The Amazing Stuff

Redoing your kitchen is a scary thought for many. Even if it’s a small project, it always seems like the budget grows and grows until you wonder why you ever opted for that new light fixture over the stovetop. It was supposed to be just $25 — how’d it become $250!

This couple knew their space needed a serious upgrade but didn’t want to break the bank by hiring someone to do it. Instead, they took the project on themselves, but when you see the results you won’t believe how inexpensive it was…or how professional it looks!

Here’s what they were working with — definitely needs a new look.

First, they removed all the doors.

After cleaning them and lightly sanding them, they were ready!

Two coats of dark stain made them look brand-new.

They got to work on the cabinets…

And after a few layers of stain, things were looking better.

Everything went back on and they added a top coat for an extra-dark hue.

Next step? The backsplash.

These peel-and-stick tiles were affordable and look great.

When all was said and done, they splurged a little on a new refrigerator and table and chairs.

(source Reddit)

This just goes to show that a fresh coat of paint — or in this case, stain — can work wonders on making a space look completely fresh.

Mass-marketed dolls for kids, usually girls, are often subject to criticism. Detractors say that they set an unrealistic and unhealthy standard for young, impressionable girls. In the meantime, though, mainstream media is seriously lacking in the representation of intelligent, thoughtful female role models.

So who can little girls (and boys, because this is the 21st century) look up to during playtime?

That was something artist Wendy Tsao was thinking about when she decided to create a more positive line of dolls for kids to play with.

This doll was made over to resemble Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian female astronaut. Tsao’s collection of dolls modeled after famous women is known as Mighty Dolls.

Jane Goodall, primatologist and UN Messenger of Peace.

Tsao took some used Bratz dolls (which have been famously used by others for makeunders) and transformed them into women she admires. The women include artists, writers, scientists, and activists, and they all reflect different time periods, heritages, and skills.

She wants kids — girls and boys — to see that women, too, have worked to change the world.

Waris Dirie, model, author, and social activist.

And no, being a model isn’t grounds for role-model disqualification.

J.K. Rowling, novelist, best known for the Harry Potter series.

Malala Yousafzai, activist and world’s youngest Nobel Peace laureate.

Frida Kahlo, painter.

(via My Modern Met)

Tsao credits her inspiration to Tree Change Dolls, who we covered earlier this year. She’s also created other dolls that offer a more realistic and nuanced approach to childhood. Tsao plans on auctioning her Mighty Dolls on eBay in the near future. Check out her website for more information.

Stony Island Savings & Loan, built in the 1920s, had stood abandoned on Chicago’s South Side for decades. It was in serious disrepair, too, with the interior exposed to the elements. It seemed to most that the only thing to do would be to demolish it and start over.

The bank had been closed since the 1980s, and mostly forgotten.

It had largely fallen into disrepair, and seemed hopeless.

But artist, urban planner, professor, and Rebuild Foundation founder Theaster Gates had another idea. He saw potential in the old building when no one else did. And we mean that quite literally — no one else thought the 20,000 square foot building would amount to anything.

In fact, the city of Chicago was so convinced it was worthless that they sold it to Gates for a dollar. One dollar.

Gates set out to restore the building, and after a whirlwind of repairs, the old bank’s doors were open to the public once again during Chicago’s Architecture Biennale.

The repairs even preserved some of the old, damaged elements of the building and combined them with the refurbished ones, allowing people to literally see the history and transformation of the building.

But of course, it wasn’t exactly a savings and loan bank anymore.

Instead of a bank for money, Gates and The Rebuild Foundation turned the space into an art bank — in Gates’ words, “an institution of and for the South Side…a repository for African American culture and history, a laboratory for the next generation of black artists.”

Called the Stony Island Art Bank, it will be home to events and exhibitions, and serve as a research and residency space for artists, scholars, and curators.

The Art Bank houses a collection of 60,000 glass slides from the University of Chicago and the School of Art Institute, the vinyl archive of house music pioneer Frankie Knuckles, and the personal book and magazine collection of John H. Johnson, who founded Ebony and Jet magazines.

Gates hopes that the Art Bank will serve as a community center for Chicago’s South Side. It’s open to the public, making it a great educational and cultural resource.

He describes the space as “an institution of and for the South Side,” and “a space for neighborhood residents to preserve, access, reimagine and share their heritage, as well as a destination for artists, scholars, curators, and collectors to research and engage with South Side history.”

(via Colossal)

You can learn more about the Stony Island Art Bank on its website. If you’re in the Chicago area, it’s open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11am to 6pm. You can also check out other projects the Rebuild Foundation and Theaster Gates are working on, too.

For years, 83-year-old Don Luciano Chuman wandered the streets of Ferrenafe, Peru, looking for safe places to sleep. Like many homeless people, he was rarely able to change his clothes or take a shower, so he was covered in filth for most of his life.

Many people avoided him, but the people at the Peregrin Evangelical Church decided that they couldn’t stand by and let him suffer.

Chuman wandered through the town for years without bathing or changing his clothes.

His main concern was finding a safe place to sleep.

The church community banded together and provided Chuman with a shower, haircut, and change of clothes. But in the end, they gave him so much more than that.

They also gave him some money to get him back on his feet, and arranged for social services to provide him with food on a regular basis. He was also examined at a local hospital.

Here he is after some much-needed TLC.

These people came together to provide him with the love and care he so desperately needed.

They bathed him…

…and gave him a haircut.

Things are looking much better for him now.

(via Elite Daily)

After uploading these photos to the town’s Facebook page, news of the charitable act quickly spread throughout the world. People everywhere lauded the selfless act as an example of how every community should treat their poor and homeless populations. All people are deserving of kindness and compassion.

Tiny houses are an ever-growing trend, especially as space and materials become scarcer. People now realize that big footprints come with big consequences for our fragile planet, so tiny living can help make those footprints a little smaller. Many people are ditching the suburban ideal and opting for something more unique and compact. What’s even cooler is that many are making their homes themselves.

That’s what Dipa Vasudeva Das decided to do. For Das, mobility was key. Instead of building a mobile home from scratch, he opted for a big renovation instead.

Das travels around in his home so that he can meet new people and share his photography at festivals. He also likes to host parties, so he needs the interior to be warm, inviting, and accommodating.

(via 22 Words)

Das spends his time traveling around so that he can share his photographs and music with the people he encounters along the way. His mission is to spread a philosophy of peace.

You can read more about his awesome adventures on his blog.