Think Pink

I was in New England for work last week and couldn’t get over how GORGEOUS the cherry blossom trees were…bright pink bursts of Spring were everywhere. I started thinking about designing with the color pink and how far it’s come. It's not just for little girls’ bedrooms anymore!

{Spring in Connecticut}

For starters, there are so many shades of pink to play with. A soft, pale pink can add a little romance to a bedroom or dining room. A bold raspberry shade can make a statement in a kitchen. A hot pink can punch up a sunroom.

It’s easy to be intimidated by color. Many times we gravitate towards using it as a “pop” in pillows or accessories in a neutral space. I’m here to tell you that our favorite feminine hue is not just a pop color anymore. Check out these fun rooms where pink is the star!

Show me your city!

Lately I have been loving being a tourist in my own city. Doing all the things I over look for whatever reason, oh I can do it another time, it's not like it's going anywhere. Finding new neighborhood hot spots, going to the Walker, or taking it to the extremes like my friend Rachel and doing a segway tour in our very own Mpls. Love it. I do however love being a true tourist especially in one of my favorite cities NYC. I have had the pleasure of discovering and rediscovering NYC many times every trip I always find something new to love. That's whats so great about New York. My co-blogger Liz was in the city last night, and asked for advice on things to doing while there. I always love to grab a pink berry (something Mpls is in serious need of, or my first choice JP licks, but that's totally different topic) and stroll through the city people watching, and of course shopping! No doubt I love to hit up a Barneys warehouse sale, I found the best deal on my favorite tuxedo jacket, it's a must. Some restaurants I love; the Boat Basin with its great views of the Hudson river, the Heights Bar&Grill has a fantastic happy hour on their adorable rooftop, the rooftop at the Hotel Gansevoort in the meatpacking district is oh so sex and the city, and to round it out with a frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity! It's always a blast to discover new places, and meet new people, especially when you are allowing yourself to do it in your very own city!

NYC!

Minneapolis!

Loving The Love Shop…

One day when I was killing time, I wandered over to Esty and typed in “french”. Of course MANY wonderful sellers popped up (they always do…Esty sellers are amazingly creative!). But The Love Shop definitely caught my eye with its brightly colored prints boasting classic and/or inspirational quotes. These babies are perfect for a bedroom wall or hanging over your desk for inspiration.

JJ, the designer and artist behind The Love Shop, describes her inspiration in the store’s profile: “I’ve experienced some very challenging times over the past few years and throughout those times when things looked dark, I grabbed a hold of love and held on for dear life. I noticed that when I focused on love, I felt better. This was when the idea for the Love Shop was born. Now it’s all I want to do. Focus on love. Express love, give love”.

Glad she did! Check out some prints for purchase from The Love Shop.

Now Why Do You Suppose SHE Needs an Office?...

…she doesn’t really work at a desk, does she?

No matter. I love it. When Khloe Kardashian moved into her new house, she turned to LA interior designer Jeff Andrews (there is some sort of Ryan Seacrest, we both have shows on E! connection there) to help her design her new digs. I was particularly drawn to her office with its sophisticated and old Hollywood glam vibe.

I am loving the glitz of the mirrored desk. And if you look closely, the back of the display shelves are actually lined will mirrors as well. I love the way that the mirrors’ reflections play off the rich colored walls. The wall paint is a deep shade of gray/lavender (Benjamin Moore – Stone) and the ceiling is actually a lighter shade of lavender (Benjamin Moore – Angelika).

According to Andrews, the guest chairs “are vintage chairs Khloe owned but didn’t love. Rather than be wasteful, I found two great fabrics, one with subtle sparkle and one solid, and reupholstered the chairs”.

I think it’s the fabulous charcoal / purple sheers that filter light and really up the "glam factor" of this room. Most people probably need more light in their offices to actually see what they are working on. But as mentioned above, I don’t believe that she has the type of job that necessitates and office, so light limiting sheers work out great!

VERY old Hollywood glam if you ask me!

{images from here}

Repurposing…

At the shop, I used to sell Lofco candles which are the most amazing smelling candles. They are a soy based candle that burns for over 100 hours in a hand-blown glass vessel. I always thought it was such a shame to throw away the beautiful glass after the candle was gone so I decided to try and reuse it as a vase. I chose my two favorite scents as test cases: Penthouse (Champagne scent infused with ginger, raspberry and pink grapefruit) and Powder Room (Duchess Peony combined with camellia with a hint of rain mist and cassis)…each candle in the line is smartly named after a different room the house.

I filled my sink with HOT water and Dawn and let the candles soak over night. It was surprisingly easy to dig the remaining candle wax from the glass as it was so soft from soaking. I hand washed them and let them soak again in cold water for a while before rewashing them and letting them dry. The candle is slightly oily so I wanted to make sure that I got all of the oily residue off the glass before putting flowers in it. I chose to use pink and orange hybrid roses cut short. I think that it turned out quite cute!

{snapshots of soaking, drying and arranging}

voila!

Let There Be Light

Damn…some people are so creative. I wish that I could look at a simple, everyday object and think, “wow, wouldn’t that look cool as a chandelier?”. Since I don’t, I am thankful that the designers of these fantastic light fixtures do!

Banana Boxes

{source}

Takeout Coffee Trays and Binder Clips

{source}

Hairdryer

{source}

Book Light, literally.

Book Light Sconce

{I can't remember where I found these...please don't sue me}


Milk Jugs

{source}


Silverware, dangling

{source}

Silverware, sculpted

Toothpicks

{source}


Water Bottles

{source}

Twisted Sister

Lately I have been really into the Twisted Sister pasta salad from the Byerly’s deli. It’s very good though I always feel that it’s swimming in a little too much oil and there is a little too much cheese. Not to mention that it’s not overly easy on the wallet. So tonight I decided to take a stab at my own (healthier and cheaper) version of Twisted Sister and was very happy with the result.

Twisted Sister Pasta Salad*

1.5 oz Sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 c Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (I mixed in some green olives as well)
2 c Short pasta (I used Cavatappi…it would also be good with whole wheat pasta)
¼ c Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, shredded
¼ c Green onions, chopped
2 cloves Garlic
Olive Oil
Fresh basil
Red wine vinegar
Balsamic vinegar
Lemon juice
Water

*I didn’t actually measure anything so all measurements are approx. My advice is to add ingredients to your own taste. I tried to go light on the olive oil and cheese.

Add salt to pot of water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook to desired tenderness (I don’t like mushy pasta, so I usually cook it just past al dente). Drain pasta and set aside to cool.

In separate bowl, mix olives, tomatoes, water, red wine vinegar, and salt…adjust amounts to taste. Add mixture and onions to pasta and toss.

In a small bowl make a “dressing”. Combine olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice garlic, basil and salt (I added a little water as well and used less olive oil). Add dressing to pasta. Shred cheese over pasta. Chill for 30 mins and serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

I made it as a cold pasta salad but I think that it would be good to toss in some chicken and served warm as a main dish as well.

Byerly’s serves theirs with toasted pumpkins seeds which adds a nice crunch. I opted to leave those out and save myself a few calories.

Enjoy!

{snapshots of DIY Twisted Sister}

You Know How I Wish That I Was British?...

…Well I am Olive Juicing the CRAP out of this London staple’s collaboration on our side of the pond. Liberty of London and Target have teamed up for one hell of a spring treat with a fashion and home line available now.

For those of you who don’t worship British culture like I do, Liberty of London is a luxury accessories brand located in London’s West End shopping district.

{Liberty of London Boutique London, England}

Holding true to Liberty’s classic vintage style and small scale florals in soft colors, Target’s line does not disappoint. It’s all very “English Garden” chic just in time for Spring!

{snapshots of fashion/accessories lines}

{snapshots of home line}

Check out the entire Liberty of London for Target line here.