Saturday, December 25, 2010

Interesting Discovery


I see that Zinio is now offering subscriptions to Burda. Can the instructions be downloaded in English? I find this all very intriguing.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Mina Perhonen




I am always blown away when I visit the Mina Perhonen website. I never did finish the Mina Perhonen knock-off purse that I blogged about here.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

My Version of Hardware Chic

Really, I'm not trying to be chic. More like flip. Remember the giant-ass piece of glass?






Taken earlier in the day when there was available light.




And after a trip to Home Depot for supplies to make the Five Minute Desk Lamp from Home from the Hardware Store.

Home from the Hardware Store

I've been out of control when it comes to books lately. Crafter's Choice has been sending me daily deals that are too good to pass up. I'm still trying to figure out how they make any money when they practically give books away. The free shipping offers slay me. So it was with just a tad bit of guilt that I slipped Home from the Hardware Store into my cart. This was part of a two-for-$22 with free shipping offer. The other part of the order consist of Elizabeth Hartman's The Practical Guide to Patchwork. The Practical Guide to Patchwork might finally demystify quilting for me, but that's for another review. On to Home from the Hardware Store.

At first glance I was rather let down by the book's 9" x 7 1/2" size. Also, it's a paperback. I'm not one to snub paperbacks, but I guess I prefer my paperback craft and design books to be larger. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect. I googled co-author of the book, Stephen Antonson, when I was researching my options and became very intrigued by what I saw on his website. Upon receipt, it took little time for me to arrive at the conclusion that this book rocks! I have decided to not give too much away in the photos that I'm posting because that would be a spoiler. Let's just say that I'm already planning on tackling one or two of the lighting projects.









The book has projects ranging from furniture and accent pieces to kid's stuff. None of the projects look impossible to execute, although some may be more involved than others. That's a round about way of saying that there's something for everyone in this book. The ubiquitous pipe shelving is included, but there is so much more. And it's not just about the projects, it's about being inspired to find beauty in, and alternative uses for, hardware. The book is not hurting for great styling and photography either. These projects look good.


I wouldn't mind having a Royal Robot Floor Lamp of my own.

In a separate section of the book instructions can be found for each project. The instructions are sufficiently detailed and well written.




I'm a sucker for a good DIY project, and there's no shortage of DIY inspiration in Home from the Hardware Store.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Cyber Monday at Crate&Barrel

Crate&Barrel is offering 15% off on almost everything for Cyber Monday. I've had my eye on the Jepara Basket for a while now. It was already discounted and in their outlet, but the extra 15% off sealed the deal.
There are other items that I could have easily loaded into my cart to bring the total to $100, thus earning me free shipping as well. Alas, I am not in a position to blow $100 on non essentials at this time. The basket was pushing it, but it is so pretty and practical. Although many of my magazines arrive to me in digital form, I still get a few publications in paper, including catalogs. This basket will stylishly contain the clutter.

So go check out Crate&Barrel's Outlet if you haven't done so already. I always feel as though they have some of the best deals on their mark-downs.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

More Pictures of The House Book

I thought I'd share some more pictures with you and apologize for hitting the publish button on my posts before properly proof reading. When I'm blogging I have a tendency to start thinking about all the other things I should be doing, hence the trigger finger. On to the pictures...










As you can see, there's a lot of information packed into this book. I expect that I'll find something new each time I pick it up. Although the book was published over 35 years ago, much of the information remains relevant. So I guess you can tell that I give The House Book a big thumbs up!

Friday, November 26, 2010

Random Thoughts on Books and Related Subjects

Whew, what a wordy title for me!

What could have possibly sparked this tangent? For one thing, I ordered a couple of books from Crafter's Choice Book Club just a short while ago. They sent me an email offer of BYGO with free shipping. Logging on to the website I spotted the banner telling me that the weekend special was two books for $22, or three for $33, etc., also with free shipping. The Club is rather limited in selection, although I always manage to sustain a wish list from their available titles.

So I spent a bit of time perusing the selection and made a few choices. At first it seemed I was going to get the two for $22, but in the end I ended up getting the BYGO deal, causing me to reconsider the contents of my cart. The two books I settled on set me back $20.75. I keep telling myself that there are worse afflictions than a book addiction. I'm not sure how the Club manages to survive by selling two books for $10 with free shipping, but I'm hooked.

What did I order, you ask?



I can't wait to pour over the contents of both books. I follow Lisa Lam's excellent blog, U-handbag. She is author of The Bag Making Bible. This book is getting rave reviews, and I suspect that I'll be singing with the choir when I get my copy. As for Easy Concrete, who doesn't want to play with concrete? Given my love of sewing bags and my love of dirty projects, I don't expect to be disappointed with either book.

Crafter's Choice has a fair selection of decorating books as well, but  my most recent book acquisitions have been decorating related so I figured a couple of craft books would balance things out.

Which brings us to this picture that I spotted at Roseland Greene (via The Selby).



What, you ask, does this have to do with books? Because this picture could have been plucked from a vintage decorating book, and while I have several retro deco tomes, the one freshest in my collection is The House Book by Terence Conran. The House Book could be the decorating book for the ages. Iconic. I vividly remember the cover of this book from my teenage years. However, it took a mention by John Meyers to jog my memory. And being a devoted follower of Wary Meyers, how could I not invest in my own copy of The House Book? John Meyers insists that the first edition is the one to own. Could I argue? I have pictures of pictures so you will be defenseless too.












It seems I've hit a snag and blogger.com isn't going to let me upload any more pictures. I hope I've piqued your interest. This is another $10 (incl. shipping) book I bought from an Amazon Marketplace Seller, the_book_escape.

John Meyers blogged a few weeks later about another book, High Tech, that I felt compelled to investigate. A fabulous book, but I'll have to save High Tech for another time.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Reflection





In spite of the title, I'm sure you weren't expecting me to bare my soul and think deep thoughts in this post. And if you were, you'll be relieved to find out I'm not.

This is all about glass. Namely, the giant-ass piece of glass I found several weeks ago. At the curb. At about the same time I found the mystery sign plywood letters. I had a run of good junking. Ahhhhh, the thrill!

It sat out on my front porch for a couple of weeks before I brought it in. There is no way in hell I can pick this thing up by myself. Although picking it up by two is very doable. It's actually an insulated window pane. So it is two layers of heavy glass. Amazing.

I would love to convert it to my dining table. My first plan was to take the top off of my current table and sit the glass on the base. I thought that would look pretty cool, as the old wooden base is kind of interesting in itself. However, when I went to remove the top, I quickly realized that there was some glue involved in the manufacturing process. So now I must decide whether or not to chance destroying a table in order to see my plan through. There would probably be a jig saw involved.

Of course there are options. Ikea has a good selection of trestles, but I would be limited to desk use if I go that route, as my Winsor chairs won't work with most. Then, if I had a giant-ass piece of glass desk, I would have to find a new home for the enormous dining table, my current desk.

Why is everything so complicated?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Weekend Projects


Continually inspired by the DIY dynamo Morgan at The Brick House, I made a terrarium.

Finally, after switching out my media credenza weeks ago, I decided it was time to reconnect the a/v components. The new cabinet was missing its shelf and had no output holes when I brought it home. I had the missing elements to bring it up to par, but the project kept getting pushed back. This happens frequently when I know there's going to be a lot of dusty work involved. I finally got motivated to do something about it after an uncomfortable Saturday night movie. I still have some loose ends to take care of, such as mounting the power strip on the back of the cabinet, but it's getting there.

Next, I need to face the mounds of leaves in my back yard...

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