DIY Bedside Table

I completed another project just in time to move into a new (smaller) apartment.  More on the new apartment to come later.  Until then, here's the step-by-step DIY process for transforming a plain IKEA chest of drawers into an interesting and cute bedside table.  In full disclosure, I borrowed this idea from my friend Erin's blog and she, in turn, borrowed it from Lindsay's blog.

You start with the Rast bedside table from IKEA:

Then you assemble the pieces. Here is the assembly line in my former kitchen:

I painted the drawers with semi-gloss white paint.  My mom was in town for this step of the process.  She recommended using a foam roller (and actually did most of the painting).  A foam roller is definitely the way to go.  It is much faster and has a better/smoother finish than using a traditional paint brush.

After a disastrous attempt to stain the outside of the chests a light gray color, I decided to paint them gray instead.

Here is one of the chests before I added the finishing touches:

Last step is to add the knobs, which were ordered from the store Lindsay used in her blog:

Viola!  New (custom) bedside tables for less than $50 each.

New Living Room Rug

I made a big purchase the other day when I ordered a rug from Dwell Studio. The duvet cover in my bedroom is from Dwell, and I've had my eye on this rug for awhile. I was cautious before making a purchase since 1) I didn't want to spend a lot of money (and rugs can be quite expensive) and 2) I wanted something that I would be likely to use when the time comes to move out of my apartment and into a house.

So (drum roll, please!) here it is:

The "bird" pillow on the sofa is also new. It is the same pattern as the duvet cover, and hopefully, brings the two rooms together.

I have a few more exciting furniture purchases and DIY projects up my sleeve, so be on the lookout for more posts! I promise not to take so long this time....

Poor Man's Meal

When I was living in NYC, I spent a lot of time worrying about money.  Everything was just so expensive--especially food and drinks at restaurants.  I didn't want to miss out on trying all the great food the city's restaurants have to offer, so I did my best to save as much money during the week so that I could spend it going out to dinner on the weekends.

Enter "the poor man's meal" or homemade black beans and rice.  I got this recipe from my sister.  It's very easy to make and provides approximately 12 portions or meals for one for a few weeks.

You start by chopping carrots, celery, half an onion and a few cloves of garlic.  I would include amounts, but this recipe is not very precise.  I think I usually use 3 carrots and 3-4 celery stalks.  Heat up some olive oil in a pot and saute everything together.  It should look like this:

I use whole black beans that you buy in the bag, because it's less expensive than canned beans and you don't have to worry about preservatives and other bad things that may be involved during the canning process.  You have to soak the beans in water overnight before you drain them and add them to the pot.

The next step is to add chicken stock.  I typically add an entire box.  You just need to make sure the stock covers the beans.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add seasoning.  I use cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, Tabasco, salt and pepper.  Again no exact measurements.  Just add everything to taste.

Mix everything together, reduce heat, cover and let everything simmer for an hour or so.  Your finished product should look like this:

I serve my black beans with brown rice and salsa.  Enjoy!

Father's Day Paella

I realize it's been over a month since my last blog post.  Oops!  I guess things got a little busy.  I just got back from a family vacation to Park City, Utah--it was amazing--and will be sure to post pictures from that trip soon, but I thought I'd write a little something about our Father's Day adventures with paella.

I really can't take too much credit for this--actually, I can't take any credit, except for taking the pictures.  My sister Erin, the chef, and my stepmom Barbara concocted this whole plan to build a fire pit in our backward and make homemade paella.  They were inspired by the Canal House cookbooks and even utilized the same recipe, which you can find in Volume 1.  Here are a few pictures of the prep and cooking:

Erin standing next to the fire pit.

Chicken breasts are cooked first.

Chicken breasts are removed then tomatoes and other goodies are cooked.

Chicken is added back into the mix.

The final product, ready to eat!

Gorgeous Kitchen!

Remember my post about all the blogs I follow?  Well, I was a little bored the other day so I spent some time searching Urban Grace for fun DIY projects and before-and-afters and I came across the most beautiful DIY, before-and-after kitchen remodel ever!  Here are the before pictures:

And here are the after pictures:

You might be thinking to yourself, "how is this a DIY project?"  The transformation is incredible, isn't it?  But check out this transition photo.  It shows you what they did.  Rather than spend lots of money to replace the spec cabinets--my stepmom and I had a LONG discussion last night about the horror of spec cabinetry (it's a crime people and someone should be doing time)--they simply moved them higher, added crown modeling, painted them and replaced the hardware.  Same thing for the bottom cabinets--a coat of paint (I love how she chose different colors for the upper and lower cabinets) and some new hardware and they are unrecognizable.

Now, I'm sure she paid someone to replace the tile with wood floor--check out that laminate flooring that was probably hiding under the tile!--and maybe even someone to do the subway tile back splash, but the back splash, at least, is something you could learn to do yourself.  Pretty impressive!

DIY Dresser Project

It takes a lot, and I mean a LOT, of money to furnish an apartment, so when it came time to purchase a dresser for my bedroom, I took the cheap road straight to IKEA. I had done some searching online and found the HEMNES 6-drawer dresser in gray-brown.  At $279, the price was right!

But, let's be honest--those dresser pulls leave a little to be desired.  So I did what any creative gal would do and I went to Anthropologie.  They have an amazing assortment of interesting hardware that won't break the bank.  I purchased several options, took them home to test them out and eventually settled on the clear Cabinet Carat Knob.

The knobs are $6 each.  I needed 12, which brings the total cost of the dresser to $351.  Here's a look at the final product (sorry for the poor quality picture, but I'm a better blogger when I can just email photos from my iPhone to myself):

Tortilla Soup

I know it may come as a huge surprise to some of you, but I've been doing a lot of cooking lately.  I surprise myself because I actually enjoy doing it.  Last night I made tortilla soup for the first time and I have to compliment myself because it was delicious!

 Ingredients:

• 10 corn tortillas
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• olive oil
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, drained (I used Rotel for flavor.)
• 1 can corn kernels, drained
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (I bought a rotisserie chicken that was already cooked.)

Step 1: Saute zucchini, yellow squash, onion, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil until cooked (about 5-10 minutes)
Step 2: Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, corn, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, jalapeno and cilantro.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Step 3: Add chicken and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

I fried my own tortilla strips to use as a garnish.
Step 1: Heat canola oil in a pan on the stove top.
Step 2: Slice tortillas into strips.
Step 3: Toss strips into hot oil, turning until golden brown.

Your final product should look something like this:

I had lots of leftover tortillas so I made chips as well.  Just cut the tortillas into wedges instead of slices.

And fry just like you fried the tortilla strips.  These are excellent with homemade guacamole!

Here's a look at the final product.  In addition to the tortilla strips, I garnished with cilantro, shredded cheese and an avocado slice.  Bon appetit!

My Favorite Blogs

Which blogs do you follow?  There are several that I check out on a regular (i.e. daily) basis.  These include blogs from my closest friends Jill and Erin.  Both are new mothers and write about marriage and life with young children.  Jill lives in Houston, but I don't get to see her nearly as much as I would like, and Erin lives in San Francisco, so I hardly ever get to see her.  Their respective blogs keep me in the loop and up to date on what's going on in their lives.  It often feels like I'm right there!

I also follow several design blogs.  I can't even remember how I came across a few of them.  Often, they are suggestions from friends.  Here they are:

Elements of Style by Erin Gates

Erin is an interior designer in Boston.  She writes about a mix of personal and professional pursuits.  I believe she has an associate's degree in Interior Design, although I'm not 100% positive about that.

Habitually Chic by Heather Clawson

Heather is an interior designer in New York City.  She is arguably the most professional of the bloggers I follow.  Her knowledge of fashion and design history is very impressive.  You can tell she puts a lot of time and effort into her entries.  They are rarely personal and much more focused on the interior design industry.

Urban Grace by Erika Powell

I found out about this blog through Elements of Style. Erika is an interior designer somewhere in Alabama (I think it's Alabama.  If not Alabama, then Mississippi.).  She is absolutely adorable.  She blogs about her design business, redecorating her own home, her garden, vacations and her family.

Fly Through Our Window by Darby (I don't know her last name.)

Darby is Erika's twin sister.  I found out about her blog through Urban Grace.  Darby isn't a professional designer--she stays at home with her three children--but, she is super crafty and writes a lot about her own home renovation projects.

If you haven't checked them out, you definitely should!

Mother's Day Brunch

This weekend I hosted my first party at my new apartment!  It was in honor of Mother's Day and the special guest was my stepmom Barbara.  It was really fun to plan the menu and pick out the decor.  I went with a French country aesthetic.  The floral centerpiece is above.  The flowers are from Central Market and the vase is from Pottery Barn.  Here is the menu:

Swiss chard, tomato and bacon frittata

Breakfast sausage

Roasted red potatoes with rosemary

Apple cinnamon french toast casserole

Mixed berries

Mimosas

Unfortunately, I did not have the foresight to take pictures of the food for my blog, but I can promise you it was delicious and beautiful!  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life!

Source Information

A request has been made for me to include information about where the items on my inspiration board can be found.  Here you go:

Kitchen

Kitchenaid Mixer in Almond Cream

Le Creuset Dutch Oven in Dune

Savant flatware from Pottery Barn

Juliska Berry and Thread Dinnerware

All Clad Stainless Steel Cookware

Tava Round Charger from Pottery Barn

Living Room

Reata Counter Stool from Anthropologie

Illusorio Cabinet from Anthropologie

Open House Coffee Table from Anthropologie

Tolix Barstool from Pottery Barn

Burlap Deep Pocket Drapes from Pottery Barn

PB Comfort Square Slipcovered Sofa from Pottery Barn

Moroccan Pouf from Serena &Lily

"Victorian Oushak" Rug from Horchow

1900s Boulangerie Table from Restoration Hardware

Inspiration for the kitchen can be found in High Gloss a new online magazine.  Check it out!