Up-cycled and gorgeous

I have been on the hunt for a while now for a simple gold band to go with my wedding ring... I opted for a massive antique setting instead of a plain band.  As a gift to me, I was supposed to get a simple band for our 1st anniversary, but that came and went, and we needed new tires, so you know how that goes!  Anyway, I found these babies from Epheriell and at only $35 for these 3, they may just do the trick!  There is just something so simple and delicate about them, I'm thinking the gold one would look fantastic with my wedding ring.  And along with simple round rings, designer Jess from Australia has a wonderful way of creating eye catching pieces for your neckline, ears and hands.  Plus, almost every piece is made from recycled metal, so there was no additional mining involved... love that!!

And what collection wouldn't be complete without an old school name necklace?

photos via epheriell

One mans trash....

Months ago while on an early morning walk with the dog, my husband and I came across a garage sale that had this beat up table for $5.  Originally it was white-ish and was missing a drawer and had several imperfections, but with a little elbow grease, we figured it would make for a great project.  Sadly, we were in our walking pj's and didn't have cash.  The day went on and that night we happened to drive by and saw it sitting there on the curb waiting for the garbage truck, no one else thankfully saw its potential!

Unfortunately I forgot to snap a picture in its 'as is' state, and this was after our first attempt at a color.  Lets just say, I did a big no no and picked a color at night, without seeing it with the rest of our decor.  What was I thinking?  It never actually got to the color it was supposed to be, so after letting it dry we stripped the whole thing and started again.

And here is the end result.  We first picked out the paper at Urbanic, one of my favorite local paper shops.  We settled on the Koi pattern (the underside was this fun orange pattern) and a very light green paint.  To adhere the paper, I used several layers of Mod Podge to get it just right, and now, its even water proof.  And turns out everything went perfectly with our existing decor!  The husband snatched up that bronze whale at the LA flea market, and the 'water tray' is from Engage Green and is made from recycled paper.

Sorry for the dark shots, with only 1 window, lighting up this place is impossible!

A little upcycling

I love that there are more and more designers out there with a dream of healthy planet, and Emily Kercher, Recycling Artist has a wonderful idea for keeping yards and yards of fabric out of landfills. Using fabric from thrift stores, Emily hand crochets each rug, bowl and basket for a truly one of a kind piece.  I love that an old discarded garment can transform into something so practical.  Each piece is custom done, so you could essentially get them in any color.  And how fun are the little jellyfish!  You can also find a few rugs with appliques in charming little characters in her shop.

photos via emily kircher recycling artist

Reiter8

I have always loved the bags from Reiter8, and with sailing on the brain (the husband and I are heading to Oceanside in two weeks for a sunset sail), its only appropriate I took a look to see what was new.  And oh was I excited about all of designer Katherine Rasmussen's new goodies.  I might just have to get that N graffiti bag!  Made from old sails, each piece is hand crafted by Katherine, on her dining room floor.  And do check out her Etsy portrait, where she shares her home studio and process.

photos via reiter8