waverly modern essentials

I was at Joann Fabrics the other day and spotted the new Modern Essentials collection from Waverly. Pretty sure I said "ooooo" out loud and walked over in a trance.

It's so yummy - the weave on the fabric feels great and the patterns and colors are gorgeous.

make it pink?

today we decided to paint the front entryway. I had been toying with the idea of a dirty, sort of california in the 70s polaroid picture pink but couldn't find any colors that came close to that description - and I was nervous about painting our entryway any version of pink. I thought the idea was brilliant but there was no way to really get what I saw in my head. every sample was too girly. so, we both agreed on a soft latte type taupe color as a perfectly warm and inviting choice and went with oat cake by behr.

but guess what. it still turned out in the pink family. I think I love it but am not sure. what do you think?

(ugh, ugly blue front door. curse you.)

DIY duvet cover

It's time to move June into a twin bed - not sure I'm ready for the transition but we're forging ahead. On the upside, I get to start hatching a plan for her bedding and was shocked to find out how expensive duvet covers are. So I decided to make my own using two flat sheets, loosely following the directions found here at Prudent Baby. The sheet design had brown, pink and orange polka dots. Pretty cute and not too girly.



Here's the breakdown....
Twin down-alternative comforter from Target
Two full size flat sheets from Walmart
Snap kit from here
Water-soluble pen from Joann Fabrics
Prayers that I don't swear too much while making this thing

Mind you, when I say loosely following the directions, I mean it. Hence the swearing. Flying by the seat of your pants and sewing often don't mix. :)

Our sheets were long enough for the finished product to have an inch of wiggle room. But we had to trim the width a little to get the right measurement, where we had a 1/2 inch seam allowance on each side, plus a little wiggle room. The double folded 4" hem at the top of the sheet is a perfect place to put the snaps. The Prudent Baby version calls for putting the snaps through only 1 layer of fabric but my husband thought 2 layers would be better. So we folded down the top hem and started marking things off with the fabric pen.


We measured in 10 inches from the edge before starting the "snap line." With the 4" hem, we measured down 2" and put the snaps in the middle, spacing them about 5 inches apart.


We did the same on the other sheet's top hem and did some serious double checking that the snaps would line up. While this project isn't rocket science, it's a little tricky if you haven't done it before. In the middle of helping with the snaps, my husband got annoyed and said I should have just bought one online. Hello, Garnet Hill!

But we persevered, matching the Right Sides of the fabric together and pinning it, starting a few inches in from the snap line on either side. Then I sewed all around, starting at one end of the snap line and going all the way around. Cut the points off the corners, flipped it inside out....Voila!

Now let's just hope Junebug stays in her new bed. I have visions of seeing her crazy curls standing next to our bed.

emersonmade ... me want to be a better person

emersonmade, once a one-woman fabric flower shop, has exploded into a clothing, home and accessory boutique of unique, handcrafted work. if it weren't for the talent, I might just hate the wife and husband team, emerson and ryan (respectively), for being so damn beautiful and successful. (she models, he photographs - yes, I did just throw up a little in my mouth.)

here are some of my favorites from their latest collection.

*love* these belts.

and if that isn't enough, take a look at photos from their new hampshire home (love the crisp whiteness of it), which they moved into two years ago after vacating manhattan, as featured on design*sponge:

I think this pantry might be one of my all-time favorites.

when I read about people like this, I sometimes wonder what it is I do with an average day? how can they have accomplished so much and I am still working on sewing a handbag from two weeks ago?

trad home

Despite the sad demise of so many shelter magazines (Cottage Living....*sniff*), there's been a recent resurgence in online offerings. The latest is from Traditional Home and Lonny called Trad Home. Here's a peek....

sewing space, also known as: you can't keep cutting where you eat

I have been sewing significantly more these past couple months. now that I have found a few "genres" that inspire me (shoulder/handbags and all things that fall under the category of baby shower gift), I can't seem to stop. which is fantastic; yay! a hobby I am actually maintaining! however. I need to get serious regarding where I work. sewing in the dining room basically blows. my big, courageous plan is to try and make room for my sewing self in the downstairs guest room, while still keeping the room a guest room. tricky. very tricky. any ideas? I am looking for ikea type inspiration (cheap but also full of good organization ideas). to get this party started, I have pulled a few inspirational images I found online:

I am digging the simple uniformity of this room. and the double desk. love all the shelving too. problem: way too much space; I am literally getting a corner. other problem: feels stuffy.

(spaceplanner)

this one might be my favorite. there is very little not to love. like the high table, but need it bigger still to lay out fabric for cutting and when sewing.

(beautiful inspirations)

I adore this one because it looks like someone actually works here. I am a big fan of the metal baskets (remind me of my summer days in the rice pool locker room), however I worry the fabric might get dusty if stacked in there. would *love* to avoid plastic containers at all costs though.

(country living)

this is just smart and cute.

(vanilla joy)

any inspiring ideas?

steven alan, let me count the ways...

my good friend, renee, introduced me to my new favorite clothing shop (only available online to those of us west coast inhabitants): steven alan. I am in love with the spring collection. yes, it is a little spenny, but we can learn about fashion without always spending.

how great is that little black hat?

sick of chili? try creole.

I have been itching to make something in a dutch oven for weeks now; a big yummy pot of goodness (it rained here the last 7 days; we need comfort). and I have been on a creole kick for about a year. so, I finally took the plunge and made chicken etouffee (would have preferred crawfish but it just didn't happen). look at how beautiful it is simmering away in the pot.

I followed this simple recipe from The Food Network and it turned out pretty magical, I must say.

Ingredients

• 1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bottle dark lager or amber beer
• 1 quart cold chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Season the chicken pieces with salt and cayenne pepper.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat and searchicken pieces on both sides until golden brown. Remove to a platter and reserve.

Add butter to pan and when melted, add flour, and stir to combine well. Continue to cook roux, stirring constantly, until chocolatebrown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Immediately add onion, celery, bell pepper, and bay leaves and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, then add the beer and stir well to loosen any brown bits from pan bottom. Add the stock, brown sugar, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine well. Bring to a boil, return chicken pieces to the pot, and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until chicken is very tender.

Remove chicken pieces to a platter and when cool enough to handle, remove chicken meat from the bones. Return chicken meat to etouffee and continue to cook another 30 minutes, until sauce is thickened and flavorful and chicken is beginning to fall apart. Add chopped parsley and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve immediately over rice or other starch of choice.

boy rooms

This summer Baby #2 will be arriving at our house! And despite the fact that his room doesn't yet have heat or a wall switch for the light (again...thank you 1891 House), I'm already plotting the decor. There will be way more to come as we renovate the room but here's some inspiration for now.

domino

shelter

domino

decor pad (all of the above)