Crazy For: Bubble Vases

The prettiest way to show off spring flowers? A round, bauble-inspired vase. The spherical shape allows the petals to take center stage--and it's really all about the blooms, right? 

The glass versions below strike a balance between elegant and understated, and cede the spotlight to roses and ranunculus. These made for perfect table decor at a recent bridal shower for my dear friend, Ginny.  

This funkier number from the Oh Joy collection at Target offers a trendy take on the classic silhouette. Just look at the color blocking and gold detailing. The shades pop against subdued white mums, and at $10, these porcelain pieces are quite a steal. (target.com)

2 Brilliant Tulip Tips

Tulips cut such a graceful arabesque. I can't get enough, as evidenced by the fact that I covered nearly every open surface in our apartment with the blooms (I even had to bust out our sundae glasses, above, once I ran out of vases).

Ideally, these guys last 7-10 days in arrangements, but there are a number of reasons that they might bite the dust prematurely. Here are my favorite tips for extending the life of your springy blooms:

Nix Mold

Combat the pesky (and smelly) substance before it starts growing: just wipe down your vase with a 1:10 solution of bleach. Cloudy water? Blame bacteria. Time to swap out the murky water for a fresh supply, and remove any disintegrating leaves. Before you replace the stems in the fresh water, give them a fresh cut at a 45-degree angle to encourage them to gulp up the clean H2O. 

Stop Drooping
To prevent the top-heavy blooms from flopping over, take a needle or pin and prick the stem just below the petals. Expect perky flowers in no time.

For more helpful hints, check out these tutorials from Martha Stewart Living and Real Simple.

Crazy For: Sweet Paul Eat & Make

Hooray! It's release day for Sweet Paul Eat & Make, the new hybrid cookbook/craftbook from Paul Lowe, better known as Sweet Paul, the creative guy behind the eponymous lifestyle mag. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy, and it's already become a favorite.

Reading the book feels like curling up on a couch with a good friend underneath a handmade quilt. Many of the recipes were inspired by Paul's Norwegian heritage and memories of sharing a kitchen with his grandmother. I love to imagine the two of them in front of the oven with flour-coated hands, watching the biscuits rise. (Of course, these are no plain Jane biscuits: they're loaded with cheese, dill, and pumpkin seeds.) The recipes are full of charming details (why not cut your French toast in the shape of stars?) and brilliant combinations of flavors and textures. Case in point: I never would have thought to pair savory polenta with sweet honey, nuts, and pears, but now I'm jonesing for it, big time. The food styling and photography are to die for, too: you can practically smell the aromas wafting from the food.

Photo courtesy of Sweet Paul

In an era of overly ambitious Pinterest-inspired concoctions, the crafts are refreshingly simple, and often require little more than the stuff you've shoved to the back of your junk drawer. Take this clever trivet: it's made from lowly clothespins and floral wire. Get the how-to here.

The book exudes a sense of homeyness and warmth. I promise you'll want to step inside of its pages--and probably help yourself to a big spoonful of that polenta.

3 Genius Uses for Clip-On Earrings

Clip-ons get a bad rap. They're considered the fuddy-duddy, stuffy accessories relegated to the way bottom of the thrift store bargain bin. Sure, they can press so hard that your ears go numb, or even turn a teensy bit blue (yep, learned this the hard way). But they have lots of awesome uses that don't involve torturing your earlobes! Here are 3 ways to put 'em to work. 

Shoe Clips

Mint green pumps are already pretty adorable, but delightfully gaudy flower earrings took them to a whole new level. They're a bit ladies-who-lunch, in a very fun way. I felt fancier the instant I slipped into these shoes.

Cardigan Clips

Channel your inner bookworm with a set of sweater clips embellished with vintage necklaces. These add a fun, kitschy librarian vibe. Zandra and Karen at Little Yellow Couch devised this fabulous craft. I'm in love with the finished product. Get the how-to here.

Magnets

Who doesn't want a blinged-out fridge? Maybe the shiny faux jewels will distract from the fact that I have seven different half-used, borderline moldy mustards inside. These beauties are from 3BeadDesigns on Etsy, but you can also make your own. Just affix a magnet with some epoxy glue. (This trick works with buttons, too!)

Crazy For: Garance Dore & Rifle Paper Co.

When I heard that Garance Dore, the French photographer and illustrator known for sketching supremely elegant filles, was teaming up with stationery goddess Anna Rifle Bond, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the new line. I had the chance this weekend when I hit the pop-up shop in the Lower East Side. It was thoroughly lovely, and not just because guests got to nosh on citrus-infused macarons. Yum.

In contrast to Anna's opaque, saturated flowers, Garance's line has a lighter touch. It's sleek and sophisticated, with a palette of blacks, grays, pinks, and yellows. Standouts include adorable notebooks that recall Mondrian-esque grids. 

Tattly was also on hand with temp tattoos of some of the designs. 

In short, tres chic. Shop the collection on riflepaperco.com. 

Tea Time

No matter how much you love Mr. Earl Grey, a perfectly-steeped cup really isn't really the focus of a tea party. Instead, it's a chance to just slow down and sip--preferably with your friends in tow and lots of nibbles on hand.

I recently shared some tips for a no-sweat soiree on my Country Living blog, Gatherings. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Floral Frenzy

Put teacups to work as petite vases for single blooms, like carnations and daisies. So simple, and budget-friendly, to boot!

2. Mix and Match

Who needs matching china? Not you! A hodgepodge of patterns on cups, saucers, and plates conjure a fresh-from-the-flea-market vibe.

3. Prepare Easy Snacks

Finger foods are the perfect tea snacks. Think scones, muffins, loaves, or even fancy little sandwiches, like cucumber and dill with cream cheese. Crusts optional, of course.

4. Lounge Around

No hurrying allowed. If your friends are game, turn the morning into a crafternoon. My pals Nina and Willa are knitting geniuses (yep, Willa certainly did make that cute gray cowl!). The best part of tea with these two is that it lasts all day.

Picture Perfect

Sure, it's super fun to share pics via Instagram. I like snapping a few quick photos of my brunch before falling headfirst into a plate of biscuits and gravy. Definitely follow me at jessicaleighhester if you'd like to vicariously gorge on diner food.

But I still adore the tactile quality of printed pictures. Fab companies like Prinstagram produce tangible versions of your shots for just a couple of bucks. But there's just something so delicious about truly old-school Polaroid film--especially the thrill of watching the pictures develop, like ghostly scenes coming into focus. The whole experience channels adventures in a darkroom, without the bordello-ish red lights, not to mention the fumes.

I scored my very own Polaroid camera a few weeks ago, thanks to my buddy Chris, who works with the Impossible Project, the company that produces new instant film for the vintage cameras. I'm having the best time experimenting with it! (Don't worry--I'm pretty sure that my excessive enthusiasm tempers any "ugh, that friggin' hipster" accusations.)

Here are my top 3 tips for taking awesome Polaroid pictures:
1. Create a Backdrop
Prints look great on film--the bolder, the better! I strung up a fussy floral bedsheet to imitate wallpaper, and also used my geometric living room rug.

2. Go Prop Wild
Ukeleles, Risky Business-style shades, binoculars, scarves, paper fans, teacups...we used 'em all. It's fun to tell stories with objects, so unearth some of the random stuff you've stashed away in closets and drawers.

3. Compose Before You Snap
The film is kind of pricey, so watch out for that trigger finger. Look through the viewfinder and take the time to center your subject and move extraneous elements of out the shot, because taking another one will cost ya.

What to do with all of the pictures you accumulate? I scoured Pinterest for a couple inspired ideas.

A simple heart-shaped grid is charming, without being too sickly sweet.

Petite clothespins turn pics into a pretty garland. (via 100 Layer Cake.)


How would you display your pics?