it’s not every day that you find a clever way to reuse something from the bathroom, but tali from growing up creative had a simple but beautiful idea that lets you reuse toilet paper rolls. whether you’re looking for a fun afternoon craft to do with little ones or just want to find a way upcycle old toilet paper rolls, this is a perfect afternoon project. i’m tempted to spray paint them in metallic colors to make a holiday-style arrangement…

CLICK HERE for the full instructions from tali below!

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d*s editor amy azzarito sent over a link to these beautiful quilts from painter amy sullivan. when i was younger i seriously hated quilts. they reminded me of damp dark basements and that mothball smell from your grandmother’s home. but as i’ve gotten older i find myself wanting to bring them into my home without worrying aaron that i’m going all “grandma” on him. these beautiful pieces from amy would be a great way to bring a modern quilt home- her color combinations and choice of imagery is so fresh. click here to see more of amy sullivan’s work and click here to email her about purchases. thanks, amy!

i’m off to a sleepy start this morning so i thought i’d kick things off with these cute laser-cut felt numbers placemats and letter coasters from little factory. if you happen to have friends with names that start with “a”, “b”, “c”, or “d”, these would be a great way to mark their seats at a dinner party. you can pick up a set of 4 coasters for $11 and 4 placemats for $22 right here.

i really miss the days when cd packaging was something that was a part of music buying. my first job out of college was at a record label and i remember going to a packaging meeting with an artist and having them basically tell him “don’t waste money on packaging, no one buys cds for art anymore.” i had to stop myself from yelling “not true!” but it seems that cd artwork is quickly being replaced by digital thumbnails and itunes-ready artwork. so i was happy to hear from artist chris delorenzo about a piece he did for the band grimis.

chris designed their album artwork and decided to focus on a contemporary spin on folk art. his hand-cut newsprint (on top of corrugated paper) is just gorgeous. how amazing would that be if you actually got the paper cutting with the cd? i’m assuming a photograph of the piece, but i would pay for the real deal if it came with the music. you can check out more images of the grimis artwork right here on chris’ site. thanks, chris!

also, click here to check out brooke’s guest post on writing paper-related craft projects over at the d*s guest blog!

over the summer i got my hands on a copy of ed roth’s book, stencil 101. i’m a big fan of street art, but i have to say even though i was using washable chalk spray “paint,” i’m not sure i have it in me to be a professional guerilla artist (it was still great fun). but his latest book (out this week!) – stencil 101 decor – seems like something right up my alley and the best of both worlds.  it’s great to see how ed has incorporated his work into his own williamsburg brooklyn duplex loft. there are only a few units in the building – that was an old brick bakery in a former life – but it means there are lots of great elements like exposed beams, which are mixed with great modern touches that sold ed on the place. as ed points out, it has great history and soul. click here for more images of ed’s home, and don’t miss all our fantastic sneak peeks right here! {thanks, ed!} -anne

ps: amy merrick will be back next week with a new “living in” movie design column. she’s finishing up new projects for the d*s book this week. amy azzarito will be back with another history column in 2 weeks!

[above: Medical cabinet on stenciled wall: I found this medical cabinet at Boeing Surplus store in Seattle. The surplus store has since closed but it was so affordable and very inspiring.  This cabinet sits in my kitchen and since I have a small place, I have to make each space functional while keeping it looking decorative. I decided a color and material theme for this cabinet: glass and natural elements. It contains glasses, glass dishes, a Tibetan carved wood bowl, cigar box full of candles, medical glass, all my sepia colored books, a vintage framed print of natural patterns, shells, and one turquoise chinese dog I've had since I was 7.  And of course the wall is stenciled with one of my new repeat patterns from Stencil 101 Decor in a pale robin's egg blue.]

View from Sofa to kitchen: The space is one large room for the kitchen, dining area, and living room. I like to have a mostly neutral colored base to the apartment then add color with accent furniture, textiles, and art work.  You can see my old turquoise work table that is the dining table. I found it in the back yard of  garden shop in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. It is perfect counter height so I bought 6 modern leather counter stools to surround it.  A Cafe Bustelo coffee can makes a great vase too! There are two large cylinder lights hanging in the space purchased from CB2 and you can see a pillow on the sofa, I love Arican kuba cloth.

There’s my live/work table again. I could never paint it to look so nice and warn!  The pencil and brush holders are antique Mexican sugar cone molds bought at a flea market in NYC on 26th street.

Stacked old wood crates make a fine bedside table for me. I love the bottle marks! I keep a few books bedside to read, the bottom red book is a fairy tale book I’ve had since a child, full of great illustrations and dark stories. The antique hat mold(ebay) holds my favorite hat that was my Father’s. The ceramic and wood reading lamp is by Dutch designer Dick Van Hoff  and the bed is from West Elm.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Ed’s sneak peek after the jump!

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today i’m thrilled to have andrea baxter of smart cookies and bratface marketing on d*s giving us the lowdown on sole proprietorship vs. incorporation. if you’re running a small business, considering what type of company you will be had no doubt crossed your mind before- and it’s not always easy to know what option is best for you. today andrea is here to break it all down, including the pros and cons of each type of business. even if you’re just getting started, this is really valuable information to have in your pocket so i hope you’ll check it out. thank you again to andrea for sharing her time and her advice with us!

CLICK HERE for the full article after the jump!

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