Seeing as I work in a flower shop (and not just any flower shop, the end all be all of cool girl flower shops, saipua) you’d think I’d be good about keeping flowers in the house. Well, I’m not. When I do bring some home, my cats eat them or I get distracted and don’t change the water like I should. Shameful, yes? That’s when hydrangea drying comes in. Normally I’m a bit suspicious of dried flowers- too dusty, fussy and grandmotherly. But in sweet small vases, these hydrangeas look as good as new for months and will happily keep the little nooks of my apartment stocked in flowers through out the winter months. Perfect for budget minded, semi lazy, feminine flower freaks like myself. -Amy
CLICK HERE for the full post and instructions after the jump!
yesterday afternoon i hopped in a zipcar (and promptly got a parking ticket, grr!) and headed up to williamsburg to visit the lovely ms. amy merrick’s house. in addition to being the d*s editor in charge of “made with love” and “living in” (did you see yesterday’s godfather post? so cool), amy has one of the coolest homes i have ever seen. thankfully she’s going to let us have a peek for the d*s book, but until then she’s sharing some of her styling expertise with us today.
i’ve been dying to figure out the art of plate walls for some time, as they always seem to look so casually cool and sophisticated in everyone else’s homes, but not mine. i have a tiny one in my kitchen (which you’ll see in lonny mag tomorrow!), using a super simple symmetrical layout, but today amy is going to show us how to create a plate wall that’s more free-flowing. this project is a fantastic way to make the most of collections that have been relegated to dark cabinets somewhere- and is a great chance to save some money by purchasing cracked or chipped antique plates that aren’t food-safe. i hope you’ll enjoy amy’s project as much i did while filming it. looking to pick up some china like amy’s? try searching for “blue & white china” and “flow blue” on ebay.
today’s second diy project comes from crafter and author kata golda. kata’s newest book, kata golda’s hand-stitched felt: 25 whimsical sewing projects (stc craft/a melanie falick book, 2009) is bursting with great ideas that are perfect for the cooler weather. when temperatures drop i feel myself drawn towards projects that involve knitting, wool or felt. and these projects from kata are a fun chance to try a little hand-stitching with felt. i’ve chosen my favorite project from kata’s book to share here today- a great hand-stitched eye glasses case. my glasses are about 6 prescriptions behind and horribly scratched up, but perhaps if i gave my new pair a home like this they wouldn’t have the same fate as the pair currently on my face. i hope you’ll enjoy kata’s project as much as i did. thanks to kata and leslie for sharing this with us- click here to check out and order kata’s book online. (click here to check out an adorable promo video for her book)
i’ve always loved seeing pictures of students using leather book straps; they are so charming and orderly. but to be honest, it is not the best way to carry heavy books around town is it? but to carry something that doesn’t move, like a table…perfect! i went to a local recycling center to pick up some extra books, built a couple small cubbies out of wood, and went to work! the rest is just gravity and organization (and a tiny bit of glue). have fun! -kate
lately i’ve been looking fun, inexpensive ways to give friends thoughtful “just because” gifts. this year more than ever i feel really grateful to have a small group of good friends (something i didn’t have a lot of growing up) and i love doing little things to remind them i appreciate their friendship. but because my budget is limited i’m always looking for ways to reuse old bits of fabric and my somewhat embarrassingly large collection of stamps i’ve collected over the years. so when i saw madeley’s sweet stamped lavender sachet project i thought- this is a perfect diy project for the weekend! i think sachets get a bad rap for being too fussy, but i can’t tell you how much i enjoy opening a drawer each morning that smells fresh and clean. so if you’re looking for a way to freshen up your drawers (or your friends) this is a super simple, but sweet, project. thanks to madeley for sharing!
CLICK HERE for the full project steps after the jump!
it’s been such a treat to introduce some great new design books on d*s today and i’m thrilled to close out the day with two of my favorite designers of all time: linda and john meyers- perhaps better known as team wary meyers.
i have been a fan of their work for as long as i’ve been following the design world and am always so excited to see how they turn their love of salvaged materials and objects into beautiful new designs. today i’m thrilled to talk about their new book wary meyers’ tossed & found: unconventional design from cast-offs (abrams 2009). i received my copy in the mail a few weeks ago and have been pouring through the pages ever since. not only is it a wonderful collection of whimsical projects, but it’s a wonderful example of the sort of creativity that hard to find these days. when linda and john see a chunk of blue foam, they don’t see trash, they see a turquoise lamp. plastic planters and pastry bags? turned into chandelier, of course! if i could have one wish, it would be to see the world through the wary meyers’ eyes for one day. the possibilities would be endless…
today i’m thrilled to share not only an interview with john and linda (after the jump below) but a fun new diy project inspired by their “golden drip” project in the book. these two are endlessly creative and it was such a treat to be able to chat with them about this project and all of the exciting things they have lined up in the future. if you’re a fan of diy, upcycling or just plain old creativity, you won’t want to miss their interview and diy project for “drip bookends”. thank you so much to john and linda for taking the time to chat and to create this project for us today. you can order their new book online right here.
CLICK HERE for the wary meyers interview + drip bookends diy project after the jump!
My underwear drawer has become overrun vintage hankies. I have tons. And of course, I can’t bear to use them in the manner in which they were intended. Blow my nose on that precious bit of 70 year old textile heaven? No can do. So I’ve been slowly turning my stash into little boudoir pillows, something much more dignified than ye old snot rag.
CLICK HERE for the full project instructions after the jump!
