Musings

A Couple Things

Thursday feels like a good day for random thoughts. 1) I hate washing out paint brushes! Don’t you? It just gets paint splatter everywhere and the base never really gets clean. I recently discovered this brush cleaning comb at the hardware store and I have a feeling my Purdy’s will be lasting a lot longer!…

Thursday feels like a good day for random thoughts.

1) I hate washing out paint brushes! Don’t you? It just gets paint splatter everywhere and the base never really gets clean. I recently discovered this brush cleaning comb at the hardware store and I have a feeling my Purdy’s will be lasting a lot longer! I wouldn’t go as far as saying I love to clean my brushes now, but it’s sort of, kind of fun. Like brushing Barbie’s hair.
2) Speaking of the hardware store, as much as I love Home Depot/Lowes I’m just crazy over local hardware stores. I feel like I can always come home with a new brass treasure. The hardware store down the street from us has these solid brass house numbers in a couple different sizes (this is the smallest). I’m trying to think of a worthwhile project for the little ones, but I also like the idea of buying a big size for a paper weight/coffe table book topper or just a styling accessory. Like a lucky number sort of thing. Brass is so cool.
3) My hardware store also sells the brass key chain parts that I used for my leather tassel DIY. My friend Jenna had a Bachelor finale party on Monday (she sent us all home with a rose ;) PS Admittedly I haven’t really watched much of the Bachelor in years past, but I didn’t love Ben from the get go. Did you watch? Isn’t it amazingly sad how catty girls can be to each other! yikes!!) Anyway, another friend was in town and wanted to make tassels at the party. We experimented with a thicker tassel and I love it. Navy strap, gray fringe and orange patent banding.
4) I saw this striped kilim ottoman at Pier 1 in the city a couple months ago, but recently I was in Jersey and saw it on MAJOR clearance (I think it was $99?). If you need a big, cute ottoman it might be worth a trip.
5) These two small pieces of art are hanging right next to our front door. The top one is a mountain near where I grew up (Paul Ferney painted this one for his Commission Project). And the bottom piece is an etching of our neighborhood from the 1800s. I found it at a junk shop in the burbs. The craziest thing is there is a sticker on the back from the 1930s framer who was only one block away from our building at the time on our exact same street!
These make me smile every time I walk by and remember to really see them. I like thinking about the permanence of mountains and old buildings. The crazy world changing all around them, constantly and year after year. And they hardly change at all. I can think of people in my life who are just like that, and thank goodness for them.
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33 thoughts on “A Couple Things

  1. GASP! Could I pay you to make me a navy/orange/gray tassel just like that??? Amazingly, perfectly me! I wish I had the patience to be crafty like you.

  2. yes yes yes to local hardware stores! i was able to find just the right sized metal rings (super vague, i know) for a drape project at our local hardware shop, and for that i will be a grateful customer. i still spend plenty of time and money at home depot, but i like the idea of supporting the small guys!

  3. I second the idea of you making (and selling) those adorable keychains! I'm confident that I could manage that DIY project, but not sure that I have the time (or patience) to track down all of the supplies right now. Super cute idea!

  4. That metal brush cleaner has saved my brush a million times. My dad, who is a contractor by trade, picked me up one of those and a nice brush for my first painting project. Smart guy! I've never replaced that paintbrush.

  5. I just made my own DIY tassel keychain yesterday and referenced from your first post about it :) I absolutely LOVE it and will be making more for friends and family! Thanks for the great posts!

  6. Oooh – I need one of those brush brushes (or brush comb). Love the hardware. Have you seen my new line of hardware. I'm so excited it's in this month's issue of the D pages! And Jamie Mears featured it on her blog.

  7. Would you ever share the name of your hardware store? I can't find the mini brass nailheads anywhere and am so excited to try the keychain project!

  8. That brush cleaner looks awesome! I wonder if there's a tool like that I can find that will help with my makeup brushes.

    Oh, and that ottoman is adorable.

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  10. Do you do house calls? Animal House (well one golden)but the rest looks strangely like my old Frat house. Thank and don't step on the beer cans.

  11. Hey Jenny, I've been thinking about those little brass numbers…here's a couple of ideas for you. First, you could pick a date that is special like your anniversary or the day you launched your business and buy the six numbers of that date. For instance, my anniversary is 09-07-02. Not very interesting. You could then use these numbers to embellish a three drawer chest, putting a set of numbers down the rhs or lhs of each drawer. OR you could attached a little piece of wood to the back of each number and use the numbers themselves as the drawer pulls. Hmmm, maybe I should use this idea myself. I think I'll go see what my local hardward store has to offer. Happy Weekend!

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  13. First, let me say that I love your blog! Your work is so inspiring and colorful. I study architectural history, I just wanted to add that the print of your neighborhood can only be mid-20th-century – not 19th century. Skyscrapers like that weren't built until the 1930s! :) I can't see it all the clearly but is it Lower Manhattan, or maybe midtown? Then it's definitely mid-century. It's lovely all the same.

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  15. Great tip on brush cleaing! My project motto is to "use your best imagination, give your best effort and leave the work space in better condition than you found it."

    A job well done is our greatest satisfaction!

    DJ in Connecticut
    djcinct7@yahoo.com

  16. your blog was suggested on my dashboard and liked what it was called so clicked on it. :) it does stink how girls can be towards one another, i just don't get it. you have a lot of comments about that brush cleaner! it is really nice. we've been using a grill cleaner to clean a friends brush. :P take care

  17. I love those brass numbers. I used similar black ones to make a growth chart directly on the wall in my kitchen. Those would look even better!

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