Change of Address

If you're a creature of habit and occasionally check in here, come find me over here, where I will be posting more often. I've partnered with my sister in our design firm and while it will be "house-y", I won't be able to keep myself from covering my favorite topics.

Thanks for your support -- here's to self-employment.

KR

My (not really) New Vice

I've been hitting Pinterest pretty hard for the last few months, actually, it's been one of my favorite pass times for the better part of this year, and frankly, it's probably why I haven't started blogging again more. Because with the ease of pinning straight to a pre-categorized pinboard, I have no need to make little categories here in the form of posts. If you use Pinterest, you already know how addictive it is. Especially the iPhone app. Oh the joy I get from pinning on my phone! It's so much better a fix than Facebook or Twitter and when there are new pins: it makes my heart skip ever so slightly.

So, here's what I love about it for the average person: It's a great way to remember all the semi-useful things we learn about on the internet. The type of bar soap someone recommended that would normally fall out of your head the moment it was digested, let's say. Or a flower arrangement for a party, or hell, even recipes if you are a super-visual-recipe-saver-type.

For a designer: It's crack. Pure and simple. I have categories I reference all the time for work. Down to windows and door, staircases, stove vent hoods, tile layouts. You name it. Whenever I need a little inspiration or clarification on something, I can reference all the photos of completed projects I love.

Try it, I really think it's life-changing (in an inflated, internet way) and if you're there, follow me. I've added a button right on the top of my page just to make it easy. And here are a few of the things I've been pinning lately:

Return to Me

Here's the thing... Writing is pretty hard when you feel like you don't have anything to say.

I've spent the better part of two years feeling like I didn't really have anything to add, nothing to contribute. It was odd how going to school affected me and almost made me feel less human. And then... for the first time in two years, I took the summer off from school and started working part-time at a design firm and then... Like magic, I began to feel more like myself again. It was amazing, like the color was back in my cheeks.

But the pitfall is that I'm not done. I have only a few classes, but with my luck it will take another year before I can walk away with a diploma. It's a three year program but I've been trying to jam through it. Maybe it's why I felt so useless? The thing is, I thrive on work. Not school. I'm not programmed to be an adult student, I'm programmed to be a never-stop-real-world person, a worker bee.

Regardless, I'm vowing to not lose myself again. And with that, a re-newed interest in this blog.

Let's give it another shot.

Is it really December?

And my last post was in August? Oh wow, I really have dropped the ball, haven't I?

Well, my new year's resolution will no doubt be to post more, but in the meantime, I've done a Christmas wishlist over at Trove Interiors for a little fun this holiday season.

Jump over and have a look if there is anyone out there and to all, have a great holiday.

I love a good before and after

One of my daily reads is Erin Gates' blog "Elements of Style," the companion to her thriving design business in Boston. If only I were in Boston, we would be friends perhaps (I also feel that way about Erika Powell, but I digress... blogs somehow make me feel as though I'm creepy without ever intending to be).

This morning, I had to share her kitchen remodel for a client. I can't tell you what a fan I am of marble and white in a kitchen. And I also have a hard time letting people do anything other than white on a cabinet (painted is always fine, but wood makes me really want to grab them by the shoulders and shake them until they drop the subject).

So get a load of this baby:


I love how clean it is, without losing any amount of prettiness. I think that's a hard combination to pull off so kudos to Erin.

These were the befores, by the way:

Had to post this...

Bringing my big whopping grand total for August to three posts. Shameful.

But regardless, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post on this gem: LuAnn de Lesseps from Real Housewives of New York has published her new digs in NY Social Diary.

To be fair, I couldn't bring myself to read the whole article because I'm not interested in her enough (now if it was Bethenny...), and after seeing the photos, I still wasn't interested in reading it more closely. Maybe I missed something earth-shattering... but probably not.


(get a load of that hearth get-up... yuck)

I passed over the more boring images, but you can see the whole article here. Perhaps others like it, but it's not my cup of tea.

You're on my list.

Caviar dreams, tuna fish budget.

Hearty Oats & Summer Fruit

Let's face it, one of the things that really floats my boat is food. Not only is it something I've had a passion for since way back when, it's something that really makes me feel better -- and I'm not talking about the "eat my feelings" kind of way, I'm talking about how making something to share can make me feel like a better person. Also, there is nothing better than when a recipe either turns out perfectly, or when successfully cooking or baking without a recipe can feel like a complete and utter victory.

So get used it, there might be a lot more food posts. Right now, I'm channeling my creative energy into it rather than a house because it is so much cheaper than tearing down a wall or buying sets of glassware.

Yesterday I brought back one of my favorite breakfasts that has now become my lunch and probably quite soon, my dinner. Oats -- but let me say, these are anything but gluey and sticky. By cooking the oats like pasta for only a minute or so, it makes them much more grain-like. My next endeavor is a savory version of this, with probably mushrooms and other summer/fall veggies.

For the time being, here is how to make a quick breakfast -- everything done in the time it takes to boil water and cook them.

Quick Cook Oats with Summer Fruits

Add as many fruits and nuts as you desire, obviously, but I love combination including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, mango, the list can go on. In winter, diced apple and dried cranberries make a great substitution for a lack of fresh fruit.

1/2 c. Old Fashioned/Steel Cut Oats
1 peach in a 1/2 dice
Small handful of nuts, like walnuts or pecans
Brown sugar or agave, to taste

Boil water in a medium size pot. While water is heating, prep fruit and nuts. Add them to your breakfast bowl and top with brown sugar/agave. Once the water has boiled, add the oats and wait for the water to resume boiling. At this point, you should see the oats almost dancing in the water, quickly replaced by the starches from the oats being released and creating foamy water that threatens to boil over -- pour the oats into a fine sieve and once drained, combine with fruits and nuts, about a minute.

For convenience, I usually let the oats cool for a bit in the time it takes me to wash my pot and sieve. For me, it's worth the minute it takes to do the dishes and know I never have to come back to a mess.

Happy Birthday Miggies

...Don't say I never did anything for you.

Thanks for being my one loyal reader.

Herbal Housewarming

I've always thought housewarming gifts were somewhat difficult to give. Knowing how particular I am about what I want in my home, I never want to impose my own taste on someone else if I don't know them super well. So when the opportunity arose to go outside with my gift, it felt right. And, it gives me the opportunity to get in on the action of choosing the perfect herbs for my friends.

This week my boyfriend gets a new roommate: His roommate's girlfriend. She moves up from Arizona to quit the long-distance relationship stuff, and as the by-product, I get more estrogen in the house and shows like "The City" on the DVR. Cooking hasn't been something she's spent a ton of time doing, but with a new climate and people to eat with, I think it's something we will both be doing together in a small apartment kitchen .

Choosing the right herbs is a little difficult because you have to get the right mix of things that will come in handy, but also aren't too boring. In the pots for this housewarming are Sweet Basil, Thai Basil, Greek Oregano, Curly Parsley (they were out of Italian, a real bummer), BBQ Rosemary and mature Mint (in its own pot). I wish I had chives in the mix, but maybe after we test their heartiness we can add another pot of additional plants.