
Farm to Table Dinner Party
One of the great things about living in Colorado is the great access to farm-fresh produce during the summer. From fresh corn to fragrant tomatoes, everything seems to be in season right now, so we decided to take advantage of the abundance of wonderful food at a summer “Farm to Table” dinner party last weekend. The meal featured local, organic produce and flowers, and herbs and other goodies right out of the garden!
Our friend Robin, of Robin Cain Photography, was …

In paint color process, I trust
Many of my friends consider me their color guru, and I’m the one they call when they have dilemmas and/or paralysis about interior painting. They’d say this is because I’m good at it, but I’d say that it’s really because I’m not scared of paint and I have a process. In general, I think many folks are afraid of paint, and I’ve never quite understood why. I see paint as the quickest fix out there, an …

Brunch Tabletops
I get together with a few friends each month for a brunch club, and it’s coming up this weekend! I’m so excited to celebrate Chicago turning the corner towards summer. If brunch is your favorite meal too, here are some pretty brunch table ideas to use for your next get-together!
{purple and blue spring tabletop photographed by Simon Bevan for Remodelista via Apartment 34}
{shabby chic breakfast from Le Chat de Sucre via Amy Atlas}
{casual Sunday brunch, image by Carly Taylor via …

House To-Dos: Gallery Wall
Spring is around the corner, and this April we celebrate two years of home ownership. For the last year, N and I have been hard at work making our house even more of a home, checking things off our house to-do list. I shared part of the list in a previous post, but then I neglected to keep blogging about it! :) Most of our work was purely decorative as our house was new and in pretty good shape when …

Aqua Me This
{image credited to Tim Walker via Design Museum flickr stream}
We have this poster from the Design Museum in London on the wall above our bed. It’s a print of a photograph by Tim Walker of Lily Cole and I love it. I adore the colour, a sort of aqua, eggshell blue and I love she looks a little like a peacock (our wedding theme) and that it looks a little Moroccan too (one of our favourite holidays). It’s also fashion-y …

Spring Fever
I’m itching to get a few organizational projects out of the way, a result of warmer weather and a need to purge clutter. If I had the time this week, these are the projects I would take on.
{images credited to MarthaStewart.com}
1. Chalk Paint Drawer Labels – I have leftover chalkboard paint from creating two huge idea walls in our living room. I think making labels would be pretty easy.
2. Mini Office in a Chest – I have a rescued from the …

Jana’s Arizona Bridal Shower
Jana, an EAD Weddings Phoenix blogger, shared her poolside bridal shower a few weeks ago. We thought it was so cute the Living readers would love it. The shower was hosted by Jana’s maid of honor, bridesmaids and mom. They did such a great job with simple decor and fun games.
Jana’s mom handmade the jam for favors!
Love the giant initial J, Chiavari chairs, and simple floral arrangements.
The table runners were also handmade by Jana’s mom.
Jana and her Maid of Honor.
The …

How to set up a kitchen pantry
When deepening a pantry you’ll have to decide what foods take priority and where you want to begin building up. Start with the goal of having at least one month’s worth of food-stuff for your pantry. It’s all a very personal choice dependent upon your needs. I always make soup and use fresh veggies, so you will not find Campbells Soup or canned corn in my pantry.
{images via Crown Point}
If you’ve got kids I bet you’ll want a good supply …

Vogue Fashion and Decor Inspiration
One of my favorite places to look for party, fashion and decor inspiration is Vogue.com. They have a great collection of images. Even if I can’t afford the brands and companies they promote, it definitely inspires me. Here are a few images that have caught my eye lately.
This House of Lavande beach party is pretty fabulous, and I think this would be pretty easy to duplicate on a much smaller scale for an outdoor party when the weather warms up. …

A Household Chore Chart
When my husband and I first moved in together, we were both working full time, and evenings were a time to relax. After dinner we’d curl up on the couch to watch some TV or I’d write blog posts while he played video games. Boring tasks like cleaning the house, doing laundry and going to the supermarket, were relegated to the weekend. We didn’t have a schedule for these recurring responsibilities; we just did them when we felt like them …