Garden • Kitchen • Home

Here comes the sun

2012-11-02T01:05:00.001-04:00

I took this picture a couple of days ago, and I thought it was worth sharing.

I work nights, so I see a whole lot of sunrises on my commute home, but this is one of the best of my life. It was Philly's first taste of sun, post Sandy. We endured more than 48 hours of rain, which didn't feel like much at the time. But when that first hint of pink peeked out behind the clouds, it stole my breath. We might not have the Shore right now. Lots of folks might not have power, or their homes, or cars. But, my goodness, we sure do have some sunrises.

Hurricane Sandy comes to Philadelphia

2012-10-29T16:44:00.000-04:00

We're getting all settled in here in Philadelphia for the next leg of Hurricane Sandy. So far it's just been wind and rain, but we're told it'll get much worse before it gets better. In the mean time we've been cooking, cleaning, and cuddling. Not a bad way to spend a Monday, huh?

I also grabbed a few photos earlier in the day. Here's what our neighborhood looks like at this point:

While things are still mild here, we're mindful that an hour east at the Jersey Shore, things are rough and wild already. Much of coast is flooded, and the storm is on its way here. Our thoughts are with everyone who has had to evacuate, and those who have already had major damage to their homes.

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Update: We were pretty unscathed here in the city. I had to travel for my job (yes, I count as "essential personnel"), but the roads were clear and wind and rain were minimal when I left. Our condo and cars were undamaged, and so were we. Not everyone is as lucky, of course. The town where we vacation at the Shore is completely underwater, as is NYC, Hoboken and the Delaware beaches. Appalachia is covered in snow. We're thinking about everyone who is out in some way because of Sandy. Stay safe and stay strong folks.

It's black and blue, but it's no bruise!

2012-09-05T05:32:00.000-04:00

I teased you a little about my latest painting project back when I did the living/dining/everything room. Even then I knew I wasn't done with my brush. Today, I've finished. I'm officially putting down the paint cans, and I'm backing away. But before I do that, I have something to reveal...

The guest bedroom:

Yep, that's chalkboard paint on an entire wall. It's big. It's bold. That's just how we do it here in Philly.

And the rest of the room is in more of a neutral blue. Hard not to love a color as soft and forgiving as this one.

I realize that it hasn't been long since I finished painting the room the last time. But I swear this IS THE LAST TIME. I truly am smitten with how it looks--rugged, but kinda glam, and totally liveable.

Dreaming of a unique nursery

2012-09-03T08:24:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I think about how the apartment can and can't grow with the hubby and I. Things it can't do: sprout a third bedroom, gain a pantry, grow a backyard. Things it can do: someday include a nursery.

I know, I know--it's absurdly premature to think about stuff like that. We're a loooong way from adding to our family that way. But still, a girl will dream sometimes.

I'm totally not the frilly, pink decor girl. Industrial-chic more sums up the feeling that's been grabbing my attention lately, and there's no reason that can't apply to a nursery or a child's room. In fact, it's kind of perfect for a little boy's bedroom.

Let me show you:

See? Very industrial with the wire storage and the iron crib. But the Maurice Sendak touches make it a kid's room. Obviously both boys and girls love "Where The Wild Things Are," so there's no need to limit it to one gender, but this is just begging for a little boy to bring it to life. Envision this with a chalkboard paint wall and lots of toys. Maybe even a faux potted plant (no real dirt, please) to add to the wild-ness of the room.

Kinda makes you never want to see another standard-issue white crib again, huh?

Here's where everything came from:
Chandelier: Shades of Light
Cubby container: Restoration Hardware
Print: Etsy
Sheets: Pottery Barn Kids
Crib: Restoration Hardware

How to buy the right light bulb

2012-08-29T05:26:00.000-04:00

"Figuring out what kind of bulb to put in a fixture takes some thought."

I must have heard that line in every article about lighting since the first person thought to write about lighting. But I never bought into it. Part of the problem is that pros are always talking about how diiiiifficult it is to light a room, but they never give you advice more than to use task lighting the kitchen, and vary the heights of fixtures. Well thanks, professionals. The four-year-old flower girl from my wedding could have given me that much info, and she would have been cuter about it.

So when I started focusing on how to get the right light for my kitchen, and living space in general, I didn't really know where to start. To keep you from spending the amount of time that I did on The Googles, here's a rundown of what I've learned. And I won't even say "diiiiifficult." (At least not any more. I'm done. I swear.)

First thing first. Look at your fixture, figure out the size of the bulb. Done? Good. Now it's time to actually start thinking. Do you want the room to be brighter? Darker? Should the light be dimmable? Will the bulb be visible from outside the shade? What color do you want the lighting to be?

For me, the most important question is the last one, so we'll start there. A woeful amount of bulbs will give you a yellow color. Some folks call it amber, or warm. I call it yucky. To combat that, I had to look at Kelvins, which measures the temperature of the light. Kelvins, temperature--makes sense, right? The easiest way to break this down is that the lower the number, the warmer the glow. (That's about 2,700-3,000 Kelvins.) The higher the number, the cooler it is. And the ideal break-even point is right in the middle at 3,500-4,100 Kelvins. I obviously trend to numbers on the high scale. For instance, I just bought eight bulbs with 6,500 Kelvins. That's how I roll. You might not be so bold, and that's OK, you rock star. We have room for all kinds here at GKH.

My next focus was on brightness. Try to remember brighter isn't always better. Shadows can be sexy, after all. When you think about the intensity of the light, you want to look at the Lumens. Lumens can vary from 700 for incandescent (those are the traditional bulbs) to 400 for Edison bulbs.

You'll also want to consider dimming. If you want to set the mood with these bulbs of yours, make sure they aren't CFLs. Even the newest dimmable CFLs only give you a small range from brightest to dimmest, and they can't be turned down within the first minute or so of being on. This is one of those times when it's worth it to at least consider a more energy-demanding bulb, unfortunately.

Another major variable is wattage. This won't affect lighting itself, just how much electricity you use. It's worth monitoring while you shop around. There's a big difference in how much energy the bulbs devour when you look from CFLs and LEDs to incandescent to flood lights. Make sure you aren't surprised by your electricity bill later.

I know that's a lot of information, but it's super easy to keep track of if you use a site that has comparison shopping like 1000Bulbs.com or Bulbs.com.

A couple of no-brainers that can be easy to forget:

Not all bulbs can go outside.
Your particular fixture is the most important consideration. Think about the size of the bulb's base and how long the bulb can be before it's visible. No mood killer quite like a Peeping Tom. (That's what I'm now calling bulbs that stick out past their shades.)
Variety, variety, variety. Bright is good in a place where you need to do detailed work, like a kitchen counter, but over a dining room table maybe not so much.
Different heights cast different shadows. This is very, very good.

It's true, I'm not as cute as anyone's flower girl, but hopefully I was more helpful than the generic lighting article. If you have any of your own advice, share it with everyone in the comments section.

Getting cagey about lighting

2012-08-27T16:54:00.003-04:00

I've had a long time dislike for my kitchen pendant lights. They're builder grade, and they don't do a thing for me. Worse, in fact. They give off a yellow glow--and well, I don't do yellow inside. The jaundiced look doesn't work well on my ultra pale skin. Plus, yellow light is the fastest way to make a good coloring look like a beauty shop fry job.

I know what you're saying: "Change the light bulbs, Kaytie!" And my answer is: "I did! And they're still as terrible as Ronnie and Sammi from Jersey Shore."

I think part of the problem is the void of natural light in the kitchen, and the tile has a slight amber undertone to it. But since I can't fix those thing on my paltry budget, I'm attacking the only variable I have control over: the light shade itself. It's a frosted glass that's meh at best. In fact, it doesn't even deserve that size font. It's more like meh.

Fortunately I have a plan.

Let me give you a hint:

Bright kitchens to drool over

2012-08-02T08:22:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a lot of poking around the web lately in search of a stunning kitchen. I'm torn, I love white kitchens--so gleaming that you can tell there's nothing to contaminate your food--but I can't decide if I love old world style or a modern sensibility.

These classic kitchens tug at a sentimental side for me. They're the kitchens I've always dreamed of. What's not to love?!

But I also really, really, really adore these minimalist kitchens, too:

They're all out of control, right? Regardless, I know my next kitchen will not have the maple cabinets and multi-colored granite we have now. Until then, white kitchens will fill my dreams...

A little peek into our week

2012-08-01T00:06:00.000-04:00

It's been a whirlwind week in our house--we've been trying to enjoy the summer, and balance the fun with work, life and a massive painting project (but more on that later). Here's a little glimpse at what we've been up to in and around Philly:

There were a lot of smiles this week, that's for sure! (And some killer shoes, if I do say so myself. Miraculously, I wore those the entire night, dancing and all...)

Once our painting project is over, I'll update you with the change.

OurLand in Philly: Soil Kitchen

2012-07-19T20:34:00.002-04:00

Looking for some urban gardening inspiration? Then I have the video for you--thanks to OurLand, a web series about eating from our great green Earth.

This is episode one, and it's based in my home of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group OurLand focuses on Soil Kitchen, a temporary group that tested soil samples throughout the city and gave out soup to those who brought the samples in. The focus was to encourage Philadelphians to help clean up our brownfields, and learn to feed ourselves on local food. How do you not love that?!

Check it out:

Doing it white

2012-07-16T07:19:00.000-04:00

OK, what's different in this photo?

Do you see it? There's a pretty significant change from the last time I showed you the hallway, but I'm not sure anyone but my husband and I could tell you what it is. In fact, if he wasn't involved, I'm not even sure he could tell you.

I'll give you a hint: it involved me, a couple of hours, and a raging hatred for the old wall color. That's right folks, I painted. But only someone who's obsessive (and that'd be me) will be able to tell. The old color was a beige with a healthy dose of yellow as the base. It changed based on the lighting, and sometimes it was tolerable. Other times it made my eyes beg for forgiveness for whatever crime they committed. Did I mention I hated the color? You can see it in its full on mustard glory here:

I hate that color so much it bothers me even looking at that photo...

Anyway, after two and a half years of loathing the paint, I finally broke down and tried out swatches. I gave four different colors a try, from bright white to a cream to blue and grey. The winner was the cream, called Sandstone Cove by Behr. It's much brighter, and it makes the space feel a little more alive (and way, way less jaundiced).

Truth be told, I've always been partial to crisp white spaces--the kinds of rooms you find in Dwell. Going light in color seems to be having its moment right now, which shouldn't really be a surprise if you consider how many people are renting instead of owning these days. Rentals = white walls. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that this is an example of design following the way folks live.

Anyway, enough of my philosophizing. Here's another photo for you to enjoy:

Soothing and serene, even according to Dixie, our house guest for the weekend. There's more painting to come, and you can kind of see where in this photo. But I'll save that story for once it's finished...

How to transfer potted plants

2012-07-11T10:05:00.000-04:00

It's a tough year for gardeners. Entire crops have died--and they're saying food prices are going to sky rocket since we can't keep any plants in the ground. Fortunately, there's a little respite for those who don't have to rely on the ground, per se. Gardens based out of containers--like the one I have on my itty bitty balcony-- only have to hold enough moisture for the roots inside. And since there's less area to water, keeping plants green doesn't take as much work.

Of course, it can be hard to get yourself started, or worse yet, what to do once things start to take root. Fortunately, here are some tips from Peter McAllister from SGM (which makes garden tools and equipment like second hand lawn mowers).

One of the most common issues faced by container gardeners is how to move a plant from a small to large container safely. This may seem like a simple task, but it's delicate work. One mistake can leave your plant in poor health while slowly deteriorating.

The most important thing to watch out for is root damage. If the roots are broken during transfer, it can spell tragedy for the plant as a whole. One way to protect root health is to transfer when the soil is dry. Wet soil tends to collapse and pull on the roots when suspended in the air between pots. Dry soil will hold together better and cause less strain.

The new container should have a shallow layer of fresh soil in the new container. Keep this shallow so that you can place the transferred plant on top. When taking the plant out of the old container start by placing your hand over the base of the soil. Be careful not to pull on or disturb the branches or leaves. Now upturn the pot so that the plant will come out into your hand. If it doesn’t come out easily, a good tool is a blunt knife. Run it around the edge of the pot to loosen the soil--but DO NOT dig it out.

Next carefully place the plant into the new container on top of the shallow layer of soil. Fill in the container with new soil so the plant is surrounded and has room for growth. Water the new container to bind the old and new soils together.

That is pretty much it! It’s mostly common sense, mixed with a few tried and true techniques. Try not to put your plant through too much strain while it adjusts to a new environment. An example of this is to try and keep the soil consistency the same in both containers.

Say, what's up, doc?

2012-07-10T09:23:00.000-04:00

It might be the hottest year on record in the US of A, but I've still got a little garden growing. My peach tree is still green, and so is my rosemary. My oregano is browning up a bit, but I'm pretty sure it just needs a week or two of cooler weather to get back to normal.

But the pride of the garden is this:

They're not huge, but the sure are pretty. And since this was my first time trying out carrots, I'm pretty pleased with the results. Next time they're getting deeper pots, but I'm counting this as a pretty good first attempt. The thing I'm most impressed with is how little room they take. These are not strawberries, which need lots of room and give you weak results. As long as they have somewhere deep to take root, these seem pretty hardy. They did withstand caterpillars and the most significant drought of my life, after all.

Quick bracelet DIY

2012-06-27T09:02:00.003-04:00

Even when life is crazy busy, I still get pulled into little projects here and there. This one, fortunately, took all of five minutes. It started out almost by accident. I was getting dressed one day and stumbled across this lucite bracelet. I couldn't figure out why I had bought a single clear bangle, when bold jewelry--not nearly invisible plastic--was more my style.

Then I remembered. I hadn't bought a bracelet--I'd bought a scarf!

Apparently when I put the scarf away, I just tossed the plastic ring that was its display in the store. Once I realized what it was, I almost threw it away. And then I had a better idea. If I'd already thought it was jewelry, why not make it into something wearable?

My first thought was to wrap it in a pretty yarn I have. It would have been nice, I guess, if it was 1996 and Bjork was a top seller. But it screamed Lilith Fair a little too much for my liking. Instead, I wanted an updated texture, something was more align with my current obsession with neutrals and textures. Jute would have worked, but then I thought about the itch factor, and nixed that idea. Then I came across this left over fabric.

It's frayed, and soft and a beautiful linen. I was sold. I trimmed off just the end, and started wrapping it tightly around the bangle. When I got to the end, I simply tied it off. This isn't high art here, kids. Besides, the knot adds another layer of funk to it, which I'm really into.

And this is the final product. Not bad for free and five minutes, huh?

Summer foods--a guest post

2012-06-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Today we have a guest post for Alexandra from Alex's Journeys. She's a travel enthusiast who loves to write about tourism, beaches, food, and the wonderful things in the world. She provides her own insights on vacationing to the blogosphere. If you would like to learn more about her, follow her @alexsjourneys or visit her blog alexsjourneys.wordpress.com.

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Summer time comes; your wardrobe changes, activities change, and your desire for different types of food changes. If you are vacationing at the Hamptons, boating on Lake Norman, or staying cool in the air conditioning; here are some delicious recipes that everyone can enjoy in the summer.

Caesar Salad

This popular salad began with a recipe from Italian immigrant Livio Santini. Santini gained employment with restaurateur Caesar Cardini. Cardini obtained the recipe, moved to Los Angeles in 1935 and opened another restaurant. The recipe became synonymous with his name. The Caesar salad is commonly served in the Hamptons and across the country.

- Mix the garlic into the olive oil and allow to stand overnight.

- Brown the bread cubes in ¼ cup of garlic oil until lightly browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels.

- Break lettuce into pieces in a large mixing bowl.

- Add salt and pepper to taste.

- Add remaining garlic oil and toss, covering all leaves.

- Add eggs to center of lettuce.

- Squeeze lemon over eggs and mix, which creates a thick, creamy dressing.
- Add Parmesan, anchovies if desired, and mix. Serve immediately.

Chicken Marsala

This chicken masala dish is quick and easy, and a combination of French and Italian cuisines.

1/4 cup of flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano

4 boneless chicken breast halves - skinned and pounded until 1/4 inch thick

4 tablespoons of butter or margarine

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cups of sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup of Marsala wine

- In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, pepper and oregano.

- Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.

- Melt butter or margarine in oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

- Place chicken pieces in pan and cook until lightly browned.

- Turn chicken, add mushrooms and wine. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, turning chicken once.

- Remove chicken when juices run clear and continue simmering sauce until thickened.

- Serve chicken and sauce over pasta or rice.

Watermelon Agua Fresca

This refreshing and healthy summertime drink is a common beverage served throughout Mexico.

1 seedless watermelon (about 5 pounds), chilled

½ cup of cold water

1 tablespoon of honey, mixed with 1 tablespoon of hot water

1 pinch of salt

1 lime sliced

Ice cubes made with fruit juice (optional)

- Puree watermelon and water in a blender or food processor until smooth.

- Add honey dissolved in water and pinch of salt, stir.

- Chill mixture for at least three hours before serving.

- Leave mixture chunky or pour through a sieve to remove fruit.

- Pour into glasses and garnished with lime slices

- Using ice cubes made from the watermelon enhances the overall flavor of the beverage.

Butterfly garden update and contest winner

2012-06-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Last week was a perfect synchronicity of my real world coinciding with my blog world. I had a guest post on another blog about butterfly gardens, and then lo and behold, a swarm of caterpillars took over my dill. I've grown dill before without any unexpected guests, so it was a real shock to see this:

Then, imagine my surprise again to walk out on Friday and see this:

That'd be my former dill, the former home to the black swallow caterpillars. The best that I can figure is that birds had a feast after the little guys feasted on my herbs. Imagine me signing "The Circle of Life" now.

Oh well... At least the birds in the neighborhood are happy...

On a lighter note, I have the winner from last week's contest from Thyme. The lucky winner is Deb, who has just gotten an email from me, and should be getting one from the company soon. Congrats, Deb! Hope you enjoy!

I'm growing something I never expected...

2012-06-14T09:33:00.000-04:00

Get this: Apparently, after writing about how to plant a butterfly garden, I suddenly had one in my own backyard--completely without my own realizing it.

Yesterday, I asked my hubby to clip a little dill for a sauce I was making. What he found was way more than just some herbs. A little research proved that these bad boys are black swallowtails, and that they're fully grown as far as catepillars go. Somehow we managed to miss them in their early stages. Not super shocking considering how busy we've been lately, but still... I water the plants everyday. I can't imagine how I didn't see them.

I'm really interested to see what will come next. As long as they don't move into my peach tree, which is next to the dill hosting them, life will be good.

If you haven't already, make sure you enter the giveaway for Thymes fragrances.

Guest posting and linen goodness

2012-06-12T14:04:00.000-04:00

If you didn't already, check out my advice on Thyme's blog about butterfly gardens, and building your own at home. It's prime time for butterflies, so if you're going to do it, do it now.

For those who don't already use Thyme products, the company is all about natural goodness in your home and beauty regiment. I'm a bit partial to the line's Rosemary Sage linen spray. It casts an herbal headiness around your bed that's great for lulling you to sleep--and with my chaotic life, anything that helps me sleep is much appreciated. It pulls double duty in the guest bedroom to keep unused sheets smelling fresh.

Doesn't that blanket (which doubles so well as a backdrop) just scream "Rosemary Sage!"

If you've got time, check out the line, and my guest post! Bonus: Leave a post below between now and Friday, June 15th, and you'll be entered for a giveaway from Thyme. Or, for bonus entries, you can like the Garden Kitchen Home Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Easy summer eating

2012-06-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today, I have a post popping up on another site (I'll send you the link as soon as I have it). Edit: I have the link now: check it out! So in place of my writing, I have a little guest appearance from a good friend and a great cook named Tara. This is one of her favorite recipes:

Shrimp with jalapeños, cheese and bacon

Ingredients:
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled
1 package bacon
3 jalapeño peppers, cut into slices
Pepper jack cheese, but into slices

Prep and cooking:
Working with one shrimp at a time, wrap a piece of cheese, slice of pepper and shrimp in bacon. Grill as a bundle of deliciousness or pop 'em in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Serve with cornbread (or corn on the cob) and call it a meal!

Pool party

2012-06-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

It's been a hectic week in our little urban house. Between the holiday last Monday, guests visiting on bookend weekends, and getting ready for a work change, the days really flew off the calendar. Part of the fun was getting set up at my new pool, which just opened in the area. It's a gorgeous place to enjoy the sun and some people watching.

You've got to love the cabanas, right? I'm also very fond of how they worked greenery into the design--from potted plants to Astroturf (which actually looks good). I've been inspired, and had to look up some other gorgeous pools. If you've got a swimming hole in your backyard, prepare to swoon.

Infinity pools are absolutely incredible, but if your pool has edges on all sides (and most do...) you could add a modern feel with funky furniture and simple landscaping.

This is a more traditional design, but I like how they got funky with pops of red and yellow. Beautiful, huh?

Gorg-eous!

Makes me want to get outdoors, which I'll be doing in three... two...

Memorial Day weekend link goodness

2012-05-25T10:52:00.001-04:00

On this, the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, I can't tolerate being inside--let alone tied to my computer. So instead of sharing my latest projects, or the ones I plan on tackling, I'm leaving you with some great nuggets from the web. Enjoy!

Gardeners, take heed. Here's how to make your own tomato cages for FREE.

Yummy salad for a BBQ bring along. Can't beat that for the holiday weekend!

Grilled clams. 'Nuff said.

More Memorial Day crafts than you'll ever be able to make in one weekend.

Summer hair to make you swoon.

Aqua bedroom gets balance

2012-05-24T12:37:00.000-04:00

As promised, I'm bringing you more photos of my teal guest bedroom. I won't narrate them too much other than to say the color was a happy accident, and while it's bold, I find that I like it more when it's paired with more colors. Counterintuitive, especially for a girl who looooooves whites and greys, but true.

Tell me what you think:

I love how the teal is a very cool color, but the warm yellows and greens balance things out. I still need to use some more visual pauses on the walls, but I haven't gotten that far. Maybe next week? I'm having guests this weekend, so we'll see how the color goes for folks who actually have to sleep in the room.

A taste of teal

2012-05-23T09:07:00.000-04:00

When I started working on the guest bathroom, I made an impulse buy of a really bold teal. We're talking really, really bold. And in the bright lights of the bathroom, contrasted by the light tile, it was too much for the eyes.

Um, no. That was NOT going to work.

So instead, I painted the room a more subdued version of the same hue.

And the original can of paint sat around, begging me to put it to use. And it sat, and it sat. Until I remembered how badly the guest bedroom needed some color. When we moved in, the condo was covered in this khaki colored paint. During the day, the color is great. But as the sun starts to set, it's a sickly yellow, and I just can't deal with it. And since I'm also a student (and our guest room is also our office), I spend too much time dealing with a funky paint color in a small space. It got to be too much very quickly.

So, this is what I did:

There's more to come tomorrow, but let's just say that I'm smitten!

House, house baby

2012-05-21T10:36:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a very house-y day. The hubby and I peeked in on two different open houses (cuz who doesn't love doing that?) AND we went on a home/garden tour. Yea, how's that for home voyeurism?

The house tour was hosted by the Society Hill Civic Association. (Society Hill is a neighborhood in Philly.) There were 13 properties you could tour, from gardens and courtyards to houses, a synagogue and a museum. The variety of properties was impressive, and inspiring. But it was also educational. I had no clue that the neighborhood--which is very historic, well located, and pricey--was not the kind of area that you'd let your kids wander around 70 years ago. Kinda blew my mind.

Let's face it though, the real reason I went on the tour was to peek into homes in my city. And I have to tell you, I was not disappointed. There were charming trinity houses (Very common in historic cities like Philly--they're three stacked rooms, with itty bitty staircases. Not much room to navigate, but affordable, and usually extremely quaint.), 1700-era mansions and everything in between.

Sadly, we couldn't take pictures on the tour. Buuuut, I did find out that some of the houses are available for sale. And you know what's included on listings? Photos!

This is from the most inspiring house on the tour. It's one of the "Bouvier Houses," which were owned by a predecesor of Jackie Kennedy. The house dates back to 1850, and the bones are outstanding. But don't expect all old-world charm here. This is a modern house, owned by people who love modern design.

You don't see too many houses with that kinda of square footage in Society Hill. (At least, I don't get invited inside of them too often.) So this house absolutely blew me away. Beautiful doesn't begin to describe it. You can see the rest of the listing--and photos--here.

The next property that was for sale was equally stunning, but in a whole other kind of way. Again, it's an historic building. This time, we're talking about The Willings at Independence Park, a condo building that once housed the Reading Railroad. (Great for Monopoly addicts.) Sadly, the folks selling the unit don't have many photos available. I was able to uncover this one of the kitchen, from The Willings website.

It's hard to understand how classic most of the building is without seeing it, but envision an old, southern mansion, dropped in the middle of a northern city, with a sleek kitchen like this. It's a mix of styles, and it works really, really well. There were lots of oohs and aahs from the group in this house.

After checking out this much Philly real estate, I'm inspired for my house. Our property isn't historic, but that doesn't mean I can pull a few ideas from these houses. I'm thinking about adding more texture (exposed brick and reclaimed wood were huge themes), and maybe some more color. We'll see!

A Peruvian terrarium, sort of

2012-05-18T08:08:00.000-04:00

We got some really cool presents for our wedding. (I know! As if getting married was a gift enough, we got toys!!!) This is one of the more fun surprises we got. That's right--this bad boy was not on the registry, but it so perfectly sums up the things we love, it's hard to express it. It has an outlet for creativity, it can be as personal as you want, and it holds plants! Swoon!

The gift givers made a joke in their card about us smuggling plants back from Peru, which we didn't do. BUT I was able to pick up some plants that are similar to the ones that line the Inca Trail.

Apparently I didn't take pictures of the air plants that are everywhere in the Andes, but I did get this crazy tree. Beautiful, huh? I tried to find as many flowering plants like this tree as I could. I came up with some beauties, like the one in the picture on the left.

Air plants are funny little creatures. They don't need much--watering every couple of days, and plenty of sun. That's about it. So all I did was add some charcoal made from driftwood (really pretty stuff), and placed the plants on top.

I am proud to present my newest green addition:

There are two flowering plants, and two with no buds. I love how things are sparse, but beautiful. There's nothing to complicate things or distract the eye. Plus the old-world grace of the terrarium is a fun juxtaposition against the sharp lines of the air plants.

Kinda fun how it fogs up in the sun, huh?

Easy, rustic flower arrangement

2012-05-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

I had fun putting together the flowers for Mother's Day dinner. I wanted to have a rustic feeling, with lots of texture, so my first thought was to use Mason jars, which I have in abundance. Then I added a few bags of sea glass that I picked up at the Christmas Tree Shops for a buck a pop. (That's pretty much the bargain of the century as far as I'm concerned.) Rustic? Check. Texture? Heck, yeah.

Next I had to figure out what kind of flowers to use. I love white, which is what I used in my wedding. It's classic, goes with my plates, and pretty abundant. So white flowers were topping my list. I found parrot tulips, which were pretty reasonably priced. But there's a dark secret about working with tulips. Once you take off the leaves--which was my plan--it turns a huge bunch into a few measly buds. Lamesauce, for sure. So I bulked up the arrangements with another set of white stems. I have no idea what kind of flowers they are other than gorgeous. Sorry I can't be more specific, but any white flowers would work.

Once I removed the leaves, things went pretty quickly. A stem here and one there, and in no time I had three arrangements that worked well with my rustic barbecue concept. I love how the flowers spread out and take up as much space as they can get. It made the table feel full, but visually uncomplicated.