Bringing the Outdoors In

Plant in a bird cage by Lydia Krupinski

As a contributor to the Eco Etsy blog – I’ve had the opportunity to write on a wide range of topics. From eco-tutorials to sustainable inspirations – I’ve covered a range of topics on the site. Most recently I gathered up some ideas on how you can bring a hint of Spring indoors with creative curating using plants.

If you’re getting antsy like me to welcome the new season, check out the article for some suggestions on how you can bring the great outdoors in this month.

Item of the Week: Hide N Seek

Forest Green Crop Sweater handmade by Pierogi Picnic

What do you get when you throw together a soft pre-loved sweatshirt, lace, thread and some major scissor cutting? The adorable and oh so cozy Hide N Seek sweater! One of my personal favorites – this soft and toasty piece has a modern boxy shape with just the right dash of charm. Sporting an over-sized cowl neckline, lace embellishment, raw edges and over-sized fit, this fun piece is great for wearing alone or being layered. Perfect for the shifting season – the Hide N Seek sweater series will have you snuggling up to someone special in no time!

Events: 14 Days of Crafting

14 Days of Crafting from Eco Etsy photo by Lydia Krupinski

The Eco Etsy Street Team is holding our first-ever 14 days of crafting! We’re rounding up the best of the best green tutorials and sharing them with experienced upcyclers and newbie DIYers alike.

Several posts that I’ve written for the team blog from over the years, like the one above, will be featured, along with many other fun ways in which you can get your “craft on” sustainably.

Tune in each day of the challenge to be inspired and take your creativity to a whole new level!

Inspiration: Jayson Home

jayson home by lydia krupinski (1)

It’s winter in Chicago which means I’m starving for visual inspiration. There’s only so much pinning a girl can do! So on a recent Saturday afternoon I embarked with my equally eager hubby to Jayson Home to get my creative juices moving again.

If there’s ever been a place to whisk away the winter-blues it’s this eccentrically elegant home and garden center in the heart of the Lincoln Park shopping district. Filled with a cacophony of furniture odds and design ends this beautiful boutique expertly choreographs each and every display. Moody reupholstered furniture combine with brightly colored accent pieces, one-of-a-kind handmade dishware and fair-trade imports. To bring together such a wide variety of aesthetics and make it seem this fluid is artistry at its finest.

Setting trends in furnishing and design, Jayson home is the perfect place to escape on a dreary gray afternoon. Snapping pictures left and right, I know I took lots of notes and will be playing out some of their ideas in my own place. Whether it be with pops of potted plants or delightfully tacky prints, this is the place to go for a fresh dose of inspiration for the home this season!


jayson home by lydia krupinski (5)

jayson home by lydia krupinski (4)

jayson home by lydia krupinski (3)

jayson home by lydia krupinski (2)

jayson home by lydia krupinski (8)

jayson home by lydia krupinski (7)

jayson home by lydia krupinski (6)

Item of the Week: Valentine in Blue

blue valentine one of a kind vintage printed blouse

When thinking about what I should feature this week the choice was easy: my hand-stenciled Polish-folk blouse.

Created using a vintage women’s top, the style of the design is reminiscent of the Polish tradition of “wycinanki” which literally translates to “cut-outs”. Looking to bring the unique aesthetic to a Pierogi Picnic design, I hand carved a stencil with which to create the print. Including the silhouettes of hearts and leaves, I made a whimsical scene that I could then transfer with fabric paint onto the front of the blouse.

The captivating back-story to this particular piece is that my first print also became my last, as my plastic template morphed beyond recognition after the first stenciling. I even wrote an article on how we as indie biz owners can accept defeats gracefully – and guess what inspired the post? This design!

So in ode to Valentine’s Day I bring you a bittersweet design that’s truly one-of-a-kind.