inspriation + 3 minute project

Today I got out a few of my favorite magazines and was flipping through them for inspiration. I've said it before, but I love come home magazine, out of all my Japanese books, this magazine has everything. I adore the styling in these photos. I think this style is exactly the mood I long to have in my life, casual, and not trying too hard. I have a huge fear of looking like I tried to style my home and my clothes too much. I just want it to be. Does that make/not make sense?

While I was flipping though them I realized that all the little touches in these homes I love are so simple and small. So I had a bit of inspiration and decided I need to try and do a mini project everyday. Because all those little things just don't happen at once.

Remember my mason jar lights? I was looking at them today and realized I really don't like how shiny the lids look. So I grabbed a few colors of my washi tape, and wrapped them, not even very neatly, to make them matte. 3 minutes later and my first mini project is done!

seize the tuesday.

So if you read my post yesterday, I had a serious case of the Mondays. Today I decided to make the most of Tuesday. I woke up early, helped Tyler cut his hair, did some exercise, showered and got dressed, went to test some hearing products (random thing I do sometimes for $), got back and started up with my leftover cross stitch from yesterday to make it a complete project.

I had something in mind, I had seen somewhere a picture of a pincushion around a sewing machine, and I thought it was the best idea because I always end up putting pins weird places.

So I just put together a couple 3 inch squares of linen, sewing them with elastic on the sides, turning it right side out and stuffing it with scraps of wool yarn I had around. I should have put a button and a loop around the back, for now it's just tied together in some weird way.

It isn't perfect, the elastic isn't on symmetrical, my sewing wasn't straight, the corners seem oddly pointy, and maybe I should have made it a little smaller. But really the point was to finish a project and just do something new. I like it!

What are you doing to seize the (tues)day?

ps, if anyone is wondering, I have a Viking Emerald 118, which is a super great basic-yet-long-lasting machine. No frills, but it does everything I want and it doesn't even look ugly.

stump the hoarding chump contest

read to the bottom to see the contest rules. 

Yesterday I had to get out my button stash to find some buttons for a project. I also decided to make myself something real quick to give me a little break.

I decided to make a case for my iphone, I got a free case but I don't like using my phone with a case on it, but I do feel some anxiety about scratching it or dropping it. I wanted a sleeve so when I put it in my bag I don't have to worry about getting it scratched.

I used some felt from my stash, I have some really great 100% wool felt I picked up at a thrift store years ago. I just cut a 5 inch strip, folded it and then cut the height I needed, sewed one line, put my phone in and marked where I needed to sew the other seam, sewed it and then trimmed it.

I added a strip and sewed on a button to make a closure, but I probably didn't need that, I sewed it pretty snug. I just needed to use a button!

I love making things from my stash, hoarding supplies for a few years means I have just about anything I need on hand.

**I have a double dog dare for you (and I'm actually curious), to name a craft supply, or sewing notion or anything like that from any kind of crafting technique (you don't have to have it, so think broad!). I am daring someone to name something I don't have. Maybe it will help me fill the holes.

I will come up with a little something (maybe from my stash!) for the winner(s). Let's just see how it plays out.

Let's be reasonable, I'm not going to have an anvil.

ps, let's say I'll name the winners on Jan. 31. Think hard! 

weekend DIY

We have had many weekend projects lately, but this one was really fun and easy. I had seen some mason jar lights when we were in Portland, and I was inspired to make my own for my studio. I was going to use wide mouth quart jars so they would fit larger lights, but I couldn't find them, they were sold out. I decided to go to my favorite thrift store, where I had seen lots and lots of vintage jars. We went, and I found these really unique vintage blue glass jars. I have never seen any jars with a shape like this, and trust me, I've seen a lot of jars. We also found some really amazing clear vintage jars, but the shape of the blue ones really struck me. And for 2.50 apiece it was practically a crime how inexpensive they were.

We then had to find bulbs that would be skinny enough to fit. I found some bulbs meant for display cases, and they were the perfect shape. We used the light bases from ikea that were up before, which have an attachment to rest shades. Tyler cut a hole in a lid with a screwdriver and a hammer, and we slipped those over and then just screwed the jars in. It was really so simple.

I love the light, it really works great, and isn't really blue, as I thought it might be. The vintage glass with its bubbles and imperfections create beautiful light streaks on my new white walls.

*update: I was searching online, and these jars seem to be made before 1910. wow. I might have to go back and pick up that one other jar that I didn't get.

connect the dots

Please hop on over to this is not my work (where I am a guest blogger), I have a new post with a tutorial for these coasters. They were really fun to make. Oh, and you see that glass? That's my newest one to add to our collection of printed glasses. We got 3 of them over the weekend in a vintage shop on a road trip. They are my favorite so far! It's hard to see but some of the fish are silver.

And to anyone new who's coming from Abby's blog, hello! thanks for coming by.

Update: post maybe is not going up today? I'm not exactly sure. hopefully by tomorrow.

guest blogging...

Hi! I'm super excited to let you know that I will be guest blogging over at Abby's blog This is Not My Work. I met Abby at second storie this past fall, and we became fast friends. She's an amazing photographer and blogger, and I'm so happy that she asked me to be a part of it. I'll be blogging there every Wednesday, sharing tutorials or crafty inspirations. I would love it if you could join me over there and check it out!

And for those over here for the first time from Abby's blog, welcome! Thanks for stopping by, I would love for you to get to know me and say hi. :)