DIY pendant light...an afterthought

So yesterday I posted our fun DIY pendant light and although I wasn't able to take many progress photos because my hands were covered in fabric stiffener I did manage to get a few fun snapshots while we were patiently waiting for our yarn covered ball to dry.

How fun is that bright pink ball? I must admit I had a pretty good time at the hardware store bouncing that ball like a five year old while my husband picked out the necessary cable and light socket gadgetry. Good times!

Photo by: me, Kinga Subject

DIY pendant light...

We have had it on our to-do list to hang some sort of light over our dining table for a long time now (three years) and I'm happy to report that on the weekend we finally got around to it. Finally! It has probably taken us so long because we don't commit to permanent fixtures easily; for example we have yet to put a nail in a wall to hang art or photos...we're the "lean it casually on a shelf or sideboard" types just to avoid patching holes in the likely case that we don't like where something is hanging.  

It has also taken us so long because I have been dreaming of hanging a cluster of George Nelson Bubble Lamps to complement the vintage vibe of our mid-century modern dining furniture, but sadly they are out of our budget at this point in time as is the Random Light which I love love love!

So our solution was to make one ourselves!  Now it's obviously not a real Random Light and I am not Bertjan Pot but we did follow this tutorial from the creative minds at House and Home and we are thrilled with the results not to mention that we (meaning hubby and I) had a ton of fun in the process.

The basic idea is to wrap a big bouncy ball with yarn soaked in fabric stiffener and allow to dry which sounds really simple but don't let the tutorial fool you...trust me...you will need an extra set of hands. If you're thinking of trying it I suggest you enlist your spouse, your kids, a neighbour or a random passerby...plus it's more fun when you share the experience...and one day you can reminisce..."Hey, remember that totally random time we randomly made a Random Light? So random!"

This beauty cost us under fifty dollars to make and we really love it...A lot. Although, technically I was only responsible for getting messy with glue and yarn as Nathan did all the hard work (like assembling the necessary components to light a light bulb (?) and actually hanging the thing from our fourteen foot ceiling)....but who's keeping score? 

A fun weekend project indeed!

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject

Summer in March...

Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom - Margaret. E. Sangster 

The past three days have been completely heavenly around here as we continue to break record temperatures. Honestly, we are having summer in March and you will never bust me complaining about that. I do celebrate cautiously though because I am partly pessimistic and keep expecting to wake up to piles of snow  (don't act like you don't have doubts). Weirder things HAVE happened...Snooki "wrote" a BOOK...and people actually BOUGHT IT! I now know what it takes to be a "New York Times Bestselling Author" and PEOPLE, I'm doing it all wrong!

Anyway, I'm ready for things to bloom and I'm noticing buds on trees and I'm scared because "what if there's a snowstorm?" but grateful because I can wear flip-flops and chat up my neighbours in the elevator about how scared I am that it will SNOW! It's all a vicious cycle really and I should probably stop obsessing about it and just enjoy summer in March. Hopefully we won't get winter in May...but like I said...weirder things HAVE happened... 

Photos by: me, Kinga Subject 

Spring fever...

It's spring fever.  That is what the name of it is.  And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!  

Mark Twain

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here so we took advantage of the nice weather by going for a walk. I wore flip-flops for the first time (gasp) and felt such a sense of...freedom! How ridiculous is that? I wanted to skip down the sidewalk with elation because it felt like a great weight had been lifted. 

I do admit that maybe it was a bit too soon considering that the sidewalks are still covered in salt from our last "snow event" and sadly I did get some strange looks of judgement from people but it's not like I was taking a leisurely stroll down the street in my birthday suit...for sobbing out loud...it was only a pair of flip flops! Anyway, I always wonder what it would be like to live in a place that doesn't get a change of seasons. I don't think I would like it! As much as I gripe about winter if we didn't have it we wouldn't know this feeling of renewal and lightness when it finally ends...

Photos: by me, Kinga Subject

Don't you...forget about me...

Oh. Hey there. How are you doing? I’ve been away from this space for so long it ‘s a bit weird putting together a post...Type fingers! Type!...

So where have I been? That’s a good question...I was abducted by aliens, they took me to the mother-ship and made me recite poems from “Where The Sidewalk Ends”. When they finally released me I got stuck in a time warp...again...only to be rescued by a guy named Brad who told me he was really famous but I didn’t believe him because he was wearing a helmet and driving a lawnmower...true story...

I’m not really sure.  On the first day of the year I mentioned that instead of resolutions I like to make a plan for the year ahead and I guess that’s where I have been. Making plans and finishing up some projects to make room for new things this year (but that sounds a lot like resolutions...ha). Anyway, I also decided to take a break from a few of my ventures because I realized I had too much going on and that’s not healthy...I have been painting a lot, drawing some, taking photos, working on prints for the shop and sweating it out in hot yoga with the best of them. I feel like I have told you all this before (blah blah blah)  and that’s probably because I’ve been in this space for a while now...at the fork in the road, where I let everything go quiet, where I want to just...hibernate...or ride off into the sunset on a lawnmower holding a boom-box blaring “Don’t you...forget about me”...

And you think you have problems?

Photo...by me, painting...also mine...I call it a work in progress.