When I visit other countries, I’m always fascinated by some of the simplest differences in even the most mundane things. A perfect example: rain chains. My husband and I visited Japan last Fall, and I noticed these beautiful copper chains — often with a series of cups — hanging from the gutters of homes and…
Maybe it’s the Gatsby-mania that’s been going around, or maybe it’s just a color scheme that will never go out of style, but lately I’ve been obsessed with the glamour and glitz of the black, gray and gold combo. In clothes it looks dapper, in homes it looks expensive and these three simple colors make…
Last month I had the pleasure of being part of “Team Pom Pom” for my friends’ Clay and Lisa’s wedding. Along with Victoria and Anna, I helped create a massive tissue paper and medallion wall that served as both a photo and ceremony backdrop. It was so fun to be a part of building something…
My go-to DIY seems to perpetually be a tote bag. Once you’ve got the basic technique down, you can churn one out in less than an hour. I’m always looking for an excuse to make one, and I get most excited when I can add a simple twist to make it into something totally new…
Last week, after a few days of terrible weather and cabin fever, our little blog team got a huge treat. To celebrate their new collection with Milly, Banana Republic sent a few teams of bloggers off on day-vacations. I don’t typically take these sorts of trips, but after a particularly tough few months, I decided…
As Father’s Day quickly approaches, I’m reminded of my annual pilgrimage to the department store in search of that perfect gift for dad. But thirty-something years later, I’ve exhausted the “Best Dad Ever” boxers and accompanying mug, and I’m pretty sure he has two of every grill accessory made. This month on Upholstery Basics, we…
Today Elena from Facing North with Gracia is sharing a fun DIY mobile project with us. Inspired by Charles and Ray Eames’ Dot pattern, Elena said the pattern reminded her of small floating figures, so she thought it would be fun to translate the design into a mobile. Using small wooden spheres, wire and modelling…
I’ll be the first to confess that I don’t know the names of most flowers. I don’t seem to have an eye for styling arrangements; and even if I did, my cat would probably treat them to a death-by-swatting in about 2.5 seconds. However, none of these things keep me from snatching up grocery store…
When I was home a few weeks ago for my grandmother’s memorial service, I spotted some adorable placemats on my family’s kitchen table. They were simple bamboo mats that had a few giant tassels on them. Since I’ve never met a tassel or pom pom I didn’t like, I though it would be the perfect…
Although warmer weather and full blooms remind us that the grey days of winter are officially behind us, nothing rings in the season of margaritas (on the rocks with salt, please!) and outdoor fiestas like Cinco de Mayo. This month on Upholstery Basics, we create a geometric maze of colors with a simple striped fabric…
With my busy schedule, the thought of sitting down to create a handwritten note for a friend back home in Tennessee seems to instantly calm my soul and warm my heart. And what’s more, I am a sucker for nearly everything that might be categorized as stationery — beautiful notecards, custom address stamps, a well-designed…
This week’s Every Day DIY was inspired by the massive piles of paper that are currently smothering my laptop. It wasn’t until I had to clear off my section of our communal desk for a special afternoon tea ceremony treat that I realized how much trouble I was in. Under piles of bills (whoops) were…
Sometimes two heads are better than one. After excitedly planning and making this week’s DIY project, I ran into a crafting snafu- now going on a major fail. The “10 minute drying time” has turned into 24 hours so I had to bag it for today and lean on my trusty teammate, Max to help…
Every now and then a craft project falls into my inbox and I’m blown away by how the simplest ideas are often the best. This clever plaster push pin project comes from blogger Mandy Pellegrin of Fabric Paper Glue. She was kind enough to share it here with us today- and she has another DIY…
Today we’re wrapping the week up with a DIY mini-series that will continue for the rest of the month. I love being able to share detailed and involved DIY projects on D*S, but sometimes you just want something quick and easy you can finish during the week, on your lunch break or while you’re catching…
Photography by Maxwell Tielman Hi! Jessica of Miniature Rhino here. It’s been such a pleasure to create some projects for you for this Embroidery 101 series and hope you’ve found some inspiration or your next project. I wanted to end on a stellar note with one of my favorite subjects and stitches, stars and french…
I’ve had plants and gardening on my mind all week, so it only seemed fitting to roll up my sleeves and make a few garden markers of my own. I haven’t worked with sculpey clay since I was probably seven years old, so this project was both a blast and a great flashback for me….
Feeling like “you live in a cubicle” 40+ hours a week and hardly get to see the sun and living growing things on the weekdays? We’re lucky enough that even when we can’t make it outdoors, we’re surrounded by beauty and greenery. We want everyone to be able to have a daily slice of the…
Since mid-February (I’m in Austin, y’all), I’ve been elbow deep in garden soil planting my veggies for spring. With arugula, lettuce, and Swiss chard growing like weeds, my hands have been full trudging back and forth from the garden to my kitchen. This month on Upholstery Basics, we build a garden cart from the ground…
Three years I ago I took the adventure of a lifetime traveling to India and Nepal. We rode trains through the foggiest picturesque landscape, drank real chai tea from unfired clay cups, took a boat ride on the river Ganges, witnessed a holy dip in Allahabad, visited temples where cunning monkeys stole sweet offerings, and…
