Two on Twelve

DIY Tassel Gift Tags

2014-12-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Well folks, it is officially post-Thanksgiving holiday time which means two things - it's all Mariah's All I Want for Christmas all day and I'm in constant crazed crafting mode from now till January. With gifting on the mind, I thought I'd post about one of my favorite things to make these days to accompany my gifts - especially since you only need two supplies and have a finished product in under five minutes.

These DIY tassels made of baker's twine are a great way to add a little festive flair to your gift tags this holiday season. I found myself wondering how to make them a few months ago and once I realized how easy they are, I felt I had to share with my crafty counterparts out there who hope to make their gifts extra fancy shmancy this year.

Here's a breakdown of how it's done:

1. Start with baker's twine (or any thread of your choice). 2. Make a template for the tassel from cardstock or cardboard, cut to the desired height of your tassel and wrap the twine tightly around. 3. Cut an additional piece of twine and tie in a loose bow through the loop on one end. Slide off the template.

4. Cut another piece of twine and tie tightly about 3/4" down from the bow. 5. Cut through the loops on the opposite end of the bow and trim. 6. Untie the bow and affix to tags for all of your holiday favors.

Seriously, it is THAT easy.

You can try this easy technique with tons of other materials and accessories - like leather for a more durable keepsake or keyrings to gift the actual tassel as a keychain.

Happy crafting!
Amanda

Monday's Mantra

2014-11-03T10:00:00.000-05:00

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#proliferate. Happy Monday!

xx, Amanda

Inspiration Fix: Hooked on Nooks

2014-10-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

An insanely bright and cheery spot in this galley kitchen.

I am a huge sucker for breakfast nooks. Ahhhbsessed. I always pictured starting my day in the kitchen, feet up on the table, a cup of coffee in one hand while the other runs through my perfectly blown out hair (future me obviously has a hairdresser roommate - indefinitely) while a dashing fella reads the paper across the way. He starts sentences with curmudgeony things like "Well honey, damn youths these days..." and tries adorably to chat with me about pop culture so I can swoop in and save him from himself. Basically, my fantasy life mimics a 1950s sitcom, except we both jet off from that kitchen to our gigs as separate but equally powerful CEOs...

But, right, back to nooks - I love that an awkward corner or underutilized space can be swiftly transformed into a practical and charming eat-in area in the kitchen. Plus, it's so much easier to throw together than a full-blown dining room - whose life is conducive to an entire room dedicated to eating anyway?

With a simple tabletop, some seating, and, of course, a few great accessories, these homes have incorporated a great space to come together (even for just a sec) in the kitchen.

This little set of table and chairs is pretty in pink.

As always, colorful and eclectic perfection from the team at I Suwanee/Furbish.

An easy, airy and lived in breakfast nook in this Portland abode via Design Sponge.

Legit still daydream about Amanda Peet's nook from her 2012 home tour for Vogue (and those wishbone-back chairs).

Pattern and color mastery in this nook via vintage connoisseur Lauren Lail (ps again with those chairs).

Brilliant blue accent wall in this cozy space by Chango&Co. (...and...are those wishbone-back chairs again I see? This was actually just a sneaky post all about these magnificent chairs.)

So, meet you all for brunch soon?

Till next time,
Amanda

Hi again!

2014-10-20T11:24:00.000-04:00

What can I say...it seems you and I need to get reacquainted. After an amazing summer running amok all over NYC, I am fully prepared to settle back down with you this fall and get serious about being just so damn inspired and crafty together. For starters, lets explore some new neighborhoods, try our hand at baking pies and engage in endless frolicking in open fields amongst the fall foliage.

On deck: stepping out on watercolors to flirt with the bad boy of the art world: oil paints, tablescaping for beginners, antique hunting in NYC, the painful but super serious process of choosing new throw pillows, and, the pièce de résistance, cooking an entire Thanksgiving feast in a kitchen equipped for nothing of the sort.

Let's do this thang.

More to come!

xx, Amanda

#watercolorwinefest

2014-02-11T08:26:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend I was lucky enough to host some great friends at my apartment for a little wine and a little watercolor painting, lovingly dubbed #watercolorwinefest. I am by no means an expert in the art of anything, much more of a serial dabbler, so I was unsure of how my little workshop would turn out. However, since wine was involved, I did know it would at least be fun.

I woke up early on Sunday and got to turning my teensy studo into a makeshift workshop, utilizing every form of tabletop and seating I had - including the edge of my bed. Once I arranged the room, I set up stations with pre-cut watercolor paper, bright palettes and plenty of brushes. Then I made it pretty - I mean, really, if you add a little baker's twine, confetti and anemonies to any situation, you're good to go.

a Voluspa candle never hurts the ambiance

when everyone arrived, it was time for some liquid courage

there was laughing and texting and volumizing your hair

once we actually got started, surprise, surprise, my friends were awesome

we experimented with white crayon designs

we made feathers, hearts and other shapes

mixed colors and water levels to get the perfect pigments

we used gold leaf too!

sometimes the dab paper towels are my favorite pieces of the day

things did get a little silly towards the end

and these hotties looked real nyfw while saying their goodbyes

Let's just say #watercolorwinefest was the first of MANY byob workshops to come. Currently taking suggestions for the next! Check out the rest of the #winewatercolorfest creations on Instagram.

Till next time,
Amanda

A Few February Faves

2014-02-05T08:51:00.000-05:00

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Well, it is officially the second month of 2014 which means time flies AND, more importantly, it's the season of sugar cookies, wearing pink and red together and loathing winter's staying power. But, it also means we're one month closer to Spring, it's the month of my bestie's birthday and the month of love leading up to Valentine's Day. While I'm not a Valentine's Day fanatic per se (fun fact: red roses are my least favorite flower), I love the excuse to babble even more crazy-person love things at Nick and get inspired in the kitchen and the craft box.

I'm kicking off Feburary with a little pre-Valentine's Day craft party this weekend and have been admiring these projects or objects to fill the rest of my month with happy feelings!

Enjoy!

1. This gorgeous gold mug accented by a cute heart-shaped stirrer topper from Ruffled would make for a perfect DIY project.

2. Kristen, lovely blogger behind the adorable lifestyle blog Ella Claire, posted this seemingly super simple and delish recipe for her Strawberries and Cream 5 Ingredient Valentine Cookies. Seems like a perfect treat to whip up on a weeknight!

3. How cute are these heart-shaped DIY elbow patches? Erica from Honestly WTF gives step-by-step instructions for adding these cutesies to any wool sweater you already own using a nifty needle felting technique.

4. These Grapefruit Pomegranate Mimosas look like just what the doctor ordered to cure my February blues. Brunch or no brunch, I am set on starting my next Saturday with a few of these lovelies from Annette Joseph.

5. I just bought a few of these chic black and gold V-Day cards for some lucky loved ones from the great designers at Sugar Paper.

6. Keeping this inspirational mantra in mind for the month. Who's with me?

Till next time,
Amanda

Watercoloring for the Winter Soul

2014-01-27T22:11:00.003-05:00

In some serious need of color therapy this dreary weekend, I turned to my watercolor palette to soothe my sad, very pale winter soul. I welcomed the idea of an indoor activity that would keep me busy for hours, justifying the delivery of both my breakfast and lunch, eliminating any need to set foot outdoors.

Here are a few snapshots of what I'm working on!

some free-handed numbers

inspirational mini squares

Some colorful 3D dot prints were a perfect update for my cork board
(original DIY post for my cork board calendar here!)

I did the donut a while ago but finally put it up this weekend. Oh, and another dot pattern!

Watercolors are a really easy way to create easy art for your home -- even your mistakes usually look pretty!

Till next time,

Amanda

Inspiration Fix: Ahhhmazing Wood-Burning [or not] Beauties

2014-01-22T13:40:00.000-05:00

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In case you haven't heard, the weather is, shall we say, inclement up here in NYC and pretty much everywhere else - did anyone else see snow fly UP yesterday?! I'm still mastering this northern winter thing, often asking my co-workers questions like: "At what temperature should I panic," "Does this look like frostbite," and "Why does everything hurt, am I dying?"

In my novice opinion, it's sometimes helpful to think warm, happy thoughts while getting pelted in the face with snow and wondering if the tops of your ears are still there. So, here are some of my favorite fireplaces from across the internet to mentally warm your hands in front of if you also happen to find yourself sitting indoors with your parka still on typing with semi-frozen fingertips.

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Sending warm vibes your way,
Amanda

On My Reading List...

2014-01-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

Reading is just the bees knees, isn't it? I love the way a book feels so intimate to the reader, everyone experiencing stories in a different way, feeling uniquely attached to the characters inside and carrying them with you once you close that back cover.

Thanks to my restless mind, I usually find myself deeply immersed in no less than six story lines at a time. I'll read anything from Wine for Dummies to Wuthering Heights, but here's what's on the docket for January:

-The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls - I've heard enough people raving about this incredibly smart memoir that it really should have been on my reading list months ago. I'm about halfway through and it's one of those that keeps you up hours past your bedtime because you keep telling yourself "ok, just ONE more chapter."

-Remodelista by Julie Carlson - This beauty is chock-full of gorgeous interiors and tips for the remodelista in all of us, written by the genius behind the beloved online design sourcebook that shares its name.

-The Old Man and The Sea by Earnest Hemingway - I like to re-read classics like this every now and then since they can easily be found for next-to-nothing at used book stores around the city.

-The Cuckoo's Calling by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith - I was curious about this one because of a. the pseudonym thing, and b. the premise - a detective is hired by the brother of a legendary supermodel who falls to her death, which is initially ruled a suicide. However, her brother is convinced she was murdered and it quickly becomes clear that everyone involved is hiding something. Look forward to figuring this one out!

-Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn - A serious fan of Gone Girl, I'm eager to dig into Gillian's début novel. Also a psychological thriller, I'm sure it will keep me feeling weird and developing unwarranted paranoia of my surroundings, much like Gone Girl did.

-Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath - I revisit this one a lot when I'm looking for a little career/life inspiration. The Heath brothers offer a ton of hilarious commentary on why some ideas stick and why others die while giving the reader sage advice for how to make everything you do sticky and make your ambitions a reality.

Anyone reading anything good that should be on my next list?

Till next time,
Amanda

Meet Your New Lifestyle Spirit Guides: LEAF

2014-01-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Whether it's a brilliant new blogger to follow and emulate, an amazing new brand to shop the shit out of or the latest and greatest workout craze (see: the time I tried a Miami-themed dance class), I'm constantly discovering new things online that seem impossible to have ever lived without. I fancy myself a listserv queen, constantly bookmarking new websites and signing up for email subscriptions from my favorite corners of the internet.

This year, I'll be sharing some of the aforementioned websites that you must have in your life, starting with how-to heaven over at LEAF.

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From styling a sequin skirt four ways to finally cutting an avocado the right way, the ladies over at LEAF have you covered. LEAF is a modern lifestyle platform for women featuring short how-to videos that are gorgeous to look at and always on-trend. Co-founded by two very stylish female entrepreneurs, Geri Hirsch and Erin Falconer have created a one-stop shop to upgrade your everyday life. The best part? It literally is a shop, each post being completely shoppable, so you can grab your favorite items on the spot.

They've become my go-to for a daily dose of inspiration in my closet, kitchen, home and everything else in between. Visit their website and get your domestic goddess on!
Till next time,
Amanda

Check Me Out on Someone Else's Skinny!

2014-01-14T12:04:00.001-05:00

A fave little personal recipe of mine was featured on my friend Hannah's blog. Holla if you love Kale Salad! And, if you don't, I bet you will after you try this simple lunch-saver of mine.

Check out the whole post here and while you're there, make sure you browse her other posts too. She's pretty great!

xoxo,
Amanda

Hey 2014, we're back!

2014-01-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

Two on Twelve is back in action and we're saying hi to 2014 with a pretty new site design (thanks Blair!) and some pretty new posts! I figure we should start with the obligatory resolution list before January passes us by completely. I usually have a hard time thinking of topics to expand on for my resolutions, so I borrowed Lauren Conrad's simple list because she's a genius and I love her.

Here we go:

A bad habit I’m going to break:
Biting my nails!

A destination I’d like to visit:
Georgia - to finally run around with my gal pals in their own city.

I’m going to work harder at:

Fretting less about plans and the future. Que sera sera!

A project I’d like to finish:

Refurbishing my rescue chandelier.

A class I’d like to take:
A BLOGSHOP workshop or a calligraphy class.

I’d like to spend more time (I couldn’t pick just one):

Picking the brains of creative people that I admire AND learning new things with Nick.

A food I want to eat more of:

Juices or smoothies with lots of greens and other good-for-me ingredients.

I want to wear more:
Lady-like silhouettes.

And that's that for me! I'm also participating in Pinterest's #PinYourResolution campaign which you can check out here.

How about you guys? Sharing any of these resolutions with me?

Till next time,
Amanda

Inspiration Fix: Navy Velvet

2013-10-18T09:34:00.001-04:00

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The official turn of Summer to Fall weather has led to skipping down the street, good hair days and general feelings of glee all around. Officially time to bid my sandals adieu and give my old buddies in the coat closet a dusting off.

Fall has also inspired quite a bit of pinning and obsessing over little seasonal updates for the apartment, especially all of these amazing navy velvet pieces I've spied. Some of my favorites from around the Pinterest-sphere here:

For more on how much I love chairs on books, read on here... (via)

Need this nook. (via)

Pretty tufted headboard. (via)

I'll take ten of these babies. (via)

Gorge simple navy velvet couch. (via)

Cozy bedding. (via)

Ridiculously amazing headboard. (via)

Till next time,

Amanda

Weekend Snapshots

2013-10-15T08:01:00.000-04:00

Cleaned the apartment and remembered the genius behind this chalkboard quote...

...identified with this sticker in a pizza joint's bathroom...

...watched this guy dominate mankind...

...getting somewhere with an ongoing project...

...broke in some new booties (thanks Mom!)...

...painted my nails red which made me feel dangerous...

...and squished a Nick for paying too much attention to his fantasy app.

Happy short week to everyone!

Till next time,

Amanda

Things You Need Right Now: Couples' Closet Must-Haves

2013-10-07T08:18:00.000-04:00

Sharing an apartment with your significant other can be as challenging as it is fun when it comes to incorporating two apartments full of stuff into one (see my tale of woe for girly home goods here). Sharing a closet is a whole other animal.

Tips like "hang hooks on empty walls" and "use empty floor space creatively" are great for people who have all of this sprawling empty space to work with. However, if you are 24 (ahem, or newly 25) and live in NYC, this likely is not your situation. Nick and I have given our closet a few edits since moving in so I wanted to share our lifesavers (and relationship savers) in case you find yourself in a similar scenario any time soon.

The Container Store's Natural Storage Boxes - The Container Store is a godsend for city living with a website and store organized by someone with not only good taste but common sense. I use these boxes to store things like extra bedding and towels in a pretty way on the shelves in the closet.

Another Container Store Find is the Underbed Box - Separate your wardrobe into seasons and only keep the current one hanging up. We have two of these under our bed and swap out pieces as the seasons change.

Real Simple's 9 Cube Storage Unit - We have an alcove in our closet with enough room for one dresser but quickly found that no dresser would be enough room for all of our folded clothes. So we opted to get a little creative, stacking two of these cubes in the space and utilizing storage baskets like these. It gives us a ton of room.

Studded Storage Bench - Choose furniture that can pull double duty like benches with storage space. Wayfair has a lot of options. Ours has been great for storing extra blankets and coats.

A few more things: If you haven't worn it in a year, you probably won't. Do your closet a favor and bring your gently used clothes to a consignment boutique like Second Time Around or donate them to a local thrift store. Also, Vacuum storage bags are amazing and work wonders.

Till next time,
Amanda

Monday's Mantra

2013-09-23T08:07:00.002-04:00

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This isn't just any old Monday, it's the first Monday of fall y'all. Heading out this morning with a fresh attitude, wearing a light trench for my walk to the train and enjoying a pumpkin spice latte. Cheers!

Till next time,
Amanda

DIY Cork Board Calendar

2013-09-09T08:54:00.001-04:00

Nick and I had a pretty packed weekend between his busy b-school schedule and doing an amazing build in Breezy Point with some great people from Tuesday's Children and NY Says Thank You (shout out). But, we managed to squeeze in a DIY project we've been hoping to do for a while - a cork board installment in our little desk alcove.

We went back and forth between one big framed one and a pieced-together one made of smaller squares, and decided to go with the latter. It just so happens that Staples is right next door to a new art supply shop, so I stopped in and got inspired to spice this baby up with a little silver paint and stenciling.

I used Liquid Silver DecoColor paint pens...

...and large Helvetica stencils evenly across the top of three cork squares.

Voila! (Don't mind that messy bed in the mirror. Or the clutter on the desk. We are a real life couple in a studio, after all.)

It's a great way to keep track of our weekly schedules while also displaying some photos and mementos from our latest adventures. Along with the little doodles I have lying around too.

Till next time,
Amanda

Lake George Getaway

2013-08-30T05:18:00.000-04:00

Pardon the posting hiatus, I have been busy dragging myself out of bed every morning in a post-vacation fog feebly attempting to get back into a regular routine and catch up on one million emails. But it was worth it. Our first trip to Lake George was ridiculously amazing and definitely won't be our last. We stayed in a tiny little cabin at the Shore Meadows Motel in the campy, touristy part of the lake called The Village. It was cheap, comfortable and had a great little private beach with a cozy fire pit for the lake's chilly summer nights.

I don't feel like our snapshots capture just how peaceful and beautiful a trip it was, but they get pretty darn close.

Sun in your eyes there, Nick?

I spy a guy skipping rocks...

The lake's best cliff jumping spot Calf Pen (it's over 150 feet deep here!)

Ready to conquer Prospect Mountain!

Besides the hike, our days were spent floating in the lake with a beer in hand. In short, it was per. fect.

Keeping with this month's theme: travel, we're off to my best friend's wedding in picturesque Banner Elk, NC so expect more landscapey photos soon!

Till next time,
Amanda

The Art of the Staycation

2013-08-14T10:04:00.001-04:00

As a young working couple, it has been pretty impossible to find the time for a legit week-long vacation that works out for both of our schedules. To get to that elusive compromise place, we decided to do a long weekend away at Lake George so that Nick could get back to it on Monday and I could resume my time off with a little staycation (more on amazing Lake George to come).

With my cheesy tourist tee on and a little coffee in hand, I present to you the art of the staycation:

1. Do not wear real clothes. Not even when you leave the house.
2. No hair styling or makeup wearing is allowed.
3. If you don't have a Netflix account at this point, you are an animal. Get one. Then watch embarrassing amounts made-for-tv movies and hundreds of episodes of those tv shows your significant other has banned from your DVR.

Some musts: Orange is the New Black, Top of the Lake, House of Cards, Sherlock and re-watching my favorites from The Office, New Girl, Mad Men, Arrested Development and, yes, Gossip Girl.

4. Arts and crafts supplies are a necessity for me in case random inspiration for little projects should strike. Like this one.
5. Drink wine. Any ole time of the day.

And that is it. It's been an amazing, cheap way to top off my vacation. Highly recommend staycating for one and all!

Till next time,
Amanda

DIY Pretty Pinecone Object

2013-08-14T09:36:00.003-04:00

On our trip to scenic Lake George over the weekend, Nick and I got in some serious quality time with the great outdoors. Throughout our adventures, I found a few free souvenirs and brought them home with me to spruce up our bookshelf.

One such souvenir was a perfect little pine cone that I envisioned living on the cover of some vintage books wearing a generous coat of gold spray paint.

Once spray painted, I looked into my craft box and got inspired by a couple bright blue guys to add something extra...

...so I painted some tips in a two-tone stripe pattern wrapping around the length of the pine cone.

And there it sits along with some pine branches in a thrifted little milk container and a new stone paper weight. I love adding little updates to to the bookshelf, especially when they're free!

Till next time,
Amanda

Our bags are packed...

2013-08-08T07:38:00.000-04:00

Nick and I are off! We're headed to a tiny cabin on Lake George for our first real vacation vacation. While we've traveled many times since living up here, we've never taken a trip just us the two of us to do just about nothing.

Here's to bathing suits and bad reception. And whiskey. And wine and beer.

xoxo,
Amanda

Monday's Mantra

2013-08-05T07:40:00.001-04:00

Now into the month before my biggest event of the year, there are about one million cooks in the proverbial kitchen and even more opinions. It can be tempting to take on the role of the compliant one, giving in to outside pressure and giving up on your own opinions just to move things along. But I'm challenging myself this week to stand behind my gut feelings.

Care enough to put yourself out there today and take a risk - you could be wrong, or you could come up with something completely original and great.

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Till next time,
Amanda

Things You Need Right Now: The Prettiest Darned Watercolor Prints Ever

2013-07-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

Every time Summer hits in the city, I can't help but think of this quote from Chuck Palahniuk's "Invisible Monsters" where the main character describes how great she feels in the sweltering weather:

"...it was a great feeling, a million spotlights picking you out of the crowd, or into a restaurant when outside it was ninety degrees, and everyone would turn and look, like you'd just been given some major distinguished award for lifetime beauty achievement."

Umm, what?

I've attempted to channel this outlook to absolutely no avail every time a new sweat bead flees for its life down my body. However, these gorgeous watercolor prints by Virginia Johnson are so full of cool Summery colors, it's almost enough to make this heat worth it.

Get this line of limited edition prints from One King Lane's exclusive boutique now!

xoxo,
Amanda

Weekend Snapshots

2013-07-23T08:02:00.003-04:00

It's been quite the shitstorm around here lately - in the very best way possible - which has kept me on my feet and away from my keyboard. To catch you up on a few things, I lost all self-respect during this heatwave and bathed in a public water fountain, wore more top knots than Nick could handle and less clothing than appropriate for work. Or for ever.

Also on the clothing topic, I'm fairly certain there are no good outfits for falling down stairs, but I had the distinct privilege of finding out what falling down an entire flight in a bathing suit is like. It was at the Empire Hotel rooftop lounge and it was graphic. Thankfully, I had an onlooker verbally rush to my aid with an "oh god!" before sauntering back over to my friends with both my pride and bikini misplaced.

I did, however, get to see some of my favorite beauties this weekend which reminded me to post this batch of overdue weekend snapshots from our Central Park picnic:

No picnic is complete without a Parisi sandwich to share!

There's nothing better than a little Summer sunshine, wine and introducing Haley to my favorite picnic soundtrack by Mr. DMX.

Till next time,

Amanda

Monday's Mantra

2013-07-15T08:30:00.001-04:00

This Monday morning, I leave you with a simple one:

via Fairy Tales are True

Check out pretty prints of this mantra and others like it from Taraphotographics' Etsy shop.

xoxo,

Amanda