Archive for May 2010
Herbalicious
After I discovered just how easy and efficient it was to create Square Foot Gardens for veggie plants, I had to build some more. So, one night after work, I created an herb garden to line one side of my porch. Now I have fresh herbs just steps from my kitchen door, and I’ve prettied up the side of the porch in the process. 
I built a box that is 7 feet long by 1 foot deep. The 2×6 boards at home depot are 8 feet long, so all I had to do was purchase 2 boards and have a single 1-foot section cut off of each. 12 screws later I had a planter box!
I planted basil, lemon basil, lemon thyme, lime mint, apple mint, chocolate mint, oregano, tricolor sage, purple sage, parsley, cilantro, and some seeds for dark opal basil (a purplish plant).
But enough rambling about my herbs. . . I’ve gotta get back outside and build two more large square foot gardens. I’ve got about 24 more vegetable plants to get in the ground!
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Divine Decor: South Beach, part 2
Last Friday, when I shared some mid-century inspired photos from latest trip to South Beach, I promised to return with a peek into one of SoBe’s most famous hotels.
Here it is, the wonderfully white and oh-so-glamorous Delano Hotel:
Isn’t that lobby divine? When you walk in, leaving the sticky Florida air at the door, you’re immediately cooled and refreshed – not only by the temperature but by the ambiance. Towering white columns and floor-to-ceiling curtains that flank the entirety of the two-story lobby, lending a dramatic yet serene vibe to the space.
Little furniture vignettes are interspersed with bar and restaurant alcoves, providing ample seating for people-watching when day turns to night and the rich come out to play. I absolutely love the drama of this high-backed sofa in the lime spring green alcove:
I’ve always loved how the marble sushi bar juts out into the lobby at an odd angle:
When night falls you can sip on a fabulous cocktail at the fabric-wrapped Rose Bar, under the light of these gorgeous chandeliers:
. . .unless you’d rather imbibe while seated in a vintage Eames rocker (I know I would!):
Of course, if you’re in the mood for some fresh air, you can always saunter right through that billowy white lobby to find yourself at one of the most beautiful pools in Miami:
The pool is, by far, one of my favorite night spots for those evenings when I’m in the mood for relaxin’ and people-watching. No photos I took of the pool area at night do it justice, so you’ll have to take my word for it – or visit it yourself! When you kick back on a poolside bed, champagne in hand, and look up to see the palms towering against the dark sky, you know life is good.
I’d love to take you inside one of the $900/night rooms, but frankly I’ve never seen one. I’ve read oodles of reviews though, and it sounds as though they’re not that exciting when compared to the dramatic opulence of the hotel’s public areas. Which is just fine and dandy to me. I’d rather stay at a cheaper hotel and save all my money for partying at the Delano, and the other fantastic hotels in the Morgans group.
So what do you think? Are you starting to see why I love the ambiance of South Beach so much?
*Photos 1, 4, 6 courtesy of Delano on Facebook.*
New Abode, Part 6: Guest Bath
Yesterday I shared my guest bedroom, but I didn’t share the full bath that my guests can call their own. As mentioned before, the guest room is on one side of the basement rec room. On the other side is a laundry area and full bathroom. Here’s a view into the bath from the hallway:
Oddly enough, there’s a drawer on the bottom of the vanity. Have you ever seen such a thing? I sure hadn’t.
As you can see, the same tiles used in the guest room are carried into the bathroom, making it anything but a dingy and grungy old basement bathroom as found in so many older homes. Just as you saw in our upstairs bathroom, this shower/tub combo is enclosed by glass doors. And guess what? It’s not just any tub. . . it’s a jetted jacuzzi tub.
I’m going to carry over the beachy theme from the bathroom at my last apartment, as that decor was a gift from a good friend. But when last-minute guests were arriving and I had no time to decorate, I snagged a few more fresh flowers, popped them in an old glass jar, and tied a ribbon around it.
A thrifted little white ramekin came in handy for corralling some guest toiletries. (The other toiletries, such as shampoo, conditioner, etc, were all arranged neatly on a shower shelf.)
The way I see it, by giving my guests the basement room and their own full bath, I’m giving them some privacy and some space to spread out. So far I’ve had no complaints! Plus, a jacuzzi tub? The basement guest quarters aren’t looking so bad now, huh?
Click here for Part 6: Studio & Dressing Room
New Abode, Part 5: Guest Quarters
Q: What do two pet-lovers do when they have guests with severe pet allergies?
A: They stick them in the basement!
Just kidding! Not really. Yep, we’ve stuck our guest room in the basement. No, it’s not as horrifying as it sounds. Read on:
It’s not a huge room, but I’ve got major plans for this space. When I’m done with it, it’ll be bright, colorful, comfortable, and just a little bit wacky. In other words, just like me!
Of course today I’m sharing the space in its “just-moved-in” state. It was tough deciding on its location. We were torn between using the 2nd bedroom upstairs or the basement bedroom. After much deliberation, Ryan and I decided to use the private room in the basement for the guest room. Before you freak and say “basement, ick!” let me explain. The space is newly renovated, and located off the TV room. It’s got stone tile floors, new white molding, and a small, high window which actually lets in a good amount of light. For a basement. The space is small, but it’s adjacent to a large room, and is steps away from a full bath – which guests have all to themselves.
Here’s a view of the room as you enter through the french doors:
In the corner under the window I’ve placed a chair and a vintage steamer trunk. I like to make sure guests have a seat as well as a surface to lay out their stuff upon. Ideally it would be a low dresser with empty drawers, but hey – I’m working with what I have for now.
Next to one side of the bed a reading lamp and some fresh flowers sit on a small bedside table with drawers. Fresh flowers add an extra dose of cheer to let guests know they’re really welcome.
And here’s a view from the back corner of the room. Clearly I need to sew privacy blinds for the french doors.
Pet-proof solution: In order to make this a pet-free space in a very pet-friendly home, we keep the doors to the guest room closed at all times. Seeing as both our mothers have severe pet allergies, we must ensure they have an allergen-free space to stay in when they visit us. And regardless of their allergies, I think it’s preferable to offer my guests a hair-free space [if possible] just in case they’re not as used to the fur as we are.
Right now I’ve got my daybed in the room. In the photos it’s expanded into its king-size form for a tall male guest. When single guests (under 6′ tall) come to stay, the trundle is stowed away, leaving the room feeling more open.
Since it’s a small basement room with limited light, I want to use a color palette that is bright, cheerful, and a bit playful. Remember the fun pink and green fabrics I was loving at Tonic Living? I’d like to use those as the springboard for this room. Back when I mentioned my love for these fun pink and green fabrics at my fave online fabric retailer, Tonic Living, this is one of the spaces I had in mind. I can not wait to start playing around with those fun colors!!
Click here for Part 6: Guest Bath
Gardening: Square One
This is a garden. A square-foot garden. It just might be the easiest garden ever invented, and it’s the perfect non-invasive solution for renters!
When my college roommate made a surprise visit, I rewarded her spontaneity by putting her to work helping me create my very first “square foot garden.” I was following the method outlined in Mel Bartholomew’s book, All New Square Foot Gardening. Here’s an overview of how we built it, but for all the nitty-gritty details on the method, I’d recommend buying his book.
After obtaining the supplies (wood, plants, dirt ingredients), the actual assembly of the garden took no more than 2 hours. And I was glad it went quickly, as we were racing against an angry, overcast sky.
The great thing about this garden system is that you don’t have to till a huge plot of ground – saving you time, money, and a heck of a lot of effort. This garden method works on top of your yard, patio, driveway, or even roof.
We assembled a 4 foot x 4 foot box frame out of untreated 2×6 boards. The garden only has to be 6″ deep, using a recipe for the perfect soil mix that will nurture and feed your garden in that shallow an area. I then carried it over to a sad patch of dirt on the side of my house. It gets great sunlight and could use some healthy, growing plants.
After we set the frame in just the right spot – a level spot with no soggy areas – we lined it with weed blocking fabric. (I bought the most eco-friendly stuff I could find.)
Then it was time to mix the soil. To ensure success with the square foot gardening method, it’s best to follow the recipe for “Mel’s Mix,” a particular blend that is 30% vermiculite, 30% peat moss, and 30% compost from several sources. I did my best to adhere to the recipe . . . for maybe the first time in my life! We mixed it, one small batch at a time, in a big Rubbermaid container. In the future I’d mix it all at once on a huge tarp, as suggested by the book.
Yeah, it’s definitely harder to mix it in the little rubbermaid, like this:
Regardless, once we’d mixed enough batches to fill the 4×4 garden frame, it was time to lay out the grid.
Using some biodegradable twine (because I certainly don’t want to leech any chemicals into my garden), I created a grid of 1×1 squares.
Once the garden was divided into 1×1 squares, I consulted my book to see how many plants could be fit in each square. For example, large plants such as tomatoes and broccoli are planted one per square, while swiss chard and Brussel sprouts are planted 4 per square.
. . . and as the rain, which had threatened us all day, began to fall, we wiggled the last few plants into the garden. Perfect timing.
A weekend spent with visiting with good friends, wielding power tools, and playing in the dirt? Now that’s what I call a great weekend.
I couldn’t believe how quickly and easily it all went together. Have you tried this method? If so, were you pleased with it?
{Recipe} Mesquite Shrimp Salad
For better or worse, I usually cook dinner from scratch, and often meat-free, every night after work. The boyfriend appreciates it, and is not shy about telling others how lucky he is. It sometimes saves us money, and sometimes doesn’t – because I’m frankly a bit of a food snob. Taco nights are cheap, but free-range organic steak nights are not. Even then, they’re way tastier and more affordable than a good steak at a fancy restaurant.
But a while ago I started to become aware of just how much of my after-work time is eaten up (pun intended) by cooking these interesting and often meat-free dinners. And when I wouldn’t have the energy to spend an hour or more in the kitchen, we’d order out. To save money and time, I decided to attempt meals with quicker prep times, and add more meat into our dinners – but only the organic, free-range kind.
Here’s one result: a healthy and light summer salad.
Mesquite Shrimp (or chicken) Salad
- Purchase some sort of meat, seafood, or tofu.
- Rub with olive oil.
- Sprinkle with Montreal Steak Mesquite seasoning.
- Cook on George Forman grill. (Or sear in a frying pan if you have no grill.)
- While meat is cooking, toss a large amount of salad greens, avocado, and some other chopped veggies with basalmic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Top with cooked meat, and voila! A quick and easy dinner.
That’s all we had for dinner on several nights. I made some seriously large salads, enough to cover each of our full-sized dinner plates, and then topped them with a generous but healthy portion of meat. It’s good to eat a lot of greens and veggies.
After that successful attempt, I got smarter, and spent Friday night seasoning, marinating, and freezing a bunch of meat for this week. If I want an easy meal at night, I simply have to do is put two portions of meat in the fridge to thaw in the morning. Then, after work I simply make a large salad and grill that meat. Not a novel idea, I know, but it’s one that I had not ever tried until now.
Are you laughing at me now for waiting until the ripe old age of 31 to figure out that the freezer could be my friend? Do you have any quick homemade meal tips to share?
New Abode, Part 4: Master bedroom
Were you liking what you saw in parts 1, 2, and 3? Well if so, prepare to be unimpressed by the bedroom, the [temporarily] most haphazard looking part of the house.
Right now the rust-colored bedding from the old condo is clashing with the soothing seafoam green walls of the new bedroom. I’m digging the beachy color, so I think we’ll find new linens to match. After my intense terra cotta bedroom in the old place I’m ready for something much calmer and lighter.
But all color aside, this room’s got great potential. I love the windows, and having my bed right under that window is heavenly. I can sit in bed at night and rest my head on the sill, looking out at the stars and enjoying the suburban quiet. And that’s when I don’t miss city living one bit. Then I snuggle down in the bed and drift to sleep with the breeze wafting over me, just as though I’m camping. Perfection.
. . . and then I may or may not be awoken by the screaming barking of the fox, who lives behind our yard and makes midnight journeys right past my window.
You’ll notice that the room looks pretty empty. That’s because we’re each keeping our clothes in other rooms, since we’re fortunate enough to have the space. I am really liking this setup, because it keeps the mess and clutter out of the bedroom. Even as we decorate it I think we’ll stick with a somewhat minimalistic theme.
The entrance to the bedroom has this funny little corner:
I haven’t been able to find any bedding that has the right tone of seafoam green in it. I think I’ll work around it with a white duvet cover accented by some beachy toned pillows in a pale sandy shade as well as blues and greens.
Any other ideas for working with the color? I thought of getting a gray duvet, but between the beige and seafoam and dark wood already in the room, I just think gray would be out of place.
Click here for Part 5: Guest Quarters
PS: This bedroom is currently undergoing a makeover.
Divine Decor: South Beach, part 1
On my recent trip to Miami’s South Beach, I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures of the fabulous decor in our hotel lobby.
One thing I love about Miami is its vibrant design and architecture. All the hotels, from the budget ones to the luxury ones, compete with each other to have as swanky a lobby as the next. Therefore you can NOT judge a SoBe hotel by its lobby. Read the reviews. But I digress. . .
When my friends and I arrived at the Doubletree Surfcomber, I was immediately in love with the lobby decor. It was a crisp modern take on the 1950′s mid-century modern aesthetic, all the way down to the Bertoia bar stools at the lobby bar.
The two (previously independent) hotel buildings were adjoined by a solarium, with views of the terrace on one side, and views over the lush, green courtyard on the other. Oh, how I would love to have a space like this in my own home. 
The geometric cutout divider wall is another feature I’d love to have in my home – perhaps between my front door and my living room? I know it’s totally retro, but the coat of white paint really brings it up to speed for 2010.
I totally heart this floor lamp. I’d love to have it arching over my sofa in my tv room or my living room. And I got a kick out of the fact that the [way-too-large] throw pillows on the loveseats were made from the same fabric I used in my old guest room!
It was all I could do not to steal this credenza for my own home. The white marble top really takes it to a whole new level.
And finally, if you didn’t click over to see my personal blog entry on the Miami trip, here’s what the fabulous hotel pool was like:
What do you think? Not bad for a Doubletree, huh? Just wait for the next Miami inspiration post. . . when I take you inside – and outside of – one of South Beach’s most famous hotels.
