Re: Subject: Calling All Maddicts!

Hey Kara - 

What an awesome idea for a party!!  Is it your friend's birthday or did she just want to do something fun for a group of friends??

So, I remembered (I think last year) Oprah did a show on Mad Men.  I found this which may be helpful.  It includes some drink and food ideas that were shared on her show.  I think you are on the right track with many of the ideas.  Little Sally Draper pouring drinks seems like it qualifies under something you do not want child protective services to hear about, but then again maybe the kid will end up with some good tips!

I think for the drinks I like the idea of doing the pitchers with the drinks named after the characters.  I can see them with little signs next to each pitchers, maybe in mini frames??  For the game, maybe you could set it up like a game show from the 1960's.  Have you ever watched The Match Game??  There are two players and then I think six panelists.  The host asks a phrase, usually funny, like, "Don Draper is always lucky when it comes to the ladies.  It must be his really big ____________."  The the panel would write something on a card and the contestant who's question it is would write something on their card.  Your goal is to get the most matches possible.   So, there isn't really a right or wrong answer, it would just be good for those who really knew the characters because they have a better chance of matching.  Plus, it would be hysterical to see how people answer that one!!  Playing old episodes of the show in the background is key, and music from that decade is also important.  

It seems like you hit on everything.  Not sure if she is planning on doing invitations, but I think finding vintage ads and somehow incorporating them in the invite would be cool.  Otherwise, they could also work for party decor and framing them would be fun.  They could go on the drink and food tables.  I bet some of the thrift stores in town have old copies of magazines and she could pull them from there or find them online.

I can't wait to see how everything turns out!!  You definitely have to share pictures.  Oh, remember Hubby and I based our engagement pictures on Mad Men.  Everything I wore was from my closet, except the hat.  Don't you have that cowl neck JCrew dress??  I think that will totally work.  And if you want to borrow my hat, let me know.  I actually found it at Target! 

Have a great weekend!

Mel

Photography:  W. Scott Chester

Subject: Master Bath

Hell-ooo!

So, I have been displeased with my master bath for awhile, but I have finally come up with a plan to fix it that will be a) fast and b) cheap. My goal is to do it for less than $100. From the picture below you can see the vanity (only one sink, I know - boo!) with the mirror and light fixture.

The two biggest fixes are going to be on these two objects. I want the mirror to look more custom, so I am going to glue trim pieces to it to make it look like it is framed. My question: should I have the mirror cut smaller? The tape represents the approximate size of the mirror if I were to cut it. I can take it to the local glass place here and they can cut it for no more than $40. (I originally called them to get an estimate on how much it would be if they cut it into an oval, and that is the quote they gave me, but it might be less since it would only require one cut.) You'll notice the light fixture is centered over the sink, instead of the whole vanity, so if I were to cut the mirror I would then center it under the light when I re-hung it. Cutting the mirror would create some blank wall space, so I think I would hang two small places or pictures there. The biggest pro to not cutting the mirror is that this project could then be done even faster. But I think the pros to cutting it are 1) a more custom look and b) the mirror would be centered under the light fixture.

Then here is the light fixture:

Ugh! I cannot stand it. Please ignore the thick layer of dust and instead focus on how it's not quite metal and looks like it's painted with matte gray paint. But instead of buying a brand new fixture, my father-in-law suggested I take it down and paint it a glossy black, which I think could be a h-uge improvement. He also suggested I use the same glossy paint to paint the trim around the mirror. Thoughts? I would keep the same shades (but maybe clean them) and switch out the faux-candle bulbs for some round ones.

Next, we need to talk about paint. Here is my shower curtain:

It's nothing fancy. It's Shabby Chic from Target that we've had since before we got married. It's simple and pretty neutral (it's striped sage green, pale blue and white, in case it's not clear from the picture). For now I'm going to keep it, but if I find something fabulous then I wouldn't mind replacing it, but I don't feel it's a priority for this project.

My idea of paint color came from the September 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Because I don't have my scanner hooked up and this was faster, here is a quick picture of my inspiration:


I like the idea of doing a cross between the darker beige on the right and the color on the upper left. Pottery Barn also has some great moody beiges, which you can view here. The bathroom is already cream, but I would like to do something darker that will really pop against the white trim (there's crown moulding that you can't see) but would also look really sophisticated next to my (new) black mirror and light fixture.

I would love to know your thoughts. I would like to do this project next week if possible!

Hoping for lots of inspiration,
Kara

P.S. The mini blinds are awful. I know. The plan is for my mom to come over for a few days in December and I will put her to work doing lots of sewing projects that are above my skill level, including a Roman shade for that window. So those mini blinds' days are numbered!

Subject: Calling All Maddicts!

Mel -

So a friend of mine is hosting a Mad Men party and has solicited my input for coming up with party ideas. Her basic premise is that we all wear Mad Men-inspired clothes and have cocktails and hors'dourves, but she wanted to think of a few other things so it's not just a night of eating and drinking (which would still be awesome, let's be honest!).

My initial thoughts:

• If possible, have a small child mixing cocktails and serving drinks, a la Sally Draper.
• Have the same small child dress up in a ballet costume and perform a small recital
• Maybe have modern drinks, but give them old-fashioned names, like "Gimlet." (That's the only one that comes to mind.) And obviously she would need to have Heineken.
• OR she could make pitchers of already-mixed drinks (so many magazine articles say this is easiest on the hostess) and then call them things from the show: Betty's Crazy Juice, Sterling's Gold, etc.
• We could do some sort of Mad Men trivia, which would be way fun and separate the Maddicts from the casual viewer. Interspersing some trivia about that time period might also be nice if there are any non-watchers in attendance.
• One time in Real Simple they suggested playing old Christmas movies for a holiday party (like Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life) but have them on mute so they're just in the background. So maybe she could play one of the seasons on DVD...
• Setting up a photo area where couples can get their pictures taken in their Man Men outfits. Maybe have a winged-back chair where the lady can sit (with crossed ankles, natch) and the man can stand behind. Also, there could be some Mad Men props on hand, like a fedora or an old copy of Life magazine.
• It will be a non-smoking group, so maybe candy cigarettes and ashtrays everywhere.
• Of course lots of music from that time period.

Honestly, my mind is going blank a little bit. All I can think about is Season 4 because it was so intense and so many things changed. Any thoughts???

<3,
K

P.S. I am also planning my outfit. My goal will be to only pull things from my closet and not buy anything. I think I have a surpising number of Mad Men-esque pieces. I feel so classy and Jackie O.!

Re: Subject: Birthday Dinner

K -

While it looks like no one has commented on your post, both Mary's Little and Lambchop have contacted me regarding your birthday dinner!!  Let's just say they are not too pleased.  The chops look delish, but I cannot say I'm a fan.  My mom never cooked them when I was little because my grandma used to make them for her and she swore they smelled like BO!  On that note, they did look great and as long as Jon was happy, that's what counts!!

The polenta and cake both are on the top of my favorites list.  I have yet to try to make polenta at home though, so I might have to give it a whirl.

Great job in the kitchen!!  Homemakering at it's best!!

PS - What was the restaurant you were interested in trying?  Don't forget I had a short stint in Tally!

Re: Re: Subject: Accent Walls

Miss Kara -

I love that I turn to you for advice, only to be told that wall decor basically scares you!!  :)  However, it's your honesty that keeps this friendship alive and well..  Just like the time you told me my favorite chandelier, the one that I hope to have in my dining room one day, looks like a spider!

Pottery Barn

So, I totally agree that one day I will get sick of whatever I decide to put on the tv wall and therefore I am not going to do anything with wall paper.  I really love that stripped wall with all the pictures, but I am thinking I am going to have to save it for a guest room or maybe the living room.  Hubby has decided he wants to hang the tv on the wall, so that won't leave much room for pictures.  And that pretty much answers one of your questions.  We are going to get a long tv stand, but we want the tv to be visible at all times.  I just need somewhere to store the DVR and DVD player along with the hundreds of DVDs and VHS tapes.  (Please don't ask me why I still own the later.  There is no good excuse!).

Right now I am leaning towards the zig zag wall.  The wall is currently Kilim Beige by Sherwin Williams.

Sherwin Williams - Kilim Beige #6106

I know it might look a little blah on here, but it is a really soft neutral and at this point I would only have to add in white zig zag stripes.  Seems easy enough!  I will let you know how it all goes down.

Here's to the first of many painting projects!!

Cheers,
Melissa

Subject: Birthday Dinner

Smitten Kitchen

Hello dear!

So, I have been meaning to tell you about this a-mazing dinner I made for Jon's birthday earlier this month. I really wanted to take him to try this new restaurant that I thought he would like, but he really wanted me to make him something special and just have a low-key evening at home. Now, that is really sweet of him, but I was really hoping to go out because a) I would not have to clean up afterwards and b) I really wanted to try this restaurant too! Anyway, we ate at home and I made, according to the Birthday Boy, the best meal he's ever eaten. High praise, I know.

At first I was completely uninspired and annoyed that I had to cook so I had no idea what I was going to do. But then I got into the spirit of the challenge and decided that I would do all new recipes that we had never eaten before and I would cook an interesting meat. Now really, any meat is interesting since really all we have is chicken and shrimp and the occasional beef, but I wanted to do something decadent, like shortribs or lamb. (Side note: I love using the word 'decadent' to describe savory items.)

I found a really easy recipe for lamb chops (which I had never made before) with a pistachio tapenade on Smitten Kitchen [Are you familiar with this site? I am ob-sessed.] that made my mouth water the minute I saw the picture and read the ingredients, so I knew that would be the main course. Then in one of my many Barefoot Contessa cookbooks I found a recipe for Rosemary Polenta (recipe available here) that looked scrumptious and for the vegetable I did Ina's Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and cooked up some pancetta to add to the salad because everything is better with bacon.

Oh my gosh - it was incredible. I used rosemary in the tapenade instead of the other herbs, which really united the lamb and the polenta, and the dressing on the salad was perfect with the warm goat cheese. For dessert I made Ina's Beatty's Chocolate Cake, which has always gone over well in our house. To wash it all done I picked up a lovely Pino Noir at the wine shop and it was so light and smooth that it complimented the richness of the lamb perfectly.

It was an all-day affair baking and prepping everything for dinner, but it was so worth it when the food turned out so well and - mostly importantly - the Birthday Boy enjoyed it. The only problem: I've set the bar kind of high for myself for next year!

Happy cooking!
Kara

Re: Subject: Accent Walls

Dear Mrs. Homeowner -

First, I have to admit - I am terrible at wall decor. We lived in our house for nearly three years before I finally decorated a huge, blank wall in our kitchen. I just shut down mentally sometimes because I get overwhelmed by the options and then I don't do anything. Encouraging, I know. I just like to come from a place of honesty :)

Anyway, I love your inspiration and the overall look you are going for. Will your television be out? Like, not tucked into an armoire, but on a piece of furniture so it will always be visible? Since your television is most likely rectangle with straight sides (I mean, right?), I like the idea of doing something kind of eclectic and bringing in some shapes and textures. I really liked the first picture you sent with the striped wall - the grouping of things together (especially the mirror), not the stripes themselves. You could incorporate a mirror, some plates, a shadow box, a wreath, maybe even a few empty window frames if you wanted. You could either do all black & white photos or mix it up and do some colorful paintings too. Maybe just keep the frames all similar so there's some cohesion.

I also like the idea of doing something subtle on the actual walls to act as a backdrop. Have you seen this post from Little Green Notebook? I like how the "wallpaper" is obviously there, but it's not so in-your-face that there would be too much going on with the television (especially when it was on) and everything else you put on the wall. This might also be a good option too because if you ever got tired of it (which you inevitably will), you can just paint over it instead of having to peel wallpaper (dreadful).

Okay, I hoped this helped some. I'm so excited for you and can't wait to start seeing some before & after pictures!

Xoxo,
Kara