Studio Envy

Jeanne Oliver is the owner of A Bushel and a Peck. She lives in Castle Rock, Colorado and creates a line of handcrafted aprons, bags, children's clothing, journals, plaques, frames and whatever else she feels like making. You can see some of her creations on Etsy.

She recently posted photos of her new home studio on her blog. Check it out here for more details. I have major studio envy after viewing these photos! What a beautiful place to work and be creative.

Images from A Bushel and A Peck.

Broken Vacuum

This week our vacuum cleaner went on the fritz. I could deal with the dirty rug for a day or two. But now I am going crazy. Unfortunately, we are going to have to haul it way downtown to get it looked at for a repair. What happened to people having the same vacuum cleaner for 15 years? We have only had this one since our wedding 2-1/2 years ago! Oh, well. They just don't make things like they used to, I guess!

Ultimate Comfort Food

Tonight, we decided to stay home and cook a big dinner since it is so brutally cold outside. The comfort food menu: grilled cheese (white cheddar and colby jack) on foccacia bread, roasted tomato soap, fried green tomatoes (from the farmer's market) and green salad. 

It was excellent if I do say so myself.

I used a recipe for fried tomatoes that my Mom recently gave me. I altered it a little so that I could use ingredients I already had in my kitchen.

Slice three small green tomatoes. Mix 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup Jiffy corn muffin mix, and garlic salt, Lawry's salt and black pepper to taste. Dip the tomato slices in milk (the recipe called for buttermilk but I don't keep that in the house) and then dredge in the dry mixture. Fry in olive oil for about 2 minutes on each side, or until brown. Blot on a paper towel before serving.

The meal in progress. A lot of clean-up to do!

The finished project. So good!

Busy Day

We've done a lot today. Dentist appointment, lunch at Goodburger, farmer's market at Union Square in 1 degree weather (not kidding, I don't recommend it). Trader Joe's and a big dinner. I'm wiped out.

There is currently only one Trader Joe's in Manhattan. Therefore, going to Trader Joe's on the weekend is nuts. No one would bother fighting the crowd if their products weren't so good! These pictures don't quite do the experience justice.

Last Post About Lavender, I Promise!

So, I found this image of a lavender bedroom and I just love it. It is so restful. Plus it helps that the room has great natural light. I promise this is the last time I'll post about lavender. I'm sure that I have made it clear by now how much I love it!

Image from S. R. Gambrel.

Children's Rooms

I love this idea. Seeing kid's rooms through their eyes. It's an art installation called Shoebox Living: Through the Eyes of a Child. Go here to see the details of the project. It's worth a look!

Discovered via Apartment Therapy; images from Shoebox Living.

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe

The Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is one of my favorite stores in the city. It's a store that is filled with books that have all been donated to the charity. The workers are all volunteers, and all proceeds benefit the Housing Works organization which fights homelessness and AIDS in New York. You can check it out here.

Images from housingworks.org. 

While the charity aspect is wonderful, the inexpensive books and great atmosphere are what keeps me coming back. I'm in need of some new reading material, so I hope to make a trip there this weekend.

Big Shot Bike

Kane's new bike came in today. He is super excited about it. I'm a little nervous since the last time he was on a bike he was hit by a car!!

It's from a Colorado company called Big Shot Bikes. You can check them out here. They let you customize your bike online, and the frames are all made from post-consumer recycled steel.

Grateful

Today I am grateful. I am grateful that I have a job. I am grateful that I have a wonderful husband. I am grateful that I have friends and family who love me unconditionally. Thank you to everyone. I am grateful for all of you.

Thank you.

Lost

The last season of Lost starts Tuesday February 2. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!! It is the best show because it's impossible not to get wrapped up in the great characters and the absurd story line.

Image from abc.com.

Kitchen Art

I am so excited because I just found the art for my new lavender kitchen! I purchased the set of prints below from Luck Bluebird Art on Etsy. I only need two of them to fill the two white frames above my table, but I'll file the third one away for another day.

Images from Lucky Bluebird Art on etsy.com.

Orchids

I love orchids. I always have. They are a bit expensive and I've hesitated about buying one since I didn't know if I could keep it alive. So, while walking through Home Depot yesterday I saw $13.99 "Just Add Ice" orchids and thought I might as well give it a try.

Apparently I only have to add three ice cubes to it once a week. We'll see if it's that easy!

Paint Me Lavender

I spent the afternoon painting our kitchen/entry hall lavender. I'm happy with the result. The only problem is that now the rest of the kitchen is still builder's beige and it looks drab in comparison! But, one project at a time.

The color is Benjamin Moore Sanctuary AF-620.

Ikat

Ikat fabrics are everywhere right now. It's a big trend, and I would probably get tired of it after a year or two. But, the colors are so vibrant and beautiful that I'm tempted to make at least a couple of pillows!

Ikat originated in Indonesia. It's a method of resist-dying threads before they are woven. Little pieces of plastic are wrapped around the weft threads. When the threads are dipped in dye, the color doesn't adhere to the portions covered in plastic. Then the weft is woven into the warp and a pattern is created.

I took the pictures below today at the Brunschwig & Fils showroom in the D&D Building. The fabric line pictured is B & Co.

Decisions, Decisions

According to Benjamin Moore's 2010 color forecasts, lavender is in this year. I'm deciding which lavender I need in our apartment. I'm leaning toward one of the two largest samples. I'll let you know what I decide!

No Thinking Required

We've been meaning to buy a new paper shredder for months. We finally got a new one today. Sometimes after a long day at work, it is so therapudic to have a repetitive, mindless task to lose yourself in.

The Challenge of the Evening

This is my mental challenge for the night. We bought this puzzle because we thought it was the coolest one at Barnes and Noble. Turns out it is also the hardest one ever! Too many shades of grey. It looks like this puzzle is going to be taking up space in our living room for at least a week!

The art is Up and Down by M.C. Escher.

Ikea

You can't beat a good trip to Ikea. Ours is in Brooklyn, and completely worth the hour-long trip. I bought paper lanterns for the hallway and our bedroom. I love lights that cost $5 each.

Bedroom lantern.

Hallway lantern.

Golden Globes

I spent yesterday evening in Brooklyn watching the Golden Globes at Margeaux's House. It was a fun night. Lots of good dresses and good food. I'm not one to turn down lobster rolls or coconut cupcakes!

Emily Blunt's dress was my absolute favorite!

Image from E! Online.

Wedding Shower

Have fun at your shower today, Logan! I wish I could be there. The wedding is going to be here before you know it!

Unfinished Symphony

Tonight we went to see the New York Philharmonic perform Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Lincoln Center is running a promotion this month to promote their new visitor's center and box office. It's 20 days of $20 tickets. Every evening they send out an email saying what performances will be available the following day for $20. So, I decided to check it out.

It was a time-consuming process that involved getting to the visitor's center to get in line for a numbered wristband by 9am (which I did), and then coming back at noon when the box office opened and waiting for your number to be called so that you could get in line for the $20 tickets. I was number 176 out of 250. So, by the time my number came up it was after 1pm. Then we came back to Lincoln Center for the show at 8pm.

But, all of that being said, it was a great performance and I do not regret the time I invested. I had never seen the New York Philharmonic before, and I'm glad that I had the chance to see them so inexpensively. And, the seats that they gave us were excellent.

Navy Blue Part Two

This is the little hallway in our apartment that leads from the living area to our bedroom. In previous posts I mentioned that I have been drawn to navy blue lately, and that I've been wanting to hang my Keep Calm poster. Well, I finally have photos to show both.

As a side note, You'll notice that two of the gallery frames still have the pictures that came with the frames. Those are reserved for family pictures from Christmas, and Logan and Logan's wedding.

Now I'm thinking of hanging a Chinese paper lantern over the ugly ceiling fixture.

Note on Anonymous Comments

Just a note to people who post anonymously - please be sure to sign your name at the bottom so I know who you are!

Posting anonymously is the option for people who do not have Gmail accounts. If you have a Gmail account, please sign in through it so that your name will show above your comment.

Thanks everyone!

Church Lounge

I had a fabulous round of drinks tonight with Heather J, Margeaux from Koroseal and Kimberly from Michael Tavano. We went to Church Lounge, which is located at the Tribeca Grand Hotel.

I must say, the french fries, crab cakes and sliders were excellent.

I absolutely love the vinyl wallcoverings that Koroseal offers. And, I'm looking forward to seeing what Michael Tavano has to offer this year at 200 Lex!

From left to right: Kendall, Kimberly, Heather J and Margeaux.

Excellent Way to End a Day

Kane met me at the pizza place on our block for a quick slice before we headed home. You cannot beat a great slice of pizza. It's an excellent way to end a day.

Apartment Therapy Meet-up

Image from New York Magazine.
Tonight I attended a "meet-up" organized by Apartment Therapy, and hosted by the New York Knoll showroom. The featured speaker was John Robshaw of John Robshaw Textiles. Visit http://www.johnrobshaw.com/ to see his products. It's always interesting to me to hear how people in my industry get started, and how they grow their businesses.

I also ran into Alan Gilmer, who I hadn't seen in a long time. It's always nice to see someone from home!

From left to right: Kendall, Alan Gilmer, Heather Johnston.

Globe Trekker

Image from Globe Trekker.
I adore Globe Trekker. It is a wonderful hour-long show on public television that comes on at 8pm every night in NY. Each night one of the hosts travels to a fabulous destination like Brazil, or Tibet, or the Maltese Islands, or Portugal or even South Korea. It's such a great escape. Go to http://www.globetrekkertv.com/ to see what channel the show is on in your area. 

I've been fortunate enough to see a lot of different places. I've been to 49 of the 50 states (I still need to see Alaska), Mexico, Canada, the Carribean and a couple of European countries. But there are still a lot of places to see. One of these days I'll make it.

Be sure to check out the show if you have the opportunity!

Good Job Geneva!

Back in December, Geneva's friends Amanda and Alan made a little trip from Georgia to NYC to get married. And, Geneva made Amanda's wedding dress! It is beautiful. I'm so proud!

Images from Red Fly Studios.