Simply Curious

I started off the New Year by attacking the kitchen. I packed away glassware we never used, extracted pots and pans that SHOULDN'T be used, and added some wire shelving to increase storage in random places. I keep hoping that one day I'll magically create enough room for a crock pot, bread machine, and a super-fancy mixer.

One of the things I had the most problems finding room for was the rolling pin. It was too big for any of the drawers, and is such an odd shape that it just got in the way anywhere I stuck it. We kept it in the narrow cabinet with the pans and cutting boards, but it took up a lot of room.

So I decided I should hang it. It took a while to figure out how. I was excited when I realized that it had a hole for hanging in one handle, but the length of string required to make it hang evenly against the wall made it too long to hang in any of the cabinets, or even on the outside of any of the cabinets. We had tiled the entire wall between the countertop and the cabinets, and there was no way I was going to attempt drilling through them. (I doubt they're stuck on very well as it is.) The only answer appeared to be UNDER the cabinets, horizontally. It's out of the way, not taking up any useable space.



I ended up using basic small screw eyes and ribbon, into the narrow strip of wood under the cabinet against the wall. They were small enough that I could have gone through the bottom of the cabinet, but opted for the wall, just in case. The ribbon is just long enough that I can slide the rolling pin in and out of it, but short enough that it shouldn't slide out on its own.  I wandered through Sears Hardware contemplating every possibility, including bike rack hooks and PVC pipe, but in the end, I feel this was the simplest and best option.  I use my rolling pin for breads, pizza crusts, and tortillas a fair bit due to Brian's soy allergies, so having it close at hand without having to dig it out from under cutting boards and causing avalanches will be nice. 

Now that I have a full size house to decorate, I've spent a lot of time climbing up and down ladders, stools and chairs, hanging things. My workout is tripled by the fact that I frequently need to retrieve a different tool, which, of course, is in the tool box. On the floor. Over there.

I finally decided I should invest in a tool belt and just carry everything up with me at once. I would need something that would hold a small level, my B&D power drill, a tape measure, a pencil, nails/screws/drill bits and other hanging accessories, regular screwdrivers, possibly drywall filler, and a possibly a hammer.

And then I ran into a new problem. Tool belts are big, heavy, leather monstrosities designed to take a lot of abuse and be worn by men twice my size. They even come with attachments for certain types of tools, which delighted me, but I didn't feel I could justify the cost. None of them seemed to be quite right for what I needed to carry up. So I looked at women's tool belts and immediately began my WHY DOES EVERYTHING DESIGNED FOR WOMEN HAVE TO BE PINK????! rant. It's not just the oh-they're-so-cute patronization. It's the realization that the designer obviously puts form before function, and if so, then while the belt looks 'pretty', in as much as poorly dyed pink leather can look, it's probably not as well made as the ones designed for men. I REALLY don't want my hammer to fall on my foot!

Obviously my next option is to make my own. I do have some heavy duty canvas that would work, I just need to figure out a design. Maybe invest in a riveter. Hmm.