Yeah, I'm scared, too.
Happy Halloween!
Arizona Design Inspiration
I was browsing through design sites, as I do, and I came across this gem from Apartment Therapy: a design from Coco + Kelley called "Arizona"--a fresh take on the typical southwestern style that has, in the past, ended up with oh-so-many unfortunate peach and aquamarine sofas with faux Navajo designs.
I love the deep colors combos here, like the desert at sunset over a deep, blue lake. While the original intent here is the design of a study, I'm definitely keeping this as inspiration for our master bedroom!
Great Fall Recipe: Sinful New Orleans Bread Pudding
As Halloween is this weekend, I thought I'd share a sinful and fairly easy desert you can share with your ghoulish guests. This was a favorite of mine growing up, and I plan to be whipping up a batch on Saturday. This recipe is lovingly borrowed from the Creole and Cajun Recipe Page.
- 1 loaf French bread
- 1 quart milk
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk the beaten eggs into the milk. Tear bread into chunks and soak in milk and egg mixture. Crush with hands to make sure milk has soaked through. Add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, raisins and stir well. Pour melted butter into a heavy 9 x 14 baking pan to coat the bottom and sides. Add bread mixture (and I sprinkle more cinnamon and raisins on top) and bake until very firm, about 40 mins. Cool pudding, cube it and put it into individual dessert dishes. When ready to serve, add whiskey sauce and heat under broiler for a few minutes (last step optional).
Whiskey sauce
For a nonalcoholic version, you may add a teaspoon of rum, orange or vanilla extract (but where’s the fun in that?)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter (or margarine if you insist)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 ounces Bourbon whiskey or Southern Comfort; rum also works well
Cream sugar and butter and cook in a double-boiler until very hot and well-dissolved. Add well-beaten egg very slowly and whip very fast so egg doesn't curdle. Cool and add liquor.
Serves 8
Bon Appetit!
DIY Perpetual Calendar!
I have a confession to make: I usually don't know what day it is until I look at my watch in the morning. I've tried to buy calendars, but the expense and my own nature at forgetting to flip the page every month--which is why I love the idea of a perpetual calendar. But, alas, the perpetual desk calendar usually requires some kind of action on my part, and it only gives you a day-by-day blow.
That's why I love the idea of this magnet calendar from Apartment Therapy--I get the feeling that this particular calendar is one of a kind, but this gives me an excuse to try my hand at marble magnet making (great DIY from not martha). Imagine the possibilities! You could make your own personal reminders (birthdays, dog training classes, garbage day) and move them as needed to personalize your monthly outlook. Enjoy the craftiness!
Ode to Expedit
The Ikea Expedit shelf has always impressed me with its simplicity and clarity of purpose; most Ikea products do well with a hack or two, and here you can find some uses that make my mind ponder the possibilities (though I confess, I've already dipped my toe into the water with a similar wall of Expedit).
So, for your reading pleasure, a haiku: Ode to Expedit--
Oh, Expedit your
beautiful squares mesmerize
your storage appeals.
Crafty DIY Glass Decals
I'm loving these Alice in Wonderland glasses from Urban Outfitters, but at $5 a pop, I can't bring myself to purchase a usable set. Luckily, I found this craft-tastic technique for making my own decals on How About Orange.
All I need now is a Google image search, a laser printer, some packing tape and some glass candidates--I suppose I will have something extra to search for in the thrift shops this weekend!
Things Look Better with Spray Paint!
I'm always looking for crafty things to do to vintage finds that aren't so lovely, and spray paint is where I usually end up--it's cheap, easy, fast, and a great way to preserve the essence of an object when you need to change it to match your decor.
You can make holiday decorations more chic:
Furniture can be restored from prior shabby-chicness:
Picture frames can be changed to match your pictures:
White can unify objects (and emphasize their shape):