The Incredible Paper Clip

I found this pendant lamp online today while looking for a tutorial on how to make a diffuser for my camera flash (I don't know why my husband thinks I'm addicted to the internet).

Designed by Gary Ponzo, the light is made out of paperclips and pretty much nothing else. The chicest DIY project I've ever seen.

Fabric Envy

I'm absolutely in love with this gorgeous Daisy Janie fabric designed by Jan DiCintio. Unfortunately at $56/yard, it's a bit over my budget. The fabric hunt continues.

At Home: bedroom redesign

Recently I've become obsessed with all things relating to interior design. There are some amazing room transformations on the web done by everyday people on a budget, and I for one am super impressed. So I've decided it's time to properly decorate my bedroom. We've been living in our townhouse for almost five years, and I still don't feel like any of the rooms are complete. Since the house was built in the mid seventies, you won't find any hardwood floors tucked beneath the carpets. No, I'm stuck with carpet, so I'm just going to have to take some advice from Tim Gunn and "Make it work."

Anyone who knows me knows I don't like to spend money, and true to fashion, I don't want to spend much on this bedroom project, so I'm on the hunt for fabric to make a duvet cover for our bed since bedding is SOOOO expensive. Of course, I never make things easy on myself, because even though I'm thrifty, I'm not cheap. I'd rather buy a higher quality item once than a piece of junk that I'll have to replace again in a few years. I'm also concerned about health (hubby has really bad allergies), and I'd love to support a company that still produces their fabric right here in the good ol' US of A. So I've already set myself up for failure. Oh, and did I mention I have VERY specific ideas about the fabric design I'm looking for? So let's recap: I want an organic fabric, made in the USA, with an amazing design, for under $8/yard. Stay tuned to find out how well that works out.

Before I sign off, here's a few photos of our bedroom in its current state. I wish I had taken a photo BEFORE I had cleaned it up (Yes, this is the cleaned-up stage. I'm married to a technology geek. There's only so much a girl can do to de-clutter when everything has a cable attached to it!). The excessive clutter almost sent me to the looney bin (in all fairness, I'm equally responsible for the clutter that existed in this space.). Even in it's relatively de-cluttered state, I think the photos still give you a good idea about how desperately this room needs a makeover. Stay tuned.

Piecing Pillows

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything here because I've been busy posting daily photos on Project 30. But I thought it might be nice to show what I've been working on lately. I made this pillow last night with leftover fabric from other projects and I'm really happy with how it turned out. Matthew Haly's Book of Upholsterysays the trick is to make the pillow cover two inches smaller than the pillow form. That way you get a nice smooth, plump-looking pillow. I think he's onto something.