Outdated-looking drawer in the kitchen of our rental. I liked the way the morning light was filtering in through the blinds.

I got this great Fiesta ware pitcher as part of a gift from my parents for high school graduation. I now use it to store cooking utensils on the stove.

Part of our vintage ceramic and teak lamp. It still needs a huge vintage shade to match it, but for now we’re using a fairly nondescript one from Target.

There wasn’t room on the book case for some film books I inherited, so they’re on display on the lone open shelf on a vintage cabinet we recently found. Next to them is an old air pressure gauge Derek found at his aunt and uncle’s consignment shop.

And finally: A hint of things to come. Out of difficult times comes creativity. I plan to put it to good use as I prepare for an art sale at my friend’s coffee shop next month.

I’ve been a bit behind since the first day of this project, but today I’m finally caught up and have 12 boxes for the 12th of August.

August 8: made from a recycled manila envelope and appliques.

August 9: made from recycled packing tape and layers of raffia.

August 10: made from British candy wrappers.

August 11: made from layers of tissue paper and plastic beaded trim.

August 12: made from layers of raffia and rhinestones.

I have more boxes to show off…

August 4: made from pages and graphics from a vintage Red Cross lifeguard manual.

August 5: made from a brown paper bag and a plastic tag from a laser printer we just bought.

August 6: made from Italian candy wrappers.

August 7: made from a FEMA flier, a band-aid cut to size and a penny.

So life’s been holy crap busy lately. My health’s been up and down and up and down, but we’ve been getting by. Sumi freaked out the other day when I bought a new blanket for the couch. Clearly changing the most minor thing in the house turns his world upside down. Hopefully he’ll settle down soon.

In addition to all the craziness, I’ve decided to take on a project to keep my mind occupied and to stretch myself a bit creatively. I’m decorating a match box a day for the month of August. So far I’ve got three photographed:

August 1: made from origami paper and embroidery floss.

August 2: made from a paper bag, typed with a typewriter, and a vintage metal elephant charm.

August 3: made from white drawing paper and bubble wrap.

I’ll post more shots as I have them. Hopefully I’ll actually stick to finishing this project.

My mum and I went thrifting yesterday and found this fantastic set of art/design books at Goodwill for 75 cents apiece. They were published in 1967. Definitely the coolest thing I’ve found in a while.

I recently joined a still life Flickr group and have been inspired to photograph the little details in everyday life. I guess it’s that whole needing to find simplicity lately. I’ve got some tests tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed it turns out okay. I’ve been doing my best not to fret too much…after all, it’s not under any of my control. Just have to see what happens.

As seen on DIYlife.com: Evil Laughter for Beginners. Gives advice on attitude, stance and pitch of the perfect maniacal laugh.

As seen on Notcot.com: The Nomad Yurt by EcoShack. A very cool-looking tent that makes me actually want to go camping…but $8000! Yikes!

Choose a series of photos you like better by clicking on them at LikeBetter.com. “When the brain turns pink, it knows something about you.”

An interesting photo essay: Running from Camera. The photographer set the self timer for two seconds and ran like hell.

And tightly keeping my fingers crossed for the nomination.

The Chicagoist has a feature on Obama-inspired art: click it.

I’m absolutely shocked by this. I signed up for an account on deviantart.com to display the wallpapers I made on Friday, and I’ve had a ton of people download them already. Wha?! The most popular one was this one with 42 downloads (as of the time I last checked). Insanity. Absolufreakinawesome!