a DIY to try

The perfect carryall for trips to the beach or the corner market - I think I need to make one of these Liberty drawstring backpacks from The Purl Bee. Their site has a great tutorial and a kit to make your own.

Could see this dressed up with a little embroidery. What about making one for each of your bridesmaids?

App love

I am having and instagram love affair with Over - a fantastic app that allows you to combine your iphone snapshots with text in an array of beautiful fonts. The interface is intuitive and the final result, so lovely that I am spending endless hours creating these little works of art. The combination of caption and image in one results in a form storytelling where the sum is greater than the two parts. 

For $1.99, it's worth the download.

Here are a few of my trial uses... for many more to come, follow me on instagram. 

Valentine for Abbey

Please? From J Crew.

Dip-dyed

I really love these dip-dyed marked baskets from Martha Stewart. They seem so fresh and spring-like. I might need to make a few of my own to fill with veggies from Eastern Market in the coming months. Seems simple enough and so much more chic than my drawer full of canvas bags.

wrapped & stacked

From Honestly WTF

I don't think I have posted this fantastic bracelet tutorial from Honestly WTF here yet (maybe I have), but I've been eyeing it for a long time and finally decided that this holiday would be the perfect time to try it out with my cousins who are quite crafty. (You may remember the story of my crystal encrusted wedding shoes).

From Honestly WTF

The materials and instructions on Honestly WTF are very simple and she links to some great online shops where you can buy all the supplies - in case you don't want to run out to Michaels. 


Here are the results from our attempts - DC ladies, I have some supplies left over if you want one of your own!

birthday project

I have a ridiculous backlog of inspiring bits and pieces from while I've been away - but with my birthday a little over two weeks away, I couldn't resist sharing this adorable DIY from Jenny at Hank & Hunt posted over on The Sweetest Occasion. Super simple, all you need are plastic animals, candle holders, a drill bit and some spray paint. I would love to make a full menagerie. 

Adorable, right? All photos from Hank + Hunt.