UPDATES Ok...Sorry I am not been around...had a sick cat in the house. The other cat and myself, were both busy trying to talk him out of kitty heaven. AnywaysVet was nice enough to charge a visit, and got some kitty antibiotics, he will be going back for surgery later...but, my cat is going to be fine now I think. Things are gradually getting back to 'normal' around here. People have sent me emails, and I am still trying to get caught up. Other than that, I got lots of good news. My phone was disconnected (I hate phones, so this is considered a form of good news) Strangely enought, my mother (whom I speak to on the phone maybe 3 times per decade) got wind of this, and for some reason, she felt determined to pay my phone bill. Luckily, I was able to talk her out of it. I told her, if she really wanted to help me so badly, she could pay the cable bill instead, so I could keep my internet. So, mom to the rescue, I am staying online! My future plants will enjoy a much safer childhood, if I can maintain my access to people who actually know what they're doing. Also, I popped the big question to my uncle on Tuesday. The answer is YES! Since they are going to be gone all summer, and won't be aroung to take care of their garden...my aunt was going to turn most of it into lawn. (EEEK) Instead, he said I can plant some of my plants in there, under the condition I help take care of their stuff too! Oh darn. I'll just have to struggle thru that. (I am really in heaven, but they don't need to know) So...I'm not going to loose contact with the outside world. My cat isn't going to kitty heaven. My garden project is no longer exclusively limited to the boundaries of the apartment, and I'll have a whole yard with a "real garden" nearly all to myself this summer. Can it get any better? YES, it can! The lady who has the "garden of eden" growing on the other side of my aunts fence...apparently she is a human botanical encyclopedia? My aunt just told me that when growing season starts, this woman purposely buys extra stuff, because she like to give plants and seeds away so much! She won't let anyone near her garden (even her husband) but, apparently she loves to answer gardening questions, and come spring... she turns into a real plant-pusher. I'm thinking, if I spend my free time loitering and tinkering around in my aunts yard this summer...I might actually learn about this faster than I thought. Yippe! I really have enjoyed this forum; I've gotton so many great ideas, and have heard from so many nice people here. I may be a poster child for poverty at the moment, but it is only temporary....and I think that by the time my check comes, I will have forgotton how to spend money, and won't remember what I needed it for. This place has really helped stimulate my creativity, and being broke has actually not been so bad. I have managed to come up with the most innovative solutions to problems as they arise, somedays its hard not to see the humor in my situation...overall it has been a rather amusing experience. I have all these containers made from stuff around the house. I've just emptied a coffee can that is about to become a bird house. I traded some cable cords for potting soil and perlite, and now my uncle donated some more to me: He said "it has just been taking up space in the garage." He also gave me paint for my plant containers that he was going to recycle. Someone else is dropping off styrofoam peanuts today. People have offered to send me seeds too, which was the necessary key element I needed before I could start at all. My aunt (a cake decorator) is getting cake flats and lids from her work for me to start my seeds in. She offered to give me some containers she has, that are specifically designed for starting seeds, but I told her that would be cheating..."wouldn't be frugal." I'm just having too much fun trying to find ways to make something out of nothing. Thanks for all the ideas, and support. I need all the help I can get, and I will always be looking for ways to return the favors. I got my garlic babies growing right now in the "nursery" in my fridge. I've gotton alot of good advice about that from people on the "Allium" forums. Anyone want to see pictures? They are absolutly adorable. I better go...but I'll be back. Thanks for everything. Leslie

Any kind of organic material that's not visually offensive and of an acceptable size/texture can be used as mulch. I quit buying mulch many years ago, and instead put leaves, yard trimmings, pine needles, coffee grounds, grass from mower bag, whatever presents itself, when it presents itself. Green grass turns brown and mulch-y looking in a couple days, and the mixture of materials provides a wider range of nutrients for plants and the microbes that decompose materials into a form plants can use. More frequent additions of fresh materials keep the soil food chain alive. Here is a link that might be useful: Brief but extemely informative lecture about soil microbiology

I am in awe of the progress and the difference, kdw72697 !!! And your Little Helpers are just toooo precious! Let us know as soon as you decide what you are going to do with the track lighting, and any other changes, of course! :) THIS is my kind of Topic....anything to do with the words "Super-Cheap", and I'm there. Fantastic Suggestions throughout this topic and I'm so grateful you all posted them! Everyone who posted pics....THANK YOU! I am always on the look-out for new ideas, inspiration, anything "budget-minded" to freshen up my own home. The colors you've used, the kitchen set-up...all ideas that motivate and inspire me! Igloochic, Your home....always an inspiration at every turn...especially since I use paint and paint techniques to create something a little nicer than the norm (the 'norm' that I can't even afford!) ....I've used your home pics more than once to get me motivated. Here's my latest budget project...maybe someone else can benefit from it in their own budget-minded kitchen. Real Travertine Tile Trim was NOT in the budget but the discounted/discontinued tiles we purchased looked so nekkid without something on top (the discontinued tiles didn't have bull-nose or anything close to matching). A length of cheapy wood chair rail molding, some left-over stucco in the bag from an earlier window re-do and my paints and some good sealer..... (I DID resize these pics to make them smaller...I hope it worked!)

We always have fairly small houses with fairly small master bedrooms. So I always use a hollywood frame with no headboard or footboard to take up precious inches. But, I still wanted a headboard, so ours is made of a piece of plywood, wrapped and stapled with a thrift store blanket for padding, and then I covered it (wrapped it like a present and stapled it on the back facing the wall) with inexpensive faux brown leather from WalMart's fabric department. We've had it for years, and I really like it! It is sandwiched between the wall and the top of the bed, doesn't bonk around, is only 3/4 inch deep, is soft and wipeable, and is nice to lean against unlike say a metal rung-type headboard. --Katy S.