Meaty steak and bacon dog collars

Aroo Studio hired me to create a custom meat-themed design for their line of dog collars and leashes last year. I threw in some bacon, ham, steak, and a drumstick, and here's the result. These cute samples arrived today.


Adjustable collars come in small, medium, and large, and matching leashes are available. Color choices are yellow with red, or aqua with orange. Everything is handmade with 100% hemp webbing, which is washable and gets softer with age.

Get your pup some of this meaty goodness right here at Aroo Studio.

3D origami hearts

Yesterday's post got me in the mood for origami, so I tried out the instructions in Samuel Tsang's video on how to make 3D paper hearts. The lighting isn't great, but I figured out the steps, thanks to Samuel's pen. The folds aren't difficult; it's just hard to see them.


Each heart is folded from one square of paper. The openings in the sides make it easy to string them into a garland. Just think— by Valentine's Day, you could fold hundreds. Thousands. You could have a heart garland long enough to wrap around your house a few times.


If you need more Valentine ideas, try one of these other DIY projects.

Quick paper fortunes or party favors

I like these ten-second paper fortunes whipped up by Leyla Torres at Origami Spirit. Each little stick unfurls to reveal a message. You could make a jar of love notes for Valentine's Day, offer recipes to guests as party favors, or have your kids draw tiny pictures to mail to grandma. They're cute. Watch Leyla's instructional video right here.

Free font: Ayres

Ayres is a condensed serif typeface designed by Mariel Gornati. It's got some pretty ligatures and alternate characters. Download it at the bottom of this page at Behance— free for personal and commercial use. (Firefox works best.)

Peanuts are the new black

Alex lost his heart to a peanut on one of our antique store visits a few months ago. I think it reminds him of his years at Kraft, where Planter's was one of their brands. I'll admit it. This dish is fun. We took it home.


I googled our peanut and found similar F.B. Rogers silver-plated candy dishes on eBay for $15-$30. Some sellers say they're from the 40s, some the 60s.

Yesterday a new CB2 catalog came. Behold!


Peanuts! Maybe they'll become the new owl, or the new antler, or the new mustache.


The best thing about the catalog, though, was the rooms. Look— dark woodwork plus modern furnishings. It is VERY hard to find inspiring examples of Victorian homes that still have dark trim and that aren't full of really traditional furniture. If they have modern furniture, the woodwork has nearly always been painted white.






I'm saving this catalog for inspiration.

P.S. This post was not sponsored by CB2 or Kraft Foods or the American Peanut Shellers Association.

P.P.S. Saying something is "the new black" is the new black, as you've probably noticed. I love it when it doesn't make any sense. Here's an interesting article about this cliché.

New year, new wallpapers

If your computer or mobile device needs a facelift in 2014, grab one of these free wallpapers from generous designers around the web.

Above, January wallpapers at Sarah Hearts.


A variety of motivating messages from The Sweet Escape.


Pretty cacti backgrounds by Helen Dealtry at Design Sponge.

An Orla Kiely gift from Japan

My friend Megumi knows of my Orla Kiely adoration and just mailed me these Orla-print shirts from Japan, purchased at Uniqlo. I have no idea what "HeatTech Japan Technology" is, but I could definitely use some heattech in my America house today.


Megumi took a wild guess at what size would fit her 5'11" friend, and she did well with the XL. The sleeves are little bit too short, but if I push them up, nobody will be the wiser. The torso fit is perfect— not snug, but not too roomy, either. I love the patterns!

Spray painted planter

Over the holiday break I traveled a bunch— first to Alabama and then to Minnesota for Christmas with my family on the farm. One day involved making Christmas ornaments with my little niece. We sold our products at an ornament stand in the living room. She set the price at 2 pennies each and we split the profits. I took my nine cents and went thrift-store shopping when I got home. Fortunately I had a little extra cash in my bank account, which enabled me to buy a dresser on Craigslist which I plan to paint for the dining room, and a couple of vases for the parlor mantel.


I loved the shape of this mid-century planter (maybe McCoy?), and the green-gold color was kind of cool, but I decided it should be pink to match the parlor chairs. I spray painted it with Krylon ColorMaster Mambo Pink Gloss, and now it's quite happy looking.

I stuffed a plastic bag inside the pot to shield the interior and taped the opening to the rim with blue painter's tape to get a clean line. A cardboard box made a good spray booth in the basement; I painted near the outside door which was open for ventilation. The key when spray painting is to apply lots of thin, light coats, and you'll get a lovely result.