the haystack needle

out & about: inspired by mason jar lights

It probably comes as no surprise that I love the vintage style of mason jar lights. I drink out of mason jars at home and filled vintage jars with flowers at our wedding. Last night, Dan and I enjoyed some wine (and deviled eggs!) at a local wine bar. I snapped the photo above (top left), which was not my best effort with the new Nikon — but I thought playing around with flash and manual settings in a dimly lit, chill bar was probably a bad move. Here's a little list inspired by the pretty glow of mason jars turned into lamps and pendants.

+ make your own lamp with a vintage blue mason jar and a light adapter kit

+ ready-made recycled Atlas jar lamp

+ love these porcelain mason jar pendant lamps by Pigeon Toe Ceramics

+ design*sponge DIY project for making your own mason jar lights. (I spotted those lights in a Fort Greene organic coffeeshop when I used to live in that neighborhood. It's such a pretty set of lights in person.)

+ Anthropologie knows how to go over-the-top amazing with an installation of mason jar lights. 

Any tips for how to shoot a good photograph when there's next to no light? I could use some advice!

what's the Out & About series? find out here.

wallpaper a light

I discovered another random, fun purpose for my Japanese masking tape the other day. I decided to cover a frosted glass lighting shade with a piece of wallpaper. This built-in lighting fixture on our wall is the only light in our bedroom right now, and Dan and I both hated the glaringly-bright light it produced. We're talking shock bright (and the light uses one of those fancy lightbulbs you can only find at lighting stores, so I couldn't swap in a lower wattage lightbulb.)

Immediately, I thought wallpaper would be a great solution. I wanted to cover the glass shade with wallpaper — some pretty pattern that would dim the light. And frosted glass isn't really my style anyway, so I was happy to hide it under a square of wallpaper. I had a sample of Nama Rococo wallpaper (super expensive, so I've never bought a roll but you can buy samples or a sheet.) One wallpaper sample I had was just about the right size — snipped one end and it was perfect. I slid the wallpaper easily over the glass shade so it rested in front, on the metal hooks keeping the shade in place on the wall. But the wallpaper definitely needed to be stuck down to the shade or it looked unfinished and weird. The problem: we're renters so I couldn't attach the wallpaper to the shade with anything permanent — no glues or pastes. Japanese masking tape to the rescue.

I created a trim of Japanese tape around the entire shade. It not only attached the wallpaper to the frosted glass (in a non-permanent way) but it made the wallpaper look finished. When I covered a paper lampshade with wallpaper in our last apartment, I used the same concept. A grosgrain ribbon on the top and the bottom of the shade covered the wallpaper edges and created a trim — one of those details that makes the shade look stylish, rather than a quick cover-up fix.

And now? We love our bedroom light. It's the perfect subtle glow for evenings. And that gorgeous Nama Roccoco wallpaper adds a little pattern art to the walls, which makes me happy every time I look up at it.

p.s. Happy Tape is another amazing source of Japanese tape — so many options in patterns and colors!

cocktail umbrella lantern

Well that does it. Now I'm convinced that cocktail umbrellas look gorgeous en masse rather than one lonely cocktail umbrella floating in your strawberry mojito. It's kind of like macarons and cupcakes — more is better. T.O.M.T. created this cocktail umbrella lantern — thanks for showing me the light. And please, someone do this at home! It's just a paper lantern covered in a colorful mix of cocktail umbrellas. So fun for a party!

{thanks to Apartment Therapy for turning me on to T.O.M.T. — a site filled with great, repurposed goods.}

summer lanterns

Every summer, there are more lantern designs that make me wish we could dine alfresco every night, with luminaries glowing in a tree overhead. My love for lanterns doesn't discriminate — I'm attracted to the classic styles and the modern twists. Candle, plug-in, and even battery lanterns. This first lantern won my birthday money — I could not resist Alyssa Ettinger's ceramic mason jar lanterns when I saw her booth at the Brooklyn Flea. Ball mason jar meets white ceramic, spells the prettiest glow jar ever. And here are a few other lanterns that caught my eye. {photographs of Alyssa's lovely mason jars by jen sliker}

p.s. Now's the best time to pick up your summer lanterns as much of the summer stock has gone on sale for the big retailers.

+ These Smith & Hawken lanterns look like they came out of an enchanted forest — my favorite is in yellow.

+ Pillar candles fit inside these pentagonal West Elm lanterns — totally rad with their industrial chic design.

+ You just need one of these super big Conran Shop lanterns to make a statement at the table — and it's half price now.

+ Take your pick: Pottery Barn and PB Kids both carry lanterns reminiscent of the oil-burning lanterns found on ships. I actually prefer the PB Kids battery-powered lanterns in the rainbow of colors.

 

+ Who says modern can't be cozy? I adore these Not Neutral lanterns (which come in a few sizes + colors.) The pretty pinhole patterns create an intimate, warm glow.

+ The birdcage lantern may not be my thing, but I do appreciate its style.

+ Cute and practical: this L.L. Bean rechargeable lantern is perfect for camping.

 

+ These woven rattan lanterns definitely bring the feeling of the beach indoors.

 

I still have my eye on this portable rechargeable lantern — love the Luau!

 

+ And my standby for affordable lanterns: Jamali Garden. These shiny brass lanterns would look simply stunning in multiples along a garden path or on the table.

paper cloud pendants

I'm crushing on these new pendant lights by Paper Cloud. The patterns bring a little garden whimsy indoors. I'm definitely stuck on the color green these days, too. Oh, and Paper Cloud launched their own blog you should check out.

solar lanterns

These Soji solar-powered lanterns are the best of both worlds: you get the festive look of paper lanterns paired with the wireless wonder of solar technology. Hang a group of these solar lanterns off a tree to cast a little light in your backyard for a summer party. These eco-friendly lanterns come in 8 colors, too. I love basic white, or add a color or two to keep the color palette simple and pretty. It's the glow that adds the real magic. Here's to getting super excited for summer parties!

globe string lights

There's a restaurant in the Lower East Side of Manhattan that's tucked away in an alley. It's no secret where Freemans is now that New York Magazine and every other publication has sung its praises. And yes, you often see some celebrity enjoying dinner at Freemans, where taxidermy is the main decorating motif. But every time I go, I get a little lost about which street Freeman alley connects to and wind up doing a loop searching for it. That's part of the fun. Another thing that's really fun is going right when it opens — since every other time of day the place is packed, and all you can do is camp out with a glass of Gruner Veltliner in hopes of having your name called. My friend and I were one of the first people at Freemans yesterday. Arrival time: 5:30. We enjoyed delicious grilled cheese toasts + artichoke dip (yes, we're healthy) when the kitchen opened at 6. That place is dangerously charming, and it's the perfect spot to swap all your latest raves + rants with a good friend.

I've been charmed by Freemans' outdoor cafe lights since my first fateful journey there. Walking down Freeman alley with those globe string lights arching overhead, I felt instantly transported to some little European side street, likely in Paris. These lights were my inspiration for our wedding lighting — and my (amazing) brother Steve spent a day stringing lines and lines of cafe style string lights in the barn where our reception was held. The result was magical. Right now, my globe lights are sitting packed in boxes, but I want to break them out when we're in our new apartment. I'm thinking of bringing a little of the outdoors in and hanging a few strings of globe lights in our combined living + kitchen space. Since the loft has 16 foot ceilings, I think it could work. What do you think? I'll keep you posted how my lighting idea turns out.

p.s. Our little celebrity spotting yesterday was this pro athlete.