December 13, 2012

DIY Hardware Necklace

Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal! 
Your gift this year is two DIY posts in one week. (I know I'm like 2 weeks early, but 'tis the season... right? Plus, Hannukah is happening RIGHT NOW, so...)
Remember the days when I had the time and ability to post 5 times a week?! Old times were good times. 
But new times aren't so bad. I mean... I have a life these days, and that's pretty cool. Definitely not mad about that.

Last time we met, I told you about my adventures in the Home Depot. I failed to mention that in addition to plumbing parts, I also purchased some small pieces of hardware that caught my eye. Yes, sometimes hardware catches my eye. No, I do not think this is peculiar, hardware jewelry is in and I'm on the train.
Get with it, guys.  

I used one variety of such items to create this radsicle geometric necklace:
(Can we make 'radsicle' a thing? Please?!)
Ya, I know. It looks good. 

And, ya, that is a nebulae backdrop. I got this excellent book at The Strand called 'Far Out: A Space and Time Chronicle' and now it is my favorite thing in the entire world ever. It's a coffee table book featuring images of all the nebulae and it makes me so super happy. Let me describe how I feel when I open this book using a rage face:
Ya, it's like that. 

December 11, 2012

DIY Hardware Candelabra

My particular neighborhood in Brooklyn (Bed -Stuy) is not considered the most desirable location. It is my humble opinion that that's complete bull-shit because it's an awesome place.
...At least in my area. Further out may not be cool. I don't know, I don't usually wander too far over.

In any event, I'm not really mad about the dangerous reputation because, quite frankly, it makes me look like a bad-ass when I tell people where I live. Also, the rent is still manageable and that's simply the tits. 

 But, despite popular belief, Bed-stuy is a really great place. Apparently they say that it is gentrifying faster than Bushwick because it's so architecturally beautiful, and lezzbe honest, Bushwick is nasty. The community here is super friendly and people don't act like isolated robots while walking down the street. People say 'Good Morning!' and cheer you on if you run past. Most importantly, and pay attention, I am walking distance from a mother fucking Home Depot. Walking distance! 

I could go on about the greatness of Bed-Stuy, but Home Depot is kind of the agenda for this post. I went on a long walk to Clinton Hill on Saturday and hit up the new Utrecht store near Pratt to get some art supplies and maybe a descent bagel. (Bagel was a fail. I didn't know they made bad bagels in New York. I was not pleased.) 

I decided to take the less scenic route home and stop off at the Home Depot to browse their hardware. I can't really explain that impulse. It's completely out of character and my mother will probably become worried when she reads this. We are not Home Depot kind of girls, but I found myself in the plumbing aisle browsing hardware materials. Glamourous, I know. But that's when genius struck.

Hardware Candelabra!

Side story, in college I worked at the Free Poeple store. It was cool because I didn't have much cash and I got 40% off at Free People, Urban Outfitters, and Anthropologie. Not a bad deal in exchange for being a retail slave. I bought these awesome candles that drip colors when they burn from Urban for my then-future apartment. I unearthed them while engaging in my aggressive pre-thanksgiving fall cleaning event and decided I really needed some bomb candelabras to let these babies burn. They have been waiting for this moment for years.

And then in Home Depot I was all like, Eureka! I shall make industrial candelabras for my cool drippy candles and it shall be wonderful. This shall redeem my shitty weekend and I shall be happy with my creation.

Three hours of scouring one shelf later, I found the correctly
shaped and sized parts. (Acutally no I definitely did not - one of the employees finally came over to help me. He/she found everything I needed.) I went straight home, inhaled my crappy bagel, ignored my new art supplies from Utrecht, and made these:
Yes, that is a phonograph. Yes, I do use it to listen to records. Yes, it is awesome. Yes, stealing it from my parent's basement is the most 'hipster' thing I have ever done. No, I'm not sorry. Yes, Haters gon' hate. 
In the meantime, I'll be here, listening to beautiful music.