Posts Tagged ‘Crafts’

On New Year’s Day, I was invited to a cute craft party at my friend Carolin Wood’s home. We spent the afternoon sewing patches for a Rockaway community quilt—chatting and snacking. What fun! Carolin Wood and her creative partner, Rachel Krieger-Garone, are the co-founders of Benevolent Objects, a small business creating beautifully unique aprons from vintage materials. By the end of the afternoon, there was talk of organizing something bigger—an event that could fit more community sewers and crafters. Now they’ve secured a winter location for the next sew gathering, […]

I saw a picture of the cutest cupcake liner flowers floating around and thought it would be a nice thing to give my Mother. Mom doesn’t like real flowers—her classic line is, “They smell like funerals.” Fair enough. So I figured these cheerful little paper blooms would be perfect for her Mother’s Day card, which will be exploding with Lotto Scratch-Off tickets. And as you know, I can never resist a project that uses what I already have lying around the house. Turns out, those leftover cupcake liners from 2 […]

Can you hear the chirps? Can you smell the hint of spring? I can. The earth is stirring from its slumber. Springtime in Rockaway and Jamaica Bay becomes a bustling hub for migrating birds, as these many species embark on their long journeys northward. Our coastal home offers a vital stopover point for birds traveling along the Atlantic Flyway, providing abundant food sources and habitats for resting and refueling. Birdwatchers flock to Rockaway to witness the spectacle of thousands of birds in transit, including the American oystercatcher, piping plover, and various […]

I just returned from the Villa Roma. This is an old-school resort where mostly Italian people from Brooklyn and Lawng Islanders gather to eat mountains of food, gamble, generally indulge, and most importantly, spend time with la familia. My Grandfather Ralph found the place and we had gone a few times when I was a tween. My sisters had the idea of going back, and we have reintroduced the tradition since my godson Jake was three years old. He’s turning 18 on March 23rd! My nieces, nephews, sisters, husbands, and parents adore […]

At this point in the season, many of your gardens are past full boom. Leaving these shrubs and flowers can offer many benefits. There is a natural beauty and texture to dried or faded flowers that adds a unique and rustic charm to your garden. Keep them even through the winter for visual interest when many other plants have gone dormant or lost their leaves. Birds will feed on seeds from dried flower heads—a very important source of food for our flying friends. Dried flower heads in your garden will […]

Three circumstances came together that inspired this column. I attended a baby birthday party over the weekend. I found an old “kids” book on the shelf. And the guest room switch-over to my art studio/office is complete. Levi and Noah, my BFF’s kids turned 2 this weekend! The party was held the Rockaway Beach Brewery. I’m sitting at a table eating a delicious vanilla frosted cupcake, with my dinosaur party hat on, observing the little rugrats. I noticed their energetic movements, their curiosity and creative play. It was a breath of […]

The Tomato Gals love seasonal decoration. The holidays are here – it’s time to adorn the home! Before you run out to Michaels Craft, take a look in your backyard or outside the apartment. You’ll be surprised what you can create with the materials around you. I was upstate recently at John’s cabin and came across this neat book. Using steeplebush branches I started to created a fall wreath. The city is not the Catskills, but you’ll find what you need. Last resort… take a walk to your local NYC Park. […]

With branches from your garden or found tree limbs on the street, give this DIY centerpiece a whirl. I was on the RD looking around when Aunt Brenda’s voice echoed in my head “I JUST SPRAY PAINT EVERYTHING, IT’S WAY CHEAPER THAN BUYING THAT STUFF IN THE CRAFT STORE.” Aunt Brenda is famously known for her gorgeous holiday decor. She uses spray paint on found yard branches to make Christmas and Easter centerpieces. After she transforms them with sparkles of gold and silver, she hangs ornaments on the DIY trees. Every year […]

This is an easy way to make a dried hydrangea wreath for the fall and once Christmas rolls along, spray it gold or silver!  For years I dried the flowers and then tried to make the wreath. Two tons of fallen apart flowers, a big mess and no wreath was what I got. The secret is to make it while the flowers are pliable not dried. Buy (or make) a grape vine wreath, the size you want. Remember the dried flowers will look very full and larger than the actual […]