I’ve been off the grid for quite a while. As I sit down to write this post, I find myself falling back on the old adage of “Life got in the way” as a means of explaining my absence. What a dreadful phrase, as if to imply only that which is inconvenient and menacing … More Repurposed in Santo Domingo: America’s First City
St. Andrews sits nestled on the rugged eastern coast of Scotland. If you had asked me to describe Scotland, without ever seeing Scotland, I surely would have described St. Andrews. It’s as though it was plucked from my imagination. Narrow cobbled streets wind past medieval homes and buildings. The ruins of St. Andrews Castle peek … More Repurposed in St. Andrews: The Keys Bar
These Banana Peanut Butter Dog Treats put good use to browning bananas, as well as keep the canines happy. It’s strange to have a dog that is hardly food motivated. At times, it’s outright embarrassing. The friendly cashiers at the pet store offer her a treat, yet find themselves snubbed by her lack of interest. … More The Dog Scores: Banana Peanut Butter Dog Treats
This magazine page ornament combines two of my favorite things: recycling and the written word. The written word has that certain je ne sais quoi. Maybe it’s the privilege of literacy that makes it seem sophisticated. Perhaps it’s the contrast of the black print upon the crisp white page that makes it feel modern. Yet with the introduction … More Beauty of the Written Word: Recycled Magazine Ornament
This Homemade Salted Caramel is sure to bring warmth to family and friends during the chilly holiday season. Seattle has the kind of cold that sticks to you. Sure, temperatures rarely dip below freezing. The snow totals are laughable for our neighbors to the north. Yet, when the salty sea air saturates your bones and … More Lick the Spoon: Homemade Salted Caramel
In my new City Series, I highlight prominent landmarks that epitomize the repurposed lifestyle. Happy travels! The Brown Palace hotel opened her doors to residents and passerbys in 1892. Denver, the gateway to the west, needed a luxury hotel to accommodate the elegance inclined traveler. Mr. Henry Cordes Brown gladly obliged, investing over $1.6 million … More Repurposed in Denver: The Brown Palace
What’s better than chocolate chip cookies? Chocolate chip cookies made with homemade vanilla extract, of course! Sometimes I feel as though I am the last remaining individual on Earth who waits until December to start celebrating Christmas. My mother and I have a tradition of calling each other when we see our first Christmas commercial … More Vodka and Vanilla: How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
A little cardboard goes a long way with this simple fall wreath. My family doesn’t celebrate traditional Thanksgiving. While I would like to say it’s because we reject the fictitious Eurocentric notion of “Indian and Pilgrim” coexistence, it in all honesty resulted from nothing more than a lovers’ quarrel. Here’s how it started: About fifteen … More Simple, Understated and Slightly Rustic: DIY Fall Wreath
Fall finally arrived in our small corner of the world, and not a moment too soon. To quote William Cullen Bryant, “Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile.” As the waning days turn crisper and cooler, fall ushers in a welcomed reprieve from the sweltering heat of a long summer. Fall brings with it chilly mornings and … More Fall is for Comfort Food: Baked Mac’n’Cheese Bites
Have a beverage, collect a coaster and make wall art with this brewery inspired project. My hometown of San Diego is in the midst of a craft beer renaissance. Like much of the United States, San Diego has emerged from the dark ages of American Lagers and has amassed an impressive number of microbreweries. In their … More Coaster Hunting: Brewery Inspired Wall Art
Repurposed Abode 