And by more attainable I'm actually kidding myself as this Chester Place London townhouse which once hosted Charles Darwin is available for measly $1450/night...
Friday, October 29, 2010
Real Estate Stalking International
A little fantasy real estate stalking this Friday, international style. These two properties are currently available for rent via Jetsetter (warning: login required but registration is free) so perhaps we can consider then slightly more attainable than last week's pink darling.
And by more attainable I'm actually kidding myself as this Chester Place London townhouse which once hosted Charles Darwin is available for measly $1450/night...
And by more attainable I'm actually kidding myself as this Chester Place London townhouse which once hosted Charles Darwin is available for measly $1450/night...
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Before there was the Sartorialist...
...There was Ansel Adams the street photographer. In my mind Ansel Adams was a landscape photographer. I am familiar, as I'm sure most of you are, with his vast portfolio of the Sierra Nevadas. I visited Yosemite in August and was awestruck seeing some of the iconic locations that Adams photographed in person. Ansel Adams as a street photographer is new to me and I enjoyed finding this collection of street scenes from around 1939 in the L.A. area.
See more photographs and read the entire story on NPR.org
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Gilded Bee
Brace yourselves, you are about to see a whole bunch of pretty things made out of paper...
It's the time of year when I start thinking about/researching creative gift wrapping ideas. During the search I came across The Gilded Bee, a paperie haberdashery (how cute is that?), an etsy shop devoted to pretty packaging supplies made from paper. Browse the site and check out the selection of paper pillow boxes, garlands, trims and more.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Friday Real Estate Stalking
I had a little fun with last week's Real Estate Stalking and it looks like many of you also had fun playing along. This week's Real Estate Stalking is a little different because...
...this pink darling has an exterior that is both breath talking and charming...
...and an interior that matches the exterior perfectly. Many of the original architectural details of the beautiful Victorian doll house have been lovingly preserved.
The moldings, the high ceilings, the window details, the beautiful hardwood floors, they are all perfection. Unfortunately, the home isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It does have a boring builders kitchen that is definitely not original to the home but all is forgiven thanks to the fireplaces in the dining room, the den, and the master bedroom.
...and an interior that matches the exterior perfectly. Many of the original architectural details of the beautiful Victorian doll house have been lovingly preserved.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Real Estate Stalking in Montclair
You know those days when your out for a stroll, perhaps with your dog, and you stumble upon a lovely home with a for sale placed out front.
Your heart skips a beat. The home is charming. Decidedly way out of your price range, but charming none the less. You're dieing to know what it looks like inside, not that facts really matter because you've already started to day dream about how fabulous it must be.
Then one afternoon randomly clicking through real estate listings you happen to recognize that adorable red, white, and blue exterior. Excitement. You finally get to see what the home of your dreams has to offer. And then you get a peek inside and your brain says:
Why does the dining room look like the inside of a train car and why does the kitchen look like the kitchen on a boat designed in the late 80's, early 90's? That is one crazy pink marble bathroom. Horrible flooring, after horrible flooring in every room of the house. That's an almost million dollar Formica kitchen people! Oh well, what a shame. At least I can stop pining over something I can't possible afford.
Your heart skips a beat. The home is charming. Decidedly way out of your price range, but charming none the less. You're dieing to know what it looks like inside, not that facts really matter because you've already started to day dream about how fabulous it must be.
Then one afternoon randomly clicking through real estate listings you happen to recognize that adorable red, white, and blue exterior. Excitement. You finally get to see what the home of your dreams has to offer. And then you get a peek inside and your brain says:
Mmmmm... Apple Butter
What do you when you are now the proud owner of 18 pounds of apples, a prize from a recent over zealous apple picking trip?
Why, you make several batches of apple butter of course. The process was a lot easier than I thought and the result is delicious. Here's my recipe. If you give a try let me know how it turns out.
Apple Butter
makes roughly 36 ounces
Ingredients
3 lbs apples, peeled cored and diced small (I used a mix of Winesap and Macoun)
2 cups of sugar (or 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Chinese 5 spice (totally optional, replace with 1/4 tsp. ground clove)
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a 3 quart slow cooker. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 1 hour. Adjust slow cooker temperature to low and cook for about 10 hours. You may want to prop the lid up with two knives or chopsticks to allow stem to release while cooking. This will allow the butter to thicken faster. If you're home while the butter is cooking give it stir every few hours. I wasn't home while is was cooking and fine without stirring.
After 10 - 11 hours on low have passed, remove lid and stir with a whisk. Allow to cook with the lid off for another hour or two. Once the butter is sufficiently think and you no long see liquid around the inside of the slow cooker your butter should be done. I want mine totally smooth so I blended it with a hand mix for a few seconds.
You apple butter is now ready to enjoy. I stored my Apple Butter is 9 ounce jars and took my first stab at canning without any of the right equipment. It seems to work since the first jar I opened did pop as though it was vacuum sealed but I'm hesitant to share those instructions since I don't want to be responsible for giving you botulism. If you really want to know how I did it and promise not to sue let me know in the comments.
Photo Credits: Michelle Verdugo
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Simple Fall Decorating Project
I whipped up some pretty but simple fall decor this weekend. The list of supplies you will need to create this project is really short. Get yourself some:
*decorative paper in fall hues;
*a 1 1/2 inch paper punch (not a necessity but this is what makes the project so simple); and
*a sewing machine.
Punch out a bunch of paper circles and sew them together. That's it! My paper only had a design on one side so I stitched two circles together back to back.
String your garland up around the house.
Make a festive holiday chandelier with your garland and double stick tape.
Okay maybe I got carried away and started decorating everything with them. I couldn't help myself, the garlands are just so cute and easy to make.
Do you have any fall theme projects to share? I always feel craftier this time of year and would love some ideas.
*decorative paper in fall hues;
*a 1 1/2 inch paper punch (not a necessity but this is what makes the project so simple); and
*a sewing machine.
Punch out a bunch of paper circles and sew them together. That's it! My paper only had a design on one side so I stitched two circles together back to back.
String your garland up around the house.
Make a festive holiday chandelier with your garland and double stick tape.
Okay maybe I got carried away and started decorating everything with them. I couldn't help myself, the garlands are just so cute and easy to make.
Do you have any fall theme projects to share? I always feel craftier this time of year and would love some ideas.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Think Pink!
*This post was initially published on July 30, 2009. It has been updated and re-published in honor of Breast Cancer awareness month. Even if you hate pink please read through to the end to find out more information on how to donate to Breast Cancer Research and how to directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all.
There was a time when I had a strong aversion to the color pink especially when used in interiors. This can most likely be attributed to a certain childhood best friend's home where I'm pretty sure the color pink showed up in every room. I've moved beyond the pink artificial flower arrangements and pink and gray textured wallpaper to realize that many shades of pink can actually can be fun and often sophisticated additions to any space.
Pink seems to be a hot color for interiors as I'm seeing it pop up in a lot of blogs lately. There are a few bloggers, specifically Nicole from Making it Lovely and Yvonne from Yvestown, that are well ahead of this trend and have been doing pink right for some time. Nicole recently shared some great advice about picking out the right pink wall color. You can check out the post here.
I've pulled together some photos where pink, whether it be a soft petal or a bright magenta, is preforming equally as beautiful as the main attraction or as a supporting player. Let me know what you think about these pink interiors. Would you use pink in your own home?
via sfgirlbybay
Now for the really important stuff, what pink represents in the month of October. As I'm sure you're aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I want to throw some support to a few pf my favorite charities and research groups devoted to finding a cure for breast cancer. Unfortunately it is a disease that my family has intimate experience with, my mother is (two time) survivor and my aunt is currently working towards recovery.
As a family we choose to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure and have participated in several walks in Newark and Jersey City, NJ. Take a look at this soggy group of walkers from this past April (we didn't let the terrible weather get us down):
Another really interesting project I've been involved with for the past 6 months is the Love/Avon Army of Women. The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation for Women, have joined forces to launch this revolutionary initiative whose key goal is to recruit one million women, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will hopefully one day eradicate breast cancer. You find more information about current research projects here.
Related Posts:
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Alyson Thomas Brings the Awesomesauce
I rediscovered an old flickr contact recently and I'm smitten all over again. Alyson Thomas, aka ilovedrywell, has created the most clever daily series of sketches titled Meat Sections. Meat Sections involves drawings of butchery-style diagrams, not just of the standard pig, cow, lamb, and other edible creatures, but odder items as well. It's just the right combination of adorable and odd that I really love.
A selection of some her best Meat Sections sketches are available as prints in the Drywell etsy shop including this San Francisco is for Carnivores poster. If you live in San Francisco and you eat meat I think you need to own this. What's more weird and awesome than a hand-drawn map of the San Francisco neighborhoods in the form of a pig butchery diagram?
A selection of some her best Meat Sections sketches are available as prints in the Drywell etsy shop including this San Francisco is for Carnivores poster. If you live in San Francisco and you eat meat I think you need to own this. What's more weird and awesome than a hand-drawn map of the San Francisco neighborhoods in the form of a pig butchery diagram?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Shop Local: Semplice
The first shop sneak peek in this Montclair-centric week on Design Evolution is -
Semplice is home furnishing boutique located in the heart of Montclair Center. Owner Kelly DelRosso has curated an excellent selection of lighting and accessories for the home as well as foundation pieces like upholstered items with fabrics from Lee Industries, FLOR carpet tiles, and Dash & Albert floor coverings. Home accessories and artwork are available from a long list of independent designers like Little Brown Pen, Twig Terraniums, Christine Lindstrom, Roost, and many more.
Semplice has also introduced The Vintage Co-Op, a collaborative endeavor with a local antiques vendor. The intention is to bring an edited collection of flea market finds and estate sale gems with a modern point of view to the shop. The collection features furniture, art and objects that mix new & old, shiny & aged, mainstream & off-beat. The assortment will be updated regularly so stop in often to see what new.
Full interior design services are offered at Semplice including access to furniture available to the trade only.
Stop in soon, I promise it will be worth the visit!
465 Bloomfield Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042
p. (973) 783-7496
Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 6pm; Sunday 12pm - 5pm
Semplice is home furnishing boutique located in the heart of Montclair Center. Owner Kelly DelRosso has curated an excellent selection of lighting and accessories for the home as well as foundation pieces like upholstered items with fabrics from Lee Industries, FLOR carpet tiles, and Dash & Albert floor coverings. Home accessories and artwork are available from a long list of independent designers like Little Brown Pen, Twig Terraniums, Christine Lindstrom, Roost, and many more.
Semplice has also introduced The Vintage Co-Op, a collaborative endeavor with a local antiques vendor. The intention is to bring an edited collection of flea market finds and estate sale gems with a modern point of view to the shop. The collection features furniture, art and objects that mix new & old, shiny & aged, mainstream & off-beat. The assortment will be updated regularly so stop in often to see what new.
Full interior design services are offered at Semplice including access to furniture available to the trade only.
Stop in soon, I promise it will be worth the visit!
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Sick Day with Double Merrick
It's a gloomy day and I'm can't seem to shake this cold that's been hanging around for the past week but a little online window shopping at Double Merrick, with prints and products created by the artist Merrick Angle, is making me feel a bit better.
A warm blanket and a snuggly puppy are calling me back to bed. Hopefully I will return tomorrow much more bright eyed and much less congested.
A warm blanket and a snuggly puppy are calling me back to bed. Hopefully I will return tomorrow much more bright eyed and much less congested.
Shop Local - Montclair Independent Retailers Week
An example of the exciting events you can expect during Montclair Independent Retailers Week is the Shop Crawl::Pairing Retail with the Grape this Thursday, October 7th from 6 - 9pm. Tour shops like Color Story Home, Go Lightly, Little Cricket Vintage, Semplice and more with enjoying a progressive food tasting. The evening will end with a stop at Amanti Vino for a tasting of wines designed to best capture the personality of each participating shop. Each shop has committed to donate a portion of the evening's proceeds to the Montclair Human Needs Food Pantry.
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