There She Blogs

Split Decision: Shared Home Office Space

2011-05-22T11:54:00.017-04:00

Lately, I’ve come across several modern couples living in small spaces struggling with the same design dilemma: how to arrange the office when both partners work from home. Do you line up the work stations side-by-side? Do you stake out different corners of the room? Or do you mirror the desks facing each other or back-to-back?

Images: Tracey Overbeack Stead, The Design Files, Thomas Wold, Elle Décor, Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy, Design*Sponge, Fritz Hansen.

School's Out for Summer

2011-05-21T09:49:00.045-04:00

Maybe it’s all this talk about summer, but I’m feeling pretty nostalgic for my school days. And thanks to the continued schoolhouse trend, I can still reminisce about the good old days when semesters were paced in between long stretches of leisure. I’ve spied plenty of vintage class maps and globes as well as classic school chairs in recent months. But there are plenty of fresh discoveries out there too. Dig deeper into the curriculum (think AV club or even chemistry or math class) for a whole new frontier of scholastic chic.

1. This colorful, vintage German biology chart of a shark is from Austin vintage seller, TwentyTimesI. $195
2. Crafty felter, ShipDirtSa envokes pink and blue penmanship paper with this throw pillow. $40
3. Etsy seller EthanOllie presents a vintage test tube collection as a flower vase alternative. $25
4. This Anthropologie lamp hearkens back to classroom movies before VHS and DVD. $498
5. Get some help keeping count with this brightly colored abacus from CB2. $149
6. Hudson Goods has a modern take on old-school lockers with this industrial chic design. $1,195
7. Etsy seller Concept Furnishings offers this classroom anatomical frog model as a whimsical trinket for your adult cabinet of curiosities. $225
8. Flickr user Lak B Designs uses painted lockers as behind-the-door storage.
9. TortoiseLovesDonkey upgrades a flask to a tiny terrarium for small air plants. $12.75

A Classier Side of Hollywood

2009-10-08T08:05:00.004-04:00

How excited are you for this flick?

Dining Room.

2009-09-22T11:09:00.002-04:00

Remember all that talk about pendant lamps? We finally bought and installed the CB2 Eden lamp in our dining room.

Not a good picture for this but I also made new seat cushions from Ikea's cecilia fabric. I'll post better photos soon.

So Simple, So Brilliant -- Window Photographs

2009-09-08T08:12:00.003-04:00

Image via i suwannee.

Wedding Invitation Worthy of Framing

2009-09-08T08:09:00.003-04:00

Found on Lulu Bliss.

Rug of the Century

2009-09-08T08:06:00.001-04:00

Saw this on Making It Lovely a few weeks back...

Just Pickled

2009-09-03T11:32:00.000-04:00

After all that work - only 4 of 6 jars sealed (and two had to be re-processed for that to happen.) My first experience with pickling and I get the gist that it's a lot of work for little pay off. If they taste out-of-this-world, then maybe I'd pickle again...just 1 or 2 more weeks and these cumin lime pickles should be ready.

We Be Tripping

2009-08-30T08:39:00.001-04:00

August was pretty great. We loaded Genson (below) into the car and drove from Miami to NYC in two days. Staying with your dog in a hotel feels very odd...but he was a trooper.

Genson even made fast friends with my in-law's lab, Jessie.
Before leaving NYC for the Bershires, we were able to spend a day with our niece, Ida.
Soon enough, we jumped ship to go to the mountains for hiking, grilling, Mass Moca and friends.
We fled back to NYC to reminisce in Brooklyn (saw Project Runway winner Leanne Marshall in Williamsburg), check out historic Jersey City, and spend time with family. We jumped back in the car to Ithaca to pick up some Vancouver friends before crossing the Canadian border for a wedding outside of Toronto...quite a driving whirlwind but so good to get away.

Inside. Cabinet. Painted.

2009-08-28T09:46:00.005-04:00

Remember how I wanted to paint the inside of my built-in hutch? Well, I did. Who lacks initiative now, huh?

We chose a bright yellow called "Macaw" by Glidden. In fact, it's so bright that when I walk by it at night, I keep thinking there's a light on inside of it that I should turn off. Magic paint!

The below pics show the color more accurately: Macaw!

Back with Pickles

2009-08-27T12:47:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. It's been a while. What can I say? I observe the European knack of taking the month August off.

But today, I'm making Martha's cumin and lime pickles with my mom. More to come...

Tunic fabric

2009-07-30T08:29:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-30T08:26:00.001-04:00

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

2009-07-30T08:20:00.002-04:00

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?

2009-07-22T08:51:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-22T08:08:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-22T07:59:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-20T11:26:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-20T11:18:00.003-04:00

A clip that documents 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

2009-07-19T12:12:00.004-04:00

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

New Kitchen Curtains: Sun Blocker

2009-07-19T12:03:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-17T10:16:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-17T10:11:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-16T11:23:00.002-04:00

A wonderful photograph by Mr. Sir Ed.

Vib-Robot Tut on Martha

2009-07-15T12:47:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-14T08:17:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-11T08:21:00.003-04:00

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

2009-07-10T10:21:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-08T10:12:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-08T10:07:00.006-04:00

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

Can You Stand It?

2009-07-08T10:01:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-08T09:58:00.001-04:00

Photo by Moa Maria

Just Chill

2009-07-07T11:58:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-07T09:12:00.004-04:00

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

Freezer Paper Stencil Shirts

2009-07-07T09:01:00.005-04:00

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

2009-07-06T08:34:00.002-04:00

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

Light of My Life

2009-07-05T16:13:00.005-04:00

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

What's Cuter? Dog or Headboard?

2009-07-03T11:42:00.003-04:00

A couple things: I love mountains, I love dogs, I love blue, I need something on the blank wall above my bed. Design*Sponge gives us this painted DIY project from Elizabeth at Remodel in Silver Lake.

Vintage Button Cards as Wall Art

2009-07-03T11:36:00.003-04:00

Button Candy, also obviously button-obsessed, had the brilliant idea of framing vintage button cards. Cause they just don't package them like they used to.

Time to Get Up

2009-07-03T11:35:00.001-04:00

Okay! Fine

Graphic Design Tiles

2009-07-02T10:14:00.004-04:00

Awesome tiles from Popham Design. The tiles are made by hand by skilled artisans in a Marrakech factory. The designs take their aesthetic cue from their life in Morocco....there are four collections: scribbles + loops, classics + twists, flora + fauna, and plain + shapely.

via Better Living Through Design

Hello My Names is Plant

2009-06-28T17:00:00.003-04:00

Craftster user tiph_thompson had the great idea of pairing simple red plastic cups with Hello My Name Is stickers....

Quilted Polaroids

2009-06-28T13:05:00.003-04:00

While browsing Craftster, I found these quilted Polaroids - how great are they? Kudos to Craftster user, The Moose! And quilted by hand, no less...

Ruffles have Ridges

2009-06-24T07:42:00.003-04:00

There's a new pattern over at Burda Style: a ruffled clutch. Ruffles are creeping around the blogosphere. I'm also feeling this ruffle pillow tutorial from MerMag.

Painted Patterned Floors

2009-06-24T07:31:00.003-04:00

Check out these painted floors on Cookie's web site. The instructions are simple and sound more like suggestions than an actual tutorial:

"For this project, Sunny painted the whole floor green, marked out the pattern with tape, and painted the white squares. Then aged the floor with her Original Aging Glaze to give it a worn-in look.

Both floors are covered with an acrylic polyurethane that will not yellow."

Sunny' Paint store has a series of fancy stencils to try....

Desktop Wallpapers

2009-06-23T10:45:00.002-04:00

New Desktop Wallpapers from Kindred artists, thanks to How About Orange for the post.

Get a Grip on the Cord Situation

2009-06-23T10:37:00.004-04:00

We have printer, power and ipod cords dangling all over the place -- sometimes laying on the floor, dangerously close to the wheels of our rolling office chair. So I'm so happy that these gadgets exist and that Shelteriffic brought them to my attention. They're named after what they prevent, CableDrop, and they're available at Bluelounge for a mere $10.

In the Details

2009-06-23T10:31:00.003-04:00

I suwannee posted pictures of her bar cabinet that she lined with wrapping paper. Drawer/shelf liners can be pricier and come with less pattern options, so I'm going to take her advice and use gift wrap and loads of double sided tape instead.

Cross Stitch Zeitgeist

2009-06-23T10:28:00.006-04:00

Evie-S posted a collage of the the cross stitch design meme that appearing on more than textiles. I better get on those cross stitch text pillows before West Elm or UO does.

Creeping Fig

2009-06-22T16:38:00.003-04:00

Just bought a creeping fig to experiment with. A lot of the 1920s houses around the neighborhood use this vine. But how to make it grow up a wall and not as a ground cover?

Pendant Lamp Round Up

2009-06-22T09:06:00.002-04:00

We've started researching pendant lamps for our dining room. Check the above graffiti one, available on etsy. If only I weren't po.

Here are some more affordable picks:

The Eden, $50, CB2

From Ikea, $70

Cerebro, In Mod, $113

Mibo, $80, Design Public

A Friendly Reminder

2009-06-19T14:24:00.002-04:00

and

From here.

Nice

2009-06-19T14:22:00.004-04:00

Found at FFFFOUND.

Sublime Stitiching: New Patterns

2009-06-19T08:50:00.002-04:00

Sublime Stitching was asked by uber-group The Decemberists to create embroidery patterns of Carson Ellis' designs. Love that bike.

I must not have visited Jenny Hart's site in awhile but there a handful of fun, new designs:

This one will come in handy for text pillows...

Low-Sew Project

2009-06-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm liking the category of "low-sew" lately as my attention span always seems to fall short of finishing elaborate projects. This argyle fleece blanket is a fast and easy project. I'm not so much a fan of this yellow and cream business however...The project is from Dorm Decor and CraftStylish posted it online and is hosting a book giveaway if you leave a comment here by 6/23.

Luggage with Legs

2009-06-18T10:49:00.003-04:00

This is a fantastic idea. Heather at Lark & Lola turned a vintage suitcase found in Paris into a table. See the post for the tutorial. She credits Poetic Home for the inspiration for the project. (See their post for other suitcase transformations, including more suitcases tables.)

Oh, Martha

2009-06-18T09:56:00.000-04:00

Damn you and your good ideas! Cupcake liners as gift bows.

Fontastic Cross Stitch Text Generators

2009-06-17T13:50:00.003-04:00

As it turns out, there are a bunch of Cross Stitch Text Generators, some of which have fancy fonts. I used Monaco above but StitchPoint has a couple of font options.

New to cross stitching? Primrose Designs has a photo-heavy tut here.
Now stop surfing the inter-tubes and go make a text pillow.

Be Nice or Leave pillow

2009-06-17T13:41:00.005-04:00

Jackpot! I just found a cross stitch text generator on subversive cross stitch. Remember that Johnathan Adler pillow?Now, I start whipping out my own text pillows. First up, "Be Nice Or Leave"

Eco Fabric Sale

2009-06-17T13:34:00.004-04:00

Sale alert: These fab 60% cotton 40% bamboo fabrics are on sale over at Shiisa Quilts. Hurry!

While you're there, check out their batting made from recycled plastic bottles.

For All Your Floor Scratches

2009-06-17T13:18:00.001-04:00

Introducing the band-aid rug. Why not? You don't want your floor getting infected.

The French Are Laughing at You

2009-06-15T15:26:00.000-04:00

Because it exists. Try "M" and "H."

Cross-stitching Activism

2009-06-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

I just found out about Radical Cross Stitch and thought I'd share....

The talented craftsters take photos like this from a protest in Copenhagen:

And render them with thread:

The medium is the message. (Anyone have any good tutorials on creating stitching template based on a photo?) Sayoonara "Home Sweet Home" samplers.

For the Love of Paper

2009-06-14T11:06:00.003-04:00

Jenipher Chandley, Caribbean Affair

If you find yourself in the Tampa area -- Twenty-five artists are showing their original wallpaper designs at Tampa's "Paper" Off and on the Wall" exhibit, May 29-July 24. Alas, it's free and decidedly hip for Florida...

Janeen Salzgeber, New Federalist-Saffron

Julian Corvin, Blue Floral

Pouf of Your Own

2009-06-12T16:15:00.001-04:00

Make a puff of your own with this free pattern from Pickles. (Thanks for the tip Craft magazine...)

The Psychology of DIY

2009-06-12T13:36:00.003-04:00

I'm in love with this book, Shop Class as Soulcraft, recently reviewed in the New York Times book review. And I think it helps explain the passion for DIY projects, for the love of ReadyMade magazine, for the Buy Handmade movement and on and on.

Basically, this Crawford guy is rehashing good old Marx here...capitalism breeds alienation by separating individuals from the totality. (As in, a global economy in which a Chinese worker sews together an Amish quilt with no direct connection with its final user, or understanding of its cultural meaning.)

An excerpt:
"Crawford argues that the ideologists of the knowledge economy have posited a false dichotomy between knowing and doing. The fact of the matter is that most forms of real knowledge, including self-knowledge, come from the effort to struggle with and master the brute reality of material objects — loosening a bolt without stripping its threads, or backing a semi rig into a loading dock. All these activities, if done well, require knowledge both about the world as it is and about yourself, and your own limitations. They can’t be learned simply by following rules, as a computer does; they require intuitive knowledge that comes from long experience and repeated encounters with difficulty and failure.

Economic ties, like those between a borrower and a lender, were once underpinned by face-to-face contact and moral community; today’s mortgage broker, by contrast, is a depersonalized cog in a financial machine that actively discourages prudence and judgment."

Fridays.

2009-06-12T07:35:00.000-04:00

Poster by Public School, a Austin design studio with some fresh ideas. Link via the infamous swissmiss.

Off to work

2009-06-11T12:51:00.001-04:00

This used to be my view on my commute to work.

Now it's this:

Economic indicator?

2009-06-11T12:36:00.002-04:00

Woah. The New York Times is hiring? Is one of those economic indicator thingies that means the recession might be lifting ever so slightly?

Sticking with Shade

2009-06-11T12:06:00.003-04:00

Design blogs are bursting with "backyard escapes" scenes and ideas. Isn't the above a good idea? Mere sticks and fabric? It's v. hot this Miami June so I'm all about ways to generate shade...

Image from Canadian House and Home, courtesy of Poppytalk.

Skinny Love

2009-06-11T09:29:00.003-04:00

Leisure update: We went to a Bon Iver concert in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday night. Elvis Perkins -- with their upright bass, horns and harmonica -- opened. We saw Bon Iver about a year ago in Vancouver at a small basement joint as word of their talent had not spread quite yet. This venue permitted us to have a bird's eye view of the stage from the back. We were able to catch the actions of all the band members (just not their faces) and it stirred up some jealousy about how fun it must be to be in a band.

It was an all ages show and the young-ins were in full attendance. Made me think about how I learned about new music at 16. MTV. And now that MTV plays only cringe-worthy reality shows, where do teenagers learn about new bands? Perhaps I'm drawing a line where there shouldn't be one. Perhaps they listen and read the same things I do to hear about new bands.

For the record, my sources:
Minnesota Public Radio's Musicheads Podcast

KEXP's John in the Morning Radio Show (streamed on the internet station from 9-12pm EST)

Stereogum

Tic, tic

2009-06-09T11:57:00.001-04:00

Lots of deadlines this week...having work is good...being stressed is not...

photo by thicktheo

Stools Out for Summer

2009-06-08T12:30:00.001-04:00

Can someone tell me how or why-o-why these garden stools are popping up everywhere? I feel like Domino must have planted this seed before it died.

I'm a little suspicious of the widespread love and use of the garden stool...

When the Recession Ends

2009-06-05T16:37:00.002-04:00

Have you heard about these drawer/shelf liners from The Container Store? I'd like the Herbal Cucumber scent but who can spend $10-15 on pleasant smelling drawers right now?

Roman Shades for Po' Folk

2009-06-05T15:54:00.009-04:00

I live in a little 1925 house that has more window than walls. We took our sweet time to buy and install window treatments, which was a mistake b/c someone saw something they liked inside and broke in and robbed us one Saturday night. Before this violation, I did manage to make homemade roman shades for our bedroom after a quick check on how much they cost gave me shivers. Each window in this abode is a quirky size so custom shades would have cost around $300 each. So I googled "roman shade tutorial" and viola, I was good to go.

Jen Duncan's blog had the best photos with her tutorial so I went with hers. I used sale fabric from Ikea's Stockholm Blad collection and sun-blocking fabric from Joann's as the back. The cleats that anchor the ties were hard to find but I finally scored them at Ace Hardware.

These were easy and cheap to make and I'm quite pleased with how they turned out. Here are some other shots:Closed...

(notice the plywood in the window...thanks robbers!)

Please excuse the wonky exposure of the photos, it's tricky to properly photograph a backlit window!

In Utero: The New ReadyMade Grows Arms, Legs and Takes Stand Against Lamps

2009-06-05T15:40:00.005-04:00

So my former employer, the ReadyMade blog, is back is business after a 6 months hiatus where the old staff was abandoned in Berkeley and the new staff relocated from NYC to Des Moines.

Their most recent post reports on their brainstorming meeting about the new direction for the mag. This may strike moderate fears in those of us concerned that the departure from Berkeley and the severance with the magazine founders would mean a compromised ReadyMade. There are no signs that that fear is a valid one but this post does include lots of cryptic photos about ReadyMade’s future look and tone. See the post here.

Are they planning muted tones (a la a 1950s Boy Scout manual) for their color palette? And what’s with the English garden illustrations? Phooey. Thank god Blueprint is on the table.

As a student of Cultural Studies, I always, always loved ReadyMade because so much of magazines centers on advertising and convincing its readers to buy things and here was a lovely magazine that prospered even though it’s message was: “No need to buy. You can make that yourself.” I await the first issue with the new team…

But what in the heck do they have against lamps??

Etch a Sketch on Glass

2009-06-05T08:42:00.001-04:00

IS.LY has a pdf tutorial on how to etch a design on glass. Weekend project?

Photos I'm Working On

2009-06-04T14:03:00.005-04:00

Wish I Could Photo as Good as....

2009-06-04T13:54:00.002-04:00

There is some seriously good photography going on over at crystin moritz's flickr page. (aka frida frittesuse?)

Penguin Wall Art

2009-06-04T11:52:00.002-04:00

Say it with me now: Adorable. $15 on Etsy.

Decals: The Redux

2009-06-04T11:44:00.003-04:00

You dig the Welcome decal above?

OK, so I'm freaking out on etsy listings. I know decals are very 2008 but Scribble's etsy shop just stirred up some more decal love. I need something for over my Quincy bed.

Kick-ass Baby Sneakers

2009-06-04T11:41:00.001-04:00

Pattern available on etsy here for $4.50.

The Art of Hair

2009-06-04T11:32:00.004-04:00

Lookie, lookie at these ink drawings by Etsy's nosideup. She just graduated from Product Design in Central St. Martins, London after studying Visual Arts in Waterford Kamhlaba, United World College in Swaziland, Africa.

She includes little imaginative bios with the ink drawings. Here's the one for the above:

"Katherina knew that a woman was worth as much as the time she invested in herself. Her mother taught her that. And she also taught Katherina how to curl and tie her hair up, so that she would look sophisticated and pretty. Katherina knew that women so valuable catch the best men. Which was good, because if she caught a dentist or a banker she would probably forget about the lady who sells the new nylon stockings, and the way she smiles at her."

Read her blog here.

Screenprinted Linen Lovelies

2009-06-04T11:24:00.003-04:00

Liking this new apron from Elizabeth Bentz at Good Long While. $38 on Etsy. (While you're there, take a look at this pin cushion.)

Button Button

2009-06-04T09:00:00.005-04:00

There used to be a store in Vancouver that ONLY SOLD BUTTONS. (!!) I would and could spend my days in there. One of my life idea/plans/dreams is to open up my own button shop. Low overheard right?? Anyway, I would need to commission these gals to mosaic me up a button sign.

Check out this hello sign made of buttons - thanks Colette Patterns for the link. The two button artists have their own blogs here and here.

What I Have on Repeat: The Bowerbirds

2009-06-02T10:02:00.003-04:00

I'm always a little spooked when attractive people are also incredibly talented.

And I can't stop listening to The Bowerbirds' "Northern Lights." (Click link to hear mp3 -- you're welcome America.)

Sasquatch and Rolleiflexes

2009-06-01T19:15:00.003-04:00

One of my biggest regrets about living the Pacific Northwest is missing out on WA state's Sasquatch Musical Festival each May. We only went once (2008) but beyond the killer line-ups, the location and attendees are amazing. Check out some selections from Flickr's kjten22 taken with a Rolleiflex. (Note to self: develop the freaking film in your own rolleiflex that was taken on your gd honeymoon last year.)

May I suggest Savannah?

2009-05-29T15:08:00.000-04:00

Let’s Get Lost, by Shaun Sundholm

Away We Go

2009-05-27T17:32:00.000-04:00

This looks amazing. swoon. swoon. swoon.

Gnome Nephew

2009-05-27T15:47:00.002-04:00

OK, here's the finished result of my boys in the hoodie blanket that I finished in the car on the way to see my new nephew. (A 9 pound baby boy!) I'm pretty happy with the blanket part but I was in a rush to finish the edging so I used a crochet pattern I wasn't too thrilled with.

Here's the pattern image again. Very envious of their knit edge:

Back and slow moving

2009-05-27T08:55:00.003-04:00

Yes, indeedy. I am back from our lovely weekend navigating the moss-strewn oaks of St. Augustine and Savannah. I'll post photos and thoughts from our trip very soon...

Youth, Babies, Weekends

2009-05-22T13:30:00.003-04:00

I've been a tad quiet today as I'm planning a quick weekend trip to Savannah and St. Augustine this weekend. My husband is turning 30, I just turned 30 in March and I'm thinking it's high time to visit the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine!

I'm also a tad distracted as my nephew #2 was born yesterday at a whopping 9 pounds. And yes, I did finish my hoodie blanket for him. I finished it in the car on our way to his hospital and therefore took no pictures of the end product. Hopefully, I'll snag one with him in it. Here's hoping his 9 lb self fits in it...it was a tad on the small size...

Happy weekend! Have a Mint Julep for (on?) me...

Men's Shirt --> Lady Shirt

2009-05-21T11:26:00.000-04:00

Jezze of Cape Town, South Africa shows how a few nips and tucks can transform a big old men's button down shirt into a blousy blouse for the ladies. Men's dress shirts are the most abundant thing in thrift store. Snip away!

Reusable fabric wrapping (not)paper

2009-05-21T08:23:00.001-04:00

Allow me to introduce savvywrap, a sustainable gift wrap option. So it's basically a lovely piece of bandanna size fabric that knots up around packages. Awesome idea. Good use for old scarves? Handy tying instructions.

Thank you Poppytalk for the link.

Saving grace

2009-05-20T14:35:00.000-04:00

Recession tip: there are blogs dedicated to posting coupons to craft stores.

evidence: www.mycraftcoupons.com

Can you handle this much adorableness?

2009-05-20T10:49:00.000-04:00

If you're just getting to know me through There She Blogs, you might think I have a thing for pillows. I don't really. It's just that they're sew easy to make and you can throw them around haphazardly and feel like you're decorating.

Here's the tutorial for the above cuteness. Those at Curbly were inspired to write it after catching a glimpse of a similar pillow made by the Swedes at H&M and only sold in Sweden. Button up.

Vancoooover

2009-05-20T08:16:00.004-04:00

Poppytalk recently blogged about free wallpapers available on flickr. When I went to look at them, I found this image and was gobsmacked. It's the view from my Vancouver window a mere 5 months ago. That's Burrard Bridge and False Creek. Such good memories...thanks for the visual flashback!

See her other wallpapers here.

Mint Julep Anyone?

2009-05-20T07:10:00.000-04:00

We're mostly beer and wine people but every so often, I crave a good old-fashioned cocktail. Check out Joy the Baker's recipe for a Mint Julep. And as we live in the South, it's Mint Julep season 12 months out of the year.

Now, to buy some bourbon.

Mint Julep

(adapted from Chow)

3 sprigs fresh mint
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
2 ounces bourbon
club soda or filtered water
sprinkle of powdered sugar

Need + Want = Maybe Next Year

2009-05-19T13:32:00.000-04:00

So we need a grill. Probably one with propane and one that can feed more than 2 people. Not this ultra-cute $98 one. But still....avocado green. Sigh.

Also, check out the styling under Anthro's new outdoor entertaining line. All products are photographed on a white sheet outside as if to say "we're just like you and not the uber-hip store with the stylist team with the most skillz."

The Envelope Please

2009-05-19T12:54:00.000-04:00

Now that my husband and I have settled in a home, we decided to do the mature thing and buy neutral-colored, well-made furniture instead of the funky conversation pieces we used to pick up secondhand or on clearance. But I do love color so I decided to whip up some throw pillows from fabric with pops of color and cheeky designs.

I bought the above Alexander Henry (I think) fabric on ebay and used a pin-striped brown denim for the back that I picked up on sale at Jo Ann's. The pillow inserts are from Ikea.

I used the below Instructables's envelope pillow tutorial, and I had two new pillows in under 2 hours. Can't beat that..

How to sew an envelope pillow cover! - More DIY How To Projects