the haystack needle

easy halloween decorations

Halloween will always be a big day in my life, as funny enough, Dan was born on Halloween. (And, ironically, he's not big on Halloween costumes.) We're headed over to a friends' place tomorrow night for a Halloween party. I'm bringing some spooky luminaries that I made (and took all of 15 minutes to create using fishnet stockings!), plus a few favorite finds from Martha Stewart's Halloween collection.

A few weeks ago, I was clearing out my dresser of clothes that I never wear. I found a pair of black fishnet stockings that I probably have not worn since 2001 and a pair of black lace stockings that had a hole. When I put my hand inside the fishnets, I realized they remind me so much of spider webs. So I grabbed some mason jars and snipped the fishnets to create spooky sleeves for the jars. You don't need any adhesive as the fishnets will cling to your jar (just steer away from little 4 oz jars that won't stretch the fishnets enough.) Simply snip your stockings and plop a tealight inside — instant Halloween luminaries for the table. I even wrapped a fishnet sleeve around my ceramic mason jar lantern (by the amazing Alyssa Ettinger) to add a little Halloween to our bathroom.

I love the design of Martha's "poisonous" beverage labels. Aren't these fun? I'm going to slap one on the bottle of wine we bring to the party. But I even like the labels as decor on their own. The Arsenic label is my favorite. And my great white pumpkin from Jungle is getting in the Halloween spirit with spider pumpkin transfers from the Martha Stewart Crafts line. The transfers were so easy to do. 

Hope you have a fun Halloween weekend! I'm off to work on some birthday treats for Dan!

ink + wit calendar (and special sale)

 

I think it's safe to say I'll never tire of pumpkin pie or pretty calendars. This 2010 limited-edition letterpress calendar by Ink + Wit has blown me away with its amazing illustrations. Twelve months filled with my favorite things: bunting banners, typewriters, balloons, and some adorable illustrations of a pooch, deer, and elephant. And it's really a calendar and instant wall art all-in-one: you can snip off the bottom of the pages and enjoy seven (5x7 or 6x6) letterpress prints as the year goes by. Love!

Hurry on over to the Ink + Wit shop. Tara was super sweet to offer a special discount for the Haystack Needle readers: Through Saturday, enjoy a 30 percent off discount on posters + prints!! Simply send your order to info [at] inkandwit [dot] com with the code INKWIThaystack to receive the special discount (for prints/posters only.) I'm loving her Aesop's Fables poster as a gift idea. Happy shopping! [thanks, Tara!]

 

man shops globe

I am absolutely hooked on the new Sundance show, Man Shops Globe. Have you been watching, too? The show follows the adventures of Keith Johnson, who is a buyer for Anthropologie stores. Hello, dream job! I've imagined myself as a buyer for some cool home shop many a time. But in truth, I think I'd make a lousy buyer because I'm not so quick with math. (And you hear in Keith's conversations how solidly you need to know your numbers as a buyer.) So I love following Keith on his treasure hunt around the world and meeting the artisans behind all the eye candy at Anthropologie. Travel meets shopping meets Anthropologie style: this is my kind of reality TV. Here's a clip if you haven't caught the show yet.

typewriter collection + where to find typewriter ribbon

I'm not a collector (yet) in the way I think about owning a collection of some random thing. Dan would disagree and point out my collections of stationery, books, and magazines that I shuffle from apartment to apartment with loving care during each move. I'm talking more about an object of some kind that you collect. If I had my way with space, I'd become a collector of vintage typewriters. They're just so amazing. The colors, the keys, the sounds they make when you tap on a key. I even love how you're bound to make a mistake. The imperfections are rather sweet. Just like rubber stamps and their occasional errant ink marks, typewriters help you get over the notion of making something perfect. 

I had been dreaming of owning an old school typewriter for years, when this July I stumbled upon one that fit my budget. (Most of the restored typewriters that I've seen cost around $400!) The first time I walked in my favorite Maine antique shop, I found this turquoise beauty in the first row. The price tag: $22. My stomach did a flip, and I'd already resolved to buy the little Hermes Rocket before I even knew if she worked. The woman working there was so sweet, and she brought out a piece of paper for us to test it out. It worked! All my typewriter needed was a new ribbon.

In case you're as smitten with typewriters as me, I thought I'd share my source for where I found my typewriter ribbon. You can find ribbons for any kind of typewriter on this site. Anthony, the owner of Typewriter Collector, is a true collector and built a resource site all about typewriters. I made my order. Two days later, a small parcel arrived with 3 boxes of black typewriter ribbon. I need to pound on the keys of my typewriter, rather than tap, to get a good ink impression. I don't mind. I have to admit, I'm seriously attached to my Rocket. My mind is spinning with ideas of what I want to do now that I'm set with rolls of ribbon.

Do you have a collection of something special? If you'd like to share, do leave a comment. I love hearing about other people's collections.

jungle in new york

 

One of the things that I love about my new neighborhood: it's still unfinished, with cool shops and restaurants sandwiched between construction, warehouses, and lots. A short walk is bound to turn up something you've never noticed before. Last week, my new discovery was Jungle. I would have never imagined finding a creative garden center in some random outdoor lot on the waterfront of Williamsburg. But there it was, and as I walked around Jungle, I felt like I'd just stepped into a secret garden. 

There's a canopy set in the back to provide some shelter from rain. I'm guessing those globe string lights look so pretty in the evening. You feel like you've walked into someone's backyard in the way everything's arranged and has a lovely worn-in vibe. I love their wood soda crate flipped over to act as a side table of plants. I want to steal that idea.

 

The furniture is an eclectic mix of modern and vintage finds. Some of it feels fitting for an Anthropologie catalog, some of it looks like something you'd see at the Conran Shop — and  it all works together.

And of course, plants, plants, plants — and succulents, cacti, flowers, and ivy.

 

 

 

I took a white pumpkin home with me. I really love my white pumpkin. And I'm excited to have a Jungle close by.

upholstery class, week three

I guess it was one of those times where it could only get better. After the first two near-disaster classes in learning how to upholster an ottoman from scratch, we moved onto the fabric on Tuesday. And I actually did something right!

Full disclosure, part of the reason I had a less-stress class was sheer luck. Every week, there's a new student in the spot where the teacher does the demonstrations. This week, that was me. Sure, you only learn by doing, but it was nice to have the first couple steps, which were timed to be finished in 2 minutes, done for me (especially since the steps involved toxic-smelling glue that sprayed out everywhere.) I freeze up under the pressure of being timed like that — something I learned in the first class. So the teacher glued the cotton and foam onto my ottoman. 

 

Then we had to add this piece of dacron and staple it onto the top of the ottoman, being careful to avoid a bunching of dacron around the corners so that it's all smooth. You also had to staple along a green line that was hidden under the dacron — somehow that magically worked out. The dacron step was started for me, and I finished off the sides. My corners were good. Phew.

 

Then you give your dacron a haircut, snipping off all the excess. I guess it's more of a crewcut, because you really have to snip close to the staples, removing any extra fluff from the dacron.

The big step that took most of the time in class was shown, but not stapled, on my ottoman. So I did it all on my own, which felt good. The step was to take our 24" square of fabric and carefully staple it to the top of the ottoman, smoothing and creating tension so that there aren't lumps or sagging fabric.

For fabric, I actually brought in an Orla Kiely tablecloth I had from the Orla Kiely for Target line. My teacher pinned my square of fabric onto the ottoman, so that the center pear was in the right spot. We were supposed to stop stapling two inches away from each of the corners. I worked really slowly on this step, stopping to smooth before each staple. This stapling step turned out to be a disaster for much of the class. Shockingly, I stapled with good tension and scored my first compliment from the teacher: "this looks ok."  That made my week. 

I felt so bad for many of the other students in the class — after inspection they had to start all over. Do you know how hard it is to take staples out of fabric? Really hard. And really frustrating. I helped a woman next to me who had to take hers out and start over. You're pounding your staple remover tool onto the top of this tool that looks like a screwdriver, which you hope is slipping under the staple to poke out the staple (rather than simply creating a hole in the fabric, which is generally what happens.) Honestly, I think part of the problem for some people was the fabric choice. My Orla tablecloth is a nice, heavyweight cotton. Some other people were using thin fabric (even shiny, thin fabric) which shows every little lump in the dacron and requires perfect tension or it's a mess.

So our class is behind schedule. But my little ottoman is ready to go. I can't wait to take her home.

moroccan tea glasses

I confess that I'm just not that into china. I didn't register for china for our wedding and prefer to use more utilitarian white plates. But pretty mismatched bowls and tumblers — that's my weakness. I'm loving these Moroccan tea glasses from Cost Plus World Market. I recently found out World Market has an online shop, which is fun since there isn't a store in New York. When I lived in Chicago, there was a World Market by Dan's apartment where I'd often stop by to browse for nothing in particular. World Market reminds me a lot of Homegoods in that it's super affordable and you often need to hunt around to find something, but sometimes you turn up a total gem.