While Monday is the official first day of fall the best thing about Chicago is that summer days usually extend way into September. It’s 80 degrees today and I just spent the afternoon at Wrigley Field with Shane watching the Cubs clinch the NL Central League title. Yay! When my sisters and I were in …
UPDATE: Dinosaur and Birdie Chalkboard Pillows are now for sale at UncommonGoods! Great gift for kids. So when I first invented chalkboard pillows I handmade the chalkboards out of plastic, a knife, drill and chalkboard spray paint. Yeah, it took a long time. But now I’ve discovered the joys of chalkboard cloth fabric which has …
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be at Chicago’s Renegade Craft Fair on September 13-14, 2008. “Craft and pass it on” is the new MerrimentDesign.com motto that came to me while I was trying to describe the purpose of the site to my friend Renee. Merriment is all about creating things for special occasions and …
I went with my friend Liz to the local tattoo parlor to watch her get a tattoo of two baby birds to represent her boys. Graphic designer Liz had drawn the tattoo in Adobe Illustrator and brought a printout to scan. Unfortunately, the tattoo artist told Liz that while the design looked great on paper …
Nothing says my birthday like a warm, sunny August day and the Air and Water Show. Shane created a cute message on my beloved sun-faded antique sign that I bought this spring in Brooklyn. And I took this photo with my new camera. Fun! Today I thought I’d quickly post a couple creative birthday gift …
Hot Indiana summers spent at Camp Na Wa Kwa seeded my campfire obsession. The idea for this one has been in my head for a while, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it while recently making star sugar cookies. These whimsical stacks of yummy iced sugar cookies that look like a campfire is a fun …
Inspired by our recent trip to Seattle I’ve been waiting for the right night to try to replicate the fantastic manila clams in broth that we ate there. I took a lunchtime walk over to the Fulton Street seafood markets …no manila clams so I substituted three pounds of fresh mussels that I bought for …
Download this free printable save the date wedding announcement inspired by The Giving Tree. How sweetly romantic is this save the date wedding announcement for Cristin Witcher and her fiance Adam Siegel’s fall Chicago nuptials? Adam designed the whimsically simple letterpressed save-the-date announcement and matching tree branch mailing labels using The Giving Tree as his …
The first time I saw a sewn appliqué tie onesie bodysuit was about a year ago in an Uncommon Goods catalog. I thought it was really cute and looked super simple to make. Well, my friends Anne and Darren just had a baby boy so I decided to put my money where my mouth is. …
My favorite Chicago mommy blogger Janna Devylder, sons Gus and Eli, and husband John are moving to Savannah to teach at SCAD. So I decided to make them a goodbye gift. These handmade, bright, urban notecards and coordinating lined envelopes that depict the iconic Chicago skyline are the perfect size for keeping in touch old …
It could have been the yummy flavor, the scraggly homemade cuteness or the cold beer that made these star cookies fly off the platters at Shane’s Fourth of July birthday BBQ. The icing in particular was really tasty …I guess that’s the secret of starting with a stick of real butter. Ingredients: Cookies Sugar cookie …
So I had a semi-bad day at work today. What better time than now to try out my super classy silicone ice cube shot glass mold for the first time. Supplies: Ice Cube Shot Glass Mold Water Vodka Club soda Blueberry juice or other fruit juice (Mango is good too) Lemon rimming sugar (optional) Pour …
Growing up in upstate New York, Shane loved his grandmother Myrtle’s rhubarb and berry pies in the summertime. So this year for his birthday I decided to make a pie instead of a cake. I made personalized pot pies for St. Patrick’s Day so I had the idea to break out my mini alphabet and …
More decor for our upcoming Fourth of July – slash – Shane’s birthday BBQ. I took Martha’s Fourth of July parasols and turned them into a neat matching Fourth of July waterproof coasters. Supplies: Fourth of July waterproof coaster template (PDF) lovingly adapted from Martha Stewart’s drink parasol pattern White paper Clear contact paper (get …
Who says there’s no good fresh seafood in Chicago? Stepping inside L Isaacson & Stein Fish Market to buy ingredients for Shane’s Fourth of July birthday BBQ was a revelation. I’ve heard about this place for years. I love seafood. My first Chicago job many moons ago was at Fulton and Jefferson. So I’m a …