Day 30: Lists to Make

I can't believe it's the last day of September, and the end of 30 Days of Lists. It's been quite an eventful month and I have a book full of lists to prove it! As my 10th grade English teacher always said, Happy New Month Eve!

1. Holiday-themed and related projects for Fairview Place

2. Places to travel in 2013

3. Weekend to-do's

4. Grocery list (it's never-ending)

Check out my whole month of lists here!

Day 29: What I've finished this week

I'll have to say, it's been an extremely productive week for me! And I still have tomorrow! However, football and some brews sounds pretty tempting :)

1. Halloween Cards

2. Felt Memory Games, including some Halloween themed ones!

3. Felt peanuts and sushi set

4. Chalkboard table runner

5. Grocery shopping

6. Shipment for a Holiday Guide featuring Fairview Place

7. Ordering new supplies

8. Ordering kitchen cabinets

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New Sushi Rolls

In order to save a little time, I've been experimenting with some new ways to make my felt sushi. Along with some new rolls. Can you tell what they are? Do they pass the real-ish looking test? Does it really matter since it's play food for children :)

Can't wait to get your hands on your very own set? Check out Fairview Place on Etsy.

Day 28: Little Joys in my Life

[[ a clean office ]]

[[ peanut butter & bananas (which I had this morning!) ]]

[[ hot apple cider ]]

[[ mike's look from across a crowded room ]]

[[ freshly painted nails ]]

[[ toasted bagel & cream cheese (and with sprouts and a tomato) ]]

[[ holding thomas ]]

[[ a clean car ]]

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Day 27:

I wish my list were longer!

}} traveled/moved to Thailand

}} Stood up/spoke my mind to my dad (about his love life, ha)

}} quit my day job

}} moved away from home

}} gotten a colonoscopy

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Day 26: Trends I cannot Stand

This one was actually a hard for me to come with things that weren't shoe-related! Here goes!

>> Toddlers & Tiaras - especially 'Honey Boo Boo'

>> Toeless Boots

>> When people call their child "My Mini." Do you really want them to be a miniature YOU?

>> 9" heels (and the ones that look like belong in a porno)

>> Metallic-looking clothing

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Kitchen Update, Part 3

We took the first big leap and bought the cabinets on Saturday! We finally settled on the maple cream finished (so it won't have the weathered look) with black matte knobs and pulls. I decided on the black pulls because they will match either color appliances we pick (stainless or black) and we'll be able to pull the whole design together with the counter top coloring.

Since there was a promotion going through the 23rd, we ended up getting 12 cabinets (we only need 11), including the cutlery divider, waste basket cupboard, sliding spice rack and sink base all included in the price of $3,016. That's about $1,000 off the full price and we have an extra cabinet we can sell in the future - Gotta love a good deal! The cabinets will take 4-6 weeks to arrive and I just can't wait.

Our next step is to pick out the counter tops, sink and faucet. We ruled out the butcher's block style after we took a visit to Home Emporium out in Chesapeake. Although we could get it at an extremely good price ($120 for more than we need), it has to be conditioned every 6 months with a specific type of oil. Not really ideal for a rental unit. So, now we're still debating between laminate and granite. What is you're opinion?

Day 25: Places I've Lived

1. Alliance, Ohio (hometown)

2. Indiana: Muncie & Indianapolis

3. Newark, New Jersey

4. Norfolk, Virginia

5. Chiang Rai, Thailand

6. Portsmouth, Virginia

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Music Monday

Happy Monday. It was a long, yet very fulfilling weekend. One that definitely requires some recovery time! You'll have to head over to the playlist to see this week's lovely instagram photo :)

Day 24: Yesterday Was...

I had a great Sunday! It started with some crafts, video chatting and a trip to the gym. Followed by a ferry ride to Portsmouth and dinner with Mike. So yesterday was...

* Oktoberfest

* the perfect Fall day

* filled with tasty food & adult beverages

* productive

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Day 23: Current Favorites

This one was actually a little hard, because I kept thinking food!

Driving with the windows down

Morning oatmeal

"Breaking Amish" trust me on this one and just watch one episode...you'll be hooked!

Pumpkin beers

Football on TV (mostly because it forces me to relax for a few hours)

Trivia Thursdays at Snappers with the gang

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Day 22: Favorite Photos of Myself

Not one of my favorite lists...How do you make a lists about photos? Tried my best though :)

>> At age 5, in my little bikini and pigtails

>> with sunkissed skin

>> pictured with my grandmothers

>> candids while traveling

>> any with Mike

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Kristin Michelle Photography

About a month ago, I had an order for a set of felt chocolate chip cookies. When I went to address the package I realized it was going to my hometown in Ohio! What a weird coincidence, right? I sent along a note to say thanks and let the buyer know I was an Alliance native as well. In return she posted the adorable photo she took of this precious little baby with a cookie monster hat and my cookies!

Turns out, she's a family photographer and does amazing work! I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share her great work and spotlight a fellow Alliance talent. Make sure to check out her Facebook page and Website for more sweet photos and details on how to get your face in her camera :)

Day 21: Things I Bought this Week

I was actually pretty good this week...And I actually took some pants back I bought last week!

1. Groceries

2. Bagels (lunch)

3. Pizza (dinner)

4. Drinks

5. Shipping supplies

6. Halloween treats...for some lucky girl :)

7. Conditioner, razors and lipstick

8. Fairview Place Packaging (i.e. clear plastic take-out boxes)

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Thrifty Thursdays

A big thanks to my friend Krista who went to a great estate sale with me last weekend in West Ghent. She was the one who first spotted the cabinet full of buttons, which I immediately snagged. The whole cabinet was suppose to sell with all the contents, but I worked a deal for all these buttons for only $9. The condo has not been updated since probably, 1963, but I find comfort and a little excitment in 'old house smell.'

This isn't even all of them! I've already set aside a bunch (and snaps and pinking sheers) for Kitsch's next swap meet. Aren't those big green ones amazing? I can't wait to attach those to some hair clips! In a quick estimate I got more than 100 buttons...there were also many more in a separate jar we found in random box.

The thing I admire most about the older accessories, is the packaging. The typography and colors are fantastic. Now everything is just boring white...no design excitement!

I also found these super retro book name plates in a pile of paper goods. A bag of four different designs for $1. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with them...well, I know a few will be going to Thomas for his book collection. There was a huge box of various-sized envelopes, loads of illustrated postcards with greetings for every occasion and party invitations. It's a good thing we were on our bikes, or that box would be wiggling itself into my closet somehow. All in all, it was a nice morning ride with lots of vintage goods in tow. Not to mention, lots of new earring accessories coming soon!

Day 20: Fictional Friends

>> Monica (Friends)

>> Daddy Warbucks (every girl needs a father who buys her everything :)

>> Falkor (flying Luck Dragon? Yes Please!)

>> Inspector Gadget (Never know when you'll need a detective on your side)

>> Spencer (from Criminal Minds - he's like a real life Inspector Gadget, but cuter!)

>> Johnny Castle (just to learn how to dance so fabulously)

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Crab Dip Mini Pies

They're fancy, savory and ready in about 40 minutes. Great appetizer for a girls night, wine party for dinner for two!

What you need:

1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp diced jalapenos
1/4 cup frozen spinach
1 can crab meat
1 package low-fat (or fat free) cream cheese, softened.
1/4 cup shredded cheese (your choice)
salt, pepper and crushed red pepper
2 store-bought pie crusts
mini muffin pan

What you do:

1. Saute the onions, garlic, jalapenos and spinach in oil until tender, about five minutes.
2.Turn heat off, but keep the pan on the burner. Add in crab meat, cream cheese and shredded cheese and mix well. Add in the seasonings to your liking.
3. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your mini muffin pan.
4. Roll out the dough cut out approximately 24 3" circles. I used the one of our Ikea juice glasses and it worked perfectly. Push the dough circles into the pan and fill with a teaspoon (or two) of crab mixture. Top with a little extra cheese.
5. Repeat until your pan is full and pop into the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Day 19: Events I'd Like to Attend

There is simply not a large enough piece of paper to list all the events I'd like to attend. So these eight will have to suffice. 

++ Carnivale

++ Holi

++ The World Series (come on Orioles!)

++ The Olympics (any event would do)

++ Presidential Inauguration

++ Oktober Fest

++ PGA tournament (this is actually a possibility next April)

++ My wedding :)

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Kitchen Redo Part 2

original plan I created before measuring or knowing anything
about the inner workings of the cabinet world.

It's amazing what four hours at Lowe's with your boyfriend's father will teach you. First off, I have a whole new appreciation for kitchen cabinets that I never thought was possible. We decided to price out two kitchens: A) Cheap and B) All the upgrades.

cognac, espresso and hazelnut cabinets

Turns out, cheap isn't an option when it comes to the cabinets. The in-stock (inexpensive) cabinets Barney (Mike's dad) suggested we go with actually aren't an option. We have to get custom cabinets made because of the awkward length and height of the space. The low-end "cognac" or "espresso" cabinets will run us about $2,300. The middle-end "hazelnut" cabinets will cost $3,125.12. There goes more than half our budget (which was originally mentioned at $5,000) on cabinets. However, if we go with the hazelnut, we'll get a sink base cabinet, built-in pull-out spice rack, wood tiered cutlery divider and all of the hardware included in the price!

Right side of the kitchen with seven cabinets and a pull-out
spice rack (between the two right cabinets).

My original renderings had the microwave above the stove, which is learned is not going to work. Since our stove is only 20" wide (yes, I said 20"), we'd need to have a 20" or even a 24" hanging microwave, which do not exist. Barney suggested building a shelf to put the microwave on, but that goes against all fire codes. We decided to build the shelf on the right side of the kitchen and shorten those cabinets. We are installing a range hood above the stove, but still run into the problem of the size. Lowes doesn't make a 20" range hood, so we're having to go with a 24" option. Fine, we'll make it work....

Left side of the kitchen with new cabinets
above the refrigerator and washer dryer.

But now the BIG question...Stainless steel or black appliances?! We could save up to $400 by going with the black, but what is it going to look like with cream cabinets, bronze hardware and brown counter tops? We have some decisions to make, however, we have some time, since it'll take 4-5 weeks for our cabinets to come in (once we've placed the order).

Stay tuned for next week when we have the final verdict on cabinets, hardware and counter tops!

Day 18: Favorite Names

I could go on and on with names I like, but I promised they'll all be "Grandma and Grandpa" kind of names. They are just so much prettier!

|| Ellis (call him Elle)

|| Eleanora (call her Nora)

|| Cole (my Grandmother's maiden name)

|| Josephine

|| June

|| Henry (yes, we can call him Hank)

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Day 17: Excuses

// I'm tired //

// Mike has a meeting //

// We already have plans //

// Tunnel traffic //

// Work just called //

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NPR Monday

Changes things up a bit. Get informed.

Day 16: Things I'd Like to Learn...

Always enjoy this one, since it's always changing.

• Another language 

(Spanish, Romanian or Sign)

• Golf 

 (how to play)

• House stuff

 like building cabinets, laying tile, remodeling a kitchen and so-on

• Bartending 

never know when I'll need a night job

• More photography techniques

• HTML 

(I'm not really interested, but I know I should learn)

• How to make sushi

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Day 15: I know I'm young at heart when...

>> Build things with Legos (with Mike)

>> I stay up late partying (or just watching late-night TV, ha)

>> I eat milk and cookies

>> Playing in the sand

>> Watching 'The Grinch' or setting up for Christmas in general

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Day 14: I know I'm getting older when...

Hard to read my yellow sharpie...but it says:

>> The hangovers get worse weekly

>> People born in the 90s are functioning adults

>> I say "when I was a kid" or "when I was your age"

>> My friends are all married and have babies

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Thrifty Thursday

If you have a piece of cork, use it to stabilize
your earrings while they dry!

I found these cute stud earrings on Etsy, but I knew I could make them myself somehow (not being real gold, of course). So when I came across this tutorial I knew it was meant to be. I've been in need of some silver earrings and just so happen to have this silver metallic paint left over from a King Tut box I made my mom years ago (just go with it).

I spent about $4 on both bags of wood plugs and already had everything else. Not bad for what could be up to 18 pairs of earrings.

Where's what you do:

1. For the big plugs, you can easily hold and paint around the tops. Wait till the top dries and paint the bottom.
2. The smaller plugs are a bit harder, since there is no lip to hold onto, and they are just plain small! I glued the earring post to the stud before painting.
3. However, here's the problem I ran into...the superglue was soaking immediately into the wooden plugs. So, I ended up painting the bottom of the plugs, covering with the nail polish, gluing the earring post on, then finally painting...completely backward!

Whichever way you decide to do it, is fine...continue here...
 

4. Give the stud a couple layers of paint. Jazz it up with a stripe, or polka dots.
3. After the paint dries, give it a top coat with clear nail polish to protect it from chipping and to give it that extra shine. Let dry completely.
3. Use a jewelry adhesive or super glue to adhere the earring post onto the back of the wooden stud.
4. Repeat until you've made enough earrings for every day of the week - or month!

Day 13: Dinner party invitees

My best friend, who is also doing the lists, and I decided that we'd allow ourselves to be cheesy on this one. Just because we never get to see our closest friends and family (her more so than me, since she lives in Spain). So I'd have one kickass dinner party full of lots of friends and delicious food. My invitees are:

Emily

Aaron

Shawn

Krissi

Adrienne

Nick

Doug & Lizzie

Michelle

Mom & Dan

Dad

And of course Mike, but that goes without saying :)

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Oreo Brownies

I found this beautiful concoction of brownie goodness and knew I had to make them ASAP. Instead of going through all the trouble of making them from scratch, I bought a box of brownie mix and a box of Oreo's. Which, by the way, have you been the cookie isle lately to see the 20-something varieties of these little sandwich cookies? Totally unnecessary if you ask me, but I digress.

I followed the brownie recipe on the box, folding in about six crushed cookies. I spread the batter in a well-greased baking dish and we crumbled another four or five cookies on top. Normal baking times and let cool completely before cutting....they are a little extra gooey from the Oreo pieces.

It's a little surprise party, for your taste buds!

Day 12: Fictional Places I'd Like to Live

I could spent all day thinking about this one!

^^ The Shire (yes, I think I'd fit)

^^ Hogwarts (post Voldemort)

^^ Whoville

^^ Neverland

^^ Halloween Town

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Kitchen Updo Part 1

Our cluttered, cluster of a kitchen...

Our apartment is such a great little space with exposed brick, hardwood floors, wooden beams across the ceiling, but the kitchen just sticks out like a sore thumb (above). It's dark, the cabinets are falling apart and storage is abysmal. On a whim, we asked our landlady/friend if we could update our kitchen. To our surprise, she said yes! She's always wanted to do it, but never had the time. We used the fact that Mike's dad is a contractor as leverage and knew he'd help us get the ball rolling and even some great deals on materials.

off-white cabinets with finished wood counter tops.
the photo on the top left is actually dyed cement with a wood stamp!

My first task was to generate some ideas of what we wanted to do with the space. We have a 7.5' wall to work with (the other side is the refrigerator and stacking washer/dryer), so options are limited. I knew we had to do cabinets to the ceiling (which are 8.6' - not normal), a new stove, countertops, a deeper sink and we have to get that microwave off the counter.

bronze hardware and faucet with a pullout sprayer.
"biscuit" sink and glass tile - only $5.98 psf.

I never thought of myself as a white-cabinet kind of girl, but I'm in love with these looks. Especially with the wooden counter tops. Plus, the light cabinets will help to brighten up the tiny space. I want to accent the cabinets with bronze hardware, a glass tile back splash and a "biscuit" colored acrylic sink.

some nice storage options. although i'm not sure our tea cups are cute enough to display!

Since storage is the biggest issue in our kitchen (and the apartment in general), we're going to have to get creative. The taller cabinets will definitely help, but with the additions of a drawer cutting board, under-the-cabinet hooks and a hanging drying rack, it'll definitely help. I showed the designs to our landlady and she really likes the direction I'm heading. Next, we have to take measurements and get estimates. Stay tuned!

Day 11: Favorite Scents & Smells

>> Buni's Christmas Dinner
(my paternal grandmother, who makes rice pilaf, fried chicken, ham, Romanian pigs 'n' the blanket and salad...really a vegetarian's nightmare, but I still love it)

>> Fresh Laundry

>> Grandma Barb's linen closet

which doesn't smell like fresh laundry, but is very nostalgic for me

>> Sawdust

>> Pumpkin or spice scented anything

>> Mike's cologne

I realized I never posted a photo of my book in its entirety...
I used leftover scrapbook paper for the pages. The majority of the numbers are from a set of vintage flashcards I bought more than 6 years ago. I have finally put them to good use!

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Day 10: I am at my best when...

1. I'm with family and friends

2. I'm waking up from lots of sleep (9+ hours and not alcohol induced, ha)

3. I've exercised and eaten something healthy

4. I'm basking in the sun, rather after a shower from basking in the sun

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Music Monday

Happy Monday.