Tunic fabric

I scored some sale fabric at Jo Ann's for my Simplicity 2584 pattern tunic. The best part? It's got a little stretch to it.

This weekend

We're taking our dog, Genson, on the 20 hour drive to upstate New York. This is making me nervous - he's a 50 lb-er shelter mutt.

(Above image is via BetterOffDead (Claire Marie Vogel))

Yarn Likenesses

Check out these yarn skills....

Embroidery artist Justin Morin and his modern-style portraits.


And Jo Hamilton creates these stunning portraits in crochet, based on photographs.

Paint inside of cabinet?

I just saw this cabinet on Design*Sponge and it made me wonder if I should paint the inside of this built-in hutch in our living room....

Stick With This

Brilliant packing tape from TapeSwell.com. These are way too nice to waste on moving. I'm envisioning this year's holiday wrapping in plain brown craft paper or plain white boxes with these crisscrossing the top. $7

A Day in the Clouds

How great are these cloud magazine wall racks?? $67 on Overstock.com. They would really perk up my home office and solve some magazine pile-up issues at the same time.

The Home Office: Ideals vs. Reality

As someone who works from home, Centsational Girl's round-up of inspiring home offices is great eye candy, even though a majority of her finds are a bit too girly for me.

For some reason, our home office/guest room is the place we stuck everything that didn't "go" in the rest of the house. It's on the long list of "To do's." Here's a shameful glimpse at what's behind me as I type:
Although, I am pretty excited/proud of the lamp I found will thrifting this weekend:

More Radical Cross Stitch

how the Melbourne Revolutionary Craft Circle stitched ‘I Wanna Live Here’ on a fence to send out a message that it's ridiculousness that there are so many empty lots when the problem of homelessness persists. They'd surely be appalled by all the empty foreclosed homes around here....

The Fairies Have Lights

I'm really enjoying the fairy lights set from Beth Retro's flickr page....

New Kitchen Curtains: Sun Blocker

New curtain for my kitchen. I really like the fabric but with no pattern in hand, I ended up ordering too little yardage and had to make a trip to Jo Ann's just for extra fabric to trim it with. Blocks the summer morning sun so it will stay for now....

Add this to your dinner rotation: Bean Burgers

While I'm on the subject of food - let me also recommend this easy recipe, Black Bean Burgers. They hold together pretty well...we ate them with a little spicy/smoky mayo concoction and some leafy greens from the garden.

OK, this photo was taken at our garden's prime in a bountiful Spring - this hot summer has almost scorched everything but the arugula and rosemary seem to be hanging in there.

Soft pillows of gnocchi

Culinary success. I made this gnocchi recipe from Apt. Therapy last night. Very easy and tasty - got a little messy with all that flour flying around but well, worth it. Go make it!

Soothing

A wonderful photograph by Mr. Sir Ed.

Vib-Robot Tut on Martha

During lunch I had on the Martha Stewart Show and saw Mark Frauenfelder, editor of Make Magazine, do a how-to on these fun, robot toys. Looks easy enough and it's a nice change of pace from knitting and sewing.

A Working Vacation

Have you heard of WWOOF? Sounds like a wrestling org but it actually stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms. You pay a $20 membership and which gets you a directory of farms looking for volunteers. You work half a day on the farm and the host gives you accommodations and meals.

Vacations seem to be about walking around from one big meal to the next so I like the idea of having a purpose to my vacation days. I just took a peak at their list of farms and they are in some pretty spectacular locations. Good excuse to stay in Montana or Itlay for free...

The Goblin King

This may a little off topic but holy jeez, Mass Moca is hold a LABYRINTH SING-A-LONG on August 27th. Like most ladies my age, I memorized all dialogue and song from this movie -- and still know it by heart.

"Your remind me of the babe. What babe? The babe with the power. What power? The power of the voodoo. Who do? You do. You remind of the babe."

The really sad part: I will be staying a few miles from Mass Moca for 3 weeks in August but leave Aug. 24.

Biz Cards, Yes It's Time

Somehow, I've garnered work writing food + drink stories. And it seems when you meet people in this industry, they expect an exchange of business cards. I didn't think I was the business card type but I'd prefer not to have to sheepishly smile and say "Sorry - I don't have a card" anymore.

And this morning, I'm supposed to be writing (and finishing and submitting) the article from the interview in which the biz card situation arose but this paper and design lover is now obsessing over said cards. I've already spent a few hours playing in photoshop and now I'm researching others' card designs as well as the companies that have free biz card offers.

If money were no object (is that EVER the case?), I'd die for letterpress business cards. And I'm now realizing that even tho I have a web site, I don't have a logo. Do I need one as a freelance writer? I'm flummoxed about how one goes about designing one sans cheese...I guess that's why designers exist??

Rounded corners: two thumbs up.

Here are some inspiring designs:

Analog Wallpaper

Wallpaper designed by Aimee Wilder and available on Rare Device. $140 (ouch) for a 27" x 15' piece. It's available in 9 colors; I'm partial to Surf, aqua on cream...

via Poppytalk

More Proof: Needlepoint is Back

Glorious needlepoint graffiti from Tennessee artist Jacquelyn Royal. (and what an awesome name....)

Can You Stand It?

For under $10, you can make one if these rustic cake stands, a project from the OnceWed blog.

The important step seems to be finishing it off with a food safe wood sealer. Anyone know if such a thing exists and where?

Nice View

Photo by Moa Maria

Just Chill

Savannah artist Sarah Neuburger of The Small Object always seems to find the most interesting/useful materials and tools for craft projects. I blogged about this in my ReadyMade days but she tracked down the pink glue that adheres paper for DIY notepads. (See her post, Life Changing Compund.)

Now she's found use for Watersorb polymer granules (what?) - basically crystals that absorb water - in cooling neckties that recall scouting days but are a welcomed project in this 96 degree heat. The gist is that your soak the crystal-containing neckties in water and then tie them around your neck As the water evaporates, it creates a little air conditioner around your neck. The magic crystals are available at Michaels for around $6 -- which Sarah thinks will make about 12 neckties.

Stencil Generation

Jackpot...just found a stencil generator. All hail the internet.

Freezer Paper Stencil Shirts

My favorite category on Craftster is Image Reproduction Technique. Today, I found user fluffypants' post on freezer paper stencils. Has anyone tried this?

Here's another of her shirts:
The Warhol almost seems easier than the Squirtle.

Video How-To: Terrariums

Brooklyn's Sprout Home gives us a how-to video on terrariums. (via Design Sponge)

Light of My Life

I'm on the hunt for a new pendant lamp for my dining room and I'm trying to be creative where I look. PB Teen and Baby have some unique choices. Check out this sound wave lamp shade for only $15.




And there's this birch photo pendant lamp on sale for $70