Trevor came to visit me in Brooklyn this weekend for some Super Ball fun (Downton Abbey). We also made time to make these rubber dipped chopsticks. We’ve had the materials for a while and haven’t gotten around to it. It was fun. I sort of wanted to dip everything in the house. Also, I got to sing Da’ Dip, by Freak Nasty for an entire day.
Mary
A few weekend ago I met up with one of my friends for dinner. Nearly the first thing she said to me was, “Can we go camping this summer?” The truth is there is nothing I would like more. I’ve been dreaming of nothing but summer and camping and friends and fires. Here’s some handmade camping themed goodies to get you dreaming as well.
by Jodi Lynn’s Emporium of Doodles
Mary
I admit to becoming a terrible nerd for medieval fantasy lately. I have no shame.
by Partywareinc
Mary
Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. We don’t usually do anything special, but I always like an excuse to buy neat cards. Here’s a roundup of some handmade Valentines.
by Fluid Ink Fine Letterpress of Australia
from BelsArt
from Concrete Lace
Mary
So, according to my wedding timeline I have only two months before I am supposed to have selected and purchased a dress. I have been so picky about what I want. It’s easy to find pictures of dresses you like, but much harder to find actual dresses to buy. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorites I’ve found on Etsy, but none feel like “the dress” to me.
from Mill Street Vintage
by Leanimal
from VeraVague
from zwzzy
If anyone has shop recommendations of places to look for wedding dresses, I’d love to hear them.
Mary
It’s been years now since I’ve had a real Christmas tree, but hopefully this will be my last tree-less year.
For those like me who are either in small apartments or are without a vehicle to transport a large tree in, here’s a great list of DIY Christmas trees you can make to ensure your home is still festive for the holidays.
Mary and I made the first one when we had an apartment together in Chicago, and it turned out great.
Tree of Charms from Apartment Therapy
Chalkboard Tree from A Leg Up
Wall Branch Tree from We Heart It
Ladder and Coat Rack Tree from Leah Daehling
Book Tree from Very Merry Vintage Style
Trevor
A few weeks ago, I started a list of goals for this fall. Eventually, the list got so long that I decided it was unmanageable and unrealistic. I decided to par it down to two goals:
1. Learn to play one song on guitar
I’m going with Moondance by Van Morrison, because it is only a few chords and it seems seasonable.
2. Learn to knit socks
I have wanted to know how to make socks ever since I began knitting and can’t seem to figure it out on my own. This year I’m biting the bullet and signing up for a class. I will have cozy feet this winter, no matter what.
Everything else on the list is still in the running, but instead of using the intimidating word “goal,” I am going to call them “projects.” I guess my reasoning is that projects left unfinished aren’t necessarily a sign of failure.
Here’s a roundup of some of my fall projects:
I think it would be a blast to get a group of friends together and pickle vegetables or make jam. Martha Stewart has a ton of recipes for both on her site.
Since I’m obsessed with Puritans, I want to make a few detachable collars to spruce up basic dresses. I love this DIY Detachable Collar Pattern from A Common Thread.
I love a good mug. There’s nothing cozier than curling up on the couch with a book, wooly (handmade!) socks, and a mug of coffee. I live in a tiny apartment and don’t have room for a lot of dishes. So, I can only get new mugs when I break an old one. Fortunately, I recently broke a mug so now I can design my own with this Sharpie Mug Tutorial from Wild Olive.
Lastly, Trevor and I are planning a brewery biking tour in Michigan this October. The plan is to bike from Bell’s in Kalamazoo to Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti over a weekend. I am so excited to finally be taking a longer bike trip. Plus, I love anything involving a microbrewery.
(photo from Bon Appetit)
Mary
Maker Faire at Henry Ford is this weekend, July 28-29 from 9:30am-6pm. Come down and visit!
This holiday weekend I picked up a few plants for our back porch. I didn’t want to leave the plastic garden markers in the pots because they are quite an eyesore. However, I wanted to be able to identify which plant was which for watering purposes. I decided to make hand stamped garden markers out of popsicle sticks and the stamp we used to make our business cards.
I’m quite pleased with the results.
Mary
Last Monday, my new Nephew, Henry, was born. He is just about the cutest infant I have ever seen.
Every winter I usually tackle one or two knitting projects. I’ve never become particularly skilled, but I try a new challenge every year. Perhaps that would explain why older women are always so good at knitting. This year I made Henry a Hudson Bay inspired crib blanket. I found the project over on The Purl Bee.
Pendleton blankets, including the Hudson Bay, have been everywhere in home decorating for the last year and I saw no reason Henry should be left out of this trend.
Here’s the finished blanket.
Mary
