Sarah: Nice Day for a White Wedding

Speaking of weddings, I love this surprise wedding party for a couple in Manhattan. The bride has a huge grin in so many photos, and it's great. When you aren't expecting any reception at all after your marriage at city hall, a party complete with bridesmaids, dancing, toasts, and gifts from perfect strangers would be pretty fun. This might be drama geeks at their best.

(via David Malki!)

Lisa: Seriously Cute Crochet

My animals aren't as cute as Sarah's, and my photos certainly aren't as well taken, but I had to share the little amigurumi I've been making from the same book.

Next up: zombies, ninjas, and robots...unless I go with E's suggestion of crocheting Nora an amigurumi Halloween costume, in which case I'd better get started now.

Lisa: The package goes in the box. If you know what I mean.

Some of you know that I work from home, sending out orders for my online business. Thanks to the wonders of Click-N-Ship, my mailman can pick these packages up right from my front porch (for free!) and get them on their way. When I first started doing this, I bought a clear plastic tub with a flip-up lid to corral the slippery Tyvek envelopes and protect them a bit from the weather. It worked fine, but wasn't doing much for the aesthetics of my front porch.

I clearly needed a prettier, more permanent solution. Here's what I came up with:

As a side bonus, the mailman and the UPS/FedEx guys deliver my incoming packages into the box now, so they're out of sight and protected from the elements as well. Materials and more details after the jump!

Base:

After a little research, I chose this unfinished toy box from JoAnn's. The size was about right, and I wanted a box with a hinged lid that could be raised from the top with one hand. On Sarah's excellent recommendation, I painted the pieces before assembly.

Paint:

Our new porch light, house numbers, and mailbox are all either oil-rubbed bronze or black, so I chose Hammered Dark Bronze Rustoleum spray paint. Supposedly, it's good for outdoor applications. I primed it first and put on a coat of clear polyurethane after I stenciled the letters on. I always forget how much spray paint it takes to cover something--this project used three full cans each of primer and paint.

Lettering:

I had some leftover Fern Green Patio Paint, which I already knew was weather resistant. I used that with some 2-inch block letter stencils I picked up at JoAnn's. I'm kind of a slapdash stenciler, but I figured that gives the box a pleasing rustic quality.

Flag:

I bought a mailbox flag replacement kit with an official-looking jaunty red flag at our local Ace Hardware, and adapted the instructions a bit for screwing it into wood rather than a thin metal box. As you can see in the photos, the flag is attached on one side, so when it is 'raised' it sticks out past the front of the box. So far, it seems to be an adequate system for signaling the mailman that there are items to pick up.

Sarah: Easter in June

I watched home videos from my Dad's childhood for a little bit tonight. On Easter, he and his six siblings held egg fights on their front lawn. And even more importantly, they understood that Easter bonnets should be worn, regardless of gender.

That's my dad, second from the right. There's something comforting about knowing he's always liked hats.

Lisa: Total Eclipse of the Heart

Found via Dita Von Teese, who knows something funny when she sees it.

Sarah: Post processing

I know I'm just about the last person to discover Poladroids, but this stuff is fun.

Give it a try. The interface is pleasing: you hear the sound of a polaroid photo popping out of the machine, and then you watch your image develop. Go. Now.

Sarah: Things I like

Declarations of grandeur that are lost in their own specificity.

For example: These are the Best Engraved Show Chrome Plated Ceremonial Shovels on the Market!