I scream DIY

It's been incredibly hot outside lately here in New York and if you too have been enduring temperatures fit for a heat stroke, I feel for you. I do love summer, don't get me wrong - I'm from a tropical island, where it is humid and hot all the time but when it comes to NYC heatwaves it feels like all the concrete absorbes the heat making it even hotter. I'm always totally blown aback by how incredibly unbearable it can get sometimes but can you guess what makes it all better? This magical thing called iced cream.

Holiday in PA

A couple of weeks ago, for the fourth of July holiday I spent the week in Pennsylvania, visiting my friend Kate (who is the most amazing hostess ever) in the country. The trip was so much fun, filled with adventures and beer tastings but also incredibly relaxing. I drank a lot of beer, cocktails and shandys, the last of which I just recently found out is a thing down there (who knew?). I also hung out with some of my favorite puppies, explored a couple of historical sites and spent a day in Philly checking out some truly awesome new spots. That particular day even earned a hashtag of its own, #phillyfoodtour.

Here's a glimpse of what my weekend looked like...

Drink: Summer Sangria

For me, sangria is a summer staple, one that I look forward to enjoying every year as soon as it gets warm outside. It's been 90-100 degrees here in NYC for the past couple of weeks and I honestly can't think of a better way to beat the heat than relaxing up on the roof, fire escape or  - if your're really lucky - in a pool or backyard with this easy boozy treat in hand.

House tour: Living room

My living room is looking snazzy these days thanks to my "somewhat healthy" thrifty/craiglist/freecycle obsession. The newest addition in our place is that sexy looking surfboard table up there, which I just brought back from Philadelphia. I found it listed on Craigslist and had been eyeing it for the past couple of weeks. I finally made my way to Philly this past weekend and picked up the beauty from Jen at Picked Vintage. It was just what I needed to pull everything together. As it turns out, the finish of the table and the tapered legs with bronze detailing match the mini bar exactly... to a T. It seriously looks like they were part of the same set!

Click the link below for the rest of the details..

Back (in Black)

After a nice vacation from the blog and very nice, very long fourth of July holiday vacation from the daily grind I am back. It really was a much needed break from routine, the burdens of city living and I feel so refreshed. In all honesty though, it wasn't all an escape, this whole time I've been plotting away ideas, projects & picking up vintage steals - and I'm sure as hell ready to share all of the awesome stuff that has happened while I was away.

During my little extended vacation I drove up to Massachusetts (first time!), spent a weekend up in Martha's Vineyard, got tattooed, did some major spring cleaning, celebrated my 25th birthday, got my very own (another first!) powerdrill, hung out in the countryside out in Bucks County,PA and brought back tons of goodies from a day trip to Philly - and thats just the past two weeks!

Stay tuned!
x

Stitch & Bitch: Embroidery Edition

In all honesty, I'm not really sure why I chose to do this round up about embroidery in the first place but what I do know is that while putting this together I somehow unearthed a bag of embroidery thread from my craft room and stared at it for a little bit trying to figure out why I never even gave it a chance before. I rather like the idea of taking a craft like needlepoint that is so traditionally feminine and giving it a contemporary context but I have never really tried to embroider myself. Maybe it's time to change that.. 

Follow the links for some really great embroidery related projects (no experience necessary!):

1. DIY Haircomb by Lemon Jitters
2. Hand dyed twine DIY 
3. Embroidered Gloves
4. DIY Embroidery Hoop Corkboard
5. Embroidered Paper Book Cover
6. Embroidery Hoop pin board/jewelry holder tutorial

and while we are at it.. I just HAD to share these:

Tutorial: How to make your own hair ties (Photo heavy!)

I have tons of bandannas, all of which have seen better days so when I noticed how badly battered my favorite one was I finally realized what would be the best use of my bag of fabric scraps. The best part? I got to pick and choose what color combinations I made my new hair accessories in. These hair ties are  thicker on the strip that falls on the back and a little thinner than most bandannas overall so they easily tie neatly at the top of your head.

Step-by-step below: