Thursday, October 28, 2010

A Bright Halloween

In college, my roommates and I threw a Halloween party to end all Halloween parties. We transformed the hallway between the kitchen and the living room into a tunnel of spider webs, there was a smoke machine in the living room, bats hanging from the ceiling and tiny orange and purple lights were wrapped around every square foot of our apartment.

When I think about what it is that I love so much about Halloween, and any holiday really, it’s the lighting. I love how you can change the environment of any room by simply changing up the light fixtures and by adding some natural candlelight. Here are some of my favorite lighting ideas for the season:

This lamp is so stylish and reminds me of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

A good friend of mine has some of these rattan pumpkins.

Mosaic glass candle holders have always been a favorite of mine and orange is perfect for the holiday.

This gothic, antler-inspired chandelier is would look wonderful in any dining room or foyer.

Pop these LED wrapped twigs into a large glass vase to add everyday warm to your space.

The best thing about a most of this stuff is that you leave it up for Thanksgiving, or use it year-round!



Saturday, October 23, 2010

WANT: White Couch

This creamy white number from Pottery Barn is definitely my dream couch.
Everyone always says that it’s totally not practical to have a white couch, but I think I’m a good candidate. I don’t have any kids, I don’t have a dog, my boyfriend is reasonably tidy…it makes sense right? But still, I know I would freak out at first sight of a spot or stain. Also, a white couch deserves the right setting, and my apartment is so not worthy. If I had to build a room around it, there would be hardwood flooring, exposed brick and warm tapestries...


I love the rustic look of this exposed brick wall.

You can easily get that Swiss chalet feel by adding a few of these pillows.

This inexpensive, woolly gray throw does double duty as an accent and as a cozy wrap.

A white couch will pop against this dark hardwood (and it matches the legs of my dream couch!).

Floral accents soften the bold colors of this tapestry rug and tie into the couch.

All that's missing from my fantasy room is one of these :)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

I can’t drive….35

So I got a speeding ticket this weekend due to my fear of deer and dark country roads. I explained to the nice police officer that I was only trying to keep up with the car in front of me, but you know how it goes (52 in a 35 mph zone, yada yada, whatever). As a tribute to my second speeding ticket in 13 years of driving, here are some home accessories with the need for speed:

I know you can't drive 55 on a 10-speed but I love these pint glasses.

The classic 80's car bed grows up with these screen printed pillow cases.

As in "I don't give a Flying A" that I got a speeding ticket.
This magnet is cute, but I don't know what's more dangerous - a velocipede or a car?


Sunday, October 17, 2010

Sunday Love Affair: Our Woodstove



I have to admit…when I first saw this thing I fell in love. Forget about the 15 windows overlooking the creek, the hand-built cabinets and bookcases – our woodstove has my heart.

For me, there is now nothing better than sitting next to the woodstove on a chilly night with a glass of mulled wine, your love and a good movie (or a bunch of drunk friends who just want to roast marshmallows in it all night).

The wood-burning stove has been a super energy-efficient heat source since the early 19th century, and even Ben Franklin had one! Click here for everything you ever wanted to know about woodstoves.

Seriously...what's not to love?

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Soap!


Today’s post is brought to you by my obsession with the most overlooked home accessories. I don’t know about you…but I think the containers that liquid dish and hand soaps come in are so unattractive. However, the way I feel about spending money on soap dispensers is the same as I feel about buying a new wallet: why am I spending money on this again? To answer this question, here are some cheap and easy finds that you can use to dress up your sinks:


Mason jars can hold anything from jam to soap with a little help from these custom made pumps.






These spouts are super cheap and fit into most bottlenecks.  


Some of the best places to find old bottles are at garage sales, thrift stores and ebay!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Vegan Black Bean Pumpkin Soup*



Do you have a few cans of pumpkin lying around that you have no idea what to do with? Here is a great recipe for hearty pumpkin soup that is cheap to make and so delicious (it’s even better the day after you make it):

2 cans 100% pure pumpkin
1 can black beans (drained)
1 large can whole tomatoes (drained, peeled & chopped)
1 cup coconut milk (don’t use light, it not worth it!)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock (2 cans)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic (minced or crushed)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1½ tablespoons curry powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
½ teaspoon chili powder
Salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions: Saute the olive oil, garlic, onions and salt & pepper in a soup pan for 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree to the onions and bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in curry, cumin, chili and pumpkin spice, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, add the coconut milk and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!

(*You can make this non-vegan by using heavy cream…it pretty much tastes the same.)

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Detachable Spoon Fetish

Lately I have been seeing a lot a kitchenware items with removable spoons built in and I want them all! Here are some of my favorites:

 







Are you a spoon half empty or spoon half full kind of person? Do you see this as one more dish to wash or are you ready to add some functional design to your kitchen?


Saturday, October 2, 2010

Outside-In

No matter where I’m living, there is one consistent thing that I need to make it feel more like home…plants! I don’t know what it is about house plants, but without them I feel like something is definitely missing from my life.

I've had all kinds of house plants over the years: ivy, ferns, violets, etc., but I always come back to the pothos. Pothos are the easiest indoor plants to maintain because they require very little water and are pretty much impossible to kill, even if you are the most irresponsible plant owner (i.e., if you killed your goldfish, the pothos is for you). Also, pets and bugs don’t like them very much…can you believe it?

One of my pothos friends.

With the leaves outside beginning to turn from green to yellow and brown, there is nothing better than bringing some sweet green color inside – especially on a dreary, wet fall day.