Wednesday, February 9, 2011

organizing maniac/diy fool









hiiiiiii!!  i missed you.  i know it's only been a day since i last posted. i'm weird.  but anyways...

i've been super domestic and productive lately.  an organizing maniac.  a diy fool.

here's the list:

  • sorted through all my books (a lot).  sold a bunch to a used bookstore friend. 
  • making so much bread i have to give it away.  see this post.  try this recipe.
  • making homemade granola and yogurt weekly.
  • making hats with stash yarn.  see above.
  • making kombucha.
  • making fire cider.  see here.
  • planning tea garden.
  • repotted houseplants.
plus more but i've been doing so much i can't even remember it all.  crazy, right?

and i bought myself the above sweet little cyclamen.

and eli made a eggs for sale sign because my fridge is full overflowing with eggs.

lastly, i want to giveaway this book above called modern country.  i was ruthless about purging my books.  this one has some nice pictures.  it's textile project-oriented.  i want one of you to have it.  leave a comment here telling me your latest diy project to enter the giveaway.  ok? ok.

xx
liane marie

30 comments:

The Oak Leaves said...

Sounds like you've been incredibly productive! We are trying in our house... And our latest project has been to finally finish tiling and grouting the shower. Now we are on to wanes coting, built in shelves, mudding drywall... and about a hundred other things to update our bathroom from the early 40's.

kimberly said...

This is more just to say "hi" since you invited hellos. :-) The only thing I've really been diy-ing (aka -- doing myself) is writing my dissertation. It's taken over my life and all sorts of projects (refinish the lovely new rocking chair I found on ebay, darn my husband's many thread-bare socks, paint something to hang in the living room, print and frame old family photos, etc.) have been on the back burner.

But hey, last night I was a diy pest remover! I woke around 4:00 a.m. with the neighbor dogs (sweet dogs, no trouble) barking their heads off and growling. They kept at it long enough I started to worry that their might be a prowler. So I got up quiet as I could (so as not to wake the hubs) and went on the back deck to check it out. There was no prowler, but there was a completely petrified possum on the ground by the deck, trying to make himself invisible. The neighbor's yard is only about eight feet from our yard and it's separated by a chain-link fence, so I think the poor little thing thought it was going to be a puppy snack any minute. I got a broom and tried to shoo it away, but that just freaked it out more and it curled up and fell over, playing dead. It was so pitiful, but also kind of hilarious. I'm used to possums, had them all the time as a teenager at my mom's house. They came to eat the cat food off the porch. But I've never seen one play dead. They've always run away in my experience. So this was new. I thought about going back to bed, but knew that as soon as the possum got up, the dogs would be back to barking and wake me up again. So, I got a bucket off of the porch, and went to the possum, and sort of rolled it into the bucket with the broom handle. Then I took the bucket to a different, secluded part of the yard, and rolled the possum out. He continued to be "dead." Then I went back to sleep and had no more interruptions. My husband never knew I was gone. :-D

(that was soooo long!)

Brittan said...

Oh goodness I would LOVE that book- forever!
I have been working on so many things lately, but right now I am trying to work on my display for a craft fair in march that I am doing... Actually, one of the pictures in the book that you listed has a nice idea for displaying the textiles that I make (I think in the photo is is actually a drying rack) I have also been trying to make Valentines.
Have a great day!
I am crossing all my fingers and toes for this book ;)
xoxo

Cyndi Beane Henry said...

I would LOVE to win the book! I have been so busy lately! I finished a baby quilt for my daughter to give to a friend who is expecting, and I am currently working on spa bath items for a gift basket for the Women's Expo in our town on April 9th. I've finished crocheting a lovely bath puff and three makeup remover pads. I currently working on a pair knit spa softening socks to add to the basket [lotion your feet and put on the socks...oila! Soft feet!]
And of course, I am busy baking bread!!! Lots of whole wheat/ whole grains and last made a delicious loaf of cinnamon-raisin breakfast bread!
Love your blog!!!

Chloe said...

My latest project is a knitted patchwork throw. I was inspired by one I saw in Covet Garden mag. I took all my stash yarn and organized it into color palettes. Right now I'm working on a bark, gray, cream and green patchwork. I will probably also make one with more reds, purples and pinks. Each piece is a 4x4 stockinette square. I'll need about 300 and I have about 27 right now. Yep. I want that book, so considered me entered, chickadee.

Sarita said...

OMG, I simply must win that book...its amazing! Can't believe your letting it go...;)
My DIY endevours include taking down my range hood, sanding it and repainting it. Gosh, I'm a great housekeeper but that thing would tell you otherwise. I had no idea so much grease could hide out of site...:( Its been a very ugly project. On the fun side of things, I've gone thru all my yarn scraps and am crocheting up a new bedcover for our bed...king size! I'm hoping I have enough yarn to make that blanket big enough to hang down to the floor...:) I'm about halfway there and its getting very heavy!
Wish I lived closer...my hubs would love some fresh eggs...;)
peace and hugs...xx

Anonymous said...

My latest DIY... hmmm. My husband (recently unemployed) and I (self-employed artist, just starting out) have made DIY our household philosophy. Everything from our farmhouse to what we eat, the cleaning of house and selves, our clothing, healthcare, our ways of generating income, our transportation, etc. is now created by the power of our two hands and feet. Well, as much as possible anyway.... we try not to make ourselves crazy over this.
mostly, for me it is about accepting all of the imperfections that come with doing things myself-
i.e. it's okay for me to arrive somewhere with messy, windblown, rained-on hair when I walk or bike somewhere, and it's okay for the sweater that I knit to have buttons that are a little off-center, and for our clothes to have clothespin marks on them, and our suburban yard to have muddy spots where a garden will be in the spring... for my clothing hems to be a little undone or sewn somewhat crooked.

I guess what I'm saying, or what I've just realized, is that my latest DIY is about purging my life-long attitudes and beliefs about what is beautiful and instead finding beauty in all of the things that my family and I create together.

This might come easy for some, but for me it's been a process.

p.s. thank you for your blog, it has truly been an inspiration

Danielle said...

I read your blog all the time but never post- hi!
Latest project: finally sewing new pillows for my house out of scraps of silk I've had for yeeears. As you know- a good pillow makes all the difference :)

Anonymous said...

Sorry for my poor english : i'm trying to write in few words ;-)
I would LOVE that book too !
My latest project is a bag with cross stitch.

beth said...

So productive! Our chicken are not laying too much.
We made a "closet" area in our bedroom with some awesome 40's curtains my buddy gave me. Nice way to contain some chaos.
The book looks like some great inspiration.

onesilentwinter said...

that is super pproductive and i wonder if that is from drinking all the Kombucha!

My last project was my chicken coop, it took us 4 -5 weekends. I can not tell you how satisfying it is to have built a home for my chickens. it is odd but even cleaning the coop in the dead of winter and watching the ducks and chickens inspect fresh shavings and hay and new pouches of lavender makes me equally as happy and i think they are always greatful because the next day i always get more eggs thena usual!

Sarah said...

Wow! Stupendous productivity. I am in awe.

My current DIY is a pillow...cross-stitching a heart on some wool plaid that my grandmother bought many years ago from the Shaker colony in Amana, Iowa.

I really enjoy your blog!

Anonymous said...

i love the egg sign! my last diy project was making a bunch of tissue cozies. that was the first thing i'd sewn in a LONG time.

now i'm craving eggs.
:)

Jane Flanagan said...

I've been nesting a lot lately too. I think the cold is so unappealing it's fun to really get big things done at home - makes up for not being able to get outside!

nicole said...

Ooh, what a beautiful book!

I don't know if this qualifies as diy, but I'm sewing a bunch of fabric drawstring bags to buy bulk food. Trying to ditch all the plastic in my life (or as much of it as I can)

I wish I was as productive as you are... I also wish I lived close enough to buy some of your eggs.

simple :: dream :: quilts said...

Liane,
My next diy project is ripping up all the carpet and vinyl in my house and installing pine flooring thru out, with the help of my son Drew. His bedroom will be the "test" room, then on to my sewing room. I'll be taking pics and posting them along the way. I want the quality I know we can do yet a primitive finish, hard to explain, but I know what I want. We all know projects of this magnitude will grow as we will be installing 1x4 pine trim as baseboard, around the windows (that I should be replacing) and the big ta-da is my dream to replace ALL my inside doors with used 6-panel doors and vintage hardware, leaving the original finish/paint on all the doors. I've been talking about this project for the past couple years but other ($$) things always seem to get in the way. In fact my son Ian was supposed to help, but then he moved out and his twin brother Andrew moved back home for schooling so I need to nab his youthful energy with this project before he finishes school and moves on himself.

'tine said...

I love Eli's egg sign! As for diy projects, I'm taking a letterpress/typesetting class at Center for Book Arts in NYC and I'm working on a group book with my clasmates, postcards, and eventually a poster. -tine cassidy

Véronique Mazière said...

I would like to have this book. I live in town near Paris, but my dream is a small house in the mountains of Auvergne.
My diy is a coat I'm sewing for myself, grat pleasure! I also make brooches and earrings for my friends. And of course, my job, I'm working on a book for children, about a shy creature. And if the weather is nice, I watch out for flowers in the garden, I'm waiting for spring!

Unknown said...

liane,
have you seen the be linen movie?
http://vimeo.com/16474921
bec

Suse said...

I have been making homemade granola too (we call it toasted muesli here - I think it's the same as my recipe is similar), and also soap. I can't tell you how much I love having homemade soap in the house.

I've been ignoring the housework a lot lately.

Anonymous said...

yay! so much accomplished! and such great endeavours :-)
well, my latest diy was a pair of wrist warmers for my sis.
http://theweightofdreams.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/283/

actually, my latest diy was just earlier today - a whole wheat bread :)

Alicia said...

lovely ciclamen!

Anonymous said...

I have no hope of winning this book after reading all of the other wonderful stories!!! I am simple and humble; my most recent DIY Project was making handmade ribbon garlands for my Christmas tree. My next projects are Volunteer gifts to be given as during National Volunteer Week in April. I love the title of the book, "Modern COuntry," which sounds like an oxymoron - two things seemingly opposed to one another, but in this case, two styles beautifully blended into a cohesive design. You have inspired me with all of your organizatinal cleaning; I will do the same this Spring and Summer! Thank you for sharing one of your treasures with us! alinazee@verizon.net

jodi said...

My latest DIY (if this counts) has been launching my Etsy shop! It's been a long time coming and I'm still working out all the kinks, but am excited all the same. Mostly vintage at this point, but am hoping to get more handmade going. Feel free to visit, I'd love any feedback from you veteran Etsians out there!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/refugium

Oh, and today my real DIY is to paint my newly renovated bathroom!

Lotte said...

Dear Liane :)
I am glad to read you have so much energy and creativity! You sound happy and I hope you are! I finally did the big step and moved out and now everyday is a DIY day, but not as creative... just plain old getting everything organized again and back on track for my little guy and myself. We take the bus in the morning and now we are the first ones at his school and he loves it. 20 minutes of 'what can we do now'. Yesterday we build a little nest on a stick, collecting little treasures to fill it... these 20 minutes in the morning teach me how to fill even a short time with something meaningful and create a little memory we can hold on to for the rest of the day.
xoxo, Viv

panthercreekcottage said...

It really is satisfying getting all those domestic tasks finished. And it's not even Spring, congratulations. Your vintage handstitched pillows have always been an inspiration to me, I truly love them. Just a day or two ago I finished up a quilt sampler (all hand stitched) that I have been working on like what seems forever. I think I'm still experiencing an afterglow :)

megsheff said...

My latest DIY project is an embroidered thriftstore tea towel!

Komyo said...

Wow, that book seems amazing!
My latest project was to upcycle a lamp shade, giving it new clothes from a lovely vintage fabric, embroidered and teared it to bring out even more of it's rustic character. It was a hanging lamp from the beginning, with a wooden skeleton, looking a bit like a balloon. I attached it to a very interesting piece of driftwood that now serves as the foot of the lamp. I love this lamp and have it on my small dinner table. :)

BananaSaurusRex said...

OOO! I'm dying to look thru that book! But I've been working so much, I've done nothing of a DIY homefront-type nature. But I do have this idea abount "half." Like, if I could take evrything last thing in the house and put it in a big pile, and then reduce it down to half? How great would that be? I think it would be so great.

nadine paduart said...

very last project (late last night) would be a tiny crocheted heart. in creme&pale green. to fit in a tiny box. for a project to further unfold this year.
thx for the opportunity, hey?
grtz, n♥