photo from madebygirl
ABC Love Print
25 August 2009
Another print I totally love is madebygirl's ABC Love print. I must buy this one!
photo from madebygirl
photo from madebygirl
Modern Age Solid Wood Chairs...
19 August 2009
...at least, that's what the Craigslist ad says. I'm not really a DIY-er, to say the least. I prefer to buy furniture that's ready to go with as little assembly as possible. Sure, I can handle Ikea items, but when it comes to stripping, repainting, reupholstering...I'm way over my head. However, when I saw these chairs on Craigslist, I was sorely tempted to give real DIY a try.
We currently have 2 chairs in our entire house, and we have visitors coming in September, so we definitely need furniture, with chairs being the most important. I don't think our guests would appreciate eating in shifts! Although it may come to that! The above chairs are listed at $25 in the ad title, but the body listing says $200 for a set of 4. I think they would look great in a lighter wood color and reupholstered in either a modern print or even just plain linen fabric. Anything but the current faux leather.
Another style that I'm considering are these Eames-style dining chairs. I'm trying to keep the casual dining area off the kitchen spare and modern without being too cold.
I realize with no picture of the actual space, it's hard to imagine which chair would be nicer. I don't have any pictures of the space the way it looks right now, but I do have some photos I took with the previous owners' furniture. These were taken with my iPhone so the quality is not the best.
This is the kitchen with a view to the breakfast nook (that's what we're calling it for now). You can barely see the space, so a close-up is coming next.
The breakfast nooks is currently empty except for a dining table and 2 chairs that H brought with him from Calgary to Vancouver, and now to Western Mass. This is what it looked like with the previous owners' furniture.
We currently have 2 chairs in our entire house, and we have visitors coming in September, so we definitely need furniture, with chairs being the most important. I don't think our guests would appreciate eating in shifts! Although it may come to that! The above chairs are listed at $25 in the ad title, but the body listing says $200 for a set of 4. I think they would look great in a lighter wood color and reupholstered in either a modern print or even just plain linen fabric. Anything but the current faux leather.
Another style that I'm considering are these Eames-style dining chairs. I'm trying to keep the casual dining area off the kitchen spare and modern without being too cold.
Option 3 is this Oval Back Dining Chair from West Elm, but in the middle color shown below, or maybe the white. I'm trying to avoid the darker wood colors for the entire house. .
I realize with no picture of the actual space, it's hard to imagine which chair would be nicer. I don't have any pictures of the space the way it looks right now, but I do have some photos I took with the previous owners' furniture. These were taken with my iPhone so the quality is not the best.
This is the kitchen with a view to the breakfast nook (that's what we're calling it for now). You can barely see the space, so a close-up is coming next.
The breakfast nooks is currently empty except for a dining table and 2 chairs that H brought with him from Calgary to Vancouver, and now to Western Mass. This is what it looked like with the previous owners' furniture.
It's not really to my taste. Of course they took all their furniture and just left the light fixtures and the fan (which also need to go), as well as the window valances (is that what those red striped things on the window are called?). The walls need to be repainted, the valances and the ceiling fan replaced, but the most important thing right now is to decide on chairs.
I'm planning on getting 4 of the same chairs for the long sides of the table and then a different set of 2 for the ends. That is, if we decide to keep our current rectangular dining table. The space we have seems to be calling for a round table, but that's not on the priority list right now.
I'm planning on getting 4 of the same chairs for the long sides of the table and then a different set of 2 for the ends. That is, if we decide to keep our current rectangular dining table. The space we have seems to be calling for a round table, but that's not on the priority list right now.
Eva Juliet
17 August 2009
Lately, I've seen these prints featured on so many design blogs, but the first time I saw them was via makeundermylife. They're sold by Atelier Eva Juliet through Etsy, and I could not resist. This one in particular, with "Choose Joy" on it, really calls to me.
Coupled with the sweet colors. I was sold. This could go anywhere in the house and i think I will have a hard time deciding.
This one, on the other hand, is going in the kitchen for sure! How lovely is the styling in the photo? These are the colors and the feel I want for my kitchen, so this is a particularly inspiring photo.
Of course, now that we've moved to the US, it turns out the seller is based in Montreal, so I will have to pay a bit more for shipping. Ah, it's worth it!
All photos from seller's etsy site.
Coupled with the sweet colors. I was sold. This could go anywhere in the house and i think I will have a hard time deciding.
This one, on the other hand, is going in the kitchen for sure! How lovely is the styling in the photo? These are the colors and the feel I want for my kitchen, so this is a particularly inspiring photo.
Of course, now that we've moved to the US, it turns out the seller is based in Montreal, so I will have to pay a bit more for shipping. Ah, it's worth it!
All photos from seller's etsy site.
16 August 2009
Remember this sweater vest from Anthropologie that I posted about here? I had a chance to go to the store and actually try it on and I found it way too bulky.
I was quite disappointed and tried it on with a few different things just to see if I could make it work, and nope, it was just too much for my frame. Surprisingly, I did manage to find an alternative that I liked much better. The Santa Monica Cardigan was amazingly soft and comfortable. it almost felt like I was wearing a bathrobe!
I'm actually surprised at how much less bulky it is than the previous one. It looks great both belted and unbelted and just perfect with skinny jeans. I can't wait for cooler days so I can wear this already!
I was quite disappointed and tried it on with a few different things just to see if I could make it work, and nope, it was just too much for my frame. Surprisingly, I did manage to find an alternative that I liked much better. The Santa Monica Cardigan was amazingly soft and comfortable. it almost felt like I was wearing a bathrobe!
I'm actually surprised at how much less bulky it is than the previous one. It looks great both belted and unbelted and just perfect with skinny jeans. I can't wait for cooler days so I can wear this already!
Sheesham birds
13 August 2009
It's funny how I have such a hard time dediding on what furniture to buy for our new house, but it's so easy to buy random accessories that I don't even know where I'm placing, haha. Case in point, this cute sheesham bird from West Elm.
photo from West Elm
I love how they're so cute, yet the wood makes them seem not precious cute for the house. Since West Elm had free shipping that day, I quickly placed an order. Unfortunately, the larger bird was and still is out of stock, so i was only able to get the smaller one. It does look a little bit too small to stand alone. It looks better as part of a pair. See it perched on the post of the staircase heading down to the basement.
So what is sheesham wood anyway? I never noticed it before I started shopping for the new place and now I see it in chopping boards, accessories, etc. My trusty friend Google says that "Sheesham (also known as Indian Rosewood) is a fast-growing hardwood, sourced from sustainable, government managed plantations. Being a hard wood, it can be used to make functional furniture that copes with the stresses and strains of everyday use."
How did we ever survive without Google?
Anyway, despite it's small size, the bird is a very solid piece. Look at it in profile! I think I'm going to have to buy the bigger one as well! I'm sure it will fit somewhere. For some strange reason our fireplaces (both of them!) don't have mantels for display.
How did we ever survive without Google?
Anyway, despite it's small size, the bird is a very solid piece. Look at it in profile! I think I'm going to have to buy the bigger one as well! I'm sure it will fit somewhere. For some strange reason our fireplaces (both of them!) don't have mantels for display.
The Counter
12 August 2009
A couple of days ago, as H and I were furniture shopping in West Hartford, we realized we were extremely hungry and needed a snack, pronto! Luckily, we were steps away from The Counter, so we eagerly entered. Another plus was getting out from under the hot sun that day!
It was an odd time of day, so the place was empty when we entered. We were a bit surprised that it's a sit-down eatery instead of the usual burger joint where you go up to the counter and order.
The Counter specializes in 100% freshly ground Angus beef raised on a vegetarian diet without hormones or antibiotics. They also boast of having 312,120+ different burger combinations when you build your own burger!
H and I were both too hungry and lazy to build our own so we decided to go with their signature burgers instead. Before we get to the burgers, however, we must discuss the drinks and appies!
Their water arrived in this oh-so-cute greenish Coca-Cola tumbler. I couldn't resist! I had to take a picture.
And of course, how can we go into a diner-looking establishment and not have a milkshake? H and I decided to share a coffee malt milkshake. Mmmm....perfect for a hot sunny day! It tasted like melted coffee ice cream, and as some people know, my favorite ice cream is coffee ice cream. I always have one or two tubs in the freezer.
Our burgers took a while to arrive, so we were glad we ordered appies. We couldn't decide what we wanted so we decided to have a trio of sweet potato fries, onion strings, and fries. The sweet potato fries were the best of the lot. They were crunchy and perfectly cooked. I thought the onion strings had a bit too much batter, not enough onion. The fries were also good, but paled in comparison to the sweet potato fries.
The appies arrived with three different sauces as well: horseradish mayo, barbecue, and ranch. We were so hungry that H couldn't wait any longer for me to take more photos.
Finally our burgers arrived. H chose the Old School - All-natural ground beef, Tillamook Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle and Red Relish. It looked really good, but by this time I was already kind of full from the fries and the coffee malt shake, so I decided it would be unwise to partake of his burger at the expense of mine.
I chose the Taco Turkey - Fresh ground turkey, Jalapeno Jack cheese, Lettuce, Scallions, Dried Cranberries, and Spicy Sour Cream. It was huge! Delicious, but huge. The cranberries were a nice touch and their tartness added a nice depth to the turkey burger.
H managed to finish his burger but I had to leave a little bit as I was simply too stuffed. Even the appies had leftovers. The sweet potato fries and the onion strings disappeared, but the regular fries were left behind. Sadly, even the coffe malt had some leftovers. I tried, I really did, to finish the drink, but my stomach just gave up on me.
At least we were all fueled up for a day of furniture shopping afterwards. And we managed to find our sofa! Finally! I shall post about that soon.
The Counter
(various locations)
50 Memorial Road
West Hartford CT 06107
Directions
860 236 8400
860 231 9427 FAX
Send Email
It was an odd time of day, so the place was empty when we entered. We were a bit surprised that it's a sit-down eatery instead of the usual burger joint where you go up to the counter and order.
The Counter specializes in 100% freshly ground Angus beef raised on a vegetarian diet without hormones or antibiotics. They also boast of having 312,120+ different burger combinations when you build your own burger!
H and I were both too hungry and lazy to build our own so we decided to go with their signature burgers instead. Before we get to the burgers, however, we must discuss the drinks and appies!
Their water arrived in this oh-so-cute greenish Coca-Cola tumbler. I couldn't resist! I had to take a picture.
And of course, how can we go into a diner-looking establishment and not have a milkshake? H and I decided to share a coffee malt milkshake. Mmmm....perfect for a hot sunny day! It tasted like melted coffee ice cream, and as some people know, my favorite ice cream is coffee ice cream. I always have one or two tubs in the freezer.
Our burgers took a while to arrive, so we were glad we ordered appies. We couldn't decide what we wanted so we decided to have a trio of sweet potato fries, onion strings, and fries. The sweet potato fries were the best of the lot. They were crunchy and perfectly cooked. I thought the onion strings had a bit too much batter, not enough onion. The fries were also good, but paled in comparison to the sweet potato fries.
The appies arrived with three different sauces as well: horseradish mayo, barbecue, and ranch. We were so hungry that H couldn't wait any longer for me to take more photos.
Finally our burgers arrived. H chose the Old School - All-natural ground beef, Tillamook Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle and Red Relish. It looked really good, but by this time I was already kind of full from the fries and the coffee malt shake, so I decided it would be unwise to partake of his burger at the expense of mine.
I chose the Taco Turkey - Fresh ground turkey, Jalapeno Jack cheese, Lettuce, Scallions, Dried Cranberries, and Spicy Sour Cream. It was huge! Delicious, but huge. The cranberries were a nice touch and their tartness added a nice depth to the turkey burger.
H managed to finish his burger but I had to leave a little bit as I was simply too stuffed. Even the appies had leftovers. The sweet potato fries and the onion strings disappeared, but the regular fries were left behind. Sadly, even the coffe malt had some leftovers. I tried, I really did, to finish the drink, but my stomach just gave up on me.
At least we were all fueled up for a day of furniture shopping afterwards. And we managed to find our sofa! Finally! I shall post about that soon.
The Counter
(various locations)
50 Memorial Road
West Hartford CT 06107
Directions
860 236 8400
860 231 9427 FAX
Send Email
Sweater vest
08 August 2009
It was a chilly night and my thoughts turned to sweaters and fall-dressing, and as I browsed the Anthropologie site, I immediately fell in love with this sweater vest.
I've been looking for a longish sweater vest for a while now, and this is almost perfect, except it might be a bit too chunky for early fall. I wanted something transitional so I can wear it from now till winter and I thought a vest would be perfect. I love how it's styled in the photo below, although it's definitely too chilly for current weather. If I were to buy it now, I would probably wear it over a short crisp white shirtdress. Hmmm...I also do have a mustard jersey dress similar to what the girl below is wearing, so that would work as well.
All photos from Anthropologie.
I've been looking for a longish sweater vest for a while now, and this is almost perfect, except it might be a bit too chunky for early fall. I wanted something transitional so I can wear it from now till winter and I thought a vest would be perfect. I love how it's styled in the photo below, although it's definitely too chilly for current weather. If I were to buy it now, I would probably wear it over a short crisp white shirtdress. Hmmm...I also do have a mustard jersey dress similar to what the girl below is wearing, so that would work as well.
Until I find something less chunky, this is going on my wish list. Must make a trip to Anthropologie soon!
Rainier cherries
05 August 2009
Thought I'd take a little break from unpacking. I am currently swimming in paper...can't decide what to toss and what to keep. Also need pretty magazine holders, storage boxes, etc.
When I'm not unpacking, I'm munching on these. Aren't they lovely? I'm always happy when rainier cherries are in season. Their color cheers me up, and the flavor is unbeatable. Sweet and juicy, with just the slightest hint of tartness.
I'm also having fun discovering where I can take good pictures in the new house. Maybe next time I should position the container so you can't see the grout lines. :D
Oh, and I just adore the bowl the cherries are in. It was part of a wedding gift set from a friend. The color is just what I wanted and I'm planning to build the kitchen colors around it.
When I'm not unpacking, I'm munching on these. Aren't they lovely? I'm always happy when rainier cherries are in season. Their color cheers me up, and the flavor is unbeatable. Sweet and juicy, with just the slightest hint of tartness.
I'm also having fun discovering where I can take good pictures in the new house. Maybe next time I should position the container so you can't see the grout lines. :D
Oh, and I just adore the bowl the cherries are in. It was part of a wedding gift set from a friend. The color is just what I wanted and I'm planning to build the kitchen colors around it.
Okay, break's over. Back to sorting, organizing, and unpacking. Hmmm...a little snack right about now sounds good. I'll go grab some more cherries.
Emersonmade
03 August 2009
I am currently in love with fabric flowers and all things ruffly. Show me a belt or headband or necklace with fabric flowers or ruffles and I want to buy them. In fact, my bridesmaids' dresses all had rosettes on them, in whatever style they wished! So, when I saw this post about Emersonmade via { simplesong }, I knew I had to re-post.
She does all the styling and photography herself, as well as handmakes every single fabric flower. I love how even the darker colors are so muted and not at all garish.
Yesterday, I even wore an outfit inspired by the above "outfit": black tank, flippy white mini, and an oversized turquoise fabric flower I bought at H&M when I was in Vancouver last month and never thought I would have the courage to wear. The material of my H&M flower is nowhere near as nice as the ones from Emersonmade which are made of 100% linen.
Look, she even has peonies, my favorite flower!
Her shop is completely sold out right now, although she's accepting pre-orders, which is probably a good thing for my wallet since I'm all for instant gratification. Besides, everything is so pretty I can't decide what to get! It rained today and it feels like fall is coming pretty soon (although it's supposed to be sunny and HOT all of this coming week...) so I want to get a fall-y color like a bluish-gray.
Then again, yellow also appeals to me! haha, I'm so indecisive.
Love the look above, so casual and absolutely something I already wear (except for the flower). I'm overusing the word "love" but I can't help myself. Love how the flower is so oversized yet somehow manages to look just right. Somehow I think I shall be wearing something very similar come fall.
All photos by Emersonmade
Blog: http:emersonmade.blogspot.com
Shop: http://emersonmade.com
She does all the styling and photography herself, as well as handmakes every single fabric flower. I love how even the darker colors are so muted and not at all garish.
Yesterday, I even wore an outfit inspired by the above "outfit": black tank, flippy white mini, and an oversized turquoise fabric flower I bought at H&M when I was in Vancouver last month and never thought I would have the courage to wear. The material of my H&M flower is nowhere near as nice as the ones from Emersonmade which are made of 100% linen.
Look, she even has peonies, my favorite flower!
Her shop is completely sold out right now, although she's accepting pre-orders, which is probably a good thing for my wallet since I'm all for instant gratification. Besides, everything is so pretty I can't decide what to get! It rained today and it feels like fall is coming pretty soon (although it's supposed to be sunny and HOT all of this coming week...) so I want to get a fall-y color like a bluish-gray.
Then again, yellow also appeals to me! haha, I'm so indecisive.
Love the look above, so casual and absolutely something I already wear (except for the flower). I'm overusing the word "love" but I can't help myself. Love how the flower is so oversized yet somehow manages to look just right. Somehow I think I shall be wearing something very similar come fall.
All photos by Emersonmade
Blog: http:emersonmade.blogspot.com
Shop: http://emersonmade.com
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