The 20 Minute Tablecloth

 I've never been a table cloth girl.  I have always admired table cloths on other people's tables.  Lovely as they may be, small children are drawn to Houdini Magic Tricks with the table cloth...and that can be dangerous.  Now, the kids are older and we have a dining table with tile which requires repair...well, an overhaul, really, and that makes using a tablecloth a necessity.   So imagine my surprise when, after a few months of table cloth use, I have found a  deep love for the dining room textile.   Over the weekend, I found some Gunilla IKEA fabric I bought years ago.  It's black (perfect to cover up food stains) with colorful nature wonders all over (perfect to improve grumpy moods).  The fabric was already cut to the perfect length...just hem and sew.  It took no more than 20 minutes and goes with just about everything.  I just wish I had orange dinnerware...which would look especially beautiful.  Some different fabrics from the Gunilla line is still available at IKEA online here.

50s...60s...70s Interior Design Reading

       

I used to have this book filled with amazing design ideas from very traditional (not pictured) to modern (midcentury, that is) interior design.  For some reason beyond belief, I decided to pass it on and haven't been able to find one as good...So I am glued to the few pictures I have and hope that you find them as inspirational, as well.

Weekend Project: Popsicle Stick Bookmarks

I was recently inspired to make some bookmarks with the girls.  Craft stick projects are always a big hit and I'm a big fan of functional art so it seemed like this project would be a good combination.

Grabbing some odds and ends fabrics and papers, glue, markers and wooden craft sticks, we got to work.
 
First, we glued the crazy hair (extra curly bits of colored wool I picked up at the Michigan Fiber Festival last year).  Then we painted the face with markers.  Next we cut out the clothes from fabric scraps and music note paper and glued them on. Last, we painted on some legs and feet and voila!  

These little bookmarks are little works of art.  They're flat enough to fit into a book...and make great improv puppets.  I love the way the crazy hair sticks out from the top of the book.  These make great gifts, too...and Valentine's day is around the corner!

Happy Birthday, Michigan!!

We're celebrating Michigan's 175th birthday today by offering free shipping on Michigan Mitt ornaments available at DearAdam on etsy.   Use coupon code MICHIGAN to receive the discount.

What a beautiful and bountiful state!  Despite the economic hardships Michigan has faced within the past few years, Michigan has so much to offer.  One of my favorite Michigan gems to visit is Alden B. Dow Home and Studio.  Dow built his fabulous house using bricks made from a by-product of his father's chemical plants.  It's an inspirational place filled with vibrant art and furniture...not to mention the vast, gorgeous Dow Gardens which border the property.  You can visit all these places in the unassuming, charming, small town of Midland, Michigan.

My favorite Michigan summer vacation spot?  The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, of course!  Fresh, cool breeze from the lake, blue skies, fine white sand, and ancient legends are plentiful here.  It's a magical place for kids and a relaxing one for adults.

Green and White found treasures

What luck to find these wonderful treasures at the thrift store.  A beautiful handmade crocheted sweater in an adult size!!  Usually, I can find lots of these for the kiddies but they're very hard to find for adults.  The lime green fuzzy yarn on the collar and sleeves, combined with the handmade ceramic button at the neck, adds the perfect touch to make this green froggy sweater super unique!  And I couldn't pass on the stark white student coil pot.  It houses the orchid (about to bloom!) perfectly.  I think of the unknown makers of these things and I hope they know that their work has been found and is loved!

It's snowing errr...raining ...snowing...raining...snowing...raining

While any other year, we'd be living in a beautiful and frosty Winter Wonderland by now, Mother Nature can't seem to make up her mind this year.  Should I make it snow?  Or should I make it rain?  Recently, we've been experiencing more of the wet stuff than any other winter.  Here is a little spring inspiration for you available right  here. 

Passing the time with puzzles

Waiting for snow, we've been passing the chilly evenings by the fire with puzzles.  They're fun for the whole family!  Here's a wonderfully vibrant puzzle with great graphics of traditional folk costumes of Sweden...available here.