Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope your day is full of candy and creative costumes and polite children!

Children in costume are just adorable. Best holiday.
From Pinterest

Pottery Barn Kids
I was supposed to be a bumble bee this year, but what with storms and under the weather Tallmen, and shipping it hasn't arrived yet. So NEXT YEAR!
Bee Costume
And here is a helpful link on healthy Halloween candy-- good news: Candy Corn, bad news: Snickers.
RedBook.com
Hope you have a great HALLOWEEN!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

This is the story of the hurricane...

Up here in Boston we don't get many hurricanes, and after our extremely mild winter last year I think we're a little unprepared for weather in general, but like True New Englanders we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. (I put it out there now: it will rain, there will be wind, but we will go to work and school and continue, just a little wetter than usual). But that said, I did fill up a pitcher of water and put it in my fridge just in case the storm causes the power to go out somewhere that effects my ability to drink water. (Also, my mom told me to, and sometimes its best to just do what your mother says and to not argue.)

Hurricanes are a little romantic though (unless you die in one). Think Key Largo or storm induced spikes in fertility rates. Also, if the lights go out and you are forced to read by candle light and forgo video games and netflix and the internet.

And just think of the lanterns and lighting options:
Hurricane Oil Lamp
Hurricane Lantern
I have some pretty awesome childhood memories of storms where we lost power and I learned how to play cards with my parents by the light of candles and sometimes a propane lantern.

So if you're on the east coast and getting hit by a hurricane, I hope you're having fun and staying safe. Don't light your gas stove without matches handy, and don't cause a house fire with your candles. Also, don't get hit by a tree :)

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Secretary Desk

As much as I love Secretary Desks, I have no where in my current home to put one, and I have no idea if I'd actually use one in a future home, I'm not much of a sit at a desk (other than for 9 hours a day at work) kind of person.

But from looking at pictures on pinterest, Houzz and other fun places, I think I would want a secretary desk near a table, so I wouldn't actually have to sit at the secretary desk (which seems silly).
From Pinterest
But this would allow one to store their bills, letters, etc in the secretary desk and then take them out for Saturday morning bill paying.
From Pinterst
One of the things I like about this idea, is that you can pull a dining room table over to your secretary desk and work on things there if you wanted. Just a smart idea! (also who loves this breakfast nook, I do!)
Then there is a desk in the entry way, which also works for drop off of bills and letters etc because its right as you enter the house. Everything should have a place, if not then how do you put things away-- right?
From Pinterest
But then this placement is lovely too:
Pinterest
Clearly I'll have to keep thinking about it, and maybe the next place I live there will be space for one. Or maybe I could rearrange my entire current house just to have a place for a secretary desk :)

Monday, October 22, 2012

Fun with Spray Paint

I've been pretty slack on updating and playing with my house lately, but over my birthday weekend I finally updated a candelabra I'd bought a couple years ago with spray paint in mind.

I forgot to take a before picture, duh, but I googled and silver plated candelabra's are everywhere. I got mine for $30 at an Antique sale in Boston. I probably overpaid given the fact that the silver plating was flaking off, one of the arms was a brassy color, not even silver anymore and it was very very loose.
Picture Source
After tightening its arms, chipping off all the wax, and giving it a rough scrub and dry to get the flakes off it, I took a can of white spray paint to it. Just Rustolem Primer. But it took 5 coats to be completely white! I was really surprised at how many coats of primer it took to cover up the silver, especially where it was tarnished. And all the nooks and crannys of the the candelabra meant I had to do a couple upside down coats just to be sure.
But like Sherry says, I did light and even coats and had no drips, and quick drying.

Then I lived with white for a week, and the morning before a party I sprayed it again, but with blue!
This picture is awful, but Sage would not leave me alone, as you can tell from her tail in the corner of the picture. In person its much darker and a little less shiny. This took 3 coats, I stopped because I wanted it to not be almost black, but if I had continued there wouldn't be speckled almost white patches under the candle holders (you can't see them in this picture, those white things are just glare from the camera flash) (honestly, this picture is the best of a bunch, Sage was being a crazy).

I'm in love with my blue candelabra. Its so much prettier than when it was silver!

Also I'm in love with spray paint, I'm thinking of giving the lamps in our bedroom an updated white look :) Tallman is totally ok with it... I think....

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Birthday Presents!!!

My parents gave me a set of knives for my birthday, my old knives were some set they'd gotten years and years ago for free and when I moved out they let me take them. Tallman didn't come with knives (though he did come with a waffle iron, blender, rabbit corkscrew, and other fun kitchen implements).

I love my new knives! My old ones were so dull that when the knife slipped this summer while I was cutting a cantaloupe and went with some force into my hand-- it didn't break the skin. It obviously would have been terrible if it had broken the skin, but the fact that it didn't doesn't speak very highly for the knives.
Knife!
These knives though, ohhhh they are wonderful. Chopping veggies is like slipping a warm knife through butter. Of course, we haven't quite learned to be careful yet, both Tallman and I are sporting some cuts where the knife has slipped (usually while cleaning) and nicked us.

In addition to nicking ourselves, we've been putting considerably more wear and tear on the cutting boards. So I'm thinking we might need to get new ones soon. A plastic one, and a big butcher block one.
This is what I'm thinking for plastic:
Antibacterial Cutting Board!
And Etsy has a lot of cute butcher blocks:
Maple Wooden Cutting Board
Wooden Cutting Board-- FDA safe!
Maple and Walnut Cutting Board
I want a very large butcher's block cutting board and that is actually kinda tricky to find, so it'll take some hunting. Also, I want to make sure its safe to cut and prepare veggies on.
But thats the story of a birthday present that is awesome that is turning into a hunt for new cutting boards.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Post Updates

Well, clearly I took a week off from blogging. Usually I do all my posts over the weekend and schedule them, but last weekend I just wasn't feeling it. Instead I lounged, and took naps with my cat, and spray painted a candelabra. Sorry folks, but I think it was time well spent.

But also during that time I bought myself the Phoenix Roze H necklace I'd been longing for for so long, and it came. (I was all ready to wait a month for them to custom make it for me, which is apparently how they do, but it only took a week! Clearly they had some in stock.)
Phoenix Roze

It is cute and everything I wanted.

Also, I went to Ann Taylor and did NOT buy that green tweed suit, it was hideous! It looked like a muppet that had be dragged under a bus for 50 miles of rough high way. Seriously, its cute in the pictures but in person it is ugly!
Tweed
I did also celebrate my birthday last week, and get a number of fairly awesome presents... tomorrows post will provide details of their wonders, and what I'll be doing now I have them :)

Friday, October 5, 2012

I still want this....

But I think I want to try it on first?

Phoenix Roze
Because I tried on this necklace and I hated how much it cost, because I fell in love a little...
Maybe Someday...
It was sooo pretty, delicate and sparkly without being over sparkly... sigh... Have a Happy Weekend!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

I want a Tweed Suit...

Ann Taylor seems to have some cute options, like this green:
From my pinterest
Jcrew has this ensemble, but its not cheap!
Jcrew Tweed
Lots of places have womens tweed skirts, or women's tweed jackets, but its hard to find a full on tweed suit! And when you can find them they are expensive. I will hunt, I will pursue. I will find one.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Have YOU Heard of Steven Alan?

I hadn't heard of Steven Alan until I read this month's Matchbook... have you read Matchbook this month, its very good!

Anyway, I just found out about Steven Alan and it is a clothing store with so many cute cute things!
Cindy Top
Robe
Camilla Bag
Check it out! They have some really cute dresses too!

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Tallman Boots

Tallman USED to have two pairs of boots, one pair was low and brown and good for rainy days, and the other was tall and huge and good for two feet of snow.
Last winter, the mellowest, least snowiest, warmest winter I can recall-- Both pairs of boots broke beyond repair. The smaller pair had the sole disintegrate and come apart, and the larger pair the tongue ripped out.

Tallman, as you may predict from his nickname, has some very large feet, so finding shoes for him involves special ordering.

I checked Timberland's website (I figure good solid workboots are what he needs) but everything in his size was just silly looking.

So I checked L.L. Bean (I like local, I like Made in America and I have L.L. Bean boots that keep my feet warm and dry).
LLBean Iron Works Boots
We went with these fellows. Leather, rugged soled, sold in Tallman's size, and waterproof. And honestly, I just feel better about leather than man made waterproof materials. Oiled leather has been keeping people dry for centuries.

Do you have to clothe an absentminded giant? What brands do you trust?

Monday, October 1, 2012

Happy October!!!

HAPPY OCTOBER!

From Pinterest
I love October!

It is by far my favorite month, and not just because my birthday is in it.

I love the changing seasons, the crisp smell of the air, the cold rain, the apples, the cider, the apple cider donuts, Halloween, boots, snuggling, mums, sunny days that turn into cold nights, pumpkins, squash, soup, the changing leaves, I love it all.
Pinterest

From Pinterest
From Pinterest
Do you have a favorite month? Is it October? If so why the heck not? October is great!