about that sewing machine...

Okay when I said I wanted a sewing machine I definitely wasn't kidding.  And on that note, let me introduce you to the new fabric in my life:

So here's how this all came about.  Step 1: Allison sees coffee table ottomans and becomes semi-obsessed.  Step 2: Allison finds coffee table on Craigslist and convinces Will it will fit in his car.  Will holds back anger when the coffee table didn't fit in his trunk, and then shakes his head in annoyance/awe when it fits in the backseat of his car - with max 2 inches to spare.  Step 3: Allison innocently looks up fabric on Fabric.com just to you know, see what's out there.  Step 4: Sale on Fabric.com?!  Oh my gosh!  Step 5:  Allison (and Will) agree on 4 fabrics they like (coffee table and pillows) and next thing you know, fabric is ordered and arrives at the house.  Crazy, isn't it?

Navy burlap will be the color for the coffee table.  Originally I wanted a pattern and something light colored but then I remembered a) a tray for spillable drinks and b) feet, and realized that my favorite color navy would be perfect.  Then I saw that chevron, and those dandelions, and that taupe and gray pattern with great texture.  Now I'm not saying I'll use all fabrics for living room pillows (after all, they'll need a sofa to sit on, preferably one covered with fabric), but I am thrilled to have so many options that I love.

And one day I will be thrilled to turn them into something more than folded up fabric.

Fabrics clockwise from left: Premier Prints ZigZag, Premier Prints Chipper Texture, Burlap, Premier Prints Dandelion

Side note: This is the first time I realized the 3 patterns I picked are all the same brand.  I guess I just found a go-to brand, huh?

courtney!

Oh my goodness yall.  November 12 cannot come soon enough because this girl is coming to visit.

FYI: this photo is not meant to be artsy.  If you can't tell or weren't there, Courtney was driving my car because she's a very good DD.  Just felt like I needed to clarify that.

So moving on, I'm super excited because she is awesome, the bomb dot com, and all that jazz.  I received a card in the mail today and although I would love to just scan the whole thing and throw it on here, I won't (because I really like snail mail and I want people to keep sending it to me).  But here's a few key points from her list of "things we need to talk about:"

- How old is too old to have babies? (ahem, Celine Dion)

- Will

- Substitutes for coffee

- "Leatherette" pants

- Starting a band

I love her for her randomness, her incredibly hilarious text messages, her ability to turn a simple story into something great, and for her usual happy outlook on life - even when things aren't going her way.

                                                   

I can't wait to hang out with you, watch Elf on Broadway with you, shop with you, and laugh all the freaking time with you. See you soon!!

PS: not kidding, she was so focused on the road even while I forced her to keep taking pictures.  Just another reason to be thankful for her.

split personality?

So today I was reading my all time favorite blog, Young House Love, when I came upon 4 different "What's my Style" quizzes that they linked too.  This immediately intrigued me because as I've been diving into this whole decorate-and-do-and-fit-and-make-it-yourself world (and by diving into I mean looking at pictures and projects and being insanely jealous of all the people who have the time, means, and houses to do such projects), I've been trying to figure out where I fall on the design spectrum.

Before all this new found design love, I assumed that I would of course gravitate toward traditional dark stained wood on strong pieces and good colors and patterns all over the place.  Now I'm finding myself loving the idea of a white room with white walls and white furniture and seriously decking that place out with some sweet pops of color and accessories.  I'm finding myself actually (gasp) liking the idea of painting furniture and even though that usually means an antiqued white or gray piece, I recently saw a picture of a dry-brushed, antiqued green dresser - and I liked it.  Since the idea of putting paint on a beautiful piece of furniture freaked me out, the idea of doing a two-toned part paint, part stain project was just plain crazy talk.  But then I saw this table, and I now have plans for Will's old coffee table...

Okay but back to the quizzes I took.  Clearly I don't care about what some quiz says, but I was a little disappointed when I got this result:

Well then.  If I had to pick a style at this very instant, I would totally go vintage modern.  But then again, a little mountain lodge sounds pretty nice and cozy too.  In case you're wondering, here's a description of each style:

Vintage Modern
Flea Market anyone? You know you are drawn to modern furniture and interiors, and yet you really don't like a space that feels cold and sterile. And who could blame you? And that's why Vintage Modern is so appealing to you. Though the backdrop of the room, the walls and windows, are many times white or monochromatic, the furniture and accessories have the color, shape and texture to bring the warmth into the space. The great thing about Vintage Modern is ease of mixing different styles in the one space. You can have a new modular sofa mixed with a great pair of chairs that your grandmother purchased in the late 1950's and the new and old work appear as though they were destined for each other. What's great is that even if you don't have time for swap meets and garage sales, so many of the pieces from the mid-century were so great that they have been remade and mimicked year after year.

Cottage Chic
Who says that cottages can't be modern and chic? Who says that they have to be floral and cheesy? Not you! You love the carefree spirit that the cottage interior inspires, but you are also serious about your appreciation for modern art and hip treasures. You love old and new alike, and love to highlight them all to expose the uniqueness of each. What better way to show off these treasures than with a light background?

Mountain Lodge Style
You love nature! And really, how could you not? The more exposed wood (be it in log form or paneling) the better. And having natural stone in your home is a must! Especially at the fireplace, but stone top tables work too. If you could clad all the furniture in wood and stone you would, but splinters aren't fun and stone is cold! So when you need a place to sit (or recline in!), it should be comfortable and warm. Bigger is better when it comes to your favorite chair for watching TV or reading the newspaper. Leather is great (go natural!) (side note from me: for a girl that tries not to eat red meat, leather real leather probably isn't going to happen...), but soft fabrics in warm tones also suit you well.

Update: I just took the quiz again and got a different breakdown, this time consisting of traditional country (say what?), rustic revival, and cottage chic.  I think this time I said don't like and like more than just okay, and different rooms came up, which probably explains the difference.  To look at pretty (and in my rustic revival and vintage modern opinion, some not so pretty), take the quiz here!

All pictures courtesy of Sproost

one day book

So yesterday I spent all day going through my closet and cleaning.  This was no different than how I've spent just about every night/weekend day since we found out we are for sure moving.  I've come up with three projects I want to do, but right now, there just isn't time for it (boo). 

However, all this moving stuff and going through clutter has me thinking all about how I will one day decorate my own place.  And oh my gosh, I can't freaking wait.

First of all, I want a creative mirror.  Perhaps this one?

CB2 spoke mirror

Since I get bored easily, I also want easily changable wall art.  These 2 are perfect examples!

Postcard shelves                                                                                  CB2 Abacus

And finally, I want storage galore.  I want wicker/straw baskets and boxes.  I want storage ottomans.  I want built-ins and hooks.  Basically, I finally want a place for everything so I can cut down on clutter and always put things in their place.  Will gave me a big hug when I told him this.

One day, this will be.  But until then, I will simply store these images in a book of ideas and dreams - a one day book.  In the mean time, I intend to take a wooden urn-looking lamp and turn it into a silver antique looking lamp (seriously), make 2 very fun vases with old bottles and jars, and make some picture displays involving wood and paint samples.  It's going to be so much fun!

black bean patties!

Kristen (who from here on out will be referred to as KK) sent me this recipe for "clean" black bean patties back in September when I was finally serious about not only working out regularly, but actually eating better too.  I loved the idea of it, but set it aside.  Well, after a recent setback of not working out for a week and a half and not eating so well, I figured it was high time to whip these babies up.  One other contributing factor: since the fridge in our house hasn't been working so well and things keep going spoiling, I thought these would be perfect because they can't really go bad in just a couple days!

source

They turned out great!  And at only 178 calories, 9g of fat, and 7g of protein, I will definitely be making these again.  I did learn a couple things though:

1)  The recipe calls for a carrot and I didn't buy any because I knew my roommate had carrots in the fridge.  Turns out he threw those carrots out the night before I went grocery shopping for these babies.  Womp womp.

2)  I learned that celery salt and celery leaves are not interchangeable in terms of how much flavor the 2 ingredients add.

3)  I didn't expect the patties to spread as much as the did, so next time I will build them up instead of building them out.  My roommate Jon seriously thought they were big yummy cookies when he first saw them.

4)  The recipe tells you to put parchment paper did, but I only had wax paper on hand so that's what I did.  Next time I'll remember to spray the paper with cooking spray because my patties stuck.  No biggie.

And just because I know KK would add this if she could:  don't worry that they look like cow patties, they taste great!

Check out the recipe from Tosca Rena's Eat Clean Cookbook!  PS: I've had them 3 times now and each time I've just eaten them sandwich-style with some light style soft wheat bead, but they could be dressed up lots of ways. Oh, and I split the recipe in half because it claims it makes 10 servings and considering I was the only person eating these (Will actually ran away from them when I was cooking), I thought 10 was just a little overkill.

too close for comfort

And I thought my stress level had hit it's max. 

Good gracious.

updates part III

I promise that I don't sit around all day and dream about what I want for Christmas.  Seriously.  But when you're stressed because you unexpectedly have to move in 3 short weeks, you pack a lot, go through a lot, clean a lot, and realize all the fun projects you've desperately been wanting to do are simply going to have to wait, you try to occupy your mind with other things.  And that leads me to a few necessary updates to my Christmas list.*

Say hello aka goodbye to the crossed off items:

Anthropologie Wire Hook

Jessica Simpson Infinity Scarf

Uggs

See I don't need that hook anymore because I am going to make my own fun key/hat/jacket hook thing with hooks and knobs I bought on super sale and an old kitchen cabinet door.  I also don't need the infinity scarf because as I mentioned before, I hope to make my own!  And although I love the idea of my feet being warm and comfy, I'm really having a hard time imagining myself actually wearing - and liking - Uggs.  Since they are a very pricey item, I definitely don't want to be wishy-washy.

I also added the sewing machine (so I can make all those scarves of course) and told my Dad that he is more than welcome to surprise me with any power tools he sees fit.  Two years ago when I told him I wanted a tool box for Christmas he had as much fun putting one together as I did receiving it, so I'm sure anything he adds to my collection this year will be perfect. 

Oh and ps: I've already come up with at least 3 presents for others - no worries :)

*I say necessary updates because 2 people I know cough cough Will and my dad are reading this and taking notes.