Trial by Inspiration - Polished, unpolished, and always on the look-out!
  • Travel
  • found
  • Made
  • Local Love
Made

Garden Creature Statue Rainy Day DIY

garden creature DIY www.trialbyinspiration.com

Garden statues are a tricky item. Give me pagodas for days, metal, concrete, wood, but a whimsical animal, tread carefully lest you wander into gnome territory. One has to be bold to accept a decorative animal onto the lawn, but if done right, there is no more enviable find, spied across a friend’s grill-out or poolside party: “wherrrre did you get thaatttt??” jealousy barely concealed. This project is not for everyone, which is good because it’s one of a kind and a personal reward for a decade of saving (boardering on hoarding). Read on for my super simple, slightly strange (let’s go with avant-garde?) garden statue creation.

Continue reading
Made

Monday Mood Board – Coconut Court

Coconut Court Mood Board www.trialbyinspiration.com

With the whole city officially back-to-school today and an unprecedented cold front in Dallas this weekend, for the first time all summer I find myself mourning summer.

Continue reading
Local Love•Made

Friday Spiced Cherry Cola Cocktail & Mocktail Recipe

Our Hometown Hero Cocktail/mocktail recipe www.trialbyinspiration.com

It’s Friday, and down here in Dallas it’s a hot one! According to iPhone, we’re topping out at 102, but with my car claiming 105 and my plants jumping ship, I knew we needed to end the week with a sweating glass of a summertime classic. Last week I escaped to the air conditioned inspiration of the rock store, today it’s the shortcut to fun- cocktails! This spiced cherry cola cocktail, our “Hometown Hero,” is an homage to our original hometown hero, Dr. Pepper. Though Dr. Pepper, until surprisingly recently a soda regional to the South, was created in Waco, Tx (and you can read all about it here) it was incorporated in Dallas in the 1920’s and is headquartered here today. In the 1940’s my grandmother lead tours at HQ, always ending with a frosted glass of this unique soda.

Let’s get one thing straight; I did not crack the secret Dr. Pepper formula. Our hometown hero only inspired this icy, rum optional treat, and super fans should not be disappointed when their first sip is not 100% duplication. Wacoites, to preserve the peace, you may also consider this your hometown hero, so crack the rum and let’s start cooking!

Continue reading
Made

A Whole Lot of Look – DIY Statement Necklaces

DIY Statement Necklaces beads, coral, clay, porcelain and serpentine www.trialbyinspiration.com

When I ventured out to The Rock Barrell last weekend, I was stoked to see some gorgeous mineral specimens and escape the heat (hello 100 degree days Dallas!). What I didn’t expect was to find was bold, eclectic jewelry components that make this local Dallas shop a cut above the average bead store. What I found most inspiring about The Rock Barrell’s selection was that it had an undiscovered, self-unaware, quirky vibe; I find that now that the craft stores are fully immersed in the Pinterest culture, unexpected DIY ingredients are hard to find! Read on to see what I selected to make my oversized, “a lot of look,” DIY statement necklaces!

Continue reading
Made

Monday Mood Board – Sun, Sand & Sequins

Monday Mermaid Mood Board, Sun, Sand & Sequins www.trialbyinspiration.com

I experienced the perfect storm of FOMO this weekend after viewing and liking all my friend’s surf spray Instas and then stumbling across this cerulean dream of a vintage postcard at Lula B’s West. Whyyy didn’t we plan a beach vacation this summer?? The sad answer is, we’re saving it for the new year when we can hop down to Belize for our first long, no kids allowed vacay. So mood board I must, and, after pilfering my collections for inspiration, I found the perfect theme, Sun, Sand, and Sequins!

Continue reading
Made

Friday Tiki Cocktail & Mocktail Recipe

“https://trialbyinspiration.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/lime_in_the_coconut-01.jpg”

Put the Lime in the Coconut Cocktail and Mocktail Tiki drink Recipe

Hello, Friday, where ya been? After this week we need a drink straight out of the coconut, and cocktail or mocktail, I’ve got you covered. After all my talk about piña coladas and cabana boys, I knew this weekend needed welcoming with a tiki drink. My trip to the Asian Grocery last weekend yielded two coconuts and a can of mango juice, and since it’s Friday, let’s put it to good use (with rum). Put the lime in the coconut and jump to the cocktail recipe!

Continue reading
Made

Monday Mood Board

Mood Board inspired by Chihuly's collection of trade blankets www.trialbyinspiration.com

A quickie collection inspired by Chihuly’s personal (epic!) collection of American trade blankets that kicks off his fantastic, long-term exhibition in Seattle. If you have a chance to visit the show or one of the traveling exhibits, please treat yourself to a ticket. The glass sculptures are arranged by theme and period, in two-story, blackest black rooms, and the impact is epic. Of course, the color, scale, and technological logistics of his works are what Chihuly is known for, but what stuck with me was the narrative it painted by pairing the artist’s collections of pottery and trade blankets with his iconic glass works to convey both process and realization.

Continue reading

About Me

Trial By Inspiration is the documentation of my seeking to live more creatively every day. Join me on my journey of polished, unpolished, and always on the lookout.

Inquiries

trialbyinspiration@gmail.com

Follow

Categories

  • found
  • Local Love
  • Made
  • Travel

Archives

  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
more! more! more!
Follow me

If you'd like to feature any content, please link back to the original post- thanks!
All photos and content are the property of Trial by Inspiration and its author, Berry Thomas.