We love this clip from Martin Scorcese’s brilliant film Goodfellas for teaching us a way to do something we’ve done thousands of time — slice garlic — to make a little go a long way. As well as for reminding us of garlic’s bigger meaning….
Read MoreArtful Lessons in Styrofoam from Lino Schenal and Max Lamb
In the 1970’s mysterious Italian designer Lino Schenal clad his house in sculpted styrofoam, from walls to simple, stylish furniture. Fifty years later we looked to Max Lamb to reveal the secrets of the ubiquitous material for making artful, practical creations.
Read MoreHow to Keep Cooler and Use Less AC
This simple lesson we learned from an expert in ventilation helped us cool down the fierce summers in our hot top floor apartment, and lessened our air conditioner use and costs. Some days we even glimpse the feeling that illustrator Monica Ramos evokes in so many of her artworks…
Read MoreA Password Strategy That Employs Poetry and Prose
The chart of data sourced from HowSecureIsMyPassword.net shows just how quickly a hacker can brute-force various kinds of passwords, especially the weak grandkid’s-names-type that many people think up. Then there’s THIS solution for making unhackable, easy-to-remember passwords.
Read MoreBanksy: How to ‘Create Escape’
We’re inspired in so many ways by graffiti artist Banksy’s brilliant tutorial done to the words of Bob Ross, TV painting instructor and host of the iconic Joy of Painting show from 1983 to 1994. Along with revelatory technique is a philosophy for navigating life…
Read MoreThe Cosmic Meaning of Polka Dots and How to DIY Them (Yayoi Kusama)
We love the green polka dots in this down-at-heels kitchen, a perfect way to jazz up a wall. It got us thinking about their cosmic meaning and how to make them without laboriously holding up stencils.
Read MoreA Bed Surrounded by Flowers Makes a Dreamy Respite
When we stumbled on thisimage by photographer Jill Burrow, we thought, ‘Ah yes. We’d love to sleep surrounded by flowers, especially now, after months of guarded and circumscribed living.’ Looking closely, we found permission to do it…
Read MoreMagic Trick: Divine Ice Cream Made In a Plastic Bag
At a dinner party New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield attended last summer, one of the hosts served ice cream that had the mind-blowing effect of a magic trick. Here’s how, with a recipe.
Read MoreHow to Hang a Hammock Anywhere
When we passed a woman lazily lounging in a hammock strung between two trees in our local park, we wondered why we don’t see more people taking advantage of the many hammock opportunities that are available. IF you know how…
Read MoreEasy-to-Make DIY Clear Face Shield
Tokujin Yoshioka created a simple, easy-to-make face shield held in place with ordinary eyewear. It gives an added measure of protection against Covid-19.
Read MoreDIY Hand and Object Sanitizers to Combat Nasty Viruses UPDATE
When we found hand sanitizers sold out everywhere, we did some research to find ways to achieve what commercial hand-sanitizers would, along with a few other strategies for killing that nasty coronavirus.
Read MoreWhat a Noted Virologist Is Advising Family and Friends About Coronavirus
When a friend forwarded an email from a “noted virologist” with the Subject line, “What I am doing for the upcoming COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic”, we checked it out. Dr. Robb MD FACP did indeed write the excellent advice below. It’s well worth taking to heart.
Read MoreLi Ziqi’s Soothing, Addictive Videos Portrays Living ‘in the Flow’
On Chinese vlogger Li Ziqi’s mesmerizing YouTube channel. she doesn’t speak and there are no how tos or manic hosts,. Instead she evokes a quiet, very pastoral, very ancient way of life whose effect is deeply soothing.
Read MoreOur Patented DIY Shoe and Boot Refurb, Better Than Your Shoemaker
Years ago we figured out a technique that no shoemaker seems to know: how to remove the rough blims and tears that stick up on the scraped toes prevents a truly satisfying, long-lasting shine.
Read MoreSleeping like Donald Judd in Low-to-the Floor Beds, with Details and Plans
At the Judd Foundation, we stumbled upon this wonderful bedroom with a very Judd-esque low bed. It reminded us of the austere low platforms he made for his Spring Street Loft. We took a closer look at how he made them.
Read MoreWhite Sneakers are Your Blank Canvas for Graffiti and Dalmation Spots (DIY)
Like many white things, plain white sneakers are a blank canvas just waiting to be embellished with permanent fabric markers or paint. Here are two favorite iterations for summer.
Read MoreClever Bookcases Made of Stacked Boxes
We love the idea of these NOT built-in bookshelves at a Swedish design store. They are composed of a series of volumes — rectangles and squares of various sizes — into which books are stacked. Then we figured out a way to make them.
Read MoreEcumenical Money Valentine to Give to Lovers AND Friends
We’re thinking a dandy little heart made of folded money would make a nice valentine for just about anyone…more inclusive than the usual romantic stuff like flowers and chocolate…
Read MoreLemon Amplified and Seen Anew (Pablo Neruda)
Stumbling on a picture we took a decade ago, we were reminded of the simple, elemental brilliance of friend’s impromptu invention, amplified by Neruda’s Lemon Poem.
Read MoreEndlessly Useful, Morphable, Stylish Photographer’s Apple Boxes
When I worked as a food stylist in photo studios, I came to appreciate the endless ways apple boxes could be used. They are just as useful at home. Witness Le Courbusier.
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