Living Room InspirationMy inspiration for the living room makeover--and probably the entire downstairs--came from the website of Kelly McGuill found here. Kelly is an interior designer, photo stylist and blogger. Her website is filled with lots of eye candy but I'm particularly in love with this room below. All of her roo…
Gone Paintin'I would swear that no color looks good in my house.After stripping the wallpaper in my living room and dining room, I decided to use the paint I had leftover from my condo. For some reason, though, the soft buttery cream that looked so delicious in my old living room looked like grandma's cheap make…
Entertaining | Everyday | Inspiration Sketch for Event in The ParkThis morning I'm working on a proposal for a Client that plans to host a luncheon in the Shelter at Loose Park. I developed the following sketch to help express my vision for the decor...Whenever I'm planning an event, whether it be a birthday party, cocktail event or wedding, I find it so helpful t…
Architects HiredI chose a local architect, a young-ish duo actually, to help me develop a phased plan for the house. I talked to a few architecture firms to find that they charged a percentage of the overall project cost. That could add up to a pretty hefty sum. I chose this firm because I felt like an hourly ra…
Guest BedroomAt the top of the stairs, the guest bedroom sits to the left at the front of the house. This is where the green carpet and pink wallpaper turned to the trendier peach wallpaper. The dresser was left behind by the former owner at my request.This is another shot of the room opposite the front window…
Tofu "Egg Salad"I never expected I'd be posting a recipe but after trying a (vegan) tomato soup recipe I found at The Gardeners Cottage, it reminded me that eating well can be simple and delicious. I'm not a vegan or even a vegetarian but I am severely allergic to eggs. This is a recipe I've developed for "egg sa…
Inverted Porch Greek RevivalsIf porches were belly buttons, these Greek Revivals would have innies. These inverted-porch Greek Revivals, are a less common variation of the style--at least around the city--but no less beautiful. In fact, I think these look more like the Greek temples they are meant to emulate.This one has some…
Beautiful BookshelvesI keep running across photos of rooms that have these beautiful bookshelves. Some of them mix books with decorative objects and artwork but some of them just have books and they're equally as beautiful. They create a great texture in these rooms. I've never been to anyone's house that has bookshel…
Home | Indoor Garden | Growing Seeds for an Herb Garden | Starting Seeds for SpringThis Spring we're hoping to do a lot of work to the exterior of our house and lawn... painting the house, building a fence, planting a ton of flowers and having a garden. Flowers can be super expensive, and I LOVE masses of flowers... so, I'm growing my own from seeds. In addition to flowers, I wa…
Recipes | Casual Favorites | Mini Slider Burgers & Buffalo Chicken SatayI prepared simple and casual sliders and satays that could be easily enjoyed without leaving the TV! Football season may be over, but these recipes will be perfect for those March Madness games... It is very simple to prepare, both the sliders and the chicken can go into the oven at 425 degrees on…
My Edith Wharton HingesI wasn't looking to buy any hinges but I was surfing the internet for old house parts and I when I saw these, I immediately fell in love. Not only are they really cool but they have a connection to Edith Wharton, author of novels such as The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome.Actually, they're from Pi…
