Subject: Birthday Wish List

Hi-eee!

No worries on being MIA...I'm just grateful that we're never MIA in the same week :) Which I think makes us a great pair - we don't even have to coordinate when one of us goes MIA...it just kind of happens and the other person blogs away until the other one of us reappears again!

So, my birthday is Monday so I've decided to post some of my favorite lovelies these days. I honestly haven't thought much about what I want for my birthday or what I even want to do for my birthday, but here are a few things that I have been admiring for awhile.

This bag would be perfect for carrying all the odds and ends moms seem to end up with! I'm kind of over the traditional diaper bag and have decided I want a bag that I like (err, love) and will stand the test of wear & tear, trendiness, etc., and will just last me into eternity. Plus, on a practical level, it just seems really roomy and has a really big opening for shoving towels, stuffed animals, diapers and sippy cups into.

I have loved this wallet for a long time. It holds a ton of stuff and is just a really simple design. This is one of the fancier ones color-wise, but I do think it's beautiful. Maybe there' s a trend here, but I love things that are timeless and that I will love as much today as I will years from now, that aren't overly-trendy but are just really classic in their design. Plus I am craving things that are super-functional and this totally fits the bill.

And I am always in the market for some personalized stationary, especially when it is designed by Whitney English. This is a really simple design, but something about it is really appealing and beautiful to me.

I have been told before that I am hard to buy for, which makes no sense to me! Does anyone want to be told they are hard to buy for? I am always grateful for anything someone buys me and, in my mind, being 'hard to buy for' implies that someone is overly picky or critical. Granted, I do have strong opinions about what I do and do not like, but I don't think that makes me picky...just discriminating in my tastes, right? Basically I always love something that is a thoughtful gift, but I love receiving books as gifts, especially coffee table books that have beautiful pictures in them. I also love receiving hostess-y type things: a large salad bowl, an adorable cream & sugar set, a big pitcher. I really love anything that is functional and bonus points are added if there is some kind of history to it - like if you found it at some cool flea market or in your great aunt's attic.

All that isn't too much to ask for, right???

Subject: Oh-My-I-Haven't-Written-In-Awhile Bad Friend Email/Post

Have you missed me??  I think after the girls left I went to sleep for about a week and just finally woke up.  Things to discuss in no particular order:

1.  Your Hand + Stitches:  OUCH!  So sorry Kara!!  Now I think I will ban myself from using razors...ever!!

2.  Your Living Room Rug:  AWESOME!  And yes, I definitely see the ticking stripe curtains in the living room now.  :)

3.  Your "TV" stand:  Okay, I've been rattling my brain trying to remember where I saw someone turn a drawer into a hinged drawer.  It was definitely on the Nate Berkus Show.  He transformed this room for three kids in NY who share a bedroom.  (Total bummer!)  I found the episode here, but it doesn't show the solution.  I was however slightly distracted when I went on the site because I on a whim sent a picture in of my backyard....

...and low and behold it's on the website - Under Garden Proud - first page, too!!

Sorry for the distraction...back to you.  I found a tutorial on Home Depot about converting a desk drawer into a hinged drawer here.  I definitely think this is the way to go to make the piece clean and not have to worry about storing the DVR/DVD and whatever else you might have.  As you know, I don't like a lot out, which is why I have the tv stand I have...

A Very Not Good Picture of My TV Stand

4.  Artwork:  LOVE the frames!!  Bamboo...yes please!!  But also LOVING the art.  Was it nice in person.  We could make a deal here.  The art reminds me of botanical prints that Janell from Isabella + Max has in her house.  Back to the frames, you might want to try searching for frames on Etsy.  They have some good Bamboo choices.  

Vintage Bamboo Frame

Also, on the bamboo wavelength, (kind of, but not really,) my bestie found these frames on Etsy.  

Hollywood Regency Frames

Alright, that's all for now.  Have a wonderful day!!
xxx 

Subject: Country Living

Melissa -

Are you familiar with this magazine?

I thought I knew about it, but on Sunday I was waiting to get my stitches removed and found it in the waiting room and quickly became ob-sessed with everything in it. Confession time: sometimes if I find a magazine I cannot live without (like a home design one) in a waiting room, I will take it home with me.

But just look at this inspiration...I had no choice!

The issue was all about decorating with white and how it can be really warm and inviting, not just sterile and cold. This resonated with me because of my goal to be more deliberate with color in my house - not because I am going to an all-white theme.

I might have to consider subscribing to this magazine. Maybe this particular issue was just a fluke, but I was surprised at how refined all the designs were. I guess in my mind "country living" would equal big ceramic roosters in the kitchen and red buffalo check curtains with sunflower appliques, right? I was waaaay off!

In other news, the beach was amazing. It was one of those situations where we accepted an invitation for a free place to stay at the beach but had no idea what our accommodations would be, and then we had to pinch ourselves once we got there: not only was the condo in a beautiful complex that was directly on the beach, we had our own enormous room and private bathroom and the condo itself was bigger than our house! It has awesome.

Anyway, I'm back and refreshed and can't wait to hear about what is going on in your world!
Kara

P.S. What magazines do you subscribe to? I currently get Vanity Fair and Better Homes & Gardens and I'm about to start getting Southern Living. I used to get Martha Stewart Living but it stopped being good to me...the design was too stuffy and the recipes overly-complicated and not that good. I thought I was over Real Simple, but then my MIL gave me a few issues recently and I fell back in love with it again, so maybe I'll add it back into my rotation.

Subject: Living Room Artwork

Hi-eee,

So the other day I mentioned artwork for my living room and, while I'm not sure what I will do, I wanted to show you these frames I saw at a shop in town:

And a close-up:

They're bamboo-looking, right? I kind of like the subtle texture and interest. They would be nice painted a shiny black, I think. Or maybe the natural wood. Who knows. I'm a long way from hanging anything on the wall, but just wanted to share. I saw these around the same time I was painting my mother-in-law's office chair, so I think I was really into the bamboo at the time.

Kara

Subject: Living Room Update

Melissa -

Hi friend! I hope you had a fabulous weekend with all your girlfriends and had a great 4th as well. As you read this, I am at the beach...not submerging my hand in any water! Just as I promised, I would love your input on my living room.

To bring you up to speed, I ordered a rug from Overstock and not only was it a total steal (the rub + shipping was all less than $200), I am totally in love with how it looks:

The drawback: Ina the Cat is also in love with the way it looks...and feels in her claws. So if anyone wants a cat...

I kid, I kid. But seriously. I am going to skin that cat if she ruins this rug. It is hooked, which I think she really enjoys for wrapping her claws around. I know that sometimes ordering from Overstock can be hit-or-miss with the quality and accuracy of the description of the item, but I was really pleased with my purchase. The best part is that I didn't need to get a rug pad because it was soft underneath (I guess because it's a hooked rug?). I really love how the background is black because I feel like it ties in with the black & white tile in the kitchen, but I didn't really think through how it would show every little piece of lint or cat fur. Oh well. The other rug probably hid things too well and hence I did not vacuum enough :)

(Side note: I loved the rug suggestion you sent me in your story board, but it was in more jewel tones and I needed something more primary color-ish. I would love to see that rug used in someone's house though...)

So now that the rug is in place, I feel even more confident with moving forward with blue ticking stripe drapes, so just imagine they are in the room, even though I still need to buy the fabric, sew them and install curtain rods...oh, and buy curtain rods too. The blue in the rug is really nice and I think the ticking stripe will be perfect, plus the rug also gives a nod to the blue leather chair that I cannot stand but Mr. Lass insists we will keep forever.

Prior to acquiring the new TV stand, we had a big armoire thing and then a ladder bookshelf sat next to it and it worked okay. But now that the new TV stand is smaller and shorter, I think the bookshelf looks silly on the wall, so I am ready to get something different. Here is the space as it certainly is, with the new TV stand (staying) and the ladder bookshelf (going):

At the moment I love the idea of putting a bench there because it will round out the seating in the room and give the appearance that the room is not centered around the television (although we all know it's true!). Plus it would provide me an opportunity to inject some color in that area - I'm considering painting the bench green.

After such a great experience with Overstock with my rug, I decided to start my bench search there too and found this one that I really like:

The dimensions of it are right for the space and I really love the back. I could put a few pillows on it and some artwork above (more on that later this week). But the only dilemma I'm facing at this point: what to do with the cable box/DVD player? Right now the cable box is on the bookshelf and the DVD player is on the ground - not really a sustainable option. Right now I'm considering using an L-bracket and somehow mounting a little shelf under the bench to hold those two things, but we'll see. I don't know how hard that would be.

Let me know your thoughts/suggestions. The most ideal option would be if we could alter the TV stand in some way and make one of the drawers have a hinged opening and then drill a hole in the back for the cords, but while that seems like a good idea, it also seems like one of those projects could go horribly, horribly wrong and then ruin the whole piece.

Xoxo,
Kara

Subject: Friday Catch Up

Melissa -

Hi and happy pre-birthday, America! I'm so sorry I have been MIA for most of this week, following my post on Monday about my sewing project. Mr. Lass was home for most of the week sick - and I never get anything done when he is home - and then yesterday, one of my favorite things turned tragic: I was peeling a label from a jar (I L-O-V-E keeping jars to use for storage or as a vase or votive holder), the razor thing I was using slipped and, well, three stitches later here is my hand:

It looks a lot worse than it actually is. The nurse admitted she is not good at dressing wounds and somehow managed to make it look like I had a fractured wrist. Of course, it did score me lots of pity points with Mr. Lass, so that has been good. Plus while I was at the doctor's office I got to read the latest issue of Vanity Fair, and I never get to read during the day, so I just pretended like I was at a spa instead of a walk-in clinic :)

The only downside: we are going to the beach all next week and my hand is not supposed to be submerged. Not that I enjoy the ocean that much (all that salt in your eyes!), but swimming in the pool with Suz is always fun. Of course, the nurse assured me I could still swim but said that my injured hand would be "the hand you hold your drink with." Or sippy cup.

Okay, now that the excuses are over: I love your yellow door! I've never painted any doors in my house, but I love the idea of a long hallway of bedrooms with the walls being a neutral color and the doors painted a fun color - maybe pale gray walls and apple green doors. And then when you get tired of one color, you can just paint the doors. Perk: painting doors is waaaay easier than painting walls. And yes, I love Mary's office but couldn't find pictures of her red doors either.

I am enjoying Million Dollar Decorators, but am holding my breath waiting for them to criticize something I love or actually own. (Of course, I don't think they are shopping at any of the places I shop, so I can't see them ever coming into contact with something I own!) On this new-to-me blog, the bloggess created a drinking game around the show. I totally agree with her summation of Nathan and Mary - at first they were annoying and now they're the best part about the show.

Okay, my finger is starting to throb so I am going to cut this short. Thank you so much for sending me the picture of the patriotic cake! People are so genius sometimes. Next week I am going to tap your problem-solving skills to find a solution for where to go next in my living room.

Hugs & fireworks,

Kara

Subject: HPB USA

Good morning K - In honor of the country's upcoming birthday celebration, I couldn't resist sharing one of the most awesome things I've ever seen....

via Glorious Treats

Amazing right?!?  The full how-to is here  - Glorious Treats Blog.