coffee talk

there has been a lot of coffee table coverage on the blogosphere, and all of these beautiful images really put the emphasis on the important role that this piece of furniture plays in our homes.

 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

there are even styling "how to" posts - the everygirl and good bones, great pieces have great ones.

i have been searching high and low for a new coffee table for ages, but i couldn't find anything i liked that fit our budget. my criteria: large. brass and glass. square or round.

i checked every resource i could think of: west elm. pottery barn. wisteria. home decorators collection. craigslist (of course) but to no avail. 

(sidenote: maybe i should make a resources tab for shopping? i am seriously good at knowing where to look for things!)

and then, one day i took a brief pause from a task to check craigslist just because...
ladies and gentlemen, the craigslist whisperer strikes again: i found this GORGEOUS coffee table a short drive from my office for... $130!

at 15 inches high, i was a little concerned that it was too short, but it was simply too good to pass up.

check out the feet! they're hooves! 

now, time to "style" it - stay tuned!

homerun

zara has long been a go-to for fashion-forward pieces that don't break the bank. 

the much-anticipated launch of zara home went live yesterday, and i was excited to check it out!

here are a few things that caught my eye:

rug / serving utensils / pie plate / throw / tumbler / napkins

check out the entire line here - see anything you like?

elegant email

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i love beautiful stationery, and there is nothing better than receiving a handwritten note in the mail. unfortunately, if there are no stamps around, i have been known to let handwritten notes sit on my desk for months collecting dust (oops.)

the solution? paperless post. it has made jotting off a birthday card or a thank you a snap, and party invitations are a breeze!  they have cards for every occasion, and all of them have a beautiful, letterpress quality that make them so much more than your average e-card.

as you might imagine, i was thrilled to find out that kate spade has collaborated with them to bring dozens of new, adorable designs! 

i didn't even bother showing you the holiday designs - so many to choose from, and i am not quite ready to think about december yet! check all of the kate spade cards out here.

kitchen essentials

un-barefoot contessa from inslee by design (and no, i don't cook in heels!)

cooking is a frequent topic on crossed & dotted. the boyfriend and i cook dinner at home almost every night, and we have streamlined our kitchen arsenal to make any recipe easy to attempt.

i talked about some of my favorite kitchen tools in this post, but i wanted to do a follow-up that covers other essential items, like mixing bowls and pots and pans.

pots and pans: 

i love all clad because the quality is great, it lasts forever, and it's easy to clean. 

the downside? SUPER expensive (that 8 piece set retails for $999. OUCH.)

our solution? the kirkland tri-clad set from costco! for $199 you get 13 pieces and after over 5 years of heavy use, they are still in great shape!

cleaning best practice: use bar keepers friend for tough, stuck-on residue!

non-stick frying pan with cover:

essential for things like eggs, stir fry, and grilled cheese, i love my non-stick frying pan and i really do use the cover a lot.

colander:

necessary for draining pasta; also doubles as a unique serving vessel for bread!

mixing bowls:

we have used both glass and plastic mixing bowls, and i always come back to glass because it can go in the oven, the microwave, the refrigerator, and the freezer and they are so durable.

the ones that nest one inside the other are best for maximizing storage space. you can find sets like this one at bed bath & beyond or target, but flash sale sites also have great deals on basics: i just got this 9 piece duralex set from one king's lane for $25!

measuring cups and spoons:

pyrex is my go-to brand for liquid measuring cups, since they are glass, durable, and come in multiple sizes (1 cup, 2 cup, and even 2 quart!)

for dry measuring cups, i love this set from rubbermaid because the cups are tapered instead of round, making it easier to dip into canisters.

measuring spoons in every size make baking so much easier.

baking sheet and muffin tin:

i use baking sheets for many things, like toasting crostini under the broiler, roasting potatoes in the oven, and baking cookies. a muffin tin is also great to have, since it works for both savory and sweet baked goods!

shopping tips: check out stores like homegoods, tj maxx, and marshalls (and tuesday morning, which exists in florida and probably other places, too) before you head to bed bath & beyond. i have found over half of our kitchen essentials at those places. also, flash sale sites like joss & main and one king's lane frequently have kitchen items, and costco is a wonderful resource for appliances and pots and pans.

on the list

as i mentioned in my 101 in 1001 post, i am a chronic list-maker. seriously, i love making lists. every morning when i get to work, i make my to-do list for the day, and i cross off each item as i complete it. then, whatever doesn't get crossed off gets added to the next day's list. in addition, i have a tasks list in my outlook calendar and many reminders set up on my iphone, to make sure i get everything done on time!

even with all of this organization, there is one list that i struggle with: groceries. i cannot tell you how many times i have gone to the store after making a mental list of a few items, or scribbled a list on a scrap of paper and then lost it somewhere between home and the store, and then i forget something crucial, like laundry detergent or the main ingredient of the dinner i plan to make, and only remember when i am halfway home.

the solution? this fabulous pad by knock knock!

it's magnetized, so you can just stick it on the fridge, check off what you need when you run out of something, and then tear the page off and away you go! brilliant.

i have seen them at several stores (and i found mine at anthropologie) but i visited the knock knock website and they have so many other great ones!

shop them all here!

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going for the gold(enrod)

i think goldenrod is one of the quintessential fall hues: a deep yellow reminiscent of leaves turning and colder weather setting in.

as much as i love goldenrod, it is not the best color for me, so i prefer to use it as an accent.

thankfully, there are plenty of small pieces out there to get the look without it being overwhelming.
on that note, i rounded up some goldenrod accent items for home and for you in preparation for fall:

for you:
j.crew belt / kate spade wallet / anthropologie scarf / j.crew pencil skirt / j.crew bag (on sale!)

for home:
west elm throw / design darling matches / west elm tray / target home towel / dwell studio pillow



image credits: olivia palermo for tatler russia, madewell, real simple, and the style files

on a pedestal

a cake pedestal, that is! 

dear friends gave us the cutest cake server as a housewarming gift (pictured below!) and i would love to add an equally amazing cake stand to our collection. read more after the jump!

brown bagging it

i'm a bit sleepy today - the boyfriend and i saw joshua radin last night, along with scars on 45 and tristan prettyman! it was a great show in a really intimate venue - very unplugged, if you know what i mean - and the stage had all of these great lamps and mid-century pieces all over it!

this picture is terrible and blurry, but you get the idea.

such a fun night, but i all but fell asleep in the car on the way home and have been moving slowly this morning. luckily, i have my morning routine down to science.

i can be up and out of the house in 30 minutes if necessary, and anyone who commutes can attest that having the right gear to carry everything is essential. as i mentioned last week, i have been making a concerted effort to bring my lunch and coffee to work everyday, so here are my brown bag must-haves:

built lunch tote - it's neoprene and keeps everything cool until lunch (today, beet salad!)
travel mug - sadly the onion doesn't make this one anymore, but i always get comments on it!
almonds - to keep me going when 3pm hits (when robert goulet comes around... anyone? bueller?)
kleenex pocket packs - because i spill. often.
lemon seltzer - fizzy and fresh.
pyrex storage containers - glass can go in the microwave or the oven and they last longer than plastic.
water bobble - staying hydrated is important (and i am terrible at it!)

in other news, it's thursday which means tomorrow is our housewarming AND the olympics! i will be doing a little prep work tonight, including some baking and some cleaning :)

soak it up

sometimes there is nothing better than slipping into a warm bath to soak away the cares of the day.

one of the features in the new apartment that i was most excited about was the clawfoot tub.

when i got home from work on monday, i decided it was time to break it in: i poured a glass of wine, lit a candle, and filled the tub with some lovely smelling bubbles.

aside from a curious kitten who sat on the bath mat the entire time, periodically putting his head and front paws onto the side of the tub to check on me, it was absolute bliss.

my mom later let me know about an incredible detox soak, which i will have to try next time! 

combine one cup of baking soda, one cup of epsom salts, and 10 drops of lavender oil.

dissolve in warm bath water; soak for 20 minutes, and rinse in a cool shower.

a detox for body, mind, and spirit:

baking soda / lavender oil / epsom salts - available at drugstores/whole foods

a fine frenzy / joshua radin (sidenote: seeing him in concert tonight!)

oyster bay sauvignon blanc - from marlborough, new zealand

the historian by elizabeth kostova - an old favorite

lavender soy candle

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booking it

bookcases:

simply viewed, a place to put books. 

designly viewed, a place to display a carefully curated collection of books and other things.

between home decor magazines and design blogs, everyone has taken a stab at the bookcase!

one design blog i love, i suwannee, has a "bookcase of the day" series featuring, obviously, beautiful bookcases - this is one of my favorites:

while the color-coordinated bookcase is a pleasing visual aesthetic, it would drive me insane because i actually use many of my books and have no idea what color any of them are!

this is designer minnie mortimer's library/living room

sidenote: i went to high school with her! well, she was a senior when i was a freshman and i am sure she has no idea who i am, but i love what she did with this room!

[via vogue]

love this room in general, but the bookcase is organized and yet appears real.

[via the art of doing stuff]

while i continue to decide how best to work with our giant floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelf in the living room, i do know that i would love to add some (more) beautiful books to my collection!

here are a few that i have my eye on:

design*sponge at home / good bones, great pieces / paris versus new york / the painter, the cook, and the art of cucina / the perfectly imperfect home / vintage cocktails / momofuku / the cheesemonger's kitchen

any others i should have on my radar? 

an aside: an entire cookbook about CHEESE! clearly, i need it.

golden age

as promised, today i will reveal the bathroom with its completed DIY elements!
to refresh your memory, here it is before:

and after!
drumroll, please:

VOILA! 
now that i look at this picture, i think a little framed something over the toilet might look nice. thoughts?
obviously we still need a toilet paper holder. the previous one was a nondescript light oak color; i am thinking something along these lines:

now, details on the shelf project.
we started with this:

crate and barrel etagere
ours is actually an older version, scored for a mere $60 on craigslist!

per the recommendation from my inspiration via little green notebook, we hit the metal frame with rustoleum metallic spray paint in brass. 

observation: it is much easier to paint/DIY when you have a legitimate space like a driveway or garage. we painted on newspaper on the street outside our apartment, and had to stand guard during the drying process. with beverages, of course.

next, we needed some storage baskets to hide the dozens of toiletries/inevitable clutter.

i searched high and low, because i wanted something that wasn't see-through, and it was shockingly hard to find narrower dimensions to fit on the shelves. we found the perfect fit at target:

target small milk crate - $12

the last step was to bronze our stainless steel trash can:

the boyfriend joked that we should also paint the toilet, but i thought that might be a little much.
in the end, this is exactly what i was hoping for, but at a fraction of the price!

the other mini DIY was to paint the built-in medicine cabinet white instead of that nondescript oak:

as you can see, titus was a huge help.

the paint did not go on quite as smoothly and evenly as i had hoped, so to camouflage that fact we cut pieces of the map i received upon arrival in florence for my study abroad (yes, i still have it!) and pasted them into the back of the cabinet using wallpaper paste.

i love how it gives a little visual interest to a somewhat boring, utilitarian element of the bathroom.

here it is in use:

dog days

good morning and happy monday!

i had a blissfully relaxing weekend and i am all geared up for a productive week. 

here are a few things i got up to:

neon brights to beat the heat

a new recipe (1/25 on #71 of my 101 in 1001 list!)

sunrise over the river

our gallery wall 

living room in its current phase

living room bookcase before styling

the bar cart, stocked and ready to go!

we had two great dinners with friends and got the apartment to a point that feels mostly like home, with only two boxes that need to be handled! i am looking forward to sharing our completed bathroom this week, including the golden DIY project i mentioned last week. stay tuned, and have a great day!

ps - that recipe i tried was martha stewart's potato chip cookies. it came very highly recommended from a foodie friend and they were equal parts sweet and savory, chewy and crunchy - definitely a repeat! try it yourself here.

goldfinger

happy monday! 

after a scorcher this weekend i am pleased to report that it was a mere 63 degrees when i went out for my run this morning! 

much of my weekend was spent puttering around the apartment, and i am pleased to say that i have solved our bathroom storage conundrum!  as you can tell from these pictures, the room is an odd shape and the only storage is a built-in medicine cabinet, which is not very substantial. 

please ignore my awkward photo stance in the mirror!

i really don't care for those over-toilet storage units, and i am hesitant to put a heavy wall shelf in that brick wall, given that it is over 100 years old!  all i wanted was a tall open shelf to fit in the corner between the toilet and the wall that could be fitted with baskets for toiletries, ideally in brass and glass to go with the bathroom hardware. 

i googled and searched every possible place i could think of (i really should add a "sources" tab to my menu bar, because at this point i think i have some incredible knowledge that should be shared!) and the only things i found that fit my mental image were crazy expensive, or the wrong size, or a combination of both. i even tried to expand my ideal to include a wooden shelf, but those were rather pricey as well ($150 for this, ikea? really?) le sigh.

then, by some miracle, the perfect piece appeared on craigslist. steel with glass shelves, five feet high, 13 inches wide, and all it needed was some paint! 

i got the idea from this amazing ikea hack found on little green notebook - how great do those shelves look?

it's incredible what a little spray paint can do! i am not ready to fully reveal the transformation until i get the storage baskets in place (exposed toiletries are not pretty!) but here is a sneak peek:

just call me goldfinger.

sidenote: the stainless steel trash can also got the midas touch!