MAKEOVER MONDAY - pink pop

today i feel like a pink pop....

you really don't need much more.

note it:

"raspberry beret" by prince & the revolution

(photo credits: house beautiful/door in "drop dead gorgeous" from benjamin moore; house beautiful/chair; pink window trim/lissa lowe)

COOK IT: tie dye eggs

happy easter!

note it:

"lips like sugar" by seal with mikey dread - covering echo & the bunnymen

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

how to for kids:

rip strips of painters tape to create tie dye pattern. dunk into dye(s). remove eggs when desired hue reached. let completely dry before removing the tape. (then, hide!)

STYLE IT: when in denmark...

a home in denmark.

i'd like to relax here.

(and i want those dutch clogs too...)

note it:

"chopin: piano concerto #2 in f minor, op 21 - 2, larghetto" by the royal danish philaharmonic

(photo credit: old and new by katherine sorrel)

STYLE IT: egg-cellent news!

i am one happy chick today....

martha stewart (@MarthaStewart) is now following me on twitter.

now that's something to chirp about!

thank you, martha. i am thrilled!

p.s. from april's MSL, these "cracked eggshells" made from the jagged edges of strips of electrical tape along with this stenciled "chirping chick" are so clever....and so darned cute!

note it:

"happy" by never shout never

(photo credit: martha stewart living, april 2010)

GROW IT: rock + roll

check out this circular path of river rock and grass.

artistic, unexpected + groovy too.

just like the rolling stones....

forever cool.

note it:

"around and around" by - you guessed it - the rolling stones

(photo credit: cottage living, 2007)

MAKEOVER MONDAY - shiny red apple

i actually have a bamboo bar cart.

what i liked about this one - as made over by eddie ross for house beautiful in 2005 - is the sultry red glossiness.

a flea market find, eddie sprayed it until it was as shiny as a red apple.

cocktail party delicious, i think.

note it:

"kokomo" by little feat

(photo credit: house beautiful, march 2005)

COOK IT: kiddie cupcakes

yesterday was charlie's 4th birthday (!!) + we delivered 24 cupcakes to his preschool.

from a box, we made the cupcakes (i know, i know, so unmartha...) in fun polka dotted liners (a little bit martha...).

out of "more from magnolia," we whipped up the vanilla buttercream (almost as yummy as bleecker street...).

once the frosting was tinted blue, we sprinkled each treat with "A, B, C, 1, 2, 3" sprinkles, bought awhile back at williams-sonoma.

charlie handmade the little schoolchildren stick figures from popsicle sticks + foam that i found at jo-ann fabrics. meticulously, he assembled each.

he was so proud of his baked goodies + his classmates loved them too!

time flies...savor every moment.

note it:

"teach your children" by crosby, stills, nash & young

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - deconstruct

for dinner parties or even weddings, i love the idea of a deconstructed table.

a look like this one can run the gamut - like heirloom china + sterling meets mismatched plates + silverware from the flea.

hold utensils in jelly jars, mason jars, loving cups or jefferson cups.

rethink.

or better yet, don't think.

it's an easier way to set the table.

note it:

"everything i own" by ken boothe

(photo credit: essentially french)

GREEN IT: milk it

so pretty...

save your bottles. makes for a lovely centerpiece.

or gift.

milk it for all it's worth.

note it:

"smile" by uncle cracker

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

STYLE IT: drop cloths

drop cloths can be used for paint or...as a simple, streamlined dust ruffle on a bed, an idea that i saw in blueprint long ago.

you'll no longer have an unmade bed.

pretty cool, don't you think?

note it:

"unmade bed" by sonic youth

(photo credit: blueprint magazine/fall 2006)

GREEN IT: token of "green" appreciation

a friend of mine - the lovely maria ryan - is both the brains and beauty behind the wedding site, estilo weddings.

she has such great stuff in her shop. clay flowers, japanese lanterns, twinkly votives.

she is also the queen of green by incorporating thoughtful, economical, ecologically smart products into her mix.

stopping by her online shop tonight, i found these great "green" things:

~ chicago CTA token necklace - repurposed and near + dear to my heart, i love it! makes a fab bridesmaid gift - or why not wear it on your wedding day if the city is significant to you two lovebirds. add matching cufflinks too (also available: new york and san francisco). in fact, i plan to order this cutie for myself!

~ 4" color pencil "twig" bundle - cute wedding favor. perhaps add a clever little tag like "the write stuff" with the names of the bride + groom included beneath. trimmed from a tree, each pencil is hand cut and sharpened with no harm done to the tree. it speaks to me.

~ navy + white eco-friendly garter - ribbon woven from recycled plastic bottles. something blue + simply darling.

~ peonies "go tropical" clay flowers - made of modeling clay to create lifelike flowers nestled in a 2" glass cube. so eco-chic! this floral alternative would make a sentimental keepsake year-after-year.

what's more, maria writes a wedding blog. she covers style, inspirational ideas, party planning tips + more. it's worth a read if you're in matrimonial mode.

thank you, maria, for marrying style and savvy with creativity (her cause: women of vision).

every girl's dream....

note it:

"hey, soul sister" by train

SATURDAY'S SPOONFUL - a small dose of sugar, spice + everything nice

i'm a binder junkie.

seriously true.

i actually create pretty covers + spines for stock binders from office supply stores by using handmade, hand-painted, recycled or specialty papers. many of which i've found at paper source (like these below).

for those of you who want colorful coordinating sets or for those of you who don't have time to make your own, these "signature pattern binders" from russell + hazel fit the bill.

save time.

then maybe you can work 9 - 5.

note it:

"9 to 5" by dolly parton

(photo credit: ad/russell + hazel; 3 binders/lissa lowe)

TABLETOP TUESDAY - clearly pale pink

with valentine's day around the corner, i heart the idea of getting favorite single friends + couples together to celebrate cupid (who knows who will get struck by an arrow...)

this tabletop of glass candlesticks with pale pink tapers is g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s + i feel so "now."

the whole ensemble is really easy to create for a dinner party, holiday or wedding:

~ glass cups for water and/or wine. glass dinner plates. pale pink cotton or linen napkins. white tablecloth. silverware.

~ a mix of curvy, sculptural glass candleholders like lumi + lumiere mini from cb2 and pixie from crate and barrel.

~ unscented 10" + 12" tapers at candles 4 less.

let's bring back the sexy taper...

i like it.

note it:

"sweetest taboo" by sade

(photo credit: marthastewart.com)

it can be black + white

black + white is a graphic gesture. rough it up, per se, with some metal.

try vintage trophy cups (try eBay) with ooh-la-la flags (just in time for v-day, call stash style).

by incorporating this fashion-forward combo into your home, even a small dose can make a big impact. (would also be great as wedding décor).

here, there, everywhere....makes no difference if it's black or white.

try both.

note it:

"black or white" by eddie van halen and michael jackson

(photo credit: lissa lowe)

gilt-y

i am guilty...these vintage gilt + black leather chairs rock!

of course, i have no need for them.

boo hoo.

so i decided to play "what if." what if i needed a new dining room ensemble. what if i had a spare $10K? what would my new room look like?

~ from paris hotel boutique - set of six (c. 1950's/60's) french style chairs, upholstered in black leather with detailed carving + gilt accents. unusual turned up arms and nailhead trim (at $2400, a steal! + marie antoinette would've loved them)

~ an ultra-long customizable "adams" dining table from room & board, maybe in light maple or dark ebony (the simple lines of the table along with slightly tapered legs would juxtapose nicely with the ornate chairs)

~ awesome oversized glycee print of a vintage english tour bus sign (36" x 66") in black frame with white mat from jayson home & garden (need i say more?)

~ madeline weinrib atelier's "khaki & black dance" tibetan carpet (the shape of the black leaves reflect the curved qualities of the chairs)

do i like?

gilt-y as charged.

note it:

"opus 17" by dustin halloran

TABLETOP TUESDAY - curated

flipping through a past issue of house & garden, this tabletop caught my eye.

comprised from wares from nyc museum shops, i think it looks crisp and modernly old world in today's world.

the round-up:

~ table linens - ukrainian museum

~ moser dinner + salad plates - neue galerie

~ paperweight + vase - morgan library

~ chopsticks - japan society

~ murano water glass, liquer glass, napkin holder - dahesh museum of art

while these items are no longer available (except moser), why not take a cue from the curators + create a similar look for your table?

perhaps use vintage items for valentine's day? order a little take out or cook in. either way, it's re-purposeful + romantic.

note it:

"falling slowly" by glenn hansard + marketa irglova

(photo credit: h&g, november 2007)

COOK IT: bake it fast

it rained ALL week here in california.

since we were cooped up, charlie and i made bag fulls of "bake mix."

now the dry ingredients to our favorite muffins + cookie recipes are pre-sifted and ready-to-mix with wet stuff to make goodies in a flash.

what we pre-packaged:

~ peanut butter + jelly muffin mix (from deceptively delicious)

~ peanut butter + banana muffin mix (from deceptively delicious)

~ oatmeal raisin cookie mix (from the quaker oats can)

~ chocolate chip cookie mix (from the toll house bag)

just store baggies of mix in the cupboard + use them when the fresh baked urge hits....

here comes the muffin man.

note it:

"mahna, mahna" by cake

(photo credits: muffins/deceptively delicious + bags/lissa lowe)