washingtonpost.com - 15 Min.15 Min.Slate Picture Frame- April 24, 2005 The proliferation of digital cameras and photo-quality printers -- not to mention cheapie disposable cameras -- means that images of adorable newborns, family reunions and winsome puppies are always being added to the Great Snapshot Pile. Picking which precious pics to put on display can be a tough call. But the decision is decidedly easier with this slate photo frame project that lets you share more than one snap at a time.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7933-2005Apr21.html?nav=rss_style/columns/1... Colorful Food Cans Liven Up a Set of Shelves- April 24, 2005 My friend Ted Lee leads something of a dual life. He's one-half New York city slicker -- the writer of toothsome food articles for publications such as Travel & Leisure and the New York Times -- and one-half Southern gentleman. He and his brother-writing partner, Matt, are the proprietors of the Charleston, S.C.-based Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue (www.boiledpeanuts.com), a homegrown source for the treat, as well as other hard-to-source Southern specialties, such as canned hominy,...http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16244-2004Apr15.html?nav=rss_style/columns/... Faux Coral- April 24, 2005 No matter how full the vase of flowers, how artfully arranged the fruit basket, same-old centerpieces can be a little . . . boring. Looking for an elegant yet eccentric conversation starter Make your own faux coral branches. You may not be headed to St. Barts, but the boughs' woody-yet-high-gloss glamour will add a splash of resort chic to any room. They also make a great gift.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30229-2004Dec2.html?nav=rss_style/columns/1... Make Marble Refrigerator Magnets- April 24, 2005 There are two types of people in this world: those with tidy, well-ordered refrigerator fronts, and people like me, who can't help keeping decades of photos, shopping lists and found art pinned on that gleaming door. When I visit friends whose minimalist appliances are either sleekly bare or adorned with just a few tasteful, Lucite-mounted photos, I resolve to clean up my act. But fact is, I can't resist the siren song of fridge magnets, and any well-intentioned effort at neatening only lasts..http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40362-2004Jan22.html?nav=rss_style/columns/... Make a Motherboard Lamp- April 24, 2005 It's happened to everyone. At first, you and your digital companion are inseparable: making dates, writing love letters, planning exotic vacations. But a couple of years later, your eye begins to roam. Maybe it's the new Mac G5 -- so sleek, so super-speedy. Or maybe it's not you at all: Your microprocessing buddy, once so quick to respond to your keystrokes, is sluggish, temperamental -- dare we say it Outmoded. It's time to say goodbye.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27504-2004Sep16.html?nav=rss_style/columns/... Create a Flower Frame- April 24, 2005 I had a friend in high school whose mom was an unabashed cocktail aficionado. Her inimitable catchphrase -- when a day was rough enough to warrant a frosty one early in the afternoon -- was, "Well, it's happy hour somewhere!" Even though the winter has been cruelly endless this year, judging from the abundant, gorgeous blooms in flower-shop windows, it's already spring somewhere, as well.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25380-2004Mar25.html?nav=rss_style/columns/... Fashion a Rustic Wine Rack- April 24, 2005 I like to think of my almost daily wine consumption as terribly Continental. You know, a carafe of Bordeaux enjoyed with a Seine-side meal, a nice Chianti sipped under the Tuscan sun. What my quotidian quaffing really means, though, is that I'm a by-the-book American imbiber: Experts say most of the wine bought in this country is consumed within 24 hours of its purchase (and Mad Dog 2020 even sooner).http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59750-2004Aug12.html?nav=rss_style/columns/... Iron-On Pillowcase Slogans- April 24, 2005 Imitation, as all cliche fans know, is the sincerest form of flattery. My friends Jonathan and Rob, an endlessly inspiring couple, have generously provided me with more than their fair share of ideas. I adored Jonathan's recent art piece "Pillow Talk." It entailed taking a pair of black pillowcases and silk-screening the name of half a notorious, passionate couple, in white ink, on each one. (Sample faves: "Morticia" matched with "Gomez," "Jekyll" and "Hyde," "Liza" and "David.") Now, thanks.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17445-2004Feb5.html?nav=rss_style/columns/1... Jazz Up a Lamp With Glass Paint- April 24, 2005 Remember how, when you were a kid, there was always one cool mom in the neighborhood Her freezer was always full of ice pops, she always had excellent craft supplies and she let you watch cartoons to your heart's content. My friend Roseanne is Silver Spring's Cool Mom 2004. Her kids are well supplied with awesome books -- from pop-ups to Huck Finn -- and she makes a habit of loading up on imagination-enhancing arts supplies, such as Popsicle sticks (for constructing skyscrapers), pipe cleaners..http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50875-2004Jun17.html?nav=rss_style/columns/... Make a Doggy Place Mat- April 24, 2005 Who's your best friend With apologies to my human amigos, I'd have to name my charismatic mutt, Daisy. Yes, she's "alert" (my mother-in-law's diplomatic term for "hyperactive and obsessive"), but she's always ready with a leap-into-the-sky greeting, and she really does kiss -- well, lick -- away my tears. Plus, she doesn't talk back, doesn't ask to borrow money and will never, ever drink all the beer.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19806-2004Jan15.html?nav=rss_style/columns/... |