#DSRainbow + Best of the Web By: Grace Bonney

I cannot believe that June is already here. I’m in complete denial and find myself clutching onto spring with all of its cool temperatures and beautiful flowers like I can’t let go. But I know that the long days of summer are ahead and with all of their downs (air conditioning bills and mosquitos) there will be some wonderful ups, like hiking to waterfalls, dips in the pool, backyard badminton and getting flip flop tans that make me feel like I’m a kid again. This month not only marks the first day of summer (June 21st), it also holds my 34th birthday on the 9th (woohoo!) and the start of Pride month. Whether you’re a member of the LGBT community or an ally (thank you!), this month will be about celebrating love, equality and happiness for everyone. Part of that celebration almost always includes a rainbow or two, so I decided to make this month’s hashtag challenge: #DSRAINBOW.

We’re taking inspiration from the iconic rainbow flag to celebrate gorgeous photos of all themes that show a color change from red to orange to yellow to green to blue to violet (or any part of the spectrum)! I’ve shared some of my favorite examples above and below, but if you spot something beautiful with a rainbow-inspired feel, share it at #DSRAINBOW and we’ll share our favorites here on DS and on Instagram. xo, grace

[Images above, top to bottom: DandyFineParty, WrightKitchen, EBMNewhaven, TonyAvista]

• Garrett loves these mobiles from Domestic Construction and we agree — camp crafts rule.
• This GIANT wreath entrance at Pop and Scott is AWESOME.
• David Bromley’s Australian home is so fantastic.
• Garrett tipped us off to the awesome remodeled Union Station in Denver — it’s gorgeous!
• I love all these pegboard organizer ideas. Hooray for form AND function.
• This kitchen makeover is so great — I’m loving all the black details (white is great, but black feels fresh and different right now).

• Must-Reads: Kojo & Lee Salon Tour, How To Make Your Own Pet Toys, Beds and Treats.
• Sneak Peeks: A Pastor’s Victorian Farmhouse, A chic but tiny studio in Manhattan, A Catskills Home with History, The Curated Quarters of a Prop Stylist, ROOST Apartment Hotel, An LA Loft with Glitz and Sparkle, Making a Home by the Hudson River, A Landlord’s Midwestern Duplex.
• DIY: How to Create a Ruffled Flower Arrangement, Daisy Nail Art, DIY Pine Serving Tray
• Before & After: Mirrored Closet Door Makeover
• Recipes: Beau Ciolino’s Matcha Truffles
• City Guide: Athens, GA
• Life & Business: Profiles: Erin & Kerry of The Commons, Cecily of Be Wise Magazine, Eunyoung Lee (a talented florist from Korea).

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

In the Kitchen With: Beau Ciolino’s Matcha Truffles By: Kristina Gill

Beau Ciolino, a New Orleans-based writer and author of Probably Baking blog, is another one of my favorite Instagram finds this year. His enthusiasm for baking is present in every image and in his writing, making his blog and Instagram feeds both fun places to wander around. Beau created this recipe for Matcha Dark Chocolate Truffles for us this week. Though the shops here in Italy remove chocolate from their shelves around late May, when it starts to get hot (and chocolates don’t typically return to stores until autumn), I think there’s always room for a truffle or two in the summer! —Kristina

Why Beau loves this recipe: I’ve always loved making truffles. They are so easy and versatile, and will totally impress your dinner guests. I fell in love with matcha a few months ago and use it constantly in baking and desserts. Its zing of green tea flavor pairs perfectly with the very intense dark chocolate in this recipe. These little guys are a great addition to a fruit and cheese board, just add a glass or three of champagne and you’ve got yourself a lovely after-dinner delight. If you don’t like extremely dark chocolate, you can always use a lower cocoa percentage, such as 50%, to make it more to your taste.   

Matcha Dark Chocolate Truffles
Makes about 12 truffles

Ingredients

For the truffles:

-10 oz dark chocolate (I used 70% cocoa)
-½ cup heavy cream
-¼ cup sugar
-4 teaspoons matcha powder (I used Aiya cooking grade matcha)

For topping:

-¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
-½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
-2 Tablespoons heavy cream
-Matcha for dusting

Preparation

1. Roughly chop the chocolate into small pieces (if using a chocolate bar) and place in a heatproof bowl.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Add the sugar and matcha and whisk until dissolved.

3. Pour the cream mixture into the chocolate and whisk until smooth. If all of the chocolate does not dissolve, fill the saucepan halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Place the bowl of the truffle mixture over the saucepan at least one inch above the water and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet and place it in the refrigerator until cooled and firm.

4. Remove the mixture from the fridge and scoop into balls using a melon baller or spoon, forming small ½” – 1” balls. You can use your hands to do this if necessary, though it’s going to be a little messy! Place the formed balls back on the baking sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, until firm. When the truffles are almost done firming up in the freezer, place ¼ cup of semi-sweet morsels in a heatproof bowl.

5. Bring the two tablespoons of heavy cream to a boil (20 seconds in the microwave will do it) and pour it on top of the chocolate morsels. Immediately add the butter and whisk vigorously until it is all smooth. If it doesn’t all melt, use the method listed above to finish melting the chocolate.

6. Remove the truffles from the freezer and dip the top half in the melted chocolate. Place the dipped truffles on wax paper or parchment paper and use a sifter to sprinkle with the matcha powder. Let dry before serving.

These can be stored in the fridge for up to one week, just let them sit out at room temperature for half an hour before serving!

About Beau: Beau Ciolino is a New Orleans-based writer, photographer, and food blogger who runs the blog Probably Baking. Growing up in a big Italian family, Beau has been surrounded by remarkable cuisine since he was a child. Pastas, meats, and cheeses were staples of his diet, though his dessert-heavy blog may lead you to think otherwise. Beau is a recent college graduate and is currently a freelance writer and photographer, hoping to one day work for a food publication or in a test kitchen. When he isn’t talking about cake and pasta, you can find Beau obsessing over dishware from Williams-Sonoma and binge-watching Netflix shows. Beau is the New Orleans recipes contributor for Where Y’at Magazine, a local New Orleans publication. You can find the Probably Baking facebook page here.

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1FZXONC From Kristina Gill

Make a Homemade Cat Condo Using LACK Tables By: bybrittanyg

We have two very spoiled kitties named Henry and Blanche. Henry is almost 2 years old and Blanche just turned 1 a few months ago. They’re both rescues and are very active. They love to run around and chase each other, and they are not de-clawed, so we need to make sure they have plenty of entertainment and scratching posts. We have two cat trees with scratching posts and lounging spots, but both trees are pretty ugly and falling apart. Unfortunately cat trees can also be pretty expensive, so I’ve been researching ideas for an aesthetically pleasing DIY cat tree. This idea really sparked my interest, especially since I already had one of the tables I’d need, paint, and a staple gun.

After a trip to Ikea and Home Depot, I was ready to get started with the following supplies:

• Ikea LACK coffee table
• Ikea LACK side table
• Sisal rope
• Hand-held staple gun
• Gorilla Glue
• Faux fur fabric
• Paint
• Small hook eye
• Various toys

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make a homemade cat condo:

Step #1:
Do not assemble the LACK tables. You’ll have eight legs, two tops (square and rectangle), and the coffee table’s bottom shelf.

First, cut a piece of fabric that is large enough to wrap round the entire coffee table. Lay the coffee table’s bottom shelf on it and staple the fabric to secure it to the shelf. Do the same thing for the top of the side table. Set both aside.

Step #2: Next is to create scratching posts. I bought two 50-foot rolls of 3/8-inch sisal and used it to wrap only two and a half of the side table’s legs. You can wrap as many as you’d like.

Step #3: Paint the other six table legs and the coffee table’s top.

Step #4: When the paint is dry, assemble the pieces. First assemble the coffee table by screwing all four legs on and setting the furry shelf in. Then, assemble the side table.

Step #5: Next you need to decide how you’d like the arrangement of the condo to be. I wanted the higher side of the piece to back into the corner of our living room wall, so I positioned the side table so that the scratching post legs were not against the wall.

When you’re happy with the arrangement, dab some glue onto the bottom of each of the four side table’s legs. Then carefully put the side table on top of the coffee table. Place a few heavy books on top of the side table to ensure the glue gets a firm bond. (Leave it for as long as your glue’s instruction’s say.)

Step #6: Add toys. I stuck a small hook eye into the bottom of the side table so that I could hang one of their toys from it. I also glued one of those door knob scratchers (that they never used) onto the top of the coffee table. Finally, while I was at Ikea, I picked up a little pot of fake grass that Henry loves to chew on. Spoiled.

Sad mouse hates his life

And that’s it! This is very easily customizable, and I’m so pleased with how the final product looks. The cats love it!

See complete tutorial on my blog.

The post Make a Homemade Cat Condo Using LACK Tables appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

via IKEA Hackers http://ift.tt/1RPRbTm From bybrittanyg

A Landlord’s Mission-Style, Midwestern Duplex By: Garrett Fleming

Throughout the years, we have taken you inside countless renters’ spaces from around the world. This Midwestern peek is extra special, however, as we are mixing things up and stepping inside a landlord’s 110-year-old home. Emilie and Curt have called this two-bedroom apartment in Minneapolis, MN “home base” for a little over a year now. The 2,400-square-foot space is divided equally between two units — one for the rentees and one for the renters. “We both really wanted to own a duplex. We thought it would be a good experience to be landlords,” the two explain. They fell in love with the home the second they stepped foot inside. The neighborhood’s monthly wine-and-cheese nights, block parties and friendly faces further proved that this was the spot for them.

Emilie and Curt immediately went to work updating the home’s dark-and-dreary color palette once they moved in. All the walls were painted a stormy grey before becoming the brilliant shade of white you see now. Numerous plants and the couple’s modern, yet minimal, accessories look even more divine in the light that bounces off of the walls in almost every room. You’d be hard-pressed to find a spot in this house that isn’t sun-drenched. This natural light surely helps create the “warm and inviting,” atmosphere that the couple strives for. Being over a century old means that the home doesn’t have a dishwasher or air conditioning, but that doesn’t seem to bother the couple one bit. Opening the windows to a breeze and doing dishes together are actually two of Emilie and Curt’s favorite things about living here. My favorite things about this home are endless. A porch I would never want to leave, original woodwork, and built-in cabinetry are what immediately caught my eye, and I am positive you’ll find more than one thing in this home that makes you smile as well. Enjoy! —Garrett

Photography by Emilie Szabo

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1JrKup3 From Garrett Fleming

Home Ec: 8 Ways to Make Your Own Pet Toys and Beds By: Grace Bonney

The other week I decided to sit down and do a little financial reckoning to get myself in order for the rest of the year and see if I can afford to spend a little more on plants for our garden. Sitting down with your bills can always be a little overwhelming, and I was blown away (although not entirely shocked) to see how much I spend on dog toys, beds, grooming products and the occasional cat tower. Our pets are like our children and I apparently spare nothing when it comes to something I think they’ll like. Thankfully, DIY is part of my job and I decided to figure out the areas I spend most on (outside of food), which are: toys, beds and pet furniture.

From Turk’s scratchers and towers to the girls’ ever-growing pile of toys, it’s time for me to stop spending and start making something instead. Julia has been excellent at turning old wood scraps (combined with pieces of old carpet padding) into scratchers for Turk, so I took that as inspiration today to show just how cute — and functional — DIY pet projects can be. Pets are very much a part of our families and our lives and putting a little extra time into their happiness (outside of daily walks, play time and regular vet visits) is always worthwhile — and it can even save you a buck or two. Hopefully you’ll find something in this list to inspire a creative home project that celebrates your family’s fuzziest members. xo, grace

*If you want to wear your love of your cats on your hands, check out last week’s DIY cat nail art how-to!

This post and the Home Ec section are brought to you by Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. Visit the Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Home-Grown Inspiration section featuring 20 DIYs, including seven from Design*Sponge!

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1H8zYkO From Grace Bonney