Cucumbersome » britt

When It Rains

britt — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:16:49 +0000

My plan to share some shots of our new place has been thwarted by the never-ending rain. Yesterday the sun peeked out momentarily through the greyness but by the time I turned my camera on, it was gone. As a firm believer in natural light, I have decided to wait out the rain and instead share some of my recent inspirations.

Rifle Paper Co. (#1) is brilliant. It’s like what would happen if Wes Anderson and Martha Stewart got together and created the best line of stationery and greeting cards ever. [Side note: Whoa. I was just googling one of the fonts used by Rifle called Archer, and apparently it was originally commissioned for Martha Stewart Homes. I totally called that.] With a similar feel, I’m also loving the wallpaper in this shot (#2) by Johnny Miller, the lights from Rie Elise Larsen (#3), and the photography of Hilda Grahnat (#4). Lastly, Ferm Living’s new collection (#5), as pointed out by Holly of Decor8, blew me away. I just want to move into the set of their shoots and live surrounded by their knit poufs, button cushions and geometric wallpaper. Yes, I could be happy there.
In other goings-on, Becky Stern has created a video on Craft on how to make a recycled bike tube headband which is loosely based on my tutorial for the chain-link necklace. I love her version. She also generously sent me this Maker’s Notebook, which I am very much looking forward to using for my long list of projects. Notebook, you had me at grid paper. Thanks, Becky!
My dad is wrapping up his second week over at Teach a Man to Fix. His post today titled “There is No Mechanical Black Magic” (or, “Things Will Not Explode Just Because You Look At Them”) is a must-read.
Have a great weekend!

Dominion Building

britt — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:58:47 +0000

We finally bought one of the massive prints from the salvage yard that I have been thinking about since we went last June. It is taller than me, which I guess isn’t saying much. There were five of them available, and we had trouble deciding which one to get but this one won out when we realized that it is in Gastown and home to one of our favorite restaurants, Nuba. I took a “now” shot of the building for comparison. Apparently, these prints survived a fire that destroyed the bank they were hanging in.
This is my favorite part:

What is that person looking at? They should really be more careful.
I’m trying to decide whether to leave the frame, or paint it a bright color. Any thoughts?

Teach a Man (or Girl!) to Fix

britt — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:00:58 +0000

I have realized that my most popular posts have all been project-related, whether it’s hacking some bedside tables or crafting a necklace. That must mean that you are all pretty interested in doing things yourself. Who isn’t, really? It’s so rewarding to successfully tackle projects you weren’t sure you could.
For years and years, my dad has talked about writing a book about being handy. Not a typical step-by-step instruction book, but about learning how to think like a handy person. Being mechanically inclined is not something you’re just born with, contrary to popular belief. It’s just a matter of learning the main principles, and building up your confidence.
I’m so excited to tell you that he has decided to start a blog to get his ideas out there - to demystify handiness. It’s called “Teach a Man to Fix” and I think you’re really going to like it. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my dad! I know that you won’t find this information elsewhere. He has planned out the blog meticulously to make sure that each post you’ll actually learn something valuable, something that will help you become more independent and resourceful.
I have a list of (fourteen!) projects I want to do around our new place, requiring varying degrees of know-how so I’m looking forward to the reminders, too! Here’s a good place to start.

In The Dark

britt — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:20:34 +0000

It’s moving day tomorrow and there is lots to do, but I have decided that blogging is much more important. Last night we painted a wall in the office the charcoal color that I mentioned before (top left photo above). I’m eager to see what it looks like in the daylight. The other photos are just for your viewing pleasure.
Yesterday I was trying to pack everything up with the blinds closed and the lights turned off because I have a scratched cornea (long story) and light made my eye slam shut and water like crazy. Packing in the dark is difficult (and dangerous - so many obstacles), so I eventually made my way to an optometrist. Now that I can see, things are getting done much faster. I’ll share some photos of our new place soon!

Sources: Design*Sponge, Abigail Ahern, Hashai, Desire to Inspire, StudioIlse

A Celebratory Post!

britt — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:54:35 +0000

My brother is getting married! Congrats to Jordan & Steph. We’re really looking forward to going to Toronto in April for the wedding. This is such a great excuse for me to peruse the gorgeous wedding blogs. Just look at this gem…

Images from Once Wed, shot by Our Labor of Love and designed by Joy Thigpen.

Closet Office

britt — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:42:32 +0000

In our new place, I am hoping to convert one of the closets into a workspace for me. I’m very much inspired by Anna’s office, shown above. There are also great storage ideas in this post on closet offices. Of course, if it doesn’t work out, I could always do an armoire closet, like Jordan Ferney. Closet or armoire… I really just want some doors to close, that’s all.

Pink

britt — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:06:06 +0000

Gorgeous photos by Lina Jaros and Chloe Elise.

Inside: Tour of Sandrine Place’s Home

britt — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:42:06 +0000

These images are from a sneak peek on Design Sponge back in November, so it isn’t a new tour but it is one of my absolute favorites. I love how Sandrine Place mixes neutrals with color. The way the reds, pinks and yellows play off the natural tones… well, it’s enough to make me want to study color theory. A few months ago, I created this color palette in Kuler based on the above photo.
Now for some more beautiful photos from her home:

Sewing & Simple Syndication

britt — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:36:03 +0000

These patterns really inspire me to start sewing again. The dress with the white lace around the neck reminds me of a dress that I fell in love with at Athropologie. The bodice was so cute and fit really well, but the bottom half was wonky and unflattering. All these photos are on Burda Style, which is a great sewing community where you can download patterns from Burda (like the ones above) and from other members.
Patterns (top to bottom, left to right): Minna | Melissa | Gail | Marie | Anda | Jenny

Thanks to Re-Nest for the shout out the other day! This might be a good time to let you, my darling readers, know about my subscription options. You can subscribe to the RSS feed via the button in the header and add Cucumbersome to your reader. (Sidenote: With Google Reader you can read the posts in your RSS feed on the original pages by installing the “Next” button in your browser bar. I’ve been doing that ever since I read about it here.) Now I am also providing an email subscription option. If you would like to receive a weekly email with links to my posts from that week, please use the contact form in the sidebar to let me know and I will add you to the list. It will really just be a notification, and you’ll have to click through to read the full posts. Phew. Enough business. Thanks for your support, everyone.
We’re planning on checking out some of the free events going on this weekend. There will be free concerts every night of the Olympics, just a couple blocks from our place. Have a great weekend!

Pretty Polygons

britt — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:46:01 +0000

Just realized that there is a definite theme to all the jewelry that I have been bookmarking lately. Apparently I love simple shapes (not all technically polygons, I know), preferably in brass. They’re all so pretty and feminine, without being fussy.
Sources (top down, left to right): 1. Brass Fringe Necklace by MothHouse; 2. Big Rec necklace by Local Library; 3. Long Brass Trio by Dores (see her blog for details on next shop update); 4. Rope & Cube Necklace by The Vamoose, via Creature Comforts; 5. Quartet necklace by Elephantine; 6. Long Hand Cast Brass Necklace, also by Dores; 7. Arrow Studs by Liam of York; 8. Brass Drops Necklace by For Me, For You (next shop update late February)