Dining on my mind

Now that we are a family of five, I need a dining table that will fit our space a little better. Our current dining table is not using the space as efficiently as we need. These dining and kitchen spaces really struck my fancy!

I love the natural wood, the warm colors, the sparkle of the ceramics

I love the muted tones; the rustic, curated look

I love the light and airy feel

I love the warmth, the combination of wood tones and painted pieces, the gorgeous roman shade

I love the rich colors and pops of red, the warm glowing wood tones

I love the combination of french country with a homey 1920s feeling. Looks very useful and approachable

This is pretty much the exact table I want for the dining room, although I would love a trestle style.

Chipotle Mexican Chocolate Brownies with Toasted Pepitas

I have finally gotten my new brownie recipe right and couldn't wait to share it!

1 cup softened unsalted butter,divided
1 round (3.1 oz) Ibarra Mexican Chocolate, broken into pieces
1 square (1 oz) unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup toasted pepitas, chopped*

*for those who may not know, pepitas are green pumpkin seeds. I buy mine raw. I oil a baking sheet very lightly with olive oil, spread the seeds and toss them a bit so they are very lightly oiled, sprinkle with salt and lightly toast them in the toaster oven. Then I pop them in the food processor and pulse them until they have a chopped texture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1/2 cup of the butter and the chocolates in a small saucepan over low heat. Incorporate the cinnamon and chipotle. Set aside to cool.

Mix remaining 1/2 cup of butter, sugar and vanilla on a medium speed for a couple minutes until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Scrape the bowl.

Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low until well-blended, about 30 seconds.

Pour into a greased and floured 13x9x2 baking pan. Bake for about 45 mins. Cool in pan on a wire rack and cut.

Checkmate

I have decided I want to paint the ceiling of my kitchen in a checkerboard pattern. I'm planning to use shades of gray so it won't be Tim Burton-y in there. Why is it that as soon as I start making progress on one project, I already have three or four new ones in mind?

Awesomeness

This is definitely one of the coolest home design items I have seen in a long time.

Ceiling treatment for the wall

I have FINALLY come up with a design element I want in my bathroom: a wainscot made from tin ceiling tiles. It will be awesome!

Ragtime

Michealangelo Pistoletto – Venus of the Rags

I really need a new rug for the kitchen. Buying a new rug is definitely not in the budget. Being a seamstress, I have tons of fabric scraps, and being a mom of boys, I have plenty of clothes that are too worn out to donate... so, I think I'll be making my own rag rug! This seems like an especially good way to use old sheets. Also, one made of old towels would be great for a bath mat!

Bathrooms... again

Your glue problem solved!

Generally, I believe that in this day and age, anything and everything has been thought of before. But sometimes I still find myself thinking, "Wow, someone actually thought of that and it actually exists!". I had that reaction when I came across This To That, a website that tells you exactly what kind of glue to use under almost any circumstances. So simple and wonderful. It even includes tips to increase your gluing success! Then I find myself wondering, "What will they think of next?"

When in Rome

I'm planning to use a lot of Roman Shades around the house, and I want to make them myself. This tutorial from Martha Stewart ought to do the trick!

Bubblicious

Bath products are expensive and most of them are filled with harmful chemical fragrances and skin-irritating detergents.

Well, there is good news! You can make your own from all-natural ingredients and it won't cost much at all! These make EXCELLENT gifts, too!

From Apartment Therapy:

What You Need

Materials:
4 cups of Water
4 oz Castille Soap (like Dr. Bronner's which you can buy scented or unscented and it's totally green and can be used for cleaning around the house and your body)
3 oz of either Glycerin* or Coconut Oil (both lather well and are skin softeners)
Essential Oil (use your imagination to come up with fun and exciting combos!)
Container for your concoction (non glass is best for near the bath)
Bath Tub

(you can also add a couple-- and I really do mean just a couple, because too many could stain the bathtub-- drops of food coloring to the mix to make the bubble bath just a little more fun)

*Glycerin is any pure soap, normally a transparent bar, made without synthetic detergents. You can buy it online or sometimes at the drugstore. Pure vegetable glycerin is usually available at Whole Foods Market. If you buy drugstore or craft store glycerin, be aware that it is likely petroleum based.

Instructions

1. Mix water with castille and glycerin or coconut oil.

2. Add 4-5 drops of your choice of essential oil.

3. Mix well.

4. Pour your bubble bath into the container. It should keep for quite a while.

5. Fill bathtub with water and pour in a couple of ounces of bubble bath.

6. Take a deep breath and soak.

Case closed

This collection of awesomely revamped armoires may be just what I need to solve a few storage problems around the house!

Elaine and Gary

I often feel like I live under a rock, so I'm sure I'm the last to discover the hilarious blog Catalog Living... but just in case you have also not yet discovered it, I am sharing it and hoping you enjoy!

Inspirational Attic

I have recently begun dabbling in the daunting task of organizing the attic space. After coming across this amazing attic and am feeling more motivated and inspired to get things ship shape up there!

Bathroom space savers

Since I am pretty sure we have the smallest bathroom outside of an airplane, I am very keen on finding clever space savers that look chic.

I'm really liking this towel bar/shower curtain rod,

This is a simple and narrow storage option:

This piece would give us more space to store our toiletries as well as a space to hang some towels:


I've also always liked these swing-arm towel bars:

The Stinky Rose

I planted garlic today! And the rosemary I transplanted about a week ago is so far doing really nicely in its new spot.

Playful bathrooms

A friend of my mother's was recently in her homeland of the Netherlands, and she gave her this item upon her return. It really got me thinking about a few things... 1) how in the heck do you use it? (we brainstormed and got it figured out) and 2) wow, it is really time to do something about my bathroom!!

I don't want to do too much... no changing fixtures or anything, because I know someday we will make the bathroom bigger and then I can do a big overhaul. But I need to do something for the interim to spice it up and make it a bit more pleasant. As much as I long for a chic spa-inspired bathroom where I can languish for hours in hot bubbles watching Oprah or reading Jane Austen, I have to come to terms with the fact that my life just isn't like that. I haven't taken a bubble bath in more than four years and it would be a little tough with "Bathtime Buzz" staring me in the face anyway. I share a tiny bathroom with a grown man and two four-year-old boys. So, I've decided I want the bathroom to be a fun place that gets us energized in the morning and won't look silly with a few rubber duckies strewn about.

I could definitely paint the vinyl linoleum in the bathroom to replicate this look:

There is definitely something that is simultaneously fun and classic in this look:

"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head" is a much more pleasant thought when the raindrops are rainbow-colored:

Although I can't fit this in now, someday I would love to have a little toilet nook in the bathroom:

Planting by the book

Here it is, the middle of a dreary Southern California winter rainy spell, and here I am, dreaming of greener pastures. Or vegetable gardens, as the case may be. While I hope to some day install raised veggie beds in my front yard, I don't think I'll get it together to do it for the next growing season. I do plan to get a little kitchen herb garden in by the back door and several hanging plants going, too. And I've found the perfect tool to help me! An online Vegetable Planting Calendar to guide me about when to start seeds and when to transplant (you can find a calendar for your own planting zone on the site, too).

The Short List revisited

Paint trim for the boys' room
Paint stripes in the boys' room
Paint chalkboard wainscot in the boys' room
Clean and turn on the heater
Buy area rug for living room
Strip and paint trim in master closet
Strip doors
Hang succulent baskets on front porch
Build compost bin
Paint dining room walls
Begin door repairs
Strip door frames

I managed to complete a fair amount of stuff on my short list before my parents arrived. It is raining in Los Angeles now, and might be for most of the week, so we might not get too much done on this visit, but it is the holidays, so I'm happy to have some relaxed family time!

Four months: Video update

Here is what we have accomplished in four months of home ownership. I feel like it doesn't look like much has been done since the last update, but I feel like I've been working like crazy!

Lovely winter surprises

So it turns out that I have growing at my new digs a couple of amazing things:

1) a rose that is the color of a New Mexico sunset and actually smells the way a rose should.
2) paperwhites... in my driveway. And, of course, blooming in December because this is Southern California.

It's nice to get a couple of pleasant surprises!