Archive for January, 2011

recent projects: fingerless gloves and a cardboard cat house

Friday, January 28th, 2011

These gloves were supposed to be a Christmas gift for my sister last year, but she didn’t receive them until this year. It’s not that I’m a slow knitter it’s just that I go through phases of wanting to knit. I added the final touch last night, the little heart buttons on the cuff. Aren’t they the cutest gloves you’ve ever seen! I’m so happy with the final product. If you’re interested in making these, it’s a pattern from the Fall/Winter 2008 knit.1 magazine called Rainy Day fingerless gloves.

My second project is this cute little cardboard cat house that I made while watching the Golden Globes. Basically I had been really wanting to buy my kitties a cardboard house or teepee from Loyal Luxe, but decided not to spend the money and just make one myself. I took a regular box and spray painted the inside hot pink and adjusted the flaps to make the roof. I left the sides of the roof open so then can jump in and out that way, if they please. The chimney was made with some of the leftover cardboard and the shingles with scrap paper I had around the house. The kitties love it (that’s Jesse James in the photo above) and it much better on the eyes in comparison to the regular old box I had left out for them.

Enjoy your weekend!

I’m in love with a shearling hat

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

For the past 3 (fine…almost 4) decades I have been wandering in the dark. How the wonders of shearling eluded me I’ll never know. But, as the good Samaritan I am, I not going to let those of you suffering with a shearling deficiency down.

Recently I picked up an American Classic at one of my favorite outdoor stores…the Kittery Trading Post. The Woolrich Trooper Hat with genuine shearling trim has been around for over a century now….and for good reason. I’m not going to lie, the $69.99 price point was a bit tough to swallow. I must have tried that hat on about 20 times while I weighed the pros and cons of the purchase. Less than 2 weeks later, I’ll venture to say it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

The hat is not only incredibly warm, but it turns out that it’s quite versatile as well. After a recent ski trip in -14 degree conditions I discovered that the hat worked perfectly with my goggles and allowed me to enjoy a day that I’d have otherwise been miserable in.

Now, the only concern I have with this hat is this. Will prolonged and sustained wearing cause my head to permanently fuse with the hat?

– Christian

Delta Shelter by Olson Kundig Architects

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

If you spend any time on the Olson Kundig Architect website you will most certainly fall in love with one of their homes. The work out of this firm is appreciated on blogs throughout the world, but the homes themselves are more often than not built in Washington.  Lucky them.

I recently spent some time up at my father’s NH property and couldn’t help but think that this building, the Delta Shelter, would look beautiful perched somewhere on a hillside.

Project Details: This 1,000 square-foot weekend cabin, basically a steel box on stilts, can be completely shuttered when the owner is away. Situated near a river in a floodplain, the 20’ x 20’ square footprint rises three stories and is topped by the living room/kitchen. Large, 10’ x 18’ steel shutters can be closed simultaneously using a hand crank.

– Christian


Do Nothing For 2 Minutes

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

2 minutes doesn’t seem like a lot of time. But, if you take the time to savor each second it feels surprisingly long. In the world of faster, more, and now…I found the site Do Nothing For Two Minutes quite enjoyable. The site simply asks that you do nothing other than listen to crashing ocean waves for 2 minutes.  I’ll admit I did not pass the test the first time. But, that was only because I was trying to turn up the volume on my computer.

How will you use your two minutes?  Perhaps you’ll use the two minutes to think of about your next project to make. Or perhaps you’ll listen to the waves and transport yourself to another life.

– Christian

randi brookman harris

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

Gorgeous prop styling and creative direction by Randi Brookman Harris. PURE EYE CANDY. I wanna cuddle up in that fort right now.

PS Check out Randi’s interview here where she talks about how she became a prop stylist. And for daily inspiration here is her blog.

(via @alisonym)

mixed reviews: 20 men’s movies liquerated

Monday, January 24th, 2011

The newest work from EveryGuyed, in collaboration with Suitored and Moxy Creative House, is a collection of movies moments explained by their signature drinks. Ranging from The Hangover’s recent rufilin mishap to A Menace to Society’s classic 40-ounce malt liquor bottle. My favorites are below, but you can view all the drinks in more detail here. Available for purchase here.

homemade pop

Monday, January 24th, 2011

I recently received an email from Danielle at Homemade Pop introducing me to her quirky and nostalgic illustrations of random everyday items. The illustrations use fine black ink Pilot pens and Prismacolor markers. Prints can be purchased on her site or etsy shop.

movie stars on bikes

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Rides A Bike: Movie stars and their self-propelled vehicles.

(via @brainpicker)

bookshelf porn

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Bookshelf Porn is a photoblog of the best bookshelf photos. I could spending hours looking through all these images. And someday I hope to have an amazing bookshelf library. Here are some of my favorites from the site.

–Sarah

(via seesaw)

Gorgeous Packaging for Society 27

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

I suppose the sneakers from Society 27 should be the story here, but for me it’s all about this gorgeous packaging, since the shoes is something normally see in places like ShoeAdviser site online. I’m a sucker for wood. What can I say. No doubt this isn’t the cheapest nor the most environmentally form of packaging I’ve ever seen produced. But, man….it sure is beautiful to look at.

– Christian