A solid resource for the eco-conscious, as well as the crafty.
Interior designer Seo (Simply Green Giving, 2006, etc.) produces an idea book on how to grant junk a second life using his crafty “MacGyver-meets-HGTV” skills.
The author has long been fascinated by trash. In junior high, he filled his school's display cases with garbage he’d collected around the building in an effort to draw attention to the longevity and abundance of human-generated waste. Seo now makes his living “upcycling”—i.e., turning one person's garbage into another's eco-friendly functional item—and he opens with some helpful advice on what tools are most essential for accomplishing this task. He then offers nearly 100 upcycling ideas, arranging them into sections for decorating, entertaining, gifting, kid-friendly and nature-oriented projects. For each, the author provides a list of supplies and simply stated directions. A few of the more adventurous projects will require some time and effort to gather the materials needed, such as the Wine-Cork Bath Mat and the Carpet-Sample Patchwork Rug. Most others call for items that readers likely already have, such as the Soda-Can Sequined Tote Bag or the Bathroom-Towel Picnic Blanket. There is enough variety in taste, functionality and skill level for most everyone to find a project to attempt. What is lacking, however, is a dedicated section expounding Seo's philosophy and methodology in project design; such information would have been useful in inspiring newcomers to discover their own upcycling opportunities.
A solid resource for the eco-conscious, as well as the crafty.Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7624-4179-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Running Press
Review Posted Online: July 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2011
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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