By Tara Bellucci

A new local business has sprouted on Tremont Street in the South End. Lindsey Swett opened Niche Urban Garden Supply a few months ago, and it is quickly becoming the go-to resource for horiculturists in the 'hood. A landscape architect by trade, Lindsey offered up 5 steps for starting an urban garden, whether you're naturally green-thumbed or not. FULL ENTRY

By Tara Bellucci

This weather, am I right? If your weekend plans get rained out and you've exhausted your Netflix queue, gather friends and kids for a fun crafternoon. On a recent gray Saturday, I met some pals at the Porter Square Michaels where we picked up some extra supplies, then walked to a friend's apartment, and got crafty! FULL ENTRY

By Tara Bellucci

There's no such thing as too many closets. Living in an old city apartment, there's more often a distinct lack of them, just a small one in each of the bedrooms, in my case. Half of my 8-drawer dresser used to house random storage, from extra contacts to craft glue. My jewelry was shoved in one, as well. But going through a major redecorating, I decided to reclaim my dresser for clothes, and that meant the jewelry had to find a new home, out in the open.

How do you store stuff without hiding it? Make it a décor element! That's the key behind décorganization, open storage that's a visual part of the space. My DIY jewelry corkboard is chic and solves my storage issue, plus it's super simple to make.

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By Tara Bellucci

I'm doing a fair amount of organizing in my home at the moment. While some of my projects are bigger and long-term, here's a quick and easy one that instantly upgrades a problem area for many people: the pantry.

Bulk storage has gone beyond generic canisters for sugar and tea; just having multiple types of flour or stocking dried beans requires something a little more flexible. Cue the chalkboard trend — erasable labels for the pantry. But why buy when you can DIY? In just 5 minutes, you'll have updated your storage containers and jars with the look of fancy chalkboard labels for half the cost.

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By Tara Bellucci

Melissa and I spend a good deal of our days typing away at Collaboratory 4.0, a new co-working space for majority women-owned businesses located inside 40Berkeley, a hip hostel in the South End.

As you walk up the curved staircase to the mezzanine home of Collaboratory 4.0, the first thing you notice is the writing on the wall. Literally. IdeaPaint coats nearly every vertical surface in the space, and we've covered it with doodles, to-do lists, and business plans.

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