building a lobster trap.

so here's how it goes down.






you get some cagey pieces. you snap them together with metal fasteners. you leave some holes so the lobsters can get in. you put up some meshy things so they can fall in but not get out. you hang bags full of bait.

ta-da! you learned something new today!

smart man.

lobsterman has a very good eye. we were camping in rangeley a few weeks back and stopped at a yard sale. he found this old hunk of junk camp oven that was for sale for $1. it was in rough shape. so what does he do?





turns it into a wine holder. the man is a genius!

success.

wanted to make a cushion for a storage bench for ages and i finally did last night. it looks pretty good considering it took about 20 minutes. success! onto the next apartment project.



please ignore the dishes i have yet to put away in the background. thanks.

Big Project.

I have a few mismatched pieces in my living room. A floral chair. Pillows that need to be recovered. A kinda dingy ottoman. I've finally decided to purchase some fabrics and recover them. All of them.

My new chair will be reupholstered in this. (And yes. I am attempting to do this myself. Help!)



My ottoman will be receiving a second life in this.



And this for my pillows.



For $35, my living room is going to look completely different!

To Do.

I should do more with my free time. I work a full-time job, freelance for several publications, take my beloved Zumba and pilates classes, try and keep a tidy apartment and on a rare occasion I paint my toenails. But I feel, well, like I don't do NEARLY enough as the rest of you lovely bloggers. I mean, this blogosphere is filled with people that build their own homes, create world class dinners, model gifted clothing items from PR people. Why aren't I cool enough for this?

Here is my current "to do" list taken from much more talented bloggers than me. I am going to copy their ideas and therefore become cooler.

Kelly's crazy amazing lace necklace that she made out of a lace collar.



I am DEFINITELY stealing this idea! Obsessed with the DIY chevron stripes. I have a plain white trunk by our door that is getting this treatment, stat! You are awesome Kristin F. Davis. And you share a name with the actress that plays Charlotte from Sexy and the City. Not bad.



Okay. I'll start with two and see if I can actually check these off. What's on your to do list?

Check It.

See what's been popular over at Charles and Hudson this month. I whipped up a little Craigslist shopping tip list that made the cut. I'm currently scouring Craigslist for a bureau for our bedroom. A major downside of living in Maine? Craigslist here ain't got nothin' on NYC.

Make-over.

I love this simple living room redo in Real Simple. It's amazing what paint and fabric from Ikea can do. And speaking of living room redo's...I'll post some apartment photos as soon as I can find my camera cord. Hmmm....

Terrarium.

Sorry Jill my dear. Stealing this idea. I have plenty of ball jars and my empty windowsills are in desperate need of some green.

Headboard.

I love this DIY headboard spotted here, but originally via Martha. I've always liked the painted headboard idea but I'm too afraid I'll mess up. Has anyone tried this before?

Handmade Holidays.

I am not a huge DIYer, though I'm trying to hop on the revolution train. But I have managed to crank out a few gifts made by yours truly so far.

I made this felt garland for our tree by cutting out circles using pinking shears and sewing them all together with white yarn. Mine is about 20 feet long but as long as you have limitless amounts of felt, it's easy to do while you're watching Love Actually for the 400th time.




I also wanted to make some gifts for friends and family. I decided to sew up matching sets of oven mitts and pot holders because if Anthropologie can sell them for $18 each, I can certainly make pretty ones for a fourth of the price.

I Made This.

Holidays are right around the corner and I vow to make as many gifts as I possibly can this year. My biggest blog inspiration right now is PS I Made This. Confession: I am not crafty, I only pretend to be. But I'm tempted to do some thrifting to find enough rings to make one of these necklaces. For friends and family. Not me. I swear.



source

Fixer Upper.

This article in the Times blew my mind. It's about a Fixers Collective. Basically a group of artists get together with broken items and repair them into objects of beauty. I'm no artist but I attempt to be a fixer of things. Loose buttons, undone hems - tattered hearts. Now I'm just being dramatic but read the article here.

Scarf.

I want to display my huge sunglasses collection like this.



via

Right Frame Of Mind.

I am totally stealing this idea I found over at Apartment Therapy's house tour. This came from Caitlin's Beacon Hill studio.



Don't you love how she's placed smaller frames over large canvases of art? Pretty smart Caitlin, preeeeetty smart.

Scarves.

I wear a scarf almost everyday. I probably own around 30 ranging from heavy wools to vintage silk. I think they add to any outfit. I've actually had strangers stop me on the street to ask me how I tied my scarf (okay it only happened once but I will forever have an ego because of it.) My next idea is to start tying giant bows around my neck. Thoughts? Watch this video for even more scarf tying tricks.



Peppermint scarf, $16

Cash Value.

I have had this little project bookmarked for so long - and I have yet to make them. These coin purses would be the cutest little gifts and they seem so easy to make. This weekend already seems too jam packed to do some crafting but I need to pull out my sewing machine soon and crank out a few of these.




Simple change purse via cutoutandkeep

Sticky Situation.

I love stumbling upon little gems. The best selection of tape EVER from happytape . This Japanese masking tape that would look good on gifts, making cards, labeling things - I could go nuts with this.




Tape, from $5 a roll

Curtains.

I kinda wanna make granny kitchen curtains this weekend. So far I love this retro teapot print.



Aunt grace tea pots, $9/yd