cute idea

yeah, this is a clever idea, but $250?! i might mod up something like this to have in the kitchen to get stuff off the high shelves above the cabinets etc. i think i could probably do it for under $25. definitely cute, though. for sale at urbanpeel if you want to fork over the big bucks. found this on better living through design.

this is very cool. it's modern and unique but has a definite warmth about it. the post mentions changing the angles of corrugation in the cardboard to create the designs. i would love to learn how to do this, wonder how hard it would be. i'm guessing pretty tricky, but might be worth the effort since i'm guessing this thing isn't cheap. via inhabitat.

more diy cuteness

also from poppy, cute idea for using those cute brightly colored maple leaves (perhaps too late in the season, but creative nonetheless). full instructions with pictures here. not sure if mine would turn out as nice as these, but might be fun to try.

fridge = lite brite

saw this on poppy (one of those aforementioned design sites) this afternoon. the instructions are highly detailed and very complex (you click through them by clicking the numbered images at the top of the page), but the end result is very fun. i don't think i would be able to justify painting my fridge to accomplish this end, but i'm thinking it could be adjusted to any magnetic surface. going to have to check out other portions of the website this is at. diy funness all the way!

new bike on its way

i'm very excited to receive my new bike. i had it shipped to mom and dad's so that it wouldn't be left at my apartment in the little bitty lobby. it is pretty slick and i'm definitely looking forward to lugging an appox 20lb bike up the stairs to my 3rd floor apartment instead of the 30lb bike i have been lugging up the stairs. it's a kestrel talon, which until i started shopping around, was not a brand i had even heard of. i also got a killer deal on it, which is good since i would expect be looking at upwards of $2200 or more for a bike with the features that this one has, and my budget was not near that.

a coworker was joking around last week at the amount i was going to pay, and said "well it comes with pedals, right?" and the answer, of course, is nooooooo. but i do have my pedals already purchased and ready to attach to the bike. i just need shoes to attach to the cleats to attach to the pedals. otherwise, i'm sitting pretty good as far as my gear goes. need some gloves, too, but those aren't too much of a worry. hopefully i can stop by and check out some shoes some time this week! these are the ones i think i want, but have to make sure they fit (as a bonus, they are also under my expected shoe budget, so keep those fingers crossed).

a gold mine in my parents' basement?

i have a few design websites bookmarked that i check every other day or so, depending on how busy i am at work. one of them is better living through design. they post several unique and clever items (mostly furniture and housewares) daily. i giggled when i saw this item, then gasped when i saw the price ($747 for the 16" bedside version!) i can't stop thinking about the (only slightly more tacky) gun lamps in my parents' basement. maybe spray painted gold, they would bring in a small fortune (wouldn't that be nice).

i'm an aunt!

forgot to post this earlier in the week, but my sister and her husband had their baby, lucy helena denning, on october 1st. everything went smoothly and mom and baby are doing great. you can see hospital pictures here, lucy's first day at home here (so precious), and some more random baby pics here. i'm excited to go up to michigan to meet my new niece. thanks, mindy, for having the baby 11 days early so i have the long holiday weekend to come on up!

teachers packing heat?

eek! i saw this story today while browsing the headlines. shootings in schools have been in the headlines way too often lately, but this just not seem like the solution. concealed weapons for teachers scares me and seems like it would cause way more problems than it could ever possibly solve. additionally, the expense and danger would be beyond reasonble.

how to fold a shirt

i think i'm pretty decent at shirt folding, but this puts me to shame. going to have to go try this on the next load of laundry.