The working girl's guide to a beautiful home and a tasty table.
Just a few days ago, I posted on the first shoots of thyme rising through the dirt of the planter. Well, the sage (all the way on the left) must have been a bit jealous of the attention because not two days later, they broke through with a vengeance and then some! Ladies and gentlemen, we got ourselves a competition.
For those who might be interested in growing herbs at home, here are a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up along the way:
Sage and Thyme Shoots
Mark Frauenfelder is the Editor in Chief of Make Magazine, the founder of the blog, Boing Boing and the author of a new book about his trials, triumphs and lessons learned with DIY projects, Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World.
A copy of Mark’s new book was sent our way – and we were instantly engulfed in both the creativity of his projects and his attitude towards DIY (mistakes are OK!). His DIY journey started when he, his wife and two young daughters moved the remote Island of Raratonga, part of the Cook Islands, to literally get away from it all and enjoy a simpler, more direct lifestyle where they could forge a deeper connection and more rewarding sense of involvement with the world around them.
Mark and his family did return to the comforts of California about a year later, but not without lessons learned. In the family’s time in Raratonga, Mark was inspired by the world and environment around him to adapt a DIY lifestyle. In the past few years he’s tackled gardening, keeping bees, building working guitars from cigar boxes, making yogurt and other food, and tutoring his daughter, amongst other projects. And, for those of you who have heard about my latest obsession with keeping chickens, Made by Hand is where I first got that idea.
Mark was kind enough to let us ask him a few questions about his new book and some of his recent DIY projects: [Read more...]
Me, wearing my new ruffled tank top with Hillary and Steph
When I’m outside of the office, my summer wardrobe – particularly during heat spells like we’ve been having this summer – is pretty standard. I almost always wear shorts and a “Perfect Fit” JCrew tank top, which I stock up on every time I’m at the outlet. Their shirts are absolutely the most comfortable and you can pretty much always score the tanks at the outlet for under $10. When I went this spring, I got a few for $7.99 each. A total bargain! The only downside is that, after a while, my outfits tend to all look the same – just in a different color.
Inspired by all of the ruffles we’re seeing this spring/summer, I decided to add a little ruffle onto one of my new tanks. The result is a tank that’s cute enough to wear with a skirt – and that was way cheaper than buying a new shirt. Here’s what you’ll need and what I did:
Gardening - take three.
Up until recently, I was doing pretty good with my indoor garden. Then, unfortunately, my primary plant – basil – came down with a mysterious case of “white dots all over it.” I couldn’t find any potential diagnoses on the Internet and afraid to use it in anything, I let it die. But I’ve brought back the entire effort from the dead – pun intended – with a new approach. (FYI, the oregano plant, as you recall from the veggie pizza post, continues to do just fine.)
For the second time around, I picked up a long planter and some potting soil from the local florist. In it, I placed thyme, rosemary, sage and re-potted a new basil plant as well. After a week’s worth of watering, I noticed yesterday that some shoots were starting to form! Very exciting. More on this effort as take three continues. In the meantime, here are some photos!
In just 15 minutes, this pizza could be yours.
After a good gym workout, I’m always in the mood for something healthy, but sometimes fail at actually finding something that fits the bill.
After a particularly intense workout last night (thank you to Tru Dog and his Cardio Jam class at NYSC) I was literally wandering the aisles of the grocery store in search of something both filling and good. I was just about to walk right on by the Boboli pizza crusts when I got inspired. One of the bigger crusts could provide a good dinner, with plenty of leftovers for the next day. I grabbed key ingredients and got to work.
You’ll need:
This is how I pour my wine, actually.
Recently, Erin and I got a very special glimpse into what we’re sure is going to be one of Brooklyn’s coolest hot spots – Brooklyn Winery.
Located on North 8th between Roebling and Driggs (take the L train to Bedford), the winery has a great mix of activities for the budding – or already experienced – wine connoisseur who either wants to a.) make their own wine b.) enjoy wine or c.) all of the above. Yes, you read that right. Make your own wine.
The proprietors, John and Brian, alongside right-hand man, Ryan, recently gave us a tour of the new facility, as well as an overview of everything the space will include. Our favorite details after the jump – but you can also go see for yourself! Open house “Hard Hat Tours” are Friday’s from 5pm-7pm and Saturday’s from 12pm-5pm. Sign up by visting www.bkwinery.com.
This little flowerpot for planting mint can now be yours for a low, low price.
We are very excited to announce that we’re now set up on Etsy! For those not in the know, Etsy is a great site for buying handmade goods direct from the people who make them. The Yay! DIY store is here.
As some of you may recall, I have a minor thing for painting flowerpots – so we’ve started by selling some of these online. There are only three listings thus far, but this will increase in the coming days as we get everything photographed and cataloged.
So – have a look around! Tell us what you think! And definitely keep checking back because we’ll begin offering much more of our crafts online after we finish making them. (Our homes can only hold so much.)
Looking for a way to use your crafts to help support a charity you like? A new program titled STITCHING FOR PINK 
by SVP Worldwide, the makers of Singer and other sewing machines, invites sewers and embroiderers to use their skills to help raise awareness and raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. When I saw this I had a feeling it just may interest some of you readers!
STITCHING FOR PINK is an online campaign to raise breast cancer awareness and help find a cure for the disease. By donating $5, you become a member of STITCHING FOR PINK and will receive ten exclusive embroidery designs – along with complete instructions – that have a breast cancer awareness message or theme. The $5 donation will be given directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The STITCHING FOR PINK awareness and fundraising campaign will culminate on October 30, the final day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
For more detailed information, please visit stitchingforpink.org.
Looking for some painting inspiration for the kitchen, I happened across these two photos showcasing pretty out-there color schemes. Though I don’t think I have the guts to paint my own kitchen in these hues - it does provide some good food for thought – no pun intended – in terms of accent colors, accent accessories and the like. (For the record, I’m thinking a nice, fresh green and yellow schematic for my own kitch.)
A pink and yellow kitchen looks retro and fun.
This bright orange island seems like it would make you happy.
Any other suggestions for non-traditional colors? We’re all ears.
(Thanks to cabbagerose.tumblr.com for the photos.)
Oh hello, lover.
On the Fourth of July, friend of Yay! DIY Ryan had a BBQ at his house and he served up some super-delicious fried chicken. Naturally, I had to steal the recipe and try it out for myself.
I was pleased to find that this recipe is quite simple – both in terms of prep and execution. The only hitch is that you’ll want to soak the chicken in buttermilk either overnight or during the day while you’re at work – but believe me, it’s worth it. After that’s done, the chicken cooks quickly. It’s a perfect meal for those weekday nights when you don’t feel like putting in the time and effort – and you can make plenty to bring for lunch the next day.
You’ll need…
Hi there. We’re Lia and Erin, two New York City girls who met at work, discovered a mutual love of DIY and cooking and haven’t put down our glue guns or spatulas since.
We know how it feels to have limited time - and funds! - but unlimited creativity. Our mission to show you how to make pretty home decor and delicious food in a way that fits into your busy lifestyle.