Necktie Necklace

Running With Glitter has this great how-to up for turning and old, ugly tie into something spectacular and unexpected - a statement necklace!   I'd never think to wear a tie in quite this way, but I think it would look great with a plain white t-shirt and slacks or jeans.  Feeling inspired to go rummage through my husband's tie collection...

Bunny Wheels

A young boy named Liam designed this A.T.B. (all terrain bunny) vehicle for a rabbit he rescued that had lame legs.  The cart was designed specifically to improve the little bunny's mobility and lo and behold, it works!  As a lover of all animals, I'm inspired by Liam's kindness and ingenuity.  What a great kid.

You can watch Liam's bunny in action here.

Mother's Day Ring Cupcakes

Cupcakes Take The Cake has this cute idea for making Mother's Day extra special this year.  Instead of celebrating the day with cake, cookies, chocolates or any other standard kind of sweet treat, why not make these cupcake rings instead?  They're fashionable and they look oh so yummy!

Marvelous, darling!

This Baby Loves Bubbles

Trying to motivate this morning and having difficulties.  There are way too many cool things out there on the interwebs today.  I'm having a hard time pulling myself away!  Take this video for example.  I could watch this dog eat bubbles and listen to this kid laugh for days.  She has the most contagious laugh I've ever heard coming from a toddler.

Happy Monday!

Monday Morning Fun

Visual News has this cute idea for turning an ordinary wall and electrical outlet into something playful and unique.   It's charming, but I don't think I'd put it anywhere within reach of children - that's asking for trouble!  I can imagine drawing a smaller version of this somewhere in my house though, just for the fun of it.  The garage, maybe?

It's a "snoutlet."  Ha. Get it? 

Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day to all my tree-huggin', dirt-lovin' friends out there!  Hope you enjoy this fun, gut-busting Earth Day post by Pheonix New Times Blog. 

Cups Around The Clock

Vintage Revivals has this tutorial for making your very own teacup clock and it's adorable!  I've always been drawn to teacups, particularly the flowery, gold-rimmed, ornate sets.  They remind me so much of my grandmother.  *Happy thoughts*  :)

I love that this tutorial uses more modern sets as well.  What a fun way to spruce up a dining area!

A more classic teacup look

An edgy, modern take on teacups

Champion of Couches

I'm oddly fascinated by the "Worldwide Ugly Couch Contest."  I'm amazed that such a contest even exists and even more amazed by the sheer volume of sad-looking sofas out there.

Here's last year's winner:

Grandma's curtains meet 50's diner

I'm pretty sure I've fallen victim to owning a beauty similar to the winner, but that was during my college years so I wonder if it even counts?  Who didn't have an ugly couch in college?

Our First Floral DIY Project!

Over the weekend I had time to experiment with some of the leftover flowers from my trip to the market.  Inspired by some of my previous floral posts from last week, I came up with this little ditty.  I think it's perfect for summer and it's super easy to create!

Here's what you'll need:

• 3 lemons; if you prefer limes, you'll need 8 to 10 of them
• 1 mason jar; they sell these for 99 cents at most craft stores
• 18 inches of your favorite ribbon
• 1 bunch of your favorite spring/summer flowers; for my example I've used ox eye chrysanthemums
• tape; floral tape preferred, standard tape will work as well

Steps:

• Cut your flowers so they're the right height for the vase; in this example, I've cut them so they stand about 3 to 4 inches above the rim of the vase
• You'll want to make a diagonal cut at the tips of the stems so they can soak up the maximum amount of water
• Form a small bouquet by taping stems together; tape halfway between the base of the stems and the start of the blooms
• Fill one quarter of the mason jar with water
• Line the sides of the jar with slices of lemon, fill gaps with remaining lemon slices
• Place bouquet inside of the mason jar; the lemons should be arranged tightly enough that they will secure the base of the bouquet so it doesn't shift
• Fill remaining three quarters of mason jar with water; water should rise to the rim
• Tie ribbon around the rim of the jar into a bow shape
• Enjoy!

This DIY can also be found at:

Easter Egg Garland

Sweet Little Smoothie has this great do-it-yourself guide for making robin's egg Easter garland.  It's adorable and adds a festive touch to any room!

For this project, all you'll need is a handful of styrofoam eggs, blue and brown paint, a paint brush, a needle or toothpick and some thread. Seems simple enough, right?

You view the complete tutorial here.

The Measure of a Heel

I think you'd need to have a background in fashion or just A LOT of confidence to pull off these shoes, but I can appreciate the creative talent that went into making them.  Though I don't keep up on shoe designers, from what I understand these are made by Christian Louboutin and run close to $800!

Unusual Wrapping Paper

I'm a sucker for a game of Scrabble so naturally, I'm in love with this wrapping paper by Fabio Milito. When you're done unwrapping you can jump right into an impromptu battle of word wits.  So cool!

Flowers For Friends

This weekend I had the pleasure of helping one of my girlfriends put together flowers for her wedding, which is this summer in a Japanese garden here in Los Angeles.  Of course this meant we got to visit the Los Angeles Flower Market, which is one of my favorite weekend haunts.  There are literally hundreds of vendors there, with shops specializing in everything from rare and exotic flowers to basic floral supplies.  A little slice of floral heaven!

Here's a taste of what I experimented with...

Pink cymbidium orchids with a handful of river rocks
and a few floating candles to top it off.

Three vases of varying size with tea lights
to add a touch of romance!

Mini calla lilies in multiple shades of purple create
an elegant, dramatic look.

Basic white calla boutonniere sans any accoutrements.

P.S. Stay tuned for an additional post this week highlighting A Desire To Inspire's first do-it-yourself  floral project.  It's quick and easy to create and serves as an adorable centerpiece for a summer barbecue!

iPhone Fashions

Spring is here and I suddenly have an inexplicable urge to do two things:  give my closet a massive cleaning and then update the wardrobe a little.

Well, it's been a few weeks since I first experienced said urge and I have neither cleaned out the closets nor updated my wardrobe.  BUT, I have had time to look online for a new iPhone cover, which doesn't solve the problem, but it's certainly been creatively inspiring so we'll call it a half-win.  

I had no idea there was so much out there in the way of covers - from natural to downright obnoxious, it seems there's something for everyone when it comes to decorating your phone.  

With so many choices, it's hard to decide what to go with!

Just in time for Easter!

A clever iPhone disguise

For the diva in you

Jump on the Angry Birds bandwagon!

A blast from the past

Correcting Political Correctness

I don't like getting too political here on the blog, as I find it often leads to debates.  Not that there's anything wrong with debating, but I've found it can quickly turn into a battle of convincing versus actual debating and that's not why I created this space.

That being said, I felt I had to share this little tidbit of news from my hometown, Seattle.  Apparently, Easter eggs can no longer be called such in public schools or in parks, as the word Easter implies a religious affiliation and I guess that's a big fat "no no" these days.  Thus, Easter eggs are now being referred to as "spring spheres," which in my opinion, sounds utterly ridiculous.  To me, that phrase implies a pagan affiliation, which is no more politically correct than a religious affiliation.

If you have a chance to read the article, I highly recommend it.  The saving grace (pun intended?) comes toward the end, when political correctness is put aside and children call out these little spheres of spring for what they really are - the answer just may surprise you.

When Cat Meets Dolphin

This video has two of my favorite things - dolphins and kitty cats.  Put them together in the same place and it's a recipe for cuteness overload!

Fun With Flowers & Fruits

This Saturday I'll be embarking on a flower adventure with my friend April.  She's getting married this summer and has asked for my input with her floral arrangements.  So far it seems we'll be sticking to an Asian garden theme and I couldn't be more excited!  (Think: orchids, river rocks and plenty of candles to set the mood.)

So I've been online this week looking at vases for her event and I've noticed a growing trend with using fruits as filler for centerpieces versus using leaves (or omitting filler all together).  I love the idea of mixing colorful floral palettes with complimentary edible pieces like lemons, limes, oranges or apples. If time permits this weekend, I may give one of these a try.

Cute idea for a baby shower or any other
girly type of event. 

This small arrangement is reminiscent of sunny, summer picnics.

Hydrangeas and limes - simple, elegant. 

A small arrangement like this doesn't cost much
to  make and it sure looks cute!

Apples, feathers, roses and daisies - a very dramatic
combination!

The Littlest Music Man

Since I missed out on posting yesterday, I'm making up for lost time with extra posts today!   Let's start with a fun video clip, shall we?   I received this from a family member over the weekend and finally had time to watch it last night.  It's obvious this kid has a future in music  -  what an energetic little guy!

A Cell Phone Symphony

This is the most artful presentation for a cell phone that I've ever seen.

I wonder how many takes it took for them to get all the footage they needed?

Long Live Candy Lovers!

This is the most exciting news I've heard in a while:  a study published in The Daily Mail today says that candy is not harmful for your health!

Granted, this is true only if the candy is consumed in moderation, and one could argue that anything consumed in moderation isn't bad for you (like fast food, alcohol, etc.).  Even fishier is the fact that this candy study was conducted by the National Confectioners Association.   Hello, conflict of interest!

But I'm willing to put all of that aside if it means I can still have my occasional bag of Sour Patch Kids or scoop of Ben & Jerry's.  Mm, mm, mm..... sugar!

A Perfect Cupcake Pairing

What better way to show off hours of concentrated cupcake work in the kitchen than with a miniature stand?

This cupcake stand by Modern Moments Designs is super easy to make and won't break the bank!  It's a brilliant idea and works perfectly for birthdays, baby showers and/or any event where little sweet treats are worthy of extra attention.

Since this stand pretty much assembles as a blank slate, you can customize it to fit your preferred design palette.  How cute!

Coat Rack Redo

Couturier Mommy has this fantastic idea for sprucing up a kids coat rack.  Just drill a few holes and add pinwheels!  There unfortunately isn't a Hobby Lobby in Los Angeles, which is where the pinwheels were purchased, but I'm sure Michael's would carry something like this.

Sunday Brunch with Hipcooks

This weekend the hubby (Mike) and I tried a cooking class through Hipcooks.  If you live in the Seattle, Portland or Los Angeles areas, they have schools in all three locations.  Take a class, you won't regret it!

What was particularly great about the class we took is that we learned not only how to bake delicious, yummy breakfast foods, but we also learned basic kitchen techniques:  how to boil fruits to help ripen them (yes, I said boil!), how to properly cut various vegetables and meats and of course, how to incorporate wine as a base in cooking sauces.

I have the recipes handy for most of the things we made and can't wait to try preparing them again the next time we have company over.  Cooking can be so much fun!

Mandy (our lovely host) prepares our cooking stations.

The vegetables and herbs we chopped for our frittata.

Leek and goat cheese tarts.  Our new favorite!

Gluten-free orange almond cake with mascarpone frosting and orange slices.

The artsy light fixture they hung over the dining table. 

Monday Morning Fun

It's Monday and I'm just not excited to start the week... back to work already?  Hmph!  Okay, fine.  But only after watching this video of a dog playing snakes and ladders against a little girl.  Because it's so cute!

April Fool's Cupcakes

FamilyFun.go.com has this recipe for April Fool's Day cupcakes.  You see, they're not your average cupcakes.  These sugarless little beauties are actually made from.... wait for it.... MASHED POTATOES AND MEATLOAF!  Oh, the hilarity!

You will need:

• 1 lb. lean, ground beef
• 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the frosting:

• 3 cups of mashed potatoes
• Food coloring

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 12 muffin tin cups with foil bake cups.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together all of the meatloaf ingredients until well combined.

3. Divide the mixture evenly among the lined cups (liners should be about 3/4 full).  Place the filled muffin tins on cookie sheets and bake the cupcakes for 15 min.

4. Divide the mashed potatoes among three small bowls.  Stir in a few drops of food coloring into each bowl to create yellow, blue and pink pastel "frostings."  Spread a generous dollop on each cupcake and smooth out.

Thank God It's Friday!

If you've never heard of The Oatmeal and your sense of humor leans toward sarcastic (see my earlier post about Coffee & Zombies), you should check it out.  I'm loving their latest little ditty about the weather in Seattle.  Sure, it may rain there more than anywhere else in the world, but it makes a sunny day all the more enjoyable...or bittersweet!

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