Encased in plaster

(via a subtle revelry)

           For the longest time, I used to step over a little black widow spider web as I walked in and out my sliding door to my back patio. It wasn't that I was content in letting the little spider nest at my doorstep, but rather that I thought it was easier to take giant exaggerated steps over my doorstep than to deal with the obvious problem at hand. Until one night I was up late outside spray painting some clay figures I had just made when I stepped barefoot into the spiderweb! After a momentary freakout (like high pitch shrieking, running around in circles/triangles/hexagons, flailing my infected leg around - freakout), I grabbed the closest weapon (my can of white primer spray paint) and attacked with full force. And when it was all over, I was standing before this little web that was flecked with a million drops of microscopic white paint. And in the center hanging from a string was a tiny curled up dead spider entirely encased in white paint. It was all so morbidly beautiful and surreally peaceful. I don't think I've ever had a moment of complete clarity, but that is what I would imagine it would feel like. I had the intention to spend the next morning's sunlight to take photos of it, but it was so windy that night that everything blew away before I could document it. I had almost entirely forgot about it all until I saw this DIY on dipping brightly colored faux flowers in white plaster. They have the same sort of terrible, quiet beauty that my spider had. It's nice to be reminded of the beauty I saw that night in the spiders nest and to be reminded to always look for the exquisite elegance that comes with (the often unexpected) moments of life.

A fantastic haloween

(via black eiffel)

      I totally failed at my blogging duties this Ween.

Not.

A.

Single.

Halloween.

Post.

...and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I'm shameless. Welp, this year I was an owl- I found a black, grey, and brown vintage lacy high waisted skirt and I spotted my face with gold leaf. I thought it was pretty clever and unique, but most people just asked me if I was a pigeon. Yeah, a pigeon. My friends and I always chat about how we think of amazing and quirky costume ideas all year round, but  when Halloween rolls around we can't think of a single one. And of course, on Halloween night we see tons of fantastic outfits. Speaking of fantastic, I almost dropped dead when I saw this couple dressed as Mr. Fox and Mrs. Felicity Fox. Soo adorable, this is definitely going down under my costume ideas for next year!

Pencil Perfect

     In my room, I have a lovely white washed wooden four poster princess bed, two matching delicate night stands, one not so large dresser, and an upright easel. I used to have a desk, but I replaced it with a small sewing table that I use to house my many dying plants. I thought a place for my (continually replaced) plants was a much better idea mostly because I couldn't keep my desk clean enough to actually work on it. It was so cluttered with books and magazine clippings and half finished projects that I couldn't even find a place to put my favorite pens. Today I came across this back to school theme babble post, and it totally inspired me to move my squeaky drawer, wooden antique desk back into my room! They're beautiful- but more importantly they are simple.
     You can find them on etsy for about $43, but I'm really into making my own things. This would be a really easy and fun DIY- in fact I think I'll try to crank some out before the school year starts. There is something nice about having a home filled with things you've made yourself!

A lovely cake stand

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(via etsy)



I hate the rustic style something awful. I even hate the word rustic. I love organic shapes. I like natural mediums. And I can't get enough fresh colors. All of that seems a world away from rustic. To me, I guess, there tends to be something so unoriginally fake in rustic. On that note, I really do love this cake stand.... except, I'd very much rather see it made with the beautifully red and irregularly shaped (and enchantingly so) manzanita wood, or the smooth and creamy (and sometimes peely) birch wood!!! That would be so lovely, and so not rustic. It would be a really simple DIY, too!