Bench gets a shrub hug

Soft on lettuce

I bought three mini-packs of lettuce and mustard at the farmer's market and after only two weeks, everything got huge. Now I can't bring myself to cut it because it's so pretty.

I grew up where people shoot their ailing animals, and now I'm so urbanized I can't snip veggies.

Had no problem putting down the dill, though.

Moth light

On a winged creatures kick of late. Ran across this moth light on Design*Sponge from the studio Mischer'Traxler. Is it not too clever for words? Each copper moth is individually numbered.



Also thought the mushroom shelf was pretty amazing, too.

New old dishes - Arrowstone

My mom sent me a set of dishes she picked up at Goodwill. They are white with band of black and charcoal, the same colors as my entire apartment and wardrobe, and they are solid. You could probably knock a person out just with a dessert plate.

One of the things I love about this stoneware is that it was made by Arrowstone, a Japanese company that gave each set decidedly American names like Navajo Blue, Apache Gold, and my set, Black Foot. EBay sellers call the line "vintage " which could mean anything. (I probably qualify as 'vintage' myself.)

At any rate, the arrival of my retro set means retiring my current set of dishes, which are froufy with blue and pink flowers - completely not my style. However, I've had these dishes as long as I've been on my own, longer than I've had Mr. Bromeliad. It's hard to break up with a set of dishes, even when the coffee cups are so dainty that nobody will touch them, let alone drink from them. Fancy dishes lend a certain elan to the dumpiest of meals.

But I don't have space for two sets, so one must go.

How about you? Are your dishes minimalist or fancy? Do you have more than one set? Are you emotionally attached to your plates?

Inspiration from Room and Board

I went into the SoHo Room and Board a few weekends ago to browse sofas but got inspired by the cool photo frame displays. Here is one that could work with our many Hawaii photos.

This bedding caught my eye. Too many pillows for me, but I like the mix of white and charcoal grey. Below is my weak imitation using a free twin blanket I picked up recently. (The headboard, bedskirt and zebra rug were also free.) I got the coverlet for $25 last year.

Oh, yes, and the sofas. Room & Board has a big selection of modern-y sofas in the $800 to $1,200 price range. Here are a few I liked. Below are the Eugene, Loring and Westwood sofas.

How to make map butterflies

A few weeks ago, I discovered Image Surgery's stunning butterflies by way of the blog The Estate of Things. Image Surgery's butterflies are made from laser cut vintage maps and look like they are well worth the 150 euro pricetag for a single butterfly. But this is also more than I pay to fly to Europe.

However, this seemed like a terrific inspiration for reusing maps from vacations - giving you a vacation memento and a bit of wall art all in one.

Here are my materials - a free book of Brooklyn neighborhood maps, small cardboard boxes from the recycle bin, scissors, glue stick, silhouette shapes of butterflies via Google, push pins and a fabric remnant.

To make the mounting boxes, check out my earlier DIY post here.

Cut out the butterfly silhouette and trace it on the back of your map, then cut out the butterfly shape from your map. (Hint: Make the butterfly about 30 percent larger than life for more impact.) Put a dab of glue on the back of a push pin and place the push pin in the center of the back of a butterfly. After it dries, center the butterfly on your mounting board (or inside of a photo frame or stick it directly into the wall.)

Admittedly, mine do not look as cool as Image Surgery's, but you can't beat the price tag - free.

Weeds

. . . can be pretty.

I stop and look at this one every time I go down Middagh Street. It's so bold next to all the grey.