Be inspired to DIY

Featured Blog

A Soft Place to Land is an excellent blog to peruse many hours worth of Do-It-Yourself projects that have been successfully completed by other bloggers.

So whether you are the crafty type looking for ideas, the wannabe creative type looking for inspiration, or the creatively challenged type looking to be awed by the talent of others, then browse here and click on the hundreds of links that will direct you to every kind of DIY-related project you can think of - fashion, jewelry, home decor, furniture makeover, recipes, artwork, junk repurposing, etc

Hint: To view the hundreds of DIY projects, click on the archives list near the bottom right side of the page, then click on any of the "DIY Days" links, and scroll down to see the list of all the projects for each week.

Be sure to check out the rest of the blog as well, as it has some other darling posts too :)

Below are a few great examples of DIYs that were found linked from A Soft Place to Land:

Painted pumpkins via Olive Rue taken from DIY projects in Country Living.

Re-Fashioned T-Shirt Via Artistic Blend

Television Disguise via A Penny Saved (I love this idea! TVs are just so ugly...)




Decoupaged side table via Mod Podge Rocks

Scrabble Labels via Junk Mammas (So simple and so cute!)

Pretty t-shirt makeover via Little Loveables. (I can't wait to try this! I love it! And, again, very simple)

Repurposed typewriter table via It's So Very Cheri from Joy Beadworks.
(Fabulous! I think this would be even more great if chess pieces were used instead of checkers)

From cocktail napkin to coasters via que sara sara. (I have never decoupaged
anything before but it looks like so much fun and there's so much you can DO with it!)

I hope this has been as inspiring for you as it has for me!

Happy perusing!

K

Monday Blues Beater: Free Stuff!

Monday Blues Beater

There's nothing like FREE stuff to beat the Monday Blues!

Here's a coupon for a free large popcorn and pop when seeing The Final Destination 3-D at AMC theatres.

For AMC locations and showtimes click here.

Not ALL Vintage: Katie Daisy

Okay, so Fridays are supposed to be devoted to everything vintage, but I came across this from Katie Daisy and just had to post it.

Isn't it just darling?

These would definitely be on my "Daydream List." Well, maybe except for the second-last one... I'm just not there yet :)

Katie Daisy is a print designer and illustrator. She specializes in typography, patterns, and illustrations. Check out her designs here. Her patterns would be lovely as gift paper or framed as artwork.

K

Image via Katie Daisy

Everything Vintage: The Vintage Moth

Vintage Fridays!

Friday is probably my favourite weekday (and not just for the obvious don't-have-to-work-tomorrow reason), but because it's Vintage Fridays! I get to scour the net and the the blogosphere to find incredible vintage photos, jewelry, and other vintage-esque items.

Look at these beautiful vintage paper doll cut-outs.
Aren't they a treat?!

I just love the simplistic glamour of the 1920's (although, I'm
not quite sure what era the below outfit comes out of)

Going forward I will be featuring a blog related to each themed day of the week. This Vintage Friday's blog feature is The Vintage Moth. On her blog Abbie posts FREE antique/vintage clip art that other bloggers and mixed media/collage artists can use in their pieces. (The copyright on each image has expired)

Here are some of my favourites from Abbie's blog...

Vintage ads and posters can add great character to a room when
framed and hung as artwork.

I'm always so intrigued by old photographs. They have such a nastalgic
and sometimes eerie aura about them. I like to think about what
they're lives would've been like during such a different era. I imagine
secret diaries hidden in loose floorboards that contain long lost secrets
and scandals...
It's actually surprising one of the girls in the first photo is smiling - it's not really
something you would see often in pictures of that time period. She must
have been the rascal in the family :)

These images are obviously from old fairytale books. So full of
whimsy and beauty. Would also look great framed.

Be sure to drop by and visit this charming blog devoted to vintage art here.


Happy Vintage Friday!


K



All images via The Vintage Moth

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup - Delicious!

Tasty Thursday Feature

I was introduced to this delicious soup some years back and it has remained at the top of my favourites list.

As Autumn approaches we need to start thinking about dishes that will compliment the season. This is a very diverse soup that you will be able to enjoy serving for a chic dinner party, a family holiday gathering, or for a comfy night spent wrapped up on the couch with a movie.

Try it out for this Thanksgiving!

A surprising ingredient in this is peanut butter (so be sure to inquire about possible nut allergies before serving to guests).
I enjoy this soup super spicy so I increase the amount of chilies the recipe calls for, but spice to your own taste.

Here is the recipe:

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup
By: Marilyn Bentz-Crowley and Joan Mackie

1/2 cup (125 mL) crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lime zest
1 large plum tomato
1 1/2 to 2 lbs (750 g to 1 kg) sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 onion, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
4 cups (1 L) chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
1/4 tsp (1 mL) crushed chilies
2 tbsp (25 mL) grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup (50 mL) crunchy or creamy peanut butter
1 lime
2 tbsp (25 mL) chopped fresh coriander or parsley

1. Stir crème fraîche with zest, then cover and refrigerate. Seed and dice tomato; set aside to use as garnish. Peel potato and cut into chunks.

2. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add potatoes, stock, cumin, chilies and ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, covered, or until potatoes are soft. Puree soup in batches in blender or food processor; return to pot.

3. Using a whisk, stir peanut butter into soup. Heat until hot. Squeeze juice of lime into soup. Taste and add salt as needed. Stir in coriander. Ladle into warmed bowls and add a dollop of crème fraîche. Top with a few diced tomatoes.

Serves 6

Enjoy :)
K

Photo and recipe courtesy of the LCBO Food & Drink magazine - Winter 2002 edition