Rose project!

Roses are one of my favorite things, I was at Lowes yesterday looking for some peppers to grow in my garden, and all roses were 75% off because of an aphid (bug) problem, but no aphids were visible to my eye! I bought a mini rose bush for $2! I figured I might as well put it in a pot for my front porch, so I painted a terracotta pot for the heck of it. I love small projects! Now, time for me to get to work on my finals! Yikes!

Q-Tip Pointillism

Georges Seurat used a technique, which he is famous for, called "Pointillism." This technique is time consuming, but the end piece is well worth it! It is basically a style of painting using tiny dots in primary colors, which gives an end result of secondary colors, I love it. In the 19th century, it was ridiculed, but today we all recognize Seurat's "Sunday afternoon on La Grande Jatte" 1884-1886 (Image above.) So my creativity kicked in tonight while cleaning my bathroom and scrambling Q-tips off the ground. I googled and found a "Recipe" for creating a Q-tip Pointillism painting! Here are some fun directions;

What You Need:
watercolors
q-tips®
watercolor paper
drafting tape

What You Do:
-Tape the edges of the paper with drafting tape.
-Sketch basic landscape with a pencil.
-Wet the paint with a brush, dip the q-tip in water and dip it into the paint.
-Pressing down lightly will make a small dot, more pressure will create a larger one.
-Try to fill up as much of the paper as possible with color.
-Remove the tape when the painting is dry

(Kinderart.com)

Clawfoot Bathtub

I'm a religious bath taker. I rarely go a day without one, so having my clawfoot bath is at the top of my material dream list. I can't tell you how long I have wanted one, next place we call home, I will have one :) Here are a few of my favorites (The last one isn't my style, but I thought it was really unique!)

Style Icon: Chloë Sevigny

Dear Chloë,
Will you be my style girlfriend? We can swap closets, promise!

Must Have!

While at Francheska's, I picked up one of her magazines and found what I think to be, possibly, the cutest skirt ever. I dont care the magazine was making fun of it either! I must have it...I would be willing to lose 10 pounds to pull it off, in other words I'm obsessed. One problem, who makes it? Better yet, who wants to make me one? I want mine with little Danish characters ;)

Lavender

I'm trying to grow Lavender in my garden, but so far no flowering, I read it could take up to 1 year! Eventually I have a list of things I would like to do with the lavender after it's dried.

Lavender can be added to salads, jelly, sugar cookies, and other desserts, which adds a unique flavor.

Wrap the lavender in some cheesecloth and tie with a ribbon,throw it in the dryer with your clothes or under your pillow.

Put a generous amount of the flowers in your bath water for a soothing bath

Make Lavender tea, which reduces butterflies in the stomach and induces sleep

Add some lavender to a boiling pot of water and inhale the vapors to help with headaches, insomnia or depression.

Lavender also makes a beautiful flower arrangement!

Look of the week; Retro summer

I found this adorable ad from the sixties and I decided to base the look of the week on it. I love the wheat field and colors. Voila!

Lazienki Park; Warsaw, Poland

Im always watching Rick Steves, Samantha Brown, Globe trekker and other miscellaneous travel DVD's. Slowly I have collected more and more dream

 vacations, and my newest is Laziekni Park in Warsaw Poland. The park was established in the 17th century with a Baroque and Neo Classical design. During WWII the park was nearly demolished, but since has been restored. In the park is a beautiful palace on the water, which holds some of Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens artwork. On the side of the lake is a Roman Amphitheatre. On the grounds there is also a "Small white house" which served as a vacation home, most popular with King Louis XVIII during his exile from France.

The park has hidden corners with  sculptures, live peacocks and luschious gardens. There are gondola rides in the lakes as well, ah... lets go :)

Lily Pulitzer Swimsuits

Lily Pulitzer is the epitome of summer, her colors, fabrics and style. I can't afford her, but I can admire her. Ah, dreams.

420

I've always wondered why 4/20 is declared National Smoke Pot Day. I did some research and found some good stuff.

I guess there are plenty of theories on the origin, some say that 420 originated from a police code that announces marijuana use is taking place. Another story is that a group of guys in the 1970's made 4:20PM their official meeting time to smoke after school. Some people say waiting until 4:20PM to have your first smoke is the best time. Simply put, 420 is a symbol of cannabis and its culture. Today, April 20th events are international, and 4:20 pm has become a worldwide "burn time" (Concept420.com) 

Desk

Someday, I want my own beautiful desk with a window, a place where I can read, draw, paint, write, work. This suits my style.

Spring

Today is the perfect day for a picnic.

The Diary of Anne Frank

I believe everyone should read the Diary of Anne Frank as an adult. I read it in Junior High and it forever touched me, right now I am reading it again and I am understanding more and learning much more by reading it at my age, It's much more than just a diary. Despite all of the horror going on outside of her window, she kept a sense of hope and I think that is one of the most important things we should posses.

There are places in life that stick with you forever and the Secret Annexe is one that will for me. The feeling in there is unforgettable, no words can really explain it. Anne Frank will always be one of my idols.

Some of my favorite quotes from the Diary;

"It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be."

"I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains."

"How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."

Look of the Week; Soft Marilyn

This week I chose one of my favorite pictures of Marilyn Monroe as my inspiration. 

Luisa Beccaria

I found my favorite Spring/Summer 2009 collection, Luisa Beccaria. I had never heard of her before, but her soft color palette and romantic/feminine style totally caught my eye and I had to know more about the designer! She is an Italian fashion designer and celebrities like Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker have worn her designs. I would love to own one of her dresses. Here are a few of my favorites from her Spring/Summer 2009 line.

Beauty

I think everything about this picture is beautiful. :)

Laduree recipe

Laduree is an upscale French patisserie with beautiful macaroons. I am no patissier but I think with some practice I could master the skill of French macaroons. The Laduree recipe is hard to find, but I finally found a recipe for the mini macaroons from a Laduree patissier, lucky me!

INGREDIENTS

• 480g icing sugar
• 280g ground almonds
• 7 egg whites
• A few drops of flavoured food colouring such as strawberry

METHOD

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C.

2.  Mix the icing sugar and ground almonds in a food processor until you have a fine powder. Sift to remove any lumps.

3.  Beat the egg whites, adding the food colouring as you go. Quickly and carefully add the almond-sugar mixture.

4.  With a wooden spoon, mix from the centre of the bowl outwards, turning the container as you go. You want to achieve a smooth, lightly coloured mixture.

5.  Using a piping bag with a centimetre-wide nozzle, pipe three centimetre-wide macaroons onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.

6. Cook for eight to nine minutes, leaving the door of the oven slightly ajar.

7. Remove the macaroons from the oven. Pour a little water between the baking tray and the greaseproof paper - this makes the macaroons easier to lift off when they have cooled.

8. Sandwich the macaroons using marmalade, raspberry jam or whipped cream to serve.

TIP: Leave the finished macaroons for 24 hours in the fridge. This allows the flavours and texture to develop and intensify

Bonne Maman Candles

Jason and I are on a crafty candle making kick. Jason is a big fan of Bonne Maman French Preserves, so we kept a few of the empty glass containers and turned them into candles. They are a pink color and are "Lilac Spice" scented (my combo, thank you very much)...wax is all over the place and Jason decided to get all super crazy crafty and add some green wax in, so they look more like a 1st Grade project (I still love it bub!)...but we are working our way up the candle stick ladder so hold tight! Someday you might just see J&J Candle Co. 

;)

Look of the Week; Vermeer

Vermeer is one of my favorite artists, and I was lucky enough to see one of his most famous masterpieces while in Amsterdam at the Rijksmuseum. I decided to use this as my inspiration for this weeks "Look" ;) Enjoy the milkmaid! The white top is meant to be tucked into the skirt, the cardigan will hang loose over the white top.

Mata Hari

I've heard the name "Mata Hari" plenty of times, but never knew who or what it was. During our adventures in Amsterdam Land, we toured the Damrak Sex Museum where they had many of Mata Hari's clothing items and accessories on display. It intrigued me to find out more about Mata Hari.

Mata Hari was a Dutch exotic dancer and Courtesan (Upper class prostitute) during the early 20th Century. She was executed for espionage during World War I. She lived a mysterious life in Indonesia, Paris and of course Amsterdam. Because Mata was a Dutch (neutral) citizen during this time, she had free range to go wherever she pleased. She was a Courtesan to numerous high ranking military officers during WWI. On 13 February 1917, Mata Hari was arrested in her hotel room in Paris. She was put on trial, accused of spying for Germany and consequently causing the deaths of at least 50,000 soldiers. She was found guilty and was executed by firing squad. To this day, it is still a mystery as to whether or not Mata Hari was truly guilty. She was deemed the name, "Femme Fatal"

Style Obsession I

I have collected many obsessions throughout my life, some stick, some fade, so I decided to make a Style Obsession section for those that have stuck. When I say style, I'm talking hair, makeup, clothes, shoes, you name it.

Style Obession I; Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business.

Tea Cup

I came across this picture, I love how the cups are hung...if I ever buy that old place in the south of France and renovate (ah, dreams) I would love to do something like this :)

Jewelry

I am a big fan of weird jewelry. I came across a few pieces I think are adorable, although Im not sure I would wear all of them. Here are a few of my favorites (I'm thinking about buying the last one, should I?)

Diet plan

I think the last time I cooked anything other than Mac n Cheese was about 3 months ago, shame on me! I've slowly added on some more weight, so I suppose it's time to diet again. Right now I weigh 129 and I would like to get down to 115. If I could have any body, I would say Jennifer Aniston. I am not shaped much like her, but I love her size and tone. She does a lot of yoga with more of a South Beach Diet. I can't keep up with a specific diet plan so Im going to stick with limiting my portions and try more yoga and poleateaz (Pole pilates, hah!Seriously!) It will probably take me a year to look similar to her, but I'm going to try! It's much more realistic than some Victorias Secret model or Porn Star diet. :)

Mallorca, Spain

I've never had Spain on my list, but after learning about Mallorca (Majorca), I figure I will probably have to add Spain to the travel list. Mallorca is Spain's largest Island about 120 miles off the coast from Barcelona, with amazing caves, hidden coves, lucsious mountains, forests and aqua colored beaches. I would love to go on a small boat ride through the caves, tan in the white sands, hike the mountains and soak up the culture. Someday :)

Look of the week 3; Sunshine baby

While shopping around for some old fairytale books for my future project in Amsterdam, I came across a vintage 1970s circus themed childrens book written in Amsterdam with Illustrations by H. Willebeek-Lemair, I fell in love. I found this image and it made me want to be there, so I chose this as my look inspiration! The soft sunshine, light air, simplicity and freedom...Enjoy

My bedroom

I have this dream of a bedroom, and here it is. The picture is of Zooey Deschanel, but no offense to her, the bedroom is what stuck out to me. I love it, it's different, elegant, crazy, busy, feminine and romantic...ahh!

Diana camera

So I brought my "Diana" camera with me to Amsterdam and thought I would come back with some amazing "vintagesque" pictures. 7 rolls of film, $50 to develop and the best picture I got was this one. Errr....I guess I need to learn how to really use it?