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What To Do With That Vintage Dresser
It seems that most people have vintage furniture pass through their lives at one time or another. For some of us, its by choice, some by inheritance, and some because its all they can afford. Given my profound love of this kind of furniture, I sometimes get questions about how to use it in a more modern way.Apartment Therapy has a very cool home tour today. The owners used vintage furniture throughout the house, but my favorite example is the dresser used in the living room. Its used as a one of a kind entertainment center. Given the small scale of the home, the dresser is a perfect fit. This idea can also be used for bedrooms or dorm rooms that don't have square footage to spare.
The bottom compartments are used for varying media units and remotes. What more could you ask for? I'm guessing some of you are still not feeling the love for vintage, so here is another great detail. Most vintage furniture is sturdier and better built than 90% of furniture made today. I have a dresser similar to this one and know what I'm talking about. My husband cringes a little every time I ask him to help me move it again, because its built like a tank! Its difficult to find new furniture of the same quality unless you are prepared to pay for very high end pieces.So, when asked how to best use vintage furniture, its best to have an open mind. (Perhaps, a piece can be used for other than its original purpose) Also, mix it up. Don't be afraid to throw in one or two vintage pieces with your modern furniture. Be adventurous!!!
Cool roof over old metal surface
The owner of this turn-of-the-previous-century home located outside NYC has converted their vintage metal surface to a cool roof. According to the NY Times article on 7/30 they will save over 20% during the summer months plus contribute to the movement to save our planet.As a contractor for cool roofing and vintage tin restoration work, we have performed two projects like this one thus far this year
Update on the little guy & FOOOOOOOOD
I wanted to thank everyone so much from the bottom of my heart for all the kind comments, well-wishes & encouraging stories. Christian is doing really well & really doesn't even seem to mind his "big owie nose." He still seems to love dogs and has seen a few since the accident and he smiles & waves, so I guess he's not scarred emotionally, haha. (I think he'd have to get unscarred pretty quickly once we got home anyway... we have a dog, Ashby. He seems to miss her and has asked about "Happy" (how he says 'ashby") the "nice doggy." hahaha)
We takes walks by the lake everyday and he wears this adorable visor to shield his nose from the sun. (As soon as I can fix my computer I'll upload some pics) He hasn't gone in any water yet but is having fun playing in the sand.
Things are better between my dad & Dave... It's been rough for everyone but I'm hoping it's settling down... So, anyway, I wanted to tell you about one of my FAVORITE restaurants ever because we're going soon!!! It's Port Edward Restuarant in Algonquin, IL.
It's super-themey and even has a boat and a pond inside & I absolutely love it. It was opened in 1952. They have an amazing wine lounge and I can't even begin to talk about how awesome the food is. There are cool little secret rooms & lofts & as a kid I used to love walking around with my stepbrother & stepsister exploring. Christian is going to love it!!
We're headed there soon & as soon as I can upload pics I'll show you what we've been up to.
We takes walks by the lake everyday and he wears this adorable visor to shield his nose from the sun. (As soon as I can fix my computer I'll upload some pics) He hasn't gone in any water yet but is having fun playing in the sand.
Things are better between my dad & Dave... It's been rough for everyone but I'm hoping it's settling down... So, anyway, I wanted to tell you about one of my FAVORITE restaurants ever because we're going soon!!! It's Port Edward Restuarant in Algonquin, IL.
It's super-themey and even has a boat and a pond inside & I absolutely love it. It was opened in 1952. They have an amazing wine lounge and I can't even begin to talk about how awesome the food is. There are cool little secret rooms & lofts & as a kid I used to love walking around with my stepbrother & stepsister exploring. Christian is going to love it!!
Anyway, they have the best Sunday champagne brunch and every year we come we take the boat out in the morning and take the 3 hour boat ride to Port Edward and FEAST!!! You have to stay for hours and just take your time... So yummy!!! I love it because the long boatride in the morning feels like such an adventure... and I love the ANTICIPATION of all the great food!!! When we finally get there we're so hungry and it just hits the spot perfectly.
We're headed there soon & as soon as I can upload pics I'll show you what we've been up to.xoxo,
lauren
Adorable Garden Stools
Ceramic garden stools are everywhere nowadays. We think the trend started with the boutique hotel chains like Mondrian, where they were using white garden stools everywhere. More often seen indoor as decorative items, they are actually meant to be used outdoor. Super easy to clean and versatile, decorative garden stools can be used as seating, side tables, or just for decoration.
We thought instead of the typical white ceramic garden stools, we show you some other ones that are more colorful and interesting.
These range between $200-$250 each. All are from Emissary USA and can be found on our garden stool section.
We thought instead of the typical white ceramic garden stools, we show you some other ones that are more colorful and interesting.
These range between $200-$250 each. All are from Emissary USA and can be found on our garden stool section.
Pretty Rugs from Surya
We have a soft spot for dainty & pretty looking things. Like things with soft, muted colors; subdued patterns, delicate designs.
It's the reason why we really like this rug collection from Surya. It's full of all the things stated above.
Here are some of our favorites:
The rugs are really inexpensive. They run about $400 (for a 4 x6) to $1100 (for a 8 x 10). They are machine-made with wool/vicose. Purchasing information can be found on our modern rugs section. If you like to see more of Surya's products (they also make fantastic pillows and throws), visit their web site.
It's the reason why we really like this rug collection from Surya. It's full of all the things stated above.
Here are some of our favorites:
The rugs are really inexpensive. They run about $400 (for a 4 x6) to $1100 (for a 8 x 10). They are machine-made with wool/vicose. Purchasing information can be found on our modern rugs section. If you like to see more of Surya's products (they also make fantastic pillows and throws), visit their web site.
Modern Silk Flowers from NDI
Silk flowers have a bad rep, don't they? They are perceived as chinzy and cheap, but truly, they do not have to be. The quality of silk flowers has improved tremendously over the last few years. Now you can find very nice, high quality arrangements that look almost as good as the real ones.
We think the key to pick silk flowers is to find arrangements that are as simple as possible. The simpler they are the more realistic they look. Mixing them with fresh flowers or branches is an effective way of displaying them. Finally, buy the best quality that you can find. Cheap silk flowers are like cheap shoes--you can spot them miles away.
NDI just came out with a new catalog and we thought some of the arrangements are quite nice. Here are some that we like:
You can see the rest of the catalog at NDI. Purchasing and pricing information can be found in our silk flowers section.
We think the key to pick silk flowers is to find arrangements that are as simple as possible. The simpler they are the more realistic they look. Mixing them with fresh flowers or branches is an effective way of displaying them. Finally, buy the best quality that you can find. Cheap silk flowers are like cheap shoes--you can spot them miles away.
NDI just came out with a new catalog and we thought some of the arrangements are quite nice. Here are some that we like:
You can see the rest of the catalog at NDI. Purchasing and pricing information can be found in our silk flowers section.
Installing new metal shingles on embossed tin roof
The new and old shingles are quite distinct in this photo of a church in Mt. Harmony, MD. But from a distance, the roof's appearance is quite compatible.On three projects, mixing old and new shingles taught us "mucho."
Main tip: Avoid placing new shingles directly next to the vintage versions.
White Gold Earrings For Mens Earring
White Gold Earrings For Mens Earring
>> Because he likes to sparkle too. Treat him to this single crystal set huggie earring in chic 9ct white gold. price is £54.99
Indoor décor
Indoor Garden Ideas: The Indoor Gardener
I suspect few children of today would spend countless hours putting together the perfect indoor garden. To us, as 9 and 10 year olds, the first step was begging an old biscuit tin lid from our mothers or grandmothers. The biscuit tin lid was ideal because it was just the right depth. Next, armed with our empty tin lids, we would make our way down to the end of the garden or, in my case, into the woods that grew around my grandparents' home. Here we would find the dank conditions ideal for the sphagnum moss to grow and plenty of leaf mould to use as compost. We would fill our tins just below the rim with the leaf mould and then gently press the sphagnum moss into place to completely cover the leaf mould in the tin lid.
The next stage was to obtain tiny stones or tiny shells - I was lucky there because we lived within a few yards of the beachfront so I had access to plenty of shells. We would then proceed to decorate our gardens - one year I was even able to get some alpine plants to grow in mine: I prized some of these little plants from the crevices of our garden wall. Making an indoor garden was often given to us as a homework task from school during our Easter holidays. Of course, it helped that we all enjoyed making them. Today, sadly, it seems rather a lost art.
A more modern interpretation - to the West, at least - is the Executive Meditation Zen Garden. This is probably better known as a Sand Garden. I actually bought one this year for my daughter at Christmas. The intention of this is to create an oasis of calm in people's busy lives and reduce the stress people are under today. These miniature sand gardens were inspired from Ryoan-ji, the Zen Rock Garden in Kyoto, Japan. If you purchase a kit, the Zen Garden comes with white sand, zen rakes and a range of polished stones, together with a booklet explaining the concept of Zen. Some kits include a Tori Zen chime, a tea light candle, a mallet and some incense sticks. All of this is set in a beautiful rosewood tray that is beautifully finished and makes an absolutely delightful and original focal point as part of any interior design project.
Taking the theme of interior gardening ideas further, there are the companies which supply various plants for the interior of office buildings. There are the palms which require levels of light up to 800 lux, growing from just 50cm up to 10m or more. Plants such as the Howea forsteriana which do really well in conditions where light is reasonable. The Dracaena family of plants is one of the most popular plants for indoor gardens as the dark green leaves only require a fairly low level of light although the variegated Dracaena does prefer a bit more light. They can grow from just 30cm to 5m in height. Dracaena is known by the delightful names of Song of India, and Song of Jamaica, amongst others. Whether it is sand gardens or the indoor gardens of our youth, there is no doubt that growing plants in the house alters the atmosphere of any room and brings it more alive and adds attractiveness.
Really Tough Day
Well, we made it to the lakehouse safe & sound - After driving all day Sunday- 13 hours later. Early yesterday morning around 6:00 (mon) my dad's dog bit Christian in the face. Christian was about a foot away from her and stuck his tongue out and she just launched at him from on the couch. Thank God Dave was right there and pulled her off. (I had noticed the dog acting a bit skittish around him the night before & we'd decided we would keep them separate but in the AM, so early, it didn't really register that she was on the couch & we should put her in another room... we were there for 2 seconds before it happened.)
We rushed to the emergency room in our pjs (and we're out in the country so it was like 45 mins away in Wisconsin) and his nose just looked like raw hamburger meat. He handled it so well. He stopped crying within a couple of minutes and just kept saying "doggie owie." It was the worst feeling trying to get there because we were following the GPS and roads were closed off and my little baby's nose was just covered in blood. We prayed & realized how much worse it really could have been- eye, throat, etc.
When we got to the hospital, they had to strap him down in one of those papoose things and he was amazing. "I'm tough" he said, haha. He had 4-5 bites and the one that worried me the most was this huge flap of skin on the top. It was so rough watching them stick the anisthetic needle in all of his wounds because he definitely screamed when they kept poking it in. Then they stitched him up for about 15 minutes and he kept saying "all done." I had to help hold him down on his tummy and it was just so hard to look into his little eyes and see how scared/ hurt he was. Just before the end of the stitches I got really dizzy & almost passed out so I had to sit down. It was almost like this weird relief that he was going to be okay and then just I couldn't stand anymore... or like all the adrenaline left and there was no more juice. They finished up and he played with some toys while they briefed us on the situation.
From there we got him some "eggs" (his big request) and went to a reconstructive surgeon who had helped my dad and she took a look at his "owie." She said it wasn't pulled as closely together as it should have been but the only other option was to put him under and have her redo the stictches. Not worth it. We're going back to see her in a week to check on everything.
Once it was all over and Christian was asleep in the car, the crying started. (haha from me) All we could do was thank God that he was okay. At the restaurant we stopped at when he woke up, everyone stared. It's kind of funny to watch the people who pretend they're looking somewhere past you as they slowly swing their heads around & take a good look and then another good look at nothing to your left. haha I really don't blame them-- it's not pretty and was seriously bloody. We have to keep the wounds uncovered but he can't go in the sun so he has a little visor to wear. No lake for a while so we're hoping it heals quickly so we can get this little guy some fun. He's doing great & is loving his new indoor basketball hoop Dave picked up at the drugstore.
Anyway, we're all in a strange spot right now--- insane relief tinged with some serious regret/ guilt/ anger/ sadness. My dad feels horrible--- both of his dogs are at a kennel right now and Quais (the one who bit Christian) is in quarantine. From now on whenever we come here, they'll be kenneled. I know Dave is upset that my dad's not going to put Quais down... I know it's just not in my dad to do it... So there's just a lot of tension right now. (pic below before)
Anyway, I usually only write posts when I have a strong feeling about something- be it happy or excited or something like this that I feel I need to get off my chest... So I'm not sure how much I'll be on for a bit... sometimes it's therapeutic so we'll see. Just check back & hopefully we get to some of the wonderful places I can't wait to show you. Oh, and also, my dad keeps doing stuff to his house. (haha I know, the audacity- HIS HOUSE! haha) But, really bad design choices and it's driving me crazy. It's a simple (beautiful) farmhouse frame with a wraparound porch and he's covering the outside of it in Victorian details- wagon wheels in the corners, ornate spindles with 2 paint colors, an Italiante fountain in the front yard... And I can't even get into the issues on the inside... So not sure if I'll have anything to show you in here. hahaha
ok, talk soon.
xoxo,
lauren
Take a Bow Tuesday
Hopefully, there is no need for an intro this time around. I'm on time, on the mark, and ready to share more of my favourite posts from some of the blogs I visit.
Will the following ladies Take a Bow:
Sweet Tanya, of Sunday Baker is my go-to-gal for great recipes, cooking tips and just to start my day on a positive note. I loved her recent post about her best kitchen tips and some of those of her readers. Tanya is a fabulous cook and (obviously) baker, and has her own little bun in the oven at the moment! Just over a week until she finds out if it will be pink icing or blue!!
I'm guessing pink...!
Terri from Windlost wrote a great post about using beautiful mirrors in one's home to add beautiful style and open up the space. Terri's whole approach to style is one I admire, because she roots out quality and truly waits until she finds it either on sale or saves carefully to buy it. So not like me : I see, I pounce, and if I can't afford it, I try to make it, recreate it, or even settle for something poorly made!!
That which makes us different makes us special, no?! Terri makes me want to strive to be more patient and purposeful.
It hasn't sunk in yet, though!
One of my favourite bloggers, Vee of A Haven for Vee, shared some great links to making your photos better and creating fun things like photo mosaics. My favourite, found at Little Red House (another beautiful blog) offers up a step-by-step tutorial for making said photo mosaics. I have vowed not to even try making one until this week is over. I need to focus...!
Lanette, of Cottage Elements, did a post recently on all of the great black and white elements in her home. Well, as great as they are, just getting another tour around her gorgeous home with all its "glorified junk" is a feast for the eyes. Check her out!!
For the rare few of you who don't know Cindy of Romantic Home, she is the quintessential shabby chic expert. She did a great little project recently which offers up a fun way to showcase some favourite vintage linens. And true to Cindy's ethic, it was done on a dime!
Enjoy!!
Objets d'Art
This is a tribute to all those little things that make our homes special and unique. I found this stylish place on Flickr. If you are a photography nut be sure to link over to Nam N's site. Not only is he an amazing photographer but he also collects the coolest objects! Gorgeous!
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