Category: Guest Bloggers
My Memory of “Snort”
| January 30, 2012 | Posted by Guest of the Day under Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Mind, Nurture |
This morning I listened to the quiet.
I kept listening and all I heard was the sound of nature coming to life. I heard the sound of birds, all in a nest, chirping together. Those chirpy little birds, breaking the quiet of the morning, served to remind me of a book I used to, as a child, read to my younger brothers – - ”Are You My Mother?” It was one of the books in the Dr. Suess “Beginning to Read,” series. Remember the book? Still popular today, it has a turquoise green cover with a bird standing on top of a lounging dog.
image courtesy of ShannonsBookNook.com
Namaste.
Inspired by Charles and Ray Eames
| January 24, 2012 | Posted by Lauren Moss under art, Guest Bloggers, Inspiration, Places, so-cal local |
To add to Linsi’s great post on her visit to LACMA to see the California Mid-Century Decorative Arts exhibit, I thought I’d share a recent experience I had at another great destination right across the street, the Architecture and Design museum, or A+D. One of the many galleries participating in the Pacific Standard Time collaboration, a program by the Getty celebrating arts in Southern California, the A+D museum is currently exhibiting a curated selection of quotations of Charles and Ray Eames, in conjunction with the everyday objects and humble tools that shaped their view of the world, and consequently, their iconic designs. For a quick refresher on the background and history of the Eameses, check out the post I wrote a few months ago here at Inspired Design Daily.
The exhibit itself, called EAMES WORDS: Eames Designs- the Guest/Host Relationship, is centered around the quotes that highlight the couple’s approach to design, as well as their view of the world, shaped by their travels and personal collections.
‘From tumbleweeds to strawberries, a bolt of cloth to a keg of nails, to elephants in India and the bread of Scandinavia, the whole world was their canvas.’ -aplusd.org
‘The role of the designer is that of a very good, thoughtful host, all of whose energy goes into trying to anticipate the needs of his guests.’ -Charles Eames
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse into the lives of Charles and Ray Eames, and for more information on the Pacific Standard Time collaborative, check out some favorite shows we’re looking forward to seeing, or the official website for a complete schedule and exhibit details.
Thanks for reading!
Lauren
Green&Chic: Creative Calendars For 2012 (And Beyond)
| January 11, 2012 | Posted by Elissa C. under accessories, Business, Create, do-it-yourself, etsy, gifts, Guest Bloggers, Have Fun, Home, Inspiration, interiors, organization, Projects, Seasonal, Sustainable Living, travel |
- “Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress. ” – Charles Kettering
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I must confess. I have a thing for calendars. Even at a young age when the culmination of my social life boiled down to birthday parties and school holidays, I always enjoyed the visual representation of life that a calendar provided. The first one I remember owning was a little free one that my grandmother had gotten from a bank. In junior high, I graduated to kittens and unicorns, and in high school I coveted the purple erasable white board calendar that I kept in my locker.
When I started college I bought a datebook with vintage Cadillac advertisements inside and faithfully recorded every class, exam and my work schedule. I recently found it while cleaning out a closet and I found it very interesting to look back at my “hectic” life of tests, studying and part-time work. How simple things were back then!
Since it is the beginning of a brand new year, I thought it would be fun to share some DIY ideas for calendars that span the class of crafting, from the hardcore (sewing!) to the easy-to-assemble kit. I am always looking for a way to reuse or re-purpose something, so I focused on perpetual calendars that can be customized year after year. These projects and kits are perfect for home, work, or anywhere that needs a touch of fun and excitement.
Happy Crafting!
-E
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Vintage Postcard Calendar Journal
- This is probably one of my favorite DIYs of all time. The simplicity of the materials really put the focus on the content (which just so happens to be your life)! Each note card is stamped with the date and encourages you to fill up the empty space with appointments, thoughts, ideas or sketches. You could also substitute the post cards for pictures of special moments in your life that you have shared with friends or family, or trade up to real post cards that you have collected from world travels.
(Vintage Postcard Calendar Journal Instructions)
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Button Perpetual Calendar
- This cute button calendar is a great visual representation of the month at hand. Depending on the materials used, it can be very sweet and demure, or very bold and punchy. The best thing about it is the versatility! With a little creative planning it also makes a good teaching tool for parents of small children. You could make special buttons for birthdays or holidays or just change out the background fabric to flow with the seasons. The options (just like this perpetual calendar) are virtually endless.
(Button Perpetual Calendar Instructions)
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Tea Towel Calendar Embroidery Kit
- In October of last year I found a gorgeous antique store that sold vintage tea towels. There were so many beautiful and quirky choices, and quite a few of them were these amazing these tea towel calendars. I didn’t find one that matched my decor, but I have been on the lookout ever since. When I ran across this DIY tea towel calendar kit on Etsy, I knew immediately that I had to have it! It is made of 100% natural linen and inspired by traditional 19th century European Redwork embroidery. Not only is it simple enough to match almost any decor, but after the year has ended it can earn it’s keep by drying my dishes. If only it had hands!
(Tea Towel Calendar Embroidery Kit)
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Doodle Calendar Kit
- If you like to doodle, stamp, paint or collage, then this is the calendar you’ve been waiting for. The kit contains 12 offset printed calendar grids on recycled paper and a clear base on which to display them. Each month is meant to be like a piece of art work but that doesn’t mean that this kit is all serious business. Fantabulous Gift Idea: Distribute each blank grid to various friends and have them design the month’s theme, then collect them and you have a very unique, very personal present. You could also let children do the designing and gift them to a parent or grandparent. That beats their crummy old desk calendar any day.
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Chalkboard Decal Wall Calendar Kit
- Finally, a chalkboard wall calendar that won’t ruin your walls! I have looked at so many DIY wall chalkboard projects but I never committed. The taping and painting just seemed like so much trouble, and the cost always seemed to be higher than what I wanted to spend. And then there’s always the realization that (despite how awesome it seems today) I may not want a billboard-sized permanent chalkboard on my wall. Not only is this decal kit a practical solution to chalkboard paint, but it comes in a variety of colors from teal blue to citrus yellow. The size ensures a great visual impact to whatever space it inhabits and gives you the freedom to put it anywhere you darn well please.
(Chalkboard Decal Wall Calendar Kit)
Green&Chic DIY: Come On Baby, Light My (Recycled) Fire
| December 28, 2011 | Posted by Elissa C. under accessories, Create, do-it-yourself, Earth, gifts, Guest Bloggers, Home, Inspiration, living room, Nurture, Outdoors, Projects, Seasonal, Sustainable Living |
I have many fond childhood memories of sitting by the fire on a cold winter’s night. We had a fantastically huge fireplace that took up the whole wall and it had a stone hearth that I loved sitting on to watch the embers glow. I remember one year my parents bought pine cone fire starters that turned the flames different colors. They would toss one in and my sisters and I would watch in amazement as the orange flames turned green, red and blue.
"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. " Benjamin Franklin
Winters with a fireplace just seem magical to me and the smell of burning wood always makes me feel cozy and warm inside. I can think of no better way to spend an evening than by the fire with a good book, a good friend, or a good (and boozy) drink. Possibly the only way to top it off would be to listen to this on surround sound while the crackling fire laps at my toes and I lap my drink.
I haven’t had a wood burning fireplace in a number of years, and thanks to a friend, I have recently had the pleasure of reacquainting myself with the art of indoor fire making. Let me begin by saying that fires, while beautiful in their amber majesty, are not always an easy thing to conjure up. I have spent hours trying to get one going, and even with the help of other people I still cannot manage to keep it burning for more than a few minutes. I decided that expensive store-bought fire starters are out of the question so I took a cue from my childhood days and decided to look into making my own fire starters made from materials easily found around the house.
There are a range of ideas and materials to use, but I chose to stick with the ones that included things I have in abundance: pine cones, shredded paper, and wax. Just these three things alone will reward you with a roaring fire and a lovely smelling house that just begs for guests to entertain. To keep things even greener (and cheaper) recycle your candle stubs and leftover wax rather than buying new. Jar candles can be placed in the freezer for a few hours to harden the wax. With just a gentle nudge, it should come loose without much of a problem. Votive and taper nubs can be tossed into a old metal pot or crock pot and melted down (just be sure to remove any debris, metal or old wicks before using).
These cute and practical fire starters are easy to assemble and pack quite a punch, using cedar chips, recycled wax, and paper cupcake tin liners. Native Americans have used cedar in ceremonies and sweat lodges for centuries for it's protective and purification properties, and to banish bad dreams.
(Cupcake Fire Starters Instructions)
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These natural pine cone fire starters are beautiful in their simplicity. Using a white wax helps further enforce the connection to the stark and monochrome palette of winter. Adding essential oils to the wax creates a beautiful scent that will not offend even the most sensitive nose.
(Pine Cone Fire Starter Instructions)
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Pine needles can be found almost anywhere and they make a great kindling for starting fires. Simply collect a grocery bag of dry (but still green) needles, round up some non-styrofoam egg cartons and melt down some left over wax and you have all of the supplies necessary to make these 100% recycled fire starters. They're compact enough to be packed for a camping trip and give off the cheery aroma of pine when burned.
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These DIY fire starters make great hostess and housewarming gifts. I recently read a wedding blog post where the bride and groom gave them as favors in place of the usual candy box or other traditional trinket. They also make a stunning table centerpiece and can be handed out to guests as they depart for the evening.
You can also DIY your own colored fire starters. Easy to find substances such as allum (used for making canned pickles), borax, and table salt give your flames a hint of color and brings everyone around the fire to see the show. This is particularly fun for kids and those who have a penchant for science or chemistry. You can separate them based on their colors or just throw a few different varieties into the fireplace and see what happens.
As always, practice safety first and never leave children around a fire unsupervised. Nothing ruins a party quite like spilled milk a trip to the emergency room.
Happy Crafting!
E
Exploring iPhoneography…
| December 27, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Moss under art, Celebrate, Guest Bloggers |
Greetings and hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend! With 2012 just around the corner, the week is bound to be filled with new year festivities and parties.
And no doubt many of these events will be well-documented. Which brings me to the topic of today’s post: iphoneography.
These days, phones are used for much more than making calls… More than a few of us use them as cameras more often than as phones (and many would argue it functions better in that capacity). In fact, last month, celebrated photographer Annie Leibovitz made headlines with her response when asked what camera she recommends- the iPhone. Citing it as the ‘snapshot camera of today’, she discussed the versatility and usability of the multifunctional mobile device. Which may not come as much of a surprise to the many apple devotees already out there…
What may be more of a surprise are the rapidly growing communities of iphoneographers, including the increasing number of galleries featuring exhibits dedicated to the creative application of the iPhone as camera and photo editor. The two images below are finalists for the International iPhoneography Show- pretty impressive for a cell phone…
Often, several camera and editing apps are utilized to create artistic effects, and there are resources online that address techniques and applications. For more on photo manipulation, find information, tutorials, and app reviews online at lifeinlofi.com, iphonography.com, or iphoneographic.com.
But to get you started, I’ll look at a few of the basic accessories and apps that I use to enhance photos and videos with minimal effort- for professional and personal purposes.
Tripod: whether you need to stabilize an image or shoot from a precarious angle, these flexible versions come in handy. The iStabilizer has a very simple means of attaching to the phone that doesn’t require the removal of any protective case and works with most phone models. Great for cat videos.
Macro/Wide Angle Lens: A recent addition to my iPhone gear, these lenses work remarkably well for the size and cost. The macro functions a bit better, as seen in the close-up shots below- more info here.
Thanks for reading, and share your photos- or if you’re on instagram- share your username below and see you there! @myd
(and if you don’t use Instagram, you should definitely check it out.) Enjoy!
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