Hinge Reopening Party Excitment

Friday was an amazing night!

As David and I (Amanda) put the final touches on the store we heard the excited calls from the awesome guys finishing their shifts at Becks Hardware. Catch-a-Fire food truck was maneuvering it's way into the parking lot and we officially had 30 minutes until the party was to commence! 
Quickly, the owner of Becks, Stan, rushed to help David hang the sign outside while Amanda put the beverages on ice.
It was official, Hinge was re-opening, in an amazing new location where we can hold bigger, better, DIY classes and workshops, have more inventory, and so many more added benefits!
In Hinge style, there were a few contests from the evening.
1. A contest to enter for a FREE antique cash register. We put the names in a hopper (okay it was a bag that formally held Ritz cheese crackers but that doesn't sound very glamorous) and we officially have a winner!
2. The fun #albertphotobomb and #hingestore  photo contest! We have 3 winners from this. First place wins a $25 gift certificate to Hinge. Our runners up with receive a free Hinge tee shirt (photo below)

So let's get to the contest photos! (Then we will announce all four winners)

...
And the winners are:
1. Antique Cash register: Mark Menninger
2. Runners Up #albertphotobomb contest: @astahlke and @kfkruderer
3. And the $25 gift certificate winner: @smartyboy369

Your prizes can be picked up by Wednesday afternoon!

Thank you all for participating in the contest and for making Hinge a success. We are loving every minute and hope you are too!

Easy, fast way to remove Linoleum

Have you found yourself in a home with linoleum flooring? Or even worse, with a linoleum peel anfd stick countertop? (Oh it happens!)
Well today I have a video to show you, how to remove the tiles in under one minute.
Supplies needed:
Flat Head Screw Driver or
Putty Knife
Hair Dryer
Large garbage can
Safety goggles
Krud Kutter (optional)
Sander (optional)

Removal:
Step 1. Put on those safety goggles!

Getting the tiles up requires heat.
The way to do that (without getting a blow torch, which is what one tutorial I was reading suggested) is to use your handy dandy hair dryer!

In one hand hold blow dryer, and in the other hold your screw driver or putty knife. (Personally I like the leverage I get from the screw driver, but the putty knife does remove more glue during the process, so that is a huge benefit)

Place your hair dryer one inch away from tile and turn on high heat. Let the hair dryer sit for about 3 seconds, you will see the tile is beginning to lift.
Place you putty knife or screw driver under the lift and with both hands moving together begin to move the hair dryer and putty knife bringing up the tiles as you go.
The thing about it is after the tiles are removed you are left with residual glue. The reason the putty knife is better for this, you will be left with less glue.
There are a few methods to remove this glue.

1. Get out the blow dryer again and blast it hot and scrape scrape scrape.
2. Get out the Krud kutter, spray spray spray and let it sit, it will break down the glue, and then scrape scrape scrape.
3. Grab the orbital sander and blast it off.

Now to the video 

How to Remove Linoleum Video

Upcycle 1937 Philco radio

http://magis.to/eXhwBwADRQkfDnIAAQ

Here is a video of a very fun project we recently completed. 

We took a 1937 Philco radio that had become a very sad. In its life it has seen flooding, a fire, a child's crayons, but also an amazing amount of news stories, radio programs, and life. We couldn't let it fall victim to a landfills fate.

After many hours of cutting, sanding, building, and rebuilding we have a minibar!

It took a class in hinges (truly) a stabilization of the upper portion, and a complete rework of the body, but here you go!

If you would like us to complete a project like this for you,  please let me know!

Want some off the wall amazing Crock Pot Lasagna?

We don't just do Home Décor at Hinge - we actually live in our home as well :)

I received quite a few requests on my famous Crock Pot Lasagna, so - here it is for you to enjoy! Please note going forward, I will be much better at taking photos while I am cooking so I can share what each step looks like :)

Until then please enjoy this version of the recipe, minus amazing fun photos

So there are a few ways to make this wonderful dish - first I will offer you the "long" way, and then the easy in a hurry way I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Parm Cheese

1 large tub of cottage cheese

small Ricotta cheese

16oz moz or any white melting cheese  

1 Clove Garic

1/2 onion

6 plum tomatoes (or 1 large can of whole plum tomatoes)

1 can of plain tomato sauce (or 1 jar of your fave pasta sauce)

Oregano, basil and 1 bay leaf

1 package of lasagna noodles

2 cups spinach

(meat if you choose)

 

First here is the recipe for my famous sauce - this of course is the long way - OH and please note if you want meat in your lasagna you need to precook!

 

1 T olive oil in a pan, low heat

2 pinches salt in the pan and oil 

1 pinch pepper

1 T parm cheese in pan 

1 clove garlic

1/2 onion loosely diced

6 whole plum peeled tomatoes (feel free to use a can of whole peeled tomatoes) slightly break up the tomatoes to let juices out and to allow to break up

3/4 can of pasta sauce - the plain nothing added sauce - not like prego but actual in a metal can sauce (the quick version would be throw in a progresso garlic and cheese sauce)

bring this up to a edge boil

add in Italian blend of spices (oregano, basil, and a bay leaf)

2 cups of spinach

bring temp down, add in one scoop of ricotta cheese and other 1/4 of tomato sauce

add 1 more pinch of salt

Let simmer until ricotta is melted

 

The quick way of making this sauce is

3 pinches of salt

1 Tb olive oil in pan

2 Tb parm cheese

1 can of whole tomatoes

2 cups spinach

1 container of your fave pasta sauce 

(if you want meat you add here first)

throw it all in the pan and sauce time

 

Now on to how to stack your lasagna in your crock pot!

 

start with a light coating of sauce at the bottom of the pot

add noodles (not pre cooked)

add cottage cheese on top then more sauce

then a handful of cheese (moz or any white cheese will do)

repeat this process until top layer is cheese on top - close lid and put on med heat for 3 hours (one of my crock-pots takes 4 hours, the other takes 3, please leave extra time in case depending on your crock pot cook time) - let sit for 15 minutes before eating.

 

Hope you like it as much as I do.