hanging pots?

Not so big on open shelving but I do like the idea of hanging pots on a wall:

 

However, this would only work in my mind if I had a set of matching pots and pans:

  

Ah yes, for my 28th birthday I will request my husband buy me shiny pots and pans. 

Tres chic.

blooming at our house

The daisy is still alive. It's had many incarnations and this is maybe incarnation number 3 but the freaking thing is still alive and keeps blooming. Yowser.

 

These guys, no idea what they are but they're providing me some redish/pinkish flower deal. All the rain from the thunderstorm helped cause Matt and I are TERRIBLE plant take care-ers.

  

 This is a desert-ish flower that bloomed, who knew. Well done mate.

 

They're alive! Nothing can live in the back yard cause of a certain furry beast that devours things who we are successfully house-breaking. Wish us luck.

our teenager's bedroom

I've been working on the drum room and it's kind of funny but it's sort of looking as if it belongs to our teenage son. So I thought I'd tell you a little about him.

He doesn't much like to hang with the family, as teenagers do, but when he climbs into bed with me in the morning and wants to snuggle, it warms my heart. His brother is always around the action but he's more of a loaner.

 He likes to play vinyl cause he's a music/audophile snob like his father. Says it sounds better and since vinyl seems to be coming back in a big way, it's good to have.

Like any male, he likes dark blue and plain colors. For some reason he wanted to put up some carpeting on the wall instead of a headboard cause he said that stuff is for girls.

 Plus, he wanted to play his drums in there which the neighbors eventually vetoed so we had to put his drum set away, the wall of padding still remains as an altar to music.

He likes old movies and is interested in geology, particularly rocks.

And his idols are Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley and he wishes the lettering wasn't hot pink but he lives with it.

Our teenager is generous and he is willing to give up his room when visitors drop by.

bar and mirror

With the addition of girard over the mantle, the mirror got displaced. Ended up here with the expedit. I've also moved the bar stuff up there which I am moderately okay with and Matt thinks is fine but since he's straight edge (aka no booze no drugs) he's not big on it:

Honest opinions please. Do we like?

hello alexander

you saucy minx, look at you.

 

don't worry, i'll find you playmates.

hurt me

I will not claim to be a knower of art or paintings. But I know what I hate. And I don't hate the painting over the crib. Actually, I LOVE it. Who paints?

a truly great kitchen

Why is this room so perfect?

1) Backsplash. Because I hate anything that has a groove, I want smooth surfaces on everything and this looks easy to clean. Ease of cleaning is very imporant.

2)  The cabinets look modern but not cold. I love modern looking kitchens but they often look not just clean but BARREN. This room does not.

3) Lots of drawers. That's all I want, drawers drawers drawers. Easier to reach everything

4) Appliances are shiny and chrome/stainless steel.

5) Window ledge over the sink.

6) Hardware.

springy update

Moved some stuff around in the dining area.

I still want a dresser instead of this side table here.

The flowers are leftover from my sister's baby shower and for spring, I plan on having some tulips here.

 

I purchased four yellow placemats from Target. And the four unbreakable plates and bowls are also from Target, they were on clearance. Also, they're blue which is the color of the walls and not black or white or yellow. Important.

I like the pattern. And it makes me think of summer/spring, which is hard to imagine with the week of thunderstorms in sunny california.

pink flowers

I am not normally a pink person but mom wanted me to bring pink flowers for my sister's baby shower and I brought them all home with me (I didn't mind parting with the flowers, just not the vases). This is one of them.

Hot pink and green? I'm into it.

why would target do this to me?

They went and got a bunch of stuff I've not yet seen in person but I like already. Especially that black glass lamp base. Ay ay ay. If only it was white. Sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

chalkbbboooard

I wanted to have a chalkboard something in the kitchen. I like this idea of painting a part of the cabinet with chalkboard paint:

I think I might do it on the pantry door. That's the door right where the fridge is, the one with the biggest cabinet space. I think it might break up all that white.

 

Doesn't my mixer look right at home? Yeah....

my shopper strikes again

K. Member how I said she was my personal shopper? She posted this on her blog about a new hook she'd bought which of course is freaking useful and beautiful and about a print she'd purchased from Urban Outfitters for the entry area.

Remember how I said I wanted an abstract kind of something for the mantle?

 

This is the one. Matt approved it. Especially because it's on sale.

$20. And it's BIG.

birthday wishlist

Next month, it's my birthday.

It's my birthday it's my birthday.

And I love presents. NICE PRESENTS!

(the above is from one of the greatest sketches of all time on SNL that I cannot find online)

Thought I'd make a wishlist cause well, I can just buy myself whatever I want so it's more of a shopping list.

Gia the skinny Italian cook chick has a line of stuff at Target. I was considering purchasing some Al Clad pots but these are cheaper and they're a whole set:

The knives I got at Ikea, SUCK. I need good ones:

 

And then Target went and did something so just, vicious to me. They brought out a line of stuff that's all YELLOW. So I kind of want the pitcher and the utensil holder.

 And since I loved seeing this table set up with placemats and chargers for the holiday, I also want their line of yellow placemats for $1.99 x 4.

 

Speaking of gifts, I get a special gift in addition to giving this one TO SOMEONE ELSE below (that's the soothe and glow seahorse that I found in Target that every mommy swears by):

My baby sister is making me a tia. She is having a baby girl due around my birthday. Hopefully she won't be born on my actual birthday cause I'm greedy but being close in birthdays will be fun. February people have always been awesome in my experience.

I am already an "aunt" from Matt's sister but now I'll be a "tia" officially. In our family, we have a tradition that the children of our cousins call us "tia" which is so cute.

Then in June I get another niece or nephew (my other sister). And in August (from Matt's sister). A third. Can you believe it? THREE BABIES. Thanks for getting my mom off my back with grandbaby requests girls, appreciate it.

dear,

Dear Staircase Rail from Heaven:

Let's get together forever.

Love,

EvY

Kitchen of the Year: Where HerMAJESTY reigns (Part 1: Ina)

Ina, aka HERMAJESTY, had her beautiful barn kitchen duplicated and put on display at some museum. It's amazing to see it laid out so you can glimpse into why she sets things up the way she does and why it makes sense for working in her kingdom.

She's a casual simple lady full of joy.

 

And this is her glorious kitchen.

 

She has it laid out so you don't have to move around a lot in the kitchen to get from one station to the other, whatever makes her life easier. I mean, look at how close together the stove is from the sink.

 

She displays her pretty serving stuff and keeps stuff on hand that she needs.

 

Big jars with baking goods, a stand mixer, and a food processor are musts.

 

 

As well as a coffee maker, toaster, and juicer.

 

On her island she has two big wood cutting boards...

 

Fresh lemons and limes... olio santo olive oil in the background...

 

And two ceramic utensil holders (one for wood and one for metal)...

 

A big sink with no dividers...

 

drawers full of nice silverwear...

 

and kitchen towels...

 

and hidden wastebaskets.

  

She keeps her guests nearby with these stools...

 

And her boards at her feet.

 

Flowers make any setting look amazing.

 

And if you have a fireplace in your kitchen with two big cozy chairs, power to you... 

Part 2 will be grading my kitchen and how I attempted to copy her techniques.