i am a very sad person this week…i used to have access to what i thought was an inexhaustible supply of old stair balusters. i love having them around because they work beautifully for all sorts of projects, and whenever i ran out i knew i could walk into this one salvage shop and sift…
i am always on the lookout for good gift ideas, and i think i can add these adorable love logs to the list. they look super easy to create and have great versatility: with a simple hole in the back it is easy to hang on a wall, or you can prop one on a…
Summer time really gets my travel bug a-jumpin! I am guilty myself, but so many of us long to travel abroad yet don’t take advantage of our very own American continent! This July, my husband Adam and I are hitting the road for a sweet heart’s road trip to explore some of the USA’s beautiful…
We love the look of staghorn ferns. Unlike most ferns that grow from the ground, staghorn ferns make root in the nooks and crannies of other plants, on bark and branches. When taken out of their natural environment, their antler-like fronds look amazing mounted in a grouping on a wall, but sometimes maintenance of these…
i was really inspired by the faceted designs grace noticed at ICFF, so for this week’s diy project i decided to spiff up my cheapo alarm clock with a faceted wood cover. i have become very attached to the sound my basic alarm clock makes, but the plastic body of the clock is not the…
i don’t know why, but i have clocks on the brain. i like the idea of having a clock in every room, not because i always want to be aware of the time, but because i find the rhythm of clock movements is quite soothing. if you have the depressing image of me sitting in…
we have a big tree in our back yard that has become somewhat problematic. it grows at a very perilous 45 degree angle; i think it’s because its roots were dislodged by the placement of the neighboring fence and paved ground. anyway, our landlord has ordered a landscaper to come in and occasionally hack off…
i’m always excited when a new ebook from curbly is launched. their last title, make it! mid century modern, was a big hit and i was excited to hear that they were moving on to tackle my favorite subject: reusing found and secondhand objects to create great new home designs. i couldn’t wait to get…
i’m a sucker for beautiful flowers, so i couldn’t resist the chance to share a fun floral how-to this morning. janie medley at the bride’s cafe and jmflora specializes in beautiful wedding flowers, and offered to share a fun how-to that’s perfect for spring (and doesn’t require a wedding). janie knows the way to my…
when we decided to move our bedroom to a different room in the house, we no longer had the space for our old bedside tables. i decided to use an old chair because it was narrow enough and it looked pretty good. unfortunately, i lost two important things in the switch: a place for private…
ikea really does have some amazing finds! while i do love some of their more unique, signature products, my favorites are the very plain, simple accessories; they allow you to customize them in so many ways to fit your own style. they beg for hacking! i’ve had my eye on the skala tray ($14.99) for…
i’ve been on a mission to bring more green things into my home – growing more plants and visiting my local flower shop more often! even though it’s been a trend for a while, i still can’t get enough of science-y stuff (beakers, test tubes, etc.) in the home. so for this simple project, i…
this is the second installment of jewelry storage projects, and this version is for people who love to show off their sparklies. i was very inspired by the lovely bust statue in this article from an old copy of the sadly discontinued blueprint magazine, but i wanted to create something a little more compact and…
grace mentioned to me that jewelry storage is a hot topic for a lot of readers, so i set to work brainstorming some possibilities! i realized that there are basically two camps: people who like their jewelry on display (neatly of course), and people who like to hide it away (also neatly). so i am…
here’s a last minute idea for your gifts- wrapping them or making them! these log slices take mere minutes to complete if you have a saw and drill handy. you could also ask your local lumberyard to cut them for you if you don’t have a saw, because it’s just a few quick slices. you…
these embroidered logs are inspired by the charming lino prints of hugo guinness. i wanted my father’s christmas gift a “portrait-through-objects” (he loves gardening and he always loses his glasses). do not be dissuaded by the power drill; these are super easy to make. they are fast and enjoyable, a good movie time or rainy…
today i’m thrilled to welcome nicole of well worn to the d*s guest blog! this will be our final guest blog stint until the new year so i’m happy to end with nicole’s theme: organization. after the initial break of the holiday, it’s always nice to use that extra time off to clean up and…
i purchased these miniature birdhouses from the craft store about six months ago, because they were so adorable and i knew i would eventually come up with a use for them. voila! a miniature wooden village for my mantel during the holiday season. i already had some lights lying around, so i went and purchased…
i just want to say that i envy all of you out there with a working fireplace. i have very fond memories of sitting around a crackling fire in maine, and watching my dad place freshly chopped firewood in a huge pile outside. that being said (anyone else watch curb your enthusiasm?), i am glad…
This week we’ll continue with the theme of hanging containers and share a simple flower girl’s basket we created for an upcoming event. Birch bark tubes are a popular way to add a little rustic beauty to a DIY wedding reception, so we thought it would be fun to show you how to incorporate them…
