White sofa du jour and more

Been feeling sort of swollen and fuzzy today. It's either the unrelenting rain and humidity or too much salt.

At any rate, a little cool clean Vicente Wolf can clear the mind. (If you can spell his name right.) This is Ralph Pucci's beach house from Elle Decor.

Baby at dusk

My baby cousin Piper. We got lots of pics this past weekend. You will have to endure that sweet face a few times over the next few weeks.

Otomi for amateurs

Like Otomi but can't handle the price tag?

Corinne at Threadbanger posted a DIY video where she freehanded the design with markers on fabric and then filled in with paint.

If you're not that talented, Lena Corwin posted free Otomi stencils on Etsy awhile ago.

If you're not that talented either, you can print your stencils on large adhesive stickers as seen at Tatertots and Jello and use screenprinting paint.

If you're not that talented either, you could support indigenous culture and just buy one.

Garage sale

I've been away a few days to help my parents with a massive garage sale, the second in a series to help downsize my mom's flea market collection.

On day three we got to the point of selling lovely vintage glassware for a buck.

Have you been to or had a good garage sale lately?

My DIY batik pillow

Don't get too excited. I did not actually dye the pillow. (I have friends from Indonesia who just assumed I had.)

Nope. This is a very American DIY. Cheap. Fast. Easy.

I've been mooning over sea blue batik for awhile but never pulled the trigger on buying fabric. Then I came across this little top at a thrift store. Awesome color. Really unattractive ruffled straps.

I chopped off those straps, turned the shirt inside out and slid in an old thrift store pillow. I did a quick pin fit along one end of the pillow.

I marked my pin line with washable marker using a high-end magazine as a straight edge. I sewed one end on the sewing machine, turned the pillow cover right side out, slid it over the pillow and hand stitched the other end closed. (You could do this whole pillow without a sewing machine since it only requires two seams.)

Here it is for less than a buck.

My apologies to Indonesians everywhere.

p.s. Don't forget my $60 worth of Mod Podge products giveaway if you have not already entered..

Batik inspiration

Have you tried it?

Images: Odette, Pacific Batik, Ron Martin at Apartment Therapy, Etsy, Etsy

DIY home decor roundup

Being that my blog is named Bromeliad, I should have come up with this DIY for hanging air plants made from shampoo bottle lids at Design Sponge.

Jen at I Heart Organizing covered a dollar store bin with rope to make a rope basket.

This one has gone around a bit but is still an awesome IKEA Vittsjo hack from Ana Antunes Home Styling.

And make abstract art using a cardboard roll and plastic wrap with Alisa Burke.

Cool blue

My little friend Luke displays my favorite color in the form of popsicle face.

Hot humid weekend here. How about you?

Pool party

Going to a pool party this weekend. Hope the weather cooperates and that you all have fun wherever you are.

Images: Esperanza Moya, Villa Fabrica, via Aubrey Road, Elle Decor

My DIY t-shirt turban bracelet

I show you how to make this easy bracelet from t-shirt scraps at Dollar Store Crafts and got featured on Craft. (Thank you Lish Dorset.)

The bracelet looks good with a black dress and white sunnies (or with a white dress and black sunnies).

DIY home decor inspiration from magazines

Higher end shelter mags don't often offer much that was actually DIY'd with regular folk skills.

However, Elle Decor's new issue featured Carol Fertig's Manhattan apartment. The gold wall art was made by spray painting plastic leaves.

And Brooklynite Zach Motl IKEA hacked two Malm twin beds to make this crisp daybed featured in House Beautiful.

My DIY Stella McCartney inspired ring - and a $60 giveaway

Here's a mini project to follow on the charm bracelet of last week, featuring Stella McCartney-ish botanical prints and new Mod Podge products from Plaid.

Last week I tried the new Dimensional Magic with mixed results specifically because I did not mix the results (did not shake the bottle to distribute the glitter.)

Dimensional Magic comes in a tiny squeeze bottle and gives a smooth epoxy-like finish to your otherwise dull paper and plastic creations.

I used one of the Podgeable Shapes (plastic shapes cut into small circles, squares, ovals, etc.), Mod Podged a small botanical print on one side, allowed it to dry and then coated the top with Dimensional Magic.

Here's how it looks when wet. It dries clear or with a bit of glitter depending on your formula.

I glued a 25-cent ring blank onto the back using Plaid's new jewelry glue.

And, ta da, super easy ring. Still not crazy about the glitter for this type of project but it wasn't as offensive as I thought.

Now to the giveaway. I'm passing on about $60 worth of Mod Podge loot - antique and gloss formula, pearl spray finish, rub-on transfers, Dimensional Magic, crackle medium and a Mod Podge sampler of six formulas.

To enter, just be a follower and leave a comment below. (Sorry, U.S.-only on this one. The stuff is HEAVY.)