Lake House Daydreams

Posted on by
Reply

I’m a city girl through and through, but there is something so charming about a lovely lakehouse.  I would get restless living there all year round, but in the stuff of my wildest dreams, we’d have a fabulous weekend retreat – a lakehouse tucked into the trees, right on the water.  Quiet.  Removed.  Perfect for swimming, bbq’s, and naps on the porch.

Can’t you just imagine sitting in one of those Adirondacks with a glass of wine, watching a quiet sunset on the water??  Ahhhh….

And how great is this one??  So rustic and classic.  The biggest decision you’d have to make is if you want to take the canoe or the speedboat out for a spin…

And this second floor deck – amazing.  I’d love to start everyday with a cup of coffee out there, looking out over the water.

And this one has a cozy little look to it.  I love that it blends in with the trees – and can’t you imagine it in the winter, covered in snow next to the frozen lake?

This next lakehouse is absolutely stunning – with a modern flair, I picture a kitchen with poured concrete countertops, and sleek chrome hardware.  Have you seen the movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo??  This house reminds me of one of the fabulous modern lakehouses in that movie….

And finally, this deck??  I’ll take two!  I hardly even need to explain why it’s so awesome.  In my dream world, this is where we’ll celebrate every 4th of July, with a big party, fireworks, and the smell of coppertone.

Brussels Sprouts Chips

Posted on by
Reply

Kale chips are pretty much all the rage – a small bag from the market is around $5!  I’ve taken to making them at home, but just saw this recipe for Brussels Sprout Chips, and think I’ll be adding this to me repertoire 

Just as easy, and it is a nice way to switch up a healthy snack.

Source

Brussels sprouts weren’t exactly my favorite vegetable for a long time – I’m not a picky eater by any stretch of the imagination, but this is one food that I only started enjoying recently.

Turning them into a roasted crispy snack with fresh flavors like lemon and sea salt take away the pungent flavor that comes with steaming them.  Not a route I like to go!

Ingredients: 
 – brussels sprouts
 – olive oil
 – sea salt
 – lemon
Instructions: 
First separate each leaf from the brussels sprout. The smallest leaves won’t separate so you can either go ahead and cook those too or save them for another meal idea. 
Lightly coat the leaves in olive oil. Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes until edges begin to get crispy. Be sure to keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly. 
Remove from oven, squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with sea salt.
It doesn’t get much easier than that!  Enjoy!

Rustic Coffee Table

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve decided that our living room needs some more “natural” elements.

The annual Restoration Catalogs may have helped sway me in this direction, but I’ve realized that pretty much all our furniture is painted, or made of man-made materials.  Obviously, a huge reason for this is because I’ve been making the most of what we have, and slapping paint on anything I can to extend it’s life in our apartment, but the main reason we have all this faux-material furniture is because I was on a TIGHT budget when buying furniture the first time around.   Particle board was my best friend.

Not anymore… we need some rustic up in herreeee!

These bad boys started this whole thing!!!

I’ve been toying with the idea of a little DIY on our coffee table to take it from this… shiny and really dark…

To something more like this…

Or this… (even though this is a dining table… you get the idea)

I even toyed with the idea of painting it white, and getting a plate glass top to protect the paint on top (something like the below photo).  The glass would be essential here since it gets A LOT of wear and tear, and I suspect paint wouldn’t stick so well to that slick surface.

But then, the point here is to get more rustic going on, and less painted furniture…. so I was back to the idea of using reclaimed wood (or at least wood that LOOKED reclaimed).
I had been thinking of getting some fresh boards from Home Depot, banging them up, and then applying this “aging treatment” that I read about here to oxidize the wood with vinegar and steel wool.  Will it work?  I’ve heard mixed reviews, but supposedly it takes brand new looking wood and gives it the weathered, greyed out look… ultimately, I’d be nailing these boards to the table top, and painting the base white, or a lighter neutral color…
I’ve been toying with this idea for a few weeks, but then today, I saw this table on World Market’s site, and it got me thinking….
The Cameron Coffee table is $229, and I currently have a 25% off coupon that would make it $172. Things just got interesting… While I haven’t totally ditched the idea of trying my hand at adding an aged wood top to our existing table, simply buying this new coffee table will be way easier (obviously), and possibly cheaper.  In the event that in the event that this DIY completely flops, I’ll need to get a new table anyway!
Here are a few few pictures from the glowing reviews on World Market’s site, that people posted of the table in their homes!

Cute right?  Rustic, natural wood, and apparently quite sturdy… Lots to think about!  Just need to make sure it’s not too small – I like a good sized coffee table.
I also saw this weathered leather chair…

There is something about it that I love – obviously the nailhead, but I also really like the mottled looking leather, and low back.  And as you know, I’ve been looking for a reason to get rid of the wicker chair that DOES NOT belong in the living room… I may have just found my reason.
I’d love to see this in person – sit in it, see how comfortable it is… I want a deep seat!  Something to lounge in with my coffee on Saturday mornings.
Very excited about my potential new living room finds!

Summer Colors

Posted on by
2
I’m soooo obsessed with this color palatte…

Also, that Hermes scarf is to. die. for.  Just had to get that out there.

With this warm weather, my trip to Miami next week, and my girls trip to Cabo at the end of the month, my eye is drawn to everything that says “summer” and I’m pretty sure that hot pink and orange say just that.

If you want to bring just a bit of these bold colors into your home, use these rooms as inspiration:

Sources Clockwise from top left: #1, #2, #3, #4
Incorporate the colors of summer through a bright floral arrangement, a vibrant book strategically placed on an entry table, or a happy hued throw blanket, pillow, or a garden stool.  Totally temporary, but these small updates instantly say “it’s not winter anymore” to guests.
If you are feeling a little more gung-ho over seasonal decor, go all out and incorporate these happy summer colors into your home in bolder ways…
Sources Clockwise from top left: #1, #2, #3, #4

Bright happy bedding will ensure you wake up ready to seize the day, and hot pink dining room chairs wake up the senses at meal time.  If you are feeling gutsy, paint the back of a bookshelf tangerine, or if you are REALLY feeling bold, paint the whole room!
By the way, how cute are those bucket seats around the kitchen table??  On the heels of my Ikea Chair Hack post from the other day, a can of hot pink spray paint could easily transform any of those Ikea options for minimal cost…  just sayin!
For the fashion minded, I say it’s time to start bringing the brights into your wardrobe!
                                                  Source I                                                                                     Source II

Who could forget that amazing Halston dress from the Sex and the City II movie??  Oh if only it were mine!  A full skirt and structured top stay grounded for cooler spring days with black accessories, but couldn’t you imagine this with nude heels and a cute raffia clutch for a summer wedding??

And if head to toe isn’t your thing, these colors would wake up any neutral outfit through accessories!  My cousin would always say, “Accessories MAKE the outfit”… and she is SO RIGHT!

So what do you think??  How will you be incorporating tangerine and shocking bright pink into your life this summer?

Porch Topiaries

Posted on by
Reply
It’s probably because we are renters…. AND live in an apartment building……. AND do not have a “front door” to call our own, but I find myself dreaming about how I plan to style the hypothetical front door of our future home. 
I pray it isn’t a dinky little door on a narrow step, because I really have my heart set on twin topiaries flanking the front door.
Just. Like. This.
Source
Le sigh.  
There is something about the symmetry that I absolutely adore.  And the glossy black door??  So chic.  Unfortunately I have a total brown thumb, otherwise I’d love to plant out around the topiary with pretty flowers and low growing greenery.
It’s even better on a porch with more space – double topiaries!  The white and blue planters are so classic, but I love the moroccan feel of the lantern.  A subtle mix of eclectic on an otherwise completely traditional porch.
And another very french take on the glossy black front door, with flanking topiaries.  And so like the french, it is simple, and PERFECTLY manicured.  
I wonder if they have to trim those shrubs daily?
… and then at Christmas, you could swap out the globe topiaries, for mini Christmas trees (and a lush garland to boot).  
Overall, I prefer a black front door, but there is something very clean and “winter white” about this scene.  I wonder if the door is white all year around, or if they painted it just for Christmas?!  Wouldn’t that be extravagant??
And don’t get me started on that live moss wreath – perfect all year around if you ask me.  I saw one at a local florist a few weeks ago, but for $250, I decided to pass (as though $250 for a wreath was even an option!)

A Bite of Heaven… aka Whipped Bleu Cheese Bites

Posted on by
Reply
I’m officially on the one-month countdown to our girls’ trip to Cabo, which means no fast food (what does that mean), no cheese (how can I possibly eliminate a food group like that), and only “good carbs”… which makes finding mouth watering blogs like Iowa Girl Eats impossible to look at.  
This recipe for Whipped Bleu Cheese Bites with Balsamic Reduction, guest posted by fellow blogger Dana, of The Minimalist Baker had me at the first picture… and it sounds as good as it looks.  You are welcome in advance…

I mean… humina humina…  take her description of this appetizer:
Each luxurious bite melts in your mouth with a distinct airiness from the bleu cheese dip and a crisp finish from the baguette. The flavors are spectacular, melding together create the perfect savory, sweet bite.

Um…. how freaking fast can I ditch this “healthy eating thing”, and jump on the ooey-gooey-bleu-cheese-dip-wagon?!

Answer: not fast enough.

If you’re a fellow cheese lover like myself, scroll down for the full recipe and instructions…

Ingredients:
4oz (1/2 cup) bleu cheese crumbles
4oz 1/3 fat cream cheese
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
pinch black pepper
~ 1/4 cup 2% or whole milk
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
8-10 sprigs asparagus and/or 1/2 red onion
12-14 slices wheat baguette
Directions:
 Preheat oven to low broil and position rack on second from top position. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch pieces and arrange on baking sheet. Plan for 1-2 per person. Set aside.
Prepare bleu cheese dip by placing bleu cheese, cream cheese, vinegar, olive oil, and pepper in a food processor and mixing until well combined. Drizzle in milk 1 Tbsp at a time while mixing until desired consistency is achieved. It should be thick like frosting. Scoop into a large plastic bag and set aside.
Saute asparagus and/or red onion in a large saucepan over medium heat until tender. Season with salt and black pepper. To properly caramelize the onions, make sure to keep the lid on to lock in moisture and get them really soft. Set aside.
Prepare balsamic reduction by placing balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally and being careful not to boil. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by about half and a wooden spoon scraped across the bottom leaves a visible line – it should appear somewhat “syrupy.” Pour into a small ramekin for serving.
Pop baguette in the oven and watch closely, toasting until light golden brown. Then remove from the oven, pipe on whipped bleu cheese, and top with sautéed asparagus and/or caramelized onion. Drizzle with balsamic reduction and serve immediately.
Estimated nutrition per bite: 142 calories, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 124 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 1.8 g sugar, 6 g protein
Inspired by The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook
10 minutes prep time
20 minutes cook time
30 minutes total

MUST. MAKE. ASAP.

Gold Leaf Chair – DIY Inspiration

Posted on by
4

This post all started with this chair that I found on Pinterest…

The text accompanying this pin read: “gold leaf an IKEA chair, genius“… and I myself thought… yeah that IS totally genius!  I want to do this even though we have nowhere to put said gold leafed chair when it’s finished!

So I clicked on the image, and it took me to… an error page.  Is there anything more annoying than a pin from Pinterest with no source?!  Dear pinners of the world, give credit where credit is due!

Moving on… this hack is easy enough… spray the legs red (or aqua, or emerald green, or slate grey, or whatever cool color you think would be awesome) and either gold leaf the seat or spray that gold too.

Zero talent required… my favorite kind of DIY.

I decided to track down this Ikea chair on their site, but alas… it’s either discontinued, or it was never a chair from Ikea to begin with.

I don’t want to let this slow me down, so I pulled together a list of other inexpensive Ikea chairs that this hack could totally work with…

Sources: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6
I think option #3 is the most similar to the inspiration, but #5 would make some pretty sweet bar stools in a cool kitchen space…
I also thought this chair (at $40 each) could be an interesting spin on this hack…
And not that this chair has anything to do with this post (aside from the fact that it’s from Ikea), but if you’re in the market for some mod lucite chairs… these bad boys retail for just $80 each, and are SUPER on trend right now…
Just throwing it out there…
Anyway, I am still toying with this idea… mainly because I just think it looks cool… not because we need a gold chair of this nature.  Hope this helps inspire!
xoxo

A little Staycation

Posted on by
1
It’s easy to forget how gorgeous California is…
… except when you decide to get out of the city one weekend, and it slaps you in the face.  Uh… we live here?!  I totally forgot!
Last weekend Kris and I decided to get out of San Francisco… well we crossed a bridge… and after the 10 minute drive (yes, 10 minutes door to door) we were here.  
Paradise.
Fort Point is located off the first Sausalito exit once you cross the Golden Gate Bridge, and in my opinion is one of our city’s best kept secrets.  It has a lovely little beach, surfing (Kris was like a fat kid at an ice cream parlor), and a beautiful hike up into the Marin headlands.
Originally used as some sort of military base (we didn’t actually read the historical markers) I think it was probably used to shoot at the bad guys trying to invade San Francisco at some point in history… I’m guessing it was built less out of need and more out of Cold War paranoia, but I have no clue… next time I will definitely read the historical markers…
These hidden bunker type thingys were ALL OVER the place… and pretty cool, if I do say so myself.  Some were all shut up, and looked very much like The Tempest Bunker from the show Lost.  No?

And… this is what heaven looks like.  This little beach was completely uninhabited since there was no way to get down the cliff.  I suppose you could access it by boat, but I digress.  My point is, look how gorgeous it is!

So gorgeous in fact that I got a little photo happy…

It was getting a little late in the afternoon by this point, and the wind had kicked up – hoodies required for sure – but it was so darn pretty.

… and after a day in the sun, we drove back to our beautiful city by the bay…

I’m thinking that as the weather warms up (well as the weather OUTSIDE San Francisco warms up), this might be a staple for our weekends…

Happy Monday!

Black and White

Posted on by
2
You know what I found kind of funny this year after NY Fashion week??  Hearing every fashion magazine and editor try to put their spin on the trends they saw, and unanimously across the board the answer was “Black and White”.
Huh?  Was black and white ever NOT a trend?  It is the most classic, dramatic, lovely combination that will never go anywhere (in my ultra-professional opinion of course).  In home decor, in fashion, and everything in-between.  Black and white is here to stay…
These floors?  I mean, COME ON!  Perfection!

And how awesome is a dark black wall??  One of my newest obsessions this year. The curtains here are pretty fabulous too though….

Source
Dual striped Roman Shades… so crisp, and so chic.  Makes me want to swap out my sweet yellow trellis roman shade for something more bold!
Source
Wear it to work.  Wear it to dinner.  Wear it out with a sassy mini-skirt.  I am a total sucker for a black and white striped top.  I probably have at least 10 different styles in my closet right now.

Simple, and elegant.  I love the huge bronze lantern, claw foot table, and the glossy black door.  The clean white walls let the more ornate details shine.

Source

Styling at it’s best!  I’ve seen mirrors with a similar “aged” finish sold from Ballard.  Obviously the real deal is best, but I love the look of the antique patina.

There is nothing more chic than black and white stripes in an outdoor space.  So french – right in the middle of any city!  I actually just got back from LA and the pool area at Hotel ShangriLA in Santa Monica has a fabulous black and white stripe thang going on.

Black and white goes mod in this little vignette.  It’s the “Twiggy” of entry tables, and how COOL is the tweed on the sliding drawer fronts.  It looks like suiting!  Love!
What a sophisticated work area.  I love the laquer boxes, glam chrome lamp bases, and the wide white stripe on the streamlined wingback chair, but the woven jug brings an earthy element to the mix…

This bathroom is so modern and glam and fabulous in every. single. way.  Nothing in here is anything I’d call my “taste” but I would die and go to heaven if this were a bathroom in my house.  That wallpaper is like Jonathan Adler graphics meets Metalica.  LOVE.

Our New Aztec Rug

Posted on by
Reply
Taaaa-daaaaaa!  Meet our new little Aztec print rug that came home with me from HomeGoods over the weekend… it’s now sprucing up our teeny tiny kitchen!
Like my leopard print pajama pants?  I’m just keeping things super stylish my friends….. 

Our kitchen is a room that I’ve never photographed or posted before – and for a good reason!  It’s small, it’s old, and as a renter, there is not a lot that we can do about the hideous tile, dated appliances, and miniscule size.  I hate this room.  Like REALLY hate.

Other spaces of our apartment, I’ve been able to doll up with paint, or large rugs, or furniture, and art, but attacking the cabinetry and walls in here with paint seems like a HUGE undertaking… especially since I’d have to remove cabinet doors, hardware, and paint around big appliances like the refrigerator and stove.  I’d really rather not go there, since there’s no telling how much longer we’ll be in this apartment.

Don’t get me wrong… we have a great place (which I DO love), and it’s in the best neighborhood of San Francisco, but this kitchen is pretty much the bane of my existence.

Fortunately, this little gem of a rug is bright and happy, and a good size!  It measures roughly 5’x3′ so it covers up quite a bit of our very old, very dinged up linoleum floor (is there anything worse than linoleum??)
Maybe it’s in my head, but I think the bright colors help distract from the ugliness of the rest of the kitchen, and the dark colors will also help camouflage spills (we had a white rug in here previously, and let’s just say that it ended disastrously).

Ok, prepare yourself for these next photos… there’s nothing cute about them…

Here is the view into the kitchen from our hallway… everything is painted in that dirty off-white paint that the rest of our apartment suffers from.  Looking at this photo, I’ve decided that the wall above our lovely $15 trash can needs some flair…

Will be on the hunt for some art ASAP.  And perhaps a nicer trash can…

And here’s the view from the entry hall, looking in towards the sink, and the glorious tile.  While there is something to be said for the kitchen still having it’s original tile from the 1930’s, I’d love to know what posessed the person who picked out the color combo…

The tile on the back-splash is like skin colored!  And the trim is maroon.

Seriously, WTF?

Ok, my rant is over… Let’s pretend the tile doesn’t exist, and focus on the good here… my new little rug.

Oh I love it!