Picture Perfect: Table Tops

Most times when you think of a table you think functionality, but some of my favorite tables are used for the purpose of simply creating a sense of welcome in your home. Here are some of my favorite table tops from the professionals:  

 Restoration Hardware

Designer Ron Marvin's apartment  

Photo by Jon Jensen

QUOTE

I love this quote from Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, he was the brain child behind creating the famous character of Sherlock Holmes. O the hours of entertainment those famous crime fictions provided to so many people.  I could not have said it better myself, the bottom line is life is great but it can get down right strange at times. Even in his wildly creative mind he could never invent this crazy beautiful life we live. Have a great weekend!!! 

Hello, Have We Met Before

Dear Anthropologie at Home,

Have I been hiding under a rock, how could I not have been ignoring you for so long? I seldom make promises I do not keep, so I promise you this - I will come to visit you often. I hope not to scare you off but I have already made future plans for us. You see I am in the middle of a bathroom makeover that your festival rug would look amazing in. I ask - who needs all the hard work of laying designer tile when you can just throw down a beautiful rug like that? And yes a cute apron does make you cook better, and cream colored dishes does make food taste better. The Cole & Son wooded wallpaper I have been obsessed with for years - you have made it possible for the great USA to purchase this fine product. The cute stationary and journals almost makes me wanna quit this blog and write all my thoughts on paper. And finally you had me at hello old rustic vintage chair that I now need 4 of in my life. So, if I wake up on day and find out that money really does grow on trees I would pluck a few 100 bills and drive straight to you:

        

        

          

Wait, you now carry Voluspa - my favorite candles!! And rumor has it that in November you will be carrying my Christmas present (hint, hint) Coralie Bickford-Smith deluxe classic novels. They are perfect for reading and decorating!! I warn you once you have read one of the classic novel in these exclusive designs you can never go back to the plain books. Damn you Coralie...

 Sincerely, 

Yes, I might have just lost my mind for a second. 

Careful or You'll End Up Painted

Nothing is safe anymore, with the economy in a state of recession and my brain in a constant state of decorating, something is bound to get painted. After all, left over paint is free!! Britt had this beautiful cedar chest but it just didn't jive with anything in his house. He just kept pushing it into a different corner to get it out the way. It was a great piece of furniture but the light wood finish did not match all of the dark stained furniture he has. So, I went on a mission to convinced him to let me slap a nice coat of white paint on it, he finally agreed and added the wonderful suggestion of giving it a nice little home in front of his bed. Don't fret my dear friends I only painted the outside, granny's old blankets and quilts are still stored with the fresh sent of cedar. Here is the before picture:

I kept the original hardware on the chest, gave the wood a light sanding, and a thick coat of bone white paint. After it was dry I distressed the corner to give it that antique look. The top of the chest had planks so I distressed the planks to make them visible. Then brushed and immediately wiped off a medium color wood stain over the entire chest. Another project checked off the list, I love making progress!!

    

Cafe Roma Can Do No Wrong

I have no mouth watering picture of my new tuna recipe for you, and to be completely honest I have not even tried it in the confines of my kitchen. But believe you me I have eaten the dish many a nights. It's from a quaint little restaurant in River Ranch, and the dish was featured in the latest edition of our local "L" magazine. It's a herb and garlic marinated tuna served medium rare over cannellini beans and wilted spinach - I don't know about you but I am sold!!! And the recipe sounds pretty darn easy, so happy cooking (this one is for you Rachel).

Tuscan-seared Tuna

1 tablespoon oregano

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 cups olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

4 (8-ounce) tuna steaks

3 cups northern beans

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

5 cups baby spinach

3 cups balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Create a marinade by mixing the first four ingredients, plus 2 cups of olive oil. Place tuna steaks in the marinade and let sit for 15 minutes. While the tuna is marinating, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a skillet and saute the beans with 1 tablespoon minced garlic for 3 to 5 minutes. (If using canned beans, simply add the beans to skillet. If using raw beans, soak them overnight before adding them to this dish.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. 

Sear the tuna in a little oil if cooked in a skillet or alone if cooked on a grill, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. 

Create the balsamic reduction by combining the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Place in pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture has been reduced to a syrup-like consistency. Drizzle over tuna.

If Wishes Were Fishes

Last weekend we brought my niece and nephew to New Orleans to visit the aquarium. We made a day of it starting with a breakfast of champions: the ever so famous deep fried dough covered in powdered sugar (yummy)!! After the heart health breakfast we walked down the river walk to visit the fish at the aquarium, had lunch, and went to visit the insects at the museum. The kids had a blast - Payton loves all things animal and it was Emily's first trip to New Orleans. Here are a few pictures from our fun filled day in NOLA!!!

Eating Beignets at Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter

Aquarium of the Americas

Audubon Insectarium

Butterfly at the insect museum

Jelly Fish

Picture Perfect: Come Dine With Me

I don't remember where I got this picture but it looks like the perfect place for an evening of dinning with friends over a few bottles of wine!! I like formal dining rooms, but don't like that sometimes its so formal that you can not relax and enjoy the room. I love the gigantic chandelier, it gives the room a grand formal statement without making the room cold and uninviting. Love the red earth tone chair covers, uneven tile floors, open window wall, and the tree gives the room an earthy feel. I just know in my imagination that the room overlooks a vineyard in Napa.  

Rub a Dub Dub

The master bath is about to get a makeover, the only problem is I can not find the perfect color. I am a bone-fide snob when it comes to paint colors, and when others ask for advise I most always have the perfect color option. So why am I stumped on finding the perfect paint color for Britt's master bath?? He wants a gray color with hints of blue but the samples look so dark for a room with no windows. I wanted to give you guys a little glimpse of the bathroom in its current state: 

1.BM-Weimeraner  2.BM-Ashley Gray  3.BM-Rockport Gray

4.Eddie Bauer-Fig   5.BM-Manchester Tan

It's been like this for 2 weeks, and I know every time he enters the bathroom he thinks - pick a color already!! He is very patient with me and my constant neurotic projects for his house. It's time to make a choice and paint the man's throne. We are both leaning towards BM's Rockport Gray (3), check out the room below painted in this color. I am making one last trip to BM for lunch to get one more sample. Help!!

    

Stock photos for Rockport Gray by Benjamin Moore 

Soul Is Waterproof

This past weekend marked 4 years since Katrina demolished the town of New Orleans and my simple little life as I knew it. After my worldly travels I decided that I missed college and wanted to "get smarter" by furthering my education (what the hell was I thinking?). UNO was on my list of schools, one of my best friends was living in New Orleans, so we decided to get a house together. We found a beautiful rent house in Lake View. The landlord had just gutted the entire house and everything was fresh and new. For almost 2 years we made some GREAT memories in that house!

And the horror of Katrina shows up. My sister was in Lafayette, and nine months pregnant with her second child. I anxiously waited for the phone call to head home because the baby was coming. Friday morning I got the call and by that afternoon I had packed an outfit, some cute shoes, and cruised to Lafayette. Needless to say, and unbeknown to the common public, Katrina was following a day behind me. Saturday they began evacuating and I was so excited about the mandatory vacation, which meant more time with little Emily!!! Well by Tuesday I slowly realized that this little vacation was soon to be permanent, and that I had no home/life/school/job to go back to. Our home had been under about 8 feet of water for 5 days. We made a trip to the house a few weeks after the storm to find our beautiful home water logged and mildewed. I picked up a sledgehammer and with tears streaming down my face busted open my nightstand, grabbed my mothers wedding rings and walked out of my life as I knew it. Here are some pictures we took that day.....yuck!! 

Tree fell on the back of the house and crushed the kitchen

 

My once cute bedroom

            

Living & dining room (walls were covered in mildew)

With a Twist of Vintage

I came across this website from other blogs that I have read. It takes your current photographs and turns them into vintage photos. I have always loved old photographs, so I had tons of fun playing around with my pictures. The website is in Japanese but it is really easy to figure out. Just click on the 'choose file' tab to pick your picture and then click the blue button under that to upload. Don't forget to right-click and save your vintage pictures. Have fun making yourself old!!

Here are some of my favorites from my collection of pictures:

                                                            

My Niece Emily at the beach (the sand got her dress dirty)

In March Britt and I went to Vegas and stayed at the 

Bellagio Hotel, here is a shot of the swimming pool

 

Picture of us in front of the Venetian Hotel waterways

Picture Perfect: Canary Hotel

Designer Michael S. Smith is to blame for this lovely retreat in Santa Barbara, Califorina. Loving the four poster bed, hardwood floors, fresh bedding, suzani style pillow, and the drapes give the room a light and airy feeling. They have a girls pamper package - who's in?????

Fabric Obsession

I found this gorgeous Graphite Trellis linen fabric at Interior Fabric in Lafayette and have become completely obsessed. I need to use it somewhere, somehow, someplace!! They would look amazing as curtains in the master bedroom I am redoing, but at $25 a yard that would get a little pricy. I could recover an old ottoman but I question my expertise for that project. Should I settle for a simple throw pillow or start saving my money?

Stock Photo from L&S

 

Picture I snapped at the store with my iphone

"Fine" is a Texture

This has to be my favorite DIY project, so simple and so cheap. If you have ever looked into buying new pulls for your cabinets you will soon realize that for a big kitchen it will cost you a small fortune. Most basic pulls will cost about $5 a piece. I know this will not break the bank but come on really?? The current kitchen knobs were in great shape, but the white ceramic mix was just not modern enough for my taste. But no worries people, Rustoleum to the rescue! Yes for only $5 total we got all new pulls for the kitchen. I lie - they are not 'new' by industry standards, only 'new' by my standards.

I removed all the knobs and pulls and used a Rustoleum flat black spray paint to give them the new modern look. No sanding, no scuffing, no prep work at all just point and spray. So, if your counting, I got 22 for the price of one - take that to the bank!! We put them back on the cabinets and wow you would never recognize them.

They look like the designer knobs you would find in the store that cost $5 - $6 a piece. And might I add that's pretty green of you - way to save the environment by using old stuff! Pat on the back!!

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

It was the last luau of the summer before the start of school!! My niece celebrated her 4th birthday in style with a huge water slide, swimming pool, hot dogs, hawaiian leis, beach cupcakes, flower pinata, flip-flop cake, presents, and of course tons of friends. Everyone had a blast, and Emily had a Happy Happy Birthday!!!

One of my old hobbies was cake decorating, I had to give it up because I kept eating the end result and it was making me fat. But when Emily asked her Nanny for a flip flop cake..... well, I ask what sane human being could say no to that cutie pie? I dusted off my baking pans and my sister and I spent 4 hours baking and brainstorming Friday night for the festive occasion. The results:

Edible Flip Flop's

For the beach cupcakes I used brown sugar to make it look like sand under the umbrellas, and goldfish crackers as fish swimming in the blue ocean/icing. The Cat even wanted a taste! Pink is Emily's favorite color so we had to have a little pink cupcake in the mix. My sister did some research on the internet on how to make a flip-flop cake and it was fairly simple. She traced the bottom of her flip-flop on a cardboard and cut it out. We baked a sheet cake and used the cut out of the shoe for the shape of the cake. We used twizzlers to make the strap and a silk flower for decor. 

Turning the Tables

On the 8th day God created PAINT!!! Since buying all new furniture for Britt's house is not an option, I have taken to buying paint instead (it's a lot cheaper). One of my projects this weekend was to take this dusty old worn out night stand and make it worthy of use again. I love before and after pictures so in the middle of sanding down the table I remembered to take a before picture: 

Step 1: Lightly sand entire table 

Step 2: Sand down the table top to the bare wood

Step 3: Wipe table with damp towel

Step 4: Kiltz the bottom part of table

Step 5: Stain table top with a gel dark walnut finish

Step 6: Paint bottom of table with Ben Moore "Bone White"

Step 7: Put hardware back on 

Step 8: ENJOY!!!