Kitchen Love

I'm not really an accessory kind of gal. I wear the same earrings, ring, and watch everyday. No bracelet. No necklace. Just your basic stuff. My kitchen is pretty basic as well. I like clean counter tops. No clutter. At all. A while back I posted about some kitchen tweaking I had been doing. With all of the work we have done with the breakfast nook and gallery wall, the rest of the kitchen was looking a little bare. A few years ago I had ivy topiaries beside the kitchen sink. They died. Oh well. I am terrible with house plants. Last week I saw this photo and thought it was GREAT inspiration to make topiaries...



A Little Lovely


There are super directions on the blog on how to make a topiary. I gathered my supplies:

terra cotta pot

paint

tape

newspaper

hot glue gun

hot glue

moss

paint brush

stencils

floral foam

dowel rod

ribbon

sandpaper

Most of the above I had. This is what I had to buy:

terra cotta pots ($4)

moss ($5)

ribbon ($3.50)

floral foam ($3.50)

2 floral balls ($10)

OK...this was getting ridiculous. Granted I had a 20% off coupon, but my total came to $26...minus the 20%...it was $20.80. Not bad, but more than I wanted to spend for this project. When I came home i fiddled around and decided I didn't like the new pots. They were a little small and a little short. I thought I had wooden candlesticks somewhere and maybe I could turn the pots into a urn. That when I went in the attic and found these in the yard sale pile:

Oh yeah! Topiaries! I had forgotten all about them. They were hand-me-downs from a friend several years ago, but I never loved the boxwood. So, I started plucking...and then I had naked topiaries!

Add in a little hot glue, spanish moss, antique white spray paint, plus sandpaper and here's what I ended up with:



     



This project ended up costing $4 for the spanish moss... everything else I had...woohoohoo!! Tomorrow I get to go back to the store and do a little returning...

Rachel :)

This is dedicated to the one I love....

J. and I will celebrate our 9th anniversary on August 3rd.  It has been a wonderful, if chaotic, 9 years!  As J. says, "we live an alternate lifestyle that not many people understand". Before you go where MY mind would naturally go, he's a pilot who is on call 24/7/365.  We cancel more plans than we actually make, I think.  Family vacations usually consist of the boys and me and various friends or grandparents.  Whenever J. gets to go with us, it is an extra special event.  See the below picture as an example:

The family and Squidward at the Nick Hotel.  Good times, Good times.  

I've been thinking about what I should get him for an anniversary gift.  He is the hardest person in the world to buy for.  Considering his new hobby of swatting flies off of our dog with my "W" magazine, I thought about buying this:

Orvis Fly Swatter

Seriously, who wouldn't want a personalized leather fly swatter?

I shelved that idea when I saw this picture. I originally saw it on Young House Love.  I found the artist, Sherri Conley, on Etsy and contacted her.  She responded so quickly and was so helpful as I changed my mind 14 times about which size I wanted and if I wanted portrait or landscape (which I kept calling "horizontal" or "vertical" for some unknown reason.  I've been off meat for 8 days and I think I should just accept that I am a carnivore and my brain needs meat to function properly). 

Sherri Conley Photography

I also found this print on Etsy, which I think perfectly describes our "alternate lifestyle" in a very simple way.

Photographic print from EeeBee

I ordered it in silver sage rather than turquoise

After seeing both of these, an idea began to form.  There is nothing that I can buy him that he wants or needs. These prints share my feelings for him in a non-mushy way.  Also, I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to put on the mantle over my bed. I guess when it comes down to it, it's a gift for both of us.  

I still needed one more picture to hang between these two.  I took this last week when the boys and I were at my Dad's house.  

I want to crop it a little and give it a tint

It was a wonderful example of the culmination of our love! I'm sorry, did you just throw up on your keyboard? I ordered both prints yesterday and went to Aaron Brothers and picked out frames and mats.  If there is an Aaron Brothers near you, get there before July 31st.  All of their frames are buy one get one for a penny!  

As soon as everything has arrived and is framed and hung I will post pictures.  Even though this means that I will have to make up my bed!

XOXO,

M

My Kind of Remodeling-Part Deux

You can read Part One of my exciting post about creating a custom piece of jewelry here (could you hear the sarcasm?).  My client gave me a picture of a ring he wants to copy for his girlfriend.  I gave it to Margie, who carves our pieces by hand, to begin the first step in the fabrication process. 

This is Margie doing her thing

This is her amazing work

As a refresher, here is the picture I gave her to copy

I know you are all breathlessly waiting for the piece to be completed, but it will be a couple of weeks!  In the meantime, you can read a detailed version of how a custom piece of jewelry is created on the Ascot Diamonds Blog.  

xoxo,
Marlene

Weekend Projects...

I love weekends at home with the family...especially when there is not much on the agenda. Mr. T is on call this weekend, so the Smurfs and I will be hanging out, having fun, and doing much of nothing. Of course, I have a few weekend projects planned. Here is a sneak peak with the details to come next week.

My first project is to make topiaries for the kitchen. I've been looking for a little something to put on either side of my kitchen sink and I think these will look great!

Oh baby!! Smurfette and I have been invited to a baby shower for a super great couple that is expecting their first baby. While we will not be able to attend, I have high hopes of coming up the the perfect shower gift this weekend. I can't post pictures yet...you'll have to wait until next week!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Rachel :)

It's a Girl!

I am so very excited for my old (as in we've been friends a long time, not as in age) friend Katie who is FINALLY having a girl. This is her 3rd baby in just as many years and she is surround by the cutest boys you have ever seen. Katie and her precious family live in a 100 year old bungalow that rocks my socks. Seriously. Since I'm on a roll this week, being bossy and giving advice when wanted and not wanted (Penny and Shannon) I wanted to share some ideas I've had for her nursery. Even though I can't remember if she asked or not, I am loving finding pictures and ideas for her to use. While I love it, I am pretty sure I am driving her crazy because at some point she stopped answering my 99 texts I was sending her a day. Here are just a few pictures I have sent her way...

Dear World, You're Pretty

All Things Heart and Home

Heartland Paper



The Crafting Chicks



Wee Decor

And, because it's what I do, I set up a board on Pinterest where we can share ideas. What on earth did I do before Pinterest?!? I can't wait for her to decorate this new space! I have high hopes of lots of before and after pictures to share in a few weeks of how she went from snips and snails and puppy dog tails to sugar and spice and everything nice!

Rachel :)

A Little Something Extra

I love helping friends with projects around their house. Some ask for it...like my dear friend Shannon...most don't...like my advise to Penny about her stairs. Shannon is currently working on changing the color pallet in her house from reds and greens to more neutral blues and browns. I really don't know why she wants my input...the girl has got killer taste and the talent to go along with it. Plus her husband is super handy. Together they make a GREAT combination. She is currently working on her family room and foyer. Her family room has a wall of fantastic built ins. I've seen so many great looks recently using blues and paint or wallpaper. Here are a few...

Houzz

I LOVE this room. Neutral seating. The pillows are Ralph Lauren that TJ Maxx has had the past few weeks. Pottery Barn also makes them and you can find them at an outlet. The coffee table would be a super easy built for Shannon's husband. The teal adds a great pop of color that brightens things a bit.

Little Nanny Goat

I also love the idea of a wallpaper, painted stencil, or fabric behind shelves. It looks great when painting the same color that is in the rest of the room and stenciling in a contrasting color. Stenciling can be more time consuming than wallpaper, but is a lot cheaper which is always good on the check book.

A few other pieces of inspiration for her family room are:

Tobi Fairley

and for a pop of color...



Palmer Weiss

Design A Glow

Centsational Girl

You call follow our board on Pinterest to check out our other ideas. Stay tuned to see what great design she comes up with. I hope she'll let me share!!

Rachel :)

Wish Listing...

It's hard being surrounded by diamonds and gorgeous jewelry day in and day out.  Having to try on fabulous diamond rings, earrings, and necklaces for work is just mentally exhausting. I bet you are feeling really sorry for me right now, aren't you?

O.K., maybe not.  I suppose I can agree that it's not on scale with being say, a Chilean miner (thank you Tina Fey-if you haven't read "Bossypants", go do it now!), but it taxes me sometimes.  More accurately, it taxes my wallet. I keep a running list of my needs wants in my Outlook under a contact aptly titled Marlene-Wish List!  Luckily, my boss (who is actually a very, very close friend of mine and J's) knows where to find it in a gift emergency.  The wish list in my Outlook is reserved for things that require long term saving (long term being 2 months or more).  Recently, I have crossed two things off of that list:  the stack ring J got me for my birthday and 1.50 carat stud earrings. These were a gift to myself because it was too good a deal to pass up.  Honestly, it was such a good deal that J. didn't even argue. Other things on the list are as follows:

Diamond Jackets for studs-Ascot Diamonds

Michele CSX watch

I'd like two of these to go on either side of my birthday ring!

Although diamonds are a girl's best friend (or in Rachel's case, her best friend is a miter saw), it's not always feasible to run out and purchase this stuff.  There are plenty of fantastic fakes. Sshhhhhh....now you are my confidant.  Don't EVER tell anyone I said that!  There are also plenty of pieces that make an outfit and don't fall into the fine jewelry category.  Here is an example of two great fakes that I have fallen in love with:

Pave Double Bar Necklace by Stella and Dot

Layering these together would look amazing!  

Ellipse Necklace by Stella and Dot

Turquoise Layer Necklace

This necklace would look so good with anything!  And it's only $29.99!!!

I love lists.  I really don't get much done without them.  Even having a ridiculous list of jewelry wants keeps me focused on what is truly my style and worth investing in.  The little no-brainers like the turquoise necklace above are fun and playful and really don't require much thought at all!  The best metaphor is this:  diamonds are the Theory little black dress you can wear for years.  The turquoise necklace is the scarf you buy each season to change it up and keep if fresh!  Do you have a wish list?  What's on it?

XOXO,

Marlene