Went a Little Crazy this Weekend

I started a somewhat crazy and overwhelming project this weekend. I've always hated the floors in my condo. They are the least expensive laminate flooring that exists, the baseboard molding is almost nonexistent and poorly installed, and to top it all off puppy training did some damage in a few areas. This Sunday I finally couldn't take it anymore and started ripping it all out.

It feels better already. When we start one project in this place it always seem to lead to other. I discovered an area underneath the windows/ac unit that looks like it must of had a leak at some point. The drywall is mush and the subfloor is moldy. As frustrating as it is that we can't just pull up the old floor and lay down the new I'm happy that we exposed the mold so that we can remove it. It's never easy is it?

This lovely rich teak will be my new floor soon, hopefully. We just need to finish pulling up the old floor, removing all of the old baseboard molding, re-drywall, address some issues with the subfloor, spakle and paint the walls, find the cure for cancer....... and so on. I'll be sure keep you updated on the progress.

Related Posts:

Tale of a Kitchen Remodel

Kitchen Remodel Take 2

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A Totally Rad Saturday Afternoon

This post really has nothing to go with anything except that I wanted to tell you I just discovered going to the track is actually a really fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

A big group of family and friends enjoyed beers, bbq and each others company. I won and then lost about $15 which is my kind of gambling. Monmouth Park Racetrack is home of the Haskell, North America's richest invitational but today was a much more low key race day. The park was full of families having a great time. I definitely recommend checking it out if you've never been although I could see it being a little dreadful in the heat of the summer so don't forget your big floppy hat.

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Through the Looking Glass

Thought I would share a few shots I've taken with my new camera. I have yet to figure out how to use even half of the functions. It will certainly be fun to learn. The world of DSLR is totally new to me. I keep forgetting that I can't just twist a dial near the lens to adjust the aperture or f-stop.

moss and lichen covered stone

fading tulips

old street sign

lovely dogwood tree

I'm off to find some new subjects to capture.

Happy Friday!

Hope everyone has fabulous plans for the weekend. I heard a rumor that the sun might actually come out so I plan on soaking it up. I have exciting news (for me) to share. The tickets are purchased and it is official. I will be spending 15 days this August on the island of Milos in the Greek Cyclades.

That's our house right there. You're jealous, aren't you?

So because I won't be around for a few weeks this summer I've decided to save up my new blog finds that I normally share on Fridays and post them while I'm away. This way instead of missing Design Evolution you can spend the time checking out new blogs. Sound like a good idea?

Also, in the up coming weeks look out for posts that might have less to do about decortating and more to do about fashion. I will be needing your help to decide what I need to take with me on this fabulous trip.

Love you all and have a great weekend!

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Photo Credit: mario_lem73

Spotted: Period Light Fixtures

If you follow me on Twitter you probably heard me squealing with delight upon the arrival of my new camera.  It's not often now that I leave the house with my new camera especially on my daily dog walks.  It's funny, when you have a camera on your arm you seem to notice small details that you may have previously overlooked.  On one of my recent walks I noticed some of the many great period light fixtures on the buildings around town.

     


I will definitely be keeping these pictures in my inspiration files for future my future home.  I'd love to have a similar period fixture at my front door.  I've been shopping around Rejuvenation and School House Electric but don't see lights quite like any that are pictured above.  If you can suggest somewhere else I might want to try searching I would really appreciate it.  Especially if they carry anything like the lights in the last photo, how fabulous are they?

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Discover Interior Design

Hello everyone, I'm paying a visit to Kristin from Discover Interior Design today. She created a fun "At Home With" series and I was happy to be a part of it.

Kristin put together some great interview question so head over and check out my attempt to be clever.

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Tasteworthy Tuesday: Hummus and Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Okay so it's not Tuesday but I wanted to give you recipes for the hummus and yogurt sauce that I mentioned yesterday in the falafel post.  

Hummus 

1 - 16oz can of chick peas, rinsed and drained

4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (roughly)

2 tbsp tahini

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste 

If you have a food processor there is no reason to buy prepared hummus ever again.  They definitely charge way too much for it and it is so easy to make.  Toss the garlic clove in the food processor first and chop it up fine.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and process it up.  You can adjust the ingredients to your liking to get the hummus to the desired consistency.  And...Done!

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce 

1 - 6 or 7oz container of plain Greek yogurt 

1/2 cucumber peeled, seeded and finely chopped

2 tsp dill, chopped

1 tbsp mayonnaise

salt & pepper to taste

If I didn't live with a Greek I would be tempted to call this tsatsiki but I know better. Since this is so easy to throw together it makes a pretty decent substitute.  Directions are put all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir.  How easy is that?

Related Posts: Tasteworthy Tuesday: Falafel
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Tasteworthy Tuesday: Falafel

Hope you had a great weekend, I sure did.  What wonderful weather we had here in the northeast.  Sorry this post is coming to you a little late but it was hard to get back in the swing of things after the long weekend. 

I have another vegetarian dinner recipe for you today.  Falafel is probably nothing new or exciting to many of you.  It is, however, yummy, easy to make, and fulfilling.  I can't count the number of times I've had falafel that was dry and uninteresting but that is not the case with this recipe. 

Falafel

makes about 20 falafel patties

Ingredients: 

1 - 16oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 small onion minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tsp dried parsley

2 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 c. bread crumbs

1 egg 

salt & pepper

Instructions: 

Mash chick peas in a bowl or pulse a few times in the food processor.  Add all other ingredients and get your hands in there to combine.  The mix is a bit crumbly but should come together when you squeeze in your hand.  If it feels too dry add a little bit of water.  

Take about 2 tablespoons of the chickpea mixture and form into patties.  Traditionally falafel is formed into balls but I feel that it's easier to cook evenly if it's patty shaped.  Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden brown.

And that's all she wrote!  Serve up in a pita (I recently found some really tasty whole grain pitas), top with humus and cucumber yogurt sauce, and enjoy.    

Related Posts: Tasteworthy Tuesday: Black Bean BurgersTasteworthy Tuesday: Fresh365
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Happy Weekend Everyone!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend planned? How will you be spending this Memorial Day? I'm headed here as soon as I get out of work this evening and I can't wait:

Darn, I just lost the link to this photo. I didn't take it but aren't those seagulls adorable?

Since Monday is a holiday and everyone will be off spending time with their friends and family I've decided to make it a blog holiday too. I'll return on Tuesday hopefully fully rejuvenated from my time at the shore. See you then!

P.S. I won't be posting my new blog finds today because I have a lot of running around to do. Check back Saturday or Sunday I may decide to post some while I'm lounging on my beach chair.

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Of Paper & Thread - Screen Printed Textiles

I am what you might call a fabric collector. I find it hard to resist buying beautiful fabrics even when I have no actual project in mind for them.  It's a sickness I think but at least it's one that leaves me surrounded with piles of pretty textiles.  Imagine my joy when I stumbled upon Of Paper & Thread.  Not only are the fabrics lovely, they screen-printed by hand onto linen/cotton or hemp/cotton fabrics using environmentally friendly solvent-free inks.  That means I can feel a little less guilty about buying some since the fabrics are environmentally friendly.  

   

Poppies screen-printed fabric panel (red on white)

Protea screen-printed fabric panel (bamboo green on birch)

Danielle Smeets, the creator of Of Paper & Thread has a flickr pool set up where you can submit photos of products you've created with her fabrics.  Check out this beautiful scarf submitted by Aunt Cookie.  Setting up a pool is such a great idea for any of the independent textile designers out there.  It's the easiest way to show new customers the range of possibilites your product can be used for.  And like so many of us, Danielle has a blog of her own.  Check it out for a sneak peek of new textile designs soon to be added to the shop.

Related Posts: 

Ink and Spindle - Hand Painted Textiles     

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Lady - A Group Show

What are your plans for June 13th? If you are anywhere near NYC, you should be checking this out:


My original plan was to attend the show and then report back to all of you about how fabulous it was but it turns out I have to work that day (which is actually a good thing because I'll be catering a charity even, more to come on that soon). So, the new plan is for YOU to attend and then report back to ME about how fabulous it was. Do we have a deal? Great.

Here are the deets - The group showing, called “Lady”, which will include works from Dallas Shaw, Samantha Hahn, Christina Entcheva and Leigh Bullard, will be held on June 13th at the Charles Nolan flagship store in New York (meatpacking district, 30 gansevoort) from 5-8 pm.

Aside from Dallas Shaw, all of the artists are new to me but they all look equally fantastic. And if you still aren't convinced that you should attend, there will be cupcakes from Whimsy&Spice served at the event. Yum, yum, yum.

Each of the artists' link above is to their respective etsy shops but the ladies also have blogs. Check out the blogs if you'd like to learn more about them - Dallas Shaw, Samantha Hahn, Christina Entcheva, and Leigh Bullard.

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Artist and Illustrator: Alice Stevenson

Some Really Fun Schlemart

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Tasteworthy Tuesday: Black Bean Burgers

If you're looking for a hearty vegetarian meal for dinner I highly recommend giving this one a try.  These Black Bean Burgers are really filling and good enough to satisfy any die hard meat eater. 

Black Bean Burgersserves 4 to 6, recipe from Allrecipes.com
Ingredients: 1 - 16oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 green bell pepper1/2 onion 3 garlic cloves 1 egg1 tbsp chilli powder1 tbsp cumin 1 tsp Sriracha sauce or Tabasco sauce1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 
Instructions: 

If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil.  If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F, and lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Don’t totally pulverize them like I did.  You may want to wring out some of the liquid that the onion produces when chopped in the processor.  If you don’t have a food processor you can chop the three ingredients very fine by hand.

Remove onion mixture from food processor and add beans.  Pulse a few times until becomes a bean paste but still retains some chunks.  If you do not have a food processor, mash black beans in a medium bowl with a fork until thick and pasty.  Combine onion mixture and mashed beans.  I also added some corn to the mixture; experiment with you favorite veggies.

In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.  Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties to six patties (the recipe called for four but I ad enough mixture to make 6 decent sized burgers).

If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.  My burgers were a bit soft so flip then gingerly.  If you are better about draining the beans and wringing the liquid from the chopped onions your burgers should stay together better than mine did. 

I topped my burgers with guacamole and tomatoes the first time we had them.  Leftover burgers were topped with slices of avocado and garlic wasabi mayo.  I think we preferred them the second time around.  Possibilities for toppings are endless so have fun with it and enjoy! 

Related Posts: Tasteworthy Tuesday: Fresh365
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New Jonathan Adler Sofas

It's as if the folks who prepare the emails for Jonathan Adler sit around thinking "What sort of email can we put together to make Michelle swoon?" Mission accomplished guys, I'll take sectional #1 or #2 and perhaps that adorable white love seat: 

 

All that button tufting, the slim walnut legs, and not a rolled arm in site.  If I could dream up the perfect sofa it would be pretty close to the ones you see here.  Too bad every one is way out of my price range.  Something tells me it's going to be difficult to find a suitable alternative at Ikea.
Related Posts: Ralph Pucci, How Do I Love Thee?  
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How I Spent My Saturday Night...

I've been busy this evening. Instead of having a long list of blog names in my sidebar I decided I'd rather move my blogroll to a separate page. So now if you click the link that says "Check out The Blogs I Dig" it will take you to a page that looks like this:

I still have more to add but I got sleepy creating all of the icons. I'm also still fighting with getting the links to open in a new window. Blogger seems to be winning that battle.

Weekly Round Up: May 16, 2009

Nate Berkus as a new line at HSN of ome decor and furnishings and shares some great ideas for how to make a big impact in your home making small changes.

I paid a visit to You Can Call Me Chris to share some of my Tried & True beauty products.

Lotta offers surface printing workshops in her Brooklyn studio.

Drop me a line for some free decorating advice.

More new to me blogs, look out for these every Friday.

Related Posts:

Weekly Round Up: May 10, 2009

Weekly Round Up: May 2, 2009

Weekly Round Up: April 25, 2009

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New Blog Finds for Friday

In case some of you may not have already figured it out, I spent a good chunk of my day online and a large chunk of that time is spent checking out what's new in the blogosphere.  Sometimes I actually overwhelmed by all the wonderful inspiration out there.  Friday's have become my day for a release.  A day to purge my brain and share some of the wonderful blogs I have come across throughout the week.  
I don't really need to say much about this blog except that you definitely need to check it out.  It's one of those blogs that I consider my happy place where I can escape and scroll through endless lovely images of fashion and home decor.

This is a wonderfully organized blog full of ideas to help you lead a simple yet stylish lifestyle.  My favorite feature is one called "Talking About My Inspiration" where bloggers share information about what inspires them, how they organize their inspiration, and how the ultimately apply it. 

Gathering Spriggs is a vintage inspired blog written by Heather Spriggs Thompson, an artist and designer based out of Nashville, TN.  Heather also has an etsy shop with the same name where she sells adorable retro inspired aprons and other vintage items. 

  

*P.S. Clicking on the header images will take you to each of the blogs. 

Related Post: 

New Blog Finds for Friday

New Additions to the Reader

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Decorating Advice from Design Evolution

Do you see this little button right here?

It's been hanging out at the top of my right sidebar for awhile but never really got a proper introduction. I thought it might be fun to offer you, the reader, some free decorating advice. If you have a room in your home that has you totally stumped, send me an email and I'll whip up a custom mood board like the one below.

In your email let me know what you hope your room might become, what pieces should stay, what pieces you definitely want to see gone, what colors you like, basically as much or as little information as you'd like. Include a picture of the room and maybe a few pictures of rooms that you like. I look forward to working on these decorating projects with you.

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Surface Printing Workshops with Lotta Jansdotter

Many of you have probably already heard of Lotta Jansdotter, the Scandinavian born fabric designer and screen printer.  I spotted Lotta's fabric designs in an issue of Domino Magazine and was smitten with the natural fabrics and organic designs.  I was clicking around her website the other day just to see what was new and discovered that Lotta teaches surface printing classes in her Brooklyn studio.  

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  Classes focus on printing with simple techniques that do not require any special or expensive equipment.  All supplies are included with the cost of the workshop and you will leave the studio with several finished projects. 

The next printing workshop is scheduled for August 15th.  The classes are limited to 10 people so they probably fill up fast.  I think there may already be a waiting list for the August class however other classes are scheduled for September 12th and October 17th.  If you attended one of Lotta's workshops or plan drop me a line and let me know.  

Related Posts: 

Ink & Spindle - Hand Painted Textiles

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Photo Credits: Top - Design*Sponge, Bottom - Lotta Jansdotter