It’s not quite Friday yet, so here’s a cheerful idea to lift your spirits: a giant googly-eye heart telegram for Valentine’s Day. You can sing, dance, or simply wave it around to spread smiles. This project is similar to a googly-eye Christmas tree I made last December, where the goal was the same—stick oversized googly … Read more
I’ve been feeling inspired to refresh my home decor lately, probably because we’re in the middle of deciding whether to move. If you want to share your opinion, feel free to weigh in on my Instagram.
Either way, it’s Friday — which means it’s the perfect time for a weekend DIY project. Here are six creative, approachable weekend DIYs to try. Each project is suited for different skill levels and styles, and they all add a personal touch to your space.
I usually tote a large bucket bag packed with everything I might need—wallet, sunglasses, keys, hand cream, headache medicine, and more. But sometimes it feels great to downsize to a smaller bag. That’s why I love foldover clutches: they’re compact yet roomy enough for essentials, and they look effortlessly cool. If that sounds like you, … Read more
Summer in Atlanta gets so hot that I rarely wear my hair down — but I also don’t want to spend every day looking like I just stepped out of a steam room. To strike a balance, I collected my favorite easy, chic hair tutorials that keep hair off your face while still looking put-together … Read more
I’ve spent the last year experimenting with growing avocado plants from pits. Here’s what I learned from raising avocado seeds into young trees that may one day produce fruit. Avocados are one of the few green foods my six-year-old eagerly eats, and I’d happily eat them at every meal if they didn’t spoil so quickly. … Read more
Last week I drove to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a girls’ trip and spent a few days at the stylish Dwell Hotel (that lobby photo above is the one everyone takes — guilty as charged). This was my April stop for my 12 trips in 12 months project. Chattanooga is only about a two-hour drive from … Read more
DIY ornaments are one of my favorite projects to make each year during the holidays.
Changing the look of your tree with handmade ornaments—or gifting a thoughtful homemade ornament to friends and family—feels truly special to me.
Ornaments, whether handmade or store-bought, hold family memories. Growing up, decorating the tree was a family ritual. Over time it became mostly my mom and me, but I loved it every year.
We always had odd little homemade ornaments: some went front-and-center while others ended up tucked at the back of the tree. No matter where they were placed, each ornament carried a memory and tasted like tradition when taken out of the holiday box each season.
That’s why I’ve put together a comprehensive guide to DIY Christmas ornaments—my favorite projects, materials, and reasons to make your own. Grab a chair and some scissors; here are tons of handmade ornament ideas, plus reasons why making them is so worthwhile.
Welcome to part two of this three-part Europe travel guide. Today’s stop is Paris. If you missed part one, be sure to check the Amsterdam travel guide for more ideas and inspiration. Whether you’re planning a trip or simply enjoying some armchair travel, this guide highlights a selection of memorable spots—boutiques, cafés, restaurants, and a few cultural stops—that stood out during our visit.
Full disclosure: much of our time in Paris was overcast or rainy, but that didn’t stop us from exploring, shopping, and enjoying the city’s food scene.
Instead of repeating the usual tourist checklist, I’m sharing places I personally loved—unique shops, excellent coffee, and local-feeling restaurants. These are the kinds of finds that can make a visit feel more authentic and inspiring.
Want to learn how to drill holes in stone to create natural stone jewelry? You can—and it’s easier than you might think.
Stone jewelry appears at craft fairs, online shops, and boutiques, and it’s tempting to wonder how those tiny, perfectly drilled pebbles are made. You can drill through rock to make earrings, necklaces, charms, and more. I reached out to Jenny Hoople, a jewelry artist who works with natural stones, to share her method for drilling stones at home. The process is straightforward, so if you collect stones on walks or hikes, this guide is for you.
The following guest tutorial was written by Jenny Hoople of Authentic Arts.
Until recently I used pre-drilled pebbles purchased from other Etsy makers, but I wanted to learn to drill my own local Wisconsin stones. After researching and experimenting with a range of advice, I discovered a reliable, repeatable method. Drilling small river rocks for jewelry is not only possible, it’s quite manageable.
I often get asked how to drill stones, so here is the step-by-step process I use. Click through to follow along.
Not everyone has hours to spend making a cake entirely from scratch, but that doesn’t mean you can’t serve something beautiful for birthdays, weddings, Easter, housewarmings, or simply to celebrate an ordinary day. This semi-homemade lavender-glazed cake gives you the best of both worlds: easy base layers from a boxed mix paired with an elegant … Read more