Monday, March 7, 2011

CHALKBOARD DECANTER TAGS

We are still in the midst of fixing up the dining room. There's been lots of painting and sanding and patching and staining and drilling and repurposing going on. One of the many projects in progress is creating an area designated for cocktail preparation and liquor storage. We've never been one of those houses that has a fully stocked bar but I do love the idea of being able to offer guests a legitimate cocktail. Particularly old-timey ones like Sidecars and Manhattans. So we bought the ingredients necessary to make a few such drinks...and while Justin is brushing up on his bar tending skills I am busy making him a place to put his wares.

First step: whip up some labels for these cute old decanters I picked up at a yard sale last sumer.



Materials:
thin sheet of plywood and/or precut plywood shapes
pencil
scissor
craft knife
sandpaper
chalkboard paint
sponge brush
white charcoal pencil
small link chain
hot glue gun

I'm sure you can imagine exactly what I did with these materials...but just in case:

I sketched the basic shapes I wanted for my labels onto the plywood and cut them out using scissors where possible and a craft knife for any small curves. Then I sanded down the edges. (You can also skip these steps and use precut plywood shapes. Nobody will judge you. Promise.)



I applied two coats of chalkboard paint to the front, back, and sides with a small sponge brush, letting the pieces dry thoroughly between coats.



When the chalkboard paint was completely dry I used a well sharpened white charcoal pencil to write the names on each tag.



Then I decided how long I wanted the chain to be for each bottle, cut it, and attached it to the back of each chalkboard piece with two small drops of hot glue. VoilĂ !


Tuesday, March 1, 2011

IKAT ATTACK

My dream textile for the curtains in our living room is one the these amazing handwoven ikats from Madeline Weinrib. Sadly, they cost several hundred dollars per yard...so that's not going to happen.

But I CAN afford some of these sweet ikat pillows from Bali.



They are all handmade with stunning Indonesian ikat fabrics and are available in a slew of different patterns and colors. $40 for two or $160 for a mixed set of nine! Yes, yes, and yes! Check them all out here!







Monday, February 21, 2011

PROGRESS REPORT


This past weekend Justin and I decided that it was time to tackle the dining room. This may not sound like a gigantic scary project...but it is. The dining room is where we have been hoarding all of our unopened moving boxes, artwork, and scads of mismatched furniture from our old apartment. But we dove in head first and I'm happy to report that we're off to a killer start. We managed to get MORE done than I expected. That NEVER happens.

We're done painting the walls and the ceiling. You can see the colors that we went with in the picture above. I had chosen the wall color a while ago (Minty Green by Glidden)...but I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the ceiling. Then I saw these images for the new Farrow and Ball colors...






I love the combinations of blues and greens and blue-greens and pea greens. So I went for it. My ceiling is now Marsh Fern by Behr.

We're still busy in the dining room DIYing up a storm. More soon.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

NEW LISTING


I don't know if it's that fewer houses come on the market in the winter months or what...but I haven't gotten a single budget-friendly listing update that I deemed post worthy since September. That is, until now. This pretty little thing showed up in my inbox yesterday. It's in St. Remy (apparently home to all cute-as-a-button gingerbread Victorians) and it's listed at $239,000. Details are here. Come be my neighbor!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

YESTERDAY’S NEWS

Valentine's Day felt especially lovely this year. We spent the afternoon at home preparing a delicious dinner -- rack of lamb, braised fennel, white bean puree, roasted fingerling potatoes -- and a stellar dessert -- creme brulee and chocolate covered strawberries.

Justin gave me a big, beautiful bouquet of flowers.


And in honor of my new year's resolution I wore a bunch of sparkly things on my head.




Sweet but simple. Dressed up but laid back. A perfect night at home with my handsome valentine.


Monday, February 14, 2011

VINTAGE VALENTINES

I pulled out my embarrassingly large collection of vintage valentines in preparation for today's festivities. (I'm pretty sure only old spinsters with 15 cats are supposed to hoard old love notes like this...but whatever.) I have all kinds: lacy old timey ones, velvet flocked 60s ones, ones with moveable joints, victorian ones that fold out and stand up. But some of my most favorite are the simplest. No bells and whistles...just pretty patterns and pictures of rosy cheeked boys and girls.



These were all made by the Whitney Company in Worcester, Massachusetts in the the 20s and 30s. I LOVE the combination of the graphic deco borders and sweet, soft illustrations. And can we talk about the fashions on these little ones? Vintage dream frocks, peter pan collars, sailor details, perfect bobs, and bows galore. Extra points for the ones with kittens and puppies.

















Happy day, Valentines!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

THINKING AHEAD


This is the snowy, icy, wintery wonderland outside our window. Everything in our yard is buried under a deep, deep blanket of snow and there are 5 foot icicles hanging off our roof. I love winter. I do. But I'm OVER it.

Luckily, according to Punxsatawney Phil, spring is near. And summer is near to spring. So, by the transitive property of geometry, summer is near. Right? So it's totally normal that I've been browsing the internet for bathing suits and beach bags and whatnot.

Wanna join me in my escapist fantasy? Great! Let's talk about swimwear.

I am loving this ruffled bandeau from J.Crew.


And I think it would look super cute paired with this high-waisted bikini bottom from Urban Outfitters.

Most places are selling swim tops and bottoms separately these days...so I'm gonna consider that my cue to get creative.


I am IN LOVE with these sunglasses from Cutler and Gross. Sadly, they will never be mine because they cost a bajillion dollars. But they are basically my vintage style cat-eye wayfarer dream come true.

And yes, I've gone so far as to think about what bag I would like to be toting when swimming hole hopping come June.


One of these
French market baskets from Brook Farm General Store would be perfect.

Other things on my wish list: a pretty handwoven towel for sunbathing and impromptu picnics.




My countdown to summer officially starts now.