I'm giving you a longer look

Ahh! I love these extraordinary posters for everyday events. Mine right now would be on the subject sitting in the sunbeam in my living room drinking tea and wearing some crazy old pajama pants and thinking about how I really should start washing my face before I go to sleep.



EDPED: Every Day Posters Every Day



These are just a few of my faves.



Did you know you can submit one of your own?



What would yours be?

Mercury rising

I'm not a regular reader of Martha Stewart Living, but a friend passed along a recent(?) issue...I'm not sure. I ripped the cover off after I spilled a glass of water all over it and I can't remember what month the spine says it's from. Also, I just found the sad, wrinkly, water-damaged magazine wedged between my bed and the wall the other night.

So yeah, clearly, I'm not reading Queen Martha. She'd have my ass whipped into better shape than this. Also of note: the bottom of my purse has been dusted with that sweet n' sour Sour Patch Kids sugar for about a month. Every day, it makes my futile hunt for chapstick a little more grainy and delicious.

ANYWAY. This issue has some neat stuff (I ignored everything about moving my fridge and cleaning behind it and bathing your cats. You so crazy, Martha!) like making moss terrariums in jars. Also this:


Looks fancy and classy. But in reality is easy. (Kind of like your mom--oooh BURN!)

I guess to make your old glass vases look like mercury glass, you can buy this faux-glass spraypaint, apply it to the insides of the vases or jars or whaevs and then spritz with some water to give it an--you know what? Forget it. We're all better off just getting the directions from Martha. She says:


"Clean your vase or votive then cover the exteriors with paper. Spray the interiors lightly with water and then with mirror paint. Turn upside down to dry overnight and then repeat if too sheer. When finished, if you want to use it for flowers, just make sure to put them in a glass and then place glass in vase."

I'm thinking I just might try this. I just have to make sure not to use the water bottle that has fish emulsion mixed in it (let's just say living with an orchid is not easy).

Has anybody tried this? Is it, in fact, a Good Thing?

They don't love you like I love you

(Via I Suwannee)

(Via Elle Decor)



(Via Remodelista)

(Via Pure Green Design)

(Via Living Etc.)

(Via Kelly McGuill)

(Via Fashion is Spinach)

(Via Domino)



A few years back, my parents moved their office into the building of an old architecture firm. In the basement, I found packets of a series of 12 circa-1960s maps that showed a proposed highway through the east side of Indianapolis. I saved them and am stuck on what I should do with them. Decoupage the fridge? Hang them up? Framing is going to be cray-spensive; are binder clips too dorm-y?

Ugh, sorry I'm always asking you guys questions here. But y'all are GOOD.

Boxing day

But it's Columbus Day, you say!





Don't really care. I have to work today and I'd much rather be at home making box shelves to fill with all the treasures I collect.

(images via Sfgirlbybay and Desire to Inspire)

P.S. Wouldn't these look EXCELLENT backed with some of that wallpaper by the yard we discussed a few weeks ago?

Peanut butter and jelly

I'm having one of those days where I feel like I'm going to absolutely DIE if I don't get to a hardware store soon. I need paint rollers and sponge brushes and paint thinner and smaller staples for the staple gun and picture hangers and clay pots. It's driving me insane!


Also driving me insane (in a good way) is that you can buy Julia Rothman wallpaper by the yard at Hygge & West, making it affordable for me to THINK about owning a bit of her art on a roll.

I'm still on my geometric kick, so naturally I'm trying to figure out a way to use a yard of this stuff. So far, I'm coming up empty.

Maybe this book would have the perfect solution. Think it's available at ACE?

I need to start a project soon, or the cats are going to be running around in sweaters made from old holey socks and leftover buttons.

Hmm. On second thought...

Quick links

Today, I'm atoning for the consumer glut of last Friday's post with some tutorials and project ideas.

Cute little purse sewing pattern.

Turning salvaged drawers into modular storage.

Vintage handkerchief save the dates (or party invitations, greeting cards, etc.)

Embroider a map with places you've been.

Enlarging text book copy for wall art.

Tufted headboard.

Fabric-covered switch plates.

Be warned. It's about to get extra girly up in here...

Flower arrangement and centerpiece ideas (it says for Valentine's Day, but I think it applies any ol time).

Fancy paper flowers.

Framed paper butterflies.

*I'll try to find a unicorn project to add in here at a later date so we'll have the Mariah Carey trifecta going on.*

And, of course, a kickass source for all of your project needs.

Just what I needed

So, we have a big, long closet in the front hall (it's underneath the neighbors' stairs). In addition to it being the place where I'm sent for punishment when get in trouble, it's where the cats' toilette is housed.

Since I'm always worried about inadvertently closing the closet door and locking the cats out (or in), we have--quite classily--come up with the lovely solution of using a brick placed on a piece of cardboard as a doorstop.

This tutorial is a perfect solution to that eyesore. And I think I have everything I need to make it happen. Oh yes. I have more damn leftover fabric from the headboard situation. I guess my house is going to be a Joel Dewberry explosion.

I love it when things work out this well.

Quick clicks

Interesting things I've run across somewhat lately:

Get yourself some pin curls (this makes me want to grow out my hair so badly).

Make a charming little cabinet from an old suitcase.

A pretty awesome sailboat paperweight.

Hunt for your local government surplus auction.

Want Michel Gondry to draw your portrait?

Adorable Lizzie Allen wallpaper.

Pretty fabric place mats and coasters.

Decorative packing tape (look for it on your Christmas present this winter!).

The kid with the best dorm room (and minibar) ever.

A wing and a prayer

Can you guess what this is?

Wouldn't it be dreamy on a wall, all blown up huge?

For all you baby Calders out there

Buddy, cheer up!

Dry those tears and stop gnashing your teeth. Hey. Come on, pulling your hair out is only going to leave an unsightly bald patch.

With all this posting I'm doing, it's like I'm not even gone, right?

What's that? You're so lonely without me you already made 16 bubble chandeliers for your family and closest friends?

Ok, ok. How about another art project?

Maybe an abstract mobile?

Could be pretty cool, huh? This nice blog has posted all of the directions from a 1954 issue of Popular Science.

It's ok. Go ahead. It's not a strange blog if I say so.

When I get home, I can't wait to find the prettiest one you made on my doorstep.

There is a light that never goes out

I was picking through my saved photos and fantasizing (again). Originally, I had marked this one because I love the wallpaper up at the top of the room (what, me wallpaper? never!)

Upon revisiting it, however, I'm pretty into the light fixture, which is from Pottery Barn. It's so old-timey Thomas Edison-y (hence the name of the chandelier).

And it's about the only thing I've liked from the ol' PBarn as long as I can remember. I'll have to start taking a closer look at their catalog when it comes.

But, ugh, look at how they've got the in-room pictures of the thing styled:



I'm not feeling it at all.I don't know what it is. I like old, rustic crap as much (possibly more than) as the next person. Maybe it's the sunflowers and wooden American flag that scream country picnic/90s shabby chic/the worst Friends episode ever to me.

Ok, less grumpy, more helpful. Geez, I mean I'm on vacation, right?

Here are some other similarly cool options
Firefly Pendant from CB2

Octopus chandelier at Velocity Art and Design (comes in a smaller version; also in white and black)

Lindsey Adelman (via Oh Joy!)

Or make one of your own, thanks to Jean Pelle for ReadyMade. Or if you're not down to clown, it looks like you can maybe pick up one or some other bubbly goods on Etsy.

Wallpaper that floors me

You might want to prepare yourself for lots of wallpaper posts in the coming...oh forever. I'm an eensy weensy bit obsessed.

This wallpaper in particular?

It makes me want to die. DIE! How cool is it? It's probably a very good thing I don't live by myself because I could definitely see myself trying to recreate this pattern with some Sharpies after a couple of cocktails. And I can tell you right now it wouldn't end well.

Really, everything from Minakani is pretty amazing.

Hey! I have those chairs. I feel a little bad that my two don't get to live in such an awesome place.

Getting things done around here

I, Queen of Unfinished Projects, seem to be on a tiny little roll. In the wake of the windows-into-chalkboards presto chango, I decided to wrap (literally) up another project I've been dealing with.
Remember the front panel from a an old stereo console I found?

Well, I took it apart.

And I painted it, but the paint wouldn't cover the speaker mesh evenly, and the whole thing looked terrible.

So Sunday, I took it apart some more.

And upholstered it!

Then I got lazy and Marc put it back together.

Now it can begin a new, second life as our headboard. Until I decide I hate the fabric and rip it all apart again (don't worry; I'm halfway there already).

*On a related note, I bought the fabric at The Needle Shop. While I love The Needle Shop, I don't love that the lady working there talked me into buying double the amount of fabric I needed for this endeavor.

I think some full-on Laura Ashleyness is going to happen with some matching throw pillows (which I need like I could use a hole in my head).

I guess you could say we use the whole buffalo around these here parts.

It was 20 years ago today...

Or maybe it just looks like it (give or take 100 years).

I've had this site bookmarked forever, and I have no recollection of where I found it, its name, what it says or all it can do. All I know is you can upload a picture and in a few seconds, you'll have a more old-timey version of it.

Kind of a cool--and addictive--parlor trick. Let's all bust our our petticoats and bottles of whiskey and diy those Old West photos you can get at Six Flags all over the country!

(original photo here)

Ok everybody, get ready

Sorry to do this to you so early on a Monday, but I'm about to get sickeningly cooey and lovey-dovey.

Don't say you haven't been warned. Barf bags are available in the seat pocket in front of you.

Remember those windows I painted with chalkboard paint a bit back?

Well, Marc is a brilliant genius and hung two of them for me last night:


Mr. Dreamboat in action:


He even left me a nice love note this morning (along with a message from the cats).


Now that we have these hung and in use, I'm hoping that I can put up a really hard math problem and Matt Damon will come over and clean our place before he solves it.

Chalkboard + locker bins + entomology book plate + philately letterpress + plants = back-to-school NERD corner. I love it!

And I adore Marc for making it happen. Thanks, tiger!

To make matters even schmoopier, it will be three years to the day of our first date in a couple of weeks. I decided we should mark this auspicious occasion all month long.

So I made a banner of all the cards we've sent each other over the last three years and hung it in the doorway between our kitchen and living room. Feel free to avert your eyes now:


Here's a picture looking into the living room:

Aww.

Ok, back to our regular schedule of things I want to buy/random junk I pick up all over town.

Taking matters into your own hands

Sthlm, which showcases a different independent Swedish designer each month, is up and at 'em with their July designer:

Pithy little cross-stich canvases. More here. I'm still partial to my needlepoint pillow, but it's not every day you unearth such pearls of wisdom--unicorn related, no less.