Getting stringy

I know over the last few days we've talked about raising good teenagers and touched ever so slightly on the DATING scene. But now I've got something really important to talk to you about: MACRAME. It's a thing! A trend! Everyone is doing it!

I've heard that if you are old enough to remember a trend the first go round, then you are too old to engage when the fashion gods bring it round a second time (like, with parachute pants, for example). I'm happy to say that my only experience with macrame has been in dusty bins at garage sales and thrift stores. I'm completely new and fresh to macrame. Also? Who made up that stupid trend rule in the first place?

Hold on a sec while I put on my parachute pants.

At first glance I was unsure about my place in the macrame world. But the more I see it, the more I like it!

via vintagerevivals

Of course, Mandi of VintageRevivals is already heavy into macrame. See her Orchid Dyed Planter here. She also did a macrame headboard. Her website says that a tutorial is in the works. 

via vintagerevivials

Ashley Ann of Under the Sycamore is also macrame-ing (can macrame be a verb?). She's gathered a list of tutorials here.

via greenweddingshoes

This tutorial from Green Wedding Shoes seems like it might be a good place to start.

via oleanderandpalm

Maybe this isn't technically macrame, since it doesn't involve knots, but I really like the color and texture of this yarn art.

Shall this be the Summer of Macrame? I do like the sound of that.

A few good gems

Happy Friday everyone! I'm a little late today because I'm suffering from a serious case of end-of-year-itis. I need a little break from the routine -- after which I'll be whining that I need MORE routine. I can't be pleased (unless I'm on vacation, in which case I'm entirely pleased). I'm also excited for a three day weekend. Three whole days! Let the sleeping in commence!

Oh, also . . . the gems:

image via LikesofUs

Alecia from Likes of Us built this hip, colorful bench from the Ikea Sigurd bench. I love it -- seems like a perfect Memorial Day project.

Have you guys seen 12HRS? It's a website that features 12 hour itineraries for some of the world's most famous cities -- all carefully curated to interest the foodie, the designer, and those seeking the road less traveled. 

Flynn McGarry. He's incredibly cool, and at only 15 he is already a celebrated American chef. He has his own dinner club that he hosts at his parents' house (at $160 a head!). Check out this NYT article and watch the video. He's pretty darn charming.

I'm thinking of some modern stenciling to jazz up some of my new white walls. Any advice? I like this one, and this, and possibly this.

via iheartorganizing

My computer desktop is a wreck. This desktop looks beautiful. And soothing. I might devote a smidgeon of my Memorial Day to this tutorial.

image via sugarandcloth

Also, THIS summer throw. I'm making it!

That's it guys. Looks like I'll be doing some creating this weekend. Hope yours is filled with popsicles and watermelon and late, late mornings. 

A few good gems

The weekend! The weekend! Unlike last weekend (when I was CAMPING), I'll be sleeping in my own comfy bed and feeling grateful for my own bathroom. And . . . I'll be picking up my college kiddo from the airport on Saturday! Also, I'm hoping to get to the farmer's market Saturday morning for some super fresh veggies (and maybe a bouquet of flowers). All good things on the near horizon. I'm still planning my downstairs "freshening," wherein I plan to vanquish the greenish-tannish walls. I like the cheerful living room pictured below. Except maybe not the  yellow couch. I'm not sure I'm that gutsy. Or that cheerful. I'll give it some thought while you peruse the gems!

Image via Glamour.

• Read this career/life advice by Mike Rowe. I feel like someone should publish this on the front page of the New York Times. Yes. Yes. Yes!
• Have you heard about Christian the lion? I swear I've watched this video like ten times. If you're are really interested there's a full length documentary and even an entire website dedicated to this lion and his amazing human friends.
• Watch this science lesson (taught to a five year old) and see if you can follow along. P.S. This guy kind of makes me feel like a crappy parent because I don't give science lessons in my car.
• Humans of New York is my very favorite Facebook feed. Check out how one of Brandon Stanton's pics brought attention to a troubled school in this NYT article.
• Made these Paleo Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Cream Sauce for dinner this week. I made my noodles on the frighteningly dangerous mandolin. My friend Andrea sent me a link to this spiral slicer, which I may purchase based on my undying love for non-mutilated fingers.
• Have you seen Time's list of the 100 most influential people? There's a record 41 women on the list. But one of them is Miley Cyrus. Really? REALLY??
• Reflections on failure by seven contemporary writers. Margaret Atwood is my fave!
• Do you read Dig This Chick? It's one of my favorite blogs. Also? She makes me want to move to Missoula. Like really move. Need job in Missoula.
• I'm thinking of mixing up a batch of this body scrub -- especially because SOME people in my house like to use the Jergens self-tanning lotion. That's the kind of mom I am. I support bottled tanning!

Listening to Ingrid Michaelson's new album Lights Out, Ian Britt's "The Shape of Us," and "The Gambler" by Fun.

Reading Maya Van Wagenen's Popular. (And Anthony Giddens' Modernity and Self-Identity -- if you want some nerdy reading.)

Eating Red Pepper and Zucchini Enchiladas from The Family Flavor.

White paint for the win

via VintageRevivals

As Annie introduced on Monday, our new editorial calendar includes Tuesday and Thursday posts with a focus on food, design, books, movies, research, and gatherings. Essentially, these are items of interest to us as they weave in and out of this current stage of our lives. And --  sometimes we just want to show you some cool STUFF.

Man, being your own boss is great. {Can you call yourself a boss if you don't get paid?} 

Anyway, I've got house design on the brain because I'm itching to repaint my downstairs. Right now it's a tannish/greenish sort of color with some accent walls. Also, the accent walls in the dining room (which are orangish) make it look like a Mexican restaurant. But THAT'S another story for another day. Ole!

I've been scouring ye olde Internet for paint colors. And what do you think I've found?

WHITE.

Yep, and I'm all over it.

Here's some of my favorite design blogs and their white paint choices:

• Vintage Revivals. I love everything this girl does. She has a hip mid century vibe with a kind of boho chic element thrown in for good measure. I've been studying her rooms very carefully because I fear I am way too uptight to naturally invoke boho chic. Her newest room reveal is here, and in this post she shares her favorite paint color: Sherwin Williams Ultra White Base with 4 oz of pigment added. You should also check out this room, and this room, and really, all of them. Also, I'm thinking of doing this pinwheel art (in different colors) for above my fireplace. What think ye?

via VintageRevivals

• Emily Henderson. Do you remember her from Design Star? Cuz she won!! Anyway, come to think of it . . . she's also got a mid century vibe with a healthy dose of boho chic weirdness. It totally works for me. You've probably seen this living room makeover. I've seen it on Pinterest no less than 11,000 times. And really, it is that good. She's currently renovating her own Californian home and painting the whole thing Benjamin Moore Super White. You can see updates on her reno here.
• Design Mom. She's painting her new Oakland home Sherwin Williams Origami White. Readers are still waiting on room reveals, but you can see her entry here. And the story of their neat-o treehouse here.

And, as a design-y side note, check out these mid-century chairs I got off of Craigslist last week. I just need to find some fabric for new cushions. We're expecting Don Draper for drinks at eight.

I just tossed (not literally) those chairs in the back of the kitchen for now. But, as you can see, those green drapes are also going to have to go. I'm thinking white linen with a black band at the bottom. What are your favorite design blogs? Help a girl out. . .

A few good gems

Things are getting holiday real around here. The kids' last day of the school year is today and their summer holiday break officially starts tomorrow. We are packing up this weekend to head north (wayyy north) for a colder, whiter Christmas with family. You can probably imagine the giddiness at our house right now!

photo via Style Me Pretty

But first I want to share some of the internet's finest offerings this week. I kind of went overboard but isn't a little bit of excess expected (or at least excused) this time of year?

I loved this New Yorker tribute to Nelson Mandela. So many good Mandela quotes have been cited in the last day or two but I especially love this one: "It always seems impossible until it's done." Rest in peace and godspeed, Mr. Mandela. 

This crispy hash browns cake from the gals at A Beautiful Mess looks like the perfect breakfast/brunch for tomorrow morning (at our house that breakfast/brunch timing tends to depend on whether you're a parent or teenager):

photo via A Beautiful Mess

I can totally relate to this BrainChild post about a family's three generations of women and their membership in the unofficial Society of Late Night Readers.  I'm a proud member of that club. When I can stay awake for it, that is. 

Art makes you smart. Amen.

I have a confession to make: we haven't actually had our holiday card photos taken yet, let alone ordered the cards. (I KNOW. I'm such a card hypocrite, after I was all cardy way back in October.) I was really inspired by this fun photo, though, and if I get my act together we might just make our Christmas deadline. (Or Valentines Day might be good, too.)

Via Babble. Photo credit LaViePhoto

Anne Lamott said her original title for this article on self acceptance was actually "My Four Worst Secrets That I Bet Are Yours, Too."  Either way, I love her wisdom and realness and vulnerability. Preach it, Anne!

The internet is a both magical and stinky place. I'm sure you've noticed. And you may also have already seen this but I must include Emily Graslie's response to icky comments on her video blog "The Brain Scoop."  She nailed it. (And hooray for fantastic sciencey role models like Emily!)

I was recently reminded of this lovely, moving essay on the unique gift and challenge of parenting a terminally ill child, "Notes from a Dragon Mom."  She writes "We are dragon parents: fierce and loyal and loving as hell. Our experiences have taught us how to parent for the here and now, for the sake of parenting, for the humanity implicit in the act itself, though this runs counter to traditional wisdom and advice." 

This cool (admittedly outdated) infographic depicting 4000 years of human history makes me want to print it out, put it on my wall, and take a good long look at it with my kids.

It's eery and moving to listen to this 50-year-old recording of the moment the audience at a Boston Symphony Orchestra afternoon concert hears of the assassination of President Kennedy. The impromptu change to the program is stirring, too.

Finally, can someone really make a keyboard doorbell, pretty please? I'd be first in line (via Apartment Therapy, idea by Li Jianye).

photo via

Have a fantastic weekend! Go show it who's boss!

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A few good gems

Venus's lovely path over a year's worth of still photos. Summer solstice is on top, winter at the bottom and equinox where they cross.  Via

A few things to tickle your brain and/or your fancy this weekend:

- Malala Yousafzai, you are extraordinary. (Extended, unedited Jon Stewart interview here. BBC Interview here. Interview in The Atlantic here. Her speech to the UN here.) 

-The London Symphony Orchestra just created a new interactive online video experience where you can watch the orchestra play Ravel's Bolero (and I imagine they'll update this now and then with different pieces), interact with different camera angles and discover more about the musicians and instruments. Also? There are masterclasses on selected instruments and on Ravel.  Brilliant. Try it here. Created by the folks at Sennep. (Thanks, Swiss Miss.)

- This is a very cool, one page giant 2014 planner by Present and Correct. (Thanks, Pinterest.)

 -I Was Not a Pretty Child (by Hannah Dale Thompson), a poignant essay on growing into yourself and how "beauty, a word I am very hesitant to use self-referentially," she says, "is a terrible drug" (via Longreads). 

-Grammar geek humor! Kudos to Kind of Sketchy's Grammar Pirate comic strip.

-Speaking of grammar, how attached are you to the apostrophe? 

-Loved Christina Vanko's Modern Day Snail Mail project. After finding the pen of her dreams (her dad's old calligraphy pen), she decided to send only handwritten text messages to people for a week. (Thanks yet again, Swiss Miss!) 

 -I'm pretty excited about the partnership between the Paper app (by FiftyThree) and Moleskine. Oh, the book-making possibilities. Check it out!

I'm digging this Read Instead poster from BOOK/SHOP. If I don't order it, this just might be my next art project--it's no string art (loved that, Sarah) but it's a baby step in the right direction. (Thanks, Cup of Jo.)

- Dumbo Feather is one of my (many) favorite Aussie finds. It's a fantastic publication (both online and print) that lives up to its tagline: conversations with extraordinary people.  Every one of their thoughtful interviews inspires me and the magazine itself is an honest-to-goodness design treasure. Maira Kalman, Brene Brown, Maria Popova (this issue, not yet online), Alain de Botton--just a few to get you started. 

-We've been traveling a bit these last couple of weeks since it's been our spring school holidays here. I'm looking forward to cozying up in my own house this weekend and doing more nesting, less launching. I think we're going to try these Avocado Cream and Chicken Suiza Enchiladas.  And in the tried-and-true category, I can attest to the deliciousness of these Apple Brie Tarts. Even my picky brie-cheese-hater loved them. 

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A project

Sometimes I just need a project -- a work-with-my-hands, manipulate real-life materials project. I typically get this feeling ESPECIALLY when I have a lot of writing or desk work going on, so I'll readily admit my need to MAKE SOMETHING is part creative drive and part procrastination technique. But I'm trying to love my procrastinating self just as much as I love my uptight, get-things-done self. Because we are all the SAME SELF. Goodness, I hope someone quotes me on that.

I may have mentioned here that Rebecca asked for a room redo for her birthday present. She moved into Jordan's room a little over a year ago (because it's bigger and has a bigger bed). So she's been forced to live with Jordan's bedding and decor choices. I've definitely been dragging my feet over redoing that bedroom because I have other really important and significant things to do. Like watch Netflix. And obsessively read Google News. Also, decorating costs money, and as many times as I've hinted . . . I've yet to receive any anonymous checks in the mail in support of my decorating fund. Also, there's been no movement on the chocolate donut fund. Or the really expensive hair products fund. But those are all first world problems, so let's move on.

My point here is that I MADE SOMETHING. Guys, I used to be so, so crafty. I had like a decade-long painting, sewing, quilting phase where I made a ton of stuff. But then I somehow, some way, lost the will to craft. I did have a brief period of buying craft supplies -- without actually making anything with them. But now I'm done with that too.  Is this a mid-stage thing? Anyone else out there lost the will to craft? Is there help available?

My goal in this particular project was to create a focal point above the bed. Something cool and modern and BIG. When I saw this string-art project on Vintage Revivals I was awestruck. In the tenth grade my geometry teacher assigned us a string art project. We used black poster board and neon-colored embroidery floss and made spirograph-like designs by punching holes in geometric patterns. Man, I loved that project. This is kinda like that. Except it's messy. And random. I was never super good at geometry anyway.

Vintage Revivals has all the pertinent details (and I don't want to steal her tutorial thunder). I should tell you that when I printed out the letters for LOVE, I used about a 650 point font. Also, for the love of all things non-complicated, use birch plywood for this project. Birch plywood is smooth (and sand-able) and will make the spray painting a thousand times easier. When I went to buy the wood there was no birch in the 4' x 4' size I needed. But I figured the regular plywood would work. And it did. But it's definitely more of a textured, woodsy look. Also, let's address the hanging. The finished project weighs roughly 273 pounds. Sterling and I discussed a number of hanging options (including drilling a bolt through all four corners), but in the end we put screws in both sides and used heavy-duty picture wire . . . and then put two bolts into the studs. 

It's actually a fun and satisfying project to create. I did the whole thing on the sly, so it would be a surprise on Becca's actual birthday. I laid out a big fluffy comforter on my bedroom floor and watched HGTV while nailing in a WHOLE BUNCH of tiny nails. Even though I knew it was physically impossible, I kept having horrifying mental images of me nailing the plywood to the wood floor beneath. So I kept checking. Like obsessively. Other than that . . . good clean fun. 

And that's the story of how I revived my crafty-self for an entire three hours.