BOOKS: EAT WELL ON $4 A DAY

Sometimes it's all in the title. The PDF of the book is free and the recipes are on the cheap. Some people are very kind. Get your copy here and maybe donate. 

EASY WEEKEND DIY: WELCOME MAT

Shine Design

Welcome mats are the ugliest things.  Yet they serve a necessary function (capturing dirt so it doesn't get all over your nice flooring), so you're probably better off with than without, and most people have them.  Even I have one...left over from the previous tenant (I didn't see the point of paying money for something equally ugly, but slightly newer to step on).  When I look at a doormat, I see a doormat.  I've never looked at my welcome mat as being an object of creative potential, but apparently it can be.  

I came across the above DIY from the blog Shine Design and had to share it.  You have to appreciate people that have that kind of eye - that see a boring thing, and then its underlying potential to be better.  The original post is in Norwegian, but her pics pretty much speak for themselves.  The mat is from Ikea, and the pattern is made by outlining using a bowl and some white pencil.  Genius, I say.

EASY WEEKEND DIY: BRANCH AND YARN

Sweet Thing

Do you live near a forest?  No?  How about near a tree?  Do you have access to yarn?  If so, then you can probably do this DIY.  I am not talking about the fancy wood trinket mobile - more the large branch next to it.  

Simply wrap some yarn in a color block pattern around a branch, apply some glue, and voila.  Lean the branch where you will.  Some people paint fancy patterns, that's a bit more work, but if you can, do. I'm not stopping you. 

EASY WEEKEND DIY: CANDLE IN A JAR

Via Dreams and Jeans

Alright then.  In the upper left corner.  On the trunk being used as a nightstand.  Do you see what I see?    Of course you do.  It's so simple, really, when you think about it.  Do you have candles? Do you have old pasta sauce jars?  Then you can put the two together and voila!  An instant decorative (and useful) piece.  No more need to buy candleholders (unless you want to). 

VINTAGE SHOPPING: THE "AHA" MOMENT

I poke around used clothing stores a lot.  Some people have a retro sense of style, but for me it's more about the thrill of the hunt and finding something perfect for dirt cheap.  A lot of the time, clothes just look used and you feel like you're shopping around in someone's closet, which isn't too far from the truth. A more accurate description is that you're shopping around in a bunch of people's closets.  Conceptually, that's kind of gross, so I try not to think about it too much.

But sometimes there is that moment when you see something that just inherently belongs to you, there is a spark of recognition, an "Aha!  There you are!" moment, which is a signal of success. If I don't have that moment, I don't go for it, and I've learned to listen for that instinct.    

I bought that purse shown above a while back.  I was looking for a cross-body bag in a light color, and one day, there it was, waiting for me.  

EASY WEEKEND DIY: LEAF IN A VASE

Photo Courtesy of Old Brand New blog

Above is a pic from Oldbrandnewblog.com.  I like this blog for ideas and for the colors.  Sometimes there are simple things that I could actually do myself, such as that dramatic leaf arching out of a clear vase.  Perfect.

A Pair and A Spare also has a version.