February Favorites

Wowza this week went by fast! I just finished cleaning up after having some friends over for fajita night (I made homemade tortillas for the first time, so there was extra cleanup) and I am dying to hop into bed. These past few days have been non-stop and I am thisclose to turning into a pumpkin! I decided, however, that before any more time goes by I will use my last ounce of human strength to share some of the best house tours I've laid my eyes on recently. Even if only one of you is seeing these for the first time, I'm glad I shared it. They're that great, and they all happen to be from the oh-so-wonderful Apartment Therapy.

Last summer I met up with some college friends in San Francisco for a little reunion and we had a great time wining and dining and exploring and spending way too much money. I loved visiting, but this SF house tour actually left me in a daydream about how I will decorate my own future Edwardian era apartment in The City by the Bay. Because obviously I will be moving there if it means I can live in a home as sweet as this one...

to see more of this beautiful home and read an interview with the homeowner, check out the original tour here

Now onto the second tour... You may or may not know, but I grew up in Texas and it has definitely had an influence on my decor style, but perhaps not in the way you would think. Living a border away from Mexico has left me with a nostalgia for the folk art and culture of the colorful country that permeates Texas style. When I saw this house tour below, it made me giddy because of the homeowner's love for vintage and their Texas roots.

 To see more of this very cool tour please go here

Finally... I will simply describe this next tour as wild. It's one of those homes that I imagine people either love or hate; just seeing it gave me a rush of excitement but I'm sure for some it gives them a rush of anxiety. :) What I love most though, is that the homeowner obviously went with what she felt and loved, and in my opinion it totally works! Sometimes you just gotta do you...

 You should probably see the rest of this tour for the backyard alone, check it out here

What home do you like the most? I hope everyone has an awesome weekend!!

Recipe: Classic French Toast with Blueberries

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope everyone had a great weekend. Anyone watch the Oscars last night? Could Jennifer Lawrence be any cooler? I've also got a big girl crush on Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain. How about you? 

Saturday morning I woke up craving a real breakfast (not just a cup of coffee, not an apple, not a Luna bar) but didn't feel like waiting out in the cold for an hour for a seat at one of Portland's many great breakfast joints. There is just no way around it. So I decided to make breakfast at home, remembering that up my sleeve I had a very easy peazy recipe that would produce great results.

French Toast.

I used my sister Ashley's recipe - which is worth noting because she is the Queen of Sweet Breakfasts. She's the kid that asked for a waffle maker on her twelfth birthday and can freakishly put away STACKS of pancakes, waffles and french toast in one sitting. It blows my mind.

So, here is her recipe:

For 2 people

6 slices of thick-sliced white bread

3 eggs

3 cups milk

2 tsp cinnamon

3 small slices of butter

powdered sugar

a handful of blueberries

maple syrup

1. Break eggs into a mixing bowl (or a wider, shallower dish if you have one) and beat lightly with a fork. Stir in milk and cinnamon, making sure that all ingredients blend.

2. Put a large skillet on the stove at medium heat, add a slice of butter.

3. Dunk piece of bread in the milk mixture so that it is soaked and then place in the skillet once the butter is melted and spread evenly.

4. Flip the piece of bread after a minute, and continue to flip every minute or two until both sides are a medium brown color (it will be splotchy brown and white, this is the way it's supposed to look).

5. Repeat steps 2-4 until all bread is toasted.

Serve with powered sugar, blueberries, and maple syrup.

And bacon on the side. 

Did you have an amazing breakfast this past weekend?

Australia Chat and Makeup Talk

Back in November, Kim from the fun lifestyle blog Northern California Style kindly gave me the "Liebster Award" and asked me to answer ten questions about myself and then share the award with two other "up and coming" bloggers. Well, here I am, finally answering her questions a whole three months later. Thanks Kim, sorry for the delay!

1. What's your favorite scent and how long have you been wearing it?

Dead Sexy by Tokyo Milk has been my favorite perfume for about 2 years now. It's different from anything I've smelled before and not very expensive, and supposedly smells a little different on everyone. Before that I wore Pink Sugar which I would describe as a complex cotton candy. It's still one of my favorite scents but always got totally mixed reactions so I'm more likely to spray it on my pillow than wear it to work. :)

Tokyo Milk on the vanity tray in my bedroom

2. Lipstick, lip gloss or chapstick?

Either lipstick or chapstick. If I feel like putting in effort or getting a little glammed up, I love YSL's Rouge Volupte in Peach Passion, but I most often have basic chapstick on.

3. If you could have a chef, a housekeeper, a driver or a masseuse at your service 24 hours a day, which would you choose?

Is it totally horrible that I live in a small apartment by myself and want to say housekeeper? Whatever, I'm going with that!

4. Do you prefer city living or the country life?

I have always lived in a city (grew up in Houston, went to college in San Diego, have lived in Portland since) but my mom lives on a farm in Texas and I absolutely love visiting. I must admit though, I get cabin fever pretty quickly so I'd have to say I prefer city living. Especially in Portland. There's just so much at your fingertips!

My mom's sweet little farm house in Chappell Hill, Texas

5. Where do you do most of your shopping for clothes: online, malls, discount stores (like Ross), boutiques, thrift and consignment shops, or outlets?

Even though I love vintage and antique decor, for some reason I am not very good at shopping for vintage clothes. So, Forever 21, H&M and Target are my go-tos. I do like places like Nordstrom Rack and Marshalls but for whatever reason I always forget to shop there.

6. What is one food that you can't stand the taste of?

Kimchee. I just can't, even though I really wish I could.

7. If you won a round-trip ticket for two to any destination in the world, where would you go and who would you take?

I never would have said this five years ago, but ever since I started reading Australian blogs, I've had a really strong desire to take a trip to that part of the world. It just seems like such a laid-back, naturally beautiful destination, and I love what I've seen of Aussie style. I would take my brother since he and I have a lot of similar interests and I think he would dig Australia more than anyone I know. Sorry Mom!

My brother and I on the zip-line course during a family vacation in Costa Rica

8. What's the last movie you saw in a theater?

Zero Dark Thirty. Hopefully I'll see another Oscar nom or two this weekend - it's kind of killing me that I have yet to see most of them! What was your favorite - which should I make sure to see!?

9. Drugstore or high-end designer makeup?

I went through a weird phase last summer where I got all kinds of designer makeup, but I'm really just a drugstore kind-of-makeup girl.

10. Real "old fashion" books made with paper or electronic reads?

Old fashion books. Please. ;) Just finished Gone Girl, now about to start The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Read 'em?

The entry table in my apartment with some books I read in book club, minus Design Sponge...

Thanks for asking me to participate, Kim, it was fun! I'd like to pass along this award to two bloggers who I've recently started reading and really enjoy...

Kim of See Kim Decorate

and 

Ashley of The Photogramps

Of course, this is totally optional but I do think it's pretty fun to learn more about the bloggers behind the blogs we read. I'm going to ask some questions that are pretty different from the ones I answered, so hear ya go ladies:

1. What are the weirdest/most unusual things we'd find in your fridge?

2. What is your favorite childhood movie?

3. Where is the best place you've ever slept?

4. What is your favorite book (and why)? 

5. How would you describe the style in your home?

6. What's your beverage of choice?

7. If you could have an all-expenses paid vacation for two anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you bring along with you?

8. Would you rather float a river, layout at the beach or ski/snowboard down a mountain?

9. If you could learn to speak another language over night, which would you choose and why?

10. What's your favorite music of the week?

Well, that's a wrap! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend!!

~all photos in this post are my own~

Lovin' Landscapes

How was everyone's weekend?! I was one of the lucky ones who had three days off of work, and I'm happy to report that I did quite a bit! I went estate-saleing and came home with some really cool Victorian silver, cross-country skied for the first time ever and watched, ummm, eight episodes of Breaking Bad. In a row. Whoops. Laundry, unfortunately, is yet to be done.

I also hit up some antique stores and came home with an old de-silvered mirror and a 1925 landscape painting. I'm going to put the painting in my bathroom because I think the mossy hues and aged patina will work with the rustic vibe I'm going for, inspired by this shot. More to come on that later.

I have a soft spot in my heart for landscape artwork in general, so I thought I'd do a round up of some of my favorite examples... enjoy!

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via Elle Decor 

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It's so hard for me to pick a favorite style!

What things did you get into this weekend?

Happy Valentine's Day!

 Love of all kinds (especially self-love) is what Valentine's Day means to me...

Whether you're having wine and chocolate with girlfriends, cooking at home with your honey, or treating yourself to a good book and luxurious bubble bath, I hope you have a fantastic Valentine's Day!

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Happy Valentine's Day!

All About Color: 10 Very Simple Ways to Decorate for Valentine's Day

 1. Look through your book collection and gather ones with red, white, or pink spines and arrange them as the focal point on a table.

2. Grab your Valentine-hued scarves and coats and hang them on the coat rack in your entryway.

3. Line up your pale pink, hot pink, dusty rose, fire engine red, coral and sparkly nail polishes on your vanity or bathroom shelf.

4. Move any family wedding or other romantic photos to a place where they are clearly visible.

5. Look through your magazines and find the ones with pinks and reds on the cover and lay them on your coffee table.

6. Make some red velvet cupcakes or cookies with pink frosting and arrange them on a cake stand on your kitchen counter.

7. Pull any pink, red or sparkly shoes out of the closet and place them in a casually noticed spot.

8. Look through your closets and less-visited rooms for pink, red and floral things that you forgot about (blankets, artwork, collectables) and move them to a place where they'll really stand out.

9. Go through any wedding announcements, baby announcements or other cards that have pinks and reds, florals or symbols of romance and put them on your fridge. 

10. Finally, if you must buy some kind of Valentine's Day decor, check out places like Target for cute things at great prices. These heart pillows were only $11.99 a piece and I can use them in different areas of my home Valentine's Day after Valentine's Day.

Obviously, it's all about certain colors. Which of these ideas is your favorite for simple Valentine's Day decor?

Getting Stuff Done!

where the magic happens: I sit in that chair by the window and work on my laptop; 

as you'll see below, I need to get a sofa and rug and hang some artwork...

How was everyone's weekend!? Friday night was especially fun for me because I grabbed drinks with some close friends at Clyde Common in downtown Portland and then on Saturday I went on a spontaneous shopping spree at Tar-jay and found all kinds of irresistibly cute Valentine's Day decor at really good prices.  I can't wait to show you the couple of items that practically jumped into my shopping cart!

I also worked on a giant list of things I want to do in the relatively near future. I'm the kind of person who needs lists to survive. I can't get my house organized and cleaned unless I break it down into tiny spaces and list them out: kitchen counters, area by the window, bed (anyone else use theirs as a table?), bathroom sink, floors, etc. It may sound kind of ridiculous but it helps me to focus and not get overwhelmed by all there is to do. Plus, it's really fun to cross things off the list.

I was inspired to start another sort of list by blogger Jackie Jade, a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. The original idea comes from Mackenzie of Design Darling who describes the 101 in 1001 as the "happy medium" between a to-do list and a bucket list. I thought it sounded like a cool idea and am hoping it will help me concentrate on the things that are important to me and make better use of my free time.

So I have a little less than three years to get the following accomplished:

1. Make a 101 things in 1001 days list
2. Take a sewing class
3. Buy a piece of furniture at an estate sale
4. Paint my bathroom and kitchen white (early Feb 2013)
5. Put drapes/shades up in all of the windows in my apartment
6. Go to an estate auction
7. Save up for a large, flat screen TV; I have never owned a TV and just watch movies from my laptop... but I'm kind of over that and I'm pretty sure my friends are too
8. Create five pieces of artwork for my home
9. Visit my sister in Washington D.C.
10. Make my own stationery
11. Barbecue a Texas-style beef brisket
12. Go skiing on Mt. Hood and graduate from being a total beginner
13. Host a winter cocktail party
14. Host a Cinco de Mayo party every year 
15. Go cross-country skiing (mid Feb 2013)
16. Go deep sea fishing
17. Learn how to really work my camera
18. Learn how to use photoshop to do the things I want to do
19. Learn how to make a collage of things for my blog (I am so clueless!)
20. Help three friends (including blog friends) decorate their homes
21. Learn how to reupholster a piece of furniture, and do it
22. Make my front porch really inviting with potted and hanging plants, a pretty mat and a welcome sign
23. Replace/repair the crown molding that has detached from the ceiling in my apartment
24. Get to an intermediate level in yoga (I have a loooong way to go!)
25. Get better at telling jokes :)
26. Host a game night at my apartment
27. Participate in Apartment Therapy's "January Cure" - I'm currently doing the "February Cure" instead!
28. Make a really good homemade salsa 
29. Learn how to make queso without using any Velveeta
30. Go through my clothes and take 1/3 to Good Will or swap with friends
31. Knit a hat
32. Add some houseplants around my apartment
33. Transfer my beloved Staghorn fern to a larger base, so he can grow!
34. Update my blog layout
35. Figure out a way to incorporate The Lucky Find Vintage (my Etsy shop) into this blog
36. Read three biographies and three autobiographies
37. Ween myself off of The Bachelor (2 hours/week is just soooo much time) (Feb 2013)
38. Create a floor cloth for my kitchen
39. Complete my bar table (Valentine's Day 2013)
40. Find a great vintage Persian rug for my living room
41. Get glasses
42. Begin a "vintage recipes" series on the blog
43. Make sushi
44. Create Instagram magnets for the fridge
45. Get an iPad
46. Read Lonesome Dove
47. Get a better URL for my blog (I really really really don't like it as is)
48. Be able to better define my design aesthetic
49. Watch three classic musicals that I haven't seen before
50. Spend a Saturday having a Disney movie marathon
51. Camp along the Eagle Creek trail in the Columbia River Gorge (it's the most beautiful trail I've ever been on)
52. Attend some kind of Interior Design or Antiques event/seminar
53. Connect with at least 5 blogging friends in person
54. Make 10 recipes off Pinterest, first up being this
55. Make 20 recipes out of cookbooks handed down from my grandmother
56. Try Zumba
57. Watch Star Wars (I never have)
58. Refinish a piece of vintage furniture

I took this photo a couple of summers ago while hiking the Eagle Creek trail. Summer and #51 on my list can't come soon enough!

59. Make a fancy cake with my vintage mixer
60. Do a cleanse (NOT the Master Cleanse)
61. Find out my blood type
62. Send letters and cards to out-of-state family members and friends on a regular basis
63. Send birthday cards to family members and friends
64. Visit Santa Barbara
65. Stay at a bed & breakfast
66. Go to a national park in Utah
67. Go tubing in the river
68. Draw a floor plan of my apartment
69. Organize my storage space in the basement
70. Brew my own beer
71. Go on a Distillery Row tour in Portland, OR
72. Cook a nice dinner with meat/seafood purchased at the farmers' market
73. Have a friend over at least once a month for dinner (started Feb 2013)
74. Make a tie-dye picnic blanket
75. Paint my kitchen table a fun color
76. Get a sofa
77. Frame and hang all of the artwork I own
78. Get new tires for my car (and maybe get a new car??)
79. Learn how to make a martini and have them regularly (Valentine's Day 2013)
80. Become flexible (physically)
81. Learn how to make flower arrangements
82. Get a cute light fixture for my front porch
83. Get a new piece of furniture to store books (Ikea bookshelf be gone!)
84. Babysit some kids for free
85. Start volunteering again
86. Go to Yosemite National Park with my family
87. Go to Disneyland
88. Go on a brewery tour in Bend, Oregon (for my 29th birthday in Feb 2013!)
89. Go crabbing on the Oregon Coast
90. Go clam digging on the Oregon Coast
91. Find some new chairs for my kitchen table at a thrift shop or secondhand store 
92. Learn how to play a new lawn game
93. Have a barbecue with friends in the backyard
94. Replace the battery in my Macbook
95. Go bike riding at least 20 times
96. Watch 10 movies made before 1960
97. Add at least a dozen framed photos to my home decor
98. Go gold panning in Southern Oregon
99. Take a trip to Seattle and go to the top of the Space Needle
100. Clean out the trunk of my car and keep it that way
101. Take more of my own photos, and share more of my own projects on this blog

yesterday's project

I'm thisclose to being able to cross "paint my bathroom and kitchen white" off the list - it's what I spent all of yesterday doing (made bearable because of this playlist)! I even skipped a Super Bowl party so I could get it done, and now I just need to do one final coat in the bathroom. Sometimes it feels good to just do it, ya know? Now I can really move forward with decorating my bathroom and kitchen, which is exciting because I desperately need to get some ideas out of my head. :)

How was your weekend??


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