Over at Can’t Stop Making Things, we found a brilliant way to repurpose those old cookie tins lying around . Via Craft.

Five words we love together: coffee heath bar ice cream. At Simply Recipes.

What magic happens when push pins, doilies, and coffee filters meet a wall! At Curbly.

NotCot gives us a peek at Target’s new Make Summer Funner campaign. Have these giant-scale summer play toys made it to your metropolis?

Boring forest green resin patio furniture getting you down? DIY Life has got the low-down on the best way to spruce it up.

Get some serious outdoor playtime inspiration with this outdoor game roundup at CasaSugar. Giant chess set? Checkmate!

I bought these three glass custard cups at an antique store over the winter. It was a snowy, yucky day and it was just the owner, myself and a small store with antiques stacked almost to the ceiling. After chatting and wandering around for most of my lunch hour, I felt I had to buy something so I picked up three custard cups for $15. Once I got them home and in the light, I fell in love. The glass has a pale blue tint to it and the there’s a starburst design on the bottom. I thought I’d be able to find a few more online in the usual haunts (ebay, Ruby Lane, Tias) by searching for Hazel Atlas, Fire King or Anchor Hocking. No luck. It seems like from the design on the bottom, someone’s got to have an idea. Anyone got a helpful hint for me? — Sarah L.

Is it just me, or are more and more recipes calling for a stand mixer? I don’t own one, so when I see using a stand mixer as part of the directions, I get a little irritated. I tend to read more recipes than I do actually make them, so on the one hand, it’s fine. And it’s also easy enough to just pull out the hand mixer instead. But all reasonableness aside, what gets me is the assumption that a $250 piece of kitchen equipment is commonplace. Especially one that, let’s face it, doesn’t tuck away as easily as toaster. Sound off. Do you own a stand mixer? If not, why? — Sarah L.

I love the idea of using drop cloths in place of linen. Not only because I of the texture and color, but because fabric has become ridiculously expensive. To make a Provencal-inspired tablecloth, I bought a $9 canvas drop cloth. The painter’s tape and fabric paint I already had, I just need to mix to get a deeper red. You’ll also need a small tape measure and because the canvas resists moisture, a wallpaper tool or other straight edge to smooth down the tape as you paint. (You can see the tape starting to pop up in the first picture. As long as you work in sections and smooth down first, you shouldn’t get any bleed.) Once you measure out your lines, it goes quick. And since the ends are hemmed, I only needed to finish the edge I had to cut. All totaled? $9 for the cloth and about an hour of my time, which included fighting with the sewing machine. After the paint sets for three days, I’ll be able to back and iron and call the project truly done.

Other creative tablecloth ideas?
• Paint a train track down the middle and line up toy trains for a kid’s party.
• For a casual outdoor wedding or wedding shower, drape cloths over the front of a gift table, so that it touches the ground. In script, have the word “gifts” painted on the front.
• For a family reunion, arm everyone with a Sharpie and ask them to sign and write their name and add important dates.
• For Thanksgiving, have everyone write what they are thankful for on the cloth.

If you give this idea a go, remember to put a piece of cardboard or towel under your line. I found out just in time that the paint goes through. Other ideas? Let’s hear them. Add to comments. — Sarah L.

This post has been in the works for A LONG TIME. Before I was blogging even, about 6 years ago. You see, when I lived in CA, I had access to the world’s greatest scones. Up front, they didn’t look remarkably impressive — perfectly round and domed on top; the rustic, oaty pastry pockmarked with sugar. But when you bit into it, oh mama, was it good.

In the center was a pocket of fruit baked inside the scone! I quickly became obsessed with these “magic scone pockets of delight”, and rushed to our farmer’s market every Sunday in hopes that they still had a few left (often they sold out fast). I eventually forged a friendship with the sconemaster and his family which resulted in many free cookies and bags of granola, but the secret to the scones eluded me.

Fast forward a few years and a whole lot of recipe testing — I’m not sure if it’s perfect, but I finally produced a successful batch of scone-pie hybrids. And now, I’ve made them 5 times. They are a TOUCH labor intensive, but honestly, for scones this amazing you won’t mind the extra time it takes to fill each one. And did I mention that these are the only scones that actually taste better the next day? Get those summer fruits ready and start the oven preheating, ’cause the recipe is after the jump! — Megan B.
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There’s something very awesome about living in the city with what I have been told is the highest concentration of wooden bungalows in the U.S. — Portland, Oregon. Not only are you inspired by gorgeous architecture everywhere you turn, but you also have the luxury of having not one, but two, shops specializing in handcrafted period light fixtures and shades. The one everyone thinks of, and one we’ve highlighted here numerous times, is, of course, Rejuvenation. So, when shopping for period-authentic lighting for the basement remodel of our own wooden bungalow, I was wide-eyed when a Google search for schoolhouse lights turned up a newer and lesser known Portland-based gem: Schoolhouse Electric Co. I drove down to the Portland showroom the next day and was downright giddy about my discovery. The company was founded several years ago after owner Brian Faherty found a treasure trove of original cast-iron moulds in an upstate New York warehouse. What I love most about Schoolhouse, though, is how they’ve added a modern, artistic approach to their timeless designs, such as their artist series collection featuring Portland artist Yellena James. I am now the proud owner of three of these limited edition shades, and they’ve really added a wow factor to our basement. Schoolhouse Electric has showrooms in Portland and Tribeca, New York, plus nationwide shipping. Now you just need an excuse to go buy a new light! –Ginny F.

After we had built-in bookcases added to our living room, I had every intention of painting the backs. A year later, they’re still white. I can’t bring myself to decide on a color (green? yellow?) and given the number of shelves, I want to get it right the first time. I searched for papers that I could put up but no go. Then I stumbled across the blog Recently. Cut foam core to size, then paint and insert. Since it’s thicker than paper, it stays in place. No stickie tape or nothin’. If you’re in an apartment, have a stained piece you don’t want to paint, or just can’t make up your mind, like me, it seems like a perfect solution. — Sarah L.

Photo credit: Recentlytheblog.blogspot.com

Ever since receiving The Art of Simple Food from a dear friend, I’ve been fascinated and inspired by Alice Waters, her philosophy, her Edible Schoolyard initiative and her Berkeley, Calif., restaurant, Chez Panisse. I was fortunate enough to dine in the café portion of the restaurant on my first trip to Berkeley, and it is a memory I will never forget. This summer, Chez Panisse will celebrate its 40th anniversary and is commemorating the occasion with a series of special events and this new book, which I cannot wait to get my hands on. A tribute to Alice, her revolution and the people she’s touched over the course of the last four decades, the book is sure to please anyone with an interest in sustainable food culture or a love of Chez Panisse! Available for pre-order on Amazon now. –- Sarah C.

To learn more about Alice & her work, click here. For some of her favorite, quick summer dishes (including wine-soaked peaches!) pick up the August issue of Glamour, on newsstands now.

How adorable are these little Footed Aeriums? At 4” tall, each comes with an assortment of air plants including mosses and lichens. I admit to having trouble, of late, even growing herbs in my hothouse of an apartment, but these cuties would add a much-needed Zen moment to my workspace. $29 at Flora Grubb Gardens. Aerium plant replenishment kits are just $12. — Sarah C.

I recently spied these glowing orange-hued berries on a hike in Seattle’s Carkeek Park, where the trails were lined with bushes dangling the fruits like jewels. I knew it was too early to pick them, but I was sure that they were salmonberries, a wild berry that is a botanical cousin to the much-maligned Himalayan blackberry. So on our next hike, in Olallie State Park, I was tempted again to taste the trail side forbidden fruit — and I did. Waves of bright, tangy juice crashed on to my tongue, slightly reminiscent of raspberries. Salmonberries can be found in wet forests and near streams from Northern California to Alaska, and are usually the first berries to ripen of the season. And now that they’re ripe, I’ll be scouring the greenbelts near our house with a basket for more! I can only imagine how good they’ll be in salads, and how cool would it be to make salmonberry jam? Have you ever foraged for wild fruit? Let us know in the comments! — Megan B.