Light it up

The design blogs have been talking about an aesthetic called "modern rustic," which I have been identifying with. It sounds like an oxymoron - how can something be rustic and modern at the same time, right? Just think natural materials and cabin chic but with clean lines and a contemporary twist.

These candles kind of evoke a modern rustic vibe -- they've been showing up everywhere from Pottery Barn to one of my favorite sites, Apartment Therapy.

I've been jonesing for these candles for a while now, but couldn't bring myself to pay $10-20 EACH. So I picked D's brain and he figured out a way to make my candles at home. All it took was an inexpensive drill bit I picked up from Home Depot and birch logs that D previously cut down for firewood. Add tealights and presto!

Aren't birch logs gorgeous? I'm hoping to display a nice little stack in a wicker basket next to the wood stove.