Hannah Kate Flora

I've moved to www.hannahkateflora.com

2011-01-19T10:38:00.001-05:00

Don't forget - I've moved to www.hannahkateflora.com

Come visit!

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. . . .

2010-11-21T21:26:00.005-05:00

I've got some news for ya'.

The blog has moved!! Blogspot has been oh so lovely, but we're entering a new season. So update your bookmarks and google readers and head over to the new site!

You can now find Hannah Kate Flora at:

www.hannahkateflora.com

go now! go now!

See you there!

Please Pardon

2010-11-15T17:15:00.001-05:00

- the lack of posts!

I have a handful of fun side projects I'm getting ready to show you + I'm in the process of overhauling the blog. Get ready for big changes!

Bear with me.

Happy Monday!

Well Shoot!

2010-11-09T10:30:00.003-05:00

I totally forgot about Street Merch Monday. Whoops! But I do have 2 Before's to offer up this morning!

The first is a dresser I ran across on 47th and 9th Avenue. Love the lines of this dresser - could definitely benefit from legs though!

The other before is from my fave - Salvation Army. Co-worker, Bridge, and I found these a couple of weeks ago. They resemble bowling pins. Maybe they were? The pair cost $10. Yes please. Wait till you see what I have planned for these!

Cookie Cutter Love

2010-11-07T22:28:00.005-05:00

My mom and I have been looking for cookie cutters to be used as a party gift for an upcoming wedding and we stumbled upon American Tradition Cookie Cutters. Holy cow, if you're in need of cookie cutter, this is the place to go!

I'm also styling a baby shower next weekend and have now decided to theme it out with Owl's - thanks to this darling cookie cutter.

Go Alpha Gam!

Cutest farm animals I ever did see -

I'm out - Gotta go order my cookie cutters.

Happy Sunday. PTL we have an extra hour!

Street Merch Monday: Greene & Grand

2010-11-01T10:42:00.005-04:00

Co-Worker Bridget is contributing today's Street Merch. She found this large vase on the corner of Greene & Grand.

To give you an idea of scale, not only is the above vase holding 4 dozen roses, but it's also sitting next to their large flat screen TV! What a cool oversized vase!

Great find Bridge!

Wa Waaaaaaa

2010-10-29T16:46:00.002-04:00

Went back to Salvation Army today with Bridge to buy these on our lunch break. I was going to get Peter, the salesman, down to $35 a chair. I just knew it.

I already started to scope out fabric to reupholster them in...

But then we got there, and the chairs were sold.

Lesson: When you see something at the Salvation Army and you love it - you BUY it.

Happy Weekend!

10 Under 10

2010-10-29T10:52:00.004-04:00

Living in Manhattan can be super pricey - good thing I love the challenge of spending with in a budget! Here are my top 10 things to do/eat/see for under $10. Roll with it.

1. $8 Manicures - To pay more than $8 for a mani in New York is a travesty when there are so many affordable places!

2. Sephora - Don't be awkward about this, but I love refreshing my makeup before meeting friends for dinner. Instant pick me up.

3. $1.09 ice cream cone from McDonald's. 150 calories. Enough said.

4. Fountain drinks with good ice are hard to come by in the city. That's why I head to 7eleven for the occasional Big Gulp.

5. Grays Papaya - You can get 2 Hot Dogs and a drink for five bucks. Delish.

6. Sabon - Lotions, bath salts and creams from the Dead Sea. Each store has a giant hand washing station used to try the products - it's the best free refresher on a hot city day!

7. Salvation Army - You could buy an end table, an ottoman, or a set of lamps for under $10, easy!

8. Having a particularly gray day - pick up a $7 Revlon lipstick from the drug store. Love that red is a favorite of mine.

9. Magazines at Barnes & Noble. You can snag magazines from B & N, hunker down in a corner and read your little heart away - as long as you return them, of course!

10. Street Merch! Too obvious? Clearly, I'm a fan of finding furniture on the street and giving it new life, in case you missed that. The furniture is free, the fixin's (spray paint, hardware, etc.) are easily under $10.

Happy Birthday Sweet Lou!

2010-10-27T11:46:00.005-04:00

My mom, affectionately dubbed Sweet Lou by my brother and his friends - it's a derivative of Little Cindy Lou Woo, is the birthday girl today!

Here are the top 10 Reasons Why I My Mom is Great:

1. She's the most clever and creative person I know when it comes to presentation, interiors, gifts, and staging.

2. She is a problem solver. I'm talking BIG TIME. In everything!

3. She's doesn't ever seem to sweat the small stuff. She's a big picture gal.

4. She helps lead our family with faith, patience and crafts.

5. She instilled in me, a love for Roadies, i.e. a good coke with good ice while you're on the road.

6. I have an incredible threshold for spicy food because of her. She says she ate a lot of Mexican while she was pregnant with me.

7. She's walked with me through many days of uncontrollable big frizzy curly hair. Bless her.

8. She thinks Rich, my dad, is as funny as I do (most of the time). I love her half laughing expression here. And that side pony tail - whoa baby mom!

9. She is so generous with her time, her gifts, her conversation. And she is such a hard worker.

10. And she always gets a kick out of my brother and sister. What a funny package we all are!

Happy birthday mom! Love you much!

How precious is that picture of mom and dad?

Gus the Mouse

2010-10-26T09:46:00.005-04:00

There is a plug-in you can buy at Bed Bath & Beyond that has changed the lives within Apartment 9A. It's called Riddex. It has worked wonders! We haven't seen a mouse or roach one since we plugged that thing in.

Until 2 nights ago, when I opened the cabinet under the sink and saw him. Sitting next to trash can, totally unbothered and in his own world. We call him Gus, like the mouse from Cinderella. He's a little pudgy, a little slow, and and completely uninterested in people. Which I am thankful for.

Over the next day, the roommates precariously peer into the cabinets any time we need to throw something away. No sign of his return for a day or so.

Leave it to me, to spot Gus.... again. At this point, I'm reminded of a quote, in the words of Home Alone, "Keep the change you filthy animal!" I shut the door. UGH. The roommates and I share in a grossed out moment and decide Joe, the super, will have to deal with this. I take one more glance into the cabinet and see he hasn't budged. I mean, I know Gus has a case of latharga (derivative from the word lethargic created by the Cindy Flora), but he seems really out of it!

That's when I realize, he's dead. (Those poison traps really work!)

RIP Gus.

Guess we won't be seeing you around the kitchen any longer.

Street Merch Monday: 92nd & Amsterdam

2010-10-24T23:40:00.007-04:00

Here we go. This is what I found walking home the other night -

Such potential! After some careful shifting around, I found what I was looking for -

This vanity / cabinet thing. Didn't need the whole piece - I really just wanted the drawer. So I took it.

See, my mom repurposed an old wooden drawer and now uses it as a tray that sits on our dining room table. I wanted to do something along those lines. Here it is before - Please note the adorable hardware!

I used some Dark Green Rustoleum Lacquer spray paint I had from a past project, as well as Rustoleum's High Shine Aluminum spray paint for the hardware.

(If you've met my dad, then you'll recognize the above set up as being so him. Like how my screws are punched through a piece of box to promote full controlled spray paint coverage? He's like that - rigs anything/everything! This probably doesn't mean much to you, dear reader, but if you know my dad, it's just funny. Like father like daughter, I suppose!)

Next - I wanted to jazz up my drawer. Why not add a bright white stripe!

NOT. Party Foul. After globbing my paint between my tape lines (first mistake), patiently waiting for it to dry (first clue) and then precariously pulling up the tape (first cuss word) - ALL of the dry paint peels off with the tape. Welllll shoot.

So instead, I use paper I have in supply and take it to the drawer with a paint brush and matte medium. Great! All fixed? No. During my white paint peeling frenzy, I didn't seem to notice the off centered paper. So, I oh-so-cautiously add a small white stripe to help balance it out.

This Street Merch is getting hilarious. I've gone full blown craftastic on this thing - but oh well, what can you do!

Life Lesson: Things often turn out much differently than planned. But why does that have to be a bad thing?

So the AFTER. I'll make you a deal - I'll show you 3 different ways to use this Street Merch Drawer, if you'll settle for non-detailed pictures of my kitschy/crafty/imperfect piece. Deal? Deal.

Use Number 1: Practical

Use Number 2: My favorite

Use Number 3: Current Status of the drawer

Thats it. I'm wiped out.

I think I'll treat myself to a manicure tomorrow.

Lunch Break

2010-10-21T11:08:00.007-04:00

Bridget, my co-worker, and I have started a weekly ritual: During our lunch break, we riffle through the furniture at the Salvation Army across the street from our office. Our co-workers think we're crazy, but we are mildly addicted to the weekly mark downs, the constant warehouse reorganization and the absurd bargains!

Here is a piece we've been eying this week. Very Rachel Ashwell . . .

Now, while we both LOVE this piece, neither of us have the space or the money for it. So instead, lets pretend one of us bought it and now its time to fix it up. Below you'll find paint samples, fabric swatches and metal detailing to fit 3 possible profiles. Since this is all virtual imagining, I don't have to pick one. Ha!

Profile 1: Turner Outlaw. Born and bred southern gal. Currently dating a Florida guy. Lives in Atlanta. Has the most classic, coastal and southern style of anyone I know. Think Garden & Gun. Loves new things made to look old.

Profile 2: Bridget K. Co-Worker. Married. Had DIY flare and high design sensibilities. Born in the Midwest - Now shares a white monochromatic apartment in the flatiron district with her husband. Husband is part Art Director, part Graphic Designer and all boy.

Profile 3: Me! Texas bred. Oldest child. Lover of street merch and anything with character & potential (both in furniture and people.) Living on the Upper West Side + pre-war apartment + 3 Roommates that I adore.

All fabric from Calico Corners, Paint from Behr and Door Details from House of Antique Hardware.

Tuesday Sparkle

2010-10-19T10:29:00.005-04:00

I don't know about you, but I need a pick me up today.

Yesterday, I was introduced to the work of Aaron Dyer. He's a Brooklyn based still life and portrait photographer, most recently known for his Kate Spade work. I love his stark color palettes and flat lighting. Just the sparkle I needed today!

After Ivy and I shopped all day for wedding shower dresses, we passed through Lord & Taylor and tried on every pair of Kate Spade shoes we could find. Including those glitter ones in that purple handbag. I'm not kidding - the second we slid those shoes on our feet, our energy perked, our spirits lifted and our feet were no longer tired. That Kate Spade is amazing.

To quote Rachel Zoe, "Bananas."

Love.

Country Flea Market Merch - Part II

2010-10-15T12:54:00.005-04:00

So back to Prattville, Alabama. Remember that Flea Market in Atlanta we went to? While we were there, I was also on the hunt for needle point hoops. Cause I had this idea....

And what do you know? We found tons! For cheap.

So we picked up some upholstery fabric from Joann's in Montgomery and put Melinda and Mark to work. Mark was thrilled. Ha. He was a great sport, actually!

It was so simple. We just stretched the fabric through the hoop, gave it a quick tighten and a small trim and we were done!

After trying a few different sprawled out layouts on the floor, we were ready to hang them.

(Ignore the superfluous fabric on some of the hoops! Guess this picture was pre-trim.)

We were quite pleased! The homemade/old school character of this project fit the house perfectly! Kim & Melinda - hope y'all are still liking it!

First comes love, then comes Marriage!

2010-10-12T12:15:00.007-04:00

Spent last week with my best friends from college so we could celebrate Ivy's wedding that's rounding the corner! There are 13 of us, and because 7 of the 13 are already married, we wanted to give this bachelorette weekend a different feel. So we themed it out. Like way out.

Welcome to our Junior High Slumber Party!
**All Photos taken by J. Rawlings Photography**

Our focal point. We made paper chains out of scrapbook paper and rigged a pink sheet to become our 'lingerie opening tent!'

We flew Laura in to make our cupcakes.
Kidding. But in all seriousness, she is the best baker.

I used pieces of cardboard and left over fabric to craft the 'Ivy + Drew' centerpiece. I'm all about working with what you have.

For dinner, we picked up dough from Whole Foods and made a variety of pizzas. Soo good.

Drinks: Roy Rojers and Shirley Temples.

Our Junior High Spread of candy, pizza and coke!

Jess and I packaged smore's for later in the evening. What is it about individually wrapped things that is so darn cute?

Oh, we had LeighAnn, the graphic designer of the group, make labels for each item. Her skills are ridiculous.

And here she is. The engaged girl!

I came up with a new rendition of "Spin the Bottle" and LeighAnn made it happen. Ivy spun the bottle, it would land on a face, the person whose face it landed would draw out of a basket filled with questions and answers we asked Drew, if Ivy got it right, she'd spin again, if she got it wrong, she'd have to face the consequences.... ha ha ha! But trust me, the consequences were not bad!

A junior high party isn't complete with out a game of Twister!!

And our group would NOT be the same without our Melanie. She's living in Hong Kong with her husband. We skyped her in :)

It was a fantastic weekend. Thank you Jess for being such a gracious host and Leegs for rolling with the punches. Happy wedding Ivy! I love my friends.

All Photographs taken by Jessica Rawlings of J. Rawlings Photography.

Street Merch Monday: Hotlanta

2010-10-12T09:49:00.005-04:00

Street Merch Monday is on Tuesday this week! I had every intention of posting last night, but once my 1.5 hour flight turned into a 6 hour ordeal and a pit stop in Richmond, I decided it could wait until this morning.

I was in South Carolina (more on that later) this weekend for my best friend, Ivy's, bachelorette weekend. Before heading back to the city, I spent the day in Atlanta and went on a hilly walk with my dear friend Turner. On our way back to her house, we ran across this:

A discarded screen door... Street Merch Alert!

We needed it for Turner's room!! She wasn't so convinced. Ha! You should have seen her face when I told her we were going to carry it back to her house.

We got it into her room, gave it a quick cleaning and...

Voila! A perfect place for a few miscellaneous items including jewelry, a painting or two and a basket.

Thanks for rolling your eyes and bearing with me Turner - such a good friend!

Can you do me a favor?

2010-10-07T13:33:00.004-04:00

Want to do me a favor? Pray for our friend Turner's mom - her name is Sissy. She's having surgery in Houston this very moment to remove cancer in her throat. She about 5 feet tall, has a BIG and fun personality and is a woman of tremendous faith.

Instead of flowers, my friends opted for a picture card that she could keep in her room. Sissy got it this morning.

Thanks to our designer friend LeighAnn, who brings these crazy ideas to life!

I'm off to spend the weekend with these friends in South Carolina.
It's Ivy's bachelorette weekend!

Box-O-Tea Love

2010-10-07T10:34:00.004-04:00

A coworker came back from a shoot in London and brought back this Clipper Organic White Tea. The color palette on the packaging makes me want to make my life over in robins egg blue, celadon green, white and gray.

Love.

Country Flea Market Merch Monday

2010-10-04T09:31:00.008-04:00

Instead of Manhattan Street Merch today, I'm posting Flea Market Merch from Georgia - I was too excited to wait any longer. As I've mentioned, I was in Alabama about a month ago helping a good college friend with her new house. We swung through Scott's Flea Market in Atlanta on our way back to Alabama and found some GREAT pieces. My favorite - a pair of chairs.

It was late in the day and really hot when we found them, so I'm not sure the woman selling the chairs new what she was doing.... She sold them to us for $20 - for the pair!

This receipt makes me laugh.

Here they are. Overloaded with character and potential!

They were in great shape. The woodwork was beautiful and the seats were detachable. Thank goodness.

Oh what lovely scratchy old fabric. Ick.

First things first. We prime.

Then we paint. 2 cans of Antique White Satin Spray Paint.

We went fabric crazy at Joann's and decided on a black, white & gray damask meets ikat pattern, which you can see below... On our FINISHED CHAIRS!

This is the country for you. Cotton fields and dogs in the background.

I love how these chairs turned out! Next round, I'll show you the room where these chairs are now living!

Street Merch Monday

2010-09-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Whats the deal with all the pianos on the street? Ran across this one the other day on 9th avenue and 43rd.

And also saw this desk! Yes, it's missing all of its drawers. I think it could be easily remedied with baskets or small wire metal crates.

Wasn't able to bring any of these pieces home with me - bad timing and where would I possibly put a piano? But I'll have you know, I'm on the hunt for a desk that I can take home! Stay tuned!

Street Merch Monday: WIP B&A

2010-09-20T09:41:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the acronym overload in the title. Today's Street Merch Monday is the Work In Progress Before & After of the table top I found a few weeks back! Remember -

Blue tape and white paint (that I already had) was an easiest way to freshen this up.

Perhaps diamonds?

My mom taught my sister and I to always do a good job on projects, but to not be overly obsessed with details. Translation: I eyballed my blue tape lines up there.

My room is so small. Ugh.

Primer + Paint =

This! You can't see from this picture, but there a few small discrepancies I need to fix...

But for now, it's a headboard of sorts. I kinda like it.
But as mentioned, it's a Work in Progress. We'll see if it lives there long.

Happy Street Merch Monday!

Take Me Home Country Road III - The Kitchen

2010-09-17T14:38:00.012-04:00

The kitchen was a main point of focus of our overhaul. It's the first room you see when you walk into the house. Before I got there, Kim & Melinda had re-painted the cabinets and the trim with paint we had picked out. What a great head start! Here's where we ended up:

KITCHEN SINK BEFORE:

KITCHEN SINK AFTER:
Kim restored the small metal logo to its original form - nicely done Kimbo!

WALLBOARD & WOOD TRIM BEFORE:
Having seen only pictures of this goodness before my trip down South, I wasn't sure what to expect when Kim & Melinda described this 'wallboard' in the kitchen. Turns out it's like dry wall or plasterboard with wallpaper adhered to it. The question of the day - Is it paintable? And if so, what will Gran & Ms. Jan say about it?

DURING:

WALLBOARD & WOOD TRIM AFTER:
I can't think of a more perfect place for gray chalkboard paint than a country kitchen. Turned out the wallboard was paintable and Ms. Jan said we could paint it! So we did. As you can see below.

We found those dishes in Gran's garage. They're from the 60's!

OTHER SIDE OF THE KITCHEN BEFORE:

KITCHEN AFTER:
We used $7 matchstick blinds from Big Lots, clear IKEA vases on the window sill and white paint. Then we sprinkled in dishes and details that the girls already owned.

I almost stole that adorable tea pot and tea cup set. Kim brought it back from Russia after spending a month there a few summers ago.

There it is - Kim & Melinda's kitchen!

Can't get this out of my head -

2010-09-15T21:17:00.002-04:00

(Thanks Erin.)

So I thought I'd share the song and its adorable accompanying video.

Sara Bareilles

King of Anything

Take Me Home Country Road II

2010-09-13T18:06:00.014-04:00

Back to Prattville! Not literally...but figuratively...on the blog.

I think spacial/home/design/color issues are the most fun to solve. Which is a good thing because we had a few obstacles to dodge in Kim & Melinda's new house.

Guidelines to adhere to:
- Leave the beautiful, dark, wood paneling untouched
- Keep within a $1,500 budget
- Include 3 generations of women in the decision making process

To Do List:

- Invest in great pieces of furniture

- Find ways to lighten and spruce up the dark walls

- Add grown up style while still keeping with the sparky personalities of Kim & Melinda

We began at Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta.

We also went to IKEA to pick up some sparkle and a cinnamon roll. Jessica & Turner shopped the day away with us. What good friends!

Here's the group that was waiting for us at the Autauga County High School Football Game.

From the left: Kimberly, Gran, Mary Jackson (aka Peanut), the dog whose name I can't remember, but check out his pose!!, Ms. Jan & Melinda.

I love this next part. This porch that everyone is perched on, is the same porch where both Gran and Ms. Jan were married. How sweet is that!

Pesky dog.

Our Atlanta & Montgomery errands were a great start. Next up - the kitchen!

Take me home, Country Roads

2010-09-13T14:58:00.009-04:00

**Pressing enter while you're editing your blog title POSTS YOUR POST rather than going to the next line. Hence, why this posted when I wasn't quite ready. Dangit.

I spent last weekend in Autuagaville, Alabama.

Population: 870
Closest large town: Prattville, Alabama
Closest large city: Montgomery, Alabama
Favorite Past Time of Autaugaville Residents: Alabama/Auburn Rivalries, Drinking Sweet Tea and watching High School Football.

I love it there. It's a completely different world of deep Southern accents, slow paced folks and extended cab pick up trucks. I was invited down south to help one of my dear college friends with the house she and her sister just moved into. They live on a large piece of land where cotton grows. Their parents and grandmother all live on the same piece of land. It's so Pioneer Woman of them.

Here are the adorable sisters - Kim & Melinda. You get the idea of how far into the country we are - just look at the expanse of fields behind their mailbox!

And here's our project - their house! Stay tuned to read about our flea market finds and thrifty home overhaul!

Can't help but think, War Eagle! when I see those cute blue shutters.

Street Merch Monday: The Rules

2010-09-13T14:41:00.006-04:00

I've been encouraged by a certain sister to take a 360 approach to my street merch finds. So I'm going to try my best to revive as much street merch as I can. That means no more walking by and snapping pictures of merch, but instead taking it home with me and repairing, repainting and repurposing it.

For instance - I passed this wooden table top twice before I grabbed it! My arm and fingers were sore the next day because I walked 10 awkward blocks with it under my arm. Now, you'll notice I don't have after pictures - which is a bit hypocritical after my '360' spiel. But the the overhaul of this piece is happening next weekend. So be ready.

I'm using this merch as an example for my rules below .

Rules to Finding Street Merch:

1. Remember - You are NOT looking for trash. Trash is gross. Street merch is not. Street merch has been left on the street in hopes of someone else giving it new life. It was probably the wrong size for a new apartment or had a small flaw. Like a table missing its legs as seen above!

2. Look for pieces with integrity. The object is not to find a desk from Target or lamp from IKEA that's has been left on the corner. Those things you can just buy from the actual stores. Instead, look for unique pieces with character and potential! Take a look at the wood detail on my round table top above - not something you see every day!

3. Grab merch that can be repaired, repainted and repurposed. That's about all I can manage and have time for in my little New York apartment. You'd be surprised at how much a staple gun, hot glue gun, a drill, some fabric and paint can do!

4. Steer clear of upholstered and fabric pieces. Except for the occasional chair with a removable seat I keep my distance from couches, mattresses, fabric chairs, ottomans.... Common sense people. I'm getting kind of irked just thinking about some of the stuff you run across...

Those are the major rules that I abide by - hope that helps!

Street Merch Monday - I mean Tuesday

2010-09-07T13:12:00.003-04:00

I met friends at the Grey Dog in the West Village last week.

First - I love Grey Dog. You should go there.

Second - There was a church around the corner doing some major cleaning. We walked up on a huge stash of tables, chairs (like the one below) that they were releasing to the streets!

With a little paint and fabric this chair would be so clean and tidy!

But the best we found was this.

A piano! It was especially mangy. I imagine it lived up in a church attic for years and years but I think that adds character.

Looking at this piano, I have the urge to paint the whole thing in black chalk board paint. What a juxtaposition! And I know I know, there are some that squirm at the thought of painting wood. I'm not one of those people. I think chalkboard paint would be so unexpected!

Twenty Five

2010-09-07T10:48:00.003-04:00

I received the most unique birthday surprise for my 25th a few weeks ago.
It was a video. And for no reason in particular, I didn't have a chance to watch the video until last night.

And now I've watched it 36 times and thought I might as well post it.

Introduction: This is my friend Erin. She works here. We went to college together and she is soooo talented. Erin dates Chris. Chris is a musician. And from Texas. Off to a good start.

Here you go:

Now you see why I've watched it 37 times.

It was such a memorable birthday. My parents were in town for a full to the brim weekend. I had sweet phone calls from friends and family living all over the place. And I took Friday off from work. I won't get over dramatic about turning 25, but it really was one of those unique and special birthdays! Thanks to all who made it so!

A Life Lesson

2010-09-03T12:00:00.001-04:00

"There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm"

- Willa Cather

(via my Real Simple Magazine spine)

Street Merch Monday coming on Tuesday this week.

What up Salvation Army?!

2010-09-02T09:53:00.002-04:00

My office building is on the corner of 46th and 11th Avenue. If you aren't familiar with New York, then this probably doesn't mean much to you. Heck, if you are familiar with New York, this still probably doesn't mean much to you! It is WAY off the beaten track. Only reason to come to the outskirts of Manhattan that is my office building is for the Intrepid. But I'm not a tourist and you can only do the Intrepid so many times - lets be honest.

I've been at this office building for over a year now. Throughout this time, I've noticed the Salvation Army just around the corner. But never thought to go in. Never thought, "Hm, I wonder if they have any fabulous second hand finds in there!" Nope. Never thought that.

Until a week ago. Yesterday, a co-worker and I ventured over during lunch and boy oh boy - Jackpot!! They filled an entire warehouse floor with furniture galore! I snapped a few iphone pictures as I went.

Look!

OH the lamps! Pretty great, but a little pricey.

The desk right above was TWELVE DOLLARS! And it was HUGE!! Very Mad Men.

Someone's found a new lunchtime hobby!

Street Merch Monday: Not Just a Shipping Palette

2010-08-30T10:17:00.006-04:00

West Elm is one of my favorite stores. They have a rustic and refined, traditional yet modern aesthetic like no other. I spun through the other day with my parents and noticed a common motif: Their use of shipping palettes.

It's no secret that I love to repurpose furniture, home goods, fabric, etc., so you know I'm loving the clever use of these normally junk pieces of wooden street merch.

My take away? 3 ways to use shipping palettes, as previously done by West Elm:

1. Use a palette to hang planters and other outdoor accessories from.

2. Use palettes as urban/country chandeliers by hanging lanterns, lights and glass ornaments from them.

3. Use palettes as an entire textured wall covering. Then hang your normal wall stuff on top of it. Love this idea!

A while back, I had the opportunity to try using palettes in an interior setting! I found these 2 palettes on the side of the street. They are all over Manhattan, just left on the curb. I try to look for palettes with wood in good shape and blemish free. But then again, some of the ink and marks on the wood often add character.

Our plan: To hang the palettes on a wall, to construct simple 'flower boxes' to hang on the palettes and to paint them.

Here they are before:

Here they are after! A handyman friend of mine, Andrew, crafted the 'flower box' pieces that hung off the side of the palettes with the help of simple brackets. We then painted the pieces gray and white to help clean up their look.

And here they are in the space. We filled the 'flower boxes' with mason jars of flowers and left over wood branches.

Who knew shipping palettes could be so versatile. I'm excited to try them out in other ways!

The Burton Wedding :: Huntsville Style

2010-08-18T22:54:00.003-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, I spent a weekend in Huntsville, Alabama to celebrate the Burton wedding! I could go on and on about things I loved from the weekend. In hopes of you making it through this entire post, I thought I'd limit it to 3 things: Bridesmaid Luncheon, Shari's (Laura's moms) House & The Wedding.

First. The bridesmaid luncheon.

Where: A historical home in Huntsville. Circa 1824. If there was a way to put number in all caps, I would. Is it registering to you that this house was built in 1824??

Observations of this house: It was beautiful. Classic and charming and substantial. The basement housed a giant wood burning fire place that used to be part of the original kitchen. It was actually the first indoor kitchen in the state of Alabama, we learned. The entire downstairs was covered in original cool (in temperature) brick from when the house was built. It kept the whole basement mildly chilly.

The table was perfect and lovely.

Delicious. Darkly stained wood chair and pink and cream ikat upholstery.

Is that ikat? I think it is. Should have asked.

Next.

Where: Shari's House.

Observations of this house: Their bungalow gets cuter every time we stop by. Here's a picture of their darling and newly finished kitchen. I have kitchen envy real bad. And if you look to the left of the hydrangeas, you can see Laura, the bride to be!

And a picture of the master bedroom. Right out of House Beautiful.

Lastly.

Where: The Wedding

Observations: Laura's style revolves around natural woods and greenery and her staple dusty teal color. I love this about Laura. And her wedding.

Amazing what wreaths can do.

Oh you know, just some Kate Spade-esque flowers by the guest book.

And some friends.

What a great weekend!

Street Merch Before & After- 89th & Broadway

2010-08-18T22:29:00.008-04:00

PARTY FOUL.

This accidentally posted last night and was blaring on my reader this morning. Incomplete.
I was saving it for Monday, but oh well. Here it goes.

Found this piece outside of my apartment a while back. Not even sure what it is. A bench? A mini coffee table? And ottoman?

BEFORE:

I, unfortunately, had no space for this piece in my room. However, roommate Lindsay Ann did!

So we decided to paint to glossy white.

The Setup: A plastic trash can upside down balancing the ottoman/stool/bench thing.

Weapon of Choice: Rustoleum Primer, Rusteoleum Lacquer white paint and one of those spray paint handle things. Aaaaamazing.

Work in Progress: 1 coat of primer. 1 coat of paint. 1 coat to go.

Lindsay Ann's mom can whip up anything when it comes to fabric. She made this darling cushion to go on the ottoman/bench/stool thing.

And now, the finished product.

AFTER:

Her mom also made those shams, euros and bolster on her bed.

This is what I love about Street Merch, it's about giving furniture with a past a new & bright future. Glad we could find a home for this piece!

Street Merch Monday - West 89th Street

2010-08-17T09:59:00.005-04:00

So if you were wondering, Street Merch is going to live on Mondays. Street Merch Monday's. I just said it out loud. At my desk. At work. Ahem haaha. Focus Hannah.

I saw this door just the other day and thought it would make clever full sized head board. Might need a small trim off the left side though...

Like this.

Paint would do a lot for this 'headboard'. I envision something monochromatic and sparky. Maybe you paint the whole thing a muted lime green, and then cover the 4 raised rectangles in the green & white hydrangea wrapping paper from Kate's.Or use a gray paint and the middle pattern. Or OR, paint the 'headboard' poppy orange (probably my favorite color) and use this darling Ode to Marimekko pattern. Also from Kate's Paperie.

Could be cute! And cheap!
And very resourceful.

Street Merch: 47th & 8th - Before & After

2010-08-13T14:00:00.002-04:00

I've decided that "Street Merch" is going to be making a weekly appearance here on the blog. I'll decide on a day next week - stay tuned!

Anyways, months ago, I found this Street Merch while I was on my way to look at a Craigslist couch. Roommate Lindsay Ann was going to meet me there. I've had only great experiences with Craigslist furniture finds in New York, but I've always had a buddy. You never know when you'll run into a creeper, and plus, Lindsay Ann is a great furniture buddy, as you may remember from our Street Lamp adventure.

Anyways, I was on my way to meet her and saw this funny retro side table all sad and tumpled over on the side of the street. I instantly loved the wood detail and decided that I needed it. It was deceivingly heavy, but I finally made it to rando-craigslist man's apartment with my new side table in tack.

Here it is before.

And here it is after. I'm sure I could have gone more bloggy & elaborate with the paint, but sometimes you just have to be done thinking about it. And at this point, I was working on a few other projects and needed to be DONE thinking about it. After a light sand, we used leftover Oop's paint from another project to cover my dinged up little wood piece.

And here it is in the space.
Exactly what we needed for this little area.

A Tribute to New York City Part 2

2010-08-07T01:30:00.017-04:00

It’s during this time of year that I start to miss New York the most. The idea of cooler weather with a slightly salty breeze coming off the Hudson River sounds much more appealing than the extreme temperatures we’ve been experiencing here in Texas. Seriously, I’m melting as we speak. When I used to complain about the cold winters (which I do not miss, not one bit.) in New York, people would tell me, “Just wait. Our summers are brutally hot.” I’d laugh inside.Because, really, you’re going to tell me New York summers are more blistering than the ones we have in Texas? Ha. Ha. HA. However, there are things about New York that I miss besides the milder temperatures, though most of them are associated with summer time. I loved the fact that during warmer weather, the city would just come alive- to a completely different level.On almost any day of the week you could find some kind of outdoor event to while away the hours, whether it be at a regularly scheduled flea market or an outdoor celebration like the Mermaid Parade (celebrating the beginning of summer out on Coney Island).

It was around mid-summer during my year spent living in New York that I had made the decision to move back to Texas. I also made the decision right then and there to do as many “New Yorky” things as possible. I had a blast checking things off my list. I made a trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Jones Beach out on Long Island, Coney Island, several museums, and the New York Aquarium.

The funny thing is, that with the exception of the beaches, I could do all those other things right here in Dallas. For whatever reason, I never bother to here. Two things I can’t do in Dallas, however, and desperately wish I could, is attend Broadway shows and spend the day at Central Park.

I had a deep love affair with Central Park. I was in awe of the beauty of that place during all seasons. Whether it was watching the leaves fall while strolling down The Mall, gazing out upon the blanket of snow from Bow Bridge, welcoming the first spring rain while relaxing in Strawberry Fields, or enjoying a picnic among the sea of people in the Great Lawn. (I actually took my mom along for one of those picnics when she came to visit. I made a pretty spectacular spread, if I don’t say so myself, of grilled vegetable panzanella, spicy apricot and molasses glazed shrimp, watermelon, feta and arugula salad, and chocolate caramel espresso bars- now my most requested item.)

While there is an endless amount of activities and places to visit in New York, there are probably twice as many restaurants. Of course, there are the classics and the critically acclaimed that stand out from the bunch, too many of which I didn’t have the time or money to enjoy, but there is one restaurant in New York that I could probably call my favorite, or at least mark it as a tie with my other favorite restaurant located here in Dallas: The Spotted Pig. I only had the opportunity to eat a meal here once, but that was enough to solidify its place in my heart. The wait for a table is always extreme, but there is a reason for that. The food is unreal. It’s a gastro-pub offering a fusion of traditional British fare and Italian cuisine. The pork belly was succulent. The shoestring fries, crisped to perfection. But nothing, nothing, could ever be as decadently delicious as the plump, pillowy, perfection that is their gnudi. Gnudi, which is literally translated to “naked”, are pasta-like ricotta dumplings that have been shed of their pasta “clothing.” The ricotta bursts through its thin exterior and immediately changes your world. They are a revelation. Trust me, once you eat gnudi, you will never want run-of-the-mill ravioli ever again.

By comparison, my favorite Dallas restaurant, which is much easier to get a table at, is rise nº 1. It’s an adorable French restaurant specializing in soufflés. They of course offer other French fare beyond soufflés, but why bother going if you’re not going to indulge in one of their many, many flavors like sun-dried tomato & pesto chèvre, truffle infused mushroom, or the Cajun crab & boursin cheese. You must save room for a chocolate, strawberry, or praline soufflé to finish your meal, however. All three are to die for. On second thought, it’s probably better to go ahead on order all three.

Besides my beloved Central Park and The Spotted Pig, there is perhaps one last thing that I miss more than anything: my bridge (otherwise known as the Williamsburg Bridge). I ran across it almost daily. There was something so peaceful and serene about pounding my feet on the pavement as I looked out upon the East River and the Manhattan skyline, breathing in the crisp, salty air. I loved being able to race toward the Lower East Side with Brooklyn behind me, only to turn around and experience it all over again. It’s not quite the same running around my flat Plano, TX neighborhood anymore. I’m always hoping to suddenly approach a vast metal structure that will carry me over a body of water of some kind. Which, on a side note, up until I lived in New York I never knew how much I loved being around water. Watching the sun glisten on the water’s surface never failed to make me smile, especially if I was lucky enough to catch a sunset while standing at the water’s edge.

It’s funny how memories tend to become more dear and precious as time goes on. As my time spent in New York grows more and more distant, I grow even fonder of my experiences there. My affection for sunsets, Central Park, and the Spotted Pig may be but mere, fading memories, but they’ll always hold a place in my heart. And at least I can still have my gnudi, and eat it too.

Karlie Kiser

Culinary Crumbs

(Gnudi recipe follows)

Ricotta Gnudi with Crispy Sage and Brown Butter Sauce

Inspired by The Spotted Pig, adapted from The Paupered Chef

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (if possible, use sheep’s milk ricotta or, if you’re up to it, make your own ricotta)

1 cup grated grated Parmesan

2 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ cup all-purpose flour

4-5 cups semolina flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

about 24 sage leaves

¼ cup shredded Parmesan, preferably Parmigiano Reggiano

fresh black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the ricotta, grated Parmesan, eggs, egg yolk and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until the mixture is light and airy.

2. Gently fold in the ½ cup flour until it is combined with the ricotta mixture. If the mixture seems too sticky at this point, add in 1 tablespoon more flour at a time.

3. In a large, shallow dish (but at least 2-inches deep), sprinkle ¼-inch semolina flour on the bottom. Using a small cookie dough scoop, about an inch in diameter, scoop the ricotta mixture into small, round balls, using floured hands to shape if necessary, and arrange on top of the semolina, making sure not to touch each other or the sides of the dish. After all the ricotta mixture is scooped, rolled, and arranged, cover the balls completely with the remaining semolina flour. The balls should be buried. Transfer to the fridge and let sit for at least 12 hours, and up to 24. *I found that resting the ricotta balls for 24 hours made a thicker “crust” than I would have liked. I would suggest a shorter resting period.

4. Carefully unearth the gnudi and set aside on a baking sheet. The remaining semolina flour can be sifted and reserved for another future use. Allow the gnudi to come to room temperature.

5. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Watch it carefully, and when the butter solids begin to brown and turn foamy, add the sage leaves. Continue to cook until the butter turns a nutty brown color. Be careful not to burn the butter, as it will turn bitter.

6. Once the water is boiling, carefully transfer the gnudi to the pot and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. Avoid overcooking or the exterior will toughen.

7. Removing the gnudi with a slotted spoon to drain, transfer to the brown butter sauce and serve immediately. Top with the shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh black pepper.

Serves 4

Street Merch: 47th and 10th Avenue

2010-08-03T14:04:00.004-04:00

This is a fun game. What would you do with this secretary's desk?

I would paint it Glossy Kelly Green and get new vintage stainless steel pulls.

Laura & Ryan Sitting in a tree...

2010-08-03T13:37:00.008-04:00

This is my friend Laura.
We lived in the same house in Auburn, Alabama for 2 years in college.
When I think of Laura, I'm reminded of endless amounts of coffee, brownie confections, robins egg blue, textures like burlap and linen, poofs in the back of our pony tails, Anthropologie, New York and felt tip pens.

Laura and Ryan are getting married this weekend, actually in like TWO DAYS!

Oh did I mention she makes cakes? They're beautiful. This girl has a knack for styling - Whether its a cake, or a room, or an outfit, it's always lovely. I was in Birmingham a few weeks ago for some wedding festivities and got to see her adorable bungalow home that she'll share with Ryan once they're married.

This is what I'm talking about. Here's a run of the mill organizational area done in earthy linen's and creams and its adorable.

Early on in college, Ivy and I went home with Laura and got to see her mom's absurdly cute historical (well maybe not technically) home. The first thing we saw, walking up to the house, was a cush little seating area, complete with outdoor lamps and fabrics. Laura's porch area reminds me so much of her mom!

I want a porch.

Check it. This is a chair Laura had in college. She had it re-stuffed, re-covered and shaped to be a touch more modern. How cute is that.

And here they are. Laura & Ryan. Kissing outside of House Number 410.
Can't wait for Saturday!

Look who came to visit...

2010-08-03T13:23:00.002-04:00

Little brother.

Only not so little.

A Tribute to New York City Part 1

2010-07-30T12:11:00.023-04:00

I’ve known Hannah since we were young, like really young. Braces young. Even training bras young. And though we went to school together for many, many years, I never really got to know her- that is until I moved to New York. I was lucky enough to develop a friendship with Hannah during my brief time in the Big Apple. I had a hard time meeting and making friends there, but Hannah definitely made things easier for me. Honestly one of the sweetest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, she was always reaching out and inviting me places. One of my favorite memories with her in New York was going to the Big Apple Barbeque Block Party. Rows upon rows of barbeque vendors from all over the US were there to share their finger lickin’ ribs and pulled pork, even some Texas standards such as The Salt Lick, which if you’re from Texas, you’ve no doubt heard about and hopefully had a chance to try- seriously good stuff.

It was actually at this block party that Hannah planted the seed, urging me to start my own blog writing about food and cooking, which is wherein my true passion lies. Before then, I was pretty oblivious to the world of blogging, but her suggestion intrigued me, and a couple months later I took Hannah’s advice and opened myself up to a whole new world of food blogging, a world I didn’t even know existed. But exploring this new world of virtual foodie friends and followers and writing and tweeting (twitting...?) about my culinary adventures, has allowed me to discover a new passion for writing, one that I didn’t even know I had, and that is, of course, thanks to Hannah.

I may have chosen to leave New York and return to the South, but that doesn’t mean my whole time spent up north was a waste or that it left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m not bitter about my time there. I actually had some fantastic experiences and was introduced to quite a few things, besides the smell of subways or how quickly rage could consume me when trying to fight my way trough the sea of people in Times Square. It was in New York that I had my first encounter with a farmer’s market, which is hard to believe considering my immense love for local and fresh ingredients.

I guess living in Dallas, the farmer’s markets here were always a destination, where as in New York, every time I stepped out in Union Square (after making my brief, but painful commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan) there were throngs of people scoping out what the vendors on that particular day had to offer. I’d always stroll- ok rush, I hate crowds- up and down the congested aisles, stopping every so often to linger over a particular piece of produce, but never making a purchase.

I had always thought farmer’s market purchases were supposed to be cheaper, encouraging folks to buy local instead of the chemical soaked copies that stock the grocery stores. Alas, the minuscule budget I lived on in New York did not allow me to enjoy the organic fruits and vegetables farmers from upstate had worked so hard to haul down into the city. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to wake up early- on a Saturday (gasp!) no less- and drive all the way to downtown Dallas to check out the Dallas Farmer’s Market.

I was like a kid in a candy store, except this candy store wouldn’t give me a stomachache or rot my teeth. There were so many choices of plump, juicy red Texas tomatoes, enormous green onions, the most delicious watermelon I’ve ever had, and some new little round “8-ball”squash that I had never seen before.

And not to brag or anything, but the farmer’s markets in Texas have got it right, on the prices that is. A bucket of 16 tomatoes cost $2! Ahhh, visions of bruschetta are dancing through my head…

Another newbie for me in New York, although quite less profound, was the side by side escalators, one of which was for your shopping cart. You New Yorkers, no doubt, know exactly what I’m talking about, while most Texans, I’m sure, don’t have a clue- that is unless you’ve made a trip to the brand spanking new Whole Foods that opened on Park Lane. My mom and I first encountered these escalators during our venture out to the Target on Flatbush, deep in the heart of Brooklyn- and man do I mean deep. My mom and I were pretty astounded at these escalators, which I guess is pretty silly, but that’s how we country bumpkins react to that fancy New York City stuff- ha.

The idea of 24/7 delivery, of absolutely anything, was also new to me in New York. Although I was only exposed to this luxury for a brief time, and this luxury was also “limited” to me living in Brooklyn, it has still spoiled me rotten, right to my core. There have been many, many nights that I have found myself lying on my couch, paralyzed with laziness, wondering what I should have delivered for dinner, and upon making my decision, only then do I realize that I don’t even have that option. There are sadly very few places that will deliver, and even fewer that do so past 9 pm. In New York, you could have groceries, wine, greasy Chinese food, and even toothpaste delivered at 4 am if necessary. How dare Plano make me get in my car and drive all the way to the nearest Asian take-out.

Bakeries were obviously not introduced to me during my time in New York, but the immense amount of them was. I probably could have a tried a different bakery each week during my year there and though I tried quite a few of them, there were more than a few that I never had a chance to sample. However, the two bakeries that really resonated with me were the two darlings of New York City: Billy’s Bakery and Magnolia Bakery. The two have long held an infamous rival with one another and it’s easy to see why. The cupcakes, which were basically made famous by Magnolia with thanks to Sex and the City, were, while delicious, not the real reason why I would frequent these bakeries. (But for anyone wondering which cupcake I favor of the two… I’d have to go with Billy’s- the actual cake of the cupcake is much lighter.) No, it wasn’t the cupcakes that kept me coming back, not even with their towers of buttercream. At Billy’s, it was their heavenly banana cake with cream cheese frosting.

I remember the exact moment that I had put that first bite into my mouth. I had just come from the Bronx Zoo and decided to take a detour to Billy’s Bakery. I took my tired self home, from the Bronx, to Chelsea, and all the way back to Brooklyn, climbed the stairs to my 3rd story apartment, and before I even allowed myself to sit down, I took that first fateful bite of banana cake. It really was life changing. The creamy, tangy frosting paired with the impossibly moist cake with small bits of banana baked through, (pause to wipe drool) literally made me weak in the knees. Like I said, heavenly. Then there is Magnolia Bakery, that has my second and third favorite desserts, and, oddly enough, one of them is also made of bananas. The banana pudding there is insane. It’s not your grandma’s banana pudding. The other dessert is the red velvet cheesecake. I had never heard of red velvet cheesecake before this. And I love red velvetanything. And I adore cheesecake. So this particular dessert had high standards to live up to. It did not disappoint, but rather soared right past those expectations.

While I do feel a little sad reminiscing about those delectable desserts from such charming bakeries, don’t feel too sorry for me. Dallas has some quality competitors. I ordered a cake for my mom’s 50th birthday from Society Bakery, but this wasn’t just any old cake. This was a chocolate, turtle, caramel, gooey, rich- did I mention chocolate?- cake. It was pretty darn awesome. While I was there picking up the cake, I of course also had to pick up a couple other goodies, a couple of cupcakes and some petit-fours. The petit-fours are definitely where it’s at. The cupcakes were somewhat forgettable for me. If you want a good cupcake in Dallas, check out Dimple’s, they’re delicious and jumbo sized which is always a plus. I mean, is there such a thing as too much cupcake?

I still haven’t found a worthy replacement of the banana cake, however. So making my own would have to suffice. My recipe for Banana Cake is a good enough substitute, so I invite you to indulge in your own “Billy’s Bakery” moment. For me, it’s like having a little slice of NYC, where each bite allows memories to come flooding back. I can’t promise the same for you, but it’s worth a shot. The frosting alone, if nothing else, is worth it.

I’ll be back next Friday with a follow up post on more New York memories and another NYC inspired recipe.

Karlie

Culinary Crumbs

(Banana Cake recipe follows)

Heavenly Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Inspired by Billy's Bakery

Ingredients:

Crisco for greasing pans

2 3/4 cups cake flour (plus more for pans), sifted

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

5 ripe bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Grease and flour 3, 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350º F.

2. Mash the bananas with a fork in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat.

4. Gently stir in the sour cream, banana mixture, pecans, walnuts, and vanilla. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and place in the oven. Set a pan of water on the rack below the cakes; it will help to keep the cakes moist. Bake for 23-28 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

5. Once completely cooled, assemble, fill and frost the cake. Sprinkle with additional chopped pecans or walnuts. Enjoy!

(cream cheese frosting recipe follows)

Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:

2, 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth in consistency, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar and continue to beat until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.

2. The pecans/walnuts can be stirred into the frosting or reserved to sprinkle on top of the frosted cake.

Introductions: Meet Karlie

2010-07-29T15:28:00.004-04:00

I've known Karlie since elementary school. Our moms were room mothers together at Brinker Elementary and our brothers have played baseball together, like forever. Karlie lived in New York for a year and we got to catch up, talk Texas and eat pulled pork sandwiches together at the Big Apple BBQ. Towards the end of her time in New York, or maybe right when she moved back to Dallas (she'll have to remind me) she started her blog Culinary Crumbs. It's approachable and charming! So I thought, "It's kind of neat that we went to elementary school together and reconnected in New York. Maybe she'll write something here!" So she is. Tomorrow. And I'm so excited. Clear off those Google Readers friends, we've got new stuff for tomorrow!

Kate Spade

2010-07-28T17:39:00.004-04:00

Nothing perks a Wednesday up more than finding updated lovelies on the Kate Spade website!

I know I talk about her a lot. But its hard to not be taken with the strong, decisive and clever Kate Spade brand. Sidenote - That book think on the left is a CLUTCH!

My sister is one of those people who looks cute all the time. I'm talkin' jeans and a fleece and she looks adorable. If I had to guess, her staple outfit would be a simple tank, dark jeans, wedges/heels and a piece of loud statement jewelry. Like this necklace. Always a winner!

I got excited when I saw this vase cost only $25. Then I realized it was 3.5 inches tall. Maybe not the best bang for your buck, but cute! As is that cake plate. If I were ever to start a collection, it might be cake plates. Just in case you were interested.

Tuesday's List

2010-07-27T12:17:00.003-04:00

J. Rawlings Photography

Jess, my photographer friend from college, just let me scroll through her Mediterranean vacation pictures. I was looking for a great image to start off the post I was about to write. Something lovely and vague that would pair nicely with my PW inspired List I was about to jott down. Something like the above image.

I shuffled through a hundred pictures or so before I ran into this picture. The one below. Forget the list! Does this look familiar?

J. Rawlings Photography

Did you figure it out??

It's where Ali (the bachelorette) and the infamous Frank wined and dined on their date in Turkey! I remembered Jess stopped in Istanbul on their vacation, but had to reconfirm this fact via gchat with her like 5 minutes ago.

So I keep scrolling through.

But then I see THIS picture...

J. Rawlings Photography

A little trickier, but if you watch the Bachelorette like my group of friends does (after Bible study... ahem) then you would know exactly what the above picture is. It's where Justin "Rated-R" is found out by Ali! I think those are the actual hedges that Justin awkwardly traipses through with his injured foot and messenger bag! What in the world!!

Street Merch - Hell's Kitchen

2010-07-25T21:50:00.007-04:00

I saw this dresser walking home from work the other day. Hell's Kitchen has the best street merch. It's a shame I couldn't take this with me. Oh to paint it glossy navy...

PS. I had friends and their sisters in town this weekend and they have been stuck at JFK airport ALL afternoon. Like 6 hours. I feel so bad! At least I could leave them on a Shake Shack note...

The Phil

2010-07-16T12:12:00.005-04:00

After pouring all the live long day, the weather cleared up just enough to enjoy the Philharmonic in the park. Actually ended up being beautiful outside! I followed a family that was carrying a large pizza through the maze of central park and tromped my way to the Great Lawn. A few friends and I stretched our blanket out over the damp grass, emptied our plastic bags full of Little Debbies, grapes, hummus and wine and people watched. Oh the people watching! There were the staple New York families lounging around, clearly not their first time at the Phil. And young-ish Connecticut guys saving room for their late comer friends. Plus plenty of odd ball singles and (over the top) romantic couples sprinkled all around.

Did I mention we had chocolate?

You can tell the level of humidity by the atmosphere around the bun on top of my head.

iPhone pics.

So had I really thought through things, I would have come better prepared. I got 'spread' envy early in the night when I looked around the blankets closest to us. People had meats, cheese, baguettes, bottles and bottles of wine, candles and lounge chairs! We... did not. So next year, I think I might make more of a statement with our set up. Something like this -

A lantern or 2 from IKEA.

More candles and a snazzy table (sitting) cloth from anthropologie!

And last but not least, maybe some cupcakes Baked By Melissa.

Going to the chapel...

2010-07-06T12:51:00.003-04:00

No, not me. But my best friend Ivy is!

Ivy and Drew got engaged on Friday, July 2nd. A few close friends helped Drew create the perfect proposal ambiance with blue hydrangeas, white roses and lots of candles...

All photos courtesy of Hayley Wiggins. So talented, that one!

A darling couple. And some serious bling.

To think that little Ivy and I met while dancing in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade almost 8 years ago. A story for another time!

CONGRATULATIONS!
And let the wedding planning begin!

Blue Sky & Low Humidity

2010-06-30T11:19:00.003-04:00

It's going to be a good day.

With the passing of heat and humidity comes the welcome reappearance of charm and order in the city. Manhattan is a buzz with iced coffee and summer sandals and my hair has finally tamed to its (somewhat) normal size and texture.

For no real reason, except it's a lovely day here, I thought I'd show you 2 of my favorite rooms.

I just love the room above. There's a strong element of whimsy and spunk. Mildly indulgent really. Oh, but I like it.

The second image is a little less, "Single girl in the city". Love the strong and grounded stripes, paired with the old school map and floral sink skirt.

Hope you're having a marvelous day!

*Don't have sources for either of these images. Fail. I know. I'll get better about that. Promise.

Stripetacular!

2010-06-28T23:24:00.008-04:00

Just days ago I was debating what color to paint the stripes in our foyer and now, I crane my head into the small entrance room and spy the most fantastic horizontal geometry to hit ever the walls of Apartment 9A. We started with a pretty intense plan as you can see below-

A diet coke, an iPhone, a number 2 pencil and some junk mail used as scrap paper. We don't mess around here.

Roommate Lindsay Ann and I met in the Oop's Paint aisle at the 59th street Home Depot the day before. We had 4 or 5 different shades of taupey gray, but landed on this Behr Paint & Primer in flat enamel. I'm a fan of Oop's paint for 2 main reasons: It's $5 for a GALLON and it helps limit down the overwhelming selection of paint colors out there. I'm from the camp of "lets just pick one and make it work." So we did. And boy did it work.

All in all we bought 4 rolls of 1 inch thick blue tape, 1 gallon of $5 Oops paint and a small painters kit that came with a paint tray, 2 rollers and a brush. We ghetto rigged giant trash bags as drop cloths leaving our grand total room reno cost at about $30.

It's amazing what a little paint can do.

The taping was, undoubtedly, the hardest part. After 2 hours of taping, leveling and cussing, we finally had our room lined in blue.

Don't you love the satisfaction of opening a new can of paint?

And painting the first couple of stripes.

This is around the time we started obsessing over how great the gray was looking. We were, however, nervous about peeling off the blue tape. I mean, how well could a little blue tape really work??

Pretty darn well!

And for the finished room...

The mirror above used to hang in Lindsay Ann's room. Because the stripes are so design prevalent, we repurposed it as a tray. It maintains its character, but carries a new sophistication.

We'll probably end up putting new fabric in the black IKEA frame, but for now, I love the simple graphic quality in between those lamps!

We are thrilled! Not only was the experience fun, but the results are totally better than we anticipated!! Every time I walk into the room, I feel like I'm living in a blog. And, our makeshift buffet/credenza/*street merch wouldn't be complete without the latest issue of Garden & Gun.

Hope you enjoyed the foyer overhaul!

**Street Merch: Abandoned furniture found on the side of the streets of New York City, left for others to claim. The term was coined by a self-employed advertiser who runs his company out of Dallas.

Jailbird Part II

2010-06-24T13:58:00.002-04:00

My roommates and I have decided to paint stripes in our foyer. We've decided on the color navy. Or gray. Or possibly yellow. And you know black would always be cute...... Maybe we haven't decided on a color. Or the orientation and size of the stripes. So I'm pulling samples to decide what would look the best.

Yea. Still have no idea. Do you have a preference?

138 Unread Items

2010-06-23T15:55:00.002-04:00

When life gets busy, I get overwhelmed by my google reader.
Like now.
It irks me to have so many bolded unread items.
So I put it off until it becomes a burdensome indulgence for another time.
But let me tell you.
I'm eager to rave about a recent trip to the Jersey Shore with my small group.
Really dying to tell you about an empanada lunch with blogger Stephanie Sabbe. Seriously, could she be more adorable? Not likely.
I'd love to update you on some room overhauls and an upcoming childhood friend guest blogger.
But to fit those fun updates into these 5 minutes between meetings and charts and diet cokes, wouldn't be fair. So it will just have to wait. Not that I'm blogging from work....uh.

Jail Bird

2010-06-16T22:56:00.003-04:00

There is a major stripe movement happening in Apartment 9A. It's starting in my room. I'm half way through a project involving one of these bedspreads from ikea....

But not how you'd expect. Especially not what you'd expect at $19.99. More to come.

Lamps - Jaclyn Smith Style

2010-06-11T11:01:00.003-04:00

When you don't have a Target or Walmart, you make do. But I have to say, Kmart is a hidden gem in the city. I stopped by last night, grabbed a diet coke from the the front and slowly combed the store in a post-work 'let's pretend I live in a normal city' trans. I made it to the lamp section where I saw these baby's.

Cute, right? I thought so! I know the elephant one is a little crazy, but there is something neat about it! All the Jaclyn Smith lamps were $50 and under. Along with her clothes, curtains and dishware, she seems to know what she's doing at Kmart!

Garden & Gun

2010-06-09T23:10:00.003-04:00

I've been introduced to a new magazine - Garden & Gun. It's a Southern Lifestyle publication out of Atlanta that covers all things South of the Mason Dixon. After thumbing through the June issue and reading up on their website, I've decided I really really like this magazine. Because like many of their readers, I'm a Southerner living no where near the South.

Jenna Mischner's article 'The Southern Invasion of NYC", especially caught my attention. The excerpt below is such an accurate depiction:

Every time I visit friends and family down South, they ask me when I’m coming home. What I’ve come to realize is that I am home—in a way, at least. There are Derby parties in the spring, pig roasts in the summer, football tailgates in the fall, and farmers selling country hams, dirt-dusted collards, and fresh black-eyed peas from roadside stalls on New Year’s Eve. Maybe it’s the thrill of having all of these distinctly Southern moments out of context, but I’ve never felt a greater sense of belonging. Of course there are still tall buildings and jackhammers and densely packed streets, but the South is flourishing as much in Manhattan as it is in Memphis or Mobile. Which means transplants like me feel comfortable here in a way Willie Morris never could—no matter how long we intend to stay.

Office Overhaul

2010-06-03T13:35:00.006-04:00

While in Nashville, I had the chance to help tweak my friend Erin's office. She works in a super creative environment here. She's one of those people that loves warm, lived in, interesting and TIDY spaces. I, too, am that kinda girl. So we picked up our Sonic Route 44 Diet Cherry Lime Cokes and quickly spun through my go to places: Home Goods, Michael's and World Market.

Here is the office

BEFORE

*Now let me just say, her office would have looked great with a big dose of organization and tidying up. But we decided to take it a step further and warm it up a bit.

& AFTER

The lanterns are from World Market and the lamp from Home Goods (of course!).

We tried the lamp on the other side of the desk as you can see by the above picture. It eventually found its home on the right side, but I thought you could see the detail of the lanterns & lamp in this picture. TMI. Sorry.

Don't really have before pictures of this side of her office because the above bookshelf was actually behind the door. Weird. So we moved it over to the right and rearranged and simplified. Much better. That little white vase is from Home Good's as well.

Ok now this was really fun. Erin needed some art.

So I channeled David Bromstad. He was the the first winner on HGTV's Design Star and was also one of the Design Mentors on that show I was part of. He's known for adding a "David Bromstad Painting" to each room he completes. One type of painting I've seen him do is the drip painting. I'm sure there's a fancier term, but that will work for now. I (with Erin's occasional help) painted a canvas by: 1) Moving random acrylic paint all over a canvas 2) Spraying canvas with water bottle 3) Watching the paint drip 4) Letting paint dry 5) And repeating. I think our finished product is kinda cool!

Thanks for letting me play with your office!

Just because I thought it was cute, I've included a picture of Erin and I at "I Dream of Weenie". It's a hot dog place in East Nashville that operates out of a vintage airstream. My hot dog had homemade pimento cheese on it. You must go there.

There once was a girl named Emily.

2010-06-01T00:04:00.008-04:00

Emily is a tall and striking red head who grew up in Potomac, Maryland. After a brief college stint on the West Coast, she returned to her love - New York City.

Through a maze of random friend and church connections, she met her roommates. Jamie, Lindsay Ann and Hannah. The moved into Apartment 9A on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

They threw parties, watched the Bachelor, hosted Bible studies, ate large amounts of Thai food and dump cake....

Ran half marathons, ate BBQ in the city, enjoyed the parks (both Central & Riverside)...

And ate industrial size containers of Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding.

Emily is driving a U-Haul back home with sister Courtney as we speak.
The roommates of Apartment 9A will miss her spunky humor and sweet disposition, but we are thankful for the time we had with her!

I made a little photo book for her. Homemade presents are just the best.

Sonic, my love.

2010-05-31T23:59:00.002-04:00

Spent the weekend in Nashville with this college friend. I made her take me to Sonic 3 times.

Bless her heart.

We did a total overhaul of her office. Can't wait to show you pictures.

I think my tan is fading.

2010-05-31T23:15:00.004-04:00

I've mentioned this before. One of my favorite parts to any beach trip or vacation is coming home with the tinge of sunburn still on your skin. A week after my trip with the Outlaw family to a little island in the Caribbean and I can barely remember the prickle of red hot skin on my shoulders. Truly one of the most generous families I know and undoubtedly one of the most memorable vacations to date!

This is Turner. She's a dear college friend. I know it looks like we are standing in front of an ocean & banister backdrop. You know, the kind they'd have on a Carnival Cruise ship. But, this is in fact the view from our hotel room. Has it already been a week since we were there??

Aside from the views, the pool, the kind staff and delicious food....(I'm cutting this list off before it gets absurd)... I loved the ambiance of the outdoor bar and lounge area. Around 8pm every night, the sun would set on the ocean, leaving us surrounded by crispy mid-western couples and candle light. There were a variety of lanterns strung between the palm trees and plenty of mod rattan seating.

Makes me wonder if I could take lighting cues from our hotel and transfer them onto a roof top project I'm working on. Here are a few lantern options I'm considering.

White and aluminum lanterns - Ikea

Colorful lanterns - Z Gallerie

Back in a few!

2010-05-19T01:47:00.003-04:00

I'm off to the beach tomorrow. PTL. This trip with this friend is blessing my life in big ways.

I've been reintroduced to the iconic Dorothy Draper by the same friend whose house I warmed a few weeks ago. I leave you with this note from Dorothy-

Have you ever stopped to think what fun this business of living can be? If you haven't and if you're one of those who insist upon believing that life is humdrum, grim and boring, then I'm afraid this department isn't for you. For I don't believe any such thing. I know that we can all free ourselves and live our lives fully, zestfully and joyfully!

-Dorothy Draper

I need a beach bag yo!

2010-05-17T12:17:00.005-04:00

The Jersey Shore is something I've come to love. I'm not talking guido + poof Jersey Shore, I'm talking meeting friends at Penn Station, loading up on coffee and bagels, riding the NJ Transit a quick hour and lounging at the beach all day. I love this tradition. Plus, getting out of the city keeps my sanity in check.

A few of my summer items needs refreshing. First up, a new (and affordable) beach bag. Here's what I've found so far...

1. Juicy Couture - Nordstrom's 2. Forever 21 3. Target 4. Target 5. Old Navy

Now this is going to get a little crazy. I was in K-Mart last week (Yes, we have a K-Mart) and saw these cute totes! I think they were $12 and Joe Boxer. Who would have thought?

Joe Boxer - KMart

Housewarming on the Lower East Side

2010-05-12T23:26:00.000-04:00

New York social events revolve around a handful of things. The three most present in my life are: new apartments, good weather and birthdays. The past weekend, friends Kelly & Hannah introduced their new digs with a Housewarming Party. Kelly and Hannah are both interior designer/non-profit entrepreneurs. Quite a pair! They have THE most adorable apartment.

Such an eye for arranging and staging! Their apartment is a mix of eclectic, colorful and traditional elements.

The exposed brick wall runs the course of the apartment and adds loads of character and texture. I need to ask Hannah where she got these floating bookshelves. I love them!

The apartment is filled with small nooks and collections. These darling fabric pins are products of Hello Robertson, an accessories line crafted by Kelly & Hannah.

Noted: If I ever get married, I've got to take a picture like the one above.

So unexpected. Kelly has a collection of New York "door pictures" hung asymmetrically above her bed. Incredibly simple and vibrant. Lovely.

This turquoise lamp and printed curtain are tucked away in a brick cove that overlooks a disheveled courtyard. Old meets new in this little corner.

And to end my housewarming tour, I leave you with hats.

I think we all need to go buy a flouncey red hat to hang on the brick wall that we may or may not have.

Spring Brights - On a shoestring!

2010-05-09T22:35:00.003-04:00

Last post about Design on a Dime, I promise.

The event also had a faux outdoor section, complete with fake hedges and outdoor seating. Look at this clever party lighting below-

Genius! Yes, those are plastic colorful cups and bowls laid on top of white twinkle lights. I'm pretty sure I've seen these at Walmart for CHEAP. I'm talking $5 for a dozen cheap. What an easy and bright trick for outdoor/party lighting!

Design on a Dime

2010-05-09T21:05:00.004-04:00

What an experience! I have a few pictures to share with you from the Housing Works Design on a Dime event I went to, courtesy of Design*Sponge. There were more than 25 different designers who set up small vignette like rooms to showcase their own style. The space was packed with people and the rooms swarming with personality! You can view the Design*Sponge recap here, it's pretty fabulous!

I was in hog heaven. Embracing the freedom of being anonymous and getting in the zone, I walked and took pictures and walked and bumped into people and walked..... Here are the few things I saw -->

Not sure if this translates accurately in the picture, but there was a room covered in hand painted black and white images. Like the ones seen above. The perspective was even accurate! Not quite as kitschy as mural, but equally as interesting!

Love this repurposed looking table. A herringbone pattern was created with different pieces of blue painted and raw scrap (I think!) wood.

Interesting variation of a sofa or bedside table. Amazing what fresh flowers and a great bed spread will do.

I have a thing for metal. Especially in the form of chairs.

Love love love this chair. I'm looking around my room right now trying to find something to paint shiny black and recover in lime/mustard yellow. Dangit. I don't see anything.

This picture doesn't do justice to the clean white buffet and black and white photography collection. So classic. Can we just ignore the shadow of the person taking a picture with their iphone?

Mid-Century modern gets me every time. What a quirky and successful mix of a gold cube planter, fur rug, oval gray table, Ikat pillows and clean lined sofa.

Remember when Ty was the hunky carpenter on Trading Spaces? Good times. Along with Jaclyn Smith, Ty was a host of the event.

This is exactly what you're thinking. Don't be awkward. You bet I got a picture with Ty. I asked some random interior design girl hoovering around to take the picture. Ha.

Ok, so it's a little awkward. Oh. I thought about getting a picture with Jaclyn Smith, but y'all, she was SO beautiful! I couldn't work up the boldness! Next time Jackie.

I don't want to take my liking of chalkboard paint too far, but I did think this was a fun over the top variation.

Thanks again Design*Sponge!

Long Overdue!

2010-05-06T09:19:00.006-04:00

Updates for you!

LAST WEEKEND
My dad and sister were in town last weekend for a project we are working on. The weekend was full of furniture, New York and schlepping. We had a ball! I'm sure this is annoyingly vague to read, but I'll have more details soon! For now I leave you with this picture of us with my dads head cut off. Thank you cab driver man for your photography skills.

DESIGN*SPONGE - DESIGN ON A DIME
This weekend, during our ambiguous furniture searching project, I picked up this promo. Housing Works is the coolest thrift-with-a-cause store. Seriously great stuff! I looked into the event, but it was out of my price range. Oh well, I'll watch from a distance!

But wait! Just the other day, I noticed Design*Sponge holding a contest for thrift store finds from their readers. The 5 winners get a ticket to the snazzy event! With 30 minutes left before the deadline last night, I applied! And.....

I was chosen! I'm the one in the yellow frame looking extra "photo bloggy." I'm not trying to be cool, I just couldn't get a decent picture of my thrift store mirror without me in it. Ha. You can read the article here! Can't wait for tonight's event. I'll keep you posted! Pun intended ;)

Design*Sponge is my favorite daily read, I'm so thankful to be included! Thanks Design*Sponge!!

All the updates for now. Back to work. Have a good Thursday!

The Selby and The Jane

2010-04-21T22:30:00.003-04:00

So it seems I'm all about book signings these days. Went to Pioneer Woman's book signing a few months ago. Then went to darling Molly Weisenburg's, of Orangette, book singing at Posman's Book at Chelsea Market. My most recent and colorful book signing experience involved 2 things. Both entirely trendier and cooler than I, but fun all the same!

I met The Selby at The Jane last Friday. The Selby (also known as Todd Selby) is a portrait, interior and fashion photographer. His images of cluttered and lived in interiors are just as fascinating as his spirited friends, also in the images. Todd was friendly and quirky and his book is fantastic. Like a People magazine melted into an Eye Spy book.

I'll be honest. I did want to see/meet The Selby. But I really really wanted to see The Jane. It's a hotel not too far from the meat packing district, hunkered right next to the Hudson River. Built in 1908, it housed the Titanic survivors in 1912 and was later taken over by the YMCA in the 40's. This place was loaded with character and charm. And an edge of eeriness. The rooms are classified in 'cabins' (Standard, Bunk and Captain) and the staff is clad in authentic bell hop attire.

I tried to take pictures but I was making my coworkers awkward, so I used these pictures from the Jane site. You should stop by this place if you're every in the neighborhood. It's lovely and odd all at the same time.

Benny Boy

2010-04-19T23:45:00.003-04:00

Little brother Benny turns 20 today!

Look at that punk.

And his sister from Jersey Shore. Ha.

John Bennett Flora, the youngest and only boy of the 3 Flora kids, is twenty. My goodness!

This is the kid who at the age of 3, would come into my room at night and say "Hannah... can I sleep in your bed?"

7 year old Hannah would reply "Ben. Ugh. Go ask Gracie first."

Little Benny would shuffle over to 5 year old Gracie's room.

After a few moments of silence, I would hear, "BEN. Get out of my room!"

Feeling a little sad and guilty that I had sent such a helpless kid into the lions den, I would let him sleep in my bed. This routine went on for at least a year.

This is also the kid who had more head injuries than you could count on one hand before the age of 10.

Also the kid who turned out to be pretty good at baseball.

Oh, and yep, the same kid that hates talking on the phone but has the most dry and clever wit when he finally gets to talking.

All this to say, I love this little brother of mine, quirks and all.

Happy Birthday John Bennett!

Our girl Kate

2010-04-15T00:05:00.003-04:00

Oh Kate Spade. How does she do it? Her website is absurdly lovely. Her merchandise is, well, even lovelier. I recently ran across a few of her stationary pieces when I was on the hunt for new writing supplies. I LOVE her paper items, they're just a little out of my price range. I like my stationary hearty, personalized and in large amounts. I love using a flat card of monogramed stationary just to write a quick "Thought I'd say hi!" kind of a note.

I'm not sure what these say, but I'm sure it's something clever.

The vases and flowers are random and darling.

So I thought I'd include them.

So Nice

2010-04-13T16:23:00.002-04:00

I keep thinking about this image I saw in the most recent Lonny. Something about that deep blue paint and those extra white panels and matchstick blinds... Love the warm but stark contrast of it all.

Street Lamps

2010-04-11T22:19:00.003-04:00

I work at a large ad agency in New York. My job is a busy mix of corporate and creative. My boss says its where art meets commerce. I completely agree. I've found it to be a great fit. I get a kick out of the people and find myself learning new things on most days. Better yet, I work for a sharp, fabulous and kind boss who shares in my love for Broadway Shows and Interior Design.

She recently connected me with a friend of hers doing a little spring apartment cleaning/selling. With roommate Lindsay Ann in tow, I stopped by the ATM and headed over to the East Side.

What did we find, you ask?

Two of the most sparkly fun lamps I've ever seen.

Lindsay Ann holding one.

Me holding the other.

You would not believe the comments we got on our way back to the apartment. I'm not kidding. In true New York fashion, people were rolling down their windows to ask us about the lamps we were carrying down the street. Being the frugal gals we are, we took the bus home and made quite the ruckus...

We even made some new friends on the bus.

One of them being Peggy. She knocked on our lamp shades and asked if we had a camera. I did, and gave it to her. And she took this picture. I'm so glad she did!

Thanks Peggy!

Now - I don't think just any old lamps would solicit the kind of response we got. I think it had everything to do with how darn cute these lamps were! And maybe my spastically bright yellow jacket. It's a toss up.

The foyer is a work in progress, but the lamps will be living somewhere around here.

Oh. OH. I didn't tell you the best part.

I only paid $50. For the PAIR.

Thank you very much boss lady's friend!

Oh. My. Gosh.

2010-04-09T09:54:00.002-04:00

Yes. This is another mouse story and probably the most dramatic. Reader Beware.

Last night, I had a fun catch up dinner at Dino with one of my oldest friends in the world and her younger sister. They were in New York looking at law schools for little sister. I got home around 10:30 and heard conversation towards Emily's room. I wandered back and before I saw Emily, I noticed Emily's rain boots. On her feet.

This was my first indication that there's an issue. A rodent issue.

I walked into her room and now had full view of the folding chair and box lid maze/trap in place to catch the mouse that was in her closet. Roommate Emily and her visiting friend Emily quickly filled me in on the mouse saga so far. I put my bag down, shut my bedroom door (in case there was an escape!) and grabbed the swiffer. Yes, the swiffer.

With deep nervous breaths, we prepared for attack. With Roommate Emily holding a box lid, friend Emily holding an empty trash can and me with the swiffer, we slowly started pulling luggage and bags out of the closet. After emptying all but one bag, we saw a glimpse of the mouse scurrying UP THE WALL to hide behind some wrapping paper. Goodness they climb walls!?!!?!?!?! At this point, we are mildly wigging out and decide it best to involve Joe, the Super.

Emily speedily found him and told him there was a mouse in her closet. He said, "Keep it!". Not the time for jokes Joe! After quick convincing, he was at the scene. Joe, cool as a cucumber and completely unphased, got on all fours and reached into the back of the closet. (Rooomate Emily, Friend Emily and I are all standing behind Joe armed with our weapons of choice, completely prepared to advance if our front line goes down.) We sensed a struggle in the back corner of the closet, Joe reached in further and the mouse flew out of the closet. With swiffers and trash cans flying, we screamed and retreated to the bed. We heard squealing from the mouse. And with a blink, the mouse was gone. Ohhhhh no. Where the heck did it go?

We look to Joe for answers and he grabs at his knee.

"Son of a b****", he says.
"Joe, what?? Where did it go????", we say as panic rises.
"Son of a b**** is in my pants", he calmly states in his heavy European accented english, as he begins to stand up.
"What are you talking about Joe! No, really. Where IS IT?", we all beg!

Joe stood up gripping the lump around his knee. Gave it a quick squeeze and then shook his pant leg out. Out falls the son of a b**** onto our hardwood floors.

We SCREAMED. I mean, really scream. There might have been a few tears also. It's a bit of a blur. After minutes of pure chills down your back wigging out, Joe picks up the enemy by its tail and casually walks out of our apartment.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Never in my life....

I'm in a chair mood.

2010-04-07T22:17:00.004-04:00

And a bit of a California mood, too.

Mix equal parts of both and you get the mid-century home furnishing store Room Service in LA. I was doing some Lucite chair research for roommate Lindsay Ann and barged onto the site. This store speaks the same spunky and modern vernacular of many of my favorite blogs.

What fun pieces to liven up a space!

PS: I've had the song "Under the Boardwalk" stuck in my head since yesterday when a homeless man sang his way uptown on my subway car. This is really here nor there. Just thought you should know.

Mom!

2010-04-02T09:52:00.002-04:00

I was looking through the Pottery Barn catalog last night and saw a few things that screamed Cindy! So I thought, why not blog it! First thing. I know the picture is small, but can you see these darling clean lined framed alphabets? Could be a sweet and tidy element to add in with some of your other framed alphabets.

I LOVE this Royal Blue paint. This needs to find a place in both of our lives!

Now that all the cats are banned from your room, I think you and dad need this bedding! The red duvet (with little blue birds on it) would be perfect. As would the crisp white duvet.

So there it is. What do you think mom?

Date with the city

2010-03-29T12:05:00.007-04:00

Friday night I was introduced (via my friend Susan) to 2 things in the city:

1. Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery

Spunky and delicious flavors like faux coconut, pistachio and strawberry
CHEAP cupcakes ($1.50) and CHEAP coffee ($1.00!)
Warm, colorful, pedestrian and frayed edges interior
How did I not know about this place?
These cupcakes rival all other cupcake places in the city!

2. 190 Bowery

What is 190 Bowery? It's a huge striking concrete building straddling the corner of Bowery and Spring
6 floors, 72 rooms, about 35,000 square feet.
Occupied by photographer Jay Miesel and his family. His family of 3.
The entire first floor exterior is covered in graffiti (see above picture)
Miesel bought the BUILDING, not an apartment or floor but the whole building, in 1966. It was originally a bank.
New York Mag tells us that Maisel uses the first, second, and third floors as gallery spaces for his photography and art projects. The fourth floor, which Maisel once rented out to Roy Lichtenstein, is a work-in-progress. The fifth has various workshops, like the Mylar-window-shade room.
My fascination with this place is stirred up by its discrete and mysterious nature. Even the graffiti adds to it's aloofness.

All pictures taken by Leigh Davis for NY Magazine.

Housekeeping

2010-03-23T10:34:00.004-04:00

ANGIE
One of my sweet and colorful friends here in New York gave me a little mention. Angie is such a great writer, definitely a Must Add to your Reader kinda gal.

ORANGETTE
My mom got me hooked on this blog and book. Molly Wizenberg has easily become one of my favorite life and food writers. Her book Homemade Life has just come out in paperback and she's going on a tour. You know I love a good book tour. She's coming to NYC on April 6th. Want to go with me?

JESSICA
And then theres my uber talented photography friend Jessica, who is based in Atlanta. I snagged a few minutes with her in January. What a talent. Geez!!

100CAMERAS
100Cameras. Such a clever and thoughtful organization. New friend Kelly is a part of it and put together this darling stop motion video from their booth at the Design Show this weekend.

HARRY POTTER
Just finished the 6th book. And I'm in a bit of a funk.
If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about.

I Love Road Trips.

2010-03-23T10:00:00.004-04:00

Drove from New York to DC this weekend.

Not in a bus.

Not on a train.

But in a car. A real car. I can't tell you how civil this feels.

Live in New York and commute with hundreds of others every day and you start to loose your grip on humanity.

On our way back we stopped in Philly for milkshakes at Franklin's Fountain.

Photo By John Fischer

Who knew Philadelphia was so darn cute! It was the West Village with a Boston edge. Very Americana.

Architectural Digest Home Design Show

2010-03-19T10:05:00.002-04:00

I'm a little sad I'll be missing the Design Show this weekend. But, I've chosen a quick road trip to DC with friends instead. Doesn't this show look amazing!

My Best Valentines Ever

2010-03-16T17:14:00.004-04:00

After my somewhat grumpy Banana on Fire spiel, I felt the need to vouch for New York's goodness. So, before you mark this post as read on your reader, I want to tell you about the down right unbelievable event I was part of on Valentines.

It's called the Reveal Valentine's Day Makeover. Reveal is a grass roots movement of NYC industry professionals who come together to celebrate women recovering from abuse and sex exploitation. Reveal marries NY Fashion Week with the modern-day Cinderella Story by providing professional one-on-one consultation in fashion, beauty, skincare and hair. The goal? To corporately and intentionally help women feel beautiful, loved and chosen. No strings attached.

(This description was loosely adapted from the Reveal Blog. Go Check it out!)

What a day! Working the registration table, I had a great view of the entire operation. All day women walked through the door and were swooped up by their designated host and sweetly ushered from station to station. These women were beautiful before they ever walked through the door of Reveal. But let me tell you, they were glowing, stunning, confident BEAUTIFUL when they left. I'm thankful to have played even a small part in such a meaningful organization.

Take a minute and watch the video.

It will be time well spent, I assure you.

Reveal Valentine's Makeover 2010 from Reveal NYC on Vimeo.

Our girl Ree

2010-03-14T17:27:00.007-04:00

Roommate Emily and I are huge fans of Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. We read her blog often, met her on the book tour and want to be her when we grow up. So when planning our menu for a small dinner party the other night, it was necessary to try Ree's recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. Can't say its the first time I've had it. My sister has made it twice for our family and we're addicted.

Table set and cook book out. Ready Go.

Pioneer Woman's Cookbook rally's my Domino Book of Decorating for the spot of Favorite Lifestyle Book.

Look at Emily grate that cheese! You know this domestic woman is single?!

Good thing only girls read my blog... Ha. Sorry Em.

Our dinner guests threw together an arugula, red pepper and goat cheese salad. Yum.

I didn't even take a picture of our finished and delicious mac and cheese. Probably because Ree's photography and cooking skills leave my attempts in the dust. So why don't you take a moment and head to her site. Brace yourself. You're about to crave mac and cheese.

Here I am. Just reading my book.

Thanks to our girl Ree, it was a hit.

I think I might go help myself to left overs right now...

More from West 89th Street

2010-03-13T18:03:00.008-05:00

And we continue the apartment tour with my area. Our apartment is a Classic 6 Pre War unit, complete with a living room, dinning room, 2 bedrooms, kitchen and maids quarters. Seeing that we have 4 people living here, we've converted the dinning room and maids quarters into bedrooms. I love a good spacial challenge, so I took the quaint 7 x 10 foot maids quarters.

The path to my room is a bit of a corn maze. After walking through the foyer and making a sharp right turn, you end up in what I think of as the 'butlers pantry.' There are huge 8 foot cabinets and the shell of an old dumb waiter. My room is small and I needed to be clever and intentional with this precious space. So I moved a craigslist dresser and all of my shoes into the spot.

I spy shoe storage...

I do like shoes.

I also like bright shiny paint.

Above is the craigslist dresser, a thrift store mirror painted lacquer yellow and a Target lamp.

Now. Lets head to my room.

Most of my room is occupied by my bed, so I've gravitated towards textured layers of white for bedding. The air in New York is dirty and sooty so I bleach often. Fun fun. The bedskirt was a DIY project I crafted with hot glue, hem tape and kelly green Imperial Trellis fabric from Calico Corners. The installation above my bed is a mix of black and white photographs, scrap book paper, tea cup saucers, some of the same yellow paint from above and an Urban Outfitters clock. The faux headboard was a canvas I found in a pile of give away stuff recovered with Ikea fabric.

I went back and forth on posting a picture of my closet. Then I thought, I'd want to see inside a random New York Closet. So here it is. It, like the rest of my room, is tiny. Good thing I like organization and minimalism. All the clothing I own, aside from like 6 bridesmaids dresses that are living out their days of glory in Dallas, are in this apartment. Forces me to keep my wardrobe fresh, tidy and current!

Oh, how I love matchstick blinds. My mom helped me with this curtain! The plaid is from an upholstery store in the Lower East Side and the top print is from Ikea.

I've talked about this desk before, haven't I? I found it walking home with friends one night. It's actually a small set of drawers that were missing the drawers. I know its cheapo birch wood, but the size and shape were perfect for the space I had. After a thorough windexing and crafting of a curtain with a tension rod, I had a functional desk!

There you have it. My apartment! It's not forever, but it's sure a lovely right now.

Banana on Fire

2010-03-12T09:41:00.002-05:00

You know what drives me crazy? Ambiguous life statements and updates like "Wow, Can't believe I made it through that!" or "Best day of my life" or even "What should I do, I can't stand it any longer". What do these dramatically vague statements even mean!! I know we all read these on facebook and twitter and buzz and gchat.... good grief that's a lot of social networking status updating. Anyways. In fear of Tuesdays post reading as one of those irking and unclear updates, I want to elaborate on why it's hard to come home to New York sometimes.

I had just come back from a great weekend with my family. We laughed and ate and laughed some more. We had a ball! Until I got the flu at Tech's baseball game and decided to fall apart while Ben was pitching. Oh, and my whole extended family and good friend Stacy were at the game. How's that for timing. My sweet family jumped into action. Before I knew it, Gracie had rescheduled my flight and was heading back to Dallas with my Dad, while my mom and I hunkered down for the night in Houston. We made it through the night and I finally felt well enough to travel. After a teary goodbye with my mom (I've jumped off an emotional cliff these days) I was ready to ease back into my New York life.

However, it's impossible to ease back into New York. To me, the city is like a giant wet dog knocking you down in excitement as if to say "You're baaaaack!". You understand that the dog means well, and is excited to see you. But the dog is huge, and wet, and a little smelly and leaves you sprawled out on the floor.

This is the greeting I get from New York. Everything is loud and involved. I feel like cattle being corralled onto the subway. The homeless man speaking spanish, to know one in particular, is going to town. Things feel dingy. There is trash glittered all over the pavement. My walk to work feels extra long and colorful. I see a banana that has been lit on fire and middle school kids acting rowdy. It's all a little much.

But, to know Manhattan is to love Manhattan. And I do.

Most of the time.

West 89th Street

2010-03-09T19:38:00.004-05:00

Thats where I live. Just got back to my humble little abode from a weekend in Houston filled with family and baseball. Two things I love. Coming back to the city can be hard, though. This time, especially hard. (More on that later) So I thought I'd post a few pictures of what I come home to in this city to help me gear up for the week ahead.

The living room is the first thing you see when you walk in. We're sporting the 3 couch look right now. But hey, it works! We have Jamie to thank for the fabulous coffee table off the street. I'm getting the urge to paint it!

I claimed a few of these baskets that were left over from a photo shoot. Still haven't decided if I should paint them or leave them, but I thought it was a decent space filler for now.

The foyer is the other thing you see upon arrival. It's a work in progress. The bookshelf is from Ikea via craigslist. I have partially fond memories of my mom and old roommate hauling this thing across town. I say partially, because it was so heavy, we about died!

Between the 4 roommates, we have lots of magazines and books. Our small space gets overwhelmed by book covers, so I have the spines facing inward and the pages outward. Call me weird.

Thats the tour for now. My tiny maid's quarters is up next!

Anthro does it again

2010-03-02T00:24:00.005-05:00

Have you seen the beautiful product photography Anthropologie has on their site right now? I was quite taken with it. They look like mixed media water color paintings. Oh, and they have a clever little stop motion video when you first click on the accessories page.
Of course they do.

So I've got this rope...

2010-02-28T22:28:00.005-05:00

I found it outside of Banana Republic the other day. Still haven't figured out exactly what I want to do with it, but in the mean time, I'll spruce up a pillow.

Materials: Miscellaneous rope and Ikea pillow

I tried a bow

And a knot concoction

But decided on a simple band of rope

I think this will do for now.

But I'm still brainstorming the perfect project to put this rope to use.

I'll keep you posted.

Kitchen Cues from 5 Napkin Burger

2010-02-28T17:17:00.004-05:00

Last night, Roommates LA, Emily & I tried out the 5 Napkin Burger that just opened in our hood. With its crisp industrial interiors and whiff of char-grilled goodness, its one of those restaurants that beckons you in from the cold sidewalk. The burgers were, of course, delicious. And so were the onion rings and fries. Oh, and the root beer float and chocolate peanut butter milkshake was pretty fantastic too. Hm. Anyways.

Most impressive were the interiors! The place was lined with white subway tile (I know, its everywhere these days, but I still love it), lots of metal hardware, gigantic chalkboards, black leather details and lighting done in straight up Thomas Edison style.

It got me thinking. How great would grey subway tile look in a kitchen.

Gets me excited to live in a place, one day, where I can do major tweaking!

I'm tired of having a Snow Fro

2010-02-26T10:12:00.006-05:00

It's snowing, again.

It's been snowing since yesterday morning. And when I say snowing, I really mean BLIZZARDING. I just new this morning would be a snow day. All my Brooklyn co-workers decided to work from home. Thats a good sign, right?

No.

Sweet boss lady tells me, "I'm leaving my house now! We might be the only 2 at work, but we'll see!" Ugh. If she's willing to traipse from her apartment, I guess I have to traipse from mine. These are little pictures roommate LA and I snapped amidst our struggle to work.

After parting with my spotter, I made my way, slipping, walking and sliding all the way to midtown. I was absolutely positive I'd be the ONLY person at work. I was sure of it. Who else would walk all this way in this weather? I began to feel ridiculous. And then I saw this person...

Please note the leather hand bag, the over sized fur coat and tight black leather pants. One would think this fashionista is a woman who doesn't take snow as an excuse to dress down. But now, this fashionista is a MAN who buys his snow wear in the form of pleather and faux fur.

Strangely, I don't feel ridiculous anymore.

The snow has made a valiant effort in trying to shut the city down.
But I'll tell you this, 15 inches of snow and sleet and mess won't ever be able to shut the crazy down.

Diaries of a Dog Walker

2010-02-21T22:38:00.007-05:00

check out those crazy teeth!

I'd like to walk you through my most recent New York adventure. Dog Sitting. I've been watching a little dog named Jabu. He's an adorable black Pomeranian and has the sweetest demeanor.... when he's not barking. Surprisingly enough, I've loved the experience. But it did take some getting used to. May I walk you through a normal night for me and little Jabbers?

Take, for instance, last night. I was in my pajamas and it was raining winter, so I pulled on my Uggs and giant puffy jacket. I then reached for my keys, my phone, and doggy bags. Yes, doggy bags. They're blue. I crammed everything into my pockets. Then I strap Jab's into his harness, attach the leash and set out the front door.

We ride the elevator down to the first floor. (Just 2 days prior, I had ridden the elevator down with a nanny and 2 little boys. One of the little boys was screeeeaming because he was afraid of the little ball of preciousness at the end of my leash. Finally, after patiently smiling trying to convince the little boy that Jaberwalkie wasn't going to bite, I lean down and say "You know hun, the dog will bite if you continue to scream." Thankfully, we reached the first floor before we had the chance to find out. Funny thing is, I like children. These particular children wear on my last nerve, though.)

Anyways, we walk outside, where Jab's sets our walking pace. We round the corner, and stop at the left over pile of snow from last week. He sniffs. I watch. We move on. We walk down the street. We encounter a little old lady with a little old dog. "Oh my goodness, what a precious dog! How old is he!? What is his name!?", she says. I reply, "Thank you! His name is Jabu. I'm dog sitting. Not sure how old he is." My dog is clearly cuter than hers. So I feel obligated to ask how old her dog is, and what his name is. I drag little Jab's away from the old man dog and keep walking. These run ins happen often. We continue walking. Jabs does what he needs to do. 6 blocks later, we are back at my apartment emptying our pockets and shedding our winter wear. Oh the days of suburbia, when I'd (well, actually my dad) would say "Ok, Sally, I'll just open the side door and you can help yourself to the yard. Talk to you in a few minutes!"

What a process. I love little Jabs, but I'll be just fine once he leaves.

Oh, and roommate Emily wrote the most adorable post about him. You should probably read it.

Happy Birthday Gracie!

2010-02-18T14:51:00.000-05:00

*Only Gracie would be a teacher with red lipstick and big hair in her glamor shot.

Little sister, Grace Kendall, is turning 23 today! I know she is cringing at that picture. But her 3rd grade glamor shot is just so darn cute, how could I NOT include it! I think it's only fitting to list the 23 things I love most about her:

1. your black and white honesty
2. your willingness to peruse garage & estate sales (with me)
3. your determination to have our own (now annual) garage sale
4. your love for big hair and the perfect revlon lipstick
5. your not so small obsession with our cats
6. your unbelievable knack for interiors and decorating
7. your sensibility for minimalism
8. your heart for others
9. your fierce independence
10. your healthy dependence
11. your liking to our West Texas grandmother's funny sayings
12. your drive to always work hard and finish strong (probably more than anyone else I know)
13. your consistent ability to put together darling outfits
14. your thriftyness (in clothes, decor and random target finds)
15. your sometimes trashy, always entertaining, love for reality tv
16. your love for the flora family - quirks and all
17. your decisive and bold nature
18. your savyness in the kitchen
19. your sweet faith
20. your hilarious and adorable college friends
21. your friendships with my college friends
22. our love for before and after 80's movies, you know like Overboard, Swiss Family Robinson, Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead, My Father the Hero....
23. And the thing that I love the most, is that I get to have you as a little sister.

Happy Birthday Gracie!

Dwell for Target

2010-02-14T23:39:00.000-05:00

I feel like the Dwell line at Target is all the rage these days. I've read about on Design*Sponge and Apartment Therapy. Guess it makes me a bit of a poser for wanting to talk about it here... Oh well. It's adorable. Makes me want to redo my entire bed!

Nate Berkus for HSN

2010-02-14T23:32:00.001-05:00

I'm having a small fit over Nate Berkus's line on HSN. I've heard about it for a while and see it pop up every now and then, but haven't experienced it for myself.

Until today.

After browsing through Colin Cowie's Home Decor section, I landed on Nate's area. My goodness, amazing! Not that I would expect anything less from Oprah's bff. The prices are completely reasonable for the high level of everyday chic. I love it all. Here are some of my favorites- just wait until you see the sheet sets at the bottom...