This week’s post is a quick one because I’ve been spending my free time campaigning. I’m so relieved this election is over! Anyway…I just had to share this: If you need to make a last-minute mend of a fallen hem or a temporary patch of a tear, reach for your first-aid kit. 3M Micropore first-aid tape works remarkably well in wardrobe mending emergencies. It even held through multiple washings on this skirt. Love the stuff.

I’ve been dying to try drilling pumpkins for two years, and I finally did it. It’s fun, but after drilling three pumpkins, my hand got tired from holding the drill. But it was worth it. Those daisies are sitting in a jar full of water inside the pumpkin. How, then, did I light the pumpkin, you ask? Glow sticks. Lots of them. Click here for last year’s pumpkin carving ideas. BTW: These would also make a great holiday centerpiece. Read more »

Got a balcony or porch railing and some jam jars? This is a cheap and easy way to shed some light for trick-or-treaters, or just create a mood for nighttime porch sitting. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about the wind (or little feet) knocking them over. Read more »

This one was my friend Kristi’s idea. While window shopping one day last spring, we saw a glass cake stand in a jewelry store window. She said, “You could make one of those.” I spent the next couple weeks scouring thrift stores for plates, candlesticks, vases—anything I could find to make a cake stand. As you can see, I couldn’t stop with just one. But I did stop at just one cupcake—I swear. Read more »

Instead of chucking these old mismatched frames, I painted them all the same color, attached magnets, and gave them a whole new life. If only I could give this 1980s fridge a new life—in the junkyard. Read more »

A few years ago, I achieved my dream of owning a Yamaha DX7 keyboard, the synthesizer behind that bell-quality sound of 80s pop music. But, I couldn’t just plop it on top of any keyboard stand. A former roommate gave me an old piano bench, and I found an unfinished Shaker sofa table to match. I shortened the table legs three inches (for correct piano height), then painted both pieces black.

To finish off the scene, I bought black frames at Michael’s and grouped photos of my favorite pilots—including my grandfather—on the wall. Now all I have to do is learn to play something other than Jingle Bells.

With a wall-mounted sink and no storage to speak of, my small bathroom needed a little help. Paint isn’t an option, and the neutral tile colors limited my color choices, so I decided to go with natural wood and the colors of seashells. I found the spacesaver on Craigslist, the jars at Ikea, the waffle-weave shower curtain at Kmart (Martha Stewart’s line), and the basket at Michael’s. The seashells are strung with twine through holes drilled in each shell. I sewed a canvas cover for the wicker tissue box and attached it with wooden buttons. I also made the seashell shadow box. Read more »