Man Made DIY

A decade ago, office organization looked the same as it had since the advent of the personal computer: inbox/outbox, some filing cabinets, storage boxes on shelfs for extras, and drawer organizers.

Now, in the era of smart phones, tablets, multiple computers, all sorts of input devices, electronic bill pay, Stamps.com, docu-scanners... (should I keep going?), staying organized in your home office is very, very different.

Professional organizer Angela Kantarellis offers her seven roadblocks to an organized workspace in 2012, and what to do about them.   … read more

The bachelor pad. That quintessential moment of adulthood. That space inhabited when one truly learns what being a grown up is like, and prepares for the eventual sharing of a home. Or perhaps it actually serves the pinnacle environment, where living alone as an adult man is the best fulfillment of identity.

Either way... it can't look like your college dorm room. Step it up a notch, guy.   … read more

When I was a kid, my sister always battled to be the one to put the angel on top of the tree, but my favorite part was always finding where our family had boxed up the bright red nutcracker, and place him somewhere where he could guard our presents against any potential evil mouse kings.

Any the best part? Our nutcracker could actually crack nuts. Nowadays, a functioning nutcracker is nearly impossible to find, and the ones availble in craft stores are kinda junky, poorly assembled, and not something that would fit in any sort of contemporary decor.

So, I decided to give that classic shape a clean and contemporary makeover. And you can too!   … read more

Oh, the internet interior design scene. You could spend a lifetime just clicking around, looking at images of incredible homes, clever ideas, and beds you just wanna snuggle up in.

Or, you can wait for some blogger to sieve through all the junk, and compile an amazing top ten, and then just look at that.   … read more

Even if I carved a jack-o-lantern this year, I dunno where I'd put it in my house. It'd have to sit on the floor somewhere, out of sight, making it not worth the effort. (Which, as you might guess...is why they don't get carved at my house.)

But, a family of tiny little gourds with oversized fangs and eerie red eyes. Those I can handle.   … read more