heidi schatze

Gwen's Nursery

2016-10-24T21:27:00.002-07:00

There is another kiddo in my life.
As of 2 weeks ago.
And my heart has doubled.

Projects are few and far between these days. I mean artsy projects. The constant effort of trying to scrape Lincoln's crusty spaghetti sauce off the table could be considered an ongoing project. Potty training is a project, right? It is practically a Broadway production. There are about 10 different musical numbers, constant wardrobe changes, some tasteful nudity and two emphasized potty dances. One more intense for holding it in and waiting until seconds before burst and the second a joyful, prancing number with cheer and applause heard down the block.

Oh yeah. I got projects.

But, I wanted to take on one more for my girl.
The second kid.
The doubler of my heart.

And so, Gwen's nursery.

It's a nursery that could have gone straight up glitter, sequin, disco ball overload...because Mama has a sickness. But the more I thought about my hopes and dreams for this girl, the more it balanced out. And the more I realized I had been gathering items for this nursery for the past five years.

Old chandelier crystals
A pointed finger from Cambridge, England
Enough gold fabric to make a bed skirt
A craigslist credenza from Casa Grande
Hats and a fascinator
A glass lamp I carted home from Vegas 3 years ago

It had been building itself right under my nose.

But, just like my girl, my Gwen, I wanted her nursery balanced. A place of beauty, yes, but of comfort too and security. Depth. Meaning. Strength. Life.

Pictures of her family and grandparents to remind her of the unconditional love that surrounds her.
A painting of Roldy. Because life is magical with a companion...someone to give love to.
Red converse. Because sometimes you need to get shit done and ruby slippers won't cut it.
Race medals. Because life is full of journeys and sometimes you need reminders that you finished a few.
A Madam President journal. Because you can and should be whatever and whomever you want to be.
Pragmatic Programmer.
A Year in Fashion.
Tao Te Ching.
Masters of Painting.
Mother Goose.
Eleanor Roosevelt. Because reading and learning and feeding the soul can be done in so many ways, so try them all and find what feeds yours.

Oh Gwen. Will this be the last big effort before second child syndrome kicks in? The lone project on your list compared to the long list of lovelies that we did for your brother?

Maybe.

But I promise you this. Those projects will go unfinished because your Dad and I will be spending our energy living life with you. Helping you dream.

And discover.
And learn.
And grow.

Because we love you more than any glitter flower can represent. More than the steps Mama took to earn those medals. More than the sequins on your curtains.

And we always will. No matter what.

And that means a lot because, Damn! Mama really loves your sequin curtains.

My Year, My Heart

2015-06-27T22:51:00.002-07:00

Many projects take me over a year to finish.
Or many years.
Mostly due to procrastination or an inspiration impasse.

This one took exactly a year.
And leaves me overwhelmed with joy while breathing through a tightened chest considering how quickly the time went.

This is the year in review of my sweet boy Lincoln and his dog Roldy.

Month by Month Video:

Team Sammy - LEGO Bedroom

2015-05-11T22:58:00.000-07:00

After Make-A-Wish Arizona called last September and asked me to help with their wish request for a LEGO room I cried with snot and all.
Some of that was hormones.
But most of it was fueled by the fact that I was snuggling my healthy, happy three-month-old baby and I couldn't imagine the heartache that parents must endure when their child doesn't get to be healthy.

And of course I said yes.

We finished the room last Saturday.
For Sammy.
An eight-year-old who has shown cancer who's boss.

Months ago I started plotting and counting LEGOS for his custom name art.

The double-sided Emmet pillow was stitched last week.

And the mural.
The mural.
That grew continuously from Wednesday night up until 45 minutes before the reveal on Saturday.

And all thanks to help from my family and volunteers from Make-A-Wish Arizona...who didn't get enough wish making in during their 8-5 shifts so they came to paint with me in the evenings.

Everything is awesome.
Everything is cool when you're part of a team.
Everything is awesome,
When you're living out a dream.

Truth.

I couldn't be more grateful to have been a part of this team.
Team Sammy.
Forever.

Here are a few more photos from the reveal and one of the news clips. The custom built in bed/dresser/desk combo was done by Thunderbird Custom Design and I can't even explain how fantastic it is. Perfect finish. Soft close everything. Soft close!

Sensory Board

2015-03-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Lincoln has successfully broken in everything in his nursery.

He's smeared poop on his freshly painted accent wall.
Spit up on the new rug...and chair...and dresser...and sheets.
Thrown his head into the door moulding.
Oh, and broken in this new mama's heart too, but I know he isn't done with that mission.

I think I'm most happy that he is truly enjoying his sensory board. We worked hard on it before he was born and as I was 9 months pregnant painting tiny touch ups along the edges, I often thought to myself, "I hope he actually gives a shit about this."

Photo by Patchwork Photography

He does.
But I would have been OK if he didn't.

Part of our morning ritual is peek-a-boo in the top mirrors and then he gets to touch the LEGOs. Until he pulls one off and eats it. Then my morning ritual will be crying and feeling like a bad mom for a few months and writing in my therapy journal during his nap.

I've listed out the items that we used to make the sensory board at the bottom.

We were originally going to use fake grass for the bottom center square, but the grass pieces pulled off too easily. Instead we went with a shower mat wrapped around a square of plywood painted green.

We used the Behr sample size paints from Home Depot and had plenty. They are only a few dollars each.

Anthony made a cleat set up to mount it to the wall.

A large cleat at the top and a smaller one at the bottom.

The lamp at the top was spliced with a cord to plug into the wall and connected to the light switch in the green square. We bought a green bulb for the light because color conservation wasn't part of the plan.

Products used:

Plywood sheet - 1/2" thick
Behr paint samples
Mirrors: Ikea LOTS mirrors - 2 packs
Ikea KVINTETT wall light
Green light bulb
LEGO Blue base plates - blue has been discontinued, but the green plates are the same size
Yellow steering wheel
Abacus - Ikea has one that would work just as well and is cheaper
Red light switch - from Home Depot
Clear bath mat

THEN:

NOW:

He slaps and spins those abacus beads like its his job.

Birthing Britto

2014-10-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Do you know Romero Britto?
You know Romero Britto.
He was the artist behind the piece that Jason Hoppy gave to Bethenny Frankel for their wedding.

Romero Britto.

He is a master at mixing patterns and colors and amusement. Much like my Grandma with her salvage quilting. So his style was a natural fit for Lincoln's nursery.

But an original commissioned Britto was not in the budget. I had to embrace Photoshop and make a version myself.

I had a large frame that I'd spray painted white and I made the image dimensions so it would fit inside. I printed it at FedEx Kinko's and paid extra to have it on foam board. There is no glass in the frame so having it on something sturdy made it much easier to handle and assemble.

Lincoln's robot bank was Britto inspired too. Which inspired Lincoln to make an entrance.

You see, we received a ceramic bank stuffed with cash from lovely friends at our baby shower. Complete with painting supplies. When my due date had come and all the projects were complete but no baby showed up, I got to work on the bank. Meticulously painting Britto styled details for the next six days.

It was an activity I could do in a chair.
With my feet up.
With Netflix automatically progressing through Morgan Spurlock's Inside Man episodes.

On the sixth night of painting
Of waiting for a baby
At about 11:00 pm
I finished my Romero Britto inspired robot bank.

About 5 hours later my next project started, Project have a baby.

Money.

Thanks Romero Britto.

Lincoln Nursery: Grandma's Quilt

2014-09-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Before I knew if I was having a Lincoln or a Sophia or a Mortimer or a Bernice, I knew that the heart of the nursery would be my grandma's red quilt top.

My grandma, so Lincoln's great grandma. This quilt top has seen some days. And it may or may not contain scraps of my grandpa's pajamas or a housecoat remnant from a woman at church, because that's how my grandma did it.

Made with love and thought and using every scrap.

The quilt face needed some seams reinforced. And it was evident that some of the fabrics were wearing thin.

Because someone had likely worn them thin as clothing. Pajama pants. Grandpa Peter. Maybe.

I chose a soft minky fabric for the quilt back and did straight line quilting to strengthen the integrity of the quilt. Stitching the ditch was a consideration, but the corners didn't match up so a "straight" line outline 1/4 inch on both sides of each square was the smoothest transition.

The binding: turquoise dots.

Creative
Loving
Kind

That's how I remember my Grandma. Those are the memories I want Lincoln snuggled up in on a cold night.

The fact that those gentle memories got to come in a collage of rad boisterous patterns? Priceless and Perfect.

The Lincoln Bedroom

2014-09-18T21:57:00.001-07:00

Meet Lincoln. Our baby schatze.

He's almost 3 months now and, yes, I have been greedy in not sharing him with you. I've been busy.

Kissing cheeks

Rocking to sleep

Sitting and staring

Cheering for poop

And burps

Chasing smiles

Stifling worry

Embracing deliriousness

Filing away the sweet smell of baby

Being grateful. We're beyond grateful.

Lincoln is not greedy though. He said I can share his bedroom with you.

For now, just the sights.

The details about his sensory board, the quilt his great grandma made, custom shelves, club rocking chair and personalized room décor...those will come later.

And updates from Lincoln, they will continue later too.

Right now? Snuggle-thirty.

...beyond grateful.

:photos by Patchwork Photography

The Ultimate Client

2014-06-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

I've been working for the ultimate client the past 9 months. He has afforded me complete control; total creative freedom. It has been a strenuous DIY tornado around here, but a dream.

But this flight of fancy ends any day now.
When I give birth to him.
And he makes his demands known.

Because we (including the keen eye and expertise of Mr. Schatze) only had design control.

Of his nursery.

And the rest of the house.

That's it.

In the beginning of the pregnancy, I found myself wishing that I could control more. Just choose a few of his client attributes that I would be working with for the next lifetime of years.

You know:

- perfect health

- wisdom

- empathy

- his father's affinity towards safety

The important things.

But the more I thought about it, I realized it would be my worst fail yet. Taking this perfect little package and unknowingly stripping away his grandest future because of my selfish personal desires. Perfect health, what if that hospital time is meant to teach him unimaginable tenacity and grit? Wisdom - my greatest lessons have come from my most foolish moments, should he miss out on those? An affinity towards safety - what if that nail gun accident through the foot leads him to design the most successful work boot on the market?

You see my struggle.

So now we wait, without some forecast of our own expectations.

Wait for the new 'perfect for us' client.

Waiting in his nursery that we have poured love and Arizona summer sweat into in the hopes that he feels that love around him every night he's in it. And a little bit with the hopes that if he's speaking to his therapist at age 30 about his crazy parents and upbringing that the nursery can be an example of our first sign of love and effort.

I think too much about his therapy.

But we are ready. As we'll ever be. And open. For this demanding tiny-for-a-flash client.

I want food.
I hate color. Can we make my room all white?
I want to take Judo.

We've got this my love, no worries.

I want the hurt to go away.
I hate my life.
I want you to leave me alone.

We've got this my love, no worries. Just give mama 20 minutes to a day alone in the bathroom with her cell phone so she can sob it out.

I look forward to sharing our completed projects soon. As well as our unpredictable new adventures. And all the lessons. And Baby Schatze.

I want to use the miter saw without safety glasses.

Not a chance in hell, my love.

Prison Dresser

2013-10-24T16:14:00.000-07:00

A few months back I saw a dresser in a magazine that changed my world.

It was black and white striped.

And the drawers met the stripes perfectly.

And the top was left with rich wood stain.

And for the first time in my life I considered the felonies I would commit to get a piece of furniture.

But decided to try my own version with this dresser I picked up at an auction instead. I was invested as soon as I saw the hardware.

I meticulously taped off the lines for the stripes.

And painted the stripes in Annie Sloan Graphite and Old White.

And painted the corresponding drawers to match.

I distressed the top and mid wood sections and treated them with wood oil.

The striped segments were distressed as well and finished with wax. Dark wax for the Graphite and clear with a dab of dark for the Old White.

I hope that no one punches me for it at the JITT Vintage Market on the 9th.
Wait, a small part of me hope someone tries.
Because I'll understand.
It's the stripes. And what some of us do for a good black and white.

Treadle Table

2013-10-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

Last month during an online auction with a glass of iced choco-vino, I snagged a broken treadle sewing machine. Treadles, those old school needlers controlled with foot power and bursting with iron beauty. The top was cracked, drawers were missing, but the foot pedal still pumped to and fro like a champ.

This is the journey to treadle table.

The metal work got a thorough cleaning and a coat of gloss poly to highlight the features and preserve the wear.

The table sides were painted Annie Sloan Old White, distressed and given clear wax. I roughed them up pretty good, but not to the point where they would take attention away from the treadle.

The table top was constructed out of salvaged barn wood that I got for a steal at Porter Barn Wood.
Go there.
It is amazing.

I wanted to protect and seal the top but not in a way that would destroy the gray worn look that the boards had worked years to achieve.

I sanded with fine grit paper.
Brushed the wood out with a dry scrub brush.
And sanded again.

Then blew off all the bits with the air compressor.

To seal the wood, I used several coats of Valspar Flat Sealer because it was the only option I found that would keep the integrity of that gray aged color.

The treadle is the showpiece.
And still pumps like a champ.
And has a new lease on life.

Oh, and it will also be at the JITT Vintage Market.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

2013-10-08T17:02:00.001-07:00

It ain't easy being green.

But the console I just finished painting is working it like a stack of those new $100 bills.

It came from an auction. And had stains and scratches and a yellow glow that radiated in person.

Not everything needs paint. This did.

I painted Annie Sloan Antibes Green. Even on the hardware.

And vigorously distressed.

And used a 50/50 mix of clear and dark wax.

And buffed like my life depended on it.

And had Kermit's song stuck in my head the whole way through.

This console is definitely friendly-like.

But you should decide for yourself and come check it out at Junk in the Trunk in November.

Picking Lesson 1

2013-10-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Very little home improvement has been going on at our house lately.

I've been busy picking. Not the glamorous road trip down I-10 with the truck and cute wellies farm-yard picking, but the rooting around town in my Cube and having to borrow my father-in-law's truck for the 3rd time this week picking.

Prepping my space at Rusty Saturday, I was bursting with joy. Loving it. So when the opportunity to apply as a vendor for the Junk in the Trunk (JITT) market in November came about, I quickly signed up.

Got accepted.
Paid.
Looked at the dimensions of my event space.
Freaked out.

The space is 15 feet huge by 15 feet ginormous. And when I mapped it out to scale in Photoshop, it was virtually empty with the few items I had on hand.

But its getting there.
Almost there.
And mission pick is shifting into mission transform.
And I look forward to sharing those transformations with you soon. As soon as I share some of my lessons.

Online auctions - Read the descriptions.

I've participated in a couple of online auctions. They post pictures and descriptions and then as the clock winds down you bid against whomever else is online. Fun. And dangerous. And they have your address and credit card info, so if you don't pick up your purchases on time they ship it to you at your expense.

A few weeks ago, I was into an auction for a couple of ladder back chairs that were posted. While I was waiting, a white bird cage came up with the next set of lots getting ready to close out.

Bird Cage.
Pre-Halloween.
Current bid at $2.50.
I was in. After some black spray paint it was going to make a cute home for a horrified doll trapped in there as a Halloween centerpiece.

I got bid up a bit, but won the cage at a cool $3.75.

The next day I showed up at the auction facility to make my pick up.

"So what kind of a bird do you have?" the woman asked as she charged me for the items purchased.

"I don't. I got the cage for Halloween decor."

She called up one of the guys from the warehouse to bring my stuff up and help me load. He looked over my order and the numbers and told me that I should pull around back to the loading dock.

"What kind of car do you have?" he asked. I assumed that while I was inside there had been a rush of traffic besides the one car that was there when I pulled up and he was going to need to direct me back through the herd.

"Nissan Cube."

"Um, oh. OK. See you around back."

There was a different warehouse worker waiting on the dock when I pulled up.

"What kind of birds do you have?"

Why does everyone assume I have a bird when I buy a cute little bird cage? Why aren't they commenting on the chairs or the old wood water skis I nabbed? I was expecting 'Great buy on the chairs. They should clean up nice.'

Then the warehouse worker from inside brought out the birdcage.
That was twice as wide as he was.
With a height past his waist.
On a rolling dolly.
And the other guy was there to help him lift it. The birdcage. Made of iron.

It took the entire space of my Cube. The chairs were on hold. I was going to have to drive back to get them before the end of the week, when I'd be charged for shipping. But the skis fit. They managed to shove them in along the top so that when I drove home, they would keep banging against the iron cage like a metallic little laugh at my expense for not reading the description before I bid. It was my 'Nevermore' moment.

Read the descriptions. And the measurements. Do it.

The cage won't be at JITT. I toyed with the idea of still painting it black and then having the neighborhood kids pose in it for pictures on Halloween, but it has already found a new home. I put it on craigslist to see if anyone would bite and the Monday after an exotic bird show found a man who could use it for its intended purpose.

After I delivered it to him.
Because it didn't fit in his car.
Because he didn't read the measurements either.

Burlap & Glass Showgirls

2013-09-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

While in Las Vegas last month, I took a Sunday afternoon trek to an estate sale.

8 minutes off the strip.

Gated community.

Ranch style dwelling.

Green grassy lawns fuller than small town Minnesota.

Most of the 'finds' I was hoping for were still overpriced with an hour left of the sale on the last day, but I did nab some glass lamps. I could relate to the chunky bases.

But they needed new lids. Better shades. The picture doesn't show it well, but there were rips and stains that drew the eyes up in a bad way.

I searched for cheap shade transformations and found this burlap lamp shade tutorial. It is gorgeous. You should definitely click through if you haven't already. And I followed their steps.

With black.
And the slanted shades I had.

Let me be clear about something. Know this if you are going to make them yourself.

1. The photos don't convey how much black burlap fuzz was all over the house.

At the ironing board.

On the table.

Somehow in my tank top.

I can only imagine that my boobs itched more than that time Anthony and I went to Hawaii before we were married and I convinced him to shave his chest and then it got razor burned and sun burned on top of that.

Maybe my itch wasn't quite that bad. Irritating nonetheless.

2. There is serious risk for hot glue burns. Its called hot glue. Melts out of a gun. I knew it was hot. And continually stuck my finger in it without letting it cool a bit first.

Don't be a Heidi...with a glue gun or on Waikiki Beach. They are both reckless and ruthless.

But the results were worth the temporary pain.

And I'm just talking about the lamp shades.

The shaved chest was a bad idea all around.

Map Desk: With Love for the British

2013-09-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on facebook you saw that last week I officially joined the Rusty Saturday family.

And you should know that any amount of panache and balance visible in the vignette photo above meant an equal amount of disaster and chaos at home. It was a cluster of products and receipts and price tags and spreadsheets and I'm glad that Anthony is so laid back. And I'm enjoying the whole process.

Part of the display is my map desk transformation. Inspired by the Ikea version at finding Home.

Made from a worn find with brass toecaps.

I used a couple of coats of Annie Sloan Pure White chalk paint for the main desk.

And Greek Blue for the drawers.

And Great Britain for the map detailing.

And while I decoupaged the sheets onto the drawers and pull out, I thought about my adventure with Anthony on the British roads between London and Cambridge last January in our rented purple Peugeot. I relived the discomfort and anxiety that came with driving a manual from a different side of the car on a different side of the road and being the first person in the turn lane at a stoplight at a busy intersection. It took every ounce of concentration to turn into the correct lane. And all remaining concentration not to clip the parked cars on our left, because my depth perception while driving from the right side of the car was flawed.

Heidi, you're getting awfully close to these cars on the left.
Baby, I'm serious. You need to move to the right a little.
I swear to God, we are a millimeter away from clipping off all their mirrors!

It was a nice little reminder of my distress. Speaking of, I distressed the desk edges and decoupaged maps once they were dry. I also did a watered down white wash of the maps to make them more subdued.

The final accoutrement was brass hardware.

I hope that he finds a new home soon and brings someone joy.

Joy.
Not a bile tasting reminder about how they almost ran 100 Londoners off the road earlier this year.

The Antistrip

2013-08-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

I'm in Las Vegas, but instead of my go-to companions of a cheering craps table and a gelato cone from the Bellagio, I chose to spend this rainy desert day with a stale coffee and the quiet inspiration of the Las Vegas Design Center.

And by quiet, I mean that during my hours in the dozen or so spacious showrooms, I encountered 4 other patrons. It was the antistrip. Just me and the warm staff workers answering my questions that never once made me feel like I shouldn't be spending time amongst all the products and fabrics and chandeliers that are out of my price range.

They just let me dream.

About painting a wall black.

And having a $7,000 office chair.

And about how my heart would palpitate while I swung from a chandelier.

A chance to fantasize about my own gallery wall with a lion head knocker.

And napping in Morocco.

And being a rock star with bling tufted chairs that make me feel petite and dainty.

I highly recommend a visit. Especially if you are in the market for new decor. Some of the items were surprisingly reasonable and are purchased through the LVDC designers who get them shipped new right to your home.

But even if you're just gawking like me, it is worth the short trip to experience your ass in a $7000 desk chair.

Fold Top Chalkboard Buffet

2013-08-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we hauled a fold top buffet home from a San Diego thrift store.

The long way back to Phoenix. Via Temecula and Palm Springs.

The back of my Cube was more than congested.

Here's another look at it.

But here it is now.

Lustrous.
Alive.
With a buffet top coated in chalk paint for easy menu labeling.

Here's a better look at the transformation.

In the beginning there were scrapes, waxy gunk chunks, only one top piece that would fold out properly, and minimal character.

I sealed all the hardware holes so I could add updated options.

Painted the insides a creamy white.

And coated the exterior in classic black PolyShades. Hear this. I will never use PolyShades for a big project again. It was inconsistent and I spent too much time trying to make it right. Next time I put on my big girl pants and stain and poly the old school way.

The chalkboard paint that went on the fold out pieces worked like a dream. I did two coats with a small foam roller.

And lined all the shelves with fabric I had on hand. The drawer and bottom pieces were fabric adhered to cardboard. The shelf was spray adhesive with hot glue finishing the wrapped around edge in the back.

I shy away from distressed furniture, but the buffet looked so much better after some gentle distressing around the edges.

The sad part is that my time with the buffet is limited. It is off to Rusty Saturday next week.

To join a new happy home with someone who shows it a real party. Not like the pretend one I threw just to test out the chalkboard top.

Not that my pretend party wasn't awesome.

Dirty martinis, macaroons, sliders and stuffed figs...what all good girls are made of.

Will I repeat the chalk top? Yes.
Will I repeat the PolyShades? No.
Did I day drink a dirty martini at my pretend party? A girl needs a few secrets.

I ♥ ...

2013-08-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

I ♥ Rusty Saturday.

Rusty Saturday is one of Phoenix's newest awesome shop locations. It is finds, and deals, and upcycled, and treasures and worth routine visits.

And starting in September, I will have my very own retail space in the store. You heard me. A whole section of heidi schatze.

My project list has grown exponentially.
I am brimming with excitement and bubbling with anxiety.
My car is parked in the driveway because the valuable garage real estate is being used for staining.
And reupholstering.
And hoarding.

But don't wait for me to show up. This weekend, everything in the store is 20% off. Just make sure and come back around on September 1st.

And of course I'll do a virtual tour. Complete with champagne. Straight out of the bottle.

Commercial Break Break

2013-08-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Are you reading this during a gruelingly long Project Runway commercial break? I feel your pain, mon amour.

Here. Watch this.

Shareen will inspire you with her effortless reworking of vintage dresses. And endear you with her wisdom and spirit.

To be an individual means that no one can compete with you. You become without rival.

Oui.

Heavy Metal Anniversary

2013-08-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Today is our wedding anniversary.

By traditional standards it is the year for pottery. For the modern, the year of leather. Translation - 9 years.

But we don't follow the anniversary gifts by year guide. And most years don't even give gifts at all. We prefer to celebrate with dinner and time. For a couple of our years, we have put in insanely low bids on Priceline for fancy Arizona resorts and lived in luxury for a weekend. Other years, driven or hopped a cheap flight to a locale with temps under 100.

This year is different. We are getting a tangible gift for us, and the theme is metal.

We took the long way back from San Diego the other weekend and spent time in Temecula, CA. And while there, went crazy over the photos printed on metal at local gallery, Metalography. You know I love bright and shiny. The prices on the showcased pieces were reasonable. And having them print your own photo is even more affordable, so Anthony suggested we choose one of our photos and have it done.

And chosen we have. A picture of our shiny new padlock on the Bridge of Love in Paris from January of this year.

Because a picture of metal on metal just felt right.

Because the more I think about it, the more I realize that our relationship is all about metal.

Every year.

Each celebration.

Celebrating with forks or gas tanks or airplanes.

Our first dance? Metal. Metallica's Nothing Else Matters.

And I hope we drag this metal tradition on for another 70 years.

Because you know what you get when you drag metal?

Sparks.

Sippers & Skimmers

2013-08-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

...For when you want to coordinate what's going to your head with what is already there.

Sometimes a lady doesn't have the energy to beat around the bush. And on those days she needs to slip on this $2,000 lid and announce loudly to the bar that she needs a neat Between the Sheets. Maybe two! she shouts.

Links: Between the Sheets recipe & Victoria Grant fascinator

Patio: Pillowed & Sealed

2013-08-12T14:55:00.000-07:00

Last time we sat on the patio, we had just hung the chandelier.

Character developing, but minimal.

Time for pizzazz. Pop. Color.

From the pillow fabrics.

The patio budget is low, so the fabrics came from the remnant section at SAS Fabrics in Phoenix. I bought the pillow inserts there too.

But the print pattern? That is Waverly Santa Maria Gem and it is available all over the place: JoAnns, Fabric.com, Amazon, likely your local fabric store. I love it. And loved it instantly because it blends with the chevron rug and matches the rust colored planter next to the couch.

The empty planter.

Because I'm not ready to kill again quite yet.

My 3 fabric choices were heavy. Serious. Those pillows would have looked down with repugnance upon the chevron rug, viewing it as a reckless, unrefined slab.

I couldn't have that judgement, so I added in a lightweight blue denim to use for the piping. It kept things a little more playful.

Don't be scared of sewing piping. BH&G has a descriptive tutorial with pictures here.

Do you have to cut your piping strips on the bias? It makes the corners round more nicely without bunching. But, when I have been low on fabric I cut them along the grain and it was fine.

Things to keep in mind for outdoor pillows.

1. Stay away from feathers. Feathers are amazing for getting the perfect karate chop on your indoor pillows, but can be a nightmare for outdoor pillows for obvious reasons. Once the next haboob rolls in, there is a good chance I will be fishing pillows out of the pool. I'll be grateful that I chose a synthetic polyester stuffing that day.

2. Fabric Seal. Thompsons's Fabric Seal claims to prevent water damage, resist color fading and repel spills and stains. Sun fading here can be brutal and I like to hose down everything on the patio when things get grimy. So, I gave it a shot. The fabric test strips definitely repelled after two coats. But will the pillows survive an Arizona sun beat-down? Time shall tell.

Who has a patio comfortable enough to sleep off an afternoon margarita buzz?

I do.

Don't believe? Come try it out for yourself. I'll salt the rims right now.

I ♥ ...

2013-08-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

I ♥ Survivors.

Remember the palm tree that wasn't getting any water because of the broken irrigation line? It increased the urgency of our Digging Project for the landscape retaining wall. We didn't want it to die.

Well, here it is now!

Wait.

Let me give you a better angle.

Beyond dead.

If killing plants and trees were a punishable crime I'd get life for sure. Or maybe even lethal injection from the sap of some poisonous and vindictive vine from the Amazon Rainforest.

I've laid to rest enough basil and tomato plants to make a weeks worth of slow-simmer-sauce for the entire country of Burundi.

When we first moved in, I absentmindedly offed a potted lemon tree.

A couple of weeks ago, one of those cute little rosemary bushes. Oh the delicacies we were going to enjoy. The water I fed didn't slow her shrivel and dry process at all. At all. I grumpily walked her out to the empty trash container at the side of the house and dropped her in. The brittle needles shot off in every direction and the beautiful aroma of rosemary swept up out of the can to give me one last slap in the face.

It stung.

I need survivors. For the inside and out. Not just succulents, leafy things too. Please tell me you know of something that I can keep alive. Please, I beg of you.

Oh, and lets keep this long list of plant killings between the two of us.

D to the I: Distraction Furniture

2013-08-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

I've been searching for inspired and innovative furniture design in hopes that I could translate some ideas onto my recent worn down furniture purchases.

Judson Beaumont blew my mind.

There will be no translation here. Just wonder and amazement.

Do yourself a favor and take a quick stroll through his furniture gallery.

And pay attention to the names, like Little Black Dresser below. Damn, I love word play.

Clean Pumpkin Granola Recipe

2013-08-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

My mom sent me her clean eating pumpkin granola recipe that she makes in a crock pot. Gluten free. No added sugar. Easy. Delicious.

And it feels like the right thing to make in Arizona today. Because school has started and it is overcast and raining and Phoenix is trying so hard for it to be fall. And pumpkin equals fall.

Ingredients:

5 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup applesauce

2/3 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup golden raisins

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir ingredients (minus raisins) together in a vented slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Stop cooking it after it has reach your preferred level of dryness. Stir in raisins once the heat is turned off.

*Variations: The options for this are limitless.

Try extra applesauce or peach puree instead of pumpkin.

Instead of raisins use dried blueberries, chopped dried apple, or dried apricot chunks.

Replace almonds with walnuts or pecans.

Like it less sweet, more like a muesli? Use less agave nectar.

Why do I have the feeling that this pumpkin delusion is going to need to last me 3 more months before fall actually decides to squat in the southwest?

Thrift: San Diego

2013-08-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

We just got back from San Diego.

And I am returning with an erratic sunburn, an affinity for overcast and 72 degrees, and a fold top buffet from the thrift store. A buffet which, still crammed in the back of my car, is also stuffed with thrifting finds.

Below is my map for San Diego thrift stores. Click on it, explore, and remember it for your next San Diego, CA adventure. There was only time for a few stops this trip, but that's fine, because the UCP Thrift Store on El Cajon Blvd was about as much as my tiny car could handle.

View San Diego thrift stores in a larger map

Please let me know if you have additions or updates for the map. And if it has scored you any San Diego treasures of your own.