color me mine

for those of us who wish we could be fashion designers, here is maybe the next best thing: a color-it-yourself dress. the black and white patterned dress comes with a set of permanent markers so you can really make it your own.

Stripes and Stamps?

So I've been married and living in my own place (well, K lives there too I guess) for over a year and a half now, and our living room has yet to have a Look. You can look at it, yes, but it has no Look.

There are several reasons for this. First, we've always had mismatched, hand-me-down seating. Tan. Black. Green. Sofa. Metal futon. Wood futon. Second, we've only made minimal progress on getting anything up on the walls since we move every year (it's hard to break the college habit).

And then it hit me, a solution to bring unity to my hodgepodge living room...

couch pillows

I went to Joann and grabbed some blue upholstery fabric, trying to pull some colors from the photos on our wall of Lake Tahoe, taken during our honeymoon. Then I it, the perfect blue and tan stripe. And then I saw another perfect fabric, a blue and white stamped motif. I had to have them.

Uh...won't that look weird? K asks. No, I tell him, it will look modern! But really, what to I know. A few days later, newly bought fabric not yet touched, I got affirmation.

Enter, Pottery Barn's outdoor pillows:


And my end products:

Did it tie my living room together? Well, nothing is going to remedy that mess completely, but it's a good start!

diy photo block kit

Want to display a favorite photo without blowing it into a giant sized print that you'll probably get tired of looking at anyway? Why don't you turn it into a photo block. Better yet, you can actually make it yourself with this rather easy to do and quite afforable (although one-time use) kit.

DIY City

If nostalgia for the bright lights of the big city have hit you, bring a little urban into your home with this do-it-yourself project from Swiss Miss.


Photos Courtesy of Swiss Miss.

Simply follow the instructions from swissmiss or reprinted for your convenience below:

1. download and print swissmiss_alpenglow.pdf
2. download swiss yodel mp3 at drop.io/alpenglow for alp pasture ambiance.
3. grab exactor knife, ruler & cutting mat.
4. proceed to cut out elements on page two with patience and love for detail.
5. assemble as indicated. put tealight behind alps. sit back and enjoy your swiss alpenglow*!

aaaaaand TA DA! Instant city, perfect for the holidays.


Tanya Romstad from Sweden's first submission to Swiss Miss as featured on their page. Enjoy!!