A Novel Idea

London-based Levitate Architects came up with one of the most brilliant ideas I've ever seen for storing books - they incorporated them into a staircase! (hat tip: Neatorama)

I love this idea, though I don't think I own enough books to fill all the spaces.  I guess this offers a great excuse to get out there and read more!

And on that note, I'm off to enjoy what promises to be a great Memorial Weekend, filled with reading, sunshine and good company.  Cheers!

Top Ten Dessert Trends

See what's cookin' for cupcakes this year courtesy of The Food Channel.  They've just released this short video covering all the latest tasty treat trends and oh boy, does it look good!  Enjoy photo after photo of some of the most delicious-looking things you'll ever see.  Considering not a day goes by that I don't indulge in something sweet, I'm actually amazed that I haven't tried all of these things!

Monday Morning Fun

I came across this in one of my favorite daily rag sites, The Daily Mail, and had to share it.  Take a look at artist Christopher Boffoli's work - it's so inventive!  He creates intriguing scenes like the one pictured below by combining miniature figurines and everyday, ordinary household items.  The idea is simple enough, but I think the results are spectacular.

Vintage Vibes

A floral blog that I follow called Fiore Fresco has this great, budget-friendly idea for adding a little bit of vintage to your table setting.  Old candlestick holders are usually readily available at garage sales and thrift stores and you can add simple touches like ribbon and sprigs of basic greens to spruce them up.

Personally, I'd use something like this for a garden party or outdoor wedding. Gorgeous!

Flip-Flop Fun

Wobisobi has this great idea for taking ordinary, bland flip-flops and turning them into something much more fashionable.  You will need:

• Scissors
• Sheer fabric
• 1 pair of ordinary flip-flops

Essentially, you cut the fabric into strips and tie them around the strap of the flip-flop for a bunched-up, fluffy flower look.  The end result is so cute!

Chandelier Redo

Dreaming-N-Color has this beautiful idea for taking an old chandelier and giving it new life in the form of a dessert tray!   After stripping an ordinary chandelier, painting it a pretty color and adding on some tea plates and pearls, the finished product looks pretty impressive.   You can view the complete tutorial here.

Bacon Mania

I love bacon as much as the next carnivore, but it feels like the recent bacon craze is getting a little out of hand.  Case in point via Craftzine:

Van Gogh's "Starry Night" made from bacon and other pork products

I recall seeing a nativity scene around Christmas that was also sculpted from pork products, though I think that one relied heavily on sausage links.  Most recently, I saw a Denny's Diner commercial on TV that emphatically declared the month of May as "Baconalia" (or the Festival of Bacon).  And of course, there are all those silly bacon products popping up in stores, from bacon-flavored mints to bacon band aids. 

Has this bacon bit hit the end of the road yet?   Will it ever?  I'm just sayin'.

An Occasion For Ombre

It's almost summer, which means I finally get to break out my super comfy and colorful ombre dresses and skirts!  In fact, I got a jump start last weekend and pulled them all out of my closet in gleeful anticipation of the next heat wave here in Santa Monica.

I've always loved the way the colors blend together in ombre pieces so I got to thinking...  wouldn't it be fun to apply the same look and feel to flowers?  Hence, I present my attempt at creating an ombre floral arrangement:

If you're curious about the kind of flowers I used, I stuck with a single species - carnations.  I'm not a huge fan of carnations, but they are cheap and come in all sorts of pretty pastels this time of year, making them perfect for color blocking.  Plus, they make a great filler so it's hard not to end up with a plentiful arrangement. 

Instructions:

• Pull together as many small pots as you'd like.  I purchased these red pots at JoAnn Fabric for a total of $8.00, but you can use anything really.  I recommend keeping the base the same color.
• Cut 2-3 floral foam blocks (the kind you soak in water) to fit the vases.  The top of the block should be just below the rim of the vase after it's laid inside of it. 
• Soak the blocks until they float, then place inside the vases. 
• Cut your flowers so the stems are 2 to 4 inches in length 
• Poke into the floral foam block, creating a nice, round shape as you go. 
• Arrange the vases in an ombre color scheme (they should gradually blend together)

I've shared this on:

http://www.thestoriesofa2z.com/

http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/

http://www.mybackyardeden.com/

Twine Ball Tutorial

Two Girls Being Crafty has this amazing tutorial for making those twine balls you see at places like Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel.  I always imagined those things would be hard to make, but based on the steps provided, it seems easy breezy!   I love how cheap these are too.  The last time I priced them in a store, they were $10-$20 each.  $20 for one ball of twine?  No thanks!

In progress...

The Pottery Barn version.

Minion Cupcakes!

Brandy over at Brandy's Crafts shares this cute idea for making minion cupcakes.  I love the movie Despicable Me and these little beauties fit the characters perfectly!  Who doesn't love a good Twinkie once and a while?  An added incentive to making these tasty treats is that they are kid-friendly.  I can imagine how nice it must be as a mom to sit back and relax while the kids busy themselves for hours, perfecting their creations. Brilliant!

Without hair!

With hair! (hat tip: emiliehandmade.com)

Heroic Helicopter Pilot

I know we're well into spring already, but I just came across this video and had to share it because a) I love animals, b) it's always inspiring to watch someone doing a good deed and c) did I mention I love animals?

A helicopter pilot encountered a young deer that had fallen into an iced-over lake and couldn't get out.  He took a gamble that the wind force of his spinning blades would be enough to assist the deer in getting out of the ice and it worked!

You can watch his heroic act below.  I especially love how calm the deer seems given that it's being forcefully pushed across the ice by a loud, wind-whipping machine. 

Romantic Rose Box

I took another trip down to the flower market this weekend and picked up some beautiful coral-colored roses and some bells of Ireland for filler.  I planned on throwing them together in a clear vase for a simple look, but as you can see, I ended up with something completely different.  The best part?  This arrangement didn't cost me much at all!  If you like it, here's how you can make one too:

You will need:

• 9 to 12 roses or a similar flower with a thick stem 
• 4 stems of bells of Ireland or moss
• 1 large square of floral foam. It must be the kind you soak, not the kind used for silk flowers.  I've used Oasis Floral Foam in my example.  It can be purchased at most craft stores for around $3.00 
• 1 box of your choosing, preferably with a plastic liner. If you don't have a plastic liner, you can use a piece of tupperware in a similar size to your box.  In my example, I've used a box purchased from the discount rack for $4.00 at a Michael's craft store.  It came with it's own plastic liner. 
• Scissors

Steps:

1. Cut the block of floral foam so that it fits tightly inside of your box 
2. Then soak the block in a bowl of water.  You'll know it's done soaking after it sinks and then floats to the surface again. 
3. While your block soaks, cut the stems of your roses or preferred flower so that the stems measure 3 to 4 inches. 
4. Remove your block from the water and place inside of your box.  Your plastic liner will prevent any water damage so be sure that it's already inside the box when you transfer the floral foam into it. 
5. Once the block is secured inside of the box, you can start poking your flowers into the floral foam. In my example, I've created three rows of roses, though a scattered arrangement would look beautiful as well.
6. After securing the flowers, snip the blooms from your bells of Ireland and place all around your flowers, creating a border effect.  If you're using moss, you'll have less of a border and more of a soft edge.  Just be sure to cover any areas where the floral foam may be showing. 
7. Enjoy your creation!

The front view.  The white tablecloth underneath helps
to draw out more color.

Surprise!  The back of the box. 

Front view again sans pretty white tablecloth. 

I shared this DIY guide at:

http://runwithglitter.blogspot.com/

http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/