CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Lighting the Dark Garden

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:00:58 -0800

I've been pretty bummed about the time change, since it's usually dark by the time I get home from work. This means that any outdoor chores, gardening work, or frolicking with the dogs is done in near pitch black, or lit from sharp, glaring porch lights.

Kathy LaLiberte, director of gardening at my favorite gardening store, Gardeners Supply Company, has come up with a pretty solution to combat the darkness. Besides using solar lights along pathways, she's also indulged her inner artist with a cool project.

She writes:

Last Fall we came up with a combination art project/all-season, outdoor lighting solution. We made an orb with two rusted steel bands from an old whiskey barrel planter. They're held together at the top with a rusted-iron hose guide, which fits into a metal pipe that anchors the whole thing to a cedar post. Around the center of the pipe I wove a loose ball of wild grape vines. Then I stuffed the ball with a 24-foot string of small LED lights (these are the warm white ones - I don't like the cool blue lights).

How do you light your yard or garden after the clocks fall back?

Love It or Hate It? Over-the-Top Holiday Light Displays

CasaSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:39:16 -0800

While some families go whole-hog when it comes to lighting up the night around the holidays, others see it as a waste of time and energy. Where do you stand?Source

DIY: Blueprint-Inspired Holiday Project

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:09:26 -0800

Our own Angelica completed a DIY project over the holidays that's positively brilliant.
She writes:

After a series of failed baking adventures I realized it was time for me to transfer my love for YumSugar and food magazines to CasaSugar and design magazines. In the spirit of the holidays I picked a Light Bright project from this month's Blueprint magazine. I must admit, I'm a much better painter and craftswoman than I am a baker so the project was definitely a confidence booster. The Blueprint picture is on the left, my replica is on the right.

To find out how to make your own replica, just read more

What You'll Need

stretched canvas
paint
brushes
groundcloth or newspapers to protect your floor
pencil
awl
white twinkly tree lights
craft glue

You can find the complete Blueprint directions here. But read on for Angelica's directions:

Start by painting a stretched canvas from an art-supply store (Blueprint used a pale-pink latex paint, I picked a light-gold color because the walls of my house are all beige.)
Plot out your design by penciling dots on the back, keeping them a half inch apart.
Gently press an awl through each dot to make a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the bulb (the Blueprint creators and I both used white Christmas lights).
Press a bulb into each hole; secure each with craft glue. (I skipped the glue step just in case any of the lights blow out.)

View 10 Photos ›

String Lights: Illuminate Your Summer

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 13:58:38 -0700

White holiday lights, when used tastefully, can be a good outdoor adornment year-round. But string lights are such a bargain, why not buy yourself a special set for Summer?

These outdoor accessories add an elegant effect to al fresco dining, and depending on the style you choose, string lights can give your patio an entirely new vibe, from Euro cafe style to down-home charm. Here are five of my favorite string lights for Summer.

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Summer Style: Paper Lanterns in 500 Days of Summer

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:26 -0700

500 Days of Summer doesn't make its debut in theaters until July 17, but I've already got an eye on the sets. Here, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt stand on a rooftop in full Summer style. Of course, the pair look quite dapper in a beautifully patterned sundress and a sharp suit, but it's the paper lanterns that complete the scene. The concrete wall looks a little gritty but the lanterns instantly give the space early evening elegance. Paper lanterns are very inexpensive and easy to hang on a string of outdoor lights. Do any of you use these at home? If not, try replicating this look in your backyard or on your rooftop! To see where you can pick up some paper lanterns of your own, read more.

Maru 30" White Round Paper Lantern - $12.99	Aki Curved White Paper Lantern - $9.99
Yoko Square White Paper Lantern - $19.99	Kyoku Triple Ball White Paper Lantern - $14.99
Blue Maru Round Paper Lantern - $6.99	Taro Double Ball White Paper Lantern - $9.99
Maru Round White Paper Lantern - $4.99	Hexagon White Paper Lantern - $7.99

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Casa Verde: Alabama Chanin's Interiors Collection

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:00:20 -0700

While I've featured Alabama Chanin before, the design company's site has beautiful new interior pictures that I thought were worth reflecting upon. Alabama Chanin, the collection of designer Natalie Chanin, features clothing and interior decor pieces that strive to be as environmentally sensitive as possible. Organic cotton, natural indigo dyes, and US-made products are all part of the line. The interior collection offers limited-edition pieces for the home that emphasize upcycling. Natali calls the collection "Alabama Studio Style." Right now, Alabama Chanin's collection includes home furnishings as well as decorative pieces.

To find out more about the interiors collection, read more.

All of the lighting and furniture are handmade, artisan creations that were found in vintage shops, flea markets, or scrapyards in the southeastern United States, and then repurposed. Old metal scraps have been transformed into sculptural objects, and farm chairs feature new seats woven from cotton jersey scraps and old ties. Chandeliers made with old lighting fixtures are decorated with cow bones, string, metals, and sticks retrieved from river beds. Ancient, tattered quilts have been washed, patched, and decorated with appliques and decorative stitching, and all of the pillows in the interiors collection are made from 100 percent Certified Organic Cotton from the Alabama Chanin Fabric Line.

If you're interested in seeing more of the interiors collection, check out the online store.

View 14 Photos ›

Source

Garden Therapy: Growing a String of Pearls

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:30:52 -0700

Hi CasaSugar,

I am in need of some advice. I have always wanted to grow my own string of pearls, and I finally went out and bought two plants. I don't know what I am doing wrong but I think I am slowly killing them both. Any tips?

Thanks for your time,
Karebear25

To see my advice, and to leave some advice for Karebear25, just read more.

Hi Karebear25,

String of pearls, also called string of beads, is one of my favorite houseplants! A good friend of mine has a lot of these plants hanging in her house, and she's successfully kept them going for years. My first word of advice is to not overwater them! Since they're a succulent, they want to have dry soil in between waterings. They also appreciate medium light exposure, for four or more hours a day. In wintertime, when temperatures are cooler, you only need to water the plant a few times a month at most, but as temperatures increase, increase your waterings gradually. The number one way to kill this plant is by overwatering it! My friend also adds, "String of pearls are very easy to grow from cuttings. I don't like it when they get too stringy, so sometimes I drape the strings back up into the pot and they seem to root themselves in. I trim off dried-up pearls. When they flower, the flowers are kind of ugly and strangely sticky."

I hope this helps! If anyone else has advice about this plant, just leave your comments below.

Casa

Source

Crave Worthy: Kevin McCarthy Shades

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:55:06 -0700

I discovered these gorgeous lighting fixtures over at Design*Sponge, who has such a killer eye for lovely home objects. The Kevin McCarthy lampshades use monofilimant, yarn and lanyard materials to create soft, glowy lighting.

Explaining his inspiration, McCarthy writes that, "the birth of my string lampshade series can be traced to an afternoon in 2003, when I found a string, drum-shape cast aside on a New York sidewalk. She became my muse. Kevin Patrick McCarthy light & shade melds the carefully homespun qualities of mid-century strings shades with a modern palette of shapes and colors, and a fashion veteran's attention to unique. high-quality materials."

Kevin McCarthy's hanging horizontal pendant lamp ($300) is the only lamp I've found available online, but if you're in the New York area, you can purchase his lamps directly here.

Before and After: A Patio Facelift

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:30:40 -0700

The crafty lady behind the blog Handmade by Alissa is a pretty sweet sister. When her sib Cate moved into a new house with a very unfinished cement blocked patio, she decided to give it a much-needed facelift by sewing some cheerful cushions and pillows. She sewed one long cushion to run along the cement block bench, two arm rests, and a handful of throw pillows. The result is not only pretty but cozy, and just the thing to get her sister entertaining outdoors. Ohhh . . . what you'll do for a free dinner! To see the results, read more.

Adorable, right? I love the bursting pattern and red and teal palette of her fabric. The string lights make a vast difference as well! Read more about it here.
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Link Time!

CasaSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0700

AT:LA's latest house tour showcases one reader's updated heirlooms.
Craft: shows you how to make fizzy balls for your bath.
Desire to Inspire turns us on to some very cool photography.
Inhabitat tells us about a burp-catching backpack that traps cow gas.
Decor8 blogs about a mad tea towel party.
Design*Sponge is voting on some gorgeous patterns.
Daily Danny supports LED string lights year-round.
The Moment thinks modern design hotels are becoming run-of-the-mill.
The Selby is a cool new photo blog about creative people at home in their spaces.

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