It’s a Book, it’s a Secret Hidey-Hole… It’s a Book Safe!

I just found the most fun, cool, unique, eco-friendly, fun, and hey, even useful giftie over on Etsy!

It’s a book, it’s recycled, it’s (ta da) a Book Safe – how cool is this!

Book Safe from Conduit Press on Etsy

It’s handmade and available at Conduit Press at Etsy. Here’s how it looks, closed:

Book Safe, Closed

She has lots more choices – different books, different shapes inside – but in the text for this one, she even mentions Ayn Rand, whose work I totally loved when I was, er, a lot younger…. and this one has a FLASK included! I mean come on, you can see why I had to pick this one 🙂

She also has some yummy handmade journals, notebooks and cards – you’ve got to go peek.

But the book safe? I mean, you can hide all kinds of goodies in there. Anonymously. Even, dare I say, safely 🙂

And it’s a recycled book. And it’s paper. And it’s just fun 🙂

Pretty Trinkets from a Super Destash Shop

Now you know I love finding little hidden goodies online – especially when they are unusual, and vintage (yay for reusing and repurposing vintage!) – and when they’re also a great deal, well you know I am impressed.

I stumbled across this lovely Destash Shop – Stoss on Etsy the other day – and look at the pretty Monet vintage trinket box I found!

Monet Trinket Box with Butterfly and Jewels

Wouldn’t that be perfect to hold your own little treasured pair of earrings or ring?

And, completely different – these pink earrings are cute and maybe a little kitschy and fun:

Pink Beaded Bubble Earrings
for those days you feel like playing June Cleaver. Or Natasha in disguise 🙂

Little goodies like this are just fun – go, check out the pretty (and even useful!) goodies over at Stoss!

Sparkling Vintage Glass DIY Earrings – and Shameless Self Promotion

Absolutely I’ll admit it – this is self promotion, because these lovely jewels are available in my Artfire Shop. But they’re also lovely – and it’s easy to turn them into glamorous earrings!

Light Topaz Honey Gold Vintage Glass Teardrop or Pear Jewels in Patina Brass Settings
and here’s another view, that shows the tiny variations in these pretty vintage stones:
Honey Gold - Light Topaz - Vintage Glass Jewels in Patina Brass Settings

Simply slip these pretty teardrops onto your earwires of choice – and if you order from my shop, I’ll add a free pair of earwires to your order – in golden or patina brass to match the settings – in your choice of leverbacks, elongated kidney wires, or classic simple earwires.

It’s just that simple to make yourself (or your mom?) a great pair of holiday earrings. 🙂

Folding Table – Great for Small Space Decorating – DIY!

I found this great example of a folding table – use it when you need it, then fold it back against the wall and use it as a picture frame!

Folding Table
Folding Table – found at Geekgirlfinds Blog

The exact method of how to make the table (it didn’t even occur to me that maybe you could buy it!) isn’t given – but if you look at the pic you can see pretty clearly how it could be done. Use piano hinges on the edge of the table that’s supported by the wide wall cleat, and the two upper hooks could swivel to support the table – or picture frame – when it rests up against the wall. Play around with ideas, you’ll think of easy ways to do it.

It’s the idea that’s super valuable. Make a table (top) that’s just the size you need, sand it, paint it, and use the legs as your picture frame. Graphic, cool, and it wouldn’t cost much. Great for when you just need a table sometimes – and you want to make it work graphically for you, the rest of the time!

Rare Pink Diamond – or, What Planet Do You Live On?

Saw this in the news today: Sotheby’s is going to be offering a 24.78 karat, uber rare pink diamond for sale next month:

Rare Pink Diamond offered at Sotheby's

Just for giggles, let’s compare it to these:

Pink Octagon Vintage Glass Jewels

Pink 12mm x 10mm vintage glass diamond jewels I have available in my Etsy shop.

Of course the two are worlds apart, and the cut of the diamond is incomparable.

However – the diamond is expected to fetch up to $38 million dollars at auction. Yes. That was “thirty eight MILLION”.

The vintage glass jewels sell for $3.19 a pair.

So my point is, both are pretty. Yes, absolutely, the diamond is rare and incalculable and like that, but — who buys stuff like that? This isn’t even sour grapes on my part. Why would a person want something like that? Just to show it off? Well, yeah, but — I mean, who cares? It’s simply a cultural / ethnic / socioeconomic gap so wide it’s funny.

I mean – what planet do THEY live on?

Halloween Costume – Love the Men In Black idea!

I was just looking around for some new (to me) Halloween costume ideas. Something that hasn’t been done to death, something that’s not hard to do, and something FUN.

How about your own Men in Black costume? Like these:

Men in Black - Halloween costume
Men in Black Halloween Costume

This link takes you to The Instructables where you’ll find lots of other great costume ideas (makeup too).

And here’s more MiB costumes:

Men in Black Halloween Costumes
More Men in Black Halloween Costumes

I found this at Coolest Homemade Costumes which has got to be the greatest site ever for costume ideas.

But hey – Men in Black? For one thing, I love the Men in Black movies. And they’re making a new MIB movie right now (or about to start it) so these are going to be “new” again. (and besides, yay, they’re making a new MIB movie!)

This idea works for anybody – men, women, kids. Take a black suit, a white shirt, a tie, the all-important sunglasses and presto: you’re “V”, or “B”, or whatever name you want to use.

Have some fun this Halloween!

Indoor Gardening – Beautiful and Good for You!

I’m trying to learn more about indoor gardening. Partly because plants add a terrific graphic beauty to your home – and partly because it’s healthy. We really do live in a symbiotic ecosystem, you know. Plants remove toxins from the air, and that’s got to be good!

And esthetically, they add a natural beauty that we can probably all use a little more of. Case in point:

Snake Plant - an easy to grow indoor house plant
Snake Plant

and
Golden Pothos - easy to grow house plant
Golden Pothos

I found these in a terrific article, “10 Super Easy to Grow Indoor House Plants” over at Garden Mandy. She’s got lots of great tips there for indoor gardening – and a lot of eco friendly tips and news. Go over there and check, it’s totally worth your time.

Did you know that the golden pothos – while bad for your pets, don’t let them eat it – removes formaldahyde from the air? Can we say “poison in new carpeting”?

Get some plants!

PS I’ve actually been able to grow pothos (my “fail safe” plant) and snake plant. And I totally don’t have a green thumb. If I can do it, believe me, you can too!