Welcome to my humble ablog!

A Real Gem

2010-12-07T20:13:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was asked to help out a close friend with her annual jewelry show. In exchange for my services, I would receive a sweet insider's discount. Um, yes! Little did I know 'helping out' translated to 'modeling' the goods. Oh mylanta! If you knew me in person, you'd know that I am one of the shyest girls in the world. So I swallowed up my timidness this past weekend and turned my clavicle into the lady of the evening.

I was ooh la la-ing over her amber collection all evening.

Aside from the array of gems, her home is beautifully adorned with presentations from her culture and her passion for the arts.

[ tinkle with the mermaids ]

Did I mention she is an avid thrift shopper?! Check out this dining room set she scored years ago at a second hand store.

Towards the end of the night I was able to take a quick snapshot while I was wearing one of her biggest pieces displayed that night; a Mediterranean coral necklace.

I'm keeping my purchases on a hush hush level as they will be Christmas gifts for some lovely ladies!

K.I.S.S.

2010-12-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

My motto during this decorating season is: "keep it simple, Sugar!"

Days ago, I spied a DIY 5 minute tinsel garland wreath and I thought, jeepers creepers! I could do that. So I moseyed myself down to my local thrift store one chilly night and found my essential props: an extra large embroidery hoop and a lengthy string of tinsel.

Carefully wrap the fragile metallic garland around the entire hoop, add a little pom pom* for extra cuteness, and whoomp! there it is.

Easy peasy right?! But it gets better...total cost? $3.98. And I have an extra loop of tinsel for future use. Say whaaaaat?!

Doesn't it just speak, wreath out and touch me? (I'm a sucker for puns. But who isn't really?)

[ *Instead of using wax paper as suggested, I made my pom with good old tissue paper. And it hasn't lost its puffiness yet. ]

Seating For Mew

2010-11-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

Now that the cornucopias and turkey hands are safely packed away for another year, the "xmas" marked boxes can officially come out to play! Oh my goooodness. I have been dying to decorate for Christmas since the afternoon of November 11th. That was the day I came home from work and found a pair of sporty seats chillin' in our living room.

Perhaps I should have mentioned the fact that these are car seats. CAR SEATS! Chris replaced his S2K stock seats with a duo of red leather bombshells, leaving these two bad larry's stationed inside.

Uncle Kitty welcomed the newcomers.

As delightful as they were to look at on a daily basis (sarcasm), come black friday, the seats left the room. So instead of suffering barbaric-black-friday-checkout-lines, I was a mexican jumping bean, decorating away whilst covered in glittery goodness and head bopping to the tunes of Sufjan Stevens.

Yes. Much better.

Stay tuned...more decorating goodies to come!

Bread Crumb Enema

2010-11-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Call me a weirdo, but every Thanksgiving holiday, I secretly pray for an over-cooked birdie. It's no secret to my family that I L.O.V.E dry turkey meat. So no matter what comes out of that oven, the cook knows there will be at least one happy carnivore sitting at the dinner table. It's a win-win in my book. :)

And now I leave you with a witty Thanksgiving poem Chris wrote several years ago for a work newsletter.

The “Turkey Day” is drawing near and I’m ever so depressed.

I fear that on that fateful day, I’ll be on your plate and dressed

With gravy, mashed potatoes and aunt jenny’s famous salad.

My roasted body on your plate confirms my fears as valid.

Last year the axe claimed Cousin Lenny, the year before t’was Larry.

His children left without a home, since Butterball took Sherry.

Now Brother Paul swears his numbers up, to your hunger he’ll succumb,

And face that awful enema, of onions and bread crumb.

Perhaps this year, might I suggest a different sort of meal?

Something that can graze a field, or something that can squeal.

Now look, I mean to be polite; and not ruffle any feathers

Please throw tradition out the door…heck, skip meat altogether.

Our claim to fame is sandwich meat and it’s terrible, completely.

Please hear my cries to spare my life before you choose to eat me.

I wrote this poem, and though you think it sounds a little quirky.

This year give thanks with “Ball Park” Franks… and make sure they’re beef, not turkey.

Love my silly man.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

For The Love of Liz Lemon

2010-11-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

This is something I can definitely sink my teeth into...literally!

[via craftzine]

I make a mean Liz Lemon impression. Chris on the other hand, makes a mean Joey Potter impression. Two peas in a mean-crooked-smile pod.

:)

Shoe Party

2010-11-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that our home is a relatively "clutter free zone". But! One current trend seems to be copious amounts of shoe pairs cluttered up in our living room.

Um, I think it's time to give those Vans the boot!

Chris started this and I, for some reason, have followed suit.

What kind of clusters do you (or your partner in crime) subconsciously create in your home?

Not So Sexy Hooter

2010-11-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Mrs. M.I.A. here.

Crossing my fingers hoping I can keep up the Humble Ablog posts on a more regular basis, before it turns into 'no man's land'. Looks like my pocket-camera and I need to be joined at the hip once again. Having said that, I did manage to summon the old pal late last night, for a few pics, after Chris and I were completely cleaned out of candy by the plethora of trick-o-treaters gallivanting the neighborhood.

I'd like to say thanks to this tutorial, for the instructions on a DIY owl costume. Soooo it's suppose to be a kids costume...however I did the adult thing and stitched the "fabric feathers" in lieu of using glue as recommended. I also managed to prick myself more than a few times. Totally worth it.

Operation Oscar's Room: Done! Well...Almost

2010-10-13T15:32:00.000-07:00

After finishing all of the painting, molding, etc...some 8 months ago, I'm happy to report that "Operation Oscar's Room" (which was re-badged "The Kanye Guest Room") is about 90% complete! You can revisit its historic timeline, here and here oh and here. But enough of my mumbo-jumbo; lets get on with the show!

I'd say its darn-tootin close to our original sketch-up idea.

While some of you may have already spotted the photos of the room over at Apartment Therapy's Room for Color 2010 contest last week, there are still a few things left to do, including: installing floating shelves, doorknobs and new lighting.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

[Photos courtesy of Chris Johnson]

Rolling With The Homies

2010-10-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, I engaged in a bit of small talk with an older woman sitting next to me at In & Out Burger, while we were waiting for our respective 'to-go order numbers' to be called out. Topic? Earthquake weather and purses. I know...sounds ridic but I somewhat believe in such a thing as 'earthquake weather' and right now, it's the talk of the town.

In my last post I mentioned the eerie summer temps hitting the southland, but this week, we were hit with rainy-chicken-pot-pie weather. I'll take that..with a side of hot chocolate...no, no better yet, champurrado! Shoooot..I even thought about pulling the snuggie out of hibernation. The rain called out for my fav boots (in the hunt for a new black pair...tips are welcomed!) So, the boots officially came out of the closet and I completely forgot about this neato tip I spied over at Deliciously Organized a few months back.

Rolled up magazines tucked in boots help these babies stand at attention! Another storage solution for my ancient magazines I just can't bare to throw out....just yet...cross my heart.

God Bless The Indian Summer

2010-09-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

We peeps in the Southern West Coast are melting! It's officially fall but it feels like we are smack dab in the middle of a scorching summer heat wave. No bueno. While I had plans to try out some spanking new recipes for an upcoming theme party we are hosting, the thought of turning the oven on amid this indian-summer instantly generated beads of sweat down my temples. Again no bueno.

Buuuut then I spied this narly oven-free Oatmeal-Waffle cookie recipe, sure to make your mouth water, over at smiles from mel. All you need are your run of the mill baking staples and a waffle iron (and we own two!)

[Aside from the mini chocolate chips, we were fully stocked in our pantry]

Sure it may look like a poor man's cookie dough...trust me...its a-ok.

We had trouble deciding on a primo iron temperature and after a few jabs, we got it down to the perfect toasty setting...

...and Chris could not keep his sticky fingers away from them.

We personally thought they tasted BEST after a few hours in the fridge. Around this house, if the request for a couple of cold ones springs up, don't be surprised if I bring over a tray of waffle cookies.

I'm just saying.

[Pardon the low quality pictures....the itouch wasn't at its best in the heat either]

Face Furniture

2010-09-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for a good hearty (clean-neck) beard on a man. Nothing against a spotless face, but there is something about a follicle face party that makes me weak in the knees.

For the past few years now, Chris has been quite the beardie (and a good one for that matter). I'd say 80% of the time he is fashioning a face warmer...which is why I could not wait to give him an early birthday gift.*

[The history of beards? Oh yes, yes; a million times yes!!]

Despite the fact that Chris hates to read anything, save for car magazines, I figured the book would make a swell nighttime reader for us. Dog-ear pages never looked so hott.

*It was between the book or a carstache. Tough decision but I think I made the right one.

Kenny Rogers Roadsters

2010-09-20T15:15:00.000-07:00

After a long and rested three day weekend, what better way to enjoy the last day of summer than a little topless driving.

As in convertible topless.

I'm officially ready for the fall solstice...particularly my fall boots.

You Are Cord-ially Invited

2010-09-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

Half way through the summer, I started saving (some people called it hoarding) the cute 'lil plastic, green berry baskets often found at your local farmers market.

It got me thinking how dishy these day-to-day caddies would look dressed in an all white affair....

...and sitting in one of our desk drawers as little organizers.

[It's like a P. Diddy party in there!]

With the help of some leftover wire stems, my new containers are belted and ready for a wild cord ride. Giddy up.

Food For Thought

2010-09-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'm dabbling with the idea of throwing a halloween party this year. And if we do, I am definitely investing in some of these guys:

[via]

Cupcakes just got a little brainier.

Amber Alert

2010-09-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

What are the chances I would find the exact pair of vintage* amber glass bowls, like the set I inherited, at my local thrift store?!

My pair were originally owned by Chris' grandparents...although I'm not sure how long they had them for, I fell in l-o-v-e love with the twosome instantly!

And while I was trotting along the isles of the local thrift store last night, I perused the dishware section (hoping to score some vintage pyrex bowls) and hiding behind towers of appetizer plates, I found the darling honeybees.

Best $2.99 I've spent thus far...except for Mcdonald's chocolate dipped ice cream cone which Chris claims is the best $1.10 deal of the summer.

What were your thrifty finds of the summer?

*I'm not sure if the serving bowls are really vintage per se but any additional history or info on the item are welcomed! :)

Touched For the Very First Time

2010-09-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

Christmas came a little early at the homestead this year.

Steve Jobs worked his apple-licious words into my fruit-less heart last week and prompted us to order a duo of the freshest ipod touch. Now that I have gobs of music space to fill (and gift cards to exhaust) what should I download (or is it upload?) to the newest addition of our apple family? What album(s) are you spinning on repeat these days?

The Cure For The Common Bike

2010-09-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

I sit on my bum all day at work and the last thing I want to do is sit some more. Solution?

[via reform school]

For one reason or another, I see the cholo demographic making the leap first.

Get outta my way, vato.

Damn Avocado

2010-09-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

Its official; craigslist hates me.

I've been on the hunt for a used sofa, with a touch of razzle-dazzle, for the past few weeks and all craigslist has to offer are bulgy leather couches...and that makes me vomit a little in my mouth. But thanks to Project Runway, every time I think of the word, "leather" I turned into season 5 alum Stella Zotis and can.not.stop.saying "leatha".

Leatha.

Why can't I just find a sofa like this for under 300 dollahs?

you+me=us...calculus!*

Not only is it almost as long as Robert Wadlow**, but I just love that damn avocado color!

Perhaps I'll get lucky tomorrow as I will brave through the Saturday morning crowds and crash some yard sales for some interesting loot. This looong weekend will also include helping my in-laws move into their newly renovated home (!!!) and squeezing in some kite flying time.

What's everyone else doing this weekend? Any travel plans or bbq-ing on the agenda?

*Remember 2ge+her?! Q.T. was my fav!
**Chris was gaga about the tallest man in the world at the tender age of 10. Teehee.

Hangin' With Mr. Cooper

2010-09-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

File me under cuckoo bananas but I want a Chicken Crib!

how cute is this?!

From day one as an official homeowner, I declared a desire for a chicken coop in our backyard. Chris rejected the idea in a flash but I'm still for it. Not too long ago my in-laws found a homeless chicken in their backyard (and they live no where near farm life...nor do we). The chicken has since taken up dual residence in their yard along with their neighbor's yard. I guess you can say I've been living vicariously through my in-laws, er, squattin' chicken. Anyhow, last night I came across this landscape architect's neato coop design.

just a couple of hipster hens

Here's the thing, as a youngster I spent the entire summer (clap clap clap clap) deep in the heart of Mexico, with the fam. To keep my sisters and I occupied, we'd adopt a couple of baby chicks (sometimes ducklings). We'd raise the little guys, have them race against each other, hide them in the closet and scare the bejesus out of our aunts until it was time to fly back to the states. Oh the nostalgia is killing me!

How about a little game of marriage ref? Coop or no coop?

Neglected Nacho

2010-08-19T23:32:00.000-07:00

Whenever I eat nachos, there is always that one funky looking tortilla chip I ignore and push around the woozy cheese mountain until it's the only one left on my plate...and even then, I won't eat it. Well that's exactly what I feel best describes our master bedroom in terms of design. Meet our neglected nacho.

eh. Nothing to write home about.

Chris and I spent the majority of our "tool time" hustling and bustling the main living quarters, but when it came to our chamber, we were completely out of design fuel.

Our bedroom isn't very big to begin with and I doubt I could ever fit a regular dresser in there. Thus, it leaves me no choice but to work with what Mr. Lusk built; jam every article of clothing in the closet and improvise with the limited space we have.

Instead of hiding my everyday jewelry in a box, they are hung at eye level on a criss cross shaped wall shelf. Ten times out of ten, I pick a fun piece to wear off the shelf.

And since every inch of floor space in the closet is stuffed to the gills, my homeless shoes are neatly stacked on wine racks.

But nine times out of ten, I have an OWL of a good time.

-d

No Boys Allowed

2010-08-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Like many early generation Y'ers, I spent most of my 7 year old days idolizing Punky Brewster...not only for her jazzy style or sunshine hair bands, but for her super-fly tree house. Alas, my backyard tree house days consisted of the living room and a queen size bed sheet draped between one end of a couch and a leather recliner.

But enough of my jibber-jabber, take a look at this itty bitty lodge.

I'd say that's a mighty fine example of a graduated tree house.

Show of hands, who in blogland grew up with their very own tree house? Was it everything you (and I) thought it would be?

Lackety Lack, Dont Talk Back

2010-08-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

[Not sure if this constitutes as an Ikea hacker project- considering it didn't involve the use of any power tools, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that it does.]

As I was gearing up for the baby soirée, I realized my seating to tabletop ratio was lopsided to the point where I would find empty water bottles buried in between the couch cushions. Ok...not really, but it was getting close to that point.

Now and then we would use our 5 year old Ikea lack side tables as a temporary fix during movie nights, etc. but the ubiquitous cubed table stuck out like that guy who just got fired from Jet Blue at an employee of the month convention. To no one's surprise, paint called out to me as the perfect...and easy solution.

After a few minutes of online research, it was loud and clear that the secret to painting the lack series was to use primer. No sweat. This was going to be an easy breezy cover girl...until I noticed that the leftover can of primer stored in our garage was probably as old as the table. So, what the hay; I skipped the first, and most important, step and began to paint my primer sorrows away. Worst case scenario, I'd be out of a ten dollar table that I would have eventually tossed to the curb anyway.

Fast forward 2-3 coats of paint and approx 3 days of drying and there you are!

The painted tables alone were just alll riiight...that is until I went a bit further.

A little too predictable for our sake, but that's just how we roll nowadays.

Gotta use up that box of floppy disk somehow.

Floral Arrangements

2010-08-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

As we all swoon over the latest issue of Lonny, I can't help but to blame the online magazine for germinating granny-loving floral condition.

Case in point...

I'm gushing over the paver design below despite the fact that I would like to go all Super Mario Bros on it and blast some flower power.

Sorry Chris...but I've been stung by the flowery design bee. :)

psst. don't think I wasn't going to mention page 167! one day Oscar's room...one day.

It Takes A Village...

2010-08-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

Honest to blog, seems like 2010 was the year to get knocked up. I personally didn't get that memo (sigh of relief); but many friends of mine did, including one of my best friends. I happily offered, well...more like insisted, to host an all girls baby shower at my humble abode...and this past weekend was her pink-free zone shindig.

I've always wanted to buy those cute Martha Stewart pom poms, but apparently Martha favors expensive tissue and whatnot, therefore I DIY'd my way through Martha's voluminous poms and saved myself a few bucks. The first couple of pom poms I made exhibited signs of the bad-first-pancake theory. Luckily this video rescued me with my puffy problems.

Bouquets of DIY pom pom flowers and wheat-grass filled flower-pots were sprinkled throughout the table.

Most of the mouth watering desserts came from one of the BEST bakeries the City of Angels has to offer; The Village Bakery and Cafe.

Ok, so I may be a tad bit biased here, seeing that the owners of the joint are family (literally related to my in-laws), but no lie, their food is to die for!

One of these days I'll expand my horizons and sample more offerings from their menu. Offerings such as the Thanksgiving on a Bun sandwich. But for now I just can't part ways with their breakfast special. Bacon wins every time.

[Atwater Special]

And even though the party is over, there's no shame in keeping the festivities alive in our home all week long.

I'll Drink To That!

2010-08-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

I must have been wearing luckypants last week because my bacon loving heart won The Brick Cottage's Mad Men-esque cocktail glass giveaway!

Before Chris and I unwrapped the goods over the weekend, Karrie included a lovely handmade note inside. Isn't she just too cute for words?!

Our new drinking buddy nests on our new vintage coffee table and made it home just in time for Mad Men night.

Thanks again, Karrie!

Say Whaaaaaaat!?

2010-07-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

I've been a HUGE fan of Retrograde LA for some time now and I just can't help but to salivate onto my keyboard every time I peruse their site. I'm telling you, it's love at first click. Their pre-owned furniture selection is the best of the litter...and without the big-ticket price tags.

Oh, what's that you say? Show me the goods? Well, get ready for a Friday love affair.

An almost identical Eames Lounge Chair for a fraction of the price. I'm talking shelling out only 13/50ths of the original price. Hit. Run. Score.

I'm glued to the little barneby below. It'd be perfect in our family room especially since we have yet to fill-in every corner of the room.

[microphone? check. Two turn tables? unchecked.]

What's better than a 3 piece suit? A trio table set, of course!

Sadly, furniture shopping is not on this weekend's agenda...but, throwing a baby shower is! A full recap next week. Promise.

Awesome Blossom

2010-07-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

When Chris and I flew our respective nests and moved in together, I promised myself two things: one- I would never wear frumpy sleepwear (guilty!) and two- I would never purchase a flowery bedspread for our bedroom. I figured it was only fair to stay gender neutral in our new communal space. I've kept my promise for over 3 years without any trouble or temptation...that is until I heard the siren song of this little son of a sandwich pictured below.

[Orla Kiely]

I may have to break my promise.

Going Mad

2010-07-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

I hope our guests weren't too peeved by my whispering throughout last night's Mad Men season premiere episode. Seriously, I could not stop gushing over that beautiful caramelized orange button tufted couch every time it made an appearance.

What I wouldn't give to be Pete Campbell's butt in that scene. I know what you're thinking...furniture groper. What can I say? I love touching furniture.

And then there was Roger's Nesso lamp sitting on his tulip office desk. Which is also available in orange, btw.

But it was the scene below that sent Chris' eyes and mine to meet.

I want that dividing wall square pattern...painted...in our master bedroom walls...well just on one wall.

Anyone else going mad?

Two Girls, One Pup

2010-06-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Don't let the ill title fool you, this post is rated G as in Girrl, you did this all by yourself?!

A few days ago, I offered to help my friend Annel assemble a cargo-load of Ikea bedroom furniture for her new digs. I've experienced countless hours of abstruse illustrated instructions in my life, not to mention imma pro working with their "z" shaped allen key, so what better time than now to expose the 'Rosie the Riveter' in us both.

Exhibit A: Hopen bed

It was smooth sailing assembling the base until half way through the booklet, we realized we needed an adjustable wrench...which we didn't have. So the buck stopped here:

Fast forward, with wrench in hand, and we were hoppen'.

The only other hardship endured, was the fact that I could barely get my gangly self in a comfortable working position.

Exhibit B: Mavas Entertainment Center

This doodad had three times as many puzzel pieces to put together. We never planned to imitate Paula's Abdul's 1990 billboard hit, "Opposites Attract", because we were literally going two steps forward and two steps back for an hour on the piece pictured below.

(aye!)

The remaining 14 steps were a one-way street and did not involve any disassembling of parts.

And now for the pup.

::Kobe::

As far as I know, the furniture is still intact. ^_^

A Big Thank You...

2010-05-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

...goes out to Amy Preiser, associate editor for AOL's (fabulous) Shelterpop site, who wrote a sweet piece about our beloved lego bench.

Read the full story here.

Now, who's planning on BBQing during this fabulous 3-day weekend?! Or will you be carried away...like me?

bLOgST

2010-05-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

Ahoy-hoy. Remember me? So yeah...I've become lost with blogger the last couple of weeks. Rumor has it that blogger and I recently engaged in a nasty brouhaha.

No comment.

Our home-improvement days have come to a halt as of late, therefore my blogging days will be on hiatus. Perhaps I can convince my in-laws to allow me to blog about their BIG retrolicious home re-model they are currently in the midst of...and I'm talking notorious b.i.g. big.

Until then, I will leave you with a picture of our latest upcycling project courtesy of these little tile-like guys.

Who ever said floppy disks have become obsolete didn't think outside of the box. They are alive and well in our home office and our Mac (and tanker desk) love the company. If anyone has a box of old colorful pagers sitting in their garage, ship 'em over my way. I'll pull a Ted Lawson and create my own robot or something...

See you in another life, brotha~

That's Gold, Jerry! Gold!

2010-04-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Don't hate me, but I am one of the few people who hasn't watched an episode of Glee. I know...I live under a rock. Lets just say I'm avoiding any jr high flashbacks as I was part of an experimental choir/dance* group in the mid 90's [insert cringe here].

I may not be a watcher just yet, but I'm definitely a supporter. Over the weekend we filmed a friend's Glee audition tape, and as soon as I heard "Gold Digger" was on the performance list, I insisted we film in Oscar's Room.

Not too shabby.

Phil indubitably has bona fide moxie. And on that note, lets all take 5 seconds and vote for him here.

[*btw, we were called "Glitz"]

Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away, Now

2010-04-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling a bit under the weather lately, ergo home projects have been on snooze control. Nevertheless there are some primo giveaways currently in (blog) motion which has turned my Monday frown upside down.

Such as the Layers of Meaning giveaway hosted by Push the Envelope (I'm gunning for the Graphic Thank You cards...one can never have too many merci cards on deck. Can I get a hallelujah on that note?)

Or my Jem Sarah over at Russet Street Reno whose giveaway will provide a ray of light in any room because she is truly, truly, truly outrageous when it comes to diy'ing.

La Dolce Vita is giving away a custom 5x7 area rug by FLOR. Uh huh you read it, FLOR! The Uh Oh Orange shade is to die for (in my book).

And last but not least, SmilesFromMel (one of my new fav blogs) is giving away heaps of fun including a trio of some of her breathtaking photos from abroad.

Now if you'll excuse me, my spoon full of sugar is calling.

I've seriously been downing homemade vegetable soup for days now! Just like mom used to make.

Would You Be My Friend If...

2010-04-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

...I carried this lunch bag to work every morning?

via: swiss miss

My owl obsession is growing like a weed.

It's almost Friday and I'm in love!

Look At This Stuff, Isn't It Neat?

2010-04-07T16:07:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, I'm an Adler-aholic. More like an ogler-Adler-aholic (my entry to Webster's Dictionary new word contest...if it ever existed). But who isn't, right? When perusing his site, I instantly turn into Ariel from the Little Mermaid. I mean, look at this stuff:

mrs. godfrey chair

garland wallpaper

jere rain drops mirror

havana table lamp

whale pitcher

(i want this thingamabob, badly!)

Is it too early to renew my vows and create a new wedding registry?

Oh and holla at cha' girl if you know the entire words to 'Part Of Your World.' A hand raise would be fine, too.

Shabby Geek

2010-04-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

You know what they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. That was the case when we came across this box 2 years ago.

It's a floppy disk rave! Isn't it fabulous? Until today, the diskette's had been trapped in the closet (no correlation to R. Kelly).

We are in the midst of developing a few google sketchup ideas for these now obsolete, tile-like, storage devices. Until then.

(Not So) Good Vibrations

2010-04-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna lie, I'm shaking in my boots. We West-coasters have had quite the earth stir these past few weeks and I am not a fan. I'm a weenie when it comes to earthquakes...and thunder...and roller coasters. My heart races, my eyes scan the room for any structural damage, I dart for Chris...and then the cat. I'm hypervigilant for the next few hours until I either fall asleep or get distracted by another task.

Today's earthquake felt like a waterbed; moving to and fro. Luckily there was no damage. But that wasn't the case a few weeks ago when a 4.4 magnitude hit at 4:04am (coincidence!?). We woke up to the sound of glass breaking. There I was lying in bed thinking of all the possible items that may have fallen.

Such as the countless number of vintage soda bottles.

Or this 'old-timey-sports' crew of Kessler whisky filled figurines.

A pair of 1984 political party decanter memorabilia filled with kentucky straight bourbon whisky.

They make great bookends, no?

Or perhaps one of the many Jesse LeDoux framed art prints (which had yet to be hung) scattered throughout our home.

Turns out, those lil asian porcelain figurines were the only catastrophe (pictured in the lower right corner of the above photo).

Thank goodness neither of them were filled with any sort of hard alcohol. We don't drink, but our decorations sure do.

File This

2010-03-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

How awesome are these little office trapper keepers?

via zgallerie

Probably not suitable for the workplace, but for my home office desk, they are perfect!

refinished tanker desk

Speaking of the awesome 80's velcro binder, I was sporting a hello kitty edition paired up with xuxa jelly shoes. Bodacious.

Dear QVC,

2010-03-30T16:20:00.000-07:00

It's been thirty-six days (and counting) since I placed my 'hello, lover' (a la Carrie Bradshaw) online order and have yet to hear so much as an electronic peep from you. It's torture I say. Torture to fathom that these little darlings have yet to nestle in our home.

Genevieve Gorder Three Owl Collection Vase

Ante up, boo.

xoxo,

dolores

And now I turn to you, my trustee bloggers. Have any one of you had to endure through a long and lengthly waitlist via QVC? Did my boo deliver?

En Route

2010-03-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am convinced I'm in the process of developing a hunchback...probably because I've been ogling goodies for Oscar's room.

I gotta look the part too, right?

I guess 1 out of 6 isn't too bad. Guess which one is in transit to our house?

...The Lines Are Our Friends

2010-03-24T00:10:00.000-07:00

Now that the Lego Project is officially crossed off our twenty-ten projects/goals list, we're back to focusing on (fake) Oscar's room.

You are probably wondering why we haven't posted a full room view (and if you're a LOST fan, you're also probably wondering about Richard's permanent eyeliner secret). Well that's because Chris wants to "stage" the room before the reveal... and when I say "stage" I mean moving (all) of our current master bedroom furniture into the room. I bet you dollars to donuts, he just wants another excuse for a workout.

But that doesn't mean I can't show you the vigorous process.

Remember our inspiration?

Well it involved A LOT of tedious (and steady) taping...threefold.

Magenta

Cyan

Yellow

Tomorrow, let's talk about accessories.

How It's Made: Lego Bench Edition

2010-03-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

First off, we'd like to thank everyone for their sweet comments on our George Nelson Platform bench made of Lego (you seriously made this past weekend uber fun!)

Before we close the Lego Project file, we'd like to take you behind the scenes of the lego bench process. Featured below is our Lego Bench documentary dedicated to Sesame Street's "How Crayons Are Made" episode; our inspiration and more importantly, my English teacher (I learned to speak English by watching Sesame Street).

Enjoy!

The Lego Project

2010-03-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh the Lego project. It has been talked about for months, but never seen. You know, it occurs to me that this lego project actually has a lot in common with the mythical sasquatch Bigfoot. Both are shrouded in mystery...and both appear blurry in all known photos. (clear shots below).

With all this build up, I can't help but to think that this will end up being a bit of a let down for some readers. After several months I'd be expecting no less than a 1/2 scale model of Mount Rushmore or the Statue of Liberty. But no...all you get is this lowly bench/coffee table.

It all started about six ago when I became obsessed with the George Nelson Platform Bench by Herman Miller.

I just had to build one. I don't know why, but I did. Like a pregnant teenager on her tenth month, or a gentleman with irritable bowel syndrome after a 12 course Mexican dinner; this thing was in me...and it was coming out!

So what's a fellow with no discernible woodworking skills and no tools to do? Turn to Legos of course.

Actually, first I turned to my good friend Terry. He was able to help me out by granting me access to his childhood stash. After I had become familiar withe the little plastic rascals, it was time to start designing.

Using sketchup I would eventually settle on a design. A few re-designs later, reality set in; this project was NOT going to be cheap. You see…when you buy legos individually, they are about a 10 to 26 cents per brick…and this bench is just a few bricks shy of a small fortune.

Still, I wouldn’t take it back. It’s cheaper than the real thing (though admittedly, a lot less useful)…but who cares. It goes in the boring room that nobody sits in anyway. It’s an art piece…it will make an impression (weather good or bad) on all who see it. It’s a conversation piece…and it’s an idea that has come to reality. If that’s not worth a couple hundred bucks, then I don’t know what is.

-Chris

All pictures taken by Chris and Rosemary of Ro Ro Ro Your Blog.
(except for the one obviously stock photo of the real bench)

Thanks again...the checks in the mail.

Sweet Patty

2010-03-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

Homemade strawberry shortcake burger.

We need this guy's (and gal's) review.

Nom.

(Actually we didn't really eat this. It was just regular strawberry shortcake dessert and Chris had to make a burger-town USA out of it.)

Today's Motto

2010-03-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

::via Kitty Genius::

True that.

Versatility

2010-03-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I was at Kohl's perusing the clearance bath section for some tidbits and I found a light green ceramic trashcan dressed in a honeycomb design at 40% off the retail price. It was love at first sight, but I thought twice about making the purchase. I mean did I really need to replace my current trash bin? Of course not, so I let it ago. Until last week...

I saw the same honeycomb bin but this time at 80% off...zoink! Of course I bought it...along with the matching toothbrush holder and soap dispenser.

But I had other plans for them.

You see, I'm a knitter (though I only knit scarfs) and I have leftover balls of yarn scattered everywhere. So, I've been on the hunt for a cute basket to pile my spun wools. Problem?

Solved!

Next I thought the soap dispenser and toothbrush holder would make darling vases.

Pop out the dispenser, add some water and whala! A set of multifaceted goodies.

Have you ever re-invented a product's intended purpose?

Something Borrowed, Something Glued

2010-03-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Chris and I had a long Sunday date with this little guy...

A (borrowed) compound miter saw (thank you Corin and Brent!). We worked on installing baseboards in Operation Oscar's Room and you know what? It wasn't so bad. I do, however, have one word of advice; invest in knee pads! I swear I felt as though my knees and quads were flame broiled by the end of the night. (I think the medical term is "El Pollo Loco Legs")

Coincidentally we paired the date with catching up on the latest season of Dexter (oh mylanta, the finale was a total jaw dropper!) Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea considering how paranoid I was every time the saw was in gear. I unplugged the brawny tool every few seconds when we weren't slicing and you can imagine how ornery Chris was about it.

Three hours later we wraped up the baseboards and dispatched onto our mounds of legos.

And here is what's left.

The glue we used to interlock the bricks for life did a number on my body and lets just say I woke up looking like Quasidmodo this morning. Allergic to pvc pipe glue...check!

Legos are done and pending its starshots shoot.

Speaking of starshots, I have a shoe box full of the Barbara-Walters-soft-filter wallet size pics never to be seen again.

Peep Folks and Fun

2010-03-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

Every year the Washington Post hosts a Peeps Diorama contest guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. The challenge? Recreate an illustrious scene using the barnyard gelatins. Extra peep-points for pun filled schticks.

::click here to view the top 40 finalist slideshow pics::

Peeptacular, no? So every year I tell myself, 'I'm gonna enter this year.' But I never do...until this year...well sorta. I narrowed it down to two scenes...Peep-peep-Longstocking or McPeepland. I have a thing for Grimace, so McPeepland sealed the deal.

I know we've all made a diorama at some point in our elementary school days, but I don't recall it ever being this onerous! Below is a picture of what I was trying to accomplish:

And here is what got done:

It took me the entire weekend just to get the peeps ready for dress rehearsal. The deadline for photo submission was March 1st (wah). I'm telling ya, next year, I'll be ready. Seriously.

Seriously.

Oscar In Disguise

2010-03-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

I'm stoked to announce that the paint job in Operation Oscar's Room is officially done! Done. Done. Done! Just a few paint touch ups are in order and then we're (almost) golden.

In the coming weeks we are getting down to the nitty gritty with some DIY baseboards. Wish us luck!

Much like fake-Locke, this is now definitely fake-Oscar's room.

What's in store for us until then you ask?

The 1,060+++ Lego Project is in the works.

For reals.

Color Me Badd

2010-02-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

I kid you not, we have been slaving over the transit map paint drawing in Operation Oscar's Room every single night. The math is incredibly exhausting. Taping is just as bad. Why do we put ourselves through this? Oh, this is why.

We love color.

You should've seen the faces of the two jabrones working the paint center at Home Depot when I handed them our selected paint swatches. They probably thought I was color blind. I don't care; these colors are awe-some. It didn't occur to me until way later that our trio of paints are akin to the CMKY color model. Great minds think alike...anyone? **tap tap tap**

Now the universe has toyed with my daily web browsing and flooded my google reader with heaps of items of the same colors.

::Diana F+ CMYK::

::Love Birds::

::Anime Flower Ring Set::

::BB Dakota Mia Skirt::

Below is a little teaser.

I have a Joey Lawrence "whoa!" moment every time I enter the room.

Lacking No More

2010-02-24T23:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days where you just wanted to scream "f-it" whilst throwing your laser level at the wall and catapulting your toggle bolts into the trash? Me too.

This past weekend we attempted to revivify our TV wall with a pair of the ever-so-popular Ikea Lack Wall Shelf.

I have a question for you Ikea. Who hurt you?

Mounting the shelves correctly was as difficult as eating a single Pringles chip without wolfing down half of the canister. A series of WTFs supervened.

The black and decker bullseye laser level's stud finder feature was uber inconsistent (in its defense, it is a couple of years old... so it may have lost its ammo).

Eleven holes later, we finally found a stud! Eleven!! Pssh, 16 inches my butt.

Next puzzle? Hardware. We were advised to use 3/16"x 2 toggle bolts.

Can you imagine how big of a hole we had to make to have the springed wings slide through? Nix that plan after a couple of zaps with the drill (that's what she said).

A few days later (and a couple of minutes googling for new hardware research) we found our perfect match: self-drilling drywall anchors.

Total lifesaver. That audible pop lets you know it's working.

Yada yada yada, the Lacks went up with ease.

We are currently rotating the shelf decor on a daily basis. All I know is that Spuds stays put and a bigger TV wouldn't be so bad...

What do you think?

3/10/10- Linking up to Amanda @ Serenity Now! Our Family Room Project is taking a longer than expected (going on several months now) but I have a hunch that Amanda's linking parties is my spoon full of sugar. ;)

Carpet(bac)teria

2010-02-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

It comes to no surprise to our friends and family that Chris and I are a couple of germaphobes. And when I gawked at this, I was attracted to the Dirty Dishes collection instantly.

::E-coli::

Always wash your hands before eating. Always.

Rotisserie Waffles

2010-02-20T13:03:00.001-08:00

I love breakfast for dinner! I swear, if the desire to see age 40 were not in our long-tern plan, we'd be grubbing at the IHOP daily. When I heard we were nearing the end of National Pancake week, my sense of urgency kicked in.

Now I'll admit, we did tweak the celebration a bit... and cooked up another one of Smitten Kitchen's recipes, Rich Buttermilk Waffles (the crispier, more resilient cousin of the pancake). Yum. Yum. Yum. Better than donuts!

Before the salivation commences, let me show you our secret weapon; this fancy schmancy waffle maker. (Thanks Annel and James)

Fancy because it can do a rotisserie-esque 180 degree turn.

Who ever said cooking isn't fun?

To top it off, I channeled Martha Stewart and snatched her Apple Compote recipe.

Bon appétit!

Do you have any delicious breakfast recipes I can add to my repertoire?

Watch Your Head Spuds!

2010-02-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

As my friend Jam would say, "Friday, Friday, Friday!" Indeed it is...and I couldn't be happier.

This weekend Chris and I will be taking a minor break from Operation Oscar's Room to focus on last year's project, the Family Room...which in reality is only a couple of months old.

In that room, we still have a few loose ends in need of some tying. It pains me to report that the infamous "tabar" conversation has slithered its way back to the table (oh, hai pun). This loopy conversation ignites my Ricky Ricardo "Mira que tiene cosa..." shpeal.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...remember those lateral files we bought to use as a TV console? Well...they're looking a little bald against the granite abyss. But, hopefully, this weekend we will rectify that with a couple of wall mounted shelves...and some knicks in need of a knacking.

Ignore the box of legos on the far left but say 'hello' to Spuds on the right.

Happy Friday!

Stronger

2010-02-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

Transit map it is!

We've got a couple of other additions that we're still toying with the idea of...we'll see.

Hmmm, is it just me or does it give off a Kanye West kind of vibe?

Operation Oscar's Room: Primetime

2010-02-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

For the first time in ten years, I was able to participate in the 3-day holiday weekend. I usually work all recognized holidays, save for the biggies, and every holiday eve Chris proclaims, "domestic violence doesn't take a break for (insert holiday's name)" which turns my frown upside down.

While I would have loved to have lazed around and do nothing but watch the winter Olympics, Chris and I were two handymen in action all. weekend. long.

We went full throttle in Oscar's room.

First order of action; remove the chair rail molding. Isn't chair rail molding traditional used in dinning rooms? I cannot fathom why someone decided to nail up chair rail molding on one wall! I guess they were going for one dramatic wall? Talk about drama.

Two crowbars, a hammer and a utility knife in the works...

...while desperately praying that the molding does not bring along the drywall with her (molding is beauty therefore she's a lady).

We breathed a sigh of relief as the molding came off with only minimal scarring. Chris felt that the chair rail removal went so well... he decided to pull up all of the baseboards. I guess somebody got a little crowbar happy.

The walls in Oscar's room felt rather wallpaper-textury underneath the paint. We figured we'd sand-down a few spots on the wall to see what new affliction lay in wait.

And while Chris buffed-down the walls, he dodged himself a trip to the swedish kingdom, Ikea. My little sister, Pita, joined me in the Ikea quest. (cue the sister love)

(Hi Pita!) (Don't pay attention to my freakishly long arms)

After the noteworthy trip I came home to this:

Wallpaper verdict? Negative (hallelujah!) but the bubble gum pink paint underneath is totally Elle Woods inspired.

Ended the weekend with a little spackle and a whole lot of primer.

George Washington would be proud.

Anyone else have a productive 3-day weekend??

Blog Love 2

2010-02-13T12:11:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week some of my favorite bloggers granted our lil blog with the following humbling award.

A million thanks to Little House on the Corner, Thrifty Little Blog, Russet Street Reno and just added House Notes! The quartet of lady bloggers are creative, spunky and wads of fun. And without a doubt, they are on almost everyones blogroll.

Now as the story goes, listed below are ten things you may or may not have known about us.

I'm Mexican...and I grew up in East Los Angeles and somehow managed to come out with my eyebrows intact and sans the accent.

Chris and I began dating soon after we met in Biology 101 class on the beautiful campus of Cal State Fullerton almost 10 years ago.

I didn't announce our engagement (to anyone!) until a full week after the proposal (I wanted to enjoy this blissful time without the zillion questions a bride-to-be is engulfed with as soon as there is a tangible diamond ring on her finger).

Chris is currently taking a woodworking class. (!!!)

He also surprisingly baked a Chococat cake for my birthday one year.

Chicken on the bone scares me. I can't deal with any meat on any bone. Boneless all the way, baby!

Our college graduation party was held in a bowling alley.

People have often mistaken Chris and I as brother and sister.

Ten months into our engagement we secretly tied the knot. No I wasn't with child though the rumors flared up like a hemorrhoid. A month and a half later we had the best post wedding reception at Park Ave with all our friends and family.

And we designed our own marriage announcements.

We are just a couple of odd balls...who pose with cupcakes. ^_^

I would like to tag the fabulous award to the following bloggers who inspire me with their salivating decor, home design and daily finds. I urge everyone to check them out during your relaxing three-day long weekend!

The Inspired Room
MadeByGirl
deedee9:14
The Yellow Front Door

Operation Oscar's Room

2010-02-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

I feel the first order of business to Operation Oscar's Room is narrowing down some paint selections. I'm not quite sure what color hues to go with as of yet but I have a few paint pattern ideas in mind that may make my heart (and hopefully Chris') go pitter patter.

::my first try at google sketchup::

::not to shabby ^_^::

I know, it's basically a giant paint swatch, but seeing it in a large scale kind of makes me say, "oh la la." I wasn't going for a focal point here (like we did with the family room) but rather, more of a backdrop. I think it might work nicely with all white furniture.

Another idea we have is a bit tricky...trickier than anything we've painted before. Our inspiration? A subway transit map. More specifically the NY city subway map from the 70's.

Could it be done? Perhaps. Would it look good? Tough to say. In either case, we'll be buying enough 3M painter's tape to make a whole village of Smurf Mummies.

What are your thoughts? Giant swatch or transit map?

And The Oscar Goes To...

2010-02-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

Remember that gigantic and hideous "hi-I-sell-drugs" security doorknob I posted a couple of weeks ago?

Well my friends, I feel it's time to tell you about the tall tale of Oscar's room. Oscar is not a roommate nor is he a pet of any kind. He is not a family member who mooches from us either. Oscar is the name of our spare bedroom. And yes, he is real.

We met Oscar over a year and half ago when we closed escrow on our home. Oscar was renting a bedroom from the previous homeowner and he was a tad late getting all of his belongings out of our bedroom. We had the opportunity to chat with him a bit (mostly to find out what the previous homeowner was like since we never met the gal nor did we ever receive the "keys" to our [then] new home). Oscar was a bit of a character. He looked like a Mexican version of Donald Faison, you know, that guy from Scrubs? But with more of a 'Stand and Deliver' persona. All and all a nice guy.

Oscar was kind enough to leave his manly doorknob lock with us. He divulged the secret code, ahem, 420 and even left behind some 'panama red' in the garage...under a home depot bucket. Perhaps it was a housewarming gift? Nah, the chow chow they left behind was our "housewarming gift."

On our Twenty-Ten Project/Goal list, I pledged to makeover Oscar's room and bury his name for life. This past weekend, we broke the ice.

I do have a confession (but more like a warning), and please tell me I'm not alone! Oscar's room is what I like to call my Monica Closet. It's my version of my chaotic space. I'm a fairly neat person all around, but when I come across a future DIY project I tell myself I'm going to get around to it later and promptly stick it in Oscar's room. I stick everything in Oscar's room, including our college degrees signed by the Terminator himself...they are inside my hello kitty sewing machine box. Sigh. I'm a closeted disorder-er, you could probably find me in the DSM IV.

As you can see, most of the items in the room are empty boxes. But before we rummaged around, Chris declared several arguments will ensue throughout the process. He was correct.

I'm relieved to reveal the not so embarrassing aftermath snapshot.

Let the decorating fun begin!

And please tell me there are others out there with their own version of the Monica Closet.

Dapper In The Crapper

2010-02-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

Bathroom spaces I'm currently huminah huminah over.

I smell a google sketchup drawing in the works.

A Cookie by Any Other Name

2010-02-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

I’ve felt bad for Dolores lately. Without going into too much detail, I’ll simply say that she has been very busy at work lately.

I know that this blog is one of her little joys in life…and that when she has an extended period of “un-updating-i-ness” she feels bad. Seeing her exhausted from work is bad enough; I don’t want this blog stuff (which is supposed to be fun) exacerbating her situation. That is where I come in. I’m going to take it upon myself to contribute something to the blog right now. Give Dolores one less thing to worry about.

Here’s the problem; I have nothing to write about. Wait; never mind…just thought of something. Ok, this is a topic that has undoubtedly received a lot of attention over the past couple of years. No, I’m not talking about healthcare reform. I’m talking, of course, about all of this name changing activity taking place in the world of Girl Scout Cookies…most notably, the change from “Samoas” to “caramel delights”.

I can only assume that the name change was spurred on by some sort of Samoan Rights Activist, sick of his (or her) peoples’ legacy being linked to a chocolate, caramel and coconut concoction typically sold door to door by little girls in the suburbs. But really…is a cookie the worst thing that a nationality can be associated with? Let’s try out a little game of word association. I’ll type a Nationality…you pause for a second and think of an association and move on. Ok, ready?

WORD 01: Polish

WORD 02: Kazakhstanian

WORD 03: German

Ok, you probably thought of the words stupid, Borat and Nazis there. Comparatively…a cookie doesn’t seem so bad huh?

Granted, Caramel Delights is not such an awful name; it’s descriptive, it gets the job done…but at the end of the day, it just lacks personality. Imagine if Steve Jobs had decided to go with the name “Digital pocket music player” instead of “iPod”…I don’t think Apple would be where they are today. Additionally, one could argue that the name “Samoa” is, in fact, very descriptive. Think about it. Both of them are kind of brown, both of them are often round, both of them are striped and delicious. The name just makes sense.

Ok, I’m done. If anybody was offended by anything above…lighten up. I’m obviously joking. In all seriousness, I doubt the cookie (Samoa) and the people (Samoan) are even linked. The cookie’s name probably comes from something like a little kid mumbling the words “gimme sa moa” (give me some more). When his mother heard this, she probably exclaimed “that’s genius…we should call the cookies ‘samoas’…we’ll sell a million”. And you know what? She was right.

-Chris

And The Winner is.....

2010-01-29T08:49:00.000-08:00

We would like to thank CSN web-based store cookware.com who hosted this week's fantastic Le Creuset free giveaway contest!

Now lets get down to business! The lucky winner is...

Contestant number 24...Diane! Congratulations Diane!! I hope you enjoy the lovely red Le Creuset item to go with your red kitchen. I will be emailing you the full deets shortly.

Applause all around!

Blog Love

2010-01-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

Oh my blog!! A big thank you goes out to Kendall of Finesse Your Nest for featuring Humble Ablog as part of her weekly Wednesday series "Welcome to Newbie" where she introduces new and interesting bloggers to her peeps.

We were honored when Kendall contacted us and delivered the big news. She did an awesome job depicting the history of Humble Ablog and I just wanted to tell her thank you for all of her kind words. I encourage everyone to check out Finesse Your Nest. You will find an incredible gal who shares endless love for decorating and design and takes you into her beachy coastal retreat; her lovely home.

Hop over to Finesse Your Nest and read our featured post. Don't forget to leave some comment love.

Thanks again Kendall!

Master PEE

2010-01-26T23:41:00.000-08:00

We are often asked, "What else are you doing to your home?" by friends and family, to which I declare, "We want to remodel the bathrooms." Yes both at the same time.

Hearing that "s" at the end of the word "bathroom" takes some people by surprise; but to Chris and me it just makes sense to tackle both bathrooms at the same time... get it all over with.

Bathrooms are a major mula renovation...but, we're going to have to do it eventually. Plus, maybe we can get it done a little cheaper while the economy is still in the toilet (pun intended).

Let me take you back to the July 2008 archives.

The picture doesn't do it justice...and mind you this is after a solid week of some sort of bleach cocktail and elbow grease attack, but our bathroom walls were covered in the silent killer; aka mold. The previous home owners never cracked open a window. NEVER. The entire house had the original (1953) casement windows and all but one of the crank handles were missing. Without a second thought, we replaced all the windows with energy efficient single and double hung windows courtesy of WinDor.

Ew cubed.

As you can see, I had already attempted to make the vanity "cute" by painting over the wooden mess with a blanket of snowy white paint.

To the far right you can see our cave like shower similar to the shower stall of Kasey's, over at Thrifty Little Blog before she expanded and beautified.

Our next application of lipstick to the proverbial pig was removing the floating cabinet which was perviously above the toilet...though, it looked more like something that should be in the toilet.

Did I mention this is our master bath? There is nothing master about it. The bathroom is in 100%* better shape than it was 18 months ago, but it needs more than a facelift; it needs a face transplant!

*ok...maybe 87% ^_^

CLOSED: Giveaway Contest Hosted by CSN.com

2010-01-25T09:49:00.000-08:00

The good people over at CSN web-based stores have given us the opportunity to giveaway a free Le Creuset item from cookware.com to one of our lucky readers!

As you may know, Le Creuset is the maker of some of the finest cookware items available today. The prestigious and colorful cast iron products are a homemakers BFF. And since I've recently dipped my hands (and blog) into the cooking-from-scratch'osphere, I thought this giveaway fit the bill.

I will be green with envy towards the lucky reader whom receives one of these:

::Baking Dish::

Or this easy pourer; perfect when making Rich Buttermilk Waffles (fluffy and worth it!)

::Batter Bowl::

A perfect stir fry hot off the stove in this sunny Dijon Wok.

::Wok Dish::

Finish the night off with a peanut buttercup fit for the jolly green giant.

::Tart Dishes::

To win* one of these beauties, simply leave a comment below and tell me which Le Creuset item on cookware.com tickles your fancy.

A winner will be chosen by random and announced this Friday January 29th. Good luck!

*And remember just in case you win, it's important that I have a way to contact you via your profile/blog/or including your email address with your comment.

Show Me Your Digits!

2010-01-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Ever since we moved into our new home a year and half ago, I've been on the hunt for some snazzy digits, house numbers that is. Currently our home can be identified a couple of ways; 1 being the faded curbside painted numbers that are masqueraded by unexplainable greenery...and the other being the daytona blue 350z parked on the driveway.

I really didn't want those plain jane numbers I've seen at the local home improvement retailers; not my cup of tea. But when I came across these drapper house numbers over at www.moremailboxes.com, I was busting out the 'Carlton Dance.'

With a variety of colors to choose from (not to mention their spiffy names) you can choose from stainless steal to Bougainvillea Pink! Or my personal fav, Bonita Blue.

And considering all the rain us Los Angelenos are getting, these numbers will never rust!

All-u-min-ee-um

2010-01-19T15:54:00.000-08:00

You know, installing mini-blinds is a lot harder than it looks. As you may recall, we ordered two Bali horizontal blinds about 3 weeks ago at JCPenny. A week after the purchase, they were sitting pretty on our porch. Oh man were we pumped to see the brushed aluminum slats in the flesh. As always, I fished for the instructional sheet and read thoroughly, step by step; easy peasy! And then, the "wtf" moment entered the room.

Chris: "Where's all the hardware?"

Me: "Um, in the box labeled hardware."

I dumped the said contents on the table.

Chris: "Why do we only have two brackets and eight nails?"

Me: "I-don't-know."

Chris: "Maybe each blind only needs one bracket?"

Me: "I don't think one bracket will solely support a 95" long blind"

Chris: "wtf"

I phone customer service and to my surprise, pressing 1 option was specifically for missing hardware issues. Five minutes later, our missing hardware were on its way.

To make a long story short, it took us a total of, oooh 1 hr to install two measly blinds. And of course a few "extra" holes kindly made an unexpected appearance.

A couple of suggestions and tips for any future inside mount blind installer.

Use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw that will be used to tighten the brackets. In our case, the screw smoothly made its way through the drywall but once it hit the wood, oooh child, was it rough! Three drill bits tries plus 4 stripped nail heads later and we were golden. Getting the first two brackets secured took about 40 minutes. The final three took 5 minutes.

The template attached to the instructions sheet was a lifesaver! It precisely helped us mark the spots with no hassle.

Make sure the 3rd and middle bracket is not aligned to any of the string grabbers. We learned this will prevent the slats from opening and closing, hence the 4 punctured holes up above. Seems like information that should have been pretty upfront in the instructions.

Your forearms and shoulders will get a nice workout. In no time you'll be sporting guns akin to those of Taylor Lautner's. Ok, I may be embellishing a bit.

Other than that, I would say our blinds fit nicely in our new room.

::open::

::closed::

I don't think Uncle Kitty approves. Her window peeping time has come to a halt.

p.s. We still have to taken down the curtain rod which means more spackling and tackling. Sigh.

Not Your GrandDad's Library

2010-01-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

Half way into January, and I have yet to (physically) tackle ANY of my projected goals for the year. I have semi-truck loads of ideas running around in my head, from paint colors to fabric and furniture placements...all in my head...not even in google sketchup! Wait a minute! I kind of fibbed there. We did receive our hundreds of Lego pieces for our scandalous Lego Project but the inner 7yr old in us came out and we've been playing (when we should be working) with them.

Aside from our Lego Project, I will be confronting "Oscar's" room. Let me share a snapshot of his doorknob.

You can only imagine what's inside. Seriously, what kind of person needs a doorknob like that?! Guess what the code is? Ready......420....dude.

I will elaborate more in future posts.

Since today's post is a snooze, I will leave you with this video, written and produced (even the music)... and staring Mr. Humble Ablog...aka Chris. He and the media crew at his employer (a library) are developing a series of goofy videos to be shown throughout the campus. This is their pilot of sorts. Enjoy.

[In my best Ricky Gervais impersonation] Are you having a laugh?

Frugal Fridays: One-Dollar Bins

2010-01-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

I've noticed recently that more stores are beginning to carry the $1.00 knick knack bins near the cash registers. It's hard to resist the colorful magnetic paper pads, holiday accessories or the AA battery 4 pack. Each for a buck? Done deal! I pretty much hit the jackpot yesterday while pursuing the Michael's dollar bins. Retro coasters.

I'd say that's $3 well spent for 18 drink coasters! I chuckled when I read "sassy kitchen" or something of that nature labeled on the bin. I passed up the retro aprons, recipe cards and thermo mug...it was tough to turn the other cheek but I knew I didn't need them. Chris thought they were a little too sexist, especially for Michael's sake, but the retro chick in me couldn't resist. Now, all I need is a coffee table (still can't believe I've never owned one!). Bring it on condensation!

Anyone else hit the jackpot in the $1.00 nifty knick knacks bins recently?

Hey BUDdy

2010-01-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

I've been dying to post the following news since last Friday, but I managed to refrain until I had received the prized earnings... and of course, the post wouldn't have been as good without a couple of snapshots.

I won my very first bloggers giveaway prize from deedee9:14! It was not a lone, not a duo... but a trio of Vintage Orange Mid-Century Japanesse Bud Vases.

As any giveaway winner, I couldn't wait for the day when I would see that little brown package lonesomely sitting on my porch, screaming my name. And that day was today!

Originally I planned on displaying them in my dinning room bookcase, in front of our caramelized orange wall, but I may move them out to the family room and set them on one of the white lacquer shelves we plan on mounting to the granite colored wall. It would be a great pop of color for the room.

Until then, they will rest on our bookcase which I refer to as the perfect "I Spy" picture book game.

Many thanks to Dee for the amazing New Year's Day giveaway!

The Treatment

2010-01-05T23:30:00.000-08:00

It's been almost 4 weeks of family room lounging time and we've been exposed; literally. As you may recall, the room has a colossal window (95x48) smack dab in the middle and we have yet to tackle window treatments. We are pretty much every peeping tom's dream...not that we walk around naked or anything- that's Uncle Kitty's crime.

At first we were all gun-ho with curtains; we even mounted the curtain rod after painting, but something just didn't look right. We dabbled with the possibilities on Google Sketchup rather than buying real curtains and shamelessly returning them back to the store all in a mess because those anorexic plastic packages magically shrink when the contents are set free.

We nixed the curtain option and decided to go back to our elementary school days of, wait for it, aluminum blinds. And yes, I'm speechless as well.

JCPenny was having a 70% off sale on all Bali blinds. We literally saved over $500 on our order for both windows (though I'm pretty sure they are never less than 50% off). Can I get a hallelujah! Better yet, guess what color we went with? The blinds should be delivered to our home any day now. I just hope our measurements are absolute; and if their not, I guess our neighbors will get another show of me in my snuggie. Yes, I got a Snuggie for Christmas! Speaking about this pop culture phenomenon, have you seen the Dreamie??

Goooooal!

2010-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's a new year for new beginnings and new DIO (do it ourself) projects! I've already complied a list of new home renovation projects and goals I would like to complete throughout the course of this year; I've also added in a few little artsy doodads.

Twenty-Ten Projects/Goals

Remodel guest and master bathrooms (we are going bananas here and renovating both lavatories simultaneously)

New tile flooring for kitchen and bath (might as well spruce up the kitchen to match the bath)

Make a recipe journal...and use it!

Makeover Oscar's bedroom (uf, there's a story behind this one and it's a doozy!)

The 1,060 Lego Piece Project (legos have been ordered and they are in commute to our mailbox. I just hope that our math and sketches are plausible)

Add recessed lighting in the kitchen and hallway

Add kitchen backsplash (time to get our handy-on)

Stain kitchen cabinets (though Chris would like to replace the existing doors. Apparently they are too country-ish)

Rejuvenate botanical life in the backyard

Start a vegetable garden (or just a pumpkin patch. I kid you not, I've always wanted to grow my own)

Dabble with Hudson Paint colored chalkboard paint

Plant a pink Crate Myrtle tree in our front yard

Clean the 'man cave' room

Match all doorknobs (I don't have a single matching set in the whole house. Kind of embarrassing....)

Phew. I think this list should keep us occupied this whole year. Kind of a crazy list but I like to dream big. I'd be content if we're able to scratch at least 2 things off the above list.

Complete dressing up the Family Room is of course our number one priority- including replacing that offensive 70's wicker fan...I know it shouldn't be taking us this long to chuck the brass trash. Hi. My name is Dolores and I'm a procrastinator.

I'm just glad our home went from looking like this:

To this:

Anyone else have a crazy twenty-ten projects/goals list?

A Piece Of Cake

2010-01-03T00:08:00.000-08:00

Oh my blog! The apple cake I baked for our NYE dinner party was delicious to the max!

I was a bit nervous the cake would be too dry to swallow and contemplated making a simple sweet glaze to dress its top.

Time was not on my side so I had Chris sift powdered sugar over the top; perfection!...except I forgot to take a snapshot the cake's finished state; you'll have to settle for the topless version.

I also had a tiny dilemma on my hands; I forgot to plan for the tables center piece. It just totally slipped my mind. I raided all my cabinets like a game of scavenger hunt and for a second, I thought about snipping some flowers off my neighbors yard (which I didn't!). In the end I came up with this little doodad.

Have I mentioned that Chris has this new obsession with using empty glass bottles as his regular drinking cups? He drinks everything from juice to milk out of a glass soda bottle; pepsi natural bottles to be exact. I snagged a couple of his less-used glasses and filled them up with branches of horsetail and water. I may just leave them up for the entire season.

Is it just me, or do some of the most creative projects develop in a spur of a moment crisis?

Farewell Oh Nine

2009-12-31T11:06:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about having my own place is the ability to party like it's 1999! Tonight we are hosting our very first NYE dinner party shindig with a few close friends. We've only hosted a few get togethers this past year; mostly because I thought our house wasn't quite ready for its debutante ball. Is it ever too late to throw a housewarming party...say a year and a half later? Oh well. Only recently I realized our home will most likely never be "ready" but always a "a work in progress."

I will be cooking all day today (wish me luck!) and incase I pull a Monica (remember the Friends episode where Monica caters her parents party and a glittery blue press-on nail fell in the quiche batter ruining the entire tarts? Her mother then pulls out frozen lasagnas from the freezer ~~in case~~ when she screws up aka 'pull a Monica'?) Well, I've got a couple of Digiorno pizza's in the freezer just in case.

Is it crazy to bake a dessert I've never made before?? Probably, but I couldn't resist not to try out this delicious-to-my-eyes recipe via SmittenKitchen.

::image via smittenkitchen::

I hope everyone out in the blogosphere has a safe and happy night! Let's make twenty-ten be the best year yet!