Photographer Maria Robledo emailed us a couple of images of her impromptu flower arrangements, with these words:
I love making these freehand arrangments.
I dont start with that intention, i start with looking at the leaf or flower as a photo then i bunch ‘em together w/o thinking.
it’s a surprise to me too because they just come out to look so pleasing.
We admire how fluid her process is: she doesn’t start with an idea in mind. A leaf or a flower grabs her and then she’s off ”bunching them together” to discover how they will arrange themselves…
…like the blossoms that ended up – unexpectedly, charmingly – inside the jar/vase… read more…
The great DVDP devised a gif out of origami artist Jun Mitani’s flickr photostream: a lovely reminder of the possibilities inherent in simple sheets of paper…
…which reminded us of Between the Folds, a wondrous video clip we posted about origami’s cosmic potential.
But we never showed what actually happens over the course of a week as the tightly-closed bulbs open and bloom. So we photographed the hyacinths that we’d plunked into a Smarta bowl from Ikea about 5 days ago. All we had to do was water them lightly every few days. Over days we watched the plants transform in front of our very eyes. We realized that we had actually created a tiny tabletop garden, whose subtle changes we could enjoy daily.
One of the things we love so much about The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking is that Kate Payne always thinks to share the simple–but totally essential–skills that many of us manage somehow not to have picked up. A perfect example is the series of useful knots on her blog. Her tutorial for tying a bowline knot is perfect for setting up the clothesline she was making, but of course has an endless number of knot-securing-uses. Just one more reason why we’re excited to give away a copy of Kate’s book next month. If you haven’t already, leave us a comment telling us what project around the house or in your garden you’re most looking forward to tackling this spring/summer, and we will randomly choose a commenter to receive a free copy of this great book. Deadline is May 19. read more…
Xeni Jardin, a writer for Boing Boing, has been generously open about her experiences with having breast cancer. (Check out “What do To When ‘Stuff Happens’ for her powerful words.) On Wednesday she shared this amazing needlepoint that she keeps on her desk for inspiration, made by Heather Beschizza. We echo the sentiment, and hope it strikes a chord with you or a loved one who has also, at one point or another, needed to say: “FUCK CANCER.”
Hans Hofmeester filmed his daughter Lotte once a week for the past twelve years. Then he edited snippets of film together to produce this time-lapse video of her growing from a baby into lovely 12-year-old, in under 3 minutes.
For us, GROWING is the operative word. Once you get past 40 or 50, aging often becomes something of conceptual downer, with images of life being half over, on a downward slope toward…the end. This video reminds us that aging is about growing, learning, understanding, revelation, fulfillment…and always: possibility.
At The Chive, we came across a list of 16 simple solutions to some everyday dilemmas: a virtual, visual Hints from Heloise. We’ve found some incredibly useful, like using bread bag tags as cord labels (of course, with our obsessive minds, we’d go looking for stylish tag in a color we like: white! – and might trim it to a cooler shape).
David Saltman reports that he’s been using the strategy for getting an elevator to go directly to the floor you want, useful for emergencies (Note: We recommend reading Mary Reynolds thoughtful comment below.) read more…
April is the time when ramps – wild leeks – appear throughout the Appalachian and Catskill mountains, one of the first edible harbingers of spring. Then they start hitting farmer’s markets. Since the pungent leek is one of the most delicious and transformative foods we know of, we’re reprising past posts about the famous lily, along with our best ways of cooking/eating them: read more…
Now that spring has officially sprung, we find ourselves ready for new projects, around our houses and outside. We keep coming back to our friend Kate Payne’s The Hip Girl’s Guide to Homemaking, an all-purpose guide to doing-it-yourself in your home (and having fun, too) – for ANYONE, whether hip girl or not. (We think it would be a great book for guys setting up their first apartment.)
The books covers a ton of ground, from what you need to stock your home (and how to make your own resources) to the basics of easy, stylish home design. She has trouble-shooting options for virtually any common home mishap. It was Kate’s blog, of the same name, that we turned to last week when we needed instructions for how to hang pegboard in your kitchen.
Some of our favorite springtime gems from Kate’s guide include, her how-to on setting up your own bucket garden; read more…
(Video link here.) Of the many episodes of The Little Rascals produced in the ‘thirties, this clip has to be one of the best: the poor, ever-resourceful, uninhibited, unsupervised gang of kids make a cake filled with prizes, following the recipe in a completely original way.
The backstory: Dickie’s abusive dad is so mean to Dickie’s mom that Dickie decides to cheer her by buying her a $2 dress for her birthday. Not having the money, he tries to raise it by baking the cake with his pals and selling prize-filled slices to other kids..
(Video link here.) This morning, we found several emails from readers alerting us to this video that is flying around the internet like wildfire. It’s about 9-year-old Caine who devised an elaborate arcade out of cardboard, great quantities of packing tape, plastic toys – whatever he could find – over the course of a summer vacation hanging around his dad’s used auto parts store. You can read the backstory here.
Though for us a bit too long and treacly toward the end, it is really worth checking out the first 6 or so minutes to witness the work of a truly inventive mind, and BIG spirit, who made a great deal out of what was at hand. ”No” does not appear to be in his kid’s vocabulary.
One of the best lines is from Caine’s dad, when his son said he wanted to buy a claw machine: “Why don’t you just build it?”… a perfect question. So Caine did.
We can only imagine what a kid like Caine might grow up to be, and do.
Our friend Maria Robledo has an ever-improvisational way with “flower” arranging. Here, she cut sprigs of a fragrant vine from her garden and arranged them running down the center of her dinner table, placing the cut ends in shallow ceramic bowls of water to keep them fresh. Perfect. Come to think of it, jar lids, especially the glass lids from French canning jars would work as well….
On a whim, I tried using olive paste as the seasoning for a boneless leg of lamb I planned to roast for Easter dinner – I simply slathered the meat with the paste, rolled it up and tied it. The roast was spectacular, with a Provencal savor. I did not realize that the salt of the olive paste would have a tenderizing effect on the meat, in addition to giving it a subtle, pleasingly “wild” flavor. Boneless Leg of Lamb Stuffed With Crushed Olives has become an Easter tradition.
You can use “bought” olive paste or make your own: Crushed Herb Scented Olives may be made up to 4 days ahead and kept covered in the fridge. It is great unto itself, spooned onto bread, pasta, crushed new pototoes… read more…
is that Kate Payne always thinks to share the simple–but totally essential–skills that many of us manage somehow not to have picked up. A perfect example is the series of 
available at the supermarket; 
