FAUX pas

long beach apartments/homes have a weird "style" obsession with faux fireplaces.  i see them EVERYWHERE and i don't get it.  either have a real fireplace or don't have one at all!  mine has a pipe, which i'm assuming gas might have come through at one time, but now the whole thing is just a design eyesore.  i've been trying to figure out what to do with this baby since i moved in.  it's not a masterpiece yet, but we're finally getting somewhere.

meet Ace Hardware's Arabian Nights:

it's a dark, charcoal grey.  we love it.  it's still in need of something but at least we're moving in the right direction.

maybe something like this brass number by architect, alla kazovsky

some logs HALF way up.....

or maybe just some nice big floor pillows when extra company stops by....

who knows.  the actual fireplace "space" is quite shallow so if i put anything in it, it can't be too large.

homemade coffee vanilla bean liquor...35 days and counting

today was the big day.  the day kahlua lost the race once and for all.  i've never been a huge fan of the stuff but when i found this recipe and I had to give it a whirl.  REAL espresso, REAL vanilla beans and REALLY good vodka makes one hell of a mixer.  tonight i whirled it up with some organic vanilla soy milk and it is near perfection.  meet my new after dinner cocktail of choice.  

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup instant espresso (still dried powder, not made into espresso)

2 vanilla beans

3 cups vodka

Bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. 

Add coffee and reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. 

Cook, stirring to fully dissolve the espresso, for about 2 minutes. 

Remove from heat and transfer to a large glass jar or seal-able pitcher and let sit until more or less cool. 

Meanwhile, split vanilla beans open and se the back of a knife or a small spoon and scoop out the teeny tiny seeds (it seems more like a paste). 

Add seeds and pods to the coffee syrup. 

Pour in vodka. Seal and put it away for four to six weeks. 

Remove and discard vanilla pods.

Serve chilled on its own, in coffee, or over ice cream as a dessert.

   

DIY succulant planters/centerpieces

so i guess the summer isn't my prime time blogging season. too much going on to sit down and write. i've been keeping myself busy with the normal june-august fun as well as trying to plan a wedding. a DIY wedding....in palm springs. thankfully my man has been a great help to keep me from a full blown panic attack. he's getting his hands dirty and helping to take a lot off my plate. praise allah.

so my latest project has been centerpieces for the tables. these turned out so cool and could be used on any patio or any table...not just a wedding, i thought i'd share it here vs. my wedding brainstorming site.

so here we go... let me begin with i like free. i'm not one of those brides that pays for it all. don't get me wrong, if i had more cash i probably would inquire about some outside help, but so far, so good. the soil and the sedum on the top are the only two things i bought.

the industrial sized tin cans came from one of my fav eateries, Nosh. the owner susan is a dream and has been saving them for me in her back room with the help of her staff. i've been making weekly pick-ups and will continue to harvest more. holes were drilled with a large drill bit by my bf and husband's friend. nice job BOYS! flower shaped succulents on the sides come from cutting of the plants in my yard as well as my friend's yard. i've been prepping them to sprout roots before i planted them in the cans to ensure they'd survive.






more cans to go...more succulents to collect from the surrounding neighborhoods. (don't sweat it friends, these babies grown like weeds around here and like to be trimmed =)

i'm also planting more in white pots i find @ ye ol' thrift or my mom's warehouse, otherwise known as her pantry. thanks mom!

you turn me on

this clever idea was found @ one of my favorite sites...design sponge. the step by step directions how to make this baby can be found HERE

mashup

first of all let me start by saying i never watch jay leno. he bores me. BUT last night i stuck around for a hot sec because the roided out, coked up carrot top was on with his trunk of creations. he pulled out his "lady gaga globe" which was a disco ball bedazzled globe. i want to make one.


+


i've already got the disco ball...so now i need to buy a globe to modify. or maybe i'm going to have to mirror up the existing globe. DIY project on the horizon.

school gardens rule

today was my first garden meeting at my new volunteer home, Los Cerritos Elementary Urban Farmyard. i'm a BIG fan of school gardens and didn't realize until recently that one was in my hood. this large garden is spearheaded by a master gardener/teacher and a handful of parents, teachers and me...the only childless volunteer.

i subscribe to a master gardener email which led me to this gem. after going through the standard school volunteer process, i was able to start today. i am now the official compost manager which led me to staying after the garden meeting to listen in on the "green meeting." here they addressed recycling/composting...or lack there of on campus. i'm hoping to help lessen the carbon footprint of this school by implementing a composting area in the cafateria as well as get the kids recycling more than paper. i'm hoping my ties with Whole Foods marketing department can get me some donations to foster the effort since i help implement a compost/recycling program there.

below are some quick photos i snapped before the meeting. i meant to get better ones after but had to leave. more to come for sure!





kids playing/exploring after school








the chicken coop surprised me the most. i'm so excited to see they have this addition to the garden. (i personally think it's a must.) this photo does not capture the many hens and roosters in the pen...and some funny looking chickenheads....but like i said, more pictures to come.

the garden and the volunteers gave me renewed hope in our schools and also gave be a slight twang inside about working with kids. i've toyed with this idea for years- about going back to school for my credential. today brought this idea back to the forefront of my mind.

tag on...

this is one of my favs. i guess it's the 80's legwarmer fan in me.


i recently discovered urban knitting. love it. it's right up there with guerrilla gardening. beautifying those dark space.

ahhh saturday...

busy day on the home front. throwing a baby shower in san pedro @ noon which i'm ready and excited for..

but before then a little home improvement. we've been looking for a small desk for the guest room to house the desktop. while i prefer to work in our "dining room"...not so much a dining room right now...where the light is divine and the views are good, the bf finds his focus facing a wall with no distractions. to each their own!

when we first moved in we had envisioned one bedroom to be our sleeping quarters and the other to be a guest bedroom and office. since i work from home, the bf has let me be the main decision maker as to where that office is located in the casa. a couple of weeks ago we decided to use our dining room as a....DINING ROOM (which will also be my office sans bulky printer and file cabinets...thank you laptop!) so we can start having those dinner parties we've been dreaming of. (and secretly i'm double excited because you know what kind of shopping is on my horizon....CHAIRS! my fav)

i'll take better before and after picks of this $19 baby, but here's a sneak peak....

original lion drawer knobs and a possible ikea trade out....but probably not....

toodles!

my babe and his dusty self....

reuse. recycle.

i'm throwing a baby shower for my friend this saturday. she's a pretty hip sweedish chica so i want to make it cool yet eco friendly. i made these phone book flowers this evening and am pretty happy with the results. SUPER easy, cheap and original. and i happen to think they look hot in my thrift store vases. grocery bag flowers up next. pictures to come

for the "recipe" check out my homestress jesi haack's blog. she's the shiznat.

DIY

my friend adriana is a huge force wrapped into a small package. i first "discovered" her via a sunset mag article on garden bloggers. i related to her and liked her garden philosophy. and then when i saw she was a fellow long beacher, i was even more excited. lb is a "small" town and turned out to be even smaller once i finally met her. we have a couple mutual friends...go figure.

adriana writes a blog, anarchy in the garden, which chronicles her adventures in her home garden as well as the many community garden events she's involved in. people are taking to her (as they should) and you too might see her on your nationally syndicated tv some day soon. she is teaching people one seed at a time that anyone can garden and produce food in their own yard.

check her out. buy a anarchy in the garden shirt to spread the word that DIY is where it's at. power to the gardeners! power to anarchy in the garden!

green machine

as i sit at home today cursing the bad food i must of ate yesterday (food poisoning hell today) i think of my rooftop dream. when the bf and i first moved into our spanish duplex, we realized our balcony could be a gateway to the roof. i asked the bf if he could build me a ladder to the top so i could sunbath in privacy as well as enjoy the ocean view/sunrise/sunset. he was all for it. (5 mo. later i'm still waiting).

but then i had another thought today. a green roof! why not take advantage of the 1500 sq. ft. of flat roof above our heads?!

such a perfect space! the huge insulation benefits as well as an additional gardening area are nothing to be denied. but i rent. the start up can be a bit spendy for the materials without a little help. the bf and i are on a big savings spree right now so this green machine is still a dream. but you can guarantee i'll be on the hunt for a house to own where i can build by own garden in the sky. i can't wait!

THE GARDEN

one of the best documentaries i've seen in a long time. this film got me riled up.
fuck jan perry and fuck ralph horwitz.
rent this movie to see what i'm talking about.
at the least it will get you thinking.

re-thinking trash

this is brilliant and i want one!
recipe:
1 dumpster
paint it fire engine red
line it
fill it with H20
party!

DIY

i think i might have to try re-creating this one some day.
reiko kaneko designed and made this hot little number.
splendid!

Home Terrarium

i actually made two of these yesterday via some inspiration by favorite Swiss-miss, Nikki!!!!!