if there’s one website i like to check religiously its urban outfitters. now i know some people have called them urban counterfeiters, but recently they have been working with some great designers, such as the briliantly talented julia rothman. i like to keep up what urban outfitters think is cool and its a great reflection on current trends. check it out here.

Recently we’ve been on the hunt for a laptop sleeve. Nothing fancy, just a simple way to protect our MacBook on its journeys around town. The quickest, easiest, and cheapest solution we could come up with was to make a no-sew Maloo-esque “wrap” out of colored felt and Velcro dots. Now our little laptop is snug as a bug in a rug! Click here for the full instructions and more photos or just click “read more” below.

Have Fun!
-Derek & Lauren

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derek and lauren’s diy wednesday post is coming up at 2 today but i had to share this fantastic project sent in by d*s reader heather smith-prisco. inspired by a gorgeous set of vintage canisters she saw on modish, heather decided to make her own diy version. taking design cues from the canisters she saw online, she masked, sprayed (and sprayed some more) and then hand painted a “new” vintage set of baking supply storage. for a photo walk through with instructions, click here. thanks, heather!

[for more diy project posts, click here or click the new "diy" button in the d*s menu to your left]

i’m the type of girl who has a real soft spot for earrings. bracelets and necklaces aren’t so much my thing but man can i collect some earrings (and a few cocktail rings). but inevitably i lose one of the pair and go searching throughout the house to find the little nook where my cats have hidden them. so last month when i saw blueprint’s fantastic story on creative jewelry storage i knew i had to try one of these. but when it came down to it i didn’t have drawers appropriate for the first project and the marble bust was a little too serious for me. so i figured the wine crate portion would be perfect. except that i didn’t have any wine crates handy so i looked around for what i did have handy. as it turned out i had a few extra ikea frames (the kind that are set in like shadowboxes) under our bed so i pulled them out and thought- perfect! the backs of each frame are just thick enough for the tiny screws so i went out to my local craft store and hardware store and picked up gift wrap and hooks that would be fun for the project (i also used printed paper from dwell’s new promo notepad). blueprint painted their boxes a beautiful color to match the wrap but i’m pretty antsy so i decided to leave the frames a glossy white and let the gift wrap do the talking. for (many) more photos click here or “read more” below. for the full instructions (which work well with the frames, too) from blueprint click here. happy diy-ing!

[stay tuned for the (belated, sorry) d*s diy contest announcement next week!]

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after revealing myself as someone who has a dollshouse – next i wanted to convince you that scrapbooking can be cool. if you thought it was all gingham and embellishments,think again. there are some really great designs to found in the world of scrap papers. i collect 12×12 papers, and love looking on scrapbook websites. all the papers shown in this post are from bam pop, who are jj and jen harrison two designers based in the monutains of utah. they have to be one of the coolest scrap paper companies around. their work features cute robots, colourful penguin ninja’s, little birds, and the most gorgeous decorative frames you’ve ever seen on paper. see their cute website for details.

i’ve always loved the idea of having a recycled door as a dining table and thanks to d*s reader and designer julia crawford, i’ve got a manageable diy project now to make that happen (when we live in a house big enough for a long table). julia created this wonderful dining table by using a found door, some glass and lovely gift wrap she placed in each molding square of the door (the inspiration for the table came from julia’s love of paper and repurposing old items) the possibilities for this project are really endless. i’d love to paint a found door white and then use a bright yellow and white gift wrap to fit it. or maybe go the other direction and indulge my nautical fantasies by using old water channel maps. click here to download a pdf julia’s diy project directions. enjoy! [thanks, julia!]

[have a diy project you'd like to share on d*s? just shoot me a line right here with your photos]

judy ross is showcasing a fantastic collection of new pillows at this week’s gift fair. top on my list? these gorgeous metallic thread pillows in warm gold/brass tone. if you’re hitting the show you can visit judy’s pillows (and judy) in person at booth #4165. until then you can find more information on judy ross textiles right here and buy her work online right here.

[stay tuned for four new diy projects today!]