Happy Friday everyone! We'll be heading up to Newburyport this weekend. See you on Monday!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Navy Friday
Happy Friday everyone! We'll be heading up to Newburyport this weekend. See you on Monday!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Stretch Shoes with Ice
Have you heard that you can stretch shoes with ice? I just stumbled upon this after reading The Lettered Cottage's post. This is perfect for me because lately my feet have swollen due to the pregnancy. So I watched this video:
And decided to give it a try:
And since we're on the topic of shoes, I thought I'd share this tip with you:
And decided to give it a try:
Put plastic bags filled with water in your shoes and place in the freezer.
Freeze for a few hours and then remove ice from shoes. So easy!
The verdict? It definitely worked! But I think I need to try this again and really make sure the ice gets into the toes of the shoes. I think next time I'll do less water in the bags. (PS... these are Cole Haan shoes that I got at Marshalls for $40. I don't think I would have tried this if I paid full price for them!)
And since we're on the topic of shoes, I thought I'd share this tip with you:
These are awesome.
They're terry cloth shoe insoles from Aldo. They have a rubber backing and slip easily into your shoes. My biggest pet peeve is sweaty feet so these are perfect for absorbing the moisture. Then you can just take them out and toss them in the washing machine whenever you want. Plus they add a little extra cushion to your step. Genius!
You can get these at Aldo but they don't have them on display. Just ask for them at the counter. Or you can purchase them online. They come in black or white.
Friday, September 23, 2011
My New Favorite Show
I'm obsessed with PBS' Masterpiece Classic, Downton Abbey. It's a period drama set in England in the 1900's. The description may sound stuffy, but believe me, it's anything but. You'll get hooked from the first episode. If you're the type that watched Pride and Prejudice a zillion times (like me), you'll love, LOVE this show! The entire first season is available on Watch Instantly on Netflix. So if you start watching now, you'll be finished just in time to tune in for the second season premiering on January 8th!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Repost: How to Make Marble Magnets
A few of my friends have asked me recently about how to make marble magnets so I thought I'd repost the tutorial. If you can't find the supplies in craft stores, you can also purchase them online. Save on Crafts is a great resource for craft materials and party decor items. It's definitely worth a click through!
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Marble magnets have been a staple craft project for years now and they're so practical. Who couldn't use more magnets? My good friend, Liana taught me how to make these years ago. And they became my signature. My bridesmaids even had marble magnet supplies at my bridal shower so we could all make some!
Once again, this is an easy, simple craft to whip up. You will need the following supplies:
Make sure that the marbles are as clear as possible. Don't use the marbles that have lots of air bubbles or blemishes on them.
Start by punching or cutting out round pieces of paper. The hole punch was great but I did end up having to trim the excess paper after I glued it to the marble. Sometimes it's just easier to trace and cut them with scissors since the marbles vary slightly in shape and size.
Squeeze out a dollop of glue. Make sure to not squeeze out too much because the glue dries quickly so work in batches. Also, make sure to work in a well ventilated area as this particular glue has strong fumes.
Use your toothpick to spread the glue in a thin layer onto the flat side of the marble.
Quickly place the piece of paper onto the glue and press the marble and paper on a flat surface to smooth out the glue and get rid of the air bubbles. Let them dry slightly before you add the magnets.
Spread more glue onto your magnet. You don't need much... this glue is strong!
Adhere the magnet to the backside of the marble. Let dry and then use tiny scissors to trim off the excess paper under the marble.
And here are the finished magnets! Aren't they pretty?! The best thing is that the possibilities are endless... make numbered magnets, or alphabet magnets or magnets to match your dishtowels. You can also glue a flat tack to the back to make pretty tacks for your cork board.
If you're making these for gifts, jewelry boxes make wonderful packaging. Just cut a piece of paper or cardstock to the size of the box and put a paper clip behind it so that the magnets have something to stick to.
Voila, marble magnets! Make some tomorrow!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Marble magnets have been a staple craft project for years now and they're so practical. Who couldn't use more magnets? My good friend, Liana taught me how to make these years ago. And they became my signature. My bridesmaids even had marble magnet supplies at my bridal shower so we could all make some!
Once again, this is an easy, simple craft to whip up. You will need the following supplies:
- Floral Marbles (found in the floral section of your craft store) This is very important... make sure that the floral magnets are completely CLEAR. A lot of the floral magnets have color or luster added which makes it difficult to see the paper below.
- E-600 Glue- dries clear and creates a super tight, waterproof bond
- Round magnets similar in size to your marbles. I prefer the extra strong magnets.
- Toothpick
- Hole punch (optional)
- Patterned paper (The options are endless for this. Use magazines, photos, old calendars, old books, etc. Anything that you want to turn into a magnet. I used the scraps from the Amy Butler paper that I used to make the bunting.)
Make sure that the marbles are as clear as possible. Don't use the marbles that have lots of air bubbles or blemishes on them.
Start by punching or cutting out round pieces of paper. The hole punch was great but I did end up having to trim the excess paper after I glued it to the marble. Sometimes it's just easier to trace and cut them with scissors since the marbles vary slightly in shape and size.
Squeeze out a dollop of glue. Make sure to not squeeze out too much because the glue dries quickly so work in batches. Also, make sure to work in a well ventilated area as this particular glue has strong fumes.
Use your toothpick to spread the glue in a thin layer onto the flat side of the marble.
Quickly place the piece of paper onto the glue and press the marble and paper on a flat surface to smooth out the glue and get rid of the air bubbles. Let them dry slightly before you add the magnets.
Spread more glue onto your magnet. You don't need much... this glue is strong!
Adhere the magnet to the backside of the marble. Let dry and then use tiny scissors to trim off the excess paper under the marble.
And here are the finished magnets! Aren't they pretty?! The best thing is that the possibilities are endless... make numbered magnets, or alphabet magnets or magnets to match your dishtowels. You can also glue a flat tack to the back to make pretty tacks for your cork board.
If you're making these for gifts, jewelry boxes make wonderful packaging. Just cut a piece of paper or cardstock to the size of the box and put a paper clip behind it so that the magnets have something to stick to.Voila, marble magnets! Make some tomorrow!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Spot the Ikea
I found these three great interiors on Pinterest and I love the decor and sophistication of all of them. Plus they all happen to incorporate Ikea pieces that I already own. (If only my pieces were styled as beautifully.) Can you spot the Ikea?
Friday, September 9, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Some New Recipes
Yesterday I was in major cooking mode and made some tasty things. I was largely inspired from a conversation with my foodie friend, Liana. Sometimes I get in such a huge rut with my cooking but all I need is a little encouragement and I'm all set. The nuts are from an old Ina Garten recipe. I added almonds to the mix in addition to the cashews. They are soo good and are best served warm. The chicken I adapted from a NY Times recipe. I used a whole chicken that was pre-cut into quarters instead of a whole roasted chicken and I substituted the thyme for rosemary. The absolute best part is the croutons that have soaked up the chicken juices. As Liana said, it tastes like a chicken custard, savory and delicious. She also recommended the brussels sprout recipe from Orangette. How can you go wrong braising a vegetable in cream? Yum. The recipe links are below.
Thanks for the inspiration, Liana!
Thanks for the inspiration, Liana!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Navy Friday and Some News...
Happy Friday everyone! And I wanted to share some news- I'm 22 weeks pregnant! We are thrilled to be expecting a little boy in early January. You'll have to excuse me, I think this is one of the reasons I've been a bad blogger lately, I've been slightly distracted. We've had a few complications along the way, which were especially nerve wracking because of our past experience, but for the most part I'm feeling great. I hope you'll stick with me as my family grows... I'm excited to have you along for the ride!
*And in case you're wondering, yes, I had to bribe Navy with some bacon to get this shot.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Homemade Art
Now that the pillows have been completed, I've been meaning to switch out the old artwork from some picture frames in our living room. I got these awesome Larson Juhl picture frames for free when I used to work at House Beautiful. They used to frame the magazine covers in our office, but when we moved to the new Hearst Tower we got to keep them! It's a great score... normally these frames could go for hundreds of dollars.
I like that they have a large matting so I can rotate them with standard size pictures. These are old travel posters from a Cavelleni & Co. calendar. But the colors do not go with the new pillows.
So I took inspiration from this photo on Pinterest (by madebygirl)...
And broke out my cheap $8 watercolors...
And created these. Let me preface, I'm no artist. But circles are easy enough, and abstract art is totally wing-able. (Is that a word?)
Plus everything looks better framed.
Not too shabby for a 15 minute project.
Ahh, much better. Color can be refreshing.
