baby bluebird cupcake

baby bluebird cupcake, originally uploaded by tam mabley.

so freaking cute

the simpsons. movie

brian and i saw the simpsons on saturday because it rained all day at the beach. it was just fine. funny and not long. just like a longer version of a tv episode. also you see bart's penis.

this is a very pretty console table from wisteria.

bookcase of the day

this one's a little different than most i post.


elle decor

swoon

literally. i really am not much of a swooner, but this is perfect.

and these aren't too shabby either. they look really comfy.

planter

my plants had a talk with me, and they've decided they'd be happier in this planter from DWR. i told them no, that's ridiculous: they may be very good looking, but they are outrageously priced. the plants said, whateve.

corners of my crib.

my new ikea artwork - (thanks meghan), and ronnie, the vacuuming robot, peaking around the corner.

finally!

i found something i thought was really cool, that i'd never seen before! these days, being so inundated with stuff to buy and things you must have and magazines and blogs and everythingelse you never make any original ohmygodilovethat discoveries.

but i found these cards and printed at papayalicious and i love them. so i got a few. check out some more of my favorites here

from vogue magazine

claudia schiffer is 37. how do we feel about that?

lucite trays

iomoi has new lucite trays that are customizable and super rad, i think.

i'd love to have one of these for our bureau.

wishlist.

at casasugar, a new overwhelmingly useless website, it seems, you can register to win a $5K shopping spree at west elm. you create a wish list of what'd you buy with $5K, and if you win, you get it all. my list is here. it was actually not so easy to spend that much there. i had to keep searching for things to add to get the amount up.

solar powered van

this is awesome. its diesel + electric and it has solar panels. GPS and wireless internet. it sleeps 4 people, and has a 4 burner cooktop and a sink. the passenger seat turns into steps that lead to the sleeping platform up top, and the doors fold out into shelves. the table and chairs are stored in the back.

go to the website and check out the animated tour of the van. maybe i can afford the poster.

more things that most people can't afford.

i kept seeing these pillows everywhere, and then today it dawned on me! they're jonathan adler! they're too expensive to ever buy! i won't ever have them. yay.

so this one is worth sharing, i think

Grilled Peaches with Stuff on Them and Ice Cream

we made these last friday night. i think they worked out pretty well. we put them in marg. glasses on a scoop of soy cream. b/c val is alergic to dairy. but also soy (didn't know!). she ate it anyway.

4 large ripe freestone peaches

8 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

8 fresh mint leaves

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup dark rum

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch salt

Peach or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Cut each peach in half and discard the pit. Then, cut each peach into quarters. Using a pointed chopstick or metal skewer, make a starter hole in the center of each peach quarter, working from the pit side to the skin side. Skewer 2 peach quarters on each cinnamon stick, placing a mint leaf between the 2 quarters.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, rum, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Let the glaze boil until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

Prepare and preheat the grill to high. Brush and oil the grate. Next, place the skewered peaches on the hot grate and grill until nicely browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side, basting with the rum and butter glaze. Spoon any remaining glaze over the grilled peaches and serve at once. Peach or vanilla ice cream makes a great accompaniment.

*oh, and we effed the skewering the peaches with the cinammon sticks. will not happen. use wooden skewers, stick like 6 peach quarters on each, and put the cinnamon stick in the glass with the rest. but still put the mint in between each peach!

so that's what i'll do.

apartment therapy had a house tour of Lorena & Estanban's house of today, and i saw these thingys with the air plants in them. see, the thing is, i have one of these things!! my mom gave it to me at x-mas and i couldn't figure out what to put in it. this is what you put in it! hark!

michael aram

i was flipping through an old domino magazine last night, i and rediscovered michael aram's lovely cream and sugar set. I checked out some of his other things, and found some beautiful serving pieces:

they're so organic and delicate. would be an awesome place to register. we got a pair of tongs by him for our wedding - not anything we'd registered for - but we loved them. some of the best wedding gifts we got were surprises. go off register! whoo hoooo!

anyway, he also makes furniture and really pretty hardware, knobs and such.

i like this living room a lot

its white. it has poofs! it has a lovely marimekko print on the wall that is like my shower curtain. it has a neat lamp. rug! nice wood and leather chair. lots of light. pretty wood floors. i'm sitting on my front porch in the dark and a bug just crashed violently into my computer screen.

pour moi

ring from jcrew, originally uploaded by foohqwah.

i love this ring from jcrew.

bookcase of the day

*i think this is from living etc. but i can't be sure. i'm sorry - i know i'm awful @ crediting photos

west elm fall catalog

arrived in the mail today. seeing their things online never does them justice -- you have to wait for the catalog. here's what peaked my interest:

amy butler

some of you have asked about my curtain fabric.

its amy butler, and i ordered it from purlsoho. they were very nice on the phone and shipped my order out quickfast.

some other pretty patterns they have:

prettiness

i found betsy dunlap through design*sponge. she does amazing calligraphy! envelopes, invites, placecards and menus!

check these samples out.

i could probably do just as well myself, but i don't think i would have

1) the patience

2) any sort of consistency

as a side note, i have had absolutely nothing of any nutritional value to eat today. my insides are trying to find something decent to process and the top contenders are french fries and diet dr. pepper.

done.

alrighty.
so i made those curtains yesterday that we had spoken briefly about a few weeks ago.

when the fabric came earlier this week, i was so happy with it - it actually looked better in person, and the colors were right on.

my mom came to help, which is standard when i embark on a project.

here we are pre-curtain:

measuring, cutting, hemming, tookforeveroweurkjhdklfhakldkjncjkahdjf, then we hung them.

then i spent the next 15 hours walking in and out trying to figure what was wrong.

"they're too long" - says brian.

yes. they are too long. you are absolutely right.

i procrastinate what i'm about to have to do and wash the front porch.

then i did it all again. not really -just the cutting and sewing and re-hanging.

alas, they look right now. next: shelves and stainless steel cables for the railings.

let's hope she's harnessing those thighs for good, not evil.

this new video had best be kick-ass.

you make the arrangements

a great new blog i discovered, the scoop, reminded me of a good article in domino about arranging flowers. which blooms to put in which vase, etc.

aren't these pictures inspiring?

bookcase of the day

from ikea

101 simple meals - 10 minutes or less

definitely check out this article from the NY Times.

it has 101 awesome things you can make for dinner, in 10 minutes.

for example:
7. Make pesto: put a couple of cups of basil leaves, a garlic clove, salt, pepper and olive oil as necessary in a blender (walnuts and Parmesan are optional). Serve over pasta (dilute with oil or water as necessary) or grilled fish or meat.

51. Put a stick of butter and a handful of pine nuts in a skillet. Cook over medium heat until both are brown. Toss with cooked pasta, grated Parmesan and black pepper.

88. Cut the top off four big tomatoes; scoop out the interiors and mix them with toasted stale baguette or pita, olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs (basil, tarragon, and/or parsley). Stuff into tomatoes and serve with salad.

moo!

moo cards are tiny wonderful cards that you can have printed from your photos on flickr for a very reasonable price -- i've always wanted to get some.

but now! they have moo stickers. you can make a tiny book of 90 stickers, from your flickr photos, for $9.99. they come with 15 sheets of 6 stickers, so you can tear out each sheet and give one to 15 different people! or you can print a favorite image to use as a gift tag, an envelope decorator, or a to adorn a pretty package. so many options!


found via oh happy day