How Sweet It Is

Experimented with a new cookie recipe today. After all, it is Valentine's Day. The dough didn't turn out to be quite the consistency as I was expecting, but I made the best of it!

Love Worms

An ode to the significant guy: VW Beetle towing a teardrop trailer...and a random buffalo in the way of its path

Yum.

Up in the Air

Significant guy and I have been working on remodeling our kitchen for quite some time. Coming up on two years of construction, to be exact. You're in it for the long haul when doing everything yourself, and that's a fact.

We have made much headway, and now are down to the final build-out and decor. Here's where I become truly indecisive. We live a beautiful late '20s/early '30s Moorish-design stucco home and very much desire to continue a similar style into our kitchen.

Exterior of our home (minus the latest trim work & landscaping)

Exterior entrance (photo via the amazing "London Calling." See her blog post here.)

We knocked out the wall to the right to open the kitchen up to the living and dining area. Significant guy (pictured here) has vaulted the ceiling and installed recessed lighting where the original portion of the ceiling was. We scored this amazing Arts & Crafts-style window at a building re-supply store. The walls will be painted Restoration Hardware's "Stone" paint color. 

I'm enlisting help from all of you amazing minds out there on some differing backsplash styles I've been deliberating over.

White subway tile has been a great friend of ours for years and is fairly inexpensive and above all--timeless. I am in love with this soft green glass and cracked ceramic subway tile as seen here with Country Living.

Although modern in nature, and more of a devil's advocate choice, this geometric glass tile catches light and draws the eye by way of uniqueness. I could see this tile in white or green in our kitchen, followed by a chocolate-stained grout. (photo via www.decodir.com)

And for a more organic spin to the previous idea, I have always loved the pebbled backsplash. And what goes better with "stone" paint color than...stones? (Image via www.islandstone.com)

I can't seem to get penny tile out of my head. Couldn't find an exact example in action, but think both photos above, combined along with black grout. I love the illusion of depth. (Image via www.flickr.com/photos/peachheights & www.mosaictilesupplies.com)

We are leaning more toward this idea by duplicating this look.  Inexpensive ceramic square tiles balance pricey Art Nouveau hand-painted tiles to achieve this look. This is my favorite by far. (Image via www.flickr.com/photos/samjudson)


All over the map and up in the air. What's your opinion?

Yes to the Dress

To elaborate on my previous post...I'm getting hitched! Yup, ball and chain. Husband and wife. Significant guy proposed in the most beautiful way on New Year's Eve...

I've never had 'The Big Day' planned out. I never imaged getting married for all that mattered. So this is new territory to me. It's kinda fun. Especially when it comes to the attire.

Given that new wedding dresses cost an upwards of $500 and tend to look cheap and unimaginative, I've decided to pull together two used thrift store/ eBay purchases myself. One-of-a-kind, resourceful, AND cheap! This is the start of Cheapskate Tip #4 ladies and gentlemen! Let the ideas flow!

In looking for some inspiration, I've tracked across some of these amazing designs. I heart these designers. They are my heroes and then some...

St. Vincent de Paul's Discarded to Divine's designers have shared some amazing ideas for wedding dress reconstruction. This dress is made completely of denim that was bleached white and assembled into this amazing detailed Victorian silhouette.

Again, another Discarded to Divine designer created a very unique bustle out of vintage linen handkerchiefs. To learn more and to see other amazing clothing re-builds from the Discarded to Divine fundraising and awareness movement, click here. (both images above via www.flickr.com, user St. Vincent de Paul Society San Francisco.)

Janay A Handmade's custom wedding dresses are drool-worthy. This dress had me at hello with this classically perfect design. Can't get any better than that. (image via janay-a.com)

The base dress I will be using is a halter-style cut. Designer Jenny Packham's halter dresses are the almighty being of halter cuts. (images via google.com images & www.jennypackham.com)

And last but not least, this bride looked flippin' fantastic wearing this English Dept's custom-made vintage inspired gown, from head to toe. (image via www.theenglishdept.com)


Stay tuned for the evolving dress under construction.

Happy Belated New Year

Here we are already. Marching forthright into a new decade...

This holiday season flashed by so quickly. In a matter of a few weeks came four birthdays, two deaths, one engagement...

Whew.

(Image via Lee Burridge flyer)

Happy Holidays

Happiest of holidays to all people and critters alike...

(Ziggy, Tobie and Junie getting in the holiday mood)

A Reason to Celebrate

I'm typically not one to get too much into the holiday season. What starts as a simple idea of getting together with family, turns into an endless stressful four-week search for a useful gift. That's where I've been lately. Out and about.

But when the frantic shopping is over, or it is just plain decided not to overexert the spending this year, the holiday season is still very special.

The sun sets early, the temperatures are cold, and more importantly, most of us are lucky to be granted holiday time from work to spend quality time with loved ones. I find the basis of this time a pagan-like tradition. It's a time to be close to the organic. Time to visit, time to release, maybe even time to reflect and face the fears. And it's time to bring nature inside the home--to be close to Mother Earth.

This post is a homage to bringing the outside, inside. I wish there were more time in the day to make any one of these decorations for my home.

Cranberry beaded wreath getting some reflection time. (image via www.marthastewart.com)

You can eat them AND decorate with them. The almighty orange. (image via www.goodhousekeeping.com)

Those shells found on the beach can stretch beyond that aquatic themed bathroom! (image via www.coastalliving.com)

Use greenery you already have by combining existing potted succulents with fall leaves and flowers. (image via www.apartmenttherapy.com)

Woodsy pinecones make a fun and lighthearted fireplace friend. (image via www.countryliving.com)

Don't let that cake stand gather dust. Make use of it with dried flowers from the garden, such as yarrow, pictured here. (image via www.countryliving.com)

Quick Fix for a Quick Season

Short on time? Money flying out your door this holiday season? Still haven't put up the holiday decor? Tired of the same old look year by year? What to do?

Bet you are glad to hear that it's time for another Cheapskate Tip!

The significant guy and I like to keep things pretty simple for the holidays. There's enough to worry about. He's managed to hang onto a potpourri of vintage ornaments and I've managed to keep a small, potted evergreen tree alive for a few years. I simply wanted to add some color and humor to it this year.

Given that approximately 28% of busy Americans shop online for the holidays, including myself, I thought it was best to utilize the cardboard shipping boxes as a foundation to making some ornaments. I also had hoarded for years this goofy Loteria paper. Your variation could be comprised of millions of possibilities.

The corrugation inside the cardboard panels evokes a readymade pattern and texture on the sides. Just add color.

Grab the glue stick and paste away. How you hang and display your final ornament will depend on what materials you decide to utilize. I call our tree the 'Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.'

(image via Charles M. Schulz)

It was best not to attach hangers to these ornaments and hang them. Instead, the Loteria ornaments were rested atop of sprigs and branches. We added some of the lightweight vintage ornaments we already had onto the tree, and the heavier vintage ornaments were displayed on the table around the base of the tree.

In just a couple of hours, I was in the mood for the holidays. Therapeutically ready, nonetheless.