Hmmmm. . . . . the grumpy mate and I are dropping
the boys off at Doggy Daycare for a few days and taking
a little Mystery Trip this week.
Will post when I land on a perch with wifi!
Source
April 24, 2012
Mystery Trip
Hmmmm. . . . . the grumpy mate and I are dropping
the boys off at Doggy Daycare for a few days and taking
a little Mystery Trip this week.
Will post when I land on a perch with wifi!
Source
April 23, 2012
Repurposing is the New Green
Let's kick off Earth Day Week with some charming repurposing.
Darling spoon votive holder.
Recipe for a repurposed desk:
2 wood milk crates
1 small closet door
faux leather fabric
upholstery nail heads
Easy-peasy and so portable, this desk is ideal
for a small apartment or dorm room.
What do you do with a wrecked motorcycle?
Turn it into a recliner!
Isn't this one of the cutest picnic tables you've ever seen?
These photos prove that you can make a lamp out of just about anything:
A metal shoe horn, a telephone pole insulator, and bicycle parts - yup, it's a lamp!
This vintage bug sprayer lamp is the bomb.
Leave it to Martha to turn a vegetable into a stationary accessory.
Who wouldn't love a greenhouse, especially
one made from discarded windows?
Another charming example of repurposing old shutters.
Don't have room for an herb garden? These soda bottles
were hung from the eave of the roof and, while not
aesthetically pleasing to the eye, were kept out of the landfill.
A bread box cleverly hides the
family's recharging station.
Vintage ironing boards are so versatile. I saw one last week
at the local Habitat for Humanity thrift store for only $10!
Old wood crates and chicken wire - voile, a wine cellar.
Hope these ingenious repurposing ideas were inspiring.
Have a great Monday!
April 22, 2012
Happy Earth Day 2012
It's hard to believe that the first observance of Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million Americans
participated in that celebration which is credited with the
start of the environmentalism movement.
The reason that April 22 was chosen to be Earth Day is
because it is the first official day of Spring in the Northern
hemisphere and of Fall in the Southern hemisphere.
Let's take a look at some vintage Earth Day posters that
helped promote ecological awareness.
The very first Earth Day poster, 1970
it's also equivalent to half a gallon of gasoline.
Earth Day, 1985
Earth Day, 1990
Fact: If every newspaper was recycled we could save about 250 million trees each year!
Only 27% of all American newspapers are recycled.
Earth Day, 1992
Earth Day, 1995
of tin foil! Not many people realize that all of that tin foil is recyclable.
Earth Day, 2000
organization, these submissions have been used to promote Earth Day awareness:
created by Louise Carey
created by Wani Pasion
fleaChic is proud to promote repurposing, upcycling and the reusing of everyday items in novel
and unique ways in an effort to intentionally reduce waste. One family has take the reduction
of waste to the extreme in
Zero Waste Home
How a family manages to produce only
two handfuls of trash per year!
On trash day in Mill Valley, California, the Johnson home has no garbage. Nothing.
There is a hefty compost bin and a teeny recycling bin - one that Bea Johnson is
embarrassed exists at all. "So much recycling really goes to waste, so you need to
try to reduce that, too."
Garbage is something that happens rarely in this modern, minimally decorated house.
That's by intention - to live simpler and lighter on the planet. The Johnson's quest
started three years ago when Bea and husband Scott downsized from a 3,000 sq.ft.
home to their current 1,400 sq.ft. house. Bea wants to use and know everything
she keeps in their home, "even down to the vegetable peeler," she says.
Bea documents her family's zero-waste lifestyle in her blog, Zero Waste Home.
Fascinating reading, the blog might not convince you to drastically reduce the trash
you produce each year but you might learn something about living simpler and
reducing waste through passive efforts.
you produce each year but you might learn something about living simpler and
reducing waste through passive efforts.
Plant a tree this week in memory or in honor of a loved one, hang your 'delicates' to
dry instead of running a load in the dryer, and think about starting a compost heap.
Great movements start with common people who have an uncommon goal.
April 20, 2012
Historic and cool
A few months ago I featured a post about silhouettes, an 18th
century art form for those who couldn't afford to have a portrait
painted of their loved ones.
With the invention of photography, the popularity of silhouettes
quickly faded. Resurrected in the '50s, silhouettes made a brief comeback and, in the last year, the craft has resurfaced.
Lately it seems that I bump into silhouettes on just about every decorating website I visit. At the end of this post you'll see my
efforts to make silhouettes but, in the meantime, enjoy these:
Source
The original process to make a silhouette was fairly simple. The subject sat sideways behind a white fabric or paper screen with a candle behind them, illuminating their profile. A person traced their profile onto the screen then manually cut it out.
Talented artists actually free-hand cut the silhouette by just looking at the subject - quite difficult.
A few months ago my daughter and I were trying to think of a unique gift idea for
my Mom's birthday. The discussion led to what types of things she collects and the
light bulb came on. I said, "She collects silhouettes. Let's make silhouettes of
the twins on their first birthday!" Here are the results:
photographing the silhouettes before framing them. But you get the 'picture' -
and it was SO easy. Here's how I created the silhouettes:
1. take a side photograph of the subject
2. download it on the computer and print it out
3. Cut out the shape that you want to be the silhouette
4. Trace it onto black paper
5. Use curved cuticle scissors to cut around the outline, not forgetting to
cut out stray hairs (cowlicks!) and eyelashes.
The frames came from a thrift shop and already had mats. For a few dollars we
gave my mother one of the most special gifts she has ever received.
Try your hand at creating a silhouette. You'll be amazed at how much fun it is.
Have a great weekend and don't forget - Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day!
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