Back to School 2014 From noreply@blogger.com (House of Smiths)

Today's Inspiration comes from guest blogger noreply@blogger.com (House of Smiths) Be sure to check out their blog! I can't help it, I just have to share a few more of our fast and furious back to school pics that I snapped before we bolted out of the door on Wednesday morning.



I'll tell you what, a full-time job outside the home, Summer craziness and now an 8:00am school call time... is just about setting me into crazy mode.



I'm in bed by 9:00pm, and usually passed out by 9:15pm.

I'm already tired and it's only the third day of school. Anyone with me?



TGIF!

These girls are so amazing.

I was crazy worried about them, but come to find out, they are doing GREAT so far! Aubrielle got a little weepy this morning and said school makes her tired... which I assume all kiddos go through when transitioning from half day to all day school.

The twins love being in different classes too - who knew!? I definitely thought that would be harder then it turned out to be; so here's praying that the rest of this year goes as smoothly as the first 3 days

:)

Hope all of your kiddos are loving school, or getting pumped to go back soon!

xoxo

*** original post via TheHouseofSmiths.com ***

Backstage Lamp By: Jules IKEAHacker

Materials: Jansjo LED Lamp

This project adds a dark blue gel onto the low wattage IKEA Jansjo lamp for use backstage at the community theater. First, machine the Clamp Plate, Gel Plate, and Housing. Next, sandwich the gel between the Housing and the Gel Plate and secure with four M3X6 socket head cap screws. Next, attach the assembly to the lamp using the Clamp Plate and four M3X12 socket head cap screws.

Download the Gel Housing Parts pdf

~ Dave

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1v6aor0 From Jules IKEAHacker

Easy stainless steel kitchen By: Carmen

Take two (or more…) of the GREVSTA doors.

Make little holes for screws in the corners.

Put in place.

That’s all.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1vnbrQT From Carmen

After the Jump: How Design Can Change The World By: Grace Bonney

This week marks the the 85th episode of After the Jump and the last show before our radio station takes a quick summer break to gear up for fall programming. So I wanted to dedicate this show to a topic that is not only applicable to anyone in the creative community, but one that sends us off on a note that inspires further thinking, collaboration and ultimately, action.

For some people, myself included, the desire to do good and make a bigger difference in the world can be hard to juxtapose with our desire to create beautiful objects, whether they’re paintings, pottery or a brand new website. The art and design community at large is sometimes dismissed as nonessential because, in the bigger sense of survival and meeting your basic life requirements like water, food and shelter, most of us aren’t producing things on a daily basis that change those survival essentials for people around the world.

But while there are indeed parts of design that aren’t tied to everyday survival, there are so many parts that are. From product designers making water filtration devices for people without clean drinking water sources to graphic designers and illustrators creating artwork for nonprofit groups that need help raising awareness, there are an infinite number of ways that the skills, passion and vision of the creative community can be used to do good.

So for today’s show, I want to walk through some of the ways artists and designers are giving back to the world, talk to a few people who are making it a part of their daily life and break down the steps that all of us can follow to use your creative abilities to do good in the world. I’m pleased to be joined on-air for this episode with two incredibly talented women who have made giving back a big part of their professional life, Dawn Hancock of Firebelly Design and graphic designer Sharlene King. Their ideas inspired me so much and I know their examples will be a great inspiration for anyone else who’s been wanting to find a way to use their design skills to give back to those in need. xo, grace

*I also wanted to point out cause/affect, a biennial, international design competition that celebrates the work of designers and organizations who set out to positively impact our society. It’s a great list of design studios doing great work.

“>

Click through for a summary of my ideas from the show and a list of just some of the companies mentioned on-air that are using creative talents to help those who need it.

(more…)

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1toSP2z From Grace Bonney

SNUDDA Candleholder By: Madam Rosmerta

Materials: SNUDDA, Sommarmys

This is not my original idea! I stole the idea from another IKEA hacker. But I loved the idea and so I made a tea light holder with the SNUDDA and wanted to show it to you.

It’s very simple: you took the bottom from the plate, drill holes and put the tea light holders in the holes. Fix the bottom again and finish with oil or paint.

Thank you for the idea!

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1navPiI From Madam Rosmerta

10 Easy DIYs for Summer Break By: Grace Bonney

Every year at Design*Sponge we take a weeklong break from the office to relax and be with friends and family, so I’ve been thinking about what I want to get done during my break. I have a million work projects I should be doing, but I think my mind and body would appreciate if I took some time to cook, garden and make things instead. I’ve got a list of recipes I’m dying to try, but I wanted to round up some DIY projects that I knew would be quick and easy enough for everyone to do, even on the laziest summer day. So I gathered my favorites here and I hope they’ll inspire you to make something during the last dog days of summer. No complicated templates to follow, just 10 great ways to avoid the summer heat and too much TV time. Have fun! xo, grace

*Image above: our favorite cat toy ever! A simple DIY scratching post that uses inexpensive rope to lure frisky felines away from your furniture.

Click through for all 10 projects after the jump!

(more…)

via Design*Sponge http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/designspongeonline/njjl/~3/gZeqBv3pHQw/story01.htm From Grace Bonney

A Day In The Life of Natalie Chanin By: Grace Bonney

One of my secret (although it’s not so secret now) dreams is to move back to the South and work on creating a more unified and formalized community of southern designers to promote and celebrate in the design community at large. The deep South in particular is full of incredible talent that I think is oftentimes overlooked by design publications and television. I’ve always had the pie-in-the-sky idea that I could somehow win the lottery and then devote all my time and energy to helping those designers do anything they need to get the attention they deserve (or more).

One of the first designers that made me look more deeply into the design community in the South is Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin. Her incredible fashion and textile designs, sewn by a team of local Alabama seamstresses (who are paid a fair and living wage, which is sadly not common in the fashion industry) using salvage material whenever possible, captured the attention and hearts of shoppers and the media across the globe over 10 years ago. She has been an inspiration to designers and artists in not just Alabama, but across the country. I relish any instance where someone’s design work is as beautiful as their work ethics and Alabama Chanin is one of those rare moments. I’ve always wondered what a day in Natalie’s life looked like and thankfully she agreed to share a peek inside her day! Thanks so much to Natalie and everyone on her team for sharing this glimpse inside her daily life. xo, grace

Click through for the full post after the jump!

(more…)

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1odqk2i From Grace Bonney