This weeks goals

I have a few goals I want to get accomplished this week;

1. Finish designing new blog banner and business cards (this will be HUGE if I can actually get this accomplished. Thanks to my new friend Gimp, I am learning how to do this myself, which is quite the undertaking for a girl who gets so impatient with computers, or any sort of technology or gadget for that matter.) After hours of reading tutorials on the program (which is completely free to download online, and is very similar to Photo Shop I've heard) I am starting to get the hang of it. Now, my only problem is committing to a design and running with it!

2. Make a cushion for my desk chair so that I can FINALLY stage my new "office", take pictures, and post it! I hung the bulletin boards this weekend and am this close to getting it all done!

3. Why kid myself, I think this is enough to focus on for this week!

Some Monday Morning Eye Candy

How can this image not make you smile?!
Happy Monday.

Upholstered Headboards

There is nothing I love more in the world of interiors than designing custom upholstery. It is what I live for. There is just something about being able to sit down and draw out a piece of furniture, (whether it be a sofa, chair, bench, headboard, ottoman, etc.) and then select the perfect fabric, throw in some wonderful details such as tufting or trims or nailheads and then see your creation come to life! (Of course it's not really this simple or glamorous, there is a lot of time and money that goes into creating custom upholstered pieces from the original idea, to sketching it out, to getting quotes, placing orders, making sure you have the correct yardage, creating work orders, it can all be very time consuming.) None the less, it's a process that I love and enjoy. Below are a few upholstered headboards I found via House Beautiful that serve as future inspiration for me. Which one is your favorite shape?

I'm in love. . .

. . . with this chair! I think I could design an entire room around it!

Anthropologie's Antwerp Chair, Spectrum Swirl
$1,698.00

But wait! It gets better! Check out the back. . .

Tie-Dyed Scarves

Every year for Christmas I like to give a handmade gift to each one of the special girls in my life (sisters, mom, cousins, nieces, friends, etc.) Last year I made everyone beaded bracelets. This year I plan to make tie-dyed, jersey knit scarves with frayed, beaded ends. I need to start early in order to get them all completed in time (and I have to admit, I am really excited about this new project!) Each scarf will be different, utilizing different colors of dye and different beads adorning the frayed ends. Here's an inspiring photo I found;



I'm going to use the instructions I found on this site in order to make the scarfs.

Then, I will use a Tulip tie-dye kit like this one or this one to transform the fabric from boring and ordinary into an extraordinary explosion of color! I am also considering mixing my own dyes using this kit, so that I can create something even MORE unique (aqua? lavender? black? hmmm, I think I will have to try this!!)

For the beaded ends, I will simply fray the ends and string them with coordinating beads (wood beads? crystal beads? silver beads? It all depends on the style of the individual scarf and the individual style of the recipient) and then tie knots at the ends to secure them.

I can't wait to get started! If they turn out as wonderful as I imagine them to be, I might just have to make more of them and open up an etsy shop and sell them!

Last Nights Dinner

I spent a few hours on Sunday afternoon cooking up a storm. I made a Chinese chicken salad wraps for dinner that night (and lunch yesterday!) and I also made a casserole and stuck it in the fridge for Monday night. It was the first time I tried the recipe, and I must admit it turned out great!!

BBQ Chicken Casserole
(photo and recipe from allrecipes.com, although I modified it a bit!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• boneless, skinless chicken breast
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 3 table spoons of chopped garlic
  
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can of corn
  
• I also added 2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Place flour in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. (I also added chopped up left over tri-tip meat since we had a bunch left over from the night before.) In a large skillet, brown the chicken in oil; transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.

2. Saute onion, green pepper, celery and garlic in oil until tender. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; add to vegetables. Bring to a boil. Pour over the chicken.

3. Pour can of corn over the top of the concoction and then sprinkle cheese over the entire dish.

3. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

I believe the recipes online says that it is from a southern ministers wife, which makes sense, this is some pretty great down home cookin ;) I paired it with a side salad and garlic bread, but I think next time I will make baked potatoes to go with it.

Just another manic Monday ;)

Here's a few cheerful images to help brighten those Monday blues;

image from highheeledfootinthedoor blog

image from bellevivir blog

image from Traditional Home Magazine

Quote of the week

"Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful."

This was taken from the "45 Lessons Life Taught Me" by Regina Brett. It is simply stated and I love it!

No Sew Valance

Well, I didn't get as much done around the house as I had hoped this weekend. I partially blame this on my three hour trip to HomeGoods yesterday (haha!) and not to mention the fact that really, the weekends should contain at least a little bit of relaxing time! Anyhow, I did not get everything done in my "office" like I had hoped, but I did manage to make this super easy, no sew valance for my kitchen!


I made it out of a table runner, a board I had cut to size at Lowes, hot glue, two L brackets and a couple of screws. That's it! I think it turned out super cute and ties everything in the kitchen together (I have a grouping of yellow, orange, coral and green plates hanging over the sink, not shown.) And the best part of all, this little DIY project only set me back about $19 total!

HomeGoods, here I come!

Me. HomeGoods. Tomorrow. It's a date ;)

On the road again. . . to Lake Tahoe

Last weekend the boyfriend and I embarked on a motorcycle ride to Lake Tahoe, which is about 3 hours from where we live. We took our time, stopped a few times to enjoy the senery, have a picnic, and meet some new people at a local bar where we stopped for a beer.) Eventually we ended up in South Lake Tahoe Saturday around 4:00 pm. We spent the evening gambling, having dinner and cocktails, and then calling it a night at the hotel room. Sunday we took a long ride around the entire lake (which is HUGE!) and then headed for home. It was a very short but very well needed little vacation for us. Here's a few highlights from our little trip; (and YES, that is a very comfy Mexican blanket strapped to the front that we used for a picnic on the river!)

2 sq. ft. Office

Yes, you heard me correctly, 2 sq. ft.!!! I am in the process of turning what-used-to-be a 24" x 12" linen closet into my "office". (I crack myself up every time I refer to it as that!)

We recently moved into a (much smaller) house that has required us to become a little bit more creative when it comes to organizing and storing the things we use on a daily basis. (This is something that I am no stranger to! My first apartment in Los Angeles was a studio built in the 20's. You had to go through my closet to get to the bathroom! More on that later!) Since then I have been so blessed to have larger spaces to call home. Well, opportunity was knocking a few months back and we purchased a home. The new place is"quaint" (aka, very charming, but very small!) Eventually I would love to enclose the back patio and turn it into my office and studio, but until then, I will make due with my "closet-office", store craft supplies in the garage, and using the dining room table as a large work surface when need be.

I found this picture below today, which is very similar to my space (minus the Ghost Chair. I would KILL for that chair, but this ikea beauty will due for now.) My goal this weekend is to get my "office" completed and post pictures up here next week!





















Photo taken from desiretoinspireblog

Loving this. . .

Entry way by Jonathan Adler featured in House Beautiful, May 2009. (Ok, I know I am a little behind the times, I am trying to get caught up!) Love the use of turquoise mixed with black. Black painted doors are a new favorite of mine! Also, who can resist a ceramic owl that I presume may be used as an umbrella stand? Anyways, this foyer has my name written all over it!

Two scoops of this, please :)

House Beautiful's Color Personality Quiz

Ok, so I know a lot of bloggers have posted this already, but I thought I would jump on the band wagon because it sounded sort of fun. . .
Here are the results to my House Beautiful Color Personality Quiz;


1. What's the first color you see in the morning? A brownish taupe

2. What color are your eyes? Hazel

3. What color do you wear the most? Various shades of Pink/Red/Magenta
















4. What color do you never wear? Yellow or Orange














5. What color do you wear when you want to feel sexy? Black























6. What color gets you the most compliments? Turquoise
















7. What color is your lipstick? n/a. Call me a hippy chick, that's fine!

















8. What color was your living room when you were growing up?
White with a country patchwork looking border. Oh, don't you just miss the 80's?!
(I'll spare you the agony and refrain from inserting a picture here!)


9. What color was your bedroom when you were growing up?

It changed quite a few times. When I was seven I begged my mom for pink bunny wallpaper (remember Full House?!) then I ripped the paper down when I was 12 and convinced my mom to let me paint white sponged clouds on blue painted walls. (I did all the work myself!) Then we moved (I feel sorry for the poor family who inherited my 'sky mural'!) and I was left with white walls for the rest of adolescence.












10. What color are your sheets? Chocolate Brown (but white are my favorite)














11. What color was your favorite crayon as a child? Purple

















12. What color is your car? Silver













13. What color was your prom dress? Pink



















14. What's your favorite gemstone? Turquoise, duh!













15. What is your favorite flower? Orchid. Any color. I love their shape and form














16. What color makes you happiest? Turquoise and BRIGHT Colors Combos



















17. What color depresses you? Cold Gray (although I know gray is everywhere these days, I am still getting used to it!)














18. What color calms you? Soft Blues & Greens














19. What color makes you grind your teeth? Florescent Yellow, especially paired with black!


















20. What color would you like to try, but are scared to? Neutrals. I fear them for being too boring, but am learning to appreciate their simpleness.