Cheap Thrills: DIY Design Inspiration

This post is dedicated to Todd Oldham and Amy Sedaris, my two biggest DIY design and craft inspirations. No doubt many of you have noticed the "Back to School" specials are going up in stores everywhere. It's time to squeeze the last bit of fun out of summer as we gear up to get back into the scholastic groove. Personally, I loved going back to school, mostly because of the shopping it entailed. I still run out to the store and load up on notebooks, pens, pencil cases, and colorful paperclips. I still scoff at wide-ruled paper, because really... we're better than that,  people. Beyond the regular back to school supplies, the college crowd has to contend with their housing situation - door room, sorority/fraternity house, new apartment, etc. Setting up a whole new space for yourself somewhere other than your family home can get expensive, but you still want to make it as comfortable as possible - what's a Whoreder to do?! Don't worry, I've got your inspiration springboard right here...

Cheap Thrills: 25 under $25

Since I took a little break and missed the last couple of weeks, I decided to do things a little differently. To make up for lost Cheap Thrills, I put together a big list of 25 goodies, each under $25. For you, for your friends, for your everyday gifting needs. Sometimes you need a pick me up that won't make a huge dent in your budget, or maybe you need a gift for someone but want to keep the spending to a reasonable amount... I gotchu covered, babies! Browse this list for a little inspiration, you'll be surprised how much fun you can get out of $25.

Adventures in Iced Coffee

This is what working from home looks like. not. 

Truth: the only beverage that I love more than coffee is iced coffee. This year, it just so happens that the warmer weather has coincided with me working from home for the entire month of April. So far it's been no picnic (technology and I are barely on speaking terms right now) but one of the bright spots in my days of being glued to my computer desk (an old sewing machine table, not ideal but a girl manages) has been sipping on glorious home brewed iced coffee.

Now, I have tried various ways to make good iced coffee at home (including sticking the entire hot coffee carafe in the fridge like a lazy bum. not very tasty) but only recently am I finally happy with a method. Has anyone seen The Pioneer Woman on Food Network? Don't worry, no cool points lost if you haven't, I just watch my 'fair share' of TV if you will. I'm not sold on the show since I have very little in common with the blogger/domestic diva/dude ranch dwelling Ree Drummond and to be honest, her rich "down home" recipes border on diabetes-inducing Paula Deen territory. Plus, I'm so much more of an Anthony Bourdain/Travel Channel girl anyway.  However, I am loving me some of Ree's Perfect Iced Coffee. It's genius!

It's a beautiful thing.

Things You Didn't Know You Wanted: Medical Edition

A friend once told me that I've been to every website on the internet - twice. I took this as a compliment and even though it's far from the truth, I have been to ALOT of websites - many which have made me aware of things I didn't know existed and probably didn't need to know existed. From cute finds with animals that defy explanation (like this and this) to the much darker, disturbing side of the internets (I'll spare you those links. happy thoughts, people), it's a mixed bag of pleasure and pain this internet life of mine. I guess now is a good time to admit that medical supply websites are among the copious websites that I've had no right spending time on, but I definitely have. That's right, the same sites that sell pricey pink speculums and bed pans, is where I have found inspiration. C' mon, I've never claimed to be completely normal. Keeping that in mind, here are a few of my sweet, sweet finds:

Set of 5 Sundry Jars, QuickMedical $19.69

I was a little disappointed on a past doctor visit when I didn't see these ubiquitous fixtures displayed but I'm hoping doctor offices still use them because they are pretty darn cool. An entire set of five is under $20 and would be perfect for storing cotton balls and q-tips (or tongue depressors, if that's what you're into) in the bathroom. They also come in opaque white or fancy glass versions.

Apartment Life and My Industrial Revelation

A few months ago, my boyfriend Casey and I moved into a new apartment. Like, a real apartment. I'm no stranger to apartment living and I have loved each and every one of my past humble rented abodes in their own special way. There was the one bedroom in California that I shared with my dear Heather. In separate I Love Lucy style twin beds, at night we talked across the small bedroom like girls at a sleepover, the hum of the 101 outside of our window. Then there was the 3rd floor of a Victorian brownstone that I shared with girl friends in Jersey City. This old apartment had a definite "Miss Havisham" charm with it's cracked plaster walls, ornate fireplace mantles and stained glass skylight. But, the skylight leaked in the rain as well as the bathtub during certain showers. Oh yes, and this was apartment was next to an abandoned church, an empty lot littered with busted tires and needles, and a bodega that one summer was actually missing an entire wall (for serious, really missing a wall).

Then there was my last apartment, a "garden level" one bedroom next to an awesome but very rowdy gay bar that had nothing "garden" about it unless you're talking about the ants and spiders that also called it home. But this new apartment is different. It's charming but also functional. There's old but pretty parquet floors, tall ceilings and windows, two white architectural columns in the bedroom, a claw foot tub that doesn't leak and subway tiles in the bathroom. There are actual closets to almost completely disguise my "collecting" habits and to stack towels and blankets (something even the nicest urban apartments don't always have). Oh  yea, and it's across from a park that is complete with a gazebo, twinkle lights at night and a dog park (and the occasional hobo or two, but who's counting?). It's not perfect but it's damn sure perfect enough for me.