May 18, 2024

Posts Comments

Create Jobs for the USA.

By 2 Comments

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Yes!!!  This morning I came across this and could not wait to share it with you all!

Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks and Opportunity Finance Network are working together

to create and sustain jobs in underserved communities. They specialize in bringing low-cost

loans to small business startups, assist them in business planning, and get them to the point

of hiring new employees. To say I was shocked that a titan of corporate america see’s a direction

and is willing to put his money where his mouth is was an understatement. Before posting to this

blog,  I checked out a couple of interviews Mr. Schultz did and found him to be a breath

of fresh air. He seems to have a tremendous amount of knowledge and ideas on how to bring America back

to prosperity.

Starbucks is donating the first 5 million dollars and as of Nov 1, 2012 we all can donate, just $5.00.

We think this is a great idea, and will be donating ourselves. Check out the link provided. We look forward

bringing you more stories like this!! Lets bring back the great USA! We all can make a difference.   S. Chaberek

http://www.createjobsforusa.org/

Filed Under: American Spirit, Featured Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Every home should have a set of “Hand Trucks”

By Leave a Comment

Hand trucks are not just for the delivery of goods, for construction workers, or movers anymore. They actually are the best tool for your home! As I have aged I have realized much to my dismay, I cannot just throw a big ol concrete planter over my shoulder and move it to another location. Or move heavy objects for cleaning or rearranging things. As many of us are downsizing,  container gardening is becoming the rage. They are easy to replant, keep neat, weed free, and work well on porches and patios. I do like to change my mind and move my containers about four times a year for a new look and seasonal decorating.  We here at Southern Smarts are happy to promote products and services that are made here in the great USA. We find this very important indeed! Its time to get this great country of ours back up and running!

We recommend  “Milwaukee Hand Trucks” (which is owned by Gleason industrial) but built in Greenfield, WI. I did

check out their site and they are offering free shipping..

Hope you find this Hand Trucks tip helpful! They can be used for many tasks and your “back” will thank you! 🙂 Steven Chaberek http://www.milwaukeehandtrucks.com/

 

Filed Under: American Spirit Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cozy Dining Area

By 8 Comments

Lately, it seems there is a movement towards downsizing our living spaces. I have experienced that myself, moving from a 3200 sq foot home, into a 1000 sq foot condominium.

One thing I found, was I had little storage, BIG pieces of furniture, and a very small footprint in my dining area. I decided to do built-in seating, which would provide me a generous amount of seating and storage.Budget being small, I checked out great little fabric shop that specializes in high end fabric remnants, at a very reasonable price, Modern Fabrics located in the Dilworth Neighborhood here in Charlotte.Hunting for a small table, I happened upon a fantastic deal at the Pottery Barn outlet in Gaffney South Carolina. A stone outdoor table. Perfect, at a fraction of the original cost!

Now, time to get to work.. I painted the walls a soft light grey, upholstered the seats in a wonderful chocolate and white giraffe print. Back is upholstered in a light grey snakeskin vinyl and did some throw pillows in a wonderful orange contemporary fabric. I also had a small side chair with an oval back that I recovered myself in a coordinating fabric that I happened to like.

The end result is a cozy, eclectic, well tailored dining area that seats 5 comfortably, with a plethora of storage underneath, as I do like to buy my soft drinks in bulk. I am finding you can live graciously in a smaller space.

 

 

Filed Under: Home Decorating Tips by "Chabby" Chaberek

Big Art. Where to hang.

By 1 Comment

Upon moving into my smaller digs, I found I had very limited wall space for the art I have been collecting over the years. I took some to my small cottage on the North Carolina coast, but had a number of large pieces that I could not bring myself to part with or put in storage. While pondering my delimma, I decided the best place to hang and lite my Art was the large expanse, of often unused wall space, that ran up my staircase to the second floor.It also had a single light source at the top of the stairs. Since most of the pieces in my collection were framed in gilded gold frames, I knew the walls had to be a dark color for the frames to pop. Once again, I had the plan and it was time to complete the project

First I fashioned a scaffolding( not for the faint of heart) as I had to move across the space to paint then install my art work. I painted the walls a soft chocolate and hung my Art. I knew I needed at least 5 spots to light the walls, and the lighting had to be flexable and inexpensive. On a trip to my local IKEA, I found my strip lighting  and installed a dimmer.

I absolutely love what I now call my gallery! I can sit in bed and look out into the hall and see my collection! It brings me peace and I reminess of the travels in which I found  every piece. Steve

Filed Under: Featured, Home Decorating Tips by "Chabby" Chaberek Tagged With: , , ,

Great use for an Old Dresser.

By Leave a Comment

Upon the transisition of moving and downsizing, I found myself with a great old dresser that I really

had no place for. I had moved a small butlers tray I was using for a bar, and decided it would be put to

better use in my smaller place in the city. I’m sure you have gathered by now storage is a problem

with both places.

The Dresser has become my new bar at the Beach! This works just great, as it has deep drawers for storage of glasses

mixers, small juice containers, etc. Plus, has a large surface to accomodate a Ice Bucket and a variety of liquor bottles.

Once again, friends have commented on what a great idea this was, so I thought I would share it with you.

Have Fun and let those creative juices flow!

Steve

Filed Under: Home Decorating Tips by "Chabby" Chaberek Tagged With: , , , ,

PAINTING DOORS…ugh!!!

By 2 Comments

Painting doors has to be hated by professional painters too (they tell us this by their price for painting them).I have discovered an easier way to get that professional look, without the professionals. No brush marks, just a smooth crisp look as if you had the doors sprayed .Well…all you need is a small foam roller and time to do the painting.The foam roller puts the paint on light, but so smoothly… after two coats,and maybe a touch up roll here and there, you will be amazed at the quality of your job! Remember it is work that you can do, and it is easy, but time-consuming. Think of all the things that you can do with the money you saved by doing it yourself… move on to the next project. Stephen

Filed Under: Home Renovations Large and Small Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
Newer Posts »