i made this.

i am proud.

after entirely too much time spent vacillating over this book shelf or that one – scouring IKEA, crate & barrel, cb2, west elm, vintage stores, you name it. . . (yes, i admit: i am one of those people always searching for the *perfect* solution + have a challenging time settling on the first thing i come across, even if it is *best*) i made my own.  with some bonus time on my hands, the DIY route felt right.  thanks to design*sponge + apartment therapy, i gained confidence plus inspiration.

my process: (1) measured the space, (2) had wood cut to size (the home depot in manhattan doesn’t do this, but most others do). fortunately the HD in my parents’ neighborhood has super friendly staff (FUBKLYN) and a very patient gentleman offered tips on securing the unit to the wall with the thin strips below the shelves — they are fastened to studs. (3) sanding – i put ar to work here: the repetitive motion of guitar strumming seemed to be great experience for 8 boards needing a once over [plus i hate sanding like i hate nail filing boards ::shivers:: ]

(4) STAINING IS HARD and this comes from an art major experienced with paints of different compositions.  not the best stain job, but good enough (5) cut 2 holes in the bottom 2 shelves to allow for tv cables (6) assembly !  in between the boards are plumbing materials : threaded pipes, flanges, nipples [insert awkward punch line from my trip to home depot]

all in all, she came out to be pretty sturdy [fingers*crossed] of course if i could do it all again, i would have the pipe cut to size and threaded, because i don’t totally love the blank space above the tv – but for a first go at furniture, i’m really really happy with it.  next i’d like to make a small box to house our records below the receiver.  ideally, the speakers wouldn’t rest on the floor – but it’s a manhattan apartment, it is what it is.

thar she is ! (though i take no credit for the uneven floorboard and tilted speaker)

» TOOLS:

4 pieces of 12″ wood cut to length

4 pieces of 2″ wood cut to length

16 screws to attach the pieces of wood to one another

12 screws to go through wood into stud

16 pluming flanges

8 threaded pipes in various sizes

64 screws to secure flanges to wood

+special thanks to brothers gibson for the person tips!

 

music friday !

woah – woah – woah.  lots of practice, one take.

director: greg jardin

dear hollerado, please recreate on tour?  tks.

 

i love a well-packed weekend

fun + unusual new york city happenings // reasons to leave the island of manhattan, first stop queens!

the maker faire has come to nyc / sat (10-7) + sun (10-6) / be sure to check out the extensive schedule of events. this fair(e) is one i’ve been to in the SF area — the bazaar bizarre set up shop there (remember?) it is equal parts elementary school science fair + local craft fair, majority part awesome. [featured above: ZOORI make your own flip flops] MAKE magazine created it to “celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the DIY mindset”  admission $25/day

28th annual queens county fair / sat + sun 11-6 / where you can expect the usuals: a maize maze, pie eating contests, pig racing!, petting zoo, blue ribbon competitions, rides and of course beer and fried food admission $7

. . . now head south to brooklyn . . .

36th annual atlantic antic street festival / sunday 10-6 / rain or shine, live music on nine stages, 600 vendors of food and art – and forecasted perfect autumnal weather (68°F)

– – – – –

i’d be a fool not to mention manhattan food festivals:

saturday: dumpling

sunday : apple day

 

i love this idea!

i’ve been on a DIY kick . . . painted a tarp for the bedroom (rather than paint the walls, i can bring this with me to the next apt!) and i’m working on a shelving unit which i’ll proudly photograph and boast if it turns out well –and if it doesn’t, this mention doesn’t exist–

in the spirit of making physical things (as opposed to digital ones) i am inspired by the one idea a day tumblr: 01mathery by design duo erika + matteo

particularly relevant (hi hub) i love this key solution — we currently use a shelf, which is nice and traditional, but hello – love the plugs! (hub: have any of these extra lying* around?) i smell project #3!

*laying and lying – so often misused, hope i did 144sheep proud here

 

do i want this rug?

why do i find decorating my personal space so challenging?  especially on a budget.  ho hum . . . went to home depot yesterday (the one where i grew up, not nyc, don’t get me started) and i look forward to seeing if i can actually construct a sturdy bookcase from poplar wood, threaded pipe and flanges . . . i’d never stained raw wood before and it came out pretty uneven — but hey, that’s what makes it ooak, right lol

shire rug // one kings lane

 

craft project

i want a cheshire cat of my very own – or to be a cheshire cat, that would be delightful!  swirling – floating – disappearing – grinning : clearly my favorite character in tim burton’s latest Alice in 3D, i’m not sure i loved him this much before.  thankfully, upstate fancy turned me on to this:

download the pdf here and if need be, follow these instructions <from the original blogpost on alice 2010> although this guy hasn’t yet perfected evaporation, he’s super smiley!

 

custom surprises

things i like:
1.  details
2. hidden treasures
3. personalization
4. travel
5. maps
6. crafts
7. free projects
8. google

fortunately, map envelope .com combines each of those elements!
type in location + sentiment, preview, print, fold + tape or glue

BAM! pretend to send mail from Tokyo – or even better, prep for the cross country drive with a handful of landmarks and cities in your supply.  cool.  tres cool

 

DIY – stencil from UO

houndstooth: a classic pattern + personal favorite

urban outfitter’s wallpaper stencil is on sale from $45.00 to $14.99 i particularly love the style pictured above, with double – offset spray.  this dramatic look would be nice in a small space, like nyc bathroom small.  or singular spray would be awesome across an entire wall in subtle hues (like cream on eggshell) two bits of inspiration from the interwebz :

refined wallpaper from h&d and super t-shirt, for the true tooth luvah <via houndstooth! blogpost>

 

pom pom = pom-pon

it’s true – those decorative balls of puff have an N at the end – wiki says.  they are great for party decor, gift embellishment or cat toys <i think, i have a dog – don’t listen to me>
here’s a simple a tutorial from kid craft central

supplies:
cardboard
wool/yarn
scissors
compass (or 2 varied sizes circular items to trace)

steps:

1.  from the cardboard, cut 2 doughnut shapes (using the compass or varied sized circles) ideal dimensions:  5cm outer diameter, 2cm inner – centered.  place the doughnut shaped cardboard pieces on top of one another.

2.  with manageable length wool/yarn, begin wrapping the cardboard fully around so that it is no longer visible.  when tying pieces together, make sure the knot falls along the perimeter, not on top of the cardboard’s flat surface.

3.  once you have done this with several layers, cut the string around the edge by putting your scissor blades between the two pieces of cardboard and cut.

4.  wrap one piece of yarn between the two cardboard pieces – around all strings, directly in their folds;  tie tightly.

5.  remove cardboard & trip any strands that are too long.

voila!

 

clever card

still on etsy. so what. i like it there, it’s comfortable.

top view

side view

inside view

i can think of several mac enthusiasts who would appreciate the hand made token.  $7 for the card w/envelope, includes writing or blank : your choice.  i’d dIY that personally.