Scrap Metal~Part Two: Alphabet Frame

Whilst visiting San Francisco in January (yes, I've been meaning to post about this for 9 months now....) we stumbled upon the most amazing antique store called Aria. It really isn't your typical antique store, I feel silly even calling it that. It was more like you found a trap door to a 18th century European attic and all the owners belongings were perfectly curated in piles of interesting knick-knacks and oddities. I was is hog-heaven!
There were skeleton keys, mini globes, vintage millinery, weathered letters written in French with a quill, bocce ball sets, and even a miniature roulette wheel. My favorite find was an entire alphabet set of brass printer's stencils. They each had the most magnificent patina of corroded old ink and were still in usable condition.
After mulling around what I would do with said alphabet, I decided to make a mirror after being inspired by this. The trickiest part was finding the right size hanging mirror so all the letters would fit perfectly. Once I did, I slapped them on with a little glue and voila! A fabulous DIY vintage mirror! It's so snazzy!

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

Scrap Metal~Part One: Lamp Terrarium

I'm a huge fan of the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. They have a rotating inventory of junk turned treasure. I usually stop by every few weeks and peruse the scene. I've been really into old brass light fixtures and have a growing collection, but haven't figured what to do with them until now. Watch this hanging brass lamp turn into the most adorable succulent terrarium right before your eyes.Disclaimer: the hardest part about this project was ripping out the existing bulb fixture. But with a little elbow grease and some pliers, that puppy popped right off. It also left a convenient drainage hole right at the bottom. It also really helped that the side of the lamp has a handy hinged "trap-door" so I could reach my mits into the space.

Boom. Super easy and super cute. All you have to do is give everybody a little spritzy-spray every few days and they are happy as clams.

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

treasure hunt

my search for a rustic bath cabinet took a while.

a. i'm picky

b. the little half bath that it's for is very small, and

c. it had to be the right price point

then lo-and-behold, this lovely little periwinkle lady popped up on craigslist. it was labeled $50, and when i called it was still available. success!

since it has glass windows, it's fully functional and display-worthy. i found a decorative ceramic tile at habitat-for-humanity restore, an origami crane gifted by my talented sculptor friend joe spear, and matching periwinkle retro milk-glass containers at a consignment shop.

the little bathroom has been transformed! and i finally have somewhere to store all the essentials.

Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

Take is way back

I love these renditions of old school electronics. The best part is that they are made completely out of paper! Back to Basics is created by a French graphic design duo, Zim & Zou. Check out the stop action video, here! It's wonderfully meticulous and will blow your mind!
-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM

bye-bye ziplocks, hello lunchskins

Packing a lunch and snacking is much more fun with these reusable, velcro-sealed bags. I love the bright, bold patterns of lunchskins. They can go in the dishwasher too.

Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

les oiseaux

i.

i discovered that the reason a female canyon towhee had been giving me the stink-eye whenever i sat on the new, plush cushions of my back porch to enjoy my morning-time was a fresh nest she'd built inside of the wall sconce just above my head. i suddenly thought of all the times i'd flicked the light on at night, and hoped the mini-towhees weren't over-heating.

ii.

i started thinking about birds differently the summer of 2006, when i was working at shidoni bronze foundry in the village of tesuque, new mexico. a baby bird flew into the big room where i was working, and after hours of trying to coax it out, it remained. the next morning i arrived early, and found it on the ground just outside of the studio doors, flat on it's back.

it was one of the most beautiful things i've seen.

i pulled out some clay, and sculpted it on the spot. now it's cast in bronze and aluminum.

i continued to sketch, etch and sculpt bird-like figures, wondering why i had such a sudden attraction.

iii.

i asked my mama-in-law to read my animal "totem" during one of her visits, using the medicine cards, which are based on a collected knowledge and symbolism of the animal kingdom. "each person has nine power or totem animals that...emulate each person's abilities, talents, and challenges." of the nine cards that i pulled for my complete "totem", four were birds:

crow= keeper of sacred law

raven= bringer of magic

eagle= ability to live in the realm of spirit

blue heron= self-reflection

-Cameron: Santa Fe, NM

On TV!

My styling session of the Inn and Spa at Loretto finally aired last weekend on the Travel Channel. I don't have a TV so I am lucky enough to watch it over and over again on You Tube!



My grubby hands made WAY too many appearances...see if you can guess the number of cameos! I was really happy that they showed the great styling of the spa, it turned out so dreamy and glow-y!


The segments really didn't do justice to the ballroom styling, so here is a lovely picture by our pro: Babak of Insight Foto.

-Jessie, Santa Fe, NM