Make your own pop art!

Etsy is mostly known for its' online access to handmade crafts and shops. Have you tried looking for vintage items on there though? It's my favorite resource for handpicked vintage finds, like these 1993 Elvis stamps I recently got. They arrived in a wooden frame, but it wasn't quite what I had in mind. I wanted a way to display my collectable stamps in a tasteful way, not nerdfully stashed away in a scrapbook. By the way, I wish I understood my obsession with stamps. It's really boring.

So, I looked around to see what I had to use...and found a couple frames I recently picked up at Goodwill. I popped the stamps in the boxed plastic frame and holy shit, it looked awesome. The repetition of the Elvis faces channelled Warhol's Marilyn prints. Encased in the acrylic frame, the look became very modern.

What I'm trying to say here is if you want some cheap pop art, you can make it yourself with some stamps and a modern frame. :)

Love,
Kelly

Make a potted herb plant as a quick hostess gift!

Here's an idea. Instead of buying a last minute bottle of wine to take to a party you've been invited to, how about potting a plant for them? I know it sounds time-consuming and daunting, but you can pot a bulk amount of plants and take some as you go! I mean, summer is the time to do it when there is so much going on. I got the idea from my dad a few weeks ago when I was home in Michigan. He bought a flat of different basil varieties (lemon, etc.) from his local nursery and some simple pots from the dollar store. Obviously, you don't have to use them right away. You can care for them yourself until the party day.

Make sure you soak the seedlings in water before planting them so they are quenched and ready to go! He mixed half fertilizer with half potting soil. Don't be scared if the fertilizer bag says "manure" on it; it doesn't smell like manure. You should probably wash your hands after handling it though, to be safe. :P I added images of the mixes my dad used below. He also added mulch to the top for not only a more finished look, but also because it helps hold moisture in the plant. See apartmenttherapy.com's creative ideas for mulch.

I hope you try it!

Love,

Kelly

Who drinks tea anymore?

I have too many tea towels. I don't even drink that much tea. I bought this tea towel in London along with a pair of underpants that say "Mind the Gap." I have displayed this towel in my apartment on my bar cart, but thought it time to give it a home to preserve it. I placed it in an Ikea frame I had leftover from a previous trip. Since the towel was white, you could see through it, so I used a sheet of acrylic paper to make it look more pure.

London Tube map tea towel

Pretty Boy

Thanks for reading and congrats to the new royal baby boy :)

Love and cheers!
Kelly

Photobooth Fun

DIY project for the summer:

Grab some friends, go have fun :)

 

Love,

The Michigan Made Girls

DIY Cat Scratcher

Cats are very picky creatures. When I find a product that they love, I cling to it. I got a beige floor cat scratcher about 6 months ago and the cats loved it. Anything a cat loves gets destroyed, naturally. So I decided to repurpose it with a non-toxic sisal rope with a little more color. I got the sisal rope from this website: http://pet-rabbit-toys.com/store/diy-rabbit-toy-parts/10-ft-1-4-colored-sisal-rope.

You need about 60 feet of 1/4 inch sisal rope, a staple gun, upholstery staples, and a base to attach it to. This base I have is very simple. Just one long board and two smaller to keep it elevated from the floor.

I laced the rope back and forth rather than roping it all the way around the board because I underestimated the amount of rope I would need. I placed several staples on each rope underneath to secure it in place. Then, I sprinkled with cat nip. :)

Love,
Kelly

 

 

How to get guilt-free cocktails

I have had a recent obsession with mojitos. I can't get enough. Could be the arrival of spring, but they so fresh and so clean.

My mom is coming to visit soon and she loves mojitos about as much as I do. So I will make her some! But today is not so much about the cocktail, as it is the ingredients. I'm always trying to create a more well-rounded bar in my home, but it's quite the investment, so I've been doing it ever so slowly. I'm making a simple syrup to keep around for cocktails. Since my mom is a bit more calorie conscious than I am, I thought I'd make a Stevia version. I read online that there are two different styles of simple syrup. The 1:1 ratio of sugar to water is "simple syrup," or there is the 2:1 ratio that is "rich syrup," which is supposedly the more preferred version among bartenders. Today, I used the 1:1 because artificial sweeteners tend to be sweeter than natural sugar.

I measured how much my container could hold. Then, I boiled water. In a small bowl, I poured 1 cup of Stevia and 1 cup hot water and stirred. Should be a useful recipe in the coming summer months.
:P < drunk face

Love,
Kelly

Mexican Salsa Recipe

My good friend Angelica made this salsa recipe in college and it is addictively delicious. I've made it myself several times since and it is way better than any salsa you can get in the store or restaurant! it is a pico de gallo style salsa.

Ingredients, yields amount for a small gathering 4-6 ppl:
4 Roma tomatoes
1 lime
1/2 small onion
1 jalapeño
1/3 c cilantro, finely chopped
1tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder

Dice tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño. Place in medium sized bowl. Mix in cilantro and squeeze in juice of 1 lime. Sprinkle salt and garlic powder over mixture. Stir together. Chill and serve!

Thanks Angelica!! >^^<

St. Patty Cakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day! How did you wake up this morning? Personally, I was wearing my huge headphones and had every light on in my room. It took a while, but I eventually got up to make some festive pancakes.

I added 6 drops of green food coloring to achieve this "desired" shade. haha.

Love, 

Kelly

Inexpensive Lighting Ideas to Transform Your Next Party

When throwing a party, getting crafty with your lighting can be the best investment. It can be the most cost-efficient and dramatic decoration at your party. My roommate and I are planning a milestone birthday party in a couple months and I am searching for lighting/decorating ideas. I have found a few to share with you:

Before filling the balloon with helium, place a glowstick inside it. Inflate! We want to cover the ceiling with balloons, so this could be a really interesting way of adding some light to the room.

I always want to transform the environment so the guests feel like they are walking into a different space. Using tulle and christmas lights is a creative and cheap way to create partitions or cover windows.

I love this! Use umbrellas and lights to add whimsical ambience to an outdoor space.


I can't wait to see how this will turn out! I will definitely update you!

Love,
Kelly

Easy Meatball Recipe

Jackie Scutella’s Meatball Recipe (yields 30 meatballs)

I eat so much before 3 PM at work, that I usually don't need much for dinner. I generally just get a 2 ft baguette with some butter and call it a regretful day. That's not so healthy. So, I thought I'd add some protein to my weekday meals. I made this recipe for the first time today and it was so easy (and delicious)! 

SAUCE

• 45 oz marinara sauce
• 1 small can of tomato paste

Pour tomato paste in a small bowl and add 1 can of water. Heat in the microwave for 30 secs and stir. Heat for another 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. Pour marinara and paste in saucepan. Bring to a low bubble.

BALLS

• 2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 4 stale hamburger buns
• 1 1/2 cups of good grated Italian cheese, preferably Romano or Pecorino
• 2-5 cloves of minced garlic, to taste. (I used 5 - I happily have no friends)
• 3 free-range eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Soak the hamburger buns in water, then squeeze the water out. Tear the bread into small pieces. Then, mix your ingredients by hand in a very large bowl. Roll into 1” balls. Drop meatballs into bubbling marinara sauce. Cook for 45 minutes.

I followed this with Spumoni, which was a great investment. 

Thanks Jackie and Ernie!

Love, 

Kelly

Embroidery for Beginners

Check out this pillow I made.

I used the book Sublime Stitching Embroidered Effects Projects and Patterns to Inspire Your Stitching by Jenny Hart. That 's a lot of title right there. Her tutorials are amazingly super easy. I had never stitched before this. The book comes with iron-on transfers.

Peacock Pillow!

http://joyreactor.com/tag/embroidery

Love,
Kelly

The Breakfast Shot

Last weekend I visited my mom in Erie, PA. They are known for a few things. Their beautiful Presque Isle peninsula that contains 21 miles of recreational trails and 13 beaches, a high Italian-American population, which results in delicious restaurants and chocolatiers, like Serafini's and Stefanelli's, and no tax on clothing, so obviously great for shopping. I didn't grow up there, but spent so much time there visiting family as a child, I often felt like I did.

This most recent trip though, I discovered something miraculous at Eduardo's Tavern. It is called a "breakfast shot." Wow. It literally tastes like pancakes with a side of OJ.

The Breakfast Shot

Ingredients
1.5 oz Jameson Irish Whiskey
.5 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
2 oz OJ

Pour the Jameson and Butterscotch Schnapps in a shot glass. Drink the shot. Sip the OJ as a chaser.

Om nom nom durnk.

Love,
Kelly

Rosemary just needs a little Thyme: A Bread Story

I want to be one of those people that cooks bread in a hearth. Instead, I have a rented oven with an inaccurate thermostat. BUT, I do have a thermometer that lets me know what the hell the thermostat is up to these days.


Ingredients:

4 cups unbleached bread flour
1 tsp active yeast
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1 stick melted butter
1 1/8 cup warm water
2 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary
2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme

Mix all dry ingredients together in a very large bowl.

Add chopped herbs to melted butter. Mix wet ingredients in small bowl.

Stir together for several minutes, then move in with your hands.

Knead until the dough no longer has CRACKS everywhere. I'll say it again. CRACKS. I love Mean Girls. This bread does not rise much, so shape into the desired form. Cover with Saran wrap. Let the dough sit for 1-3 hours. Cut an "X" in the center.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread on middle rack. Cook for 20 minutes, then place aluminum foil over top to prevent the top from burning. Let cook for a remaining 20 minutes.

This bread is very dense and savory and delicious. It has a thick crust and chewy center. Very tasty. I gave some to my work buddies, and let me just say since we're amongst friends, it got rave reviews :)

Love,
Kelly

Estate-Sale Finds!

I thought I'd give you guys a look into my recent estate sale hunts. Found some pretty good things and came to a realization. I have a lamp fetish. I'm collecting too many of them and although I hate to do this to you, I feel it's appropriate to quote Anchorman. Yes, I do love lamp.

Silver arc lamp. The cord was broken and the guy asked $40. I told him I couldn't pay over $25. He said, "ok!" Doesn't hurt to ask! Rewired it and it's purrfect! The rewiring task proved to be a bit intimidating, so it sat in my trunk for about 6 months, but now it's purrfect! ;)

Basket weave hanging lamp. Asked $20. I told her I'd like to pay $10. It was their last day of the sale. She said she couldn't do it. So, I left. She chased me down the hall and said she'd take $10. ;) I may paint this lamp later. I haven't decided what color yet. Possibly white... Or yellow...

Gold finish coffee set. Asked $12. I said, "ok!"



Like I've said before, it's important to note what the items are worth to you. Many times people at these sales are greedy and won't budge on the prices. It's ok to walk away. I'd rather leave empty-handed than leave with something I overpaid for. Sometimes, the walking away gets you the item anyway!


Love,
Kelly

EASY: How to turn King Pillowcases into Standard

I've carted these great pillowcases with me from apartment to house to apartment for years. I can't remember when I got them... probably when I was a teenager at a garage sale with my mom. They are obviously from the 60s, I'd say. Unfortunately, they were king sized. So, the other day I decided it was time to get new pillows. I was faced with the question of getting standard or king pillows, to fit my rediscovered cases. King pillows would not fit on my full sized bed though, so standard it is! Therefore, a compromise had to be made..

Solution! Turn king cases into standard!

1. Turn pillow case inside out
2. Measure 5" from seam
3. Sew vertically along the 5" mark
4. Turn pillowcase inside out

Cute, huh? AND now I can buy more random, mis-matched cases at estate sales because I know how to fix 'em  :)

Love,
Kelly

DIY Jewelry Holder

I was strolling through Home Depot and saw these awesome peg boards for tools. The brand is Everbilt. I have been needing a jewelry holder for a while now. These came with all different types of hooks and there was also a basket pack with three sizes. I hate jewelry holders that take up dresser space, so a wall option is best for me. These were originally black, but per usual, I spray painted them. I used the colors leftover from my folding chair project. The spray paint dried really fast when left outside in the freezing cold. BTW this looks fucking cute. >^^<

Love, 

Kelly

LAseph

I am currently in LA visiting friends for the new year. Here a few pictures from my adventure.

We went to a bar called the Big Lodge Inn, which is where you will find a flannel husby. There were a mix of hipsters and punks among the log-adorned walls. The DJ was good, playing a mix of retro and the Cardigans "Lovefool." Beer selection, meh.

We also had a visit to the LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Which was awesome because they had a STANLEY KUBRICK exhibit and you know how I love me some Stanley Kubrick. And if you didn't, you do NOW. They had the original twin dresses from The Shining.

Script excerpts from the Stanley Kubrick's Lolita. Of course it's pink. :)

The Shining labrynth model

Twin girls' original costumes

Did you know that in Stephen King's "the Shining," the ghost girls are sisters (not twins)? Then, Kubrick modeled them after his close friends Diane Arbus' famous twin girls photograph. I didn't know that.

Diane Arbus
Identical Twins, c. 1967

Also, I share a strange resemblance with the 13 yr old Sue Lyon that played Lolita in obviously - Lolita, or so my friend Christina said (below).

Sue Lyon in Lolita

So, I will share more photos when I return... Have a happy new year!

Love,
Kelly

Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange exhibit at LACMA. These are replicas of the statues from the film's famous milk bar scene.

 

My idea of the epitome of an LA scene - in Melrose - great shopping BTW !

The Big Lodge Inn - Interior is a log cabin and all the bartenders are in flannel..nice :)

Preparations for the 2012 Rose Parade