I’ve always been obsessed with the Real Simple paper constructionist, Matthew Sporzynski. David Brownings, an illustrator living in Bristol, has a similar talent with a little twist. Here’s a sample of his work…

 

These are described on his site as boxes, but I’m not sure if they are usable or just amazingly cool.

Paper shoes…amazing.

Pop-up books are totally under-appreciated. I love the sense of grandiosity in this illustration.

Aren’t these the coolest planters ever? Beyond…

How cool are Flora Grubb‘s Vertical Gardens? You can build your own for the bargain price of $100. It’s looks like a living painting. Found via Oh Happy Day!

These gumball-sized seed-and-soil pods are sold specific to the United States region of your choice. So you can buy the West coast, East coast, or Midwest variety. Just toss them into your garden, no digging required. $6 at Anthropologie.

A true mobile garden. This light-weight portable bag enables you to go from terrace to rooftop, from one address to another, rotating crops year-round. It may seem silly, but how lovely would it be to safely transplant your veggie garden to your new home! From A + R Store.

Sip a glass of rosé on your porch next to your chilled out human-shaped planter by Eternit. Found on Trendir.

 

If you are planning a party, I recommend stopping first at one of these three sites. They are full of amazing ideas and gorgeous photos. They make me want to be a party planner!

Sara’s Party Perfect (formerly Party Perfect Blog) is my first stop when I need event inspiration. Her new site has categories—Parties for Kids, Parties for Grown-Ups, and Inspiration and Sources. Even before she kindly featured The Violet Hours (here and here), I was a big-time fan.

New to the party scene is Hip, Hip Hooray!. From the creative minds behind Simple Song, this site focuses strictly on kiddy parties. And it’s SO good.

Catch my Party is a photo sharing website that also has a blog component. You can upload your party pics to share with friends and the public, and it’s a great place to fish for ideas.

Did anyone see this genius use of cupcake liners in the Good Things section (my fave) of the August issue of Martha? It then sent me on a quest to find other cupcake liner uses…

Better Homes & Gardens did a similar thing as above, just with a different purpose. Here the paper liner becomes the top of a gift wrap (although I’m not sure I’d drop jewelry in a clear cup to give as a gift…perhaps it’s better as a party favor. Fill a cup with bright jellybeans and top with a colorful cupcake liner.).

I love how light and airy this cupcake tree is, made from white cupcake liners. It could be more kid-like if done in color: the trunk could be brown, and the majority of the tree could be green with colored spots for ornaments. By Sweet Paul.

Zakka Life made this little party favor, using 2 adorable cupcake liners from Bake It Pretty.

 

I like this abstract and very inexpensive wall art. Found on Craft Gossip.

And now to end with Martha, I love these festive flower balls to hang above a dinner or buffet table.

Have you seen or made anything adorable with cupcake liners?

Think beyond the spoon windchimes…

I love this simple little vase. By Beach House Living, found via From Me to You.

Aren’t these fork hooks just beautiful? By Forkometry.

Label your kitchen garden with these hammered spoons. By Hammerman.

If I saw this from a distance, I would never think “dinnertime”. Found via Inhabitat.