Let's Let It Happen

I love this on so many levels!

Image via Le Love.

July To-Do's...

For some reason, I've been feeling quite tired and lazy this past month. So I'm pleased I even finished some of the items on my June to-do list. I was able to cross off 6 of 9.

I'm shocked however, that I STILL haven't sent my save the dates. I just can't believe it. They are actually finished, but I ran into a problem with the paint sticking to the other save the dates in the stack and damaging them. I think I used the wrong type of paint on one part and that caused the problem.

I'll be out of commission mostly in August though, so I am going to have to be ambitious again in July. Below is my list...

See my previous post for an update on what did and didn't get done in June.

1. Send our save the dates!
2. Finish the wedding project timeline
3. Create a new piece of artwork for the living room
4. Work on my frame wall over the couch
5. Properly launch my Etsy store
6. Strip and refinish the dining room table
7. Stain the coffee table
8. Paint the kitchen
9. Paint the bathroom
   
10. Organize art area again!

I'll be back at the end of the month again with my results! And of course, I'll be updating as I go...

Learn more about the monthly arts/crafts/design To Do list on From the Right Bank to the Left Coast, my original inspiration.

Road Trip!

mirando, originally uploaded by arte.callejero.

This inspires me in many ways. I'm thinking about some artwork for my apartment, the DIY invitations we're working on for the wedding, and that awesome VW bug. It's so time for a road trip!

Yellow Owl stamps

I just ran across these wonderful stamp sets from Yellow Owl Workshop. I might even consider them for some of the wedding materials I'm creating.

I'm particularly taken with the cityscape, but they're all pretty cool.

And for only $30 for an entire set of handmade stamps, that's a great price too!

A treat for the weekend

Image via Abby Sharp.

Typography

I've just discovered A Path to Type, a wonderful blog on typography from an Australian graphic designer.

Many are his journal sketches, but none-the-less, I could spend a long time admiring the shapes and fonts of the letters he presents. It's beautiful work.

Oooh...Here's a fun newspaper craft project

This image is actually from a wedding table display.

Post via OnceWed.

Antique cloisonne vase

Love this colorful antique cloisonne vase featured above and below. I can't replicate the cloisonne, but it'd be fun to try and replicate the colors!


Featured on Absolutely Beautiful Things.

Doggies and babies

I'm definitely adding this to my to-make craft list. Adorable!

Link via Australia's Kid Style File.

The Rain Tree

It's a gloomy rainy day here today in New York. I just happened to run across this image on Gangsta Bride, and it mirrors today's mood perfectly! And is quite clever at that. Plus there's a great song, The Rain, by K-Os.

Image from Ffffound.

Beer bottle glasses

I wish etsy did wedding registries. I actually contacted them to suggest it. If they did, I'd add these cool glasses to it. Plus, what a great way to recycle!

Available from YAVAglass on Etsy.

Kite-themed kid's birthday party

What an adorable idea for a kid's birthday party! I've seen a bunch of kid's birthday parties in Prospect Park here in Brooklyn -- sometimes kite's are involved. But I've never seen it done up like this! So cute!

Link via Tastefully Entertaining.

June's To-Do List

So, despite saying I wanted to be a bit less ambitious with my goals last month, I piled on 15, count 'em, 15 of them! The good news however is that I completed all but two! Yeah!

See my previous post for an update on what did and didn't get done.

As for June, I'm definitely going to take it a bit easier this month. However, I do have to carry over what didn't get completed last month as the first two items here...

I'm getting married in the Fall so some of these are definitely wedding related!

1. Hem and paint the second set of curtains Finally!
2. Clear that final box from the move in the kitchen Yeahh! The last box!!!
3. Create a new piece of artwork for the living room (see above)
4. Complete my frame wall over the couch
5. Buy more fresh flowers Certainly the easiest item on the list. White hydrangea!
6. Practice my calligraphy A little...
7. Design and send our save the dates!
8. Get a new digital camera so I can work on my Etsy store! Broke down and got one -- a steal, refurbished on Overstock.com. 70% off!
9. Complete all of the swaps that I signed up for on swap-bot.com Done!

I'll be back at the end of the month again with my results! And of course, I'll be updating as I go...

Learn more about the monthly arts/crafts/design To Do list on From the Right Bank to the Left Coast, my original inspiration.

Baby Mobile

I'm loving the mobile in this baby's room. I created one for a friend recently with origami birds hanging from a branch, but here the birds actually sit on the branches. Very original.

Link via ohdeedoh.

Card Catalogs

Desire to Inspire has a very cool collection of card catalogs. Like this one...old school self-service!

Book of Letters

What creative use of lettering. I love how the detail really pulls you in. Its also quite unique that it's a page spread.

Image via ffffound.

The Sound of Music Spontaneously!

I'd love for them to do this at Grand Central!

Link via Fashion is Spinach.

This really makes me want to go on vacation

I can imagine myself there already.

Link via Pret a Voyager.

How's this for a cool room?

The rich purple and orange are so perfect against the neutral background. The rough effect on the wall on the right is pretty cool too.

Image by photographer Nicolas Matheus.

Modern art, sharp contrast

Love this simple collection of art and the sharp contrast with the softer background. Another easy DIY art project!

Image via Apartment Therapy.

A green dew drop kind of bathroom

And a bathroom that I adore. The white lends such a simple, clean contrast. Given that we're in New York, our bathroom is like 1/8 of this size. I'd love the luxury of so much space!

Link via One Happy Panda.

Row House Settee

Here's a quirky little settee with an image of row houses screened into the background. Fun and whimsical. It'd definitely be a conversation piece.

Furniture by Teo Jasmin. Link via Visualingual.

A new take on embroidery

Here's a sweet new way to embroider. This silk ribbon is such a fresh take.

A bit more practical than the very cool extreme embroidery I posted about previously.

J. Crew's version of the silk embroidery is a bit edgier, but I like them both. Instructions here.

Post via Jordan Ferney.

Artwork for the living room

I'm going to replicate this painting for our living room! I LOVE it!

Link via Jordan Ferney.

Peonies in Bloom

Got my first peonies of the season this weekend. They made my day. And I got to put them in my favorite vase. Here they are in the entry way of our apartment.

Sorry for the grainy pic. My digital camera finally completely died so this is from my cell phone...

Sometimes it's the little things in life!

Even Rust Can Be Pretty

May's To-Do List

I was perhaps a bit overly ambitious with my goals for April, so I'm going to try and be more realistic in May. That way, hopefully, come the end of the month, I can cross off everything as completed! This is a long list below, but the projects are smaller (I hope!)

So here goes...

1. Hem and paint the second set of curtains
2. Organize my art space (What a HUGE load off! Finally! See pic above. More later...)
3. Clear that final box in the kitchen
4. Make a hand bound journal
5. Complete all the swaps I've signed up for on Swap-bot.com
6. Learn how to get Alex's Boston Creme Pie to set properly Yay! Thanks Clarissa!!!
7. Buy new bedspread (bought lamps instead! Bedspread is now on our registry!)
8. Update headboard with new fabric
9. Create a new piece of artwork for the living room and/or frame the art I've purchased
10. Buy more ramps at the Farmer's Market (Ramps were gone! Bought chives instead, with the flowers still on!)
11. Buy more fresh flowers
12. Finish the mobile
13. Mail the baby presents
14. Pot Ann's plant
15. Learn how to use a sewing machine! Though I definitely need more lessons, Lesson #1 complete. This will have to be an ongoing project!

It seems like a lot but a couple of them I already have a friend to help me with. ie: #15 and #6.
Plus #s 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8 will most likely happen on schedule as we'll be having a house guest! I love having great motivation! Finally, buying stuff is never hard! ;) #s 7, 8, 11.

I'll be back at the end of the month again with my results! And of course, I'll be updating as I go...

Learn more about the monthly arts/crafts/design To Do list on From the Right Bank to the Left Coast, my original inspiration.

How Did I Do on April's To Do's?

At the beginning of April, I put together a to-do list for the month, inspired by the blog From the Right Bank to the Left Coast.

Now that April is over, it's time to review what I've done.

Below is the original list. With notes by each item... All in all, I completed half of the list. However, two of those completed items were pretty major -- ie: painting the apartment!

The picture above is grainy since it's from my cell, but I had to include it because it shows both the flowers in my new vase and the new wall color in the living room. The wall is lighter in person I think though.

I'll have to start thinking about May's goals too. Despite not finishing them all, I'm happy with all the stuff I did do, a lot of it isn't even included here. It's quite a useful exercise to make the list...

1. Paint the living room
Yay!

2. Paint the bedroom*
Yay!

3. Finish unpacking those random boxes in the kitchen
One down one to go...

4. Organize my art/craft space
Kind've, but not done yet...

5. Complete one original work of art for the living room* did complete one. It's up now, not sure if I'll keep it up though.

6. Order/put up the flock of birds above the TV
Nope!

7. Get flowers for the new vase I just ordered
Yay!

8. Hem curtains in the bay window Done. But I'm adding more curtains, so now I have more to do. I also painted the existing curtains with some flowers.

9. Hang curtains in kitchen Nope! Changed my mind about the curtains I bought...

10. Finish making mobile
Working on it!

Buttercup Cupcakes

So the day keeps getting better because not only did I just see Gabriel Byrne at La Colombe, a posh little coffee shop across the street, but my boss also surprised us with these awesome cupcakes at work today! If you follow this blog, you *know* I love cupcakes!

I hadn't tried this bakery's cupcakes before either. They were from Buttercup Bake Shop on the Upper West Side. I had the pink one shown above. Aren't they pretty?

Great vanilla cake with strawberry icing. Mmmm...

Happy May Day!

Today has just been an awesome day!

I popped out of bed without struggling, bright and cheery, hung out with the dogs in the yard, listened to some Anthony Hamilton (samples here). Started reading a fabulous new book on my commute (Bel Canto) and *then* had a few different surprises when I got to work.

A friend and colleague made up the sweetest little May Day baskets! See above. How adorable. I'll have to plant the flowers in our new backyard!

PLUS, she also brought a ton of great paperbacks to donate to our book sale that we do at work for charity. Literacy New York. So I got first dibs on tons of great fiction that I've been wanting to read including a couple of Bill Bryson books and The Glass Castle which I've been reading about.

Annddd...my boss brought cupcakes (more on that later).

So far so good today.

I'm off to the Union Square Farmer's Market at lunch. Gotsta get some ramps while they're still in season, and I also want to go buy our new book club book (plus this one) at The Strand since it's Indie Day!

If you're so inspired, buy your next book from and independent bookstore too!