Restoring a Farmhouse

A fabulous (and fast) before and after happening over at Aesthetic Outburst today. Abbey whipped up their new farmhouse dining room into shape in record time, creating a most desired aesthetic I might add. Love the thrifted lighting and that wool rug at a local (to her) store called Nasco Home not to mention the refinished hardwood flooring!

NSS 2011 Preview: Pistachio Press

With the National Stationery Show coming next week, we'll be featuring some previews as they come across our radar in the next week or so.  First up, I'm excited about this collaboration of notebooks by Rachael Hetzel of Pistachio Press and Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst!  Also they couldn't be two nicer people.  The cross stitch collection is designed by Abbey, printed by Pistachio Press.  And the mid-century design is by Rachael.  Both notebooks are printed on 140# kraft paper and contains 48-pages. They'll sell for $7 each or a set of three assorted designs for $18. They can be pre-ordered at Pistachio Press's Etsy shop here.  Rachael will also  have them in her booth at the National Stationery show, number 1664.

Pistachio Press
Aesthetic Outburst
National Stationery Show, Booth 1664

20 in 20

Create 20 handmade crafts in 20 days- and then give them all away? That's the idea behind Abbey Hendrickson's 20 in 20 project. Abbey, the artist behind the daily lifestyle blog Aesthetic Outburst, started her project as a personal crafting challenge, but now 20 in 20 has become a fun handmade giveaway for us all! Click here to find out how it all works! And then follow the giveaways each day!

This Week with Abbey Hendrickson

By Abbey of Aesthetic Outburst


I saw this book at the thrift store yesterday and almost passed it by. The cover was bad and the pages were falling out, but somehow I convinced myself to drag it home. Well, I'm so glad I did because it's a gem. It's full of great DIY landscaping ideas and interesting structures. My favorite part? It was printed in 1984! I only found a couple of copies here, so hurry if you want one. Who knew shuffleboard could look so cool?!






On a side note, I'm sorry to announce that this will be my last post as a regular contributor. After much thought, I've decided to step back a bit to spend more time with my husband and our two babies. A huge thank you to Jan and Earl for their hospitality and support. Their talent and energy continually amazes me. Many thanks to all of you for your comments and encouragement. I'm still over at Aesthetic Outburst, so please be sure to drop by and say hello. love, Abbey

This week from Abbey Hendrickson: The Selby Is In Your Place

By Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst



As you may have noticed, I love books and have a particular fondness for books about art and interiors. I finally picked up a copy of Todd Selby's book, The Selby Is in Your Place, and have been kicking myself for waiting so long. Like his site, the book is packed full of eclectic dwellings that make you take a second, perhaps kinder, look around your own place. You can grab your own copy here.

This Week with Abbey Hendrickson: American Modern

Contributer post by Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst
I recently picked up a copy of designer Thomas O'Brien's book, American Modern. Hands down, my favorite part of the book is O'Brien's own home, a former schoolhouse now referred to as The Academy. I've always wanted to live in a renovated school and this just added fuel to that fire. The whole book is chock full of images taken by super-talented photographer Laura Resen. You can see more of her work here and pick up a copy of Thomas O'Brien's book here.

This week from Abbey Hendrickson: Kim Hennessy

Contributer post by Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst

Our friend Kim Hennessy's art work makes me ooh and aah on a regular basis. I've written about her before, but I couldn't resist sharing her work with you here and I'm sure you can see why. What I find most interesting (and inspiring) is Kim's use of materials; mushroom containers, zip ties, plastic tubes, and foam triangles are all fair game. That, along with her incredible sense of color and composition, adds up to oohs and aahs all over the place. Check out her website and be sure to take a closer look at the materials she's using. Awesome.

This week from Abbey Hendrickson: Portable Herb Garden

Contributer post by Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst
This weekend we needed a gift for a dear friend, so I took inspiration from this portable herb garden (as seen here) and made a portable herb garden of my own. I used a metal caddy from Target, some small planters that we had laying around the house, and herbs that my husband had started from seed. A cute tag and it was ready to go! The tag was simple to make- here's a quick tutorial. You'll need:

felt (I used two different colors)
paper (I used graph paper)
glue stick, scissors
a pencil
a circle to trace (I used a planter)
a hole punch, and a letter template (I used a 't' from a craft kit, but you can also print one out from your computer or find one in a magazine to trace)

Directions:
Step 1: Use your pencil and circle template to trace a circle on your paper.
Step 2: Cut out your circle.


Step 3: Grab your pencil, letter template, and felt. Trace your letter onto the felt backwards (otherwise you may see the pencil around the edges).
Step 4: Carefully cut out your letter.
Step 5: Cut a thin strip of felt to use as a tie.


Step 6: Use your glue stick to glue the felt letter onto the circle.
Step 7: Use your hole punch to punch a hole at the top of the circle.


Step 8: Slip the thin strip of felt through the hole in the tag.


Step 9: Tie the tag to your caddy.
Step 10: Party time!

This week from Abbey Hendrickson (+giveaway)!

Contributer post by Abbey Hendrickson of Aesthetic Outburst

Our little boy is turning three this week, so we hosted a small birthday party at our house this weekend and I thought you all may enjoy a look. He'll be starting preschool this year, so I went with an old school theme (some of the things that inspired the party theme are here). I had a surprising amount of stuff laying around our house that fit my definition of 'old school'. The wreath above is my shameless interpretation of a beautiful Katie Runnels wreath. I found a couple of these little chalkboards at my parent's house.



Each invitation included an orange ceramic three and a graph paper scroll with the party details. I found these cute mint tins at a dollar store and repurposed them as invite-containers. Score!



I'm not really a fan of wrapping paper, so I kept it simple with his gift. I wrapped some graph paper around a cardboard box and cut the circle out of a security envelope. I found the chipboard 'E' at our local craft store.


Does it get anymore old school than pink erasers?! These were also a craft store find. I used an exacto blade to cut slits in each eraser and then just slid in graph paper name tags. Totally easy! If you're itching to see more party photos, visit Aesthetic Outburst. I'm also co-hosting a little giveaway in honor of our little guy's big 3. Come join in the fun!

This week from Abbey Hendrickson: String Gardens

Take a look at these incredible string gardens. I'm speechless for a change!

--Abbey.

This week from Abbey Hendrickson: Art Books

Contributer post by Abbey Hendrickson

I'm sure, given my recent self-professed love for zines, it will come as no surprise that I'm also a sucker for big, shiny art books. There are a handful on our shelves that are packed full of bookmarks and that I return to time and time again, so I thought I'd share those with you today. Here they are in no particular order. Enjoy!

Margaret Kilgallen: In the Sweet Bye & Bye

Beyond the Line: The Art of Diana Cooper

Save My Life: Cody Hudson

Babel: Jim Houser

and Tangible. What favorite books are on your shelves?