diy: necklace trees

I was looking for new jewelry holders for my expanding collection of necklaces, and found the ones at the home decor stores looked a little too artificial.  Also I thought it seemed a little funny to shop for a fake idea of something that exists in real life.  I decided to make my necklace trees myself.  Here - a step by step guide for anyone who might want a little diy project:

Step I:  Assume role of crazy branch lady as you gather fallen branches off the ground in your near-by park. Look for branches that have many off-shoots to maximize necklace-hanging options. Also consider how big you want your necklace tree to be and look for branches that won't overlap too much with one another when nailed side-by-side. Once you've brought them home, wash them in warm, soapy water, scrubbing off any dust and dirt. 

Step II: Let branches dry a few hours...

Step III: Paint branches your desired colour. I chose white because it went well with my walls, and because as my room is quite small, I didn't want to crowd it with more dark colours.

Step IV: Nail branches to the wall in the thicker parts of the branch's trunk.  Two nails per branch should be enough.  It might also help to flatten the branch by slicing the edge with a scalpel, before nailing the nail in.

Ta-da! Sorry about the grainy photos...my bedroom is very dark, unfortunately..

When to Say No

My friend Amy convinced me to attend an after-work networking event held at our downtown Milestones, and promised an exciting ice-breaker game.  Well, it turned out to be the game where if you say a certain word, you have to give up your bracelet.  The word was "No".  I don't know what's funnier - the fact that I beat 25 eager government workers (including a Director whom I'm not technically allowed to speak to unless through his assistant), or the dialogues below:

 Scenario I:

Alisa: Excuse me, are you done with that? (pointing to fresh Bellini)

Unsuspecting Stranger: Oh, no, of course not!

Alisa: Bracelet!

Unsuspecting Stranger: Pardon? Oh....oh dear. Alright. I just thought you were weird or something.

Scenario II:

Amy: There's a hot guy she was going to introduce me to!

Alisa: Really? You haven't yet spoken to him?

Amy: No! See, that's the thing, he's-

Alisa: Bracelet please.

Amy: I thought you were my friend!

I won a little medal which I wore all the way home, like a boss.

Serious Necking

I found these weird necklaces at a thrift shop entirely by accident.  They're suede with metal detailing, and are by a Canadian designer named Beverley Hamburg.  A search of her name led to...well, nothing, but by the format of the print on the backs of the necklaces, they're certainly vintage.  I really like how rigid and firm they are, refusing to align with the shape of my neck or chest, rather insisting that I take it or leave it. Well I took it (them), because they were irresistible, and now they adorn my clothes-rack waiting for their debut.  

Scarf: Zara

  

Dress: H&M

Diner Français - Part Two

I've been saving this one particular raspberry tart recipe for a year now, and with raspberries still being in season, I decided it would be one of my summer goals.  Coupled with white wine, it was absolutely charming. The exciting part about this tart is that the bottom of the crust is brushed in semi-sweet chocolate.  The non-exciting part about making it is that chocolate often likes to instantly solidify after it's been melted.  Oh, another fun thing: the glaze on the tart is a raspberry+red wine reduction - fantastic. Oh, and that other thing that kinda resembles the boeuf bourgignon I made a few weeks back is coq-au-vin. (The less mature gentlemen in my life enjoyed that title very much...let's all be twelve years old again, shall we?)  I'm beginning to think French staples are butter, mushrooms and red wine...and I really don't mind :) 

Everything Looks Better With Neon

I finally found the perfect neon nail polish! I don't know what took me so long, but there it was, at American Apparel.  And because I've spent most of the summer sans neon, I'll be making up for lost time during the upcoming fall months as well (and I can't believe we're mid-way through August!).  Anyway, the more I did with my newly painted nails, the more I realized everything looks better with neon, whether I'm ...

Petting my Money Tree...

Pouring imaginary tea...

 

Holding little fuzzy branches...

 

Eating a BLT sandwich...

 Writing a homemade card...

Sealing said homemade card...

Or, my personal favorite, when covered in silver...

While I normally reserve the word 'obsession' for describing desserts and unsuspecting people, and don't generally like to 'obsess' over anything that serves the sole purpose of enhancing appearance, any photos I may take in the near future will most likely serve as proof of this feeling - as close to obsession as I'll let myself get. 

Prints and Eulogies

I wanted to capture a bit of the summer before everything starts turning yellow (which is something I’m really looking forward to, actually!) and I found the perfect little spot for that very purpose.  I’m so lucky to have so much green amidst a concrete jungle, and while the tree trunks, broken by a recent storm, were a little sad to see, I thought my photographs could serve as eulogies.  Well, maybe not the ones of me standing on said victims of storm.  

I bought these ridiculously flared pants a few months ago, when the flowers and the loose pant trend were only starting to bloom.  Wearing pants is one thing, but wearing wide-leg, almost skirt-like pants is a little like facing a fear of heights by bungee jumping while attached by a shoelace.  Quite a leap.  Perhaps I should’ve started with skinny jeans or something, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun. 

Top: Zara dress, Belt: Vintage, Pants: Forever 21, Sandals: H&M, Jewelry: Market-Bought