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making this: diy camera case
When I bought a camera, I scoured the internet for the cutest accessories. UM. I just bought a damn camera. I’m still planning on buying a flash. I will not be spending hundreds on bags and straps. So I decided to make my own (for now).
These are all very pretty. None of them cost less than a hundo. ( 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 )
Anyone that knows me knows I am fruGAL. And that I love Forever 21. SOOO… I went ahead a bought this bag.
Ok. Bought. Now the hard part. Making a camera insert for it. You need this stuff. (you could also use foam instead of batting, but I thought batting would be more flexible)
step one. Measure the bottom piece according to the size of the camera. then measure the four sides out and CUT that batting up!
step two. Start sewing the fabric around the panels of batting. Mine sucks.
step three.Here is where I realized step two was too hard. The geometric print was not staying in place because of the batting moving around while I sewed, no matter how much I pinned in place. I suck at sewing. That’s fine. So I resorting to stapling the remaining panels.
step three. When all the panels are ready (sewn or stapled, watch your fingers), it’s time to attach them to each other, making sure they fold and fit on the bottom piece properly. I’d recommend sewing the sides and NOT STAPLING. Okay, so mine fits. Awesome.
SHIT! Hiccup #2. This is way too square. It refuses to fit into the bag. So if you’re like me and mess stuff up, here is where you’d do…
step 3 1/2. Fix the panels. Make it the correct size for the camera. (HINT: a rectangle)
step four. Admire. Make sure the camera fits inside comfortably. You’re done. Admire more.
step five. Fit that case right in that bag. Now go to the zoo with it or something.
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making this: diy camera case
When I bought a camera, I scoured the internet for the cutest accessories. UM. I just bought a damn camera. I’m still planning on buying a flash. I will not be spending hundreds on bags and straps. So I decided to make my own (for now).
These are all very pretty. None of them cost less than a hundo. ( 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 )
Anyone that knows me knows I am fruGAL. And that I love Forever 21. SOOO… I went ahead a bought this bag.
Ok. Bought. Now the hard part. Making a camera insert for it. You need this stuff. (you could also use foam instead of batting, but I thought batting would be more flexible)
step one. Measure the bottom piece according to the size of the camera. then measure the four sides out and CUT that batting up!
step two. Start sewing the fabric around the panels of batting. Mine sucks.
step three.Here is where I realized step two was too hard. The geometric print was not staying in place because of the batting moving around while I sewed, no matter how much I pinned in place. I suck at sewing. That’s fine. So I resorting to stapling the remaining panels.step three. When all the panels are ready (sewn or stapled, watch your fingers), it’s time to attach them to each other, making sure they fold and fit on the bottom piece properly. I’d recommend sewing the sides and NOT STAPLING. Okay, so mine fits. Awesome.
SHIT! Hiccup #2. This is way too square. It refuses to fit into the bag. So if you’re like me and mess stuff up, here is where you’d do…
step 3 1/2. Fix the panels. Make it the correct size for the camera. (HINT: a rectangle)
step four. Admire. Make sure the camera fits inside comfortably. You’re done. Admire more.
step five. Fit that case right in that bag. Now go to the zoo with it or something.
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eating this: chocolate chess pie
Ever since trying out this recipe, this has been my favorite chocolate indulgence. And everyones that I’ve ever made it for. It’s like the richest, fudgiest brownie ever. And the best part – it’s a no fail recipe.
My chocolate-obsessed dad was visiting town so I wanted to make it with him. I had him do the labor intensive job of smashing up the chocolate graham crackers for the crust.
A quick warning about this recipe is that most grocery stores around me have seemed to stop carrying chocolate graham crackers. I noticed this a few months ago when I made it for a dinner party, we drove to four stores trying to find them, and were told by everyone that they were discontinued. We used chocolate teddy grahams for that version (WHICH WAS MUCH HARDER!) Weeks later, my boyfriend came home from the store with 4 boxes of chocolate graham crackers he found at Pavilions (Vons/Safeway). Safeway store brand seems to be the only one still in production.
Chocolate Chess Pie
(adapted from the Kitchn)The recipe is originally for a 9 inch pie pan, but I like to use my 9.5 version because it’s the easiest for cutting out the slices. So I make extra pie crust and then we cut the top of it off when it’s done cooking. (I’d rather have too much crust than too little)
for the crust
1 ½ sleeves chocolate graham crackers
1 ½ stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugarfor the filling
1 stick butter
1 (1 oz) square of unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher saltPreheat the oven to 350°. To make the crust, place the graham crackers into a large ziploc bag. Now smash! You can use instruments such as a rolling pin or you can just make a man smash it with his hands. Once it’s powdery, add the melted butter and sugar and mix until well combined. Press into the pie pan and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and chill for an hour until crunchy and firm.
Now heat the oven to 325°. To make the filling, heat the chocolate and butter in a saucepan until melted and smooth. Remove from burner and transfer to a mixer, add sugar and mix until well combined. Stir in the lightly beaten eggs, vanilla, and salt. Pour into the pie crust and cook for 40-45 minutes until the center is just set. I normally cook for about 42. I like it gooey.
Remove pie from the oven, and let cool for 20-30 minutes. Keep at room temperature and serve with freshly whipped cream (which I make while I’m waiting ANXIOUSLY for the pie to cool!)
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if i lived in restaurants…
The most design inspiration I usually get while out is from well designed restaurants (and hotels!). If I could live in a dream house made from restaurants, this would be that dream home.
[ restaurants ] freeman’s (ny), comme ca, the fountain coffee room, son of a gun, sls tres, the little door
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if i lived in restaurants…
The most design inspiration I usually get while out is from well designed restaurants (and hotels!). If I could live in a dream house made from restaurants, this would be that dream home.
[ restaurants ] freeman’s (ny), comme ca, the fountain coffee room, son of a gun, sls tres, the little door
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to chalkboard paint or not to chalkboard paint?
Gideon wants to paint our office wall (yes, the one with the door) with chalkboard paint. This is one of the first time he’s had the idea for something we should do to the house so I kinda have to go with it. I like black and I like black with wood and it seems like a good idea and will probably make the office look better so I looked for inspiration.
I love the way the shelves look on the black. That’s what I want to do.
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wish list
one: like an egg chair but less confined / two: this lightweight throw to follow me around the house / three: boxwood topiary that you only have to spritz ONCE A MONTH! / four: i want a pair of leopard flats to replace wearing nude ones at all times / five: a horn vase that looks regal but still rustic / six: new dining chairs. these ones. -
trying to style a bookcase with… books!
Whenever I look up inspiration for styling bookcases and shelves, it always seems like there are more tchockies and decorative items than there are books! The problem is, we have two built in bookshelves when you walk into the house. So when we settled in, I used all the prettier books for those shelves. All that’s left for the expedit are the COLORFUL ones. Yuck.
I’m happy with the way these ones turned out. I think I can do the expedit. Maybe. While looking for inspiration for our office expedit, I managed to find images with some books…
Oooo here is one with books!
First thing I decided to do was give the shelf a white back. I got some white butcher paper from the closet and my favorite white duct tape to cover it. The taping is pretty bad up close but it’s on the back. I’ll never see it.
Okay. So much better. Next, I emptied it. That includes taking out the LPs and putting them next to the shelf. No idea where I’ll put these, but they’re taking up too much space.
Next, I removed all of the dust jackets. Something I’ve meant to do for a while. That helped a little.
Next, I gathered shit. Tchockies and such.
Then, I just kept trying. Playing around with what looked good. Putting things in, taking them out, and leaving them when they looked decent. The problem is trying to stuff all the books in while still trying to make them look good.
Feeling okay about these setups. I’ll leave them like this for now. Lotta books.
Alright! So it’s not the prettiest bookshelf styling ever, but it’s better than it was! I think!
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trying to style a bookcase with… books!
Whenever I look up inspiration for styling bookcases and shelves, it always seems like there are more tchockies and decorative items than there are books! The problem is, we have two built in bookshelves when you walk into the house. So when we settled in, I used all the prettier books for those shelves. All that’s left for the expedit are the COLORFUL ones. Yuck.
I’m happy with the way these ones turned out. I think I can do the expedit. Maybe. While looking for inspiration for our office expedit, I managed to find images with some books…
Oooo here is one with books!
First thing I decided to do was give the shelf a white back. I got some white butcher paper from the closet and my favorite white duct tape to cover it. The taping is pretty bad up close but it’s on the back. I’ll never see it.
Okay. So much better. Next, I emptied it. That includes taking out the LPs and putting them next to the shelf. No idea where I’ll put these, but they’re taking up too much space.
Next, I removed all of the dust jackets. Something I’ve meant to do for a while. That helped a little.
Next, I gathered shit. Tchockies and such.
Then, I just kept trying. Playing around with what looked good. Putting things in, taking them out, and leaving them when they looked decent. The problem is trying to stuff all the books in while still trying to make them look good.
Feeling okay about these setups. I’ll leave them like this for now. Lotta books.
Alright! So it’s not the prettiest bookshelf styling ever, but it’s better than it was! I think!
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open shelving is TOUGH.
Basically all of the storage space we have in our kitchen is what you see here, on this large wall of open shelving. You move into a place with a wall of open shelving and think it’s fantastic, but when you’re trying to store everything in the open, it really is hard. Besides this wall, we have two large drawers which we use for food and tupperware. What our house has in charm, it lacks in storage.
We painted our kitchen this sage color and decided to not paint the shelving since it would be such a nightmare. I’m still considering painting it.
My plan is to take everything out, rearrange, re-accessorize, and make it look like the kitchen shelving I dreamt about prior to having it. The problem is when your storage isn’t just staged or styled, but it’s all you have.
JARRRRRRS. (via)
Should I fill jars with things? Just put EVERYTHING we have in A MILLION JARS? (left image) (right image)
Examples of cluttered white. Working. White shelving. Ugh. (left image) (right image)
Or maybe we should stain ours darker?! UGH! (via)
Oh, and this is awesome.
(via)Ok. So the next post about my kitchen shelving will be a before and after. The after looking like these. Yeah, totally.
