Making It by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

Making It: Radical Home Ec for a Post-Consumer World, Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen. New York: Rodale, 2011. e-book, 368 pps.

     Making It is written by the same people who brought us The Urban Homestead. This book picks up where The Urban Homestead left off. Projects are divided into five sections. The first four sections involves things that one uses or does daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally. The fifth section is devoted to planting tips, composting, and beekeeping.

     Each project in Making It lists the approximate preparation time and a list of ingredients. The instructions are well-written and easy to follow. A list of resources and an index is included.

sapphoq reviews says: Those fans of The Urban Homestead are sure to love Making It. Highly recommended.

Young House Love by Sherry and John Petersik

Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update and Show Your Home Some Love, Sherry and John Petersik. New York: Artisan, 2012. 336 pps.  http://www.younghouselove.com/

Young House Love is a first effort by blogging couple Sherry and John Petersik with a blog by the same name.  They hail from Richmond Virginia where they are fixing up their fixer-upper home.  The ideas are fresh and creative.  The results pop from the glossy pages of photographs.  One does not need tons of money and a private paid designer to do the projects ideas included in the book. This is a book for regular folks.

sapphoq reviews says: Young House Love is an outstanding book and one worth having for folks who are frugal by nature and enjoy paint splatter.  I usually prefer country style/farm style stuff myself.  But the projects in this book suited me.  I have plans to try some of the crafty ideas in Young House Love .
                                     Recommended for folks like me who fix up flea market and thrift store finds, young couples, and country style / farm style afficiandos.