my favorite part is the lack of the annoying "we"

I love this idea! I always have a difficult time coming up with something original for a centerpiece, but this puts a smile on my face :)

I agree with Enamorada. I most love the lack of the use of "we".

Good idea. With a drummer in the house I could put this together in a flash.
Beach glass and a votive works too.

"we"...haha
I think that is a pet peeve for alot of people that read this site.

that is my top one anyway-
second is "landing strip".

gives me the shudders.

The drum sticks work, but cassette tapes? Not so much.

hooray to the death of "we" and the resurrection of the individual! (also, the post is pretty good).

Neat idea, thx.

The post seems very careful and not that groundbreaking. I've seen collections of matchbooks, corks, etc...arranged as centerpieces on this site before and since...forever.

I'm not convinced by the old cassette tapes or portable phone idea....why not old printer cartridges, or empty correcting fluid bottles, or used vacuum cleaner bags?

The drum stick idea is nice though.

this is my fave. and it's not even close. drumsticks in a vase is a rad, unique idea. and the pics and text were purrrrfect (loved the kitty cameo!). who is this ladykrock character? sounds jealous that she didn't have the idea first. it's ok, ladykrock-- just do it and claim it as your own. that's what i'm gonna do! great post, Beth!

clean and creative! I liked the demo pics:)

Casette tapes:

Paint all of them gloss white except for one bright blue one in the middle.

That would look pretty cool, I think.

I have a clear glass bowl filled with all sort of marbles that I've collected over the years sitting in the middle of my dining room table. These aren't art-piece, handmade marbles - just unique, but inexpensive, mixes from the likes of Mega Marble, etc. It's always a conversation piece when people see it for the first time, and kids young and old love to dig around in it.

I especially like the idea of using something unique that can start a conversation like the drum sticks. It is much more exciting than a bowl of apples or lemons!

i like rubyred's observation; the digging around part is key. with all of these ideas - drumsticks, marbles, cellphones, alphabet blocks, whatever - the charm isn't in the way it looks, but the invitation to reach out and play with the objects.

while ladykrock thinks this is 'careful' I happen to think the the item that beth used is what really makes this interesting. who ever thought of using drumsticks for a center piece? the biggest draw here is the beautiful vertical lines that this grouping has... stunning against the robin's egg blue coffee table! tres chic!

I think that this is a cool blend of function and decorative. Why keep everything stored in a box, in a drawer or closet? Keeps the things you use out and available to grab for a quick jam session. I like it. Gets me thinking....

John

This is such a quick and neat idea. I reckon I shall go home and look through my basket-o-stuff for my next centerpiece!

Ha! I have some overflow audio cassettes that I just brought back from parents house, which were laying out with no home yet. Just popped em in an empty vase and they look AWESOME on display as a centerpiece. Sure, we've heard of putting various items in vases before, but this builds upon it and really is thinking outside the box. Don't knock it til you tried it. Thanks, Beth!

This is a great idea - and so easy! I have been trying to find simple ways to make my apartment more lively and this will work perfectly. Awesome post and great pictures too!

I always have trouble coming up with an idea for a centerpiece. Now I know you must think "outside the box". Thanks Beth for inspiring me!!

This is an awesome idea. I like the idea of creating the centerpiece from something you use in one of your hobbies, or from something that has personal meaning to you.

I also like rubyred & katiebug's comments about having something that encourages "digging around". I was thinking about old keys to places/things I no longer need the keys for!

Great job Beth. I love the photos too!

You put sticks in a jar and it's a "voila!" moment? Conversation started:

"What are those things?"

"Drum sticks"

"Oh"

it sounds like Palmetto's relationships are lacking. not much of a conversationalist, i guess. what if each drum stick tells a story? what if each one was acquired at a concert? what if they once belonged to the drummer of def leppard? i'd like to hear the tales behind the sticks. i was always told to never judge a book by its cover. sounds like Palmetto kinda just takes things at face value. what good has ever come from that? huh, Palmetto?

all right, everybody. let's calm down and just talk about the post. it is very sweet and a personal way to decorate, and after all, that is what this site is about. stop bagging on the blogger for posting something creative, whether or not you like it. we should applaud all of the bloggers for spending the time to help enlighten us.

that being said, ktg - you have no reason to be a jerk about things. it's just an idea.

Wow Daniel Poitiers - empty correction fluid bottles... maybe you could use your vintage type-writer collection?!

And shopgirl123 - I think you've over-looked the comic stylings of K T G - there's no way that with their repertoire of comments they can be anything less than a satirical genius.

this idea just plain looks good. it's simple and striking and i think it's the choice of vessels that makes it just right. nice work.

I think this is a very creative idea and definitely a conversation starter!!

i used to have a tiny, colorful, earl gray tea tin filled with rolled joints sitting on my coffee table. does that count? (i have a feeling k t g would approve.)

It's about as creative as wadding up junk mail and putting that in a vase.

And Mr M--acquired at concerts? What color is the sky in your world?

ummm... yeah. acquired at concerts. tell me Palmetto, what do you find strange about that concept? see, often times musicians perform live. and that, Palmetto, is called a concert. and if one is ballsy enough (Palmetto clearly excluded from this group), one could ask the drummer for a drum stick. simple enough concept for me. but then again, i have a master's degree.

This is a simple center piece but one with a world of meaning and depth. The drum sticks were held by passionate musicians I would imagine. Each set could tell a story of their own. What a great conversation piece. Neat items to pass on to the next generation. This is more than a display piece. Neat way to keep passion for music "alive".

Palmetto:

I have looked at your profile and almost everyone of your posts has been negative. I can tell you're from LA because you are completely superficial.

These are people displaying their homes and trying to come together to share ideas and to improve each others homes with constructive criticism.

You are mean and superficial. You are truly an ugly person. You are empty and alone and I should feel sorry for you but you are what is wrong with America. You are the waste product of a capitalism and a society bombarded by consumerism. You are of no substance whatsoever.

I hope you are humiliated in a large public setting and exposed for the fraud that you are. Maybe then you will be broken down enough to rebuild the flawed structure of your character which has been mutilated by years of being surrounded by horrible people such as yourself.

If you conducted yourself the way you do in person as you do online you'd have been slapped by now.

Sorry, the form of this does nothing for me. The back story is interesting, but the materials don't really come together and transcend the starting point to create an interesting centerpiece. Further, if you're going to make other suggestions [cell phones, etc. -- objects that don't at all resemble drumsticks], why not visually mock up some examples of how that might work in light of the main idea? If that's not possible, then stick with the drumsticks and/or things shaped like drumsticks, for the sake of cohesion.

I would love to see someone approach this DIY with the flair of, say, ikebana, and really create a dramatic and surprising centerpiece. This post has the potential, but I don't think it's quite accomplished that.