interior design research about three years ago, we tackled a pretty big home project. we remodeled our kitchen, living room, dining room, and family room. we tore out walls and took the kitchen and dining room areas down to the wood framework. it was a long, messy and costly project, but the results were wonderful and we are so enjoying our new living space. at the end of the remodel we ran out of steam and money so the two other bathrooms and laundry room remodels would ... continue reading...
How to Care for Phalaenopsis Orchids
photo source: Pottery Barn you can have success with phalaenopsis orchids my first experience with orchids was when my friend kindly gave me one as a thank you for taking care of her betta fish. yes, i know what you are thinking... i have fish sat! i must confess, i was actually more intimidated by the orchid than by taking care of her fish. let's just say the fish survived and the orchid not so much! so, the reason my orchid didn't do well is that i really didn't know how to ... continue reading...
Family Room Project
still working on this family room project! i'm not quite sure how long i've been working on this project, but it feels like i'm finally making some progress. i recently tackled my drapes dilemma. i don't know about you, but it takes me a while to research and decide on almost all my decor in our home. i'm the queen of returns! so the other day, i was shopping at ikea and happened to spy a great deal! they had the merete (canvas) drapes on sale for $19.00 ... continue reading...
Our Wedding Anniversary!
still crazy after all these years... this week, my husband and i celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary! yes, i know what you're thinking, we were like 11 years old when we got married, which would make us a realistic age of 39! :o) we did get married pretty young and i think it is amazing that our relationship is still strong and actually getting stronger with the years. a few of our friends have asked us what are some the key factors that have kept our marriage ... continue reading...
Reusable Bags
using reusable bags are good for the environment! my husband cracks up at how obsessive i can be about different things. and one of the things that i have taken to heart is my reusable bags collection. i have quite a few cloth, oil cloth, nylon and even canvas bags. every time i shop at the container store i check out their latest cool bags. i love that there are so many fun and colorful designs to choose from! most bags are self contained and collapse to a ... continue reading...
Finding the Right Chair
finding the right chair on this blog, i usually post my final decorating solution and you don't get to see my all my attempts to find the perfect piece of furniture or accessory. so i thought it might be nice to share with you my latest project from beginning to end. so, i have this wonderful little spot in my master bedroom that in the winter gets a nice blast of sunshine. i've always imagined this spot to be a wonderful place to sit and relax and be creatively ... continue reading...
Paris Cupcakes
vegan and gluten free cupcakes! this weekend, my daughter had an old friend visiting from seattle. so, this morning they wanted to make cupcakes and i had a moment where i wondered if they should since it was going to be a hot day and i didn't think we should heat up the house. but, quickly i realized baking would be the perfect activity for these preteen girls! my daughter has a dream to own a cupcake shop and have all her corgis at work... she is always talking about ... continue reading...
Succulents
everything is coming up succulents! succulents are taking over the nurseries these days. my sister-in-law was in love with them some 28 years ago, and who knew that they would become so popular. i recently noticed their beauty and i'm totally obsessed with these wonderful treasures. their various shades of greens are so subtle and soothing to the eye and i find they kind of take my breathe away. a week ago, we stayed at a beach house in big sur california and the ... continue reading...
Scented Room Diffusers
room diffusers lately, i've been into scented room diffusers and i'm probably driving my family crazy with how many i have around the house! once i get on a mission, look out. i have bought a few and also have made my own. hmm... i know there is probably a medication out there for my obsessiveness. anyway, i love this little home accent since it can just add that nice fragrance into a room and make it cozy. i have one located right near my front door and it gently welcomes ... continue reading...
Spring Decorating
spring has sprung in our nest! i've got the spring cleaning and decorating bug, so i have to share with you some of my latest projects. i hope you find them interesting and inspiring. do you have a project that you want to share, let me know via email or comment below. thanks for stopping by and i hope the month of may is off to a great start! i'm still working on our family room/art room and it is definitely a work in progress. i decided to ... continue reading...
Apple Dutch Baby
dutch baby (apfelpfannkuchen or german apple pancake) i didn't know that there could be so many names for this wonderful breakfast pancake, but i think it deserves all those names and possibly more. this recipe is amazingly delicious and impressive as well. and what makes it kind of special is how easy it is to make. my husband has been begging me to make it for the last couple of years, and so i gave in to his wishes this past weekend. actually, he joined me in the kitchen and made ... continue reading...
Disneyland
spring trip to disneyland at the last moment, i decided to take the kids and i on a little road trip down south to disneyland, here is a link: disney vacation. so, we loaded up our little sedan and drove 7 hours down the 5 freeway. we were quite squished in our little car and even more squished since we brought along a pretty good size gift basket for my friend. in the basket i had a beautiful phalaenopsis moth orchid and i must have picked the tallest of the bunch. go figure! anyway, back ... continue reading...
Easy Spring Decorating
spring and summer decorating there is something about the anticipation of warm summer weather that sparks a purging of all things winter. i've been nesting this spring and freshening up our decor. when i redo a room, i start with a clean slate and then bring in items from all over the house. i try most anything just to see if it works in the new area. it is like my home is a shop and i can test things out. i find that this process allows me to just try anything and ... continue reading...
Spring Trip to Carmel California
carmel by the sea we recently took a trip south to beautiful carmel and monterey. if you ever vacation in northern california, you must make a trip and explore these coastal towns! carmel is charming and casual and i finally was able to relax and just enjoy the setting. if you can't visit in the near future, but would like to see the charming homes in the area, there is a book that highlights the fairytale cottages of carmel. here is the link: Fairy Tale Cottage Book in ... continue reading...
Parchment Paper
gingham parchment from world market i'm always checking out the latest products at the very cool store, world market. the other day, i was surprised to find this gingham parchment paper for baking. well, instead of using it for baking i'm making cute care packages. it quickly transforms containers from bland to very cute. all you need is a plastic produce container that your store bought fruit and vegetables come in. we all have these containers in ... continue reading...
Sunbrella is the Best for Outdoor Cushions
outdoor furniture now that it is starting to get warmer and we brought our outdoor furniture out from storage, i recently replaced our 2 year old outdoor dining chair cushions. i bought our set at jcpennys and i knew that these cushions weren't going to last very long. but at the time, my husband was very nervous about spending money on a new outdoor dining set. he thought that our rusty 15 year old table and chairs were fine and didn't need replacing. well, i did buy a ... continue reading...
Vitamixer Smoothies
vitamixers are amazing... i've been drooling over the vitamixer for a while now. everytime i go into costco, i stand and watch the demos and then happily accept the samples. :o) i'm sure my kids were tired of me constantly checking the vitamixers at every store that we visited. well, i finally took the plunge and bought one last week. it is an incredible kitchen appliance and has helped me eat more fruits and vegetables throughout my day. i have made ... continue reading...
America’s Test Kitchen Gluten Free Cookbook
gluten free cookbook is fabulous! about a year ago, we realized that my daughter definitely has issues with gluten so we decided to eliminate it from her diet. we immediately saw positive results, so we have continued on with our new diet! we are going to see our allergist in april, so we'll hopefully know more about her allergies. in the meantime, from time to time it is nice to have a few little treats for her since she is on a restricted diet. my friends were ... continue reading...
Sushi making
spicy tuna roll my family had many dinner celebrations in which my aunties would bring tupperware containers full of fresh sushi. oh gosh, it was such a treat to feast on all the yummy japanese food. my aunties almost always brought the sushi so, my mom rarely made it. I know how to make some japanese food, but i have very little experience making sushi. one christmas, my husband gave me a gift certificate for a sushi making class, but for whatever reason i didn't attend. ... continue reading...
Spring Decorating
i love the new spring colors at world market! i totally get inspired with all the new products and colors at world market. it is such a fresh change from winter and it is exactly what i need to rejuvenate our home for summer! so the above photo are the new spring table runners, and i just love the colors. i ended up buying the green ikat one in the middle. i really should buy a few and just change them out. i found that the runner is pretty long and i only ... continue reading...
hello spring!
well today is the first day of spring! around our neighborhood everything is blooming and it is just beautiful! i hope you are able to enjoy the outdoors and all the gorgeous spring blossoms! i may plant some veggies this weekend and work in the yard. mostly this time of year is garden clean up, and our yard is desperate need of that! ... continue reading...
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