wallpaper designer extraordinaire jocelyn warner recently introduced two beautiful new patterns to her collection- “tree tops” and “poppy”. as always, i can’t decide which i like best. the poppy print is so cheerful but still elegant, and i love the metallic version of tree tops. it’s right in line with sarah fox’s fantastic metallic gift wrap diy project on the d*s guest blog today. click here for more on jocelyn warner’s lovely wallpapers and click here for sarah fox’s metallic gift wrap project (image below).

ps: stay tuned for a special sneak peek today at 1pm and don’t forget to vote for the ugliest pillow contest!

i’m in a green mood today so i’m loving this before & after makeover from whitney at darling dexter. she included some great process shots to show how she changed our her fabric so if you’re looking to do something similar all you need is some furniture, batting and a good staple gun! click here for more information on her makeover project and more pictures. thanks, whitney!

[the fabric whitney used is called "moorish tile" by braemore]

summer of summerized used wrapping paper, ribbon and new handles from the dollar store to update her basic white dresser. she mod-podged the wrapping paper to the drawer and then glued black and white polka dot ribbon to the edges of the drawers. such a fun and playful overhaul. and the total cost? $7.50. can’t beat that. click here for more on summer’s project. [thanks, rory!]

have a before & after you’d like to share on d*s? just click here to send me an email with your photos and story.

charles and ray eames are big heroes of ours, and their house of cards is something we look at often—not only for visual inspiration, but as an example of a perfect design object that is smart, playful and modern. this week we gathered some images from the weekly photo assignments we post on our blog, smarts&crafts, to create our own custom house of cards. it’s a great way to keep track of the things that inspire you, and would also make the perfect holiday gift! click here for the full post and instructions or just click “read more” below.

have fun!
derek & lauren

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when i was in LA the other week one of my favorite afternoons was spent cruising up and down abbott kinney boulevard in venice. i finally got to see one of my favorite shops, tortoise, in person and i picked up these painfully cute tenugui tea towels. the owners said many people use them as napkins (but cutting them and letting the edges naturally fray a tiny bit) but i’m going to keep them as normal dish towels. tortoise carries a huge (seasonal) collection of them right here for only $12 each. if you’re looking for something colorful to brighten up your kitchen i highly suggest them.

[ps: sorry for the site outage a minute ago- something's up with our server again. i feel like jerry seinfeld with newman, except that i'm always shouting "mediatemple!" angrily]

another thing i loved in la? tiny sampler tacos from loteria in the farmer’s market in LA. tanya aguiñiga took me around for the best city tour (thank you, tanya!) and took me for the best mexican food i’ve had to date. how can you not love tiny tacos? (made fresh in front of you!)

i have opened up my collection of old knick-knacks to a world of possibilities with a wonderful gizmo: the multi-purpose drill bit for use on ceramic, porcelain, glass, tile, etc. they come in various sizes and allow you to drill holes in bowls, plates, cups, pots, you name it. having noticed a depressing lack of variety for hanging planters out there, i decided to make a custom one by drilling holes in a pretty pot. click here for the full post and instructions- happy crafting! -kate pruitt

click here, here, here and here for kate’s recent diy projects on d*s

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