Friday, October 30, 2009

Frugal Fridays: GOAT Decoration

The decorations which we keep throughout our homes serve many purposes. Some people use them to highlight aspects of their character...for example, one of their hobbies. Some decorations can be used to enhance architectural details of the buildings in which they reside. Perhaps a decoration can be an old family heirloom, which has been past down from generation to generation, carrying with it a great story or tradition. The point I'm getting at is this; while all of those things are great in their own ways...the sad fact remains that they CANNOT make snow cones.

For this reason, the snoopy sno-cone machine is the "Greatest of All Time (GOAT) decoration . Ok, seriously. Many decorations serve as conversation pieces...and in all honesty, in my experience I have found none better than my snoopy sno-cone machine. I received my first for my 5th bday in late 1985, from my great grandma...AKA "Nunny". Several years later it was either lost, broken, given away or sold at a garage sale. Then, about 5 or 6 years ago, while rummaging around a K-Mart store, my parents happened upon one. They couldn't resist buying and gifting it to me. When I opened it up (for the second time) I felt how, I can only imagine, Jesus' followers must have felt upon his resurrection....only better. After all, we're talking about an almost 20 year hiatus here...those busters only had to wait 3 days!!!....and it wasn't even summer (the season in which snow cones are the most appreciated).



Back to snoopy as a decoration. I'm ashamed to admit it...but I haven't ever used my second SSCM to make snow cones. It is strictly a decoration; but nary a person who enters our kitchen fails to make mention of it. People remember them. Either they had one, or their friend had one...or worse, their enemy. The point is, it is always a conversational diving board. The fact that they are only about 18 bucks now, and readily available, does somewhat cheapen it...it's true.

In closing I'd like to say...this post is definitely more jumbled than my typical writing. I told Dolores I was bored (at work) and she suggested I try to write a frugal Friday post. Hopefully you don't judge me too harshly. In any case...it is now 10:25pm and writing this successfully got me through the final 20 minutes of my night...hopefully it did the same for the past 2 minutes of your life. I'm going home!!! 

 
-Chris

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Wealthy Wednesday: Gilded eiCrate

I'm a sucker for pets; especially cats. What I wouldn't give to have a kindle of kittens. Chris objects to the idea. >_< He refuses to accompany me to the Petco adoption center- just to look! In his defense he whimpers at the sight of the jailed fishies. I'm just glad he opted for our current feline, 'Uncle Kitty'.



I never knew there was such an immense market for pet beds and accessories. I mean, the thought that someone would purchase a 22.5K Gold Crate. Real Gold!  It's baffling!


Hmm, what does 22.5K gold go for these days?? Eleven thousand dollars! Uh huh, you read correctly, $11,000.  Fortunately, there is also a production for ordinary bulbous crates with a reasonable price of just $100.



Isn't he just a cutie patootie? Both crates are available at Go!PetDesign.
 
Just for kicks, I lurked the web to find more dazzling pet rests and I gotta say, I'm weak in the knees for this Jetsons inspired pod.


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Or these unique resting nests.


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::Nap::
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Ok, I officially need a nap!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Scones, Seaweed Rolls, and a Viagra Burger

Weekends sure do feel like they are getting shorter and shorter. How about enforcing a permanent 3-day weekend...Obama??

Gradually painting more walls in the Family Room this past weekend; we're a little iffy on the 'Subtle Touch'. After living with the color for a few days and seeing it in different light settings, it's giving off a purplish hue which was not in our decorative plan. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes the neighboring darker colored walls will repel the amethyst intrusion. 

Sneak preview and our picture debut.





I look like one of those Precious Moments "I love you this much" figurines and Chris looks like one of Bob Baker's Beauties.

Sunday was a full day of cooking 101. After our weekly Sunday jaunt to Home Depot, I partook in the making of some homemade scones with Chris' mom. YUMMY!!! Not only was it ridiculously easy to concoct, but delicious to the max! 



Later that afternoon, my friend/brother-in-law's-girlfriend, Annel and I attended a vegetarian cooking class hosted by Veggie Land, in Orange County (Brea). Although it was not a hands on experience, the 1hr presentation (and menu) were intriguing. 






The chef shared some of her dishes, which originated in her restaurant in Taiwan, including a quick Kimchi-esque recipe with only 1 day of fermentation (usually a 3-6 day storing process!), a roasted seaweed roll substituting rice with sliced bread and a veggie burger whose patty contains elements used in Viagra and is believed to produce the same side effects. Long story short, we made a Boner Burger. Nice. Tickles the mind, doesn't it? Unfortunately, we gobbled all of the food before I could take any snapshots. Definitely signing up for upcoming classes in the near future. Cost for attendance? $5! Totally worth it.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Frame! I Wanna Live Forever

This is the last of the Magnet Dapple paint series. I swear. One more brush stroke before its retirement.

The living room and dinning room are all rolled into one giant open layout. This set up is perfect for dinner parties and our bianual UFC fight night soirees. But we still needed to define each space in a segregated yet cohesive manner. 

At first Chris and I had decided not to add any new paint into the space; just throw up some curtains, a large bookcase, suitable sized dinning table and ding! dinner is served. 

Here is a naked snap shot of our dinning room pre-furnishings.



Doesn't it just scream newlyweds?

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Wealthy Wednesday: Embrace


 

Hands down, favorite find for the month of October. The "Embrace" tables converts into your basic three-in-one bookshelf, magazine rack, seat-for-one; think of it as kind of like a Swiss army knife for small studio apartment living. This genius design is made by furniture designer John Green who has won several prestigious awards. The product is currently only available through snowhome. Unfortunately, they are stationed in the UK. Overseas delivery is available but I bet you dollars for donuts, it will be an expensive shipment.




Lets hope a US manufacture will foot the bill and carry the product for us. ^_^

Monday, October 19, 2009

I Did It All For The Nookie

I'm back with a handful of eye-care medication. Sigh. I was a mad woman at Kaiser yesterday; trying to find a parking space THEN running through the new grounds trying to make it to my appointment. It felt like I was back in college, tailgating students walking to their cars then waiting a gazillion minutes for them to reverse out of their space (CSU Fullerton's parking sucks too). Although I do have to admit, I was kind of hoping I'd spot Octomom since we share the same medical facility. No luck. Come to think of it...we share the same alma mater; am I sensing a trend here? 

In other news, we finally painted a few walls in the family room over the weekend. We busted our butts on Sunday (after the Steeler game, of course) then indulged in a delicious homemade Mexican dinner. Since Sunday is our only day off together, it gets pretty difficult to get our home projects done. But as my silver fox Tim Gunn would say, "make it work."- it's my new motto for this overdue-year-long project. Before the birth of our little blog, I documented before and after pictures of any lil home improvement we completed. Let me take you back to the home archives.

Our kitchen has a super cute corner nook. The nook actually pops out and extends out of the exterior of the home; which gives us a nice wide seating area as a bonus.



Frugal Friday (on Monday): Wall Decals

I kind of lagged last week with my somewhat daily postings. Apparently I'm suffering from chronic dry eye and my eyeballs can't withstand the computer screen for more than a few minutes, hence my brief disappearance. Since I failed to post my weekly 'Frugal Friday' post last week, I'm making up for it now. ^_^

Decal wall stickers have recently invaded many bare-naked walls; they are the perfect solution if Mr. Ropper won't let you paint. Applause to Esty seller Elly Nelly who has created a "buzz" with her playful decals. 





Certainly not your average Lisa Frank stickers.





 


 

Prices vary starting from $18 and up. Frankly, I wouldn't mind a sparkly unicorn decal... or face mask...Halloween is a coming. ^_^


Friday, October 16, 2009

Family Room Part III: Behr Necessities

Last week, Chris and I perused the Behr paint swatches at the good ole' Home Depot. We've been pretty lucky with our paint choices in the past; we're not afraid to go bold. It all started with 'Magnet Dapple' back at Lowe's, the summer of 2008 when we closed escrow.

Luckily we didn't need to repaint every room in the house when we first moved in. The walls were just like new after dousing them with TSP. We were babes in beige-land...except for the fireplace wall.  It was a loud 'fire engine' red. We could tell the previous owners were trying to go for a trendy vibe. Mission failed. (I should note that I have seen nice red accent walls...this just wasn't one of them)



When we painted the sample square of Magnet Dapple on the wall, we could tell people were dumbfounded with the color; given they often gave a long pause before commenting on the it. We brushed off the raised eyebrow reaction and went all in. 

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wealthy Wednesday: Judy Ross Home Collection

It's your weekly dose of 'Wealthy' (seriously, Wednesday snuck up on me this week; hallelujah!). The rain clouds made a pleasant visit to So Cal and relieved me from watering our parched front lawn. The cold days endear our pillowy couch to me. Summer days, kind of a thumbs down on the couch.  I mean, who wants to nestle in a sea of pillows in 90 degree weather? Not so much. 

Since I have comfy cushions on my mind, I've hunted down some beauties for today's installment. Textile designer Judy Ross has created fetching embroidered pillows that can easily dress up any dingy piece of furniture.  



::Available at 2modern::

You may not necessarily want to spoon such a lovely piece of art, especially when the pillows are priced between $170 and $190...each. Gadzooks, these prices should carry a trio of bold exclamation points next to them!!!

But no one, I mean no one, can top the ultimate pillow in my book.



I owned a 'Rock-a-bye Baby' and Chris had 'Squeaky Door' way back in the 80's. Never went to bed without it!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Don’t Pass this Bar (by Chris)

I want a bar. Wait…first off, I should tell you that we don’t drink. Not even water…except socially. Now that I’ve captured your attention with that great joke, I’d like to get semi-serious for 4 paragraphs.
 
As I was saying earlier…I want a bar; a place where I can sit down (in an elevated manner) and relax (one butt cheek at a time on a narrow cushion). There’s your set up…and here comes the conflict; Dolores doesn’t want one. Sounds like we’re in need of a good old fashion tie-breaking vote…that’s where you come in.

Let us first look at the facts. Fact, we like to eat. Fact, we like to watch television. Fact, we like doing the previous two items simultaneously. Myth, we like staining our sofas by eating and spilling all over them. Myth, this bar will be obtrusive. Fact, it totally will not. Myth, how do you know? Fact, because it can fold down dumb head. Myth, you’re sleeping on the couch tonight. Fact, whatever.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

PS3 Reaction


                                                                           ::unlce kitty::

Chris is happily setting up his new PS3 and I'm a knitaholic today.

Happy Sunday!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Frugal Fridays: Magnetter

Chris and I tend to be really good about not losing our keys. We are pretty OCD about everything and leave our keys in the same location; we thrive on order and repetition. Plus, since we are active 24hr fitness devotees, having our gym pass attached to the hip, I mean keys, kind of makes it impossible for them to be left unseen. 

I steered away from hanging up your typical 4-tier-country-styled mail sorter/key station in my kitchen; they look overwhelming and well,  just "beige." We currently nest our keys in a milk colored pedestal thingamajig, which we have named "Van Nuys" in reference to the super annoying 'Keyes, Keyes, Keyes. Keyes On Van Nuys' jingle (for all you non So Cal peeps, click here to listen). In any event, this handy dandy magnetic field below could solve anyone's key problems.





For only $14 you can have a hook-free modern key station PLUS mail holder. Just don't mistake them for salad severs. Kind of makes me want to dart my keys across the room to see if they'll stick. Hmm, this could be dangerous...

And since we're speaking about keys, what would you say about personalized key chains? For all you parents, here is a heart warming way to show your kiddies how awesome their art doodling can be.










::Chris' Rant::
This looks perfect...I can't wait to come home after a long day of work; kick off my shoes, grab a frosty beverage...and hang up the keys to my Doll house. 


Seriously this thing is great for those of us whose key arsenal consists of two masterlock keys...but for the rest of us prison wardens...this may not suffice

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Hoo-ligans

Have you seen the "love-it or hate-it" Kate Spade Sherwood Owl handbag that has been making the internet rounds the past month? 




Ever since I saw this lovely hoot, I've been smitten over all things owls; especially in the home decor department. The magnetism grew as these lovely big eyed birdies flew my way.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wealthy Wednesday: Modo Luce "Atollo" series

I yearn for the day when our backyard is no longer declared condemned. I am way too embarrassed to take a single photograph of our death valley of a backyard. In our defense, the entire rear of the house was covered with weeds as high as 5 feet, dog feces, aluminium cans, a metal jungle gym that looked like a death trap and of course a neglected chow chow. The previous owners were certainly not "citizens of the day."

I know I'm wasting my time checking out the "outdoor furniture" section, but a girl can dream, right? I mean, how fabulous is this Atollo series by Modo Luce?











The illuminated Italian furniture is oh-so-chic. The technical aspects as far as its engineering is not explained, but I'm sure your bum will be nice and toasty after a delightful sit-down. I don't think these are available in the US, but you can certainly expect to pay a pretty penny.







Cheers!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

A Dark Horse in the Competition

Chris made a special trip out to Retro Office Inc. yesterday (his Sunday the calendar's Monday) hoping to nab one of their AWESOME flat-file-cabinets converted coffee table and take advantage of their 50% off everything sale (Monday was the last day of their promotion). We had planned to both jaunt over on Sunday BUT as luck would have it, they were closed.

We were a little apprehensive about the company after finding several poor reviews online written by unsatisfied customers. Most of the bad mouthing pertained to returns and unexpected minor dinks and dents on the merchandise. To our advantage, we are only a city away from the warehouse, therefore any potential returns would be as easy as pie. Also, it made sense to us that some of the items would have dents since these are not brand spanking new products. We definitely were in a good position.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Company


The famous Whittier parrots in the flesh...or in the feather, I guess.



Happy Sunday!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Frugal Fridays: DIY Refinished Tanker Desk

Earlier this week, we took a look as some sleek refinished Tanker Desks that were a tad too much for our wallets. As luck would have it, we found a slightly bruised Tanker Desk on craigslist... and to our advantage just one city from our home.




It definitely needed A LOT of work. Luckily the seller had not 1, not 2, but 3 desks for sale; I guess you can say we got the pick of the litter (though admittedly, all were kind of the runt). Ready for the price? $60 buckaroos! Plus, we threw in an extra $15 and the seller transported the heavy metal mayhem back to our place and safely in our garage.


When we brought her home, the tanker was a "lovely" band-aid tan color; which helped to perfectly highlight the faux wood laminate top...oh, it was an eye soar, complete with several dings and dents. Chris was anxious to start disassembling. After the dissection, we were left with 2 side drawer compartments, a middle back panel, a stack of drawers and last but not least, the aforementioned "wood" top.




If we were to completely restore a desk, I think we would have wanted to start off with a better example; instead, our goal was to go for "respectable". It took some 409 cleaner, a sander, primer, plus 2 colors of spray paint (very limited color selection at Lowes), elbow grease and a lot of waiting for paint to dry. Once the parts were ready for reassembly, Chris and his trusted bff, Chris (#1 baby boy name of the early 1980s) helped out.




And without further adieu...




We topped it off with a custom made piece of glass.