yodle lay hee hoo?!

hi again, to anyone still out there.... just wanted to let you know thatnew christmas wreaths are going up in the shop. get yours now!

Thistles and Snowflakes Christmas wreath

hi again, to anyone still out there.... just wanted to let you know thatnew christmas wreaths are going up in the shop. get yours now!

Thistles and Snowflakes Christmas wreath

shop vacation and coupon code

hi there!

Straw Corn Swag $25

not only are there some new items in the shop for fall, i'm trying to get things into your hands before i leave on a much-needed extended vacation at the end of the month. use coupon code 13SEPT2013 for 13% off though september 23. (i was inspired by yesterday's friday the 13th!) the shop will remain open while we're gone, though items won't ship until we're back (makes sense, right?). ;)

also, new items have been added to the 2nd shop, LindaLouVintage, where we are selling vintage items inherited from a distant relative's estate. if you haven't already, please have a peek!

hope you are all enjoying the season!

hi there!

Straw Corn Swag $25

not only are there some new items in the shop for fall, i'm trying to get things into your hands before i leave on a much-needed extended vacation at the end of the month. use coupon code 13SEPT2013 for 13% off though september 23. (i was inspired by yesterday's friday the 13th!) the shop will remain open while we're gone, though items won't ship until we're back (makes sense, right?). ;)

also, new items have been added to the 2nd shop, LindaLouVintage, where we are selling vintage items inherited from a distant relative's estate. if you haven't already, please have a peek!

hope you are all enjoying the season!

introducing my new etsy vintage shop: LindaLouVintage!

i've opened a second etsy shop to find homes for all of the recently inherited treasures: LindaLouVintage! there's an odd lot of collectible items for sale there, and i'll continue to add more! please check out the new shop, and let me know if you see something you love. here's a few teasers:

Carving Set

Wind-up Elephant

Booklet of Canadian Stamps

Minolta XG7 Camera Body

i've opened a second etsy shop to find homes for all of the recently inherited treasures: LindaLouVintage! there's an odd lot of collectible items for sale there, and i'll continue to add more! please check out the new shop, and let me know if you see something you love. here's a few teasers:

Carving Set

Wind-up Elephant

Booklet of Canadian Stamps

Minolta XG7 Camera Body

vintage books

i have been busy with a new summer project researching and selling a collection of inherited things. most of it is stuff that i know nothing (but have been learning) about: coins, World War II memorabilia, old books and toys, pottery, etc. i came across a real find (for me) this weekend - a children's book called Mother Let Me Do It which has amazing illustrations that have me so excited. the book was published in 1925 and in addition to the fabulous color plates in the book, it includes poems about chores and everyday tasks for children. here are a few images; you can check out the full listing on ebay.

illustrated hardcover

inside cover (same front and back)

color plate and poem

i have been busy with a new summer project researching and selling a collection of inherited things. most of it is stuff that i know nothing (but have been learning) about: coins, World War II memorabilia, old books and toys, pottery, etc. i came across a real find (for me) this weekend - a children's book called Mother Let Me Do It which has amazing illustrations that have me so excited. the book was published in 1925 and in addition to the fabulous color plates in the book, it includes poems about chores and everyday tasks for children. here are a few images; you can check out the full listing on ebay.

illustrated hardcover

inside cover (same front and back)

color plate and poem

stag horn fern project and sunroom redux

admission: we did two DIY projects involving driftwood this past weekend. the second was to mount this stag horn fern to a small piece of driftwood and hang the whole shebang on the wall. it is mounted between the living room and sunroom (the sunroom windows fast east, north, and south). this guy makes me incredibly happy. i love, love, love it, and i hope he likes his new home, too. once he was on the wall, it inspired a whole switcheroo of plants from elsewhere in the house to round out the new and improved treehouse feel for the front sunroom (pictured below).

admission: we did two DIY projects involving driftwood this past weekend. the second was to mount this stag horn fern to a small piece of driftwood and hang the whole shebang on the wall. it is mounted between the living room and sunroom (the sunroom windows fast east, north, and south). this guy makes me incredibly happy. i love, love, love it, and i hope he likes his new home, too. once he was on the wall, it inspired a whole switcheroo of plants from elsewhere in the house to round out the new and improved treehouse feel for the front sunroom (pictured below).

oh, hi!

sorry, readers -- it's been a while to say the least. what's been going on? things have been busy. really busy. busy at work, busy traveling, busy being sick, busy doing. things in the shop have been selling themselves, and i will be posting new items this week -- good news, right?! this also means that i'm back in full swing, and have a few good projects to share.

the first is our driftwood wall art project. we recently nabbed this awesome piece of driftwood in ohio and thought it would be great above the bed, where we've been thinking we needed to add something. turns out, it pairs great with the new diptych of drawings by chicago artist darren burge. all we did to the driftwood was scrub it in a bleach-water solution, let it dry in the sun, and apply a little outdoor wood oil to seal it.

 

so that i'm not inundating you with one long post about all of the projects, i'll stretch them out a bit. stay tuned for more!

sorry, readers -- it's been a while to say the least. what's been going on? things have been busy. really busy. busy at work, busy traveling, busy being sick, busy doing. things in the shop have been selling themselves, and i will be posting new items this week -- good news, right?! this also means that i'm back in full swing, and have a few good projects to share.

the first is our driftwood wall art project. we recently nabbed this awesome piece of driftwood in ohio and thought it would be great above the bed, where we've been thinking we needed to add something. turns out, it pairs great with the new diptych of drawings by chicago artist darren burge. all we did to the driftwood was scrub it in a bleach-water solution, let it dry in the sun, and apply a little outdoor wood oil to seal it.

 

so that i'm not inundating you with one long post about all of the projects, i'll stretch them out a bit. stay tuned for more!

office re-vamp

you might remember my post last year about trying to make my office work better for me. the remaining items in the "what's left to figure out" category proved to be the catalyst for a really legitimate change in my office set up. not only do i now have more countertop/desktop space, i still have enough drawers to keep the clutter out of sight and i get to turn and enjoy my window. i've even made sure to position myself in such a spot that passersby in the hall can't see what i'm doing. so far so good!

you might remember my post last year about trying to make my office work better for me. the remaining items in the "what's left to figure out" category proved to be the catalyst for a really legitimate change in my office set up. not only do i now have more countertop/desktop space, i still have enough drawers to keep the clutter out of sight and i get to turn and enjoy my window. i've even made sure to position myself in such a spot that passersby in the hall can't see what i'm doing. so far so good!

wood slab table redo

the Mistero and I have been working on overhauling this wood slab table and its two benches since last fall. we sanded off layers and layers of varnish from the tabletop and benches, and now the Mistero insists on also sanding the bottoms (sigh). while i agree that sanding dramatically improves the undersides, does anyone really care? the clean, refinished surfaces have been painstakenly oiled many times over. i'll share more photos as we progress with this project. while we are obviously pouring lots of DIY TLC into this project, we don't really have a place for any of these pieces in our home. that said, if any one might be interested in purchasing the table, its awesome iron base, or one of the benches, please contact me for more information and additional photos.

mid-process of refinishing this awesome wood slab table on a Chicago Iron Works base

wood slab tabletop detail (un-oiled)

instagrammed photo of the freshly oiled underside of bench #2

the Mistero and I have been working on overhauling this wood slab table and its two benches since last fall. we sanded off layers and layers of varnish from the tabletop and benches, and now the Mistero insists on also sanding the bottoms (sigh). while i agree that sanding dramatically improves the undersides, does anyone really care? the clean, refinished surfaces have been painstakenly oiled many times over. i'll share more photos as we progress with this project. while we are obviously pouring lots of DIY TLC into this project, we don't really have a place for any of these pieces in our home. that said, if any one might be interested in purchasing the table, its awesome iron base, or one of the benches, please contact me for more information and additional photos.

mid-process of refinishing this awesome wood slab table on a Chicago Iron Works base

wood slab tabletop detail (un-oiled)

instagrammed photo of the freshly oiled underside of bench #2

custom orders

i've been getting a lot of requests for custom orders lately. if you've been considering something, dash me a message - let's talk! inspired by the Inca Sunflower Wreath in the shop, i created two large-scale custom wreaths for Candace's oversized entryways. i made these 22-inch wreaths for her 29-inch wide double doors.

i've been getting a lot of requests for custom orders lately. if you've been considering something, dash me a message - let's talk! inspired by the Inca Sunflower Wreath in the shop, i created two large-scale custom wreaths for Candace's oversized entryways. i made these 22-inch wreaths for her 29-inch wide double doors.

google reader alternatives

i was surprised to learn today that google reader will only remain available until july 1, 2013. i thought this article from lifehacker.com included a number of good alternatives.

which reader product do you use/recommend?

i was surprised to learn today that google reader will only remain available until july 1, 2013. i thought this article from lifehacker.com included a number of good alternatives.

which reader product do you use/recommend?

framing advice

i need some advice on framing. i just acquired 4 paintings/drawings (two singles and a diptych) that will need to be matted and framed. i have used joann's but never have used michael's. my usual m.o. is to cobble together mats and frames from various sources (dick blick, target, resale shops, etc.) and do it myself. but in this case, it's time to call in the professionals, partly because they are all odd sizes. what are your favorite resources?

untitled landscape by Darren Burge

i need some advice on framing. i just acquired 4 paintings/drawings (two singles and a diptych) that will need to be matted and framed. i have used joann's but never have used michael's. my usual m.o. is to cobble together mats and frames from various sources (dick blick, target, resale shops, etc.) and do it myself. but in this case, it's time to call in the professionals, partly because they are all odd sizes. what are your favorite resources?

untitled landscape by Darren Burge

think spring shop sale!

one of these days, spring is a-comin! to help you get ready and brighten things up, use coupon code THINKSPRING for 15% off in the shop.

one of these days, spring is a-comin! to help you get ready and brighten things up, use coupon code THINKSPRING for 15% off in the shop.

custom terrarium project

i was recently hired to do a home reorganization and rearrangement project and, while we were celebrating our success at the end of a long weekend with a glass of champagne, the client asked me to create a custom for her living room.

custom terrarium for C.C.

i knew right away that i wanted to keep the cost of the vessel low, since i had already helped her spend a heap of dough on the reorganization project. if you have extra scratch to spend on a lovely vessel, i highly recommend the recycled glass terrariums at sprout home (sprout also happens to be one of my happy places).

so, i set off to tjmaxx and landed an anchor hocking 2.5-gallon jar with lid for a mere $20 + tax. think creatively to save money and figure out a work around! my client is a lover of all animals, but particularly of pigs, so i added a vintage plastic piggie to personalize it for her. i watered everything before sealing it up with the lid. i can't wait to give it to her tomorrow!

step 1: get the goods (jar)

step 1: get the goods (plants). zamioculcas (Z plant), tricolor fern, polka-dot hypoestes

step 2: river rocks on the bottom

step 3: activated charcoal

step 4: plants and finishing touches. here, i've included a dried
mushroom at left and a vintage plastic piggie on the right. 

i was recently hired to do a home reorganization and rearrangement project and, while we were celebrating our success at the end of a long weekend with a glass of champagne, the client asked me to create a custom for her living room.

custom terrarium for C.C.

i knew right away that i wanted to keep the cost of the vessel low, since i had already helped her spend a heap of dough on the reorganization project. if you have extra scratch to spend on a lovely vessel, i highly recommend the recycled glass terrariums at sprout home (sprout also happens to be one of my happy places).

so, i set off to tjmaxx and landed an anchor hocking 2.5-gallon jar with lid for a mere $20 + tax. think creatively to save money and figure out a work around! my client is a lover of all animals, but particularly of pigs, so i added a vintage plastic piggie to personalize it for her. i watered everything before sealing it up with the lid. i can't wait to give it to her tomorrow!

step 1: get the goods (jar)

step 1: get the goods (plants). zamioculcas (Z plant), tricolor fern, polka-dot hypoestes

step 2: river rocks on the bottom

step 3: activated charcoal

step 4: plants and finishing touches. here, i've included a dried
mushroom at left and a vintage plastic piggie on the right. 

product review: urban outfitters / industrial dresser

due to an odd-shaped spot in our bedroom between the closet and the window, i've been searching for the right piece of furniture for quite a while. we used to have an armless slipper chair in that spot, but it just ended up with a pile of clothes on it. so i finally bit the bullet and purchased this dresser, since it was the only one i've found that would foot the bill. the first one arrived with some damage, and, after a confusing and slightly misleading exchange with a customer service representative, unpacking, repacking, and unpacking the 78-pound box (not to mention getting it up into and back down from our apartment), i received a solid, good-to-go replacement. overall, i'm happy with it – i knew the drawers would not be too big or of the best construction. for now, it's what we need and what we have!

due to an odd-shaped spot in our bedroom between the closet and the window, i've been searching for the right piece of furniture for quite a while. we used to have an armless slipper chair in that spot, but it just ended up with a pile of clothes on it. so i finally bit the bullet and purchased this dresser, since it was the only one i've found that would foot the bill. the first one arrived with some damage, and, after a confusing and slightly misleading exchange with a customer service representative, unpacking, repacking, and unpacking the 78-pound box (not to mention getting it up into and back down from our apartment), i received a solid, good-to-go replacement. overall, i'm happy with it – i knew the drawers would not be too big or of the best construction. for now, it's what we need and what we have!

perhaps the nerdiest reorganization project of all time

rehanging the living room brought to light the disaster that was our hardware "organization." so, i hopped to and bought a new container (with a proper lock, which our existing one no longer had), sat down with some HGTV and got to reorganizing our nails, screws, hooks, and beebobs. much better!

before

after

rehanging the living room brought to light the disaster that was our hardware "organization." so, i hopped to and bought a new container (with a proper lock, which our existing one no longer had), sat down with some HGTV and got to reorganizing our nails, screws, hooks, and beebobs. much better!

before

after

reorganizing (art edition)

i've been doing the usual new year's purge/organization re-vamp of both the nooks and crannies (eg, bathroom drawers/medicine cabinet and the like) and more public displays in our house. this is the living room gallery wall re-hang i just completed, after having moved some photos in from other rooms (sources included below). nothing looks this crooked in person, i swear.

{click to enlarge} 

1. Jonathan Gitelson Popcorn Machine from "The Scavenger Hunt" 
2. Micro-Fred Small Moose Trophy from Cardboard Safari on Etsy
3. Yellow Tracks Roller Coaster (by me)
4. Locks (by me)
5. Justin Newhall Bear Chasing Captain Lewis, Great Falls, Montana from "Historical Marker"
6. Found branch, West Virginia, November 2009
7. Sarah Bierman Grass Throw from "Four Five Six"
8. Shack, Healdsburg (by me)
9.  Talking Birds from Pistachio Press on Etsy
10. {title unknown} by Rachel Austin on Etsy 
11. ceramic feather from Jayson Home and Garden (so is our couch!)
12. Redwoods re-printed with permission from the Library of Congress
13. Wire Tightener by me – available on Etsy 
14. Knitty knitty by Ashley G on Etsy (we also have Come on in (green) in the attached sunroom)
15. Side Plate from Anthropologie
16. Valley View by me – available on Etsy
 

i've been doing the usual new year's purge/organization re-vamp of both the nooks and crannies (eg, bathroom drawers/medicine cabinet and the like) and more public displays in our house. this is the living room gallery wall re-hang i just completed, after having moved some photos in from other rooms (sources included below). nothing looks this crooked in person, i swear.

{click to enlarge} 

1. Jonathan Gitelson Popcorn Machine from "The Scavenger Hunt" 
2. Micro-Fred Small Moose Trophy from Cardboard Safari on Etsy
3. Yellow Tracks Roller Coaster (by me)
4. Locks (by me)
5. Justin Newhall Bear Chasing Captain Lewis, Great Falls, Montana from "Historical Marker"
6. Found branch, West Virginia, November 2009
7. Sarah Bierman Grass Throw from "Four Five Six"
8. Shack, Healdsburg (by me)
9.  Talking Birds from Pistachio Press on Etsy
10. {title unknown} by Rachel Austin on Etsy 
11. ceramic feather from Jayson Home and Garden (so is our couch!)
12. Redwoods re-printed with permission from the Library of Congress
13. Wire Tightener by me – available on Etsy 
14. Knitty knitty by Ashley G on Etsy (we also have Come on in (green) in the attached sunroom)
15. Side Plate from Anthropologie
16. Valley View by me – available on Etsy
 

cheese box side table

hi again. things have been quiet in the shop, and though i've also been quiet here, i have been working on some fun projects.

inspired by this design*sponge before and after, i picked up this cheese box for a pittance at a local home resale store, added castors, and called it a table. bonus: it's from a local (wisconsin) cheesemaker, and does not seem to have housed a stinky cheese! i might add a protective coat of varnish once the weather's warmer and i can work outside, but otherwise it's just perfect as it is.

cheese box + castors = side table

cheese box side table vignette

hi again. things have been quiet in the shop, and though i've also been quiet here, i have been working on some fun projects.

inspired by this design*sponge before and after, i picked up this cheese box for a pittance at a local home resale store, added castors, and called it a table. bonus: it's from a local (wisconsin) cheesemaker, and does not seem to have housed a stinky cheese! i might add a protective coat of varnish once the weather's warmer and i can work outside, but otherwise it's just perfect as it is.

cheese box + castors = side table

cheese box side table vignette

USPS price increase / TTT coupon code

just a quick note to let you know that USPS will be increasing their pricing effective january 27. shipping prices in the shop will have to be adjusted accordingly, so if you've got an eye on something, you might want to snag it now! to help you get that done, use coupon code beatusps for 15% off on orders placed through january 23 (to ship by january 26).

just a quick note to let you know that USPS will be increasing their pricing effective january 27. shipping prices in the shop will have to be adjusted accordingly, so if you've got an eye on something, you might want to snag it now! to help you get that done, use coupon code beatusps for 15% off on orders placed through january 23 (to ship by january 26).

new wreaths for the new year

two newbies in the shop!

20-inch Pastoral Grapevine Wreath

14-inch Moss & Thistles Grapevine Wreath

 

 

two newbies in the shop!

20-inch Pastoral Grapevine Wreath

14-inch Moss & Thistles Grapevine Wreath

 

 

HHDE day 31: arrivederci 2012!

* read the original HHDE post here. follow along and post your daily endeavors in the comments! {click photos to enlarge}

we filled the time between xmas and NYE with a trip to the vet for poor spider-dog's uti, bacterial infection, and loose tooth and a trip to the hospital for The Mistero's very-badly-sprained-but-not-broken ankle, scraped shin, and pulled neck muscle from a fall on the icy stairs outside our apartment. these were two hands-on projects that i hadn't planned or looked forward to.

The Mistero waiting (uncomfortably) for the diagnosis

Spider doing her best to keep The Mistero off his feet by laying on his crutches

despite all the doom-and-gloom news to end the year, we managed to pull together a fine meal and pop a few souvenir bottles of gruet from our visit there last february. but, because we weren't fully-functioning, we had to forgo our usual homemade fried chicken recipe from one of my/our favorite cookbooks of all time, ad hoc at home, and instead ordered take-out chicken. i made mac-n-cheese, and my go-to is always martha stewart's recipe, which i have now made so many times that i have my own adaptation on it. maybe i will get around to posting my recipe for it one of these days. we also made whipped sweet potatoes and kale salad. the biscuits came with the chicken and our friend brought a very tasty chocolate mousse cake, which we shared right at midnight after a few rounds of games.
 

NYE dinner

chocolate mousse cake

i hope you all had a safe, happy, and healthy NYE! cheers to 2013!

* read the original HHDE post here. follow along and post your daily endeavors in the comments! {click photos to enlarge}

we filled the time between xmas and NYE with a trip to the vet for poor spider-dog's uti, bacterial infection, and loose tooth and a trip to the hospital for The Mistero's very-badly-sprained-but-not-broken ankle, scraped shin, and pulled neck muscle from a fall on the icy stairs outside our apartment. these were two hands-on projects that i hadn't planned or looked forward to.

The Mistero waiting (uncomfortably) for the diagnosis

Spider doing her best to keep The Mistero off his feet by laying on his crutches

despite all the doom-and-gloom news to end the year, we managed to pull together a fine meal and pop a few souvenir bottles of gruet from our visit there last february. but, because we weren't fully-functioning, we had to forgo our usual homemade fried chicken recipe from one of my/our favorite cookbooks of all time, ad hoc at home, and instead ordered take-out chicken. i made mac-n-cheese, and my go-to is always martha stewart's recipe, which i have now made so many times that i have my own adaptation on it. maybe i will get around to posting my recipe for it one of these days. we also made whipped sweet potatoes and kale salad. the biscuits came with the chicken and our friend brought a very tasty chocolate mousse cake, which we shared right at midnight after a few rounds of games.
 

NYE dinner

chocolate mousse cake

i hope you all had a safe, happy, and healthy NYE! cheers to 2013!

HHDE days 24-25: xmas!!

* read the original HHDE post here. follow along and post your daily endeavors in the comments! {click photos to enlarge}

The Mistero's family has a xmas eve tradition involving men and boys braving the cold dawn on an early morning visit to the fish market and cheese shop, with breakfast to follow. so i usually use that time to uphold my own xmas-time tradition of reading "holidays on ice" by david sedaris. i even have an old copy of the book inscribed and autographed by mr. sedaris himself!

since our recent tradition has been to host on xmas day, i also got started with some table-seating tree-branch crafts and setting the table:

here's how the final table setting looked on xmas day, before the food went down and the guests arrived:

our recently-minted xmas tradition also involves making homemade bagels on xmas morning (hence the advance table setting). my bread bible is "artisan bread everyday" by peter reinhart. this also gives me HHDE cred for starting the dough on day 23, for which there is no blog entry.

homemade sesame, poppyseed, and everything bagels

since our xmas day festivities are a potluck affair, we (for once) decided to go easy on ourselves and make a one-pot dish. i hadn't had chicken marbella until our neighbor made it for us last year, and if you haven't had it, you should make it lickedy-split – it is an easy and delicious crowd pleaser! another favorite dish i keep making is salad with roasted butternut squash, walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and shaved parmigiano reggiano. this time i also added roasted beets, red onion, and a little bit of bacon (yum!). sometimes i add farro or quinoa, too, or whatever else strikes my fancy.

we had the "log" going all day, keeping everyone warm and toasty on what turned out to be a beautifully snowy xmas day. hope you all had a very merry holiday!

* read the original HHDE post here. follow along and post your daily endeavors in the comments! {click photos to enlarge}

The Mistero's family has a xmas eve tradition involving men and boys braving the cold dawn on an early morning visit to the fish market and cheese shop, with breakfast to follow. so i usually use that time to uphold my own xmas-time tradition of reading "holidays on ice" by david sedaris. i even have an old copy of the book inscribed and autographed by mr. sedaris himself!

since our recent tradition has been to host on xmas day, i also got started with some table-seating tree-branch crafts and setting the table:

here's how the final table setting looked on xmas day, before the food went down and the guests arrived:

our recently-minted xmas tradition also involves making homemade bagels on xmas morning (hence the advance table setting). my bread bible is "artisan bread everyday" by peter reinhart. this also gives me HHDE cred for starting the dough on day 23, for which there is no blog entry.

homemade sesame, poppyseed, and everything bagels

since our xmas day festivities are a potluck affair, we (for once) decided to go easy on ourselves and make a one-pot dish. i hadn't had chicken marbella until our neighbor made it for us last year, and if you haven't had it, you should make it lickedy-split – it is an easy and delicious crowd pleaser! another favorite dish i keep making is salad with roasted butternut squash, walnuts, pomegranate seeds, and shaved parmigiano reggiano. this time i also added roasted beets, red onion, and a little bit of bacon (yum!). sometimes i add farro or quinoa, too, or whatever else strikes my fancy.

we had the "log" going all day, keeping everyone warm and toasty on what turned out to be a beautifully snowy xmas day. hope you all had a very merry holiday!