tubes
Technique and the process of making something is more fascinating to me than the end result most of the time, especially when it’s something that appears as if I could do it myself.
A while ago, I bookmarked these tables by Martin Dieterle (via Design Milk) and I have been pondering how I could get this done – lots of dowls cut just right, only paint what will be seen, glue glue glue in batches over time, sand the top and voila!
Then, I saw this umbrella stand by Loris&Livia that coudn’t be more easy. This one is made from blue aluminum tubes and some sort of strap but, the same could be done with PVC piping or other metal pipes and a belt. I don’t have some massive collection of umbrellas but if you do, or have lots of guests over, or if you have a business, why not give this a shot?
Sanctuary
Does anyone remember Cher’s two gothic home decor catalogs called Sanctuary from the 90s? I had both of them but sold them on eBay a long time ago. They’re pretty hard to find these days. So many ridiculous decadent things in them! Wish I could find more pics! She’s fabulous. (a NY Times article about the catalog)
Fall/Holiday 1994
Fall/Holiday 1995
horse head
HomeGoods finally opened a location in Richmond a week or two ago and I checked it out this afternoon. A friend had been to one in Tennessee and said it was an entire store like the home decor section of a TJ Maxx (they’re owned by the same company). She was right, and the place was a friggin madhouse – full of elderly women poking along and gripping their carts for dear life and middle-aged yuppies who just stood in the middle of aisles aimless and blank… and things that these people would like. I really wasn’t impressed with the selection and considering I have all that I need for my home, I wasn’t on the hunt for anything except a room divider/screen to conceal the cat box. No dice on that.
I did see this beyond awesome huge white ceramic horse head for $50. In love, no where to put it, and I just spent too much money on desperately needed bras. It’s still on the shelf. Go get it (for me).
drawers
With limited closet space and cold weather arriving, I have been thinking about dressers and chests of drawers. I have a ton of warm clothing I still need to bring over to the apartment and I have no place to put it all. My father makes reproduction Chippendale furniture and made me a huge dresser when I was little. It’s beautiful but really not my style and I have been reluctant to haul that monstrous mahogany piece over. Yesterday on Design Milk, I fell in love with this chest by SylvanSF. Their website is a dead end, difficult to look at individual pieces and prices are nowhere to be found. Each piece is a limited edition and everything is made from unique materials like horn, bone, leathers, and exotic veneers. Obviously, I could never afford any of it but, I just thought I’d share this gorgeous chest. The size is perfect and so is the pattern.
This chest is so decadent and despite the fact that it’s gold, it’s muted and warm and would blend in any decor without being garrish.
My bf is a huge lover of squids and whales and kind of oohed and ahhed when I showed him this chest.
The shapes are simple and with a some patience I think someone could diy something similar to any of these pieces for their home. There are tons of metalic paints and antiquing finishes/techniques out there. There are also continuous walpaper stencils in abbundance on the interwebs and I know I’ve seen some geometrics. Maybe you could find an intricate wall decal and simply cut accross it carefully and apply it to a set of drawers you already have.
milk glass
From the title of my blog, I get a lot of incoming searches from antique collectors looking for milk glass. So, I figured a post was in order.
What is milk glass? It’s basically an opaque glass that has tin oxide added to the glassmaking process to create the milky appearance. It resembles porcelain with a glassy shine. It is usually formed and pressed into molds.
Milk glass is at home in any decor because of its clean simplicity. There are figures, vases, dishes, glasses, cake stands, etc. I fell in love with it when my mom bought this tiny hobnail bud vase with milk glass gradation at an antique show. Hobnail simply refers to the raised bumps. I find this glass to be soothing, with a gentle, delicate quality.
White isn’t the only color available. Here is a French egg cup, circa 1910 in a dreamy blue shade.
There are many different stories of origin out there, spanning from the 14th to 16th centuries, and possibly coming from Venice, Italy. It’s always synonymous with prosperity for some reason, but the glass produced during the Depression era is of lesser quality and has a lower value. If you are interested in collecting, The National Milk Glass Collectors Society has a wealth if information. Keep an eye out for marks/signatures on the bottom of each piece and avoid damage like cracks and tiny chips on edges called “flea bites”. (etsy and ebay finds)
Milk glass is still being produced by glass companies like Fenton. Check out this modern chandelier from Martha Stewart!
Here is an owl toothpick holder from the Westmoreland Glass Co. People don’t really go around displaying their toothpicks anymore but, for a party with hors d’oeuvres, or in your bathroom for cotton swabs (I have a little green ceramic koi fish toothpick in my bathroom), or at your bedside with a small flower, it would be adorable. I did a post about a year ago on functional/controlled collections and mentioned Degenhart Glass. They also produce a lot of toothpicks in a range of milk colors, which are super easy to collect and keep.
Omg look at this awesome dish found at this site! It was described as:
A steer’s head covered dish of opaque white milk glass more than doubled its presale high estimate to sell for $3,955 to a private collector bidding in the gallery. On a swirled rib base, the piece made by Challinor, Taylor & Co. in the fourth quarter of the Nineteenth Century stood 5 inches high and featured striking nonoriginal applied eyes.
4 grand for a 5″ high covered dish?! Makes you want to scour some flea markets and antique shows for an amazing deal once in a while, doesn’t it?
+ & -
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- For once, I have read a beauty post that speaks to my own skin issues. I am so excited to try all of these products out. I never thought that the expectations I have for products could actually be met and this makes me feel like it’s possible.
- Love this bentwood walnut Case Study Alpine Series bed from Modernica.
- Fake polar bear rug FTW! (from etsy shop fringecollection – it’s sold)
- This tattoo cracks me up! (via)
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- Pantone everything! Pantone mugs, Pantone chairs, buttons, Rubiks cubes, bags… I just don’t find these items attractive. Okay, so you have something that has a Pantone color on it and its reference. This is a design cop out. Does this suddenly make you a designer, or give you street cred among the design crowd. No. Maybe it’s your favorite color but seriously, Pantone (and Moleskine), you are wearing me thin.
- We didn’t get to go to the state fair. Boo.
skulls
Whether or not Halloween is on it’s way, these acrylic tumblers from Target are pretty much awesome! The skulls are clear. You can get a set of 6 online or buy them individually for about $3.
+ & –
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- Domo is at 7-11 for Fall. Adorable. I want a slurpee!
- I love all things cute and creepy and this plate from etsy shop Dark Vomit is wonderful!
- Another etsy find, I would wear the hell out of this “peacock cocktail ring” from Alisa Miller. Metalsmith.
- Love laser cutting and this “hive bench” by Arktura is powder coated steel and uses mathematical algorithms to create the intricate patterns. The same designer, Chris Kabatsi also did this “vortex table” made from carbon fiber. Science + design =wow
- Fanciful episodes of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller (series 1) have been making me happy. I only wish there were more.
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- High cholesterol. It runs in my family and they have blessed me with it as well. Two weeks ago, I went for my annual physical and received a newish blood test that doesn’t assess the typical cholesterol numbers but instead looks for the carriers of the bad cholesterol, the carriers that take it to your arteries and clogs them up. This is a measurement of LDL-P and mine were off the charts! Other than being terrified , I have had to seriously reassess everything that I put in my body. It looks like this self-proclaimed “meataterian” is going to have to gear more towards veganism.
- Everyone losing their mind over Alexander McQueen’s Paris S2010RTW runway show. Yes, it was accessible for anyone to view via webcast but does this warrant all the praise and hype? The prints on the dresses were absolutely stunning but the shapes were nothing to write home about and, I mean… seriously… the shoes?! Are you kidding me? I am not feeling this. (pics via)
these look like elephants to me
Alien vs. Predator anyone?
- My laptop has been sent off to get repaired which means I will have limited access to work on posts, check my reader, or tweet for a while. While I kinda welcome the break, I don’t want to lose momentum or miss anything fun!
- Football. Sick of hearing about it.
wishpot
You know registries – when a friend is about to get married or have a baby and have chosen all the things they want from a generous group of family and friends. Most people will let you know that they are registered at one or two places, and Target is usually an old standby. So, everything they want/need is supposed to come from 2 stores? This is incredibly restrictive and boring but easier than sending everyone on a wild goose chase for random items at random places with no way of knowing if it was already purchased or not.
Well, Wishpot is a place where you can create a wish list or gift registry for any occasion (or just for fun), from every store on the internet, all consolidated onto one site! It’s really easy and fun to use. You add a simple button to your bookmark bar and as you peruse the internet, you easily click the button and it automatically adds the item to any of your wish lists, without having to divert back to the site, much like Polyvore works for creating outfits.
I was recently asked to be a fashion “expert” for Wishpot. Me? Yeah! So, I created a profile (anyone can) and have already compiled two lists of must-have items. Many of these things have already been mentioned here but, it’s nice to have it all grouped together for easier shopping. You also receive price alerts when your coveted items go on sale!
Keep an eye out for a guest blog post I wrote for them, introducing myself and such. It should be up soon!
So, check it out!
PS – You can also follow them on twitter for giveaways and other offers.
i <3 lamp
This lamp has been one of my favorites for years! It is made from pieces of coconut shell and measures 12″ in diameter, making it perfect for the bedside, or any other place needing some warm accent lighting.
I saw this lamp in a magazine years ago and put it in my picture journal.
It’s along the same lines as this looped ash wood pendant lamp by Tom Raffield that also casts a warm glow. Love love love!
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