May 11, 2012 in
garden, home buying with
Every cat owner knows that when your cats are spending quality time together staring at something it means one of two things, a bug or a ghost! Much to my dismay, it’s just never a ghost.
So last night I noticed both kitties in a corner, staring. I ignored them until I saw it. “It” is probably too small a word for this thing and believe me, my years in Brooklyn were graced with the presence of some very large cockroaches. But this, this mutant was quite possibly the most horrifying insect I’ve seen outside of a Godzilla movie. I’m warning you, shield your eyes.
It was this…
via Wikipedia
Not scary enough? Here it is eating a honeybee!
via Wikipedia
It was gigantic! At first Google we determined it was a Japanese Hornet but since those don’t seem to exist outside of Japan (see, Godzilla!) we Googled further to determine it was most likely a European Hornet. Hey Europe, let’s keep your imports to Prosecco, Diptyque and macarons, k?
The European Hornet can decimate an entire honeybee hive. Horror! Its size can reach up to two inches long and its sting supposedly hurts like heckity heck. Thankfully none of us can attest to that, including kitties. The kitties just sat staring at it frozen with fear. And for extra fun, the nest of a European Hornet drips a foul smelling black liquid. Let’s hope we don’t find that anytime soon.
February 1, 2012 in
decor, inspiration with
Remember the guest room? There it is. Like my cute little Thomas Paul boy pillow? He’s totally cute. Look, he’s wearing a jaunty scarf! Anyway, let’s get to the point here. See that nightstand? Nope? What’s that? You only see a 10+ year old Ikea rolling office cabinet? Yup, that’s the problem. Ugh. Plus it’s too small for that lamp and a candle and the aforementioned guest copy of Us Weekly. It’s got to go.
So, let’s play a game…
What do you think? Mid-Century and wood or vermillion lacquer yet traditional? Intervention? Do I need to step away from the West Elm? Let me know in the comments!
January 17, 2012 in
recipes with
This was going to be a post about what we ate while watching the Golden Globes this weekend, but since I missed that boat I think it’s more fittingly a post about what you should be eating during Puppy Bowl VIII!
via Animal Planet
The starting lineup was just announced and that’s Deliliah. You can watch her get sporty at Puppy Bowl VIII which airs on Animal Planet, February 5th at 3pm E/P. It’s no secret that we love a TV event around here, what better excuse for snacks? Our favorite snack with a fitting name for one of our absolute favorite TV events? Dog Food Dip! This recipe started with my dear friend, Meighan, who has made it for parties, barbecues, Justin Timberlake’s HBO concert special. Seriously. No party, TV event or red carpet has been the same without it since. It will be her legacy and she’s kindly allowing me to share it.
I’m gonna warn you, it’s not photogenic. But once you’ve had it, I swear, there is no going back.
Vegetarian Dog Food Dip
Ingredients
- 1 8oz bar of cream cheese
- 1 can of vegetarian chili (I like Amy’s)
- 1 can of vegetarian refried beans (I like Bearitos)
- 12oz of shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- Spread the softened cream cheese on the bottom of an 8″ square baking dish.
- In a bowl, mix the chili and beans together. Layer the mixture on top of the cream cheese.
- Top the dish with the shredded cheddar.
- Bake at 350° until cheese is melted and bubbly then serve with a strong tortilla chip.
It really couldn’t be easier, or more delicious. So have some while you’re rooting for the puppies and reveling in the beauty that is the Bissell Kitty Half-time Show. It’s especially good the next day, if it lasts that long!
January 11, 2012 in
before and after, decor with
When we first moved into the house the previous owners had left all the curtains so we wouldn’t be without window coverings. The thing is, those window coverings were so darn ugly that when we finally took them down and replaced them with clean roller shades I was so scarred by their flounciness (is that a word?) that I sort of swore off curtains altogether. It wasn’t until summer when that 7 AM beam of light would shoot through the crack between the shade and the wall directly onto my face that I started to think that curtains were the way to go. Luckily there are tons of really great curtain options out there and they don’t all involve ruffles and poufs and flowers. We started with our bedroom first.
I loved how they transformed the room so much I wanted to tackle the guest room next. I’d been eying West Elm’s Ikat Ogee Linen curtains and I thought they were nice, but would they go? Would the pattern be too big or not the right color? Here’s how the guest room looked when you last saw it.
And here it is now. They work! I kinda love them. The color tied nicely into the walls and the pattern is large, but it doesn’t look crazy in the small room. We hung them “high and wide” as you’ve probably heard on many a design blog. They also block out just enough light that I’m thinking of switching rooms.
Now that I’m on such a curtain kick maybe I’ll finally make the curtains I’ve been planning for the sunroom. It’s not like the fabric has been sitting in my basement for over a year.
January 8, 2012 in
before and after, decor with
So I mentioned previously that the kitchen project has been pretty long and drawn out. Part of the reason is lack of time to get things done, the other part is just my general indecisiveness. A couple of weeks ago I painted the kitchen a deep peacock blue, Martha Stewart’s Plumage. It’s a vast improvement over the dingy yellow that was there before, but I just can’t decide on the color of the trim. In the first round I painted it white and it looked like this:
Nice, but something was bothering me. It looked a little more modern than I was going for and I felt like my eye was being overly drawn to the trim. Maybe I watch too much Boardwalk Empire, but it’s a great reference for the time period in which our house was built. I noticed on the show that most of the trim that isn’t dark wood is painted the same as, or a shade of the wall color. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of Martha’s pink guest house where everything is painted the exact same shade of pink. Here are a few other images that feature painted trim.
- via Martha Stewart
- via Suzanne Kasler
- via House & Home, October 2010
Lovely, no? So I thought, what the heck, I’ll try it. I figured I’d start with one portion and not go all out, it’s a little messy but here’s a sample:
It’s kind of hard to tell because I didn’t properly finish it, but I’m not sure. Part of me likes it and I think when the inside edges of the doorway are finished it will look nice. The other part of me is really bothered by that skinny strip of blue to the right of the tile. Is it weird? Should I go for it and paint the whole shebang? I need opinions. Sound off in the comments people, I need your help!
Oh, and just so you know, the floor is going, going GONE! It’s gross and we’re planning some awesome black and white hex tile for it. We just need to decide if we’re going to attempt the DIY on that. Another thing you should ignore is the disgusting beige switch plates. We’ll be fixing those too.
