how to: cooling rack memo board

In an effort to appear more grown-up, I decided a while back that I wanted to take everything off of my fridge and have it be totally clutter free. However, I still needed a place to put important reminders and other randoms that had no other home.

So I created this little memo board out of two cooling racks and a cork board. There are probably many more attractive ways to hang them, but I just pounded two nails into the wall at a downward angle and used the little feet of the cooling racks to hang them. Since the nails are the same color as the racks, I think it looks fine.

Originally I was just going to do three cooling racks, vertically stacked on top of each other, but I found this cork board while I was grocery shopping one day and thought that it was pretty much the perfect size for this project. All together, the project cost about 5 dollars, 99 cents for each of the cooling racks from the Salvation Army, and 3 dollars for the cork board.

I do not actually think that this makes me look any more grown-up (note the Paul Frank mood chart), but I do enjoy how the fridge looks now.

choices by richard stultz

where milk comes from

Richard, Richard, Richard. I hope it's not awkward that I'm talking directly to you in this post, but some praise deserves to be direct. Sometimes an artist goes out into the world and captures exactly how I feel about it, and in a strikingly beautiful way. Do we really need this many types of milk to choose from? How much of it will expire and just be thrown away? Why is it that a can of soup with Elmo's face is on the lowest shelf? Further reminder to buy in season, from local farmers, and to enjoy the cooking I do at home everyday. And have I mentioned how much I enjoy geometric repetition?

five cans gone

basic breakfast

rainbow cake

This is a cake that would be exciting to cut into not only because it is colorful and fun, but also because all of the layers are dyed naturally, using ingredients ranging from beet juice to egg yolks. The results are definitely worth the effort. See how it was done over at itsy bitsy foodies.

leaning right

I don't think any amount of words could do this painting justice, so I'm just going to let his library of work do the talking for me. Enjoy more of his photorealism here.

leaning right by steve mills

featured: hug a porcupine on etsy

Sure a mini rabbit brooch would be cute, maybe just as cute as an origami rabbit, but together they become possibly the cutest pin I have discovered in a while. Since we've had a very little amount of snow here in Michigan, I'm imagining a long winter that extends into the spring and therefore I can justify more accessories for my winter coat. Hug a Porcupine's wears are just too adorable to pass up.

rabbit origami pin

ice cream origami pin

fox origami pin

pig origami pin

before and after: simple redesign

before & after photos courtesy of Julie over at Simple Redesign

As soon as I moved into my new apartment, I began obsessively looking at craigslist furniture listings. While I have lived on my own for many years, it has always been in a fairly tiny space. Now I had two bedrooms and a living room to fill! While I was looking for the essentials, I came across this little cabinet that I just could not live without. I emailed the seller literally two minutes after she had posted it and went to pick it up the next morning.

Now that I'm familiar with Julie's work, it is no surprise to me that this cabinet was even better in person. Describing herself as an "obsessive DIYer," Julie takes old pieces and makes them both modern and beautiful. I'm not sure how she always finds a way to stay true to the pieces' original character, but I envy her eye for design. You can check out all of her past and present projects, along with little DIY tips over at her blog, Simple Redesign.

When I brought this piece home, I had no real plan for what I wanted to use it as, so I ended up using it as my entryway piece. Together with a vintage mirror I got from my grandmother, I have a little place to check my hair on the way out and a place to put my keys when I come in. And what do I store inside of it? Surprise, it's a record cabinet!

soap flakes

A few years ago, I got my grandfather a pair of dentures made out of soap for his birthday. I know that sounds strange but for our family it has always been a running gag that my grandfather has no teeth, and every couple of years I like to remind him. That soap led me to browsing many hand-made and organic soaps that were really appealing, except for one problem: I have never been a fan of bar soap. They are slippery and unruly and even though they are designed to clean, I always feel like they are dirty. Once they get wet they turn into an uncontrollable blob that collects dust and makes a mess of any soap dish. And while liquid soap is great, it has to be packaged in plastic, which can be refilled but in reality is often trashed. It is also extremely diluted, meaning we're transporting excess water around instead of just the necessary ingredients. 

Nathalie Stämpfli has created a solution that I am rather fond of. It turns bars of soap into little flakes that quickly dissolve in water. On top of that, the design looks great and maintains everything we love about a liquid soap pump. 

featured: artwork by stasia burrington on etsy

last bandaid

I recently did some redecorating and artwork is one of my favorite ways to change the feel of a room. While searching for new pieces, I came across Stasia Burrington on etsy. I was first attracted to her work because they were cute, but as I looked at more of her pieces, I began to see the more intimate side of these characters, and instantly fell in love. While the characters themselves may not have extremely detailed features, their complex expressions, body language, or environments express so much of themselves.

rapunzel

bedtime story

mug shot

1. coffee mug nuff said at atlas past on etsy 2. vintage striped cup with saucer at the cupcake kid on etsy 3. wickford sea cliffs strip mug at kate spade 4. spare stripe mug at terrain 5. vintage bob van allen for mikasa stone china mugs at bright wall vintage on etsy 6. old fashioned bicycle coffee mug at atlas past on etsy

michigan pride

1. tiny michigan state necklace by Integrative Creations 2. detroit coney postcard by RebeccaMich 3. michigan mitten necklace-wooden by City Bird 4. paul bunyan michigan shirt by Found Michigan 5. vintage detroit map lamp by City Bird 6. customize your home is where the heart is-michigan by Lily Gene