thank you for the list of tools I may ask SANTA for.

Heh, What do you think about coming for a trip to SAULT STE.MARIE, ONTARIO CANADA?????

My home is 22 years old and parts getting tired and I am working on small tasks right now..I fixed a toilet the other day...not sure which task worked..but I stood back, grinned and said "TAAA DAAAHHH!!!!But NO one was here to hear that , or to watch the near PRIMAL victory dance..(Can you visualize that?)

Thanks again for uncaging so many awesome women ......Heck if we can give birth to babies and have MAMOGRAMS..a power tool that makes noise is just a another weapon to use, to battle the stigma society put on us.

Ohh just a side bar:

Last Year My daughter bought for me an awesome wrench, tied it with a pink organza bow...Ilove it!

Love what you do....

ESTHER

It's all of the emails that we get like this that really make it worth all of the time and effort we all put in every day!

-Heidi

Got a call from my dad...

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:02:01 GMT

So I just yesterday I got a message from my dad and he sounded a bit different than usual. Typically he is full of energy but his message was quite calm and different than his usual tone. When I called him back he told me that when he watched the most recent episode with Ellen, it almost brought him to tears and he just had to call and tell me afterward. Hence the tone of his voice.

Broken shower head...

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 02:18:51 GMT

So this morning I got up, went to get in the shower and when I turned it on it was leaking from the edge in a funny way so I tried to screw the center part (where the jets come from) in tighter and DOH! it broke off in my hand! I thought that this was going to be an easy fix because my husband had actually bought us one of the shower heads that actually comes off the wall (kinda like the faucets that let you clean your sink with the hose). I think it's called a water pik. The weirdest thing happened. I took it out of the package and tried to screw it in place and it kept on getting stuck. So I compared the old broken one to the new one and found that the new one was actually a bit smaller with the threads than my current one! So I ended up having to take the showerhead from the bathroom we only use for taking baths in. Luckily that one fit nicely.

-Heidi

Rick's House radio show...

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 16:49:42 GMT

So yesterday morning I got up at 5:30am to speak with Rick Allen on the Rick's House Radio Show. While I was a bit unhappy with having to get up so darn early (especially on a Saturday morning), I have to say I had a really good time. (I especially loved the fact that I could do it while still in PJs without a stitch of makeup and my hair still a mess!)

Rick is Rick Allen and he is honestly one of the nicest radio personalities I've ever spoken to. It's funny because I've found that the people that work in country radio take the time to speak with you. Rick was so gracious that he kept on coming in and checking in on me during the commercial breaks and chatted with me afterwards for a bit and gave me a recipe for a pate (I think he called it Country Pate). He said it was his mother-in-law's recipe but he was looking to patent it:

3 cans potted meat

1 heaping Tbs of a vinegar based Mayo (he recommended Helmans)

Saltine crackers (crushed up but they don't have to all be finely crushed)

I loved how he described the consistency it should end up being, "a little bit looser than concrete". Then he said to cut a bell pepper in half, clean out all of the seeds and fill both halves with the mixture. Then just serve it on crackers. He said you will be shocked at how good it is.

I actually went to the store to see if I could try it yesterday but the stores in my area don't seem to even know what "potted meat" is. So I will have to ask one of you to try it out and let me know what you think.

For those of you who haven't heard his show, it's on Saturday morning from 6am until 10am on 100.3FM out of Knoxville, TN but his show also covers TN, KY, VA, NC, GA and some parts of SC and AL. Click here if you would like to check out his site:

Rick's House Radio Show

-Heidi

Finally a picture of my painted bedroom!!

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:53:37 GMT

I finally was able to download the picture of my new bedroom from my camera and here it is. I'm sorry it took so long but I've been having trouble with my camera but now it's fixed. Take a look at my newly painted "butterscotch" bedroom! While I didn't care for it at first, it's actually growing on me a bit. What do you think? My husband likes it because he loves butterscotch and it makes him want to eat the walls but that's not really the "look" I was going for!

-Heidi

Still need a picture...

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:17:02 GMT

Alright, so this morning I took out the camera to take a few pictures to show you and while my husband had deleted the extras that he didn't need, he had forgotten to recharge the batteries so as soon as I turned it on...it died. (The batteries are charging now so I should have a pic for you to see tomorrow.)

In the meantime, I was trying to come up with a way to show you the color that I used so I went on to the Behr site and typed in the color Pumpkin Butter. Up it came on the screen and instead of the orange walls I ended up with you see these beautiful brown/taupe color with a base of orange. Not even close to what my bedroom looks like now.

The best way to describe my bedroom now is how my husband described it when he told me why he liked the color. He said, "The reason why I like the color is because I love butterscotch and it reminds me of butterscotch. It just makes me want to lick the walls." with a big smile on his face. (Yep, he's a keeper.) Yeah, not quite the look I was going for but I'm glad at least he likes it.

I have a feeling that I have another painting day in my near future!

-Heidi

I finally painted my bedroom!!!!!!!

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 03:13:12 GMT

Alright, so I've been complaining about it for way too long so I finally took an entire day and painted my bedroom! I tried to take a picture of it this morning before coming to work but my husband's camera was fulll so I will see if he can make some room on it for me tomorrow so that I can put up a picture to show you.

As for the color I chose, it's actually a funny story. On Sunday my husband and I went to the home improvement center to buy the paint and before we left we took a look at the colors and chose a light yellow. Then, at the store, I was waiting in line and was the next one to be helped and for some reason I think I realized it was the wrong color. I started to sweat and freak out "What if I actually had them mix up the wrong color?" I know I'm a freak but it's been such a long time since I've painted my own home that I forgot how I get when it comes to picking out colors. I've never been one of those people who are smart and gets samples, tries the color out for a week on the wall and then choses the one that feels right. I've never had enough patience for that. So instead I chose a color, go home and paint the entire room and then I freak out that I've chosen the wrong color until it grows on me. I don't know why but I always do it, even this time.

So I went back to the store to purchase the "right" color first thing yesterday morning (I still have 2 gallons of the yellow paint in my house), and I painted the entire bedroom. My husband actually got home as I finished putting the furniture in the room (completely rearranged) and was putting in the last picture. (I can't complain because he cleaned all the brushes and rollers and I used one of those rollers that you suck the paint up into the handle-I think they are called Paint Mate-they rock for painting but suck for cleaning.)

He comes home and loves the color and the new set up and then there's me. I'm still not sure how I feel. I think the color is too orange but i know myself well enough to give it a few weeks before I crack open the yellow paint and re-paint the entire room again.

I'll try to put up the photos tomorrow so check back and let me know what you think.

Not great turnout...

Sun, 08 Oct 2006 00:28:36 GMT

Alright so here we are trying to do something good for the community by going to the YMCA event (on a Saturday mind you) that is being held to raise money for a women's battered shelter and in the rememberance of a young girl who had died from domestic abuse. Knowing all of the good that this was doing for the community I was fine with giving up my Saturday.

Then when we showed up, while there were some people there but really not all that many. We were supposed to give a bit of a talk about how empowering doing home improvement has been for Eden and I but no one was in the mood to listen. It was much more of a listen to music up at the main stage, watch (adorable) kids hula dance, and eat the great tamales being sold in the same area (far away from where we were stationed.

All in all it wasn't a bad day. It was absolutely beautiful outside and it forced me to spend some much needed time outside and afterward we went to Cat and the Fiddle (a Los Angeles landmark pub) with my husband and our Director of Creative Eli for a few beers. (I would definitely recommend going there on a beautiful afternoon to relax and have a beer.) Eden had to go home because she wasn't feeling very well due to a cold that she's had for almost a week now.

Now it's finally time that I get a chance to relax...

Janes at YMCA on Saturday...

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:22:07 GMT

Eden and I are going to be speaking at the "A CELEBRATION FOR WOMEN: A BRIGHTER FUTURE FEST" at the Hollywood Wilshire YMCA (Los Angeles) at 1:30pm and 3pm this Saturday. We really want to help women realize that their homes don't need to dictate how they live in them. If you live in the area, please come by and participate in this wonderful festival in which all of the proceeds are going to help a battered women's shelter.

If you don't live close enough to attend, no worries I will fill you in more about the even after we do it.

-Heidi

The Today Show...

Tue, 03 Oct 2006 04:04:18 GMT

So I'm finally back home after flying back from New York this afternoon and doing the Today Show this morning. We had sooo much fun and Natalie Morales was super nice and easy to work with. She's super tiny and really pretty in person. For those of you who didn't see the segment, we taught her about some really fun power tools that every woman should know about and a few they should own. If you want to take a look at the segment, here's the link:

The Janes on The Today Show

I will try to get on in the next day or so to put up a few pics and possibly a home video of what it was like on the plaza when we did it.

Even though it's only 9pm here, my body's still on NY time. I'm pooped and going to bed!

Nite.

Heidi

When's the best time to shop for supplies?

Wed, 27 Sep 2006 02:41:47 GMT

I've spent many an hour waiting in line at just about every big and small home improvement store within a 10 mile radius of where I live and I've learned a few tips on how to get the most out of your shopping experience:

1) Unless you are in the middle of a project or have time to burn, do your best to not have to buy anything on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Most of the stores are crazy busy and will eat up most of your available time to work.

2) Find a local home improvement store that stays open late. I had one by my house in San Diego that was my savior because it stayed open until midnight. You will be surprised how often you will be working way past normal hours and realize that you don't have what you need to complete the job. Nothing is more frustrating than having to stop for the night when you know you have only a few more hours to finish what you've been working on but need just one more thing.

3) If you plan on working on something this weekend, the best time to shop in most of these places is Friday night past 8:30pm. I can't tell you the number of times that I would meet friends out for dinner and leave at 11pm so that I could get all of my shopping done by midnight. Then I was able to start my projects first thing Saturday morning.

4) Returns: keep everything you have and take it in all at once. If you are anything like me and do a great deal of home improvement, it doesn't really make a huge difference if you have a receipt for it. Just return it and they will give you credit towards a future purchase. When I moved I ended up with a card with $500 worth of credit on it! And yes, I used every penny!

-Heidi

If money were no object...

Wed, 20 Sep 2006 18:29:59 GMT

Most of us don’t live a life of complete extravagance, I know I don’t. There’s bills to pay, time to be spent at work and time to be spent at play. Blah, Blah, Blah! I know I’m a lucky person but there are times that I wish that I could live a life of ease and luxury at least for a short while. Right now we live in a two bedroom/two bath apartment that suits our needs but I can’t help but day dream what our home would be if money were no object.

Then I get woken up from my daydream to deadlines and meetings, late nights at the office and short amounts of time at home. While my daydream sounds so much calmer than my real life, I wouldn’t trade my life in for anything (except maybe a nap).

We all have our dreams of what our lives would be if each day was ours to play with and money was no object. Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world? What would that life look like to you?

-Heidi

Another weekend...time to paint?

Sat, 16 Sep 2006 02:08:30 GMT

Alright, I know I've been talking about it for ages now but I am hoping that I can find some time to paint my bedroom this weekend. While I love being a Jane, it gets really difficult working so many other homes and not having time to work on your own. I'll let you know what happens.

-Heidi

Sorry sweetie, you need to hire someone...

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:21:56 GMT

I have a real gripe today. I went into my local home improvement store to pick up a few items today and got the guy who didn't believe women actually do home improvement. (Ladies, you know who I'm talking about, I think he's "helped" us all.)

I walked into the lighting section and asked a guy to where I could find the dimmers. Once he takes me there, he turns and makes some comment about how I need to make sure to check with the electrician who's going to install it. My response was that I would be putting it in myself. As if I hadn't even said a thing, he tells me, "Oh honey, you really do need to hire someone to do this for you so you don't burn the house down."

At this point I was totally shocked at what I've just heard but I told him that I did home improvement for a living. Silly me, I was hoping his hearing this would change his tone and that I mignt get a bit of respect from him. NOPE! Next thing out of his mouth was, "You'd be a great improvement to my home." I was so shocked that I just kinda stood there with my mouth agape and stared at him. He must've thought that I was dim and didn't get his "come on" so he GOES ON to say, "You know like taking you home with me." By then my brain had finally kicked back in but all I was able to manage was, "Yeah, I don't think my husband would like that all too much!" I turned around, dimmer in hand, and walked away. (Sure now I 've got 101 great comebacks but then all I could think of was trying to get out of there as fast as possible.)

It is so frustrating! Experiences like those make me not even want to go back to that store again! Why is it that so many men that work in home improvement stores think that any women in there are 1) stupid when it comes to doing home improvement and/or 2) fair game to hit on or make fun of?!?!

I'm sorry to say that we hear from women all over this country on how they rarely they get taken seriously at their local home improvement stores.

What is it going to take to change this attitude?!?!

Time to do home improvement...

Thu, 07 Sep 2006 22:33:42 GMT

Eden and I recently realized what our biggest obstacle is in doing home improvement: time. Between planning the next episodes, working 60 hours a week at the office plus frequent traveling, there's almost no time to get started on projects for our own homes.

Then, every once in a while, all of the planets align and there's actually a time window that works but considering how little time we spend with our husbands, that time needs to be cut in half. It was so easy starting and completing a project when we were single. There was no one else to consider, there was no timeline of when we would need to be done by ( just start it and work until it was finished), and no feeling of guilt from a spouse helping because he feels he should (hating every minute of it because he's giving up his weekend to do this!).

We thought we were the only ones out there who felt this way but we've heard from so many of you who've told us that they wait for their husbands to go out of town to take on projects in their homes! The most common reason we heard was because this way it was possible to work in peace and quiet and get it finished the way they wanted.

Why do we feel this way? Why can't we say to our honeys, "Thanks sweetheart but really want to do it myself."

-Heidi

Suede Paint?

Wed, 06 Sep 2006 07:03:19 GMT

I forgot to tell you I was at a friend of my husband's place this weekend and she showed me how she used a suede paint to paint her master bedroom. I have to say that it turned out amazing! Though she said there was a true technique to it that she and her boyfriend had to learn otherwise it wouldn't have worked.

Anyone ever used this paint? I'm going to ask Angela for tips but in the meantime I would love to hear any tips you might have on how to apply it.

-Heidi

Back at work...

Tue, 05 Sep 2006 20:15:37 GMT

I'm back working away but I am still dying to paint my bedroom!

Soo tired!

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 04:19:44 GMT

So I don't get this. Eden and I were in New York for just over 24 hours and I am still soo tired. How is it possible that I'm jet lagged after only being there about one day?! Is there anything that helps this? I feel like a dork going to bed at 9:15pm but I don't think I can stay awake much longer.

Mr. Sandman here I come!

-Heidi

Still too busy...

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:15:00 GMT

I soooo wanted to start painting my bedroom this weekend but last minute we found out that Eden and I are going back to NY on business. So we leave tomorrow and come back on Monday! I was just hoping to have a full weekend to relax and paint my bedroom!

-Heidi