DIY PILLOW COVERS (FROM CLOTH NAPKINS)

Hello, dear reader! Happy Monday! I am officially in a state of limbo, having finished my full-time job last week and ready to begin graduate school in about a month. I graduated from college a year ago in May, planning to take one year off before continuing onto graduate school. Today, as the year is coming to an end, I can confidently say that I'm very happy I took the time off. Besides getting acquainted with a new (and beautiful) part of the country, saving up from a year's worth of working, and having some time to take a breath from school, I have learned a lot about myself.

I'm one of those people who loves school, and I was surprised to discover that I behave pretty differently when I'm not in school (i.e. how I take care of myself, motivate myself, and in general structure my life). After having been in school for as much of my life as I can remember, how could it not be exciting to discover a new layer of myself?

Up until this year, I was kept plenty busy with goals I was trying to attain. They were all so natural, just following a path that had been laid out for me by teachers, parents, institutions, and (at some point) myself. In many ways, it was so easy to for me to get through because goals were so clearly laid out for me. You know: If you want to get an A, you need to do this homework; if you want to get better at piano, here are the ways you should practice. Surely it's not always so simple. But in general, someone was telling me where to be, what time, and how to be prepared for it. That I can do.

This year, my schedule and goals were a blank slate. I chose when and where to be, what to learn, and how to evaluate myself. That... I was not so good at. It involved a lot of sifting through myself to figure out what's important to me and how I can best use my talents to serve the world. And though I learned a lot, I feel like I've just barely scratched the surface.

I know, I sound like an early-twenty-something off to find herself. But that's what I aaaaam! Sigh.

DIY PILLOW COVERS (FROM CLOTH NAPKINS)

SO. In these few weeks off, I'm studying, practicing, and trying to finish up several little projects around the apartment, starting with these pillow covers.

This black and white pillow below (from CB2, a few years ago), was our only couch pillow. It's SO COMFORTABLE, but it's old and dirty (please observe), and it doesn't go with the room. Conveniently, I have these darling napkins which I like so much I wanted to display them. Plus, I've had them for months and never used them because I don't want them to get dirty. Obviously it was time to use them for something else.

I don't have a sewing machine, so I used heat-bond hem tape on 3 sides of the cover, put the pillow inside, then sewed up the final edge by hand.

I'm sure you don't need a photo tutorial, but I want to include it to emphasize how easy this was :)

Iron the napkins well. Line them up together, face to face. Lay a piece of hem tape JUST inside the hem of the napkin. If you put the tape directly on the hem, it will have thicker, bumpier fabric to bond and won't be as strong.

Now proceed to the next section.

And continue until you've finished 3 sides of the square. Be sure to fold the corners under evenly so they look neat. It helps to iron them exactly how you want them before adding the tape.

Then turn it right-side-out, and iron well once more.

Slip the pillow inside, and sew up the edge. Voila!

I also made this darling little 2-tone cover the same way - with one yellow and one white napkin. For this one, I actually bought a pillow form from Michael's. These napkins were smaller, so I think it's only 12 x 12. (Better photo above.)

COZY SUMMER BALCONY (IN A RENTED APARTMENT)

I've been working hard to "summer up" our balcony, and I'm happy to say that we're now enjoying a very lovely space! It's pretty (yay); it's practical (still using it for storage); and it's usable (you can get comfy out there - day or night; alone or with friends; reading, eating, sleeping, whatever). I'm really excited about the space, and I'm excited to share it with you! And to share ideas and tips for your own balcony/patio, so you can get out there on... those su-um-mer ni-hights.

Something's pretty enchanting about being with friends on warm-weather nights, especially if you've got twinkle lights and booze. When I lived in Illinois, I spent my summers at home (my mom's house), where I was absolutely spoiled by ideal settings for those enchanting kinds of summer nights: a beautiful patio, a fire pit, a big open pasture (we used to have horses). And we lived in the country so, of course, stars. Always stars.

Now my little SF bay area apartment definitely doesn't have a big open field or a fire pit, but we're so lucky to have a sizable balcony with plenty of trees to look at and lots of twinkle lights leftover from our wedding. Actually I may have gone a little overboard in the twinkle lights department... I think we're probably the Griswolds of our building. (But I love it. I love twinkle lights outdoors. A lot.)

Despite those advantages, there were some minor obstacles:

• narrow space
• small budget
• renting, so can't put holes in the walls
• don't have a green thumb, direct sunlight, or much time to spend caring for plants
• still needed to use some space for storage (bikes, garden stuff, outdoor things etc.)

I DEALT WITH THE NARROW SPACE  by arranging the seating as circularly as possible, while offsetting the chairs so that no one is sitting directly across from someone else.

I also used a big mirror at one end of the patio to make the space seem bigger. The mirror is from an old dresser set, and simply leans agains the wall (so I didn't have to put holes in the wall).

Another must for small spaces is versatile furniture, e.g. chairs that can fold up and be moved, benches or footstools that have storage space inside, side tables with drawers. One of my favorite pieces of the balcony is this ottoman (from Target), which we use also as a pillow and a table.

AS FOR A SMALL BUDGET, I tried to work with what we had and buy as little as possible. I thrifted and made things by hand (check out my Pinterest for more inspiration). The biggest investment we made was in seat cushions, which was very much worth it (Bed, Bath, & Beyond). Besides making the space more comfortable, they of course add color and patterns. Mix and match. Not all seats have to have cushions. Another quick way to make the patio cozier is to add a rug. (Our balcony floor seems to be kind of yucky, no matter how much we clean it, so a rug made a huge difference for us. Try TJMaxx and HomeGoods for nice, inexpensive rugs.) Plus, a rug in the middle of a seating area gives the seating a central focus point and helps tie the area together.

Definitely check out thrift stores and flea markets for these things:
patio chairs and side tables
mirrors
lanterns, candle holders, other decor
flower pots and planters, plant stands
sheets/curtains/fabrics for making fabric garlands, outdoor curtains, or slipcovers

I also hit up the Dollar Store, just in case something jumped out at me. You never know what you'll find! I got these square glass candle holders and vase-filler pebbles to use as candle holders (see below).

This fabric garland is made from strips of thrifted sheets, and it does a nice job covering the not-so-pretty metal railing. Of course it looks darling with large LED twinkle lights, too :)

OKAY, ON NOT PUTTING HOLES IN THE WALLS: I already mentioned the large mirror at one end of the patio, which has long legs attached to the back so it can lean against the wall and doesn't need to be hung. I also have this huge piece of plywood (8' x 3'), painted blue. (It used to have a mirror on it but I've now recycled it to something new.) I leaned that in the corner to use as a little patch of removable wall that CAN have holes in it. I hung fabric over the top as a kind of a "background," to make it feel a little more cozy. You can do this on the real wall, too: hanging fabric or a curtain directly on a wall requires minimal holes if you use small hooks and a wire. If you're worried about weather-proofing, try a shower curtain. 

Also, consider putting some holes in the ceiling. I know that's cheating a bit, but you can find tiny hooks (for lanterns, lights, etc.) that would only put a small hole in the ceiling. Plus, hanging from the ceiling adds depth. And after a couple of lanterns are up, you might not need anything on the wall at all. 

This little hanging starter vase came from CB2. Isn't it darling? The frame and fabrics were thrifted. 

NOW, ABOUT PLANTS. Many of you may be blessed with a plenty of sunlight on your balcony, or even a green thumb, and I'm so happy for you! But plants are not my thing (though I'm trying!). If you're like me, with limited space, not too much time to spend caring for plants, and a mostly shaded balcony, don't fret. You have plenty of options! (I'll write a more detailed post for you soon with tips for balcony gardens :) ) For now, I'll say two things: succulents and herbs. Succulents are low maintenance, drought-tolerant, and really don't need full sun (though they like it). Many herbs will do well with part sun/part shade. Try using some rail planters to maximize sunlight and minimize the space they take up. (Make your own rail planters by drilling holes in plastic pots and attaching them with zip ties.)

USING THE SPACE FOR STORAGE works mostly because we have sectioned off the patio into two areas: seating and storage. We kept the small area to one side of the door for storage only (bikes, garden things, etc.), and the larger area on the other side of the door is for seating only. With our particular layout, the placement of the door helps section off the space, but some other ways to create sections are: keep walking space between the sections, use rugs to indicate sections, or arrange furniture in a way that clearly excludes the storage section.

In addition to creating sections, we have furniture that doubles as storage space. My favorite is my "bench," made from seat cushions and a wooden chest. I know, the cushions look kind of funny like that. But, hey, the patio already has a somewhat eclectic, thrown-together feel, right? :) And since the cushions are so comfy, it doesn't bother me.

Hope this post provided some inspiration for your own outdoor space! It's already JULY, people! So go outside right now, sweep off your patio, and imagine yourself cozied up with friends, twinkle lights, and booze. Your next stop: thrift shop.

Happy 4th!

HOMEMADE LOTION BARS (3 INGREDIENTS, ALL NATURAL)

Hello, dear Reader! It's my first "spring" in California, and I have all kinds of mixed feelings. First I was shocked when, a few weeks ago, I noticed tulips sprouting up from the ground. In early February! And now spring blooms are all around. Of course they're gorgeous, and I love seeing them just everywhere, but it's kind of messing with my sense of time and season. You see, in Illinois, the flowers don't wake up until April or May, and the first flowers that do come up are brave little souls, as they may well get taken by a late frost.

Regardless of the pretty fleurs and sunny warmth we've had, my skin has been as dry and wintery as ever. These little bars have been wonderful. I've been using them especially for my feet: putting on a bunch before I go to sleep, and wearing socks to bed. Waking up with soft feet is a pretty nice way to start the day!

We've had a few big chunks of beeswax lying around, leftover from other projects, and I've been wanting to use some to make lotion for a while now. Then when I saw Trader Joe's had coconut oil for CHEAP, I finally did it. I used just three ingredients:

• beeswax (I got mine at Michael's - you can find it cheaper online, but shipping can be expensive.)
• coconut oil (the cheapest I've seen it - including online - is Trader Joe's)
• grapeseed oil

Before choosing my ingredients, I sifted through many recipes and tried decide which ingredients would make the least greasy bars. At first I was a little disappointed in these because they seemed quite greasy, but that goes away quickly - it sort of just melts into your skin. Now I really like them.

For your information, there are tons of recipes out there for lotion bars, so you can mix and match the basic ingredients. For example, you can replace grapeseed oil with almond oil, or replace coconut oil with cocoa butter or shea butter. The idea is that you have a liquid oil and a solid oil with the beeswax. You can also add Essential Oils (like lavender or citrus), but I chose not to because I nanny in a scent-free home.

Just melt the ingredients together, pour them into molds, and wait a few minutes for them to set!

Simple. Natural. Inexpensive.

HOMEMADE LOTION BARS RECIPE

You will need:

• beeswax
• coconut oil
• grapeseed oil
• silicon mold (I used a silicon mini-brownie mold - they came out very easily.)

Use equal parts of each ingredient. I just measured with my eyes:

In a double broiler (or you can use the microwave), melt the beeswax. Once completely melted, add coconut oil, stirring occasionally. When coconut oil is melted, add grapeseed oil and stir to combine. Pour into silicon molds and allow to set. Mine only took about an hour, but I left them overnight just to be sure.

Pop them out of the molds, and you're done!

DIY STRING-AND-NAIL PLAQUE (ILLINOIS)

Hello, dear Reader! Have you seen these state plaques floating around the web? I remember first seeing them on Etsy and deciding I needed to make one someday. Now that I'm living so far from my family and beloved home state, it seems like the perfect time to display a little homage to my dear Illinois.

By the way, my dear fellow Californians, the 'S' at the end of "Illinois" is silent. As in "Iroquois." Illinois and Iroquois are French-derived names of Native American peoples/their Algonquian languages. Just as in French, you would pronounce the 'S' if it were followed by an 'E' - as in "turquoise." Or as in the Sufjan Stevens' album, Come on! Feel the Illinoise! :)

Sorry... I like words...

Anyway, this plaque was a ton of fun.
And a piece of cake.
And you don't have to do it all at once.
And it looks just darling.

My husband and I are actually from the same hometown (that's the spot the strings come back to, of course), and the Midwest is a big part of both of our lives. Having the plaque right over the couch is a nice way for us to keep "home" near us :)

Here's what I used:

• wood plaque from Michael's
• acrylic paint
• outline of your shape printed/drawn on plain computer paper
• finishing nails
• crochet thread

Paint the board (if you're going to) and let it dry. Situate the paper with your outline where you want it to be, and tape the corners down with some scotch tape.

Use a pencil to trace the shape the nails will make. Press hard enough that you make a slight indention of the outline on the wood (the paper may rip a bit in places). Check the board occasionally to be sure you're applying the right amount of pressure. You can see it below:

Once you have the outline, nail away! Be sure to make the center group of nails large enough that those nails will be able to hold the weight of all the string. I did NOT do that correctly... you can tell in the picture that some of the center nails are being pulled because there's too much weight on them. I'll fix that some day... maybe... :)

For each start of string, I tied two tight knots around the starting nail. I only restarted the string when I had loops that didn't return to the center circle (e.g. the bottom left sections), when I you have no choice but to start the string over.

Simple as that! Hope you're enjoying your January, dear Reader. Happy crafting :)

PHOTOS ON CLOTHESPINS: FILL AN ANTIQUE FRAME

This summer, my mother and I thrifted a whole slew of amazing antique wooden frames to use for my wedding (and just because!), and when I moved from Illinois to California, the frames were one of the first things on my list to bring along. There are SO many awesome uses for cool frames, including hanging them empty on the wall. I decided I'd hang my favorites above the couch - empty. Then I could take my time filling each one.

So this is the first, and I chose pictures. We don't have many options for displaying pictures in our apartment (no shelves for frames, and not a lot of wall space that I'm willing to give up for pictures), so I thought I'd display a whole bunch in this one frame. It's cheap and easy, and it looks adorable!

Here's what I used:

• an old wooden frame (thrifted)
• twine
• push pins
• mini (1-inch) clothespins - got them at Michael's

I used push-pins to secure both ends of the twine in the frame. They're really not noticeable, but if you do see them, they look a bit tacky. Unfortunately, the frame is so fragile that taking it down from the wall might be fatal, and it can't handle much pressure as far as attaching things to it. So my plan is to swipe those pushpins with a little bit of brown paint. Hopefully that will camouflage them enough :)

Also, I'm planning to take the pictures down and back them with card stock. You can see in the picture that they're beginning to curl, and they just don't look as nice.

Well that's it - easy as pie. Thanks for stopping by, dear Reader :)
Now go thrift yourself an old wooden frame!

DIY Kitchen Hamper

In just about every kitchen I've ever had, there's a clutter problem with dirty laundry. Among all the towels, rags, and napkins, kitchen laundry adds up - especially if you're like me, trying not to use paper towels or paper napkins. And I don't know about you, dear readers, but mine usually ends up piled on the floor. Well, not anymore! Thanks to this cute little DIY hamper :)

Burlap-Bound Advice Booklets

You’ve seen it before: “Write your advice to the bride and groom/new mom/birthday girl/[insert occasion here]!”  They’re especially great at showers and smaller settings, where people can really pour their hearts out (or, you know, at the right kind of shower, write wildly and wonderfully inappropriate things).

You see them at weddings, too, but they’re often very public (like writing on polaroid photos or scrapbook papers that are hung up to display at the reception).

I like the idea of making multiple smaller books: one for each table. That way, every guest is free to write as little or as much as he or she wants – and at any time. It’s so fun to read through them all – what a trip of laughter and tears! (Especially because the advice can get sloppier, wetter (literally), and, well, drunker as the night goes on!)

These are great because they’re all paper, so they stack and store easily for keeping. Plus, they’re simple and easy to make.

I used assorted ivory textured papers (I actually got it at Wal-Mart) for the inside pages, and printed cardstock (on sale from Hobby Lobby) for the covers.

Cut your pages to size, and cut the burlap trim however you like. Fold the burlap around the end of the book to be bound, and attach the grommets. Tie them up with twine or ribbon.

The keys are metal embellishments I found at Michael’s. Be sure to get the weekly 40% off coupon online before you go!

I stamped them all on the back with this teeny-tiny, darling little stamp.