Brini Maxwell - Living Graciously

04-07 Size Matters - Valentines Day Excess in Floral Arranging

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:58:00 +0000

Hi people! This week we have another archival episode for you. This segment is from the first season of the original show. My guest Shonda Lear shows us how to make a statement with floral arranging. Her arrangement is quite remarkable and pleases Mary Ellen no end, for unexpected reasons – or perhaps those reasons should have been obvious to me – watch and see. Shonda is the brainchild of David Mandel, whose company The Show Must Go On creates fanciful jewelry and objet d’art.

I’m so happy to kick off the film discussion feature of this blog, inspired by Netflix. Our first film is one of my favorites – What’s Up Doc. If you haven’t seen it, you’re in for a treat. Inspired by the screw ball comedies of the 30’s, Peter Bogdanovich’s 1972 film features Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neil and has the distinction of being Madeline Kahn’s first film. I highly recommend it. Add it to your Netflix queue and screen it, then post your comments here. If you haven’t joined Netflix yet, you’re missing out on a delightful diversion and a great value. Click here to join and support the podcast at the same time! Our next film will be announced with our next episode in around two weeks.

That’s all this time!

02-11 Give a Little Head for Valentines Day

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Hello people! Love is in the air - It's almost St. Valentines Day and I have some ideas for you. This week on the show I'm demonstrating a charming craft project - Topiary Heads! They make delightful gifts for your valentine and are such fun to put together. Here's how:

You'll need:

A paper mache flour pot

Plaster of Paris

An 8" diameter Styrofoam ball

Raffia in black or brown

An 18" wooden dowel

Pink tint floral spray

Craft paint in brown, red or pink and blue or violet

Ribbon in pink and red

Red and white heart shaped paper doilies

Red metallic poster board

Pink poster board

Artificial flowers

Pink or white netting or tulle

Floral wire

Tiny red pompons

A glue gun and glue sticks

Scotch tape

Wire cutters

A paint brush

Scissors

White glue

Start by setting the dowel in the bottom of the flour pot so it stands upright with the plaster of Paris. Then you can create the head. Give the ball a light dusting of the floral spray, concentrating it a little more where you want the cheeks to be. Paint a face on the Styrofoam ball using the craft paint, then use the raffia to create an attractive hairstyle, pinning it to the ball using the floral wire. Use the ribbon to tie the hair into pony or pig tails, or as an attractive headband. Mount the head on the dowel. Next, create a bow for the neck by gathering up a length of tulle and holding it together with a length of floral wire. Leave the tails of the wire sticking up. Attach an artificial rose to the bow with wire or hot glue. Then insert the tails of wire up into the base of the ball to mount your bow at her neck. Now it's time to create the hat. Cut a large heart out of the metallic paper board. The heart should be larger than either of the doilies. Next create a truncated cone of pink paper board. Cut half inch deep tabs into the top edge of the cone and fold them down to create a surface to glue your heart to. Mount the heart on the cone and, once dry, you can glue your doilies, one on top of the other, down to the red heart. Mount a pouf of tulle with an artificial flower on top of the doilies using floral wire through all layers and leave the tails. Use the tails to mount the hat on the head by inserting them into the Styrofoam.

Trim the dowel by winding ribbon around it spirally from top to bottom. Tape it to the dowel to secure it in place. Your finishing touch is to fill the flower pot with tulle and stud the tulle with the pompons using your hot glue gun. Congratulations! Your Valentines Day gift is complete!

This week on my NPR podcast I'm discussing the perfect Valentines Day meal - A picnic on your living room floor! It's such a delightful way to celebrate with your valentine. Be sure and listen.

If you haven't signed up for my mailing list yet consider joining now. Each week, in addition to getting information about my shows, I feature editorial content that you can't get anywhere else. This week I'm featuring my recipe for brownie cookies. They're delightful cut into heart shapes and frosted with pink icing!

That's all for this week. Be sure and join me next time!

Creative Decorating the Craigslist Way - Treasures for Tuppence

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:14:00 +0000

Hi people! Sorry for the long silence. I've been so busy helping Ben launch The Obscurity Factor that I haven't had a lot of time to post. I've also been doing a lot of Craigslist shopping lately. It's been a very fruitful period of acquisitions from the site. I've been shopping for my apartment and my mother's place. The results have been quite impressive.

The time has come to set up my dining room. I've become convinced that the big, beautiful Windsor chairs I wanted to use are just too large for my apartment, so I've banished them in favor of these little ballroom chairs. They're ubiquitous at weddings and the like, but are rarely used in the home. I plan to give them a makeover to resemble the hutch they're posed in front of - ivory base coat and green detailing with aged affectations. I got quite a bargain on these. They came from two different sellers, but were only $10 a piece.

Now most of you know how much I love to entertain, so a good bar cabinet is a must. I spent some time looking for one and came across this from the 1970's. It has a caned front and plenty of room for libations and their accouterments.

It also has a flip up top with a bin for your bottles and a laminate work surface with an inset ice bucket. Very chic! This one was $100.

My mother recently moved into a new apartment and is gradually replacing old pieces with new. The apartment is much more modern than their last place so I've been helping her find pieces that harmonize. I came across this dresser was lucky enough to snag it for her. She's so pleased with it and it makes quite the statement in the bedroom! The body of it is walnut, but the facade is actually molded plastic. It's really beautifully done and very solid. You can't tell even examining it closely or touching it. This was also a bargain at $500.

Finding deals on Craigslist is time consuming, but it can be done.

- Keep your search terms broad but narrow down the search platform - for example, say you're looking for a vintage refrigerator, search for the term "vintage" only in appliances. That will weed out all the non-vintage refrigerators, but will not weed out the listing with "fridge" or refrigerator misspelled in them. If you're searching for vintage also use the term "retro".

- You have to make it a mission. I search for the items I need every night and email or call the ones I like right away.

- Persistence is the key. Sometimes the sellers aren't that motivated, so you may need to email them several times.

- It really helps to have a car. If you can look at the item and take it away the same day you can usually strike a deal. I enlist the help of friends and family. You can also join one of those rental companies like Zipcar.

- Don't be shy about bargaining, but do it in person. If you have the ready cash the seller is usually willing to give a little - a bird in the hand...

Your results will depend on the market you live in, of course, but I've done some regional searches and found that there are interesting pieces to be had in small markets as well as large. The key is to keep looking.

Here are some of the great Craigslist items that are up right now in the New York area:

This looks like an Adrian Pearsall couch. (Thanks to Pam at RetroRenovation.com for the heads up on Pearsall)

This all-in-one kitchenette is really unique. It's the perfect solution for loft living or for an office that doesn't have a kitchen.

These great Geneva metal cabinets are also up for grabs here in NY. The price is good too.

When you're on a budget, or just looking for something unusual, Craigslist can offer great opportunities. I've also been so delighted with the pleasant human interactions the transactions sometimes provide.

What have you found on Craigslist?

Drown the Dirt Doldrums - Lick Limescale where it Lives

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:53:00 +0000

Dingy glassware, dull aluminum, scummy bathtubs... These things are homemaking nightmares that can depress even the most cheerful Suzy Sunshine. Banish their gloomy clouds of dirt and limescale with a simple solution made from common household ingredients!

I had a few things to clean up, so I put them all in plastic bin and filled it with a solution of hot tap water, half a bottle of white vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of cream of tarter. I let the bin sit until the water had cooled to room temperature, then pulled the items out and washed them with dish soap and a nylon scrubbie and all the offending detritus just rinsed away.

It's the perfect solution for aluminum, which can't be cleaned with ammonia because it pits. While it won't remove burnishing, it will eat through all that accumulated, dulling residue.

Crystal vases, when used regularly, can develop limescale and hard to remove bits of plant matter that cloud their clarity. This treatment will soak through all that unpleasantness and leave a crystal clear shine.

This method also works on bathtubs and other plumbing fixtures. Just fill the tub with hot water, pour in a bottle of white vinegar and some cream of tarter and let sit over night. The next morning all that hard to remove scunge will just wipe away! My friend Mike from California, who's more of a clean freak than I am suggested this to me. It's especially effective on fiberglas tubs which can't be scrubbed with abrasives. Give it a try!

Ready for Spring - You're Own Little Flower Box

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:47:00 +0000

Vintage craft magazines can be such great sources of inspiration! McCall's Needlework and Crafts magazine from 1967 is the source for this charming little project.

It's a trinket box, but what I like about it is the technique can be adapted to so many materials end uses. The suggest you use felt for the flowers and leaves, but you could also use different types and colors of paper, fabric, leather or even rolled fondant! Here's the template for the flowers:

Just right click, or command click on the image above and choose save to download them for your own use. You can resize them as needed in photo editing software.

I did a needlework project based in part on this idea. Instead of glue I used french knots to embroider the felt flowers to the surface. Here's the end result:

What would you do with this idea?

Blitzed for Blitzen - Holiday Cheer in the Form of Rum

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:15:00 +0000

'Tis the season to get snockered! When it's cold, and I'm in the market for a good snockering I like it to come with butter.

Here's a wonderful recipe for a hot buttered rum toddy from the Esquire Party Book from 1965. It's one of my go-to books for celebratory fare.

"For each drink you'll need:

3/4 Tbs. brown sugar
1 1/2 ounce rum
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon butter
4 oz boiling water
Ground cinnamon
Sugar cube

Into a six ounce mug put the sugar, rum and cloves. Spoon the butter into the mug and pour over it the 4 oz of boiling water. Stir the batter thoroughly with the cinnamon stick and dust with ground cinnamon. For a special touch, try a sugar cube dipped in 151 proof rum, lighted and dropped in at the height of burning with the incantation of Yo-ho-ho!"

Now if you'd like a stronger drink you can vary the ratio of water to rum slightly, but don't eliminate the water all together! 6 oz of rum can leave you wondering where you left your pants.

All my best wishes for a happy holiday!

Brini's Brownies - Peppermint Bark Edition!

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 17:24:00 +0000

Ever since I was given the gift of a box of peppermint bark years ago I've been obsessed with it. So much so, that I devised a recipe for peppermint bark brownies that I make every holiday season.

They a delightfully decadent treat that always brings raves. Here's how to make them:

Just like my coconut brownies, this is one of those clever recipes that uses a mix as its base. I use the same mix - Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge. It's the perfect foil for the peppermint.

You'll need:

1 Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge brownie mix

1/3 cup of oil

1/3 cup of peppermint schnapps

1 egg

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Buttercream icing

4 peppermint candy canes

Begin by greasing the bottom only of a brownie pan. Then put your candy canes in a plastic zip-lock bag and break them up until they're the size pictured below. The initial breaking can be done by whacking the bag against the counter. After that larger pieces can be broken up by hitting them with the back edge of a table knife.

Set them aside and place the brownie mix, oil, schnapps, egg and extract in a bowl and mix by hand until combined. Pour the mix in the pan and bake as directed on the box for your pan size. When they're done set them out to cool for a while, then frost them with the icing and sprinkle the peppermint chunks on top.

I like to put them in the refrigerator for a while before cutting them. The icing gets a little stiffer and is easier to cut without smearing.

These make a great impression at any holiday party. Be careful stacking them, however, they tend to lift the peppermint off the ones below them. I always put wax paper between the layers when I put them in a tin as a gift.

Happy Holidays!

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream Part 3 - Resting on a Cloud

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:47:00 +0000

With three previous posts on my sofa bed you might think I'm a trifle obsessed with it - and you'd be right. Here is number 4! The reason for my obsession is that when you live in a studio apartment, it's a very important piece of furniture. It must perform three functions, and they must be performed flawlessly. It's taken some work, but I've now gotten two of the three perfected - comfortable seating and comfortable sleeping. The latter is what I'll address today with a great product that has turned what is normally an unpleasant, lumpy sleep experience into a dream - an Air Dream, in fact

When I was deciding what sort of sleeping situation I wanted in my new apartment I considered a day bed, but was worried about the room looking like a bedroom all the time and a murphy bed, but that would have required some major demolition and construction with the current layout of my place. A sofa bed seemed like the best option to make the place work for entertaining and still provide me a real bed. If Mary could do it, so could I.

My one concern with the whole sofa bed oeuvre was the notoriously uncomfortable sleeping experience. I set out to see if there had been any advances in sofa bed sleep technology and was pleasantly surprised to find the Air Dream mattress. Its air over coil technology easily eliminates the bar across your back that is the hallmark of a sofa bed mechanism. Simply inflate the mattress with the included air pump...

...and it becomes an 11" thick mattress that feels like a regular bed. Here it is dressed out in some of my vintage sheets.

The next morning just flip up the cap on the air chamber and it deflates quickly.

After making sure all the air is out of the ends and corners it folds up like a normal sofa bed mattress.

I had a few concerns before ordering, so I called the company to ask some questions. I spoke with Sean and he was very helpful. I was worried about what to do if there was a power failure. I couldn't inflate the mattress without power. Sean said that I could sleep on the mattress without inflating it, just like sleeping on a regular sofa bed mattress because under the air bladder is a standard flexible coil mattress. My sleep experience wouldn't be as comfortable as with the bladder inflated, but it would do in a pinch. My second question had to do with longevity. This mattress is really designed to be a guest room replacement. I wanted to know how well it would hold up to daily use. Sean told me that as long as I took care of it (making sure the air had all been expelled before folding it up, not letting the bladder get pinched in the mechanism, etc.) it would be just fine - plus, there is a three year warranty on the mattress, air chamber and valve. So I was sold, I ordered it and haven't looked back. It's been a wonderful solution for me.

You can find them on their website. They're a great solution for guests and daily use alike. Just so you know this isn't a biased review, I did pay full price for my mattress, and I do feel that it was worth it.

No more sofa bed posts. I promise! At least not until I address the third important aspect - how it looks, and get it reupholstered...

Alcohol - It's Not Just for Cocktails Anymore

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:30:00 +0000

As most of you know, I can be a bit obsessive. I like things nice and neat. While moving, I removed some beautiful lucite shelves from my old bedroom and found that they had taken some of the paint off the wall with them.

I tried carefully chipping it away with my nail, but it didn't do the trick. If the pieces had been anything other than plastic, I might have used acetone - my go to solvent for removing gunky build up, sticker residue and paint from most surfaces. But acetone dissolves plastic, so I would have had a frosted, marred mess on my hands. I chose rubbing alcohol. It's every bit as good as acetone, and doesn't mar the finish of Lucite, acrylic and other plastics.

It takes a bit of elbow grease, but a touch of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball will remove all sorts of detritus. I had to use several cotton balls, and it was a messy process.

But the results are stunning. Just look how clean and clear that corner is now! If you'd like to try it yourself, here are a few tips: Be sure and test the alcohol on a small, hidden corner to be sure it doesn't mar the finish. Depending on how much paint or build-up you're trying to remove, it may take some time, and patience. Never smoke while doing this - alcohol is flamable. It's so satisfying to see things all nice and clean again!

I've just listed these shelves on eBay. Have a look!

I'll have some holiday posts up soon - I promise!

All Wet - Extolling the Virtues of the Wet Set

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 04:02:00 +0000

My friend Carol and I were talking about hair the other day. I was extolling the virtues of the wet set - an all too rare styling technique, now-a-days. So just the other day, she came by for a girl's day in with her DVD of the 80's miniseries I'll Take Manhattan and I gave her lovely black mane a classic wet set.

It's not difficult to do, but there are a few tricks to making it come out right. You'll need to start with wet, but towel dried hair. Because Carol likes the "That Girl" style, I used mesh rollers in the two largest sizes. They give you body and lift, but not a lot of curl.

The next requirement for a good wet set is setting lotion. Now my hair is very amenable to a wet set, so I usually just use a spray gel. It's easier to find than true setting lotion. That was a bit of a mistake with Carol's set. Her hair didn't respond as well to the gel as I would have liked. It gave us the body, but not the tight curl needed to give her that iconic flip.

One of the tricks to a good wet set has to do with the direction of the set. In order to create the full crown I wanted for Carol I rolled the hair on top of her head over the rollers, not under. That gave me lift. I also over directed the curls, which means that I held the hank of hair away from the scalp at an angle in the direction I intended on rolling it, rather than directly perpendicular to the head.

This allows the roller to work on all the hair in the hank - the hair at the front of the roller doesn't slope up to it, it wraps around.

Once her hair was rolled, it was time to go under the drier. Now you can do a wet set without a drier. Remember all those women in the supermarket with curlers under a scarf? You can, however, dry it more quickly if you use a hard or soft top drier. They can be found on eBay and in thrift shops.

I have a fun 60's drier - it's a Lady Schick, Capri Consolette in two shades of blue and it does a great job of drying your hair with 4 different settings. After you're dry, it easily collapses down for storage. Carol had fun with my vintage magazine collection while sitting under it. It took quite a while. It's important to make sure that the hair is bone dry before removing the rollers or you'll risk undoing all your hard work.

Once she was completely dry we stowed the drier and removed the curlers. Upon combing out her locks I was pleased with the body, but disappointed by the lack of curl. Next time I'll use a firmer setting lotion. I gave the back of the crown a bit of back combing for height, loaned her a pair of earrings, applied some luxurious false lashes and took some glamour shots.

Have any of you tried a wet set? Was it successful? My friend Thanos in Greece has been making quite a name for himself doing hair for fashion shoots. He's promised to do me over on his next trip to New York. I'm sure it will require some time under my hard top drier!

Miss Know-It-All Says Hello!

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:24:00 +0000

Unpacking can certainly be an eye-opener! I'm finding so many things I had forgotten I had - like this charming little dictionary.

Isn't it cute? It was published by Pony Tail in 1959 and was designed for a girl's desk. It has a puffy pink vinyl cover with an illustration of a girl at a desk and is titled Miss Know-It-All. With illustrated definitions of "Goose-step" and "Papoose" it's the studious girl's best friend!

What treasures have you rediscovered in a move?

The Sensuous Kitchen - Exploring the Myra Breckinridge Cookbook

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 16:55:00 +0000

Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge was quite the phenomenon when it was released in 1968. The story of an irresistible transsexual bent on the destruction of the male sex was made into an infamous film in 1970. The same year the film came out Vidal's partner, Howard Austen (along with writing partner, Beverly Pepper) released The Myra Breckinridge Cookbook.

In saucy, salacious passages, it presents recipes that relate to the golden era of Hollywood that so fascinate Myra - and so many of the rest of us. Accompanying the recipes are reproductions of film stills and promotional photographs of stars ranging from George Raft to Joan Collins. Here's one of Eddie Cantor "Glorifying the American Doughnut" in heels and a frock.

The photographs are such a delight because so many of them are obscure images from obscure films or otherwise unseen pictures of well known films and stars. Of course, what Myra is known for is her overtly sexual edge and that's on full display in this volume. The chapter devoted to her favorite recipes is a collection of double entendre puns that would make a sailor blush - Baked Hare Pie with Dill Dough Crust, Cod Pieces, Bearded Oysters...

The recipes are, for the most part, traditional fare with some novelty dishes thrown in for good measure. I'm especially taken with the Camembert Cheese Balls from the Cheesecake chapter (a counterpart to the previous Beefcake, chapter).

You'll need:

1/2 Camembert cheese
1 large block cream cheese
2 Tbs. creamed butter
2 1/4 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. rick flour
1 cup milk
Salt
Cayenne pepper
1 egg, beaten
Bread crumbs

Rub cheese through a strainer. Add butter, flour, rice flour, milk, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir over low heat until thick. Pour onto a plate to cool. Form into small balls. Roll in flour. Brush with beaten egg. Roll in crumbs. Fry in deep fat until golden brown.

Doesn't that sound tasty?

The Myra Breckinridge cookbook can be found on Amazon.com and eBay. If you're lucky you'll run across a copy at a thrift shop or garage sale. It's a fun addition to your cookbook collection and a great gift for the film lover with a sense of camp. If you have it and have made any of the recipes, how did they turn out?

Knit Picking - Collecting and Wearing Vintage Knitwear

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 22:32:00 +0000

I've become sort of focused on dress knitwear from the 60's lately. It was a huge part of the fashion business in the 50's and 60's, with chic women wearing knit suits and dresses as an alternative to more restrictive woven garments. But far from the relaxed casual dressing of today, these knits were delightfully dressy and totally coordinated. I've been collecting a few for myself and also have a few for sale on eBay right now. This is one that I'll be keeping.

Isn't it charming? I love how the double breasted detail appears to be a jabot at the neck and is reflected in the pleat detail in the skirt. I plan to wear it with black patent shoes.

This one is a Butte Knit. They were an extremely popular knitwear company in the 60's and 70's. Almost every woman owned a Butte Knit outfit of some description. This one is from the early 80's. I love the chemise cut and electric blue color. The details are nice as well - self bound button holes!

The Italians were particularly adept at knits. They made some extremely beautiful suits and dresses. This is one of them. Instead of being wool, it's a linen/acetate blend. I love the little double breasted vest with the hip belt. It's such a 60's mod detail.

This one is the piece de resistance. I've had it for several years and have worn it a few times. It's also an Italian knit - very fine gauge wool and trimmed with genuine polished branch coral. I was really floored when I found this set. It's so unusual! Look at how lush the coral is. Have a look at the listing for some more pictures.

This piece has some really beautiful hand sewn couture details. It's such a beautiful outfit.

Knitwear is a fun category to collect. Things to look out for are moth holes - they tend to be more prominent on knitwear than wovens and felting under the arms. Stains and spots can be carefully spot treated with resolve carpet cleaner applied sparingly with the blunt end of a flat toothpick before dry-cleaning and hanger marks on shoulders can usually be steamed out with an iron - especially if the garment is wool. With care, vintage knitwear can be around for several more generations!

I have a few more knitwear pieces up for auction right now, among other things. Have a look!

Ceramic Isn't Just For Dishes Anymore - Textured Ceramic Buttons

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 19:29:00 +0000

Sometimes when companies give you product they want to promote, the product is really not to your liking. This wasn't the case for me when I stopped by the Blumenthal Lansing booth at the CHA show last January. I admired their line of ceramic buttons and lo, and behold they sent me some! I thought I'd share them with you.

I think they look particularly sophisticated. They have different patterns embossed on the surface and are glazed in different colors. I was especially enchanted by these three. I love the 70's mod quality they have. They're very Jonathan Adler, aren't they? The herringbone pattern is especially chic. I'm going to use them on a coat I think. The size and scale of them are perfect for that. To see the other styles, or if you'd like to use them in a project they can be found at Fabric.com. What would you use them for?

The Apple - Symbol of Fall

Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Yesterday was my yearly apple picking trip to Warwick, New York's Och's Orchards with my mother.

It was a rainy one, but beautiful, none-the-less. The hills were misty and the apples were crisp. It reminded me of one of my favorite videos. It's our Strudel video from a few years ago. We shot lots of beautiful footage on that trip. Here it is again. Have a look!

Gowns of the Past - My History as a Couturier

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 16:28:00 +0000

When I was younger, I used to go to a formal affair every year. This was also around the time I was in school studying fashion design, so I would make a new dress for myself for the events. Now that I'm doing a grand purge of all my belongings I've come across all those dresses again and have decided to get rid of them. Some of them were really beautiful and I thought I'd share them with you here. The descriptions link to individual listings for the items with more photos - some of them are of me as a tender young thing... Be sure and click through!

This one of the first ones I made. It's white silk taffeta and it's trimmed at the bust and back waist with artificial flowers of every color and description.

This one is a big wedding cake of a dress. The bodice is pastel plaid silk taffeta and the skirt is a huge 6 layers of different colored pink netting and tulle. It was not easy to maneuver in, but was stunning to look at!

This one is quite dramatic. It was made as an homage to Charles James, who I was quite taken with at the time. It's made of red silk taffeta and features a midnight blue tulle skirt. I love the asymmetrical bodice and taffeta drape at the waist. It's trimmed with rich red roses.

This one was made from a vintage 1960's pattern and features a bell shaped silhouette. It's made of a really lovely pink and gold lamé fabric with a floral print - lots of metal in that lame, it's very heavy.

This one, though not a gown, was my final project at FIT. It's a wedding suit with very curvy 50's styling to the waist and hips. The top of the jacket stands away from the body and is filled in with peach and pale yellow roses - giving the effect of the bride being the centerpiece of her own bridal bouquet.

I hope this little trip down my memory lane was fun. If you're interested in any of these little numbers they're all available this week on eBay. Have a look!

Faded Faux Finery - Vintage Artificial Flowers

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 23:33:00 +0000

I've always been enchanted by vintage artificial flowers. They have a subtle, faded beauty to them that has a very nostalgic quality.

These beautiful roses are made of cotton tinted pink. They have fuzzy chenille stems! These and the other that I have are called millinery flowers. They're made of paper or fabric, have flexible stems that were wire or bias tubing and were sold in dime stores for use in hat making and other crafts.

I was very lucky to run across a large stash of them years ago at a thrift shop. I snatched them up and stored them away for future use and we found the perfect opportunity for them in the Shower episode of my show.

We used them to create a charming party room for the fictional guest of honor for our shower.

The art department created a nosegays like these...

...to use for trimming the banquet table and decorating gifts.

They also trimmed up some darling decorative umbrella frames I had found at a thrift shop as well to use as a centerpiece.

These lovely little decorative objects can be found on eBay and Etsy. Search for "millinery flowers" and all sorts of options come up. Right after the war they were made in occupied Japan and some of the ones I have still bear that label. They're not outrageously expensive and are perfect for little accents in your craft projects. You can even find them new at floral supply houses, though I don't think they're quite as charming. Do you use artificial flowers in your crafting? If so, how do you use them? I'd love to see some pictures!

Put a Little Spring in your Sleep - Restoring a Sofa Bed

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:09:00 +0000

Don't get me wrong, I love my new vintage sofa bed. The problem with buying a used sleeper sofa is that the bed is frequently pretty uncomfortable. This was the case with mine. The middle of the bed sagged horribly - so much so that I had to be creative about sleeping positions, lest the bar in my back cut me in half. I've started to take steps to rectify that, however. The first one is to replace the springs that hold the mattress deck taut.

The spring on the right is one of the old ones. You can see how stretched out it is. On the left is a new spring, all shiny and ready for service. I found the new springs at Planet Bed. Count the turns in your springs and then find the match in their catalog. Over the years these springs can become sprung, allowing the deck to sag in all the wrong places. Replacing them isn't a complicated procedure. It does take a bit of muscle and some ingenuity, however.

I had intended to use pliers to pull the springs into position. The tension is too much for the pliers, however, and they kept slipping from the grips. I ended up using the sturdy hook on a good quality wooden hanger to pull them tight. The first hanger broke after I was about half done, but the second one survived to finish the job.

So did it help? Yes, indeed! It's revived the bed beautifully, actually. The deck doesn't sag anymore and sleeping in it is much more pleasant. Taking the time and effort to revitalize something old instead of throwing it out and buying something new is a good step to take to combat the disposable nature of our consumer economy. My reasons for doing it really had to do with how the sofa looked, but it's been a lesson in sustainability as well. Why not try and upgrade something you've been thinking of replacing? If you do, I'd love to hear about it.

$25 and a Dream - My New Credenza

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 03:01:00 +0000

Hi people! I've just added a new credenza to my furniture collection. I was very luck to find this for the amazing low, low price of $25 on Craigslist.

Here it is surrounded by yet to be unpacked boxes and furniture that I still need to get rid of. It's lacquered and probably dates back to somewhere between 1975 - 1981, which is perfect for the decorating scheme I'm going for.

I love the drawer handles...

...and door handles. They're rounded rectangles and are beveled in, then lined with a brass plate. Some of the plates have a bit of corrosion on them, but replating them won't be a difficulty if I decide to do it. They're small and shouldn't cost that much.

The base is interesting too. It features an inner block and an outer leg structure that sits below the body of the piece, which gives it the effect of floating above the legs - a lot going on there.

All in all, I'm very pleased with it. There's a boat load of storage in it and it has just the right look to it - modern with just a slight touch of Chinoiserie. So the moral of the story is if you live in a big city and are willing to travel to the hinterlands of it, you can take advantage of some remarkable bargains on Craigslist. I spent a month or so going through the listings for credenzas before I found this one, so it takes patience, but it can pay off. This is also how I found my sofa earlier this year.

What have you found on Craigslist? What are you going to start looking for?

Feminine Hygene & Fabulous Fashion - The Kotex Box of the (Past) Future

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:37:00 +0000

While I was rooting around in storage a few days ago, I ran across this delightful little item

It was a gift from a friend - Cator Sparks. He found it in a general store out in the country somewhere. It had been on the shelf since 1969 when it was new and he just had to have it. I don't blame him, it's quite the deadstock item.

I'm really enamored of the graphics on the box and it's contents just make it all that much better. That the Kimberly Clark corporation thought using space age imagery and avant garde fashion to sell feminine hygene products was a good idea is a real testament to the time. There's so much to talk about here.

This is the main face of the box. The windblown model is wearing such a festive cape. I love the double zipper that allows you to zip it open up to the collar. What makes it absurd, however is the space helmet in the lower right hand corner. I suppose even fashionable lady astronauts need protection at that time of the month.

This is the box top, and I'm loving the sequined hood. Just look at that eye makeup too.

The last image resides on the sides of the box and it's probably my favorite. I love the Whiting and Davis metal mesh dress and head piece and the head set with the antenna on it. Again, the makeup is truly remarkable.

Collecting vintage packaging is quite an interesting hobby. There are so many different styles, periods and eras to collect, and finding an unopened box of something consumable is always such a delight. Things like these can be found on eBay and occasionally at yard sales, and they make such a delightful addition to a retro home.

While you're shopping, check out the Brini Maxwell auctions on eBay. There are lots of fun things up this week, including a big sale section with items starting at $0.99.

Puff Pastry and Poetry - The ABC of Canapes

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 02:35:00 +0000

Hi people! I love party food. So when I received a gift from a fan at my weekly film series I was delighted to find that it was a small vintage cookbook devoted to just that! It's the ABC of Canapes.

It's by Edna Beilenson and features the most delightful illustrations by Ruth McCrea. The artwork accompanies some delightfully silly poems:

Inflate it with air,
Or explode like a bomb;
Add a few fish-eggs
And serve with aplomb!

Exactly what she suggests you inflate with air is never specified.

Join us in the parlor,
To talk or sing or dance;
Lucky is the hostess
Who hustles in advance!

It's funny how meanings change over the years, isn't it?

Here's one of the illustrations with a more reasonable sentiment.

The recipes aren't exactly rocket science, but some of them look tasty. This one for Butterfly Shrimp looks simple and delicious:

You'll need:

1lb fresh shrimp
2 eggs
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp salt

Clean shrimp and slice them halfway down the back, so when laid flat they resemble butterflies. Beat the eggs, salt and corn starch into a smooth batter and dip the shrimp into the batter. Deep fry in fat at 370 degrees until golden brown - about two minutes. Served piping hot on gaily colored toothpicks, they make a stunning hors d'oeuvre.

Paintings Before Painting - Artistic Motivation For My Renovation

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:21:00 +0000

I've needed a pick-me-up for the apartment, what with all the boxes and unfinished renovation projects staring me in the face lately, so I decided to unpack some of my artwork. I didn't realize how much I missed it! It's so nice to see it on the walls, even though nothings finished yet. I thought I'd share the pieces I hung with you.

This is one of the first ones I put up. It's one that was featured on my television show and belonged to my grandparents. It's a Katz acrylic and is a loose representation of a clown. Normally I run screaming from clown paintings, but this one is so abstracted that I really kind of like it.

This is another interesting painting. It's by an artist named Sonnenberg. I've done some research, but have only been able to find one Sonnenberg painter. Her work is different from this piece, but it dates back to 1963, so she could have been doing quite different paintings back then. I like the dark whorling quality of the piece. It sucks you in.

I like this one for it's somewhat morbid, pensive quality. the features of the man are so nicely rendered and the use of color is so beautifully applied - the hint of green reflecting up into the man's face. I love the angular, 1950's quality of the style. There is no signature, so it can't be traced.

This piece is interesting in its use of a heavy impasto texture. The bright red cape of the bull fighter is almost three dimensional. Bull fighting was a somewhat cliche subject for painters in the 60's, but this one has a very nice style to it. It's more unique than most of them. Avery Penn is another artist I haven't been able to find online.

The last one is a print. This also belonged to my grandparents. It's a Camille Graeser. He was a Swiss artist and had a very modernist sensibility. I really like mathematical precision of this piece.

Hanging these pictures has helped me to get motivated to do some of the preparatory work for the contractors. I think it's because of the change of scenery. If you have some projects you've been putting off, why not try shaking things up in your visual world? Hang some pictures, re-arrange some furniture. It can help give you the momentum to make the changes you want to make!

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream Pt. 2 - My New Sofa Bed

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:40:00 +0000

Hi people! Well, I've taken another step toward a completed apartment. I bought a sleeper sofa today.

I found it on Craigslist and it was only $50! I've been scrolling through the sofa bed listings there for a week or two, looking for a vintage sofa that would have the right flavor for the scheme I'm planning. It wasn't easy! Sofas tend to be somewhat perishable, so finding one dating back that far is tricky. I waded through relatively new, and somewhat bland offerings from Crate and Barrel and Jennifer Convertibles, slightly older models from the 80's with lots of over stuffed cushions and button tufting, and leather sectionals with recliners built in. I knew if I kept at it I would find what I needed. Indeed, this little model appeared this week and I was intrigued enough to take a look.

The proportions are very 70's, but it's simple enough to be somewhat timeless, so at first I wasn't sure if it was period or not. The owner had bought it second hand as well, but was under the impression that it had been new in 2004. Further examination proved this to be false, much to my pleasure!

Ball casters always look 70's to me. They were on everything that wasn't nailed down back then. This piece has them on the front, but not the back. This was my first clue that it wasn't new.

The graphics on the mattress clinched it. The space age logo and tag line "Motif - Contemporary as Tomorrow" just screams 1970.

It's upholstered in a mottled faux brown suede, typical of the period and the inside of the frame sports an inventory tag with a swatch of the upholstery stapled to it, and the inventory numbers typed on it with a typewriter, which is further evidence of it's pedigree.

I'm excited to welcome it into my home and will eventually reupholster it to suit my decorating scheme. I'm thinking dark grey with contrast piping. I'm also going to replace the mattress with an Air Dream. It should make sleeping in it almost like sleeping in a real bed!

Time Travel Made Possible - A Trip to New York in 1971

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:07:00 +0000

I live on 23rd Street, across from the Chelsea Hotel. Today, they're shooting a film with the hotel as a backdrop. It's Cinema Verite, due to be released in 2012, about the lives of the Louds - the subject of America's first reality television show in 1971. Lance Loud lived in the Chelsea Hotel, so they're doing a lot of different set ups. It's fascinating to see what they've done to 23rd St!

They're using so much of the street for background and they've redressed the store windows to reflect the period

This one is normally an ink cartridge store. I love the stickers that say they accept Bank Americard and Master Charge

This one is a salon.

I've been having fun photographing the changes, and if you frame the shots just right it looks like you've shot a period photograph. The only giveaway in this shot is the extra holding her iPhone.

The period effect is exaggerated with a little work in photoshop. This photo of extras in front of a bank with a VW in the foreground looks period enough as it is, but remove the color and add a bit of blur and some grain...

...and it's like a news paper image from 1971

Here's another remarkable shot. I took this one from my fire escape during one of their shots. The cars are all period. The only giveaways are the crew members in shorts and the new stroller on the sidewalk. Give it the same treatment and...

...after a bit of a crop you have a 70's film still.

It's been fun to see all the hard work they're putting into this film. I'm looking forward to seeing it. It's a fascinating subject!

Simple and Oh So Tasty - Hal's Chicken Salad

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:44:00 +0000

My good friend Hal is a good cook. One of my favorite recipes of his is his chicken salad. It's a very simple recipe, what makes it so good is the ingredients he uses. He introduced me to this tinned chicken he buys from Cost Co. It comes in 12.5 oz cans and is sold in shrink wrapped sets of 6. It's just delicious!

Now Hal loves to travel and his wanderlust has afforded him the luxury of Micronesian pepper. This is his other secret ingredient for the chicken salad. I don't have that luxury, so I just use fresh ground pepper in mine. Here's his recipe:

You'll need:

Two cans of Kirkland chunk chicken breast
3 Tbs mayonnaise
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt
Salted cashews for garnish

Begin by draining two cans of chicken and putting the chunks in the bowl. Crush the chunks with a fork until they're shredded. Add the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly. Season with the fresh ground pepper and kosher salt. Serve on a plate garnished with a lettuce leaf and sprinkle the salad with salted cashew nuts.

This is a delightful light lunch dish. The cashews give the salad a sparkle and crunch that adds to the flavor nicely. Because the dish is so simple, it's important to make sure that your ingredients are top notch. You can substitute sea salt for kosher salt if you wish, and if you find a source for Micronesian pepper let me know!

Grand Designs in a Tiny Town - Architecture in Owego NY

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Hi people! I spent the weekend visiting my friend Bradford in the tiny little New York town of Owego. It's between Binghamton and Ithaca right off route 17.

Bradford splits his time between New York City and Owego, where he bought this charming little building a few years ago

Now the town may be tiny, but they sure knew how to be grand back around the turn of the last century! There are some amazing houses on the two main streets just outside the business district. I spent some time with Bradford and his friend Jean driving around and photographing them

This is one of my favorites. It's pristine white and the columns and formal plantings give it such an imposing air. Perfect for entertaining! Most of these houses aren't made of wood, they're brick! It really brings to mind old Hollywood.

This is another one that I found to be charming. If you look down the driveway you'll see a two story carriage house. Wouldn't that be a lovely place for an art studio?

This one looks like it's right out of the English country side - one of those foreboding structures that could be a school or the setting of a murder mystery. The stone work around the windows is very interesting.

This is a bit of a departure from the norm for Owego. It's an Arts and Crafts bungalow, which was a much more casual style and very modern for the period. Despite it's casual air, it's quite a grand residence.

If you're in the market, this one is for sale. It's completely redone and quite beautiful inside, I've been told. The asking price? Remarkably, only $300,000!

Bradford is a talented photographer. He was the one who shot the Vertigo series and the Some Like It Hot series for Out Traveler - both featuring yours truly. He helped me take some of the pictures of the houses, and I managed to snag this shot of him. That concrete post to his left is an old hitching post from the days of horses. So much of Owego is preserved so nicely. It's worth a visit if you get up to the area.

There are more new listings up on eBay. I've just listed some more of the wardrobe from the show and there's some great jewelry up now too... Have a look!

Prints for a Pretty Pad - Fabric Choices for my Renovation

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:42:00 +0000

Hi people! I've been going through some of the fabric I set aside for the apartment renovation. I know it's a bit pre-mature to be thinking about fabric before the construction is complete, but it keeps me going... I thought I'd show you some of my favorite possibilities.

This one is very chic - sort of a Roman revival style from the early 60's. I love the rich blue with shades of gray in them. The circles look sort of like coins to me. There isn't enough for upholstery or curtains, but it's perfect for accent pillows, don't you think?

This is one of my favorites. I love the wandering, painterly pattern and the color palate is so sophisticated. The scale of it is enormous as well. The repeat is so large, only two repeats fit on one width of fabric. There's enough of it to do over a small accent chair or hassock too! Expect to see it featured in the new scheme.

Here's a fun pattern that might work in my kitchen. It's a bit bright, and perhaps a bit off message if I use the gray print above in the living room. I like it though. It has that colonial quality that I enjoy so much.

This will probably be my kitchen fabric. I have enough for curtains and accessories like pot holders and appliance covers. I love the old style labels on the simple off white ground. I also love the color palate.

I love vintage prints. They seem so much more unique to me and have an air of affluence to them that can't be matched pricewise by buying new. You can find great vintage prints on eBay and Etsy. It can be hit or miss with yardage, but the more you look the more you'll find and eventually you'll find the quantity you need.

It may be a while before you see me implement these choices. We still have to re-do the kitchen, install the new appliances, put in some built-ins and carpeting, among other things. It'll take some time, but I'm excited about tackling it!

I'm selling still off some of my extraneous belongings to help fund the renovation. Right now you'll find some great jewelry and vintage clothing up on eBay. Have a look!

Mid Century Style Straight From the Source - My Grandparents Glamorous House

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:27:00 +0000

Have you seen HippyKitchen.tumbler.com? I was introduced to it through Twitter last week and browsing through the nostalgic pictures of vintage 60's and 70's kitchens I was reminded of my grandparents house on Westchester Park Drive in Springfield, Ohio. Don't get me wrong, they were anything but hippies - you couldn't get much more establishment than my grandfather. It was just the vintage quality of the photos that brought it to mind. Their house was a big inspiration to me, and I still find myself referring to it when I work on design projects. I pulled together a few photographs of it to share here, and as I unpack and find others I may share them as well.

Here's the living room. They had a long, low wall that divided it into two different conversation areas. One was two steps lower than the other. The wall was covered with an ever growing collection of objet d'art. Notice the Asian symbol on the door. It was a feature throughout the house and coordinated with the symbols set into the poured terrazzo floor. I love the Hollywood regency hardware on the cabinet doors!

Here's another photo of the living room, looking the other way. That's my grandmother, by the way. The two white poles in the background are actually the chimney for a fireplace. It was never used because it smoked up the house. In the background over grandma's shoulder you see an Eames lounger, and to her right, the base of a Saarinen chair - their dining set. That far wall was warmly paneled in wood.

Outside was a terra-cotta tile patio that took up the whole yard. It was surrounded with a low concrete block wall that was plastered and painted to match the terra-cotta. The yard was lit with all sorts of colored flood lights in bullet shaped fixtures. Grandma is standing in front of a sun screen that my mother made panels for. The design she used was one of my drawings of a boy fishing in a stream - why I chose that subject, I have no idea...

Set into the patio was a kidney shaped pool. My grandmother used to swim the breast stroke in it every day, all summer, careful, of course, to keep her hair dry. That's my grandfather on the left. Behind him were three red wood cabanas with corrugated green fiberglass roofs. One was for the filter equipment, one for pool toys and the last was for changing. They had sliding wood doors with primitive style figures of bronze depicting hunting scenes on each one.

I think this is where I got my love of MCM and Hollywood Regency. It was a glamorous house and my grandparents entertained a lot. I still have some of the things from that house, and I was pleased that on a visit to Springfield, when we drove by, it looked like the new owners appreciated the mid-century style of the house.

It's fun to revisit old photos. They can help you detect how you became you! Why not dig into some of your own?

It's all about the 80's this week on the Brini Maxwell auctions. Have a look!

God's Littlest Acre - Window Sill Farming

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 19:06:00 +0000

I've just finished reading The Bucolic Plague, by my friend Josh Kilmer Purcell. It's all about how he and his boyfriend Brent, two confirmed city boys, bought a palatial farm in upstate New York and turned it into a brand. It's a very funny book, and it's gotten me thinking about where my food comes from.

Meanwhile, my parents just left on a weeks vacation to California, and my mother has entrusted me with her potted herb garden. She brought it by a few days ago, and I've been tending to it on my window sill.

Despite the unrenovated windows and window sill, the garden is doing very nicely here! I believe it's even grown some.

She's planted some lovely herbs to use when cooking. They include basil, thyme, rosemary, chives and mint.

Her basil is going great guns! It's the show off of the garden. Just look at how lush it is! I need to trim off the blossoms so it won't go to seed on her.

While not as showy, the thyme and chives both seem happy.

The rosemary is doing well too. Just look at those rich green leaves.

The mint is potted in a separate container. It's a variety with tiny little fuzzy leaves. I have yet to try some in my tea. Maybe this evening.

It's so nice to have these little green friends with me in my apartment. I'm planning my own herb garden for glass shelves I intend to install in my kitchen window when I renovate in there. It's not the wide open spaces of Josh and Brent's farm, but it will be fun to pluck my own fresh herbs for the meals I cook!

Right now I may steal some of mother's basil for a batch of pesto. For those of you that missed it this March, here's my father's recipe:

Pater's Pesto

4 cups fresh basil leaves, neatly compressed

1 cup pine nuts

5 cloves freshly minced garlic

1 cup olive oil

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Begin by combining your basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse a few times to begin combining them. With the processor running, add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Once it's all in, scrape down the sides of the processor and add the cheese and pulse to combine. Salt to taste. Makes about 2 cups.

Be sure and have a look at The Beekman - Brent and Josh's farm. It's a beautiful place. You can also see them on their reality television show on Planet Green on Wednesday nights. It's called The Fabulous Beekman Boys. Tune in, it's a lot of fun!

Before Shabby Chic There Was Carl Larsson

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:47:00 +0000

When I was a child I was given a book called A Home. It featured watercolor paintings by Carl Larsson of daily life at his family home in Sweden at the turn of the last century. Larsson was part of the Arts and Crafts movement. The home depicted in the paintings is a glorious hodge podge of images, colors and textures all rendered in delicate detail. These images have inspired and stuck with me through the years and I find myself referring to them when I have a visual project to do that needs a touch of traditional elegance.

This room is the subject of several of his paintings. Here, his son Pontus, punished for an infraction at the dinner table sits in the beautiful room next to one of those elegant kachelofens I mentioned in an earlier post. Notice the delightful designs featured on the door in the center of the image - the flower appears to grow behind the cross piece dividing the two panels.

Here's another picture of the same room from a different angle. I love how they turned the corners with the long runner carpet. The panels on the walls help define the space so nicely.

Here is Carl and Karin, his wife, after the children have gone to bed seated in the dining room. Notice the other kachelofen in the corner.

These beautiful images are a great source of inspiration for interiors. I suggest picking up a copy of the book for reference. There are several others that are equally as beautiful - A Farm and A Family. All are available on Amazon. If you'd like to find out more about Carl Larsson you can visit his official website and his wikipedia page.

Simple Summer Savory Satisfaction - Chive Butter

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:44:00 +0000

I spent last weekend in the Catskills with friends and made dinner for them on Saturday night. One of the things I made was this simple chive butter recipe.

It's such a delicious treat for a summer lunch or dinner and it's super easy to make.

You'll need:

1 stick of salted butter
Fresh chives
1 tsp lemon juice

Begin by setting the butter out in a medium sized mixing bowl to soften. Cut it up into smaller pieces to hasten the process. Once it's softened up nicely, cut the chives into the bowl.

I find it easier to use a pair of scissors for cutting chives. Then add the lemon juice (if you don't like things quite as tart you can use half a teaspoon) and mix everything together with a fork. Once it's all well combined, remove the butter to a sheet of wax paper.

Using the paper, work the lump of butter back into a stick form. It can be square or round. I chose to make a square stick. The process is a little obscene, but I'm sure some of you will enjoy that. If you're timid, you can put the butter in small ramekins. Put the butter back in the fridge to firm up. Serve with a hearty sour dough bread.

This can also be done with other herbs, and you can substitute cream cheese for butter. I love recipes like this. They add so much to a meal, but are so quick and easy to make. Enjoy!

Trim and Tubing - A Match Made in Heaven

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:36:00 +0000

A few months ago I featured a craft project from Conso Trimming's 1001 Decorating Ideas Magazine. While leafing through another issue I came across this project which is reminiscent of both that project and the Mexican style terry cloth mirror from a few weeks ago. This project has so many possible applications and is such fun to make!

These columns are perfect for framing a window or doorway, but they can also be used as posts for a headboard, table legs or on a smaller scale as accents in a centerpiece or even candle holders! They're made with heavy weight paper tubing - the kind carpets are rolled on. You can usually get the carpet cores from carpet and rug stores, stop by and ask.

Once you've gotten your tubes, test them out for height. If you want them to be a specific length you may have to cut them down to fit. This can be done with a saw. This project is great if you have lots of trims left over from other projects. It doesn't take a lot of trim to encircle the tube. Keep in mind that if you want two tubes that match you need to have twice as much trim. The trimming used in the above picture is all about bright colors, but imagine how beautiful it would be done in monochromatic white or even all black!

Wrap your tubing with the trims and glue them in place with Aileen's Fast Grab Tacky Glue, then stand them up in place and you have an instant statement! As shown in the picture, when put at a window they can dramatically increase the height and add some drama to your architecture. I like the table leg idea also though. If you have a table with 4 ordinary legs just sheath the legs in the trimmed tubing for a festive touch for a Mexican dinner, or for good!

The sale continues on eBay. New listings go up tonight (7/21/10) at 9 eastern! Be sure and have a look!

A Touch of Gold - Regency Accents for the Bathroom

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:16:00 +0000

Hello people! I've been spending these sweltering summer days thinking about the renovations of my apartment and making plans. This week has found me thinking mostly about the bathroom. It's a bit problematic, but I have plans...

A few months ago I found some ornate vintage switch and outlet plates on eBay and they've given me some ideas for how I'd like the bathroom to look.

The charm of Hollywood regency as a style is undeniable. These switch plates have that quality to them. I see the outlet plates used on either side of the medicine cabinet, maybe on a mirrored wall. The switch plate will be perfect for the light switch and the power switch for the jacuzzi tub, should I decide to keep it. While leafing through a vintage home remodeling magazine from 1977 I found an ad for similar fixtures designed specifically for a bathroom.

I like how these fixtures combine white and gold together. I may paint the inner field of the switch plates with white enamel after seeing these.

This sort of ornamental hardware is difficult to find these days. Most of what's out there is has a kind of austerity to it, and the pieces that don't are devoid of any whimsy or irony. Your best bet is to find vintage versions of it if you're aching for a touch of glamour. There are lots of sources for it - eBay, thrift shops, Habitat for Humanity and salvage yards all come to mind. It's these little details that bring a room to life. Time spent hunting them down is definitely rewarded by the finished look of the room. Life is in the details!

I've been busy listing some fun items on eBay. Stop by and have a look at some great vintage clothing featured on my television show for Style!

Out, Out Damn Spot - The Fine Art of Oven Cleaning

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 03:38:00 +0000

This post comes a little late in the day because it's content took longer to create than I expected. I've been slowly cleaning up my new vintage Frigidaire Flair range.

Bit by bit, I've been stripping away the grime to reveal a little gem. Today, I tackled the oven cavity.

Having come from a home that had been rented to multiple tenants (none of whom seemed to have the slightest interest in domestic cleanliness) and, well, being almost 50 years old, it was quite a mess, as you can see - and this was after the initial attempt at cleaning it out with hot water and bleach cleaner, which picked up the majority of the crusty drips and spills.

I have a great way to make cleaning an electric oven quite a bit easier and I was excited to implement it on my new baby. I made sure I had everything I needed for the job on hand before I picked a day to start. This method entails filling a bowl with household ammonia and putting it on the top rack, over a pot of water that has just come off a rolling boil.

You then close the oven door and let it stand over night - or in my case, all afternoon (don't try this method on a gas oven - the fumes are flammable). After about 7 or 8 hours, I opened up the oven to begin the real work. In most cases you can just wipe away the spots and stains with a damp sponge. The ammonia fumes are very good at softening grime. In my case it wasn't quite so easy. I had to resort to a nylon scrubber dipped in the ammonia, mixed with dishwashing detergent and water to remove the baked on splatters of melted hard candy or exploded batch of crystal meth or whatever it was that had so tenaciously adhered itself to the walls and floor of the oven. It took several hours of scrubbing, letting the ammonia mixture sit on the spots, then scrubbing again. In between times I worked on the racks in the sink. I eventually had to put the racks in a black plastic bag, pour undiluted ammonia over them, tie the bag and put it on the fire escape for several hours to soak off the crusty residue. It was quite an afternoon. My back and shoulders are sore - not to mention my hands. And my fingers are dry, even after being sheathed in fetching orange rubber gloves. However, it was worth it. I can now step back and admire a clean oven.

It's not perfect, but it's decidedly better than it was, and, once it's installed, I believe I'll feel comfortable making a roast or my coconut brownies in there now. Next, the stove top!

The sale of items continues! Up on Craigslist, New York are the four Barcelona chairs we used on the set of the show, as well as the French provincial dining room set - yes, it's still available! I'm also getting ready to list some new auction items next week. Look for those in future posts.

Summer Fun With Terry

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:44:00 +0000

No, I don't mean Terry Bradshaw, or Terry Garr, or Tarrytown - This terry is cloth! Something about terry cloth just makes me think of summer. It's a great fabric for easy living and has had it's place in beach and poolside entertaining for many years.

While looking for a project for my post today, I was leafing through a McCall's 1968 You-Do-It Home Decorating magazine and came across some fun terry projects. One of them reminded me of a project we did on my television show - terry cloth pillows!

These pillows from the magazine are made with Pucci washcloths and tea towels and they said you could find them for between $2 and $5. Good luck with that. You can still find fun printed towels at thrift shops and bright solids, which can be found anywhere, can be fun too. The process to make them is super simple. Just stitch them together around all the edges with wrong sides together. If you're feeling ambitious you can make them a little more special by stitching them together with right sides in and putting a velvet welt in the seam as shown above. Leave a 5 - 6" opening at the bottom for stuffing and when stuffed, just stitch the opening up. You can stuff them with polyfill or if you'd like to be frugal, do what we did on the show and use old nylons that have been laundered. The nylons won't rot if they get wet by the pool.

Another charming project is a terry cloth tea cozy.

It's made from two printed washcloths and backed with batting and lightweight cotton. You can use an insulating fabric for more heat retention, if you prefer. Stitch around the pattern for a trapunto effect.

The piece de resistance of these projects from 1968 is the terry cloth covered mirror frame.

This one is a little more complicated. It's made up of 7 different brightly colored wash cloths that have been cut into rectangles and wrapped around a plywood frame. I just love how it looks, don't you?

You'll need:

7 washcloths, each in different bright colors
2 18" square pieces of 3/4" plywood
12 decorative nails with 3/4" heads
8 1 1/4" finishing nails
1 8x8" mirror
12 large head tacks
Aileen's tacky glue
18" of decorative chain to coordinate with your decorative nails
2 3/4" round head wood screws and washers

Draw lines 3" in from the edge of one of the plywood pieces and then cut out the resulting 12" hole. On the second piece draw a line 6" in and cut out the resulting 6" hole. On bottom frame, draw a line 2" in from edges. this designates where the fabric will end. Extend the inner edges of the cuts with lines drawn out to the outer edges of the bottom and top frames. On the top frame, draw lines bisecting the center of each side.

The corners of the bottom frame will take 4" squares of terry. The sides will take 6" squares. Mix and match your colors for a pleasing effect. It's best to plan the arrangement out in advance to avoid having colors overlap between the top and bottom frames. Cut the squares of terry out carefully making sure the edges are straight. The fabric is too thick to seam in place, so the raw edges will be exposed. Using the tacky glue, glue down the corners on the bottom frame first, following the guide lines you drew on the wood. Then move on to the edge pieces and carefully glue them down and wrap the edges around to the back of the frame. Set the bottom frame aside to dry and move on to the top frame. The corners of the top frame will be 6" squares, the edges of the bottom frame will be 6x8" pieces. Repeat the process of glueing the pieces down to the face of the frame, but only wrap the fabric around the inner opening edges, don't wrap the fabric around to the back on the outer edge.

After your glued frames have dried completely you can connect the two with the finishing nails. Nail the frames together in the four inside corners and on the seam lines between the fabrics along the edges. Keep the nails close to the edge. Turn the frames over and carefully wrap the loose edges of the top fabric around both layers of plywood and glue them in place. After they dry you can attach the decorative nails to the front at each inner seam edge covering the finishing nails used to hold the frames together. Place the mirror over the opening in the back and hold it in place with the large head tacks. The last step is to attach the chain using the round head screws and washers. Screw it into the back corners and hang your mirror!

Vicky Howell had a fun terry cloth project on her blog recently. Have a look at that one too!

Fun with Yarn - Tassels and Pompons

Sat, 26 Jun 2010 00:48:00 +0000

My trip to Denver was very successful! Over a hundred people had a wonderful time making tassels and pompons at the Denver Public Library. I think what's fun about the projects are they're easy to make and you see results so quickly. For those of you who weren't able to join us for the event in Denver, here's a short tutorial on how to make pompons.

Your first step is to choose a yarn that has some loft to it. The ball or cone should feel spongy or springy to the touch and have some give to it. Then you're going to choose something to wrap the yarn around. I chose a mini-DV tape box. The larger form you use, the more yarn you'll need to make the pompon fluffy. Wrap the form with the yarn until you have a nice bulky hank on it.

Next, slide the hank off the form and tie it tightly around the middle so you have loops on both side of the tie. It's important to use a strong yarn or string for tying your pompon. It has to be tied tightly and it puts a lot of pressure on the yarn.

Once it's tied, cut the loops on both sides

And fluff out the pompon

It's going to look sort of lop-sided initially, so you'll need to give it a haircut to even it out. It makes a bit of a mess, so it's best to cut it over a plate or tray. Leave the tails from the tie on it to attach to your project.

My friend Marisa Pawelko is putting together an event for the Craft and Hobby Association summer trade show, CHA, to raise awareness of the delicate balance of the worlds oceans and has asked me to help by making two projects for it - one for the home and one to wear. Inspired by the pompon my friend Trish wore in her hair at the Denver event, I decided to make a pompon headband for the latter

...and a key tassel for the former.

If you'd like to learn how to make tassels have a look at my video on the subject from several years ago.

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream - Comfort in Sofa Beds

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:03:00 +0000

In my search for something to sleep on for my new apartment I've come across some interesting options. The apartment is a nice sized studio, so what I decide on will have to do double duty. I've pretty much settled on a sofa bed. I like the fact that it tucks away without a hint of it's dual purpose and I'm particularly fond of following in the footsteps of Mary Richards (thanks to Julia at HookedOnHouses.net for the photo)

I have some concerns, however. Sofa beds are notoriously uncomfortable. I've slept on my share of them to know the rumors are true, so I went in search of some options. I knew that the sofa bed manufacturers would have plenty of solutions aimed at making them more comfortable, and I was pleasantly surprised!

My first stop was Carlyle. They're a local New York/New Jersey brand known for their quality furniture. I spoke with Thomas who clued me in on what they do to make a sofa bed comfortable for every day use - a daily sleeper they called it. First off the mechanism is solidly built and the foundation for the bed is composed of a mesh of metal pieces that look like large staples linked together. They call it Steelweave. Additionally, they make their frames out of hardwood and their deluxe mattresses have more coils than the average mattress and are also padded for extra comfort. Part of the Carlyle demonstration is for the salesman to jump up and down on the folded sofa to show how solidly built they are. It was convincing, but not as convincing as laying down on the bed. The deluxe mattress was very comfortable. Comparable to a regular bed. I couldn't feel the bar across my back at all, which is one of the general complaints about sofa beds. The big drawback was price. The simple sofa that I picked out was a cost prohibitive $4000.

My next stop was Jennifer Convertibles. They're known for being more cost effective. I spoke with Fredelisa, who gave me the inside story on their daily sleeper option - an inflatable mattress they call the Airdream. I have to say I was equally impressed with the comfort of that bed - again, no bar across my back and it felt like a regular bed as well. There is the added step of inflating it every night when you open up the bed, but it inflates in 45 seconds to a minute with a special little device you plug into a valve on one of the corners. To deflate, just pop the cap and the mattress deflates. Their other option was a coil mattress like Carlyle, but I wasn't as impressed with that - I felt the bar across my back. Jennifer Convertibles has the edge on price. The sofa I looked at there would run me about $1200 - $1500 with custom fabric choices.

Now, no post here would be complete without a discussion of styling! My goal with this new apartment is to evoke the early 1970's with an eclectic David Hicks feel. With that in mind, I'm looking for a tuxedo style sofa (one in which the arms are as high as the back) with boxed back cushions. It's a basic style that was popular back then. If upholstered correctly it will look period. At Carlyle that's no problem. They will customize everything about the sofa I choose. I can give them the picture below and they will replicate it exactly.

Jennifer Convertibles isn't as flexible, however. They won't work with a customer's fabric, they won't change back cushion styles, they won't customize anything except fabric choices within their range of fabrics, which is fairly broad - I found a few options I could consider.

This brings me to a third option - vintage. Now buying a vintage sofa bed presents several problems. First and foremost is upholstery. Finding one that doesn't need to be reupholstered is challenging - unless it's been preserved in plastic! Reupholstery can be as expensive as a new sofa, so it's wise to consider whether the frame is worth the investment. I was concerned about the mechanism and that bar across my back until I found out that the inflatable mattress could be bought for any bed. That opened up the possibility of a well preserved vintage sofa working, should I find the right specimen.

I'll keep you posted on my choices and show you a picture of the final purchase! Right now this thrifty girl is leaning toward Jennifer Convertibles with the inflatable mattress.

My trip to Denver was a great success after a bit of a snafu with the flight out (it was canceled). Look for a video featuring the trip soon!

(Thanks to Christian Montone for the vintage sofa bed image!)

Cook and Clean with a Piece of History - Vintage Appliances

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:13:00 +0000

I bet you're all curious about how the apartment is coming along. Well, it's going slowly, but there have been some advances. I've been making plans and finding deals on some items that I'll be putting in the new kitchen when I remodel it. Some of those items are vintage appliances. Now, most people go all mushy when they install brand new top of the line appliances. Not me - I melt into my shoes at the sight of well preserved or restored appliances from yesteryear. I've been lucky enough to snag two of the three that I'll need for the new kitchen!

This is my new Caloric dishwasher. I believe it's from the early 1970's and is my latest find. I needed an 18" dishwasher for my small kitchen and thought I would have to go with a new one that had a panel front and controls on the top edge to keep the vintage quality of the kitchen intact - and then this came up on Craigslist! It's a simple, basic dishwasher, but it has a very retro look to it.

The controls are set into a brushed aluminum panel that's printed in black. I love the fine red and blue lines around the shiny chrome buttons. Everything is metal - including the interior, which is plastic on the later model dishwasher in my kitchen now. All this for just $30!

Now this little item will be the centerpiece of my new kitchen. It's a vintage 1960's Frigidaire Flair stove. These babies are the rock stars of vintage appliances. There are online communities devoted to them, they're well documented online, and one of them was featured in Samantha's kitchen on Bewitched for years. I found mine in Delaware. I did an event down there in April and picked it up the day after. It needs a bit of cleaning, but I'm up to the challenge!

I love the control panel. It's so glamorous! The stove features a gull wing glass oven door that opens upward and a pull out drawer with a counterbalanced baffle that has the burners on it. Look for episodes featuring the restoration and installation of these little beauties in the future!

Using vintage appliances in your home renovation can have many advantages over new. They're frequently built more solidly and are made to last longer than new ones, and can cost considerably less - like my $30 dishwasher find. They're also saving these relics from the landfills and not contributing to the consumption of our resources in the way that new manufacturing does. Above all, they make for a unique kitchen - one that no one else is likely to have! I've found mine on Craigslist, but you can also scour your local thrift shops and Habitat for Humanity stores for treasures, and keep an eye on the real estate section of the paper. When an old house is sold, the kitchen is frequently remodeled and you can sometimes get the old appliances for nothing! Now all I need is a 30", panel front Sub Zero refrigerator and I'll be all set!

This weekend I'll be in Denver for my appearance with Fresh City Life. If you're in town I hope you'll join me! It's going to be lots of fun.

Tie One On for Father's Day - Fabulous Tie Cakes

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:08:00 +0000

Well, father's day is almost upon us, and it's time to think about what to get dad. A new blogger friend sent me an interesting idea recently, that I think bears reposting. He has a blog devoted to, of all things, ties. In his pursuit of natty neckwear, Matt has come across some delightful cakes that feature the foulards. I've pulled a few of my favorites, but be sure and go over to Tiepedia.com and have a look at all of them!

I love the attention to detail in this one. Just look at the top stitching on the shirt!

I can't figure out if that's actually a tie or if it's fondant. The texture looks like silk.

This one is just charming. I love the little rose placed as if it was a boutonnière.

Thanks to Matt for the images and I hope you all have a lovely Father's Day next weekend!

If you're around New York, I'll be hosting the Tony awards simulcast at Chelsea Clearview Cinemas this Sunday. Come down and join us, starting at 7pm!

Incidental Treasures - Fun Found Ephemera

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:11:00 +0000

While I was moving I came across some fun examples of vintage graphic design. I thought I'd share them with you!

For all my time in my last apartment I was sleeping on a very old mattress. I do believe it was older than me, as evidenced by the graphics on this label that was stitched to it.

I love the glamour of Lady Grey's outfit, the detail of the slashed sleeves and bows and the high ruff. The warm color palate of yellow and brown look great printed on the satin ground. The round graphic is totally devoid of Jordan Marsh's corporate logo - a no-no in today's world, but a charming touch that harkens back to years gone by. It's nice to have this piece of my past - much nicer than having that old mattress...

The second piece I ran across is this delightful cardboard flag that was made by the Longacre Dairy as a means for their customers to communicate with their milk men.

Hang it on the door and pull up the flags that indicate what you'd like your milk man to leave for you - one quart, two quarts, butter milk, eggs, even orange juice and cottage cheese! It's in remarkable condition considering its age. The colors are bright and clear, the cardboard isn't dog-eared and all the flags are intact. I had the good fortune... and eyesight to spot it on the street here in New York some years ago. I picked it up and have had it ever since. Such a fun piece of the past.

It just goes to show, you never know what you'll unearth when you move, or what you'll find on the street! Keep that antenna up!

A Moving Experience From the Point of View of Guest Blogger, Ben Sander

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:33:00 +0000

Because of the move I've been remiss in posting blog entries for the past two weeks. Today I'm assisted by another guest blogger. This time we're hosting Ben Sander. He's the man behind the woman, so to speak. I would be nothing without him. In this post he'll give you a better idea of what's been going on these past few weeks.

"We were just moving around the block. One small block... It should be a piece of cake, right? Wrong. Moving around the block is a pain in the ass. I know Brini won't like me saying that, but it's true. It's especially annoying when you're really good at utilizing space and have lived in the apartment for 15 years. It never ends! Every time we thought we had made inroads into it, there was another cabinet full of stuff, another piece of furniture to schlep.

Now I love Brini, but she has this way about her. She's never there for the hard work, but pull out a camera and she magically appears. So, needless to say, I was without her capable hands during the bulk of the move. It seems that moving on Memorial Day weekend makes that circumstance apply to most friends. If it weren't for my septuagenarian parents, all would have been lost. The three of us soldiered on, pushing forward, increasing intensity as the drop dead date approached. We packed, climbed stairs, loaded vehicles, pulled luggage carts, schlepped, plodded and lugged our way to exhaustion.

By Monday afternoon we had achieved our goal. The old apartment was vacant and much of storage was transferred also. The problem was that the new apartment was bursting at the seams. There was no place to set anything down, the closets were full. It was clear that something was going to have to give. So, I now have my marching orders for the summer. Purge! Look for more sales on eBay, Etsy and Craigslist of Brini merchandise and various and sundry vintage household items.

Moving is a learning experience in many ways. It's all about re-imagining your life, exploring new possibilities and stepping out into the unknown. It may not be easy, but for Brini and I, it's a step in the right direction."

The first of those items just went up today. It's a really beautiful French provincial dining table and chairs. It's up on Craigslist now. Have a look!

Sophistication with a Helping of Humor - The Esquire Party Book

Fri, 21 May 2010 23:24:00 +0000

While packing up my cook books, I ran across a copy of the Esquire Party Book. Originally published in 1935, it's the lesser known companion to the popular Esquire's Handbook for Hosts.

My edition is from 1965 and is replete with illustrations by the legendary Seymour Chwast. The art direction - also by Chwast - is a humorous tour de force that draws you in with its charm and irreverence.

The content is equally as diverting. It's chock full of great information on entertaining from sun-up to sun-down, including drinks, recipes, party games, decor, even music and wardrobe suggestions!

The recipes tend toward the haute side, with entries like Crown Roast of Lamb, Artichoke Leaves with Roquefort Dip and Shrimp Viennoise En Casserole. Not everything is complicated, though. There are simple recipes for things like Cocoanut Chips and Olives in Bacon.

They're all organized into menus for parties that have whimsical themes like "On a Polynesian Beach" and "For Old School Ties".

Here's their recipe for stuffed pineapple:

2 medium sized pineapples
1 box strawberries
1/2 lb seedless grapes
1 cantaloupe - cut into cubes or balls
1 honeydew melon - cut likewise
1 lb pitted black cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup liquor - curacao, triple sec, brandy, fruit brandy, rum, white wine, port - what ever your liquor cabinet is willing to donate

Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise, being careful to leave each half of the green tuft of leaves attached. (A serrated knife does the job well.) With a grapefruit knife, remove the fruit from the skin, leaving a thin shell (1/2" thick). Remove the eyes and the core from the fruit and cube it. Mix the pineapple with the other fruits (which have been washed, sliced, and otherwise prepared), add the sugar and the liquor and stir gently. Pile back into the four pineapple halves and refrigerate until dessert time. Serve with pre-scooped balls of lime ice on top. You can use any other fruits you have on hand that marry well with pineapple, but be sure to add lemon juice or ACM to fruits that darken upon waiting: apricots, peaches, apples or bananas.

It sounds like a delightful dessert for summer entertaining, doesn't it? If you like entertaining with a sophisticated flavor to it, I suggest finding a copy of Esquire's Party Book. They're available on sites like Amazon and eBay.

Kitschy-Fun Craft Project From Guest Blogger Margot Potter

Wed, 19 May 2010 18:36:00 +0000

With me up to my eyeballs in moving and renovation I asked my friend Margot Potter to be a guest blogger this week. She's come up with a fun decoupage project I know you'll enjoy. Thanks Madge!

Hello, people!

I'm Margot Potter, a.k.a. The Impatient Crafter™, but my friends call me Madge. My gal pal Brini is knee deep in renovating her fabulous new flat, so I'm stepping in for her today. What fun!

Brini and I both worship freely at the Temple of Kitsch and as soon as she asked me to create a post I immediately thought of my Donny vs. Bobby purse. It's a Teen Idol smack down! In one corner, we have the cornfed, baby faced heartthrob from the Midwest, Donny Osmond. In the other, the slightly older and more experienced stud muffin from southern California, Bobby Sherman. Who will emerge victorious? Let the battle begin!

To make your own teen idol purse select images of your won personal favorites! Will it be Humperdink vs. Jones? Reynolds vs. Namath? Greg vs. Keith? The mind simply reels! After you've settled on a suitable pair, remove the handle and hardware from a blank wooden purse. Apply two layers of acrylic paints in burnt orange on one side and avocado green on the other and let dry. Cut out your images, eyes and text and adhere using a decoupage medium. (I used images and text from vintage magazines.) Don't fret if the images bubble up, they'll relax after the paper dries. The final touch is a smattering of crystals applied through a heart shaped stencil.

That's all you need to have a simply adorable purse in a flash! You can show whichever side tickles your fancy on any given day.

I can't wait to see the magic Brini is making, can you?

xoxo,
Madge

(PS: You can find more kitschy ideas at my website www.margotpotter.com and my blog http://margotpottertheimpatientcrafter.blogspot.com/)

Renovation Hell = Blogging Purgatory

Fri, 14 May 2010 22:49:36 +0000

Hi people. Sorry for my radio silence this week, it's been a busy one! We started renovation on the apartment - tearing out walls, putting up new ones, plastering, hanging doors... I've been shooting all of it, so look forward to some new episodes in the not too distant future!

I'm afraid I haven't been able to post new blog entries on Wednesday or today because everything is at sixes and sevens - my craft and cook books are packed up, as are my crafting supplies. I thought I'd share with you a link to the past. It's my companion page for the Renovation Hell episode of my show for the Style network - perfect for my state of mind! Just click here for all my tips, ideas, recipes and photos from the episode. Incidentally, you can explore all 26 episodes of the show in the same way. Just click the pull-down menu and choose an episode.

I'll do my best to get back in the blogging saddle (hmm, that sounds a bit questionable) next week. Thanks for your patience! I'm also sorry it's taken me so long to approve comments. I'll try and get to those earlier in the future.

The High Cost of Moving - Cutting it Down to Size

Mon, 10 May 2010 22:11:00 +0000

I've been madly packing, getting ready for my move. Being the frugal lass that I am, I'm appalled by the cost of packing material! Boxes, wrapping paper, tape, it all costs an arm and a leg. I have some solutions that I'd like to share with you, though.

When it comes to boxes you don't need to contribute to the deforestation of the earth. Repurposing boxes is a great way to save the earth and save a buck at the same time. Finding boxes is as simple as asking for them. Liquor stores are more than happy to get rid of their boxes and the ones they give you are perfect for packing books! Supermarkets, big box stores, even your building super are great sources for boxes. Just ask!

A move is always a good time to purge yourself of unnecessary belongings. One of the things you can get rid of is financial records older than 7 years (according to my accountant). Keep your actual tax documents, but all the support documents - bank statements, cancelled checks, old bills, receipts, etc - can be gotten rid of. Don't just throw these documents away. They need to be shredded, preferably by a cross-cut shredder.

I had documents dating back to 1986! I spent evenings for a few weeks sitting in front of the television running these documents through my shredder. After shredding them, I put them in big bags and set them aside in anticipation of my upcoming move. I've been using the shreds to pack my breakables!

It's a great, free source of packing material for me and works perfectly to fill out the boxes and pad the china and glass. I wouldn't use them to ship your eBay sales for fear of identity theft, but they're perfect for moving and storage.

Moral of the story? Don't let the cost of moving deplete your renovation and redecorating budgets! A little creativity will cut those expenses in half.

Nibbles for Trying Times - Scramble

Sat, 08 May 2010 15:31:00 +0000

When you're life is in upheaval - as mine is with my pending move - it's hard to keep an eye on nutrition. Eating takes on a catch-as-catch-can quality to it. It's a good idea to prepare some things in advance that you can munch on. Here's one of my favorite munching recipes - Scramble.

It's a good thing to make up in large batches and have on hand. ...lots of good nutrition in it and it tastes good too!

2 lbs mixed, salted nuts
1 12 oz package small shredded wheat
1 10 oz package Cheerios
1 6 oz package of rice chex
1 7 oz package of pretzel twists
1 6 oz package of small pretzel sticks
1 4 oz can of pretzel bits
2 cups salad oil
2 Tbs worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs garlic salt
1 Tbs seasoned salt

Mix all ingredients together in a large pan(s) and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours, stirring gently, so as not to break up the cereals, every 15 minutes. Yield - 9 quarts.

If you haven't already, come by and join my Facebook fan club. If you do, be sure and say hi!

Making Moving Glamorous - The Art of Photography

Thu, 06 May 2010 22:17:00 +0000

I have moving on my mind, what with my new apartment on the horizon. I've been going through all my things, deciding what to take and what to sell. The process has been fun and daunting. I've been in my place for 15 years! While going through my books I found some gems. The Time Life Library of Photography. I decided to keep two of the volumes: Color and The Studio. In the latter title is a photo essay on putting together a studio style photo shoot on location and the subject is Moving Party (!). It's interesting to see how they put it together, so I thought I'd share it with you today.

Here's the space before setting up. It's a parlor floor apartment in a brownstone in Park Slope Brooklyn. The photographer, Rudy Muller, rented it for a day.

Here they are setting up. The model playing the hostess tries on her hostess gown. and the studio lights are placed for the single shot they need to get.

With her gown hung up, the model touches up her makeup.

Here's the final shot. Notice how the wine is placed front and center. The final photo was used in a series depicting different types of parties for a wine company. Somehow I don't think even I could pull off a real moving party as glamorous as the one depicted, but I could certainly pull of a photo shoot of one like this - especially for a barrel of Piper Heidsieck!

Some of my copies of the Time Life Library of Photography books are up for sale on Etsy right now. Have a look!

The Big Move - Brini's New Apartment!

Mon, 03 May 2010 23:05:00 +0000

Hi people! I've been a little bit distracted of late because of very good news... I'm moving to a new apartment! I'm very excited about it. It's a darling new place. It's going to need a lot of work, but when it comes down to it, that's really the fun part, isn't it? I hope you'll come along for the ride! Here's a look at the new place.

This is the foyer. I love the little railings.

Here's the living room - southern exposure, so lots of light and nice windows.

We're going to open up the kitchen to the living room so you can see me cook!

Here's the dressing room. It has two closets in it.

The bathroom needs quite a bit of work, but has good bones and a large window. There's also an entry hall with another closet, and I'm going to put a big closet in the living room as well. I'm planning on doing a retro renovation for the place. I know we'll have a lot of fun!

It's in a beautiful 1930's building with a courtyard garden and lots of my friends live there. All in all, it's a great change! Look for more posts and videos on it soon!

Box of Cuteness - Ruch Chier Rosen Mini Cookbooks

Sat, 01 May 2010 03:23:00 +0000

I have several very cute, tiny little cookbooks by an author named Ruth Chier Rosen. They're just darling and come in little boxes that have the same graphics as the book covers. I discovered them through my friend and publicist, Jennifer Cohan, who had one called Entertaining Snacks After Dark (1962). A few years ago that book became a tiny little obsession - a perfect match for the tiny little books! I made "Ruth Chier Rosen" a watched search on eBay and waited to pounce on the book when it came available. While I waited I had the opportunity to pounce a few more times on some of her other mini masterpieces. I acquired Having a Ball - Party Menus & Recipes for Every Occasion (1959), and The Big Spread - An Encyclopedia of Hors D'oeuvres and Canapes (1953). So now I own three of these cute little books.

Aside from their cuteness and Ruth's penchant for titles that have a slightly risque double entendre (the chafing dish book is called "Wick and Lick"), the books have some fascinating recipes in them. Between the covers of The Big Spread, you can learn how to make Strawberries Marquisee, which are faux strawberries formed from chopped liver and rolled in bread crumbs that have been dyed red with food coloring and Beet Sticks, which are, basically, borscht popsicles.

These oddities aside, she has a charming recipe for Cheese Straws - one of my favorites:

2 t salt
4 c flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening or lard
Water
12 oz grated sharp cheddar
3 T butter
Dash cayenne
1 egg
1 T sherry

Combine the salt, flour, 1/2 cup butter, shortening or lard and water to make pastry and chill. Blend cheese, 3 T butter and cayenne until smooth. When chilled, roll out pastry into a large rectangle and spread the cheese mixture on it. Fold the pastry in thirds and roll out again and refold. Do this twice more for a total of 4 times. Chill again. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Re-roll and cut into long narrow strips. Beat the egg with the sherry and then brush it on the strips. Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake until golden brown and puffed.

These books won't provide you with every day fare, but there are some nice recipes in them and their size and the novelty of the matching box make them perfect gifts for the historically epicurious. If you're mother appreciates ironic vintage recipes, why not give her one for mothers day? They can be found on many used book websites and eBay.

Speaking of Mother's Day... Also in the picture above is our Gillian Napkin from Felix Populi. They make a charming gift as well!

Pretty Little Package - Vintage Crafting Kits

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:58:00 +0000

Hi people! I love vintage craft kits. I have a nice little collection of them. They represent pure potential when they're in their uncompleted condition and I'm afraid I haven't tapped that potential in a lot of the ones I have. Here are a few of my favorites:

This one is so cute for a boys room! It's from Avon (who knew they made embroidery kits?), and it features antique cars on a linen ground.

It's unusual in that it's designed to hang as a strip from a simulated wood mount that's included in the kit. It's all about crewel work. I picked this one up at a thrift shop on Long Island years ago.

Here's another crewel kit. This one features flowers in a basket.

This one is unusual in a number of ways - the dark linen ground, the variety of stitches including the pompon centers and, perhaps most notably the three dimensional butterfly that's worked separately and then applied to the surface of the finished piece. This was an Etsy purchase.

This last one was quite an inspiration to me. It's a multi-media kit that features felt applique and embroidery.

I love the dimensional flowers made of felt and accented with french knots. Look at the little jeweled centers - so cute.

This was the basis for a kit I designed myself.

It's a felt applique kit with embroidered stems and leaves.

I loved the idea of anchoring the felt flowers with french knots so that's how I designed the centers of the daisies.

Vintage crafting kits are such fun to find and work. They hail from the past, so you can be reasonably assured that you won't find a lot of copies around. They can be found on Etsy and eBay, as well as at thrift shops and yard sales.

If you don't have the patience to go digging around for a vintage one, you can find my daisy kit in two different colorways on Etsy and in my Brini Maxwell Shop at Felix Populi. Do you like crafting with kits, or do you prefer to design your own projects?

Happy crafting!