DIY: Necklace Knockoff #2 …

FRIDAY: RANDOM

Okay, so I think I got my necklace making-kick out of my system. This is my second necklace knock off this week and I think it turned out pretty awesome.

Check out the first necklace knockoff here.

At lunch yesterday, I went to the same specialty fabric store where I got the thread for the other necklace and picked up some yellow and gray buttons. (I love the store because there are hundreds – maybe thousands of different styles of buttons that you could choose from.) Each of these cost between $.20 and $.55 each.

All I did was thread them together with some silver wire. I rethread some of the buttons two or three times so they were sturdy and I connected them to a random silver chain that I found in my couch years ago that nobody claimed.

It’s not as neat as the one that I knocked off, but I think it turned out pretty awesome, especially since I’m not used to working with wire. Plus, it only took me about 15 minutes to complete.

HERE IS THE ORIGINAL NECKLACE (I found the pic online.)

HERE IS MY REPLICA (ps. I’m wearing it today.)

I’VE BEEN SMITTEN WITH YELLOW AND GRAY FOR A WHILE NOW. WANT TO SEE MORE YELLOW AND GRAY? CLICK HERE.

DIY: Necklace knock-off …

TUESDAY: DIY ART

(ps. since this picture, I trimmed some of the fringe. It is a bit much here.)

A week and a half ago, while in the Dominican Republic (check out part uno of our trip here and part dos of our trip here), my sister-in-law, Nathalie, let me wear one of her necklaces around town. I fell in love and become obsessed. No, literally – I couldn’t stop thinking about making one of my own. So, last night, after collecting the beads and string on my lunch break, I made it. It only took me three hours to do it all – paint (and dry) the beads, braid the string and thread everything together.

I’m going to make more necklaces and bracelets in the upcoming days, so I’ll show you how I paint the beads in upcoming posts. (Hint: it includes bamboo skewers and empty cracker and granola bar boxes.)

Here are pictures of Nathalie’s necklace.

Here are pictures of my necklace.

Pretty good replica, huh?

Here is what I used:
1. Two pieces of fringed trim (I bought at a speciality fabric store. For a $1 a yard)
2. Three colors of cross-stitch thread (I already owned these from a previous art project – check my bird cage art here.)
3. Wooden beads (I bought a tub full for $5.00 with a 40% coupon at Michael’s. So it came out to be $3.00)
4. Acrylic paint (Already owned.)
5. Random beads (Already owned.)

So the total for this necklace is $5.00! Sweet deal!

Yarn bombing – the new kind of graffiti …

FRIDAY: RANDOM

Yesterday I came across this website (www.yarnbombing.com) and I fell in love. What a fun and colorful way to give joy to people, make them smile and warm their hearts.

People all over the planet are taking part in this craze and I think it’s absolutely wonderful. It’s yarn-anarchy!

(For a post on more traditional graffiti, click here.)

Now, if I only knew how to knit …

Dream vacation: staying in a tree house …

THURSDAY: DREAM VACATIONS

There is one thing that I really want to do – vacation in a treehouse. Imagine waking up in the middle of the night in the center of a forest listening to the leaves rustle in the wind just outside of your bedroom window.

Have you ever seen the documentary “Butterfly” with Julia Butterfly Hill, who lived in a redwood tree for just under two years? I love that she did it, but personally, I’d prefer a tree with a comfy bed, clean linens and running water. My hardcore activist days are over and I enjoy a bit of comfort. (Although, I never did anything as hardcore as living in a tree for two years. I did not eat beef for nine years in protest of beef production in the Amazon rainforest though.)

I found a few treehouse hotels that I’d love to stay in. Check them out …

Costa Rica Tree House Lodge

Hamanasi in Belize

Cedar Creek Treehouse at Mt. Rainer

My latest obsession: retro owls …

FRIDAY: RANDOM

I am crazy about retro owls. As I was hunting for more project ideas yesterday, I cam across these funky owl products that are for sale. Check ’em out.

ps. Give a hoot and don’t pollute! That means you too, BP!

Check out more of my obsessions:
Swedish design
Fruit leather
Graffiti
Yellow and gray
Recycled furniture

bonjour owl – vintage fabric pillow

Scrabble Tile Pendants – RETRO OWL sage

Under My Wing…Set of 3 Glass Magnets

Turquoise Vintage Owl Pendant Necklace 24 inch Gold Chain

Pirate Owl 6 x 6 Print

Cozy Owls, Sunny Yellow – Zillow Pillow

Turquoise Blue Ceramic Owl Bank Vintage Design

owl tote bag

Daydreaming: Glamourous resorts by interior designer Kelly Wearstler …

THURSDAY: DREAM GETAWAYS

TRAVEL LOG: ONE DAY IN THE FUTURE

Glamourous, elegant with a dash of sass – interior design hotshot Kelly Wearstler has designed some of the most posh resorts in Miami, Palm Springs, Snowmass and Santa Monica. Although I have yet to stay in one of them (it’s on my list), I do ohh and ahh over the photos. Don’t you just love them?

See more of my dream vacays:
Sweden

Island vacations

Snowmass – The Viceroy

Santa Monica – The Viceroy

Miami – The Tides

Miami – The Viceroy

Palm Springs – The Viceroy

Art project: colorful recycled magazine shadowbox art …

TUESDAY: HOME DESIGN/ART

A few months ago, I saw a similar art piece on Etsy.com and fell in love with it. Since creating art is a passion of mine, I decided recreated some myself this weekend. Check it out.

I used:
3 white shadow boxes (I bought them from Ikea for $10 each)
old magazines
straight edge paper cutter
glue
9 pieces of heavy card stock paper
scissors

Here is how I did it …
1. I browsed through my old magazines and ripped pages (mostly ads) that had pages with larger color-blocked sections.
2. With my paper cutter, which I just bought at Michaels for $6 (I love their 40% coupons), I cut the pages into even strips.
3. Cut the card stock to fit the dimensions of the shadowbox.
4. Glued the magazine strips onto the card stock.
5. I drew designs onto the card stock and cut them out.
6. I placed front card stock piece and then stacked the other piece behind it and then arranged the colored piece in the back.

Viola!

(Next step: hanging them up!)

See more of my art:
Bird paintings

Photo collage

Dripping with circles painting

Garden signs

Chakra art

Kevin’s wedding present painting

Chic seashell art

Happy thoughts

Dreaming of Swedish art, fashion and design …

THURSDAY: MY (DREAM) GETAWAY

Travel log: Stockholm, Sweden, one day in the near future …

My friend Jackie just returned from a three-month jaunt in Sweden. I was totally envious (in a good way!) – mainly for her firsthand experience of the country’s cutting-edge design-centric culture. (She’s a designer, so I’m glad she was able to relish in it.) I love the modern simplicity, bold graphics and practicality in all creative areas from art, fashion and furniture (there’s ikea, of course – but there is so much more!).

Here some examples of what inspires me most:

Colorful seven chakra art project …

FRIDAY: RANDOM

chak·ra (chŭk’rə)
n. One of the seven centers of spiritual energy in the human body according to yoga philosophy.

In honor of my yoga practice, I painted the ancient seven Sanskrit chakra symbols – each on a separate 5” x 5” canvas. They hang outside of Kai’s room to always remind Alex and me to treat him with respect.

According to ancient Indian tradition (over 2,000 years), each chakra has a unique meaning and purpose. Click on the photo below for a larger and readable view of the graph that explains the chakras and their meanings. (I “borrowed” it from another web site that I can’t find right now. Oops!)

ps. I’ve painted the walls behind the paintings white since taking this pic.

CHECK OUT MORE OF MY ART!
BIRDS

PHOTOS

DRIPPING WITH CIRCLES

GARDEN SIGNS

Cute rain boots and other stylish rain gear …

FRIDAY: RANDOM

Burberry Heart Print Check Rain Boots

Next week, Alex and I are traveling to Seattle. (A week all by ourselves, can you believe it?) So, in honor of the city’s habitual rain, today’s posting celebrates the precipitation in total swanky style. Check out these super cute goods, which I would love to one day call my own.

Ps. Next week, I will be a detour from my daily topics and instead post pics and highlights from our trip. So stay tuned …

Have you been to Seattle? Post some recommendations for me.

MARC by Marc Wild At Heart Raincoat

Rainy day print

Polka dot red rain hat

Red umbrella pinup girl button pendant necklace

Funky vintage stacking flower umbrella cups

Heart umbrella

See more of my must-have inspirations:

Funky nature-inspired home decor
Fruity retro gear
Funky dinnerware
Recycled furniture ideas