Asymmetrical Shadow Scroll Necklace

Interesting Particulars — Asymmetrical Shadow Scroll Necklace

oh- love this- now how to recreate it......?

Idea for a party...

Apartment therapy suggested it and I think I'll do it...

Throw A 1-2-3-4-5 Party & Let Your Guests Do The Work

It can be easy to fret over work that goes into entertaining guests in your home, but why worry, when you can simply throw a 1-2-3-4-5 party. Your guests bring food, fun and hours of entertainment — all you have to do is clean!

There can be so much fuss and muss that goes into having a group of people over to your home, that it can not only be taxing mentally, but financially as well. Even though feeding a large group of people doesn't have to be expensive, it does help out if you ask guests to come prepared to help out!
As the invite above shows, you ask your friends to come armed with a simple 1-2-3-4-5 combination of things. They don't all have to be large bulky things, most should be able to fit in a simple bag, making it easy for those who rely on mass transit to get them to the party and back again!

• 1 Dish To Share: You can prepare a main dish and include it on the invite so people have an idea what might compliment it nicely, or leave it all totally random.
• 2 Games To Play: They could be board games, word games, or card games, but a little variety will help keep people entertained and give those who might not have much in common with one another, a middle ground and something to focus on while conversation.
• 3 Stories To Tell: You can set a theme, such as worst Holiday or College memory, or even your first kiss or car. Or maybe, just a story that your guests wish to share. For bonus points, record your patrons and make holiday gifts of the time you shared.
• 4 Photos Taken Before _????_: Photos from our youth are always a great way to bring a group together quickly. If everyone knows each other, great, if not, play a game of "guess who this is" to get people accquainted.
• 5 Songs To Hear: Have guests bring 5 songs each and make a quick playlist for the night, send everyone home with a mix tape of the nights events. It can be a great keepsake and ensures everyone hears something they like that night.

All in all numbered or structured parties have great benefits. Everyone pitches in and no one shares a full burden of having to spend hours preparing food or entertainment.

High & DIY: Upholstered Folding Chairs Make Them Before Thanksgiving!

Apartment Therapy Chicago High & DIY: Upholstered Folding Chairs Make Them Before Thanksgiving!

Party Foul Forgiveness: No-Sweat Stain Removal

Apartment Therapy San Francisco Party Foul Forgiveness: No-Sweat Stain Removal

Apartment Therapy The Kitchn | DIY Countertop Cutting Board Extension Flickr Find

Apartment Therapy The Kitchn DIY Countertop Cutting Board Extension Flickr Find

House Tour: Kitchen / Dining Room

Here is our bright yellow kitchen / dining room. In reality it's not as glaring yellow as it comes across in the pictures. It's very compact, but is still very user friendly because its so well organized. That's the key. We have floor to ceiling storage. Everything has a place and everything is put back in its place- if only because there is no where else to put it! We have so much room in our cupboards and drawers and right now they are only half way full.
The previous owners added in some really great green aspects in our house, like the low flow toilet in the bathroom. The Kitchen floor is Marmoleum, a natural linoleum alternative. Unlike typical vinyl floors, Marmoleum has no foul odors that off-gas into your environment. It is Asthma & Allergy Friendly certified safe. And it's SMART™ certified as a sustainable product.
We love our checkerboard floor, and have received alot of complements on it.
When we first looked at the place getting a new stove and a new fridge was #1 on the "what we need to change" list. I still want a new fridge because we in essence only have enough freezer room for some ice cubes and a package of meat. really- is about 5"x10".
We've definitely had to relearn how to store our food, and that's been wonderful as we've simply integrated more fresh produce into our diet. We've also stopped eating as much meat which has been great. It's a change we've been trying to do for months, and now that our kitchen kind of forces the issue, its even easier. Yes, we could go buy fresh meat every night, but why? Meatless mondays, wednesdays and fridays are becoming a staple in our diet. We're also integrating more variety into our diet, not just more produce, but falafel, lentils, quinoa, etc. Tonight I'm making lentil burgers.
So maybe we'll get a new fridge, but we're not in the rush we were...
And the new stove? Something larger than the 20" stove we have now? (seriously, 20" look at it!) I don't think we need one anymore. Our smaller stove is really nice. Things cook faster in the oven because you're not wasting the time and heat heating up space you're not cooking in. I was afraid my pans etc wouldn't fit, but everything works fine. Also notice the ikea shelves and rods above the stove- everything you need to cook is right there, and we have a built in spice rack over the large kitchen sink.
In the dining room, we have two pieces of furniture that are really special to us- first the china cabinet- its gorgeous, provides lots of storage, and only cost 25$ at the thrift store! Have you noticed I heart thrift on this blog? But our favorite piece is the refinished ikea butcher block cart. We also bought that at the same thrift store, also for 25$, and it was pretty cut up on the top. Aaron spent a day sanding it down and refinishing it to the same color as the china hutch and it looks amazing!

Sick...

Ugghhh... I've been sick since Saturday. no one should be sick for that long. Now Aaron's sick too. not fun. I've lost my voice, have a ridiculously sore throat, have fever and chills, headaches, runny nose- you name it we've got it. oh well, on the bright side I've spent a lot of time with Aaron the last few days so that's been great :)

When I feel better I'm going to want to do cartwheels down the street...

House Tour: Foyer

Before and After

Before and After

We're lucky to have no real hallways in our new space. In NYC halways are just wasted space. Instead we have a foyer- a room that connects all of the rooms and yet is large enough to consider a room on its own. We wanted to repaint it from the nasty green color (see before pic) to one that would compliment the various colors inthe other rooms. We finally settled on a light lilac thats alomost grey. It plays well with the yellow kitchen/dining room, the very light grey reading room, the light grey bedroom, and the black and white bathroom. we also were playful in our rug choice(s) and went with 8 round raspberry colored rugs that the cat just loves redistributing for us. but it adds to a spontaneous polka dot pattern so it works for us. We've also hung several framed pictures from our travels around this world, thanks to a gift card from Anushka and Rasesh that was promplty put to use for phot frames. Thanks guys!

House Tour: Reading Room

The reading room is still a work in progress. We have so many blank walls that we're actually thinking of asking a friend of ours to create a huge painting for us so we can make the space even more interesting and balance the western wall which is floor to ceiling book shelves. the book shelves add so much color as we removed the shelves and painted the wall behind them a rich turquoise green which contrasts nicely with the white shelves and plays up the rainbow of colors of all of our books. We left two shelves out and there we plan on hanging a flat screen when we decide we need one- so far, we're pleased with filling it some orchids. we painted the window frames the same turquoise green. The wooden Venetian blinds match the hardwood floor as well as the coffee table and end table. All of the colors- the green, navy, and white, are tied in nicely by the Indian print on the throw pillows.

Because we have to cover 80% of our floors with rugs, we also have 2 8x10 navy rugs from ikea- only 40$ bucks each can you believe that?!? I heart ikea.

the room is basically split in half. One one side we have the sofa bed and the chaise lounge. It's very comfy for curling up with your favorite book for a few hours. And Aaron has a large workspace on the other side of the room.

House Tour: Bathroom

So here is our lovely bathroom.
Here's my top ten things that make it my favorite room in the house.
1. The extra long original bathtub. It's huge-long and wide- and its shower head and faucet are in the center of the wall, not on one of the sides, so you can comfortably shower two people without one hogging all the water :) the shower head is awesome too- it does rain, spray and pulsating massage- Awesome!!! and it has a very unique stopper- see the silver pipe looking thing between the black sink cabinet and the tub? That's the stopper! turn the knob to open and close the drain. 2. The antique mirror/ medicine cabinet with glass shelves. It's complimented nicely with the ikea expandable magnification mirror. There are flowers and leaves etched into the glass at the top.
3. The low flow toilet- very eco friendly! and there's a slim built in shelf behind it- perfect for holding some fresh cut flowers.
4. Two original built in towel racks and two ikea shelves (ikea intended them for the kitchen but they work wonderfully holding our towels! you'll notice that the top shelf is replicated twice more over our stove to store our pots and pans...)
5. The long and deep sink. Now, I hated this sink when we first bought the place, but you'll notice that it looks so much better now that I've ripped off the glued on sea shells that were painted black and then spray painted the black seahorse knobs silver. Sleek and modern, not so gaudy now. Such a difference! while i hated the deep shell shaped sink at first too, I have to admit that washing your face over a sink that's almost a foot wide and long is awesome. I no longer get the whole counter wet! love it! and under the sink has sooo much storage! I also love how the handles match the seahorses on the shower curtian perfectly.

6. The white and black subway tile with black grout floor. we got soo many compliments on this floor when we had our housewarming party. the black grout makes such a difference!
7. The floor to ceiling bathroom cabinet- it has a little door that you lift up to laundry shoot dirty clothes into the hamper. the top door reveals 3 huge shelves that finally store all of my beauty gadgets away nicely.
8. The bathroom has its own heat vent so no more stumbling into a freezing bathroom in the middle of the night!
9. The huge window lets in soo much light you don't need florescents. one bulb is plenty of light.
10. The framed prints of 5 orchid drawings from the Smithsonian. Aaron framed this for me. I love it. It makes me smile every time I go in there. I'm such a nut for orchids now! Thanks Aaron!

Easy DIY: An attractive air freshener.

Easy DIY!


So I love airfresheners, really who doesn't, but I hate the ugly packaging they come in. I always end up trying to hide them behind something and then I miss out on their full effect. I figured out a very attractive way to freshen the air in my bathroom and I have to share.

Get a pretty old sugar or salt shaker- mine is glass with a silver lid. the pattern on the glas matches the light fixture and the small bowl I have for placeing jewlry in before you wash up or shower.

Then buy one of those gel air fresheners- I like those renuzit cones. You simply take off the top of the cone and carve out the air freshener- its like jello- and scoop it into the sugar shaker! screw back on th elid and voila! An attractive air freshener.

aww spray paint... How I love thee...

Apartment Therapy and Design Sponge have both touted the awesome transformational power of spray paint. I think I was ahead of the curve - they just use white- I've been using silver and black for a while now with some awesome results! :)

You can choose your favorite accent color (I'm gearing up for some turquoise) and get things matchy matchy quite quickly. I've painted vases, frames, furniture, numerous shoe boxes, notebooks, wicker boxes, and even an old magazine holder to make it over to hold some of my yarn stash next to the recliner.

Seeing the same color replicated throughout a room builds cohesiveness of design, and spraypaint is one of the fastest and most inexpensive ways to do that.

Wanna see how the "pro's" did it?

Click here and here for a few projects from Apartment Therapy.

Click here for a great DIY project on Design Sponge.

Recent Books Report

My world has been quite self absorbed lately and I've loved it. After our fabulous housewarming party I felt a bit under the weather- I never got sick, I was just run down.
So what have I been doing in my spare time? Reading mostly...
In an attempt to learn more about the genre of science fiction I'm reading several of the classics. I read the The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by writer Philip K. Dick. I was sadly disappointed. It was my first Dick novel (minds out of the gutter ladies) and I had such great expectations for it. Boy was I let down. I really thought he squandered some really interesting ideas by such a shallow investigation of them. I mean c'mon! Alien drugs? precogs? Martian colonization? This should have been a great book! But instead of investigating the first contact with other life forms ( in this books universe that is), or the severe complexities of being able to trip together with someone else and its implicatons on individuality, or even the science that could be behind any of this, he filled it with badly formed gender stereotypes, and business plans. WTF?!?!? And the sexism! sheesh. It was enough to put the book down on that alone. I don't buy the tired "well the time it was written was different" excuse either. It wasn't. It was written in 1965. We were well into the 2nd wave of Feminism and he just enjoyed writing that way. I'm no prude, but I do find it offensive when the only reason a female character is introduced is to sexualize a scene, make fun of them, then ignore them. It got really old. I didn't realize Dick was such a, well... dick. That aside, I was so utterly disappointed by how he concluded the novel that I had to force myself to read the last 10 pages. When he couldn't think of an interesting ending suddenly he introduces all of this religious ( and shabbily applied might I add) symbolism in a pathetic attempt to impart meaning to his several hundred page retelling of a bad acid trip. uuhhggg. I don't think I'll be reading another one of his books.
Today I've started Virginia Wolfs A Room of One's Own. Reading the editors intro I've already cringed. Yes, I agree that women must have space to think- they must have the luxury to create, but I don't like the quote "Genius like Shakespeare's is not born among the labouring, uneducated, servile people". Her argument is that without money ( not earned, but inherited) and space to develop and create one can never attain genius.
I think she walked into that river too soon.
It may not be the luxury to write that allows genius, it may be the luxury to print- to be published.
The 21st century is filled with remarkable authors- the best of whom were "among the labouring, uneducated, servile people." I argue that genius needs a muse, a purpose, a need. Perhaps there were so so few published female authors at that- prior to her time not only because of the domestic responsibilities, but also those who had access to publishing were to busy wallowing in their luxury to actually write. I'm still going to read A Room of One's Own, but I can tell I'm going to have a strong opinion on her bourgeoisie notions of who deserve to have the development of their genius supported...
uggh. I need a good book.
I just ordered Dhalgren is a science fiction novel by Samuel R. Delany. . Wish me luck!

DIY Facial Scrubs for Any Skin Type

I love DIY home spa treatments. They're practical, use earth friendly ingredients, and are just about as much fun as you can have in a bathroom!

Want to treat yourself to a little handmade spa action? Check out these facial scrub recipes found here for dry, normal, and oily skin!
The best way to apply your scrub is to gently massage it on with a damp washcloth, and make sure you rinse your face thoroughly when you’re done. Also, don’t miss the easy toner recipe at the very bottom! And a word of caution about these scrubs: you don’t want to exfoliate every day. Once or twice a week is just perfect for maintaining healthy, glowing skin! More than that can cause oiliness, dryness or breakouts as your skin compensates for the “lost” moisture. You’ll want to mix up very small batches- enough for just one or two uses - since these recipes are food-based and won’t keep for too long on the shelf.

Dry Skin

To help ease dry skin, you’ll want to gently exfoliate while also moisturizing. Try Annie’s sugar scrub recipe or ehow’s olive oil and avocado moisturizer. If your skin is exceptionally dry, follow this up with a little bit of olive oil to moisturize even more. You might also try drinking more water to treat your skin right from the inside out!

Normal Skin

To gently moisturize and exfoliate normal skin, try mixing a bit of sugar and baking soda with enough sesame oil to form a paste. If this feels a bit too oily for your skin, you can also try half oil and half honey in the mix.

Oily Skin

We knew oatmeal was good for your insides… who knew it was great for your face? You can make a simple oatmeal scrub by combining equal parts ground oatmeal and deeply steeped, cooled chamomile tea. Add a little bit of honey and a drop of tea tree oil, and you’re ready to scrub. This recipe also works with spent coffee grounds in place of the oatmeal. Invigorating!
No matter what your skin type, you might enjoy following this up with a soothing green tea toner. Just steep the tea for about ten minutes and let it cool. Put it in a spray bottle and spritz on or apply with a clean cloth.

Here are some additional recipes from India as found here...

Baking Soda Facial Scrub
Apply baking soda on wet face using circular motions and you'll be amazed how soft your skin is going to be afterwards!

Strawberry Facial Scrub
Make a mixture of 1 tsp brown sugar and 2 mashed strawberries. Brown sugar will remove dead cells and strawberries are going to make your skin baby-soft.

Sea-salt and Olive Oil Facial Scrub
1 tsp olive oil ( cold pressed ) and 1/2 tsp sea salt applied gently to a wet face will not only remove dead cells, but it will also improve micro-circulation. Olive oil is going to nourish the skin, leaving it incredibly soft.

Cucumber Facial Scrub

Blend 1 tsp honey with ¼ medium peeled cucumber. Mix the ingredients in a blender until smooth and add a small amount of water if needed. Strain the mixture and remove the vegetable and honey mixture into a small bowl. Add the following mixed meals to the liquid: 1 teaspoon almond meal, 1 teaspoon ground oatmeal, 1 teaspoon sunflower seed meal, 1 teaspoon wheat germ.

Honey Cleansing Scrub

Mix 1 tablespoon honey with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 2 tsp ground almonds.Rub gently onto face. Rinse off with warm water.

Walnut Powder Softening Scrub
Make a mixture of 1 tsp walnut powder,1/2 tsp honey, 1 tsp lemon juice and scrub your face with it. Rinse well.

Papaya Facial Scrub
Mash a piece of papaya, then add 1/2 tsp brown sugar and rub your face with it. Leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse well. Your skin will be fresh and glowing . Feel the difference!

Orange Facial Scrub
Mix 3 tsp orange juice with 3 tsp turmeric powder, apply to face and neck. Leave on 20 minutes and rinse off with warm water.

Oatmeal Scrub
Put 3 tbsp of oatmeal into a muslin bag (or cheesecloth ). Dampen the oatmeal bag in warm water and rub over your face for 2 minutes. Then take a little of wet oatmeal and apply it directly to your face. Leave it on for 5 minutes. Wash off with warm water and enjoy smooth, radiant skin!

How to create inexpensive Coasters

We've set the date for our housewarming party and invited 50 people! We never throw large parties so this will be a really fun endeavor. We've been stocking up on wine glasses and mixers, and I've been collecting a list of easy but elegant appetizers. I'm so excited!

I realized though, that our coaster collection (6 ugly ikea coasters) is highly inadequate. I want to make some new ones that look great and do the job. Aaron and I use coasters all the time so it'll be of use for a while to come.


I found this tutorial here that is copied below. It looks easy and inexpensive. I'll try my luck with them this weekend, and let you know how it goes...





How to create inexpensive coasters


Create simple and inexpensive coasters to compliment your decor. Alter the design to create photo coasters!

Things You'll Need:

1. Sharp scissors (fabric scissors are good, but you'll wreak havoc on them, so don't use spendy ones)
2. Several sheets of foam (99c from craft store. I buy the huge ones, and need 2)
3. Several pieces of pretty scrapping paper (I normally get 4 coordinating prints)
4. Double Sided Adhesive (the kind I bought came in like 5x7 sheets, so I could do 2 coasters - albeit one creatively, lol - per sheet.)
5. Laminating Paper (comes in a big roll, it's the peel and stick kind. be sure it's archival quality)
6. Pen or pencil
7. Something round that is the size you want your coasters to be (I got out a piece of tupper ware that was smaller, and used the top rim of it)

Steps

1. Take your bowl and put it on your foam. See how you are going to fit the circles onto that. With the big sheets, I did 2 rows of 3, so 6 per sheet. If that's the case, cut in half longwise, then measure out using your bowl into 3rds, cutting as you go. You should have 6 (per sheet) foam squares. Set aside.
2. Now you want to do the same with your scrapping paper. Cut squares that are a hair bigger than the bowl. You can use either your bowl as a template or your now-cut foam squares.Now we will cut the adhesive and laminate the same way.
3. To assemble a coaster you will need (from top to bottom) 1 piece of laminate, 1 piece of paper, 1 piece of adhesive, 1 piece of foam.check both sides of your foam for flaws. If there is a flawed side, place it flawed side up on the table. If not, doesn't matter which side goes up.Peel off one side of the adhesives backing paper. Stick to foam square.Place paper face up, stick laminate paper onto to of paper. Be sure to press evenly to avoid bubbles on BOTH steps.You should now have 2 pieces. foam/adhesive and paper/laminate.
4. Now stick your paper/laminate onto the foam adhesive after peeling off the 2nd backing. Be sure to press it down evenly to avoid bubbles.
5. Flip coaster face down, take bowl and place on foam side of coaster. Using pen or pencil, lightly trace your circle shape.
6. Using sharp scissors, cut out circle. Be sure to use long, smooth cut lines. Many short choppy lines will result in a messy looking circle.

ENJOY!

Apartment Therapy New York | Jennifer's DIY Workspace & Home Office Before & After

Apartment Therapy New York | Jennifer's DIY Workspace & Home Office Before & After
oh! check this out for a great lil craft room! I love it!

: DC-Design House 2009 : Apartment Therapy

: DC-Design House 2009 : Apartment Therapy


WOW! I LOVE this chandelier!!!
wheels turning on how I can recreate this....

white shelves...

Three shelves are filled with the many the tints and shades of white, originally uploaded by sunshinesyrie.

I have two ghost shelves that I now think i'm going to paint white and hang in the reading room... this pic reminded me to add that to my list of odds and ends to finish up...

knit

knit, originally uploaded by Spring Globe.

Art work by Christien Meindertsma, Animaux.nl

my brain is just buzzing with ideas of things to knit and hang...

I finally got my Gowear Fit in the mail ( still waiting for the display) and I love it!

I wore it for the first time yesterday and was surprised how many calories I burn just walking around! I was also surprised how much I walk! I was set with a goal of 5000 steps and I exceed that by walking over 13000! I was also surprised to see how many calories I burned! 2760, but my goal was 2800 so today I'm going to step that up and see just how many I can burn today. This little thing strapped around my arm is super motivating! I can't wait until I get the display device and can get minute to minute totals and feedback! The thing that really shocked me though, was my sleep efficiency.

The Gowear fit does that and I guess the body bug doesn't, and I didn't think it was something I'd be interested in but after last night I definitely am!

I had what I thought was a good night sleep. I only remember waking up once and when I woke up I felt like I had gotten a good nights sleep. boy was I wrong! I was laying down for 6hr 37 min, but I was actually only asleep for 3 hours and 42 min! I was shocked. You can see all of the times I woke up! and I don't remember them so I'm sure it was that kind of waking up where you're still half asleep, but it still interferes with the quality of your rest. That's something I've never thought about before and now I'm very curious to see how I can improve that.
I'm soo happy with this little device so far, and its not as annoying to wear as I thought it would be. I barely notice it. the only time I really notice it is when I'm changing clothes.

Today I have two dentist appointments, so I was thinking that maybe in between appointments I'd go for a walk around central park. It'll be fun to see how many calories that burns ;' )

20 Ways To Love Your Home

Apartment Therapy Los Angeles 20 Ways To Love Your Home
20 Ways To Love Your Home


While the weather turns a bit colder (only 72 today!) our thoughts turn to the Fall. We're looking forward to more time spent indoors hosting and hanging out. But there are some things we'd like to get to to make our home feel that much more comfortable. Here are 20 ways to love your home (so it loves you back):
1. Choose 10 things and donate them, throw them away or repurpose them. It's easy for stuff to pile up but if you grab a bag and walk through the house it's almost guranteed that you'll be able to find 10 things that you either don't love, don't use, or is broken (and not worth fixing). Get these things out.
2. Rearrange. You choose big or small. Rearrange the living room or rearrange the bottles you have out on the counter in the bathroom. When we rearrange our homes they look new and fresh.
3. Take some advice from Benita. She rotates her accessories so that she can change the palette of each room. She cleverly stores the accessories she's not using and is able to refresh her home without buying anything.
4. Add some yellow. Yellow is bright, fun and full of cheer. It's modern and there are a lot of ways to incporporate it into your home.
5. Add a plant or flowers. Fresh flowers might be too expensive an indulgence to do all the time, but a nice little mint plant growing in the kitchen or some beautiful succulents out on the porch can breath some life into your abode. Check out some foolproof house plants.
6. Clean. Choose a room and really clean it: mop the floors, dust the shelves, the doorjambs and everyhing in between. See how different you feel afterwards.
7. Light it up. Do you have three points of light in the living room or just a torch lamp in the corner. Rooms feel bigger, more grown up and have better ambience if you use at least 3 light sources in a room.
8. Eat Meals at home. We've talked about it often, but eating meals at home instantly makes home feel like a place you want to be (in fact, sometimes for us it's just knowing the fridge is full of food).
9. Privacy. Do your curtains give you privacy at night? Could they do a better job? You want to feel comfortable at home and having privacy is a big part of that. On our list is replacing the vertical blinds that came with the rental with some nice sheers (we're on the 3rd floor so don't need to worry about peeping toms).
10.Zone your space. Now is a good time to reevaluate how you're using your space. Do you often have people over to watch movies and yet your desk takes up half the living room? Or the opposite: do you rarely have people over and you work from home and your desk is shoved into a tight little corner? Make sure your home is supporting the activities you do inside of it.
11.Good Rest. Is it time to change the sheets or clean off the nightstands? The bedroom is uber important for helping us get good rest so we feel good in our lives. Do you have ratty old sheets or just a color you can't stand? Start saving up for some sheets that are amazing. If we ever get our gumption up, we're buying linen sheets.
12. Frequent a local thrift store. You never know what you'll find and when you find something you love, it's normally pretty affordable. We stop at the Salvation Army once a week and look for paintings, pottery, lamps and small accessories. We've started to build a collection and when we make a mistake, we just donate it right back.
13. Put that collection on display. Do you love cakestands? Have a closet full of vintage scarves? break your collection out and put it on display. A friend of ours tied vintage scarved to her headboard, we use cakestands for plants and catch alls by the door.
14. Add Art. If you've been afraid to hang art, now's the time. A space becomes a home when there is stuff on the walls. We love pairing family photos with vintage postcards and funny paintings. You can also rearrange your artwork to create a new feeling in the house.
15. Get a good book. Let yourself read in bed (in your cleaned out bedroom). This helps slow down your day and let's you drift off into sleep. Quality of life skyrockets.
16. Scents. Is the only smell in the apartment the smell of the litter box or the dishes that haven't been done yet? Use nice smelling cleaners like Methos Lavender all purpose spray and burn candles or diffuser sticks in smells that you like (and that aren't overpowering). Ever tried a linen spray on your sheets? It's nice, trust us. Pay attention to what you smell when you walk in the door. Is it stuffy? Do you need a fan? Does the garbage need to be taken out every morning instead of once a week?
17. Indulge. Is there a bathsoap you really like? Flowers you really like? Love having fresh rasberries in the fridge? Choose something you love having around and, if you can afford it, splurge. If you can't afford it, find something you can afford to splurge on and get it.
18. Invite people over. Sometimes just looking at our home with the perspective of what others see when they come in helps us to edit, rearrange or finally get to the project that's laid out in the living room. And when people come over, you better believe we've spent some time cleaning, and that's never a bad thing.
19. Slow Down. We've had moments when we're so busy we've barely even been at home, let alone enjoyed it. So when we can we try to make a point of slowing down and just being at home. Drinking our coffee while sitting on the couch instead of multitasking. Taking the time to take a bath instead of checking our email again. Spending time with the family when everyone is home instead of just putting a video on.
20. Make Decisions. 90% of clutter is the result of delayed decisions. You can't decide about that old sweater so you keep it. You don't know if it's worth it to keep that broken chair because some day you might be able to fix it, etc. Make some decisions, move forward in your home and get the energy moving in there again. When we get our home in order, it empowers us in every other part of our lives.

How do you love your home?

I'm on Foodgawker- well kinda- not really...

Wow-
I was browsing through foodgawker (a favorite site) when I spotted a drink called the "The Parkway Punch", a Caribbean punch created in honor of Brooklyn's Eastern Parkway and the annual West Indian Parade. I had to see what was in it given the three days of hootin and hollering that I witnessed. I knew it had to be quite the punch and it is- , and on the blog I found a picture of ...
you'll never guess who...
ME!
check me out:
http://umamimart.blogspot.com/2009/09/happy-hour-parkway-punch.html
see the pic with the redhead in the black shirt? That's me! Well, the back of my head at least. This is me waiting 45 minutes to cross the street to go to Cecilia's farewell party.
This totally cracks me up!

Quick & Easy Strawberry Jam | Cooking On the Side

Quick & Easy Strawberry Jam Cooking On the Side
mmmmm... freezer strawberry jam Yum!!! now if only I had a freezer large enough to actually make this!!!

How I spent my labor day vacation....

We passed our labor day weekend by making several small bike trips- up to Zaytoons (our favorite middle eastern restaurant), to Unnameable books to pick up yet more books (its not like our living room floor is several feet thick in books right now because we haven't received the brackets to fix our book shelves with... oh wait... actually that's exactly how it is...), and to Cecilia's farewell party yesterday. Cecilia is moving to England to pursue her grad degree in museum studies and we're going to miss her. I was just really getting to know her and I regret not getting to know her more over the last few years. Shes one of those people who's willing to invest the time and consideration needed to really be a friend to someone. Through getting to know her more I realize I'm really only friends with a handful of people and just friendly to the rest.

Thinking about it makes me want to be a better friend.

I really hope we get the cash together to go visit her in England...

We also spent Sunday with Matt and Rachel. I always have fun with Rachel. She's another friend who is willing to take the consideration and concern to be a really good friend. Now we only live 5 blocks apart! I'm really looking forward to having her around more often, and having a buddy to work out in the park with...

Our neighborhood celebrated the weekend with the Caribbean day festival. I'm not a fan of parades so the fact that they have two in two days, one of which is at 3 am, doesn't excite me. Nor does the drunken yelling, series of police sirens ambulance sirens, random honking and stupidly congested traffic that accompanies such events. You'd think there were riots going on instead of celebration! I had to sleep with ear plugs all weekend. Oh well. Not everyone believes that its rude to yell at random people passing by. It's NYC. I should be used to it by now, but I'm not.

And finally the remainder of the weekend was filled with finally unpacking my clothes and shoes and organizing closets around the house. I now have a closet where the clothes are organized by color and the shoes by heel height. If you know me at all you understand that that is hilarious and bound to last about a week! Oh well. The attempts at organization are entertaining at least!

People have been asking for pics of the new place, and we promise pics of the house are on their way, but there are just so many little things to do before we're ready to document and share it all!

foiled again!

So while my lovely pink orchid was recovering from the bacteria infection that caused me to amputate part of her leaf, (she's doing lovely by the way, the cinnamon worked nicely and she's getting another bloom ready) I was beginning my own battle with bacteria!

In my tooth of all places!

Saturday while snacking on milk chocolate chips ( yes I know they aren't diet friendly, but they are taste bud friendly and that was what I needed right then), I got this sudden throbbing pain in my tooth! By Tuesday I was in a dentist chair for a root canal! They aren't sure how, because the tooth wasn't damaged, but I had a bacteria infection in my tooth!

I informed the dentist I would need extra anesthesia, and cited the studies I mentioned on this blog not more than a few weeks back, on account of my red hair. 45 min later I was done with the root canal, and it wasn't nearly so traumatic as I had feared, but considering I really was expecting to die from pain, the fact that i walked out of the office with all limbs attached was something to smile about, except I couldn't. I tried to put some chap stick on and later realized I'd coated a good inch under my lips because I was so numb I couldn't tell what I was doing. Good thing it was chap stick and not lipstick eh? Aaron was a sweetheart and picked me up from the dentist ( a real act of love considering how long it takes to get anywhere in NYC).

The rest of the week has been filled with mushy foods and pain meds. If I never eat mac and cheese and jello again I will be plenty happy.

I hope everyone out there enjoys thier labor day weekend! have some chips and salad for me,

and then go brush your teeth!

12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists

12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists

Want some new music? Check these girls out on pandora...

Herbal Tea - Discover 10 Healing Herbs Used in Teas on WomansDay

Herbal Tea - Discover 10 Healing Herbs Used in Teas on WomansDay

My new Orchids....

I am now the happy owner of two gorgeous orchids.

The first one I bought was a white one from the plant section at Ikea- yeah I know what you're thinking- "Why are you buying orchids at such crappy places?!?! Remember- these are test plants. I know that with orchids I'll have to go through a few before I learn how to properly care for them and I don't' want to shell out big bucks for something I don't know how to care for yet. I repotted it, not realizing that you should wait until its done flowering to repot. but so far its doing lovely. I have it on a shelf in my bathroom for the slightly warmer more humid air. It seems to like it there and is doing quite well I belive.

I bought this pink one from the Home Depot (which I know I shouldn't do again. They really over water them and I've found many of them to be diseased. )

When buying an orchid- or any plant really- the very first thing to do is to look for fungus, spotting, or dying leaves from over or under watering. I've found most Home Depot orchids - and plants at all from there really- have some or all of the above. Seriously- don't they think it prudent to teach the people working in the garden section just basic plant care?

However, I did find one that looked to be in good health, and all orchids were on sale because Home Depot knows that few people are willing to buy an orchid that's not flowering because few people know that with good care they will flower again. As most of their orchids were losing their flowers ( due to end of flowering season or just bad care I'm not sure), so I decided to take the risk and bring it home. Isn't she lovely? Since I've had it Its bloomed another flower and is getting ready to bloom 5 more.

However, last night I noticed a spot on one of her leaves and this morning it had quadrupled in size. The leaf was turning mushy so I looked up what I should do. Turns out it was a bacteria rot. (Thanks a lot Home Depot- seems I didn't get one that wasn't diseased). It's a prime example of how you need to keep an eye on your orchids- imagine what would have happened to her leaves had I ignored her for a week...

So what to do?

I found suggestions here:

http://www.orchids-plus-more.com/orchid-plant-diseases.html

Leaf rot, is another one of orchid plant diseases which appears as a slight discoloration of the leaf. It is in noted as a spot on the leaf. It is not that the entire leaf is a lighter or darker green color. If you catch it late you will note that the spot has gotten larger and has irregular borders. The infected part eventually turns gray. and becomes soft in texture. The remedy is to cut the leaf back to the healthy tissue using generally a clean and if possible a sterile instrument or blade. I like to use a new single edge razor blade and discard the razor blade after it has been in contact with the diseased area. Treat the good edge of the leaf with a bactericidal solution. Or it is possible to sprinkle the spice cinnamon. Then make sure the plant is in a place of good good air circulation.

So I did it. I'll let you know if it works...

Floating Framed Books

Floating Framed Books


I purchased some box frames from Ikea. Whichever frames you go with, make sure that there is enough room between the glass and the back mounting board to put you book. if your book isn't thick enough, use the cardboard technique I describe below to keep the book in place.



Here's how I framed my sci-fi paperback books:



1.
Remove the back, matting and paper from the frame and center your book face down where you want it to be centered on the glass.



2.
Select what background you want behind your book. use the mat as you stencil for how large the background should be. Get creative if you want- collages of pictures, unique wallpaper etc. or do as I did and go plain white by simply turning the paper already included around!





3.
Cut out cardboard (I cut up cardboard boxes that we had just moved with) slightly smaller - about a half inch or so- than your book.
Cut enough of them that when stacked behind the book will apply enough pressure to keep the book "floating" in place.
Hint: A great way to keep these cardboard pieces in place is to tape them to each other as you stack them, but don't tape them to the book- you'll ruin it. Just tape them to each other and let the pressure of the back board pushing the cardboard and book to the glass keep the book in place.

4.
Place your background, the matting, and your backboard in place behind cardboard and book and refasten it to the frame. Just like that you're done! An inexpensive and unique way to display your favorite books!

Making Old New Again: Creative Lampshade Frames

Apartment therapy has done it again! Now I have another reason to get creative with a lampshade that doesn't involve me dancing on a table....
Apartment Therapy New York Making Old New Again: Creative Lampshade Frames

Get out you bikes!

If reckless taxi drivers, lumbering buses, narrow roads, and plain old fear of being splattered like a bug on some random NYC street have you curbing your cruiser, check out Ride the City.
Its kind of like a sort of HopStop for cyclists.
First, enter your starting address and destination, or drag the bike icon to your starting point and the stop sign icon to your ending point on the map (I found this method easier).
Then, Ride the City automatically updates the map with step-by-step (rather, pedal-by-pedal) directions.
Choose between routes that are direct, safe, or safer. I tend to err on the side of caution and like that the safer routes will keep you on bike lanes, paths, and greenways as much as possible.
The maps also let you know where you can rent a bike and stop for sales and services.
Finally, a website that provides a wheel service!

We're in!!!

We have no Internet yet, can barely find clothes to wear, and have been living off whatever won't fit in our new tiny 6"x 12" freezer (I made a pureed spinach and Parmesan soup that we actually ate. Amazing huh?), but we love it. Our apartment has 3x the closets we used to have, much more natural light, and awesome vintage details throughout. We keep noticing more little things about it that make us love it more and more. Our neighborhood has tons of trees. We live on a quiet street, and I woke to real birds chirping and real sunlight slowly waking me up instead of the fake alarm clock birds chirping and and slow light progression alarm clock I normally wake to. That's pretty cool.

I'll post pics of the place once we're all settled in and have finished painting. The pea soup green paint in the foyer (it was very close to the first color in the picture to the right with black high gloss trim) has been covered with primer ( trim too!) and so that room feels brand new. We'll soon be painting it a color very similar to the grayish purple color that's also in the picture to the right with a light cream trim. We'll be adding raspberry colored rugs to the foyer. Hopefully the colors will play well with the yellow and white kitchen.

The bathroom has been painted white (it was a light yellow before) to match the white and black tiles and new black rugs. I also installed a new crystal light fixture that really brightens the room up. Its amazing what a little more light and the right paint can do for a room!

We've got new rugs and new office furniture from Ikea (that store is soo dangerous- I hemorrhage money every time I step through the door!).

Oh! I forgot to mention that I finally bought an orchid! its a beautiful white Dendrobium. It's more of an experiment as I learn how to take care of orchids. I kinda don't expect it to live very long. I have a history of killing plants and I know its going to take a while to learn how to care for orchids. Lets keep our fingers crossed that I don't kill it immediately!

[Real homes] Bright, fun playroom: Benjamin Moore's Pear Green

[Real homes] Bright, fun playroom: Benjamin Moore's Pear Green, originally uploaded by xJavierx.

we're thinking of using several of these ikea round rugs to clothe the foyer...i've seen alot of people use them as polkadots down a hallway.

Vintage modern mix: Atlanta living room from Domino

Vintage modern mix: Atlanta living room from Domino, originally uploaded by xJavierx.

Modern, dark, cozy bedroom + colorful accents: Farrow & Ball's 'Mahogany'

Modern, dark, cozy bedroom + colorful accents: Farrow & Ball's 'Mahogany', originally uploaded by xJavierx.

love the headboard-love the pillows

Lovely pale green + white bedroom: 'Parsley Tint' by Porter Paints

Lovely pale green + white bedroom: 'Parsley Tint' by Porter Paints, originally uploaded by xJavierx.

Lovely bedroom: Modern leaf wallpaper + neutral linens + sleigh bed

Lovely bedroom: Modern leaf wallpaper + neutral linens + sleigh bed, originally uploaded by xJavierx.

L.O.V.E this

Frank Roop: Vintage modern mix: Blue + brown living room

Frank Roop: Vintage modern mix: Blue + brown living room, originally uploaded by xJavierx.

love the bright yellow green pillows with the navy and cream

Frank Roop: Blue + brown + green living room

Frank Roop: Blue + brown + green living room, originally uploaded by xJavierx.

Frank Roop: Blue + brown bedroom, from Elle Decor

Frank Roop: Blue + brown bedroom, from Elle Decor, originally uploaded by xJavierx.

Prisms..

While trolling around Apartment Therapy I found this awesome modern prism chandelier that someone has above their dining table. Maybe they spent a bunch of money on it, but I think you could very easily make one of these on the cheap. I didn't realize it had electric lighting until I saw the last pic, but I loved the row of prisms next to the large window. They'd create beauty with or with out the lights on. I'm going to be browsing around the web for my own prisms now. I think they'd be a simple beautiful way to play with light throughout out the house...

Redheads- listen up...

I have ALWAYS hated going to the dentist. Always.
And now it all makes sense. For all my redheaded friends out there- let me know if this effects you too. I have always needed larger doses of anesthesia or multiple forms. I thought maybe I was a wimp- but no- there are very sound genetic reasons this was the case... read on....
I plan on priting these articles out and bringing them with me everytime I have to go anywhere that requires anesthesia...

August 6, 2009
The Pain of Being a Redhead

NY Times
By Tara Parker-Pope

Nobody likes going to the dentist, but redheads may have good reason.
A growing body of research shows that people with red hair need larger doses of anesthesia and often are resistant to local pain blockers like Novocaine. As a result, redheads tend to be particularly nervous about dental procedures and are twice as likely to avoid going to the dentist as people with other hair colors, according to new research published in The Journal of the American Dental Association.
Researchers believe redheads are more sensitive to pain because of a mutation in a gene that affects hair color. In people with brown, black and blond hair, the gene, for the melanocortin-1 receptor, produces melanin. But a mutation in the MC1R gene results in the production of a substance called pheomelanin that results in red hair and fair skin.
The MC1R gene belongs to a family of receptors that include pain receptors in the brain, and as a result, a mutation in the gene appears to influence the body’s sensitivity to pain. A 2004 study showed that redheads require, on average, about 20 percent more general anesthesia than people with dark hair or blond coloring. And in 2005, researchers found that redheads are more resistant to the effects of local anesthesia, such as the numbing drugs used by dentists.
The mutation in the MC1R gene also occurs in brunets, although it’s less common. In the latest study, the researchers tested for the MC1R gene variant, finding it in 65 of 67 redheads and in 20 of 77 people with brown or black hair. The participants were surveyed about dental-care anxiety, fear of dental pain and whether they avoid going to the dentist.
People with the MC1R gene variant had more dental care–related anxiety and fear of dental pain than those without the gene variant. And they were more than twice as likely to avoid dental care.
Dr. Daniel I. Sessler, an anesthesiologist and chairman of the department of outcomes research at the Cleveland Clinic, said he began studying hair color after hearing so many colleagues speculate about redheads requiring more anesthesia.
“The reason we studied redheads in the beginning, it was essentially an urban legend in the anesthesia community saying redheads were difficult to anesthetize,” Dr. Sessler said. “This was so intriguing we went ahead and studied it. Redheads really do require more anesthesia, and by a clinically important amount.”
After publishing research on the topic, Dr. Sessler began hearing from redheads who complained about problems with dental pain and fear about going to the dentist. He said that when someone with red hair is considering a dental or other procedure requiring an anesthetic, they should talk to their doctor about the high probability that they are resistant to anesthetics.
“Because they’re resistant, many redheads have had bad experiences,” Dr. Sessler said. “If they go to the dentist or have a cut sutured, they’ll need more local anesthetic than other people.”

it matters to someone...

today, when I felt like the world was out to get me (yes i have those hateful whiney days too) i found this and remembered that not everyone sucks. there are good people out there, and how amazing is the person writing the note?? how often do we not help because we think it doesn't really matter.

it matters to someone...

this made me want to help more and thank more...

12 DIY's To Add Pizazz to a Generic Space

Apartment Therapy Los Angeles 12 DIY's To Add Pizazz to a Generic Space
just a note to remind myself to read through this later....

DIY Tufted Headboard

I found this on Apartment Therapy and loved it....a gal named Charissa made it herself and did a great job! I'm definately thinking fo doing this in the new place...

Title: DIY Tufted Headboard

Name: Charissa

Time: 6 hours

Cost: $110

TOOLS & SUPPLIES:

1/2" Plywood

1x4" Lumber Foam (at least 2" thick)

Polyester Batting

Upholstery Fabric

Upholstery Thread

Upholstery Needle

Button Kit and Buttons

Scissors

Spray Adhesive

Wood screws Bolts
Staple Gun and 1/2" Staples

Tape measure

Drill

Hammer

Optional but helpful:

Rubber Mallet

Electric Knife

STEPS:

Step 1: Take Measurements Width: Measure the width of your bed frame. The headboard should be about 1" or 2" larger in width than your mattress. Height: This is up to you. If you are planning on leaning against it while in bed make sure it is tall enough. Measure from the top of the mattress to the height you want the headboard to be. The legs should be about 2" above the floor and within 5" of the top of the headboard.
Step 2: Buy Your Supplies: You can buy plywood in large sheets. Have the hardware store cut it to size. (Most stores will do this for free.) The sheet probably won't lay exactly flat, but it isn't a big deal. Buy your 1x4's and have them cut as well. You may know of a better source for foam but I bought mine at JoAnn fabrics for 50% off. I had to buy two pieces because their foam only comes in one width and this accounted for about half the money spent on the project. When buying your batting and fabric, make sure you have enough to wrap around the front and secure to the back. (I wouldn't recommend a patterned fabric for your first try.)
Step 3: Put It All Together:

1. Find a clean, well-ventilated work area.

2. Determine how many buttons you will use and where you want them to go. (Just a heads up the tufting was by far the most time consuming part.) Mark the board and drill small holes. (Just small enough for the upholstery needle to pass through, this will help keep the buttons lined up.)

3. Lay the plywood down and spray one side with adhesive and adhere the foam. Cut off any excess foam so that it is exactly flush with the plywood. There should be no overlap. (This is where that electric knife comes in handy.)

4. Spray the foam with adhesive and hold one side of the batting while your friend holds the other side and pull taut. Place on top of foam. Make sure there is no puckering because it will show through the fabric.

5. Flip the plywood, foam and batting over and lay it flat on the ground. Wrap the batting around to the backside and staple in place.

6. Lay fabric on the floor wrong side facing up. Place plywood, batting side down, on top of fabric. Wrap fabric around to the back of the headboard, pull tightly and start stapling, working from the middle of each side outward. Trim any excess with scissors.

7. Use the button covering kit to cover your buttons. (Look online for tutorials.) This part is a pain. The smaller the button, the more difficult it is to cover them. (A rubber mallet will be helpful. I ruined my button maker with a hammer.)

8. Double thread your upholstery needle with upholstery thread and poke through one of your pre-drilled holes from the back to the front. Don't pull all the way through! Make sure to leave some thread hanging out of the back. Slide the button onto the thread and poke the needle back through the same hole. Push the button on the front of your headboard into the foam while your friend tightly secures the thread on the back with a bunch of staples. You will need a hammer to bang in the staples, so that the thread will stay secure. (There is probably a better way to secure the thread but this is how I did it.)

9. Continue along and tuft each of your holes, smoothing the fabric as you go. 10. Measure and attach 1x4's to the back of the headboard with screws. Place the headboard against the bed frame and bolt 1x4's (one on each side) to pre-existing holes in the bed frame. 11. Step back and admire your work.

RESOURCES: If you have a Joann Fabrics in the area, this is the place to buy most of your supplies. I was able to get my fabric, foam, and batting for 50% off. Most of the other supplies can be bought with one of their 40% off coupons.

my new bike!

Today I'll be taking my new bike out for a drive around Brooklyn. Here's a stock photo of it except mine doesn't have the red rear rack. I'm planning on getting collapsible rear baskets when I get the chance and some extra cash. I heart this bike! After 5 years of no car and heavy reliance on the subway, being able to go where the subway doesn't go is awesome! It's weird how distorted you sense of direction is when you only ride the subway. Distance is measured in subway stops. Getting back out on the road has made me realize that some things are much closer than I would have thought, while others are a lot further than I would have thought. I feel able to rediscover familiar neighborhoods.
Today I'll go to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens to snap some more pics of flowers to frame in for the new place, and then I'll swing by my new favorite used&new book store Unnameable Books where I was able to get some vintage sci-fi books in pristine condition for under 5$ each! I got "The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury (a really fun short story read), 2 books by A. E. VanVogt, "Slan" and "The Silkie", and " Time Machine" by H. G. Wells and my first James bond novel, "Thunderball" by Ian Flemming. Now I'm going back to see if they have any wonderful vintage cookbooks...wish me luck!

letting it fall like water through my hands...

Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.

~Indira Gandhi

I love this quote. So often when we feel slighted, offended, or unjustly treated our reaction is a direct reflection of the fear we hold regarding the experience. I think back on this past week at the times when I've felt angry and each one held a place of fear for me. When I can find that place of assurance and bravery, my anger and fear dissolve and I can let the anger pass through my hands like water...

The shell sink ;' )

135 Hawthorne bathroom, originally uploaded by apples and aspen.

so here's the only pic i have right now of the sink that needs to go- though i don't think its going anywhere anytime soon given that we're trying to save up a bunch of money now that we've spent our savings! I like the black actually, but the shells just aren't doing it for me... what do you think?
hope you get a kick out of this Rebekah!
yesterday we went to the final walk through of the place until we close and can move in. The current owners are such lovely people. Aaron and I were afraid that maybe they were splitting up and that's whey they were moving. We can't see why anyone would move from such a cute apartment! especially after the loving care they've put into the place! They aren't splitting up, and are actually a very loving and kind couple. Aaron was relieved to know that so he knows the place isn't jinxed :) The sellers were even so thoughtful as to leave new shower curtains (really really cute ones!) and fancy soap so that we could shower after we move in and not have to search for shower curtains or soap to do so! how incredibly thoughtful is that!?!?
The whole apartment has remnants of how much care they've put into the place. The paint look professionally done, the built in shelves are perfect and they've taken care to clean and restore the original 1939 light fixtures, laundry shoot, door handles, and other little details that really make the place unique.
I don't think we could have purchased from a more thoughtful couple.
We are sooo anxious to close and move in!

scratch that...

Bankers and attorneys suck.
They do.

They said they had thier ducks in a row and that the paperwork was ready and that we were closing on friday, but they don't and now we don't close friday.

Stupid bankers. Seriously?

They've had almost a month to do this! Seriously?!?! How hard can this be?


I hate them all. I'm so stressed out I want to scream at someone on the phone! ARRRRGGGG!!!!


They are sucking all of the fun right out of this.
e..v..e..r..y... l..a..s..t... d..r..o..p . . . . . . . . . .


I will be getting no quality sleep tonight.

the to do list is getting pretty long...

We're closing on Friday morning! Yeah!!! Our final walk through is on Thursday night, just to make sure they didn't steal the doors or kitchen sink or something like that. They wouldn't, but I guess people have so its best to check... (I'm not sure what "protection" this actually gives us, being that they could go back after we left and take something. But its a formality that has to happen I guess...)
The to do list is getting pretty long. Maybe its really the to decide list...
Theres the regular stuff: changing your address (which is more of a pain in NYC than anywhere else I've lived. You have to do it a couple of times for it to really take here because for some reason NYC post offices seem to be much more incompetent than the normal post office.) heres a link that gave me some easier ways to do this deceptively complex task. Apartment Therapy New York How To: Change Your Mailing Address. Then there's changing the utilities, renting the Uhaul, painting before we move, and all that.
The things that are keeping me up at night are the stupid ones though. all the little small things like "how much storage is there under the kitchen sink?", "should I bring my crock pot?", "should I ditch the dresser or paint it nicely and keep it in the foyer for extra storage?"and "how many clothes will fit into my new bedroom closet?" all things that will easily resolve themselves once we're moving, but that doesn't stop my brain from churning them through my cluttered mind all night...
oh and here's' a great link for how to paint wooden furniture that I found in case I do decide to paint the damn dresser... Creating a great high gloss paint finish
anxiously awaiting Friday...

still waiting to close...

we're still waiting to close. sometimes i feel like there are secret electrodes that are plugged into me and that my stress and anxiety levels are secretly powering a small city somewhere. they've experienced a power surge over the last few weeks. I hope they didn't blow any fuses.

we've been on pins and needles about getting into this place for over 3 months now and I'm about ready to explode. i don't know how pregnant women can wait 9 months ( I guess because they have no choice) for their life changing event.

maybe buying a house isn't as life changing as having a kid, but its a big big commitment for me. growing up we moved constantly. I didn't live anywhere for more than 3 years until my mom bought a house in Rigby. Then I went off to college and started moving every year or so all over again. It's a lifestyle I've grown accustomed to. Deciding to live in one place for at least 5 years or so is stressful and exciting to me. I'm really excited to get active in our co-op, grow veggies in the community garden behind the co-op, to paint, to start doing small home renovations (the bathroom sink has to go- i should post a pic of it. imagine a sink cabinet with seashells glued all over it and then all painted black... no no no no noooo...). I'm really looking forward to living near prospect park and going on walks, riding my new bike, having picnics, talking long walks through overgrown unnatural woodland, taking paddle boats out, going to the ice skating rink in the winter, and challenging my friends to snowball fights.

I feel like my quality of life will improve. that's the hope at least.

I didn't share a pic of my new bike have I? I'll take some pics. I promise. It's a men's red Schwinn. Single speed, super comfy seat. My bike basket fits perfectly on the front handlebars, and so did my lil bike bell. People have literally yelled compliments on how cool my bike is as I ride by. It's that awesome. I feel like a very proud 8 year old every time I ride it. Not much can make you feel younger and more accomplished like that. I really love my new bike.

Beautiful hair (on the cheap!)

Here are some great home remedies to ensure you have amazing healthy hair with out emptying your wallet. I've yet to try the walnuts, salt, rosemary, and eggplant remedies, but I can swear by all of the rest- they work!

Coconut Oil
"Coconut oil has been a popular oil treatment for thousands of years where coconuts are plentiful, like Sri Lanka and the Philippines. It keeps hair strong and vitalized against the signs of aging. If you visit India today, it's perhaps why you see women in their 70s who still have healthy black hair," says Pristine Beauty Founder Blaire Kessler.
To Do: Apply coconut oil to hair and allow it to work overnight for best results. (Hint: Cover hair with saran wrap if you're worried about your sheets). Rinse out in your morning shower.

Salt
The secret to that tousled Victoria's Secret "bed hair" look? Salt dries in your hair and leaves it full-bodied and sexy.
To Do: Add a tablespoon of salt to 4 oz of water in a spray bottle. After washing and conditioning your hair, spritz the salt spray all over hair and allow to dry for a beachy look.

Baking Soda
If your hair is feeling weighed down by gunky product build up that you can't seem to wash out, save your bucks and don't buy expensive clarifying shampoo. Baking soda, a natural deodorizer, can do the trick.
To Do: Mix baking soda into your regular shampoo in the palm of your hand, and suds up as usual for a deep, thorough (but non-stripping) cleaning.

Chamomile
For gorgeous natural blonde highlights, always keep a bottle of chamomile tea in the fridge.
To Do: Use 6 tea bags for every 8 oz of water for best results. "After washing and conditioning, rinse with cool water, then spritz hair with the chamomile tea and let dry. Not only will you have highlights that sparkle in the sun, you'll smell great too!"

Walnuts
Walnut tea is a natural way to add bold chestnut tones to dark hair..
To Do: Crush 8-10 walnuts and place crushed walnuts with shells into 8 oz of boiling water. Let cool, strain to remove shells, and keep refrigerated. Spray on hair to add a wash of more intense color, and re-apply weekly to maintain.

Hibiscus
Hibiscus tea is great for enhancing highlights in red hair.
To Do: Mix a strong pot of tea using 10 tea bags with 10 cups of water. Allow to cool, then pour into a spray bottle and spritz on hair that is 70% air dried. Don't rinse or shampoo for 24 hours afterwards. The highlights emerge even stronger if you're in the sun for a few hours – just don't forget the sunscreen!

Rosemary
Rosemary oil can boost hair growth, as well as improve texture, shine and thickness.
To Do: Every night, put two drops of rosemary oil on your brush and gently brush hair both over and under. You can also take a few drops and rub directly into your scalp for extra stimulation.

Aloe and Eucalyptus
Aloe and eucalyptus are refreshing plants that are great for balancing oily scalps. If you've never used eucalyptus before, do a skin test on the back of your hand first to make sure you're not allergic.
To Do: Mix aloe vera, eucalyptus oil and an astringent like Witch Hazel or Sea Breeze and apply directly to your scalp. Massage, then rinse out after 30 minutes.

Beer
Beer makes a great hair rinse that adds shine and leaves hair more manageable!
To Do: "Bring a bottle of flat warm beer into the shower. Wash with shampoo as usual, then coat hair with beer. Rinse again thoroughly.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon
If you have a greasy scalp, the natural astringent properties of apple cider vinegar and lemon can help.
To Do: Mix 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with the juice of one lemon. For extra points, zest the lemon peel into the mix and let soak for 10 minutes. Strain out the lemon zest and mix in 1/2 teaspoon each of lavender and sweet orange oils. Apply evenly on scalp and massage well. Leave on for 20 minutes, rinse, and follow with a shampoo and conditioner.

Eggplant
If you're scalp is oily and sensitive, there's a gentle way to relieve grease and build up. Eggplant contains enzymes that stimulate hair follicles and exfoliate without causing irritation. Your hair will look more vibrant.
To Do: Cut a large cube out of an eggplant and massage directly onto your scalp.

found here: http://www.stylelist.com/blog/2009/07/26/home-hair-remedies/

practical artwork ideas...

I've been browsing blogs and have found some great new artwork ideas for the new place...

2 versions of artwork made with collaged pages. the one on the left is actual made with family photos! love it!!

framed pages from your favorite book

a version of this will most likely be my new "headboard"

and maybe after the applique headboard I'll do some applique pillows....

most of these wer found at http://designspunk.blogspot.com