CRAFT WEEKEND!!!!!

    Most of you in Los Angeles are aware that we are having an insane heat wave. Unbearable really. While you all were hitting the beach on friday and today, a couple friends and I were in my stuffy lil apartment crafting! Loralie from Ellenor Postmarked came over and we worked on the office closet doors and the backs of the Ikea shelves... I think you will all be impressed!

    Loralie went to the hardware store and got these particle boards just a little bit smaller than my Ikea shelves. We then rolled it out on to the boards and measured them with a little allowance on the sides to fold over. We then sprayed the boards with Super 77, a aerosol spray adhesive to attach the fabric. 

    

    The corners were folded over and then glued down with tacky glue. Which apparently I suck at. About this time my other friend Rose showed up to help and in the time I glued down one they cut and super 77ed the other two boards. I swear that glue requires hulk skills.

 While the glue was drying, we moved over to the larger task at hand... the office doors. 

    Now, In my mind, this was definitely going to be the easier part of the day. I was sadly mistaken. We  had planned to just roughly cut fabric close to the size of the squares, spray adhere them, and then exacto knife the edges to make the lines clean. So easy right? 

  We paper taped the borders and got all ready to go! I did two squares and as you can see, this photo is Rose, just about to do the first cut. This is when things went a little haywire. I didnt even think about the fact that we were using a really awesome fabric that had some of the properties of linen. The most important one being that it is many many tiny threads that can pull and snag very easily. Which is exactly what happened. It pulled off the corner, it frayed....

    This photo is about three minutes after I TORE the fabric square off the wall, threw it on the ground, stomped off the step stool and said angrily: "I'M HAVING A BEER!!!!" Such a patient girl, as always.

    Luckily for me, I was with two VERY patient and level headed girls that quickly put another plan into action.

    

    The plan was that we were just going to have to measure and cut each one very precisely and individually. Which meant both of my girls were going to give up a full afternoon (turned out working noon till 530, and then another two hours for Loralie and I on Sunday) to help. Awesome friends I have, awesome.

    As you can see here, soon it was assembly line central! Rose and I drilling the fabric covered boards to the back of the shelves, and Loralie cutting perfectly perfect sized fabric squares!

    It was so hot I talked Rose into having a beer with me...seriously bad ass with her beer and the drill. Art Department girls rock. 

    In the end, both projects turned out so amazingly stellar! I couldn't be happier with them. The Ikea shelves are now considerably more stable and insanly more chic. They even cover the cables so no more unsightly little wires peeking through! 

    I really really adore the office doors. I think it gives the illusion of having so much more depth. The girls were so exact with matching the patterns; if you look closely almost all of the lines match up! 

    I cant say enough how much of a fun process this has been. The living room is just about finished! Heres Loralie holding up the new light fixture that is going to be installed soon!

   These are the planned fabrics for the throw pillows! They are great tie-ins to all the other colors and patterns going on in the room! 

   Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to include a picture of my beautiful curtains made by my lovely and talented friend Laura Flett. If you remember, the original curtains were full panels of the chartreuse peacock feathers on the bottom. Loralie brought this great design to me about how to break up the pattern to keep if from being overwhelming. Laura Flett put the whole plan into action; and here they are: lovely, luxurious, elegant but very me drapes.

I love my apartment.

xo

DIY Vitamin C Cream!

     Ah August! I just love summer. LOVE. There is nothing better than a day in the grass with my pup and sunshine on my face...or is there?

    I recently went to my facialist Paula Mauter from Skin Studio LA who, by the way, is a total genius. She looked at my forehead and confirmed what I was dreading: SUN SPOTS! There is just a little bit of a darker patch forming from all those glorious days of sun worship!  DAMN IT!

    We talked about all the different procedures that can be done like bleaching,and retina, but since I am super against heavy chemicals she recommended a homemade remedy from her blog from just a few months ago!

    Heres the SUPER easy recipe:

Try 1/8 of a teaspoon to 2 oz of cream.
THATS IT! She says you can start there and add if you like.  It is normal for Vitamin C to sting a little, so don’t be alarmed. You have to use it within 2 weeks or earlier if it starts turning yellow. And by yellow, I mean oxidizing. So seriously, pay attention!!! She recommends dark amber bottles, but I just made it in the lotion jar to start with to see if I like it. 

I started with Boots Moisture Quench Night Cream  from Target.

I used Twin Lab Super C Vitamin C Concentrait. Be sure you read the back of the vitamin C powders well, as many contain a ton of other ingredients. Also, remember powder, not crystals.

I actually did 1/8 Teaspoon to 1.6 FL oz. I know, I know, its more than the recipe ...

    I have been using the cream for about a week, and so far I really like it. I'll have to wait and see if I think its healing the little brown patch. Moisture wise, I really like the thick consistency, and with the little sting from the vitamin C, it feels like its doing something.

xo

Patterns Patterns Patterns

    Loralie from Ellenore Postmarked came by today to look at the progress of the apartment and to discuss what was next on our list of projects.  Its actually been a few days since I have been in my apartment during the day, so it was a nice reminder how warm and lovely the space is. I was looking at pictures of the apartment from just a few months ago... the change is awesome! 

before

before

after

after

    Its a whole new space. I love the pale pink color. Its strangely neutral for being pink and the light reflects so warmly off it. The rug is awesome too. I don't know if you can see it in the photos but the chevrons are all different widths and spacing. It has a somewhat chaotic feel to it that I love. I think it throws off the girliness a bit. I also really enjoyed how Loralie seemed to really be in love with the room as well. I know I know, she designed it, but she seemed genuinely tickled as to how it was coming along.  

We still have a few more projects for the room. First is the panels on the murphy closet. Loralie and I really like the idea of filling them with a pattern so they aren't so stark white. That fabric will also be used to cover a backing for the Ikea shelves so they feel less dorm room. Earlier in the week she dropped off some fabric samples. This is the one I fell in love with:

    Its actually more of a mustard yellow in real life. I feel like it will play off the pink really well. I also like that it goes with all my already very geometric feeling patterns.

    We also chose some fabric to make a few throw pillows as well. I love how it ties all the colors in the room together.  

    Next weekend we are going to go look for economical pet friendly sofas, aka what does Ikea have that is comfy and looks well made. In order to prepare for this adventure, I downloaded the pantone app onto my phone and snapped a few pics for swatches and color matching. The app is pretty incredible. You take a pic with your iPhone (sorry bb and android...not yet suckas!) and it color matches it for you. If the color doesn't seem exact, they also have all of their fandecks in the app and you can access them as well! I made a quick color palette and emailed it to Loralie and myself so we will have it handy on the day.

    Pretty cool right? The top is the Moroccan rug,  next the chevron rug, followed by the nailhead chairs, the walls and finally the awesome ottoman. I freaking love this app. for reals.  I hope you all have a nice easter. I am about to hop a plain the Arizona... travel safe and enjoy the weekend!

xo

My Favorite Golden Globes Dress

This year! I felt the fashion at the Golden Globes was pretty uninspiring. Not much to be excited about... especially Lea Michelle's figure skating costume. Gross!

That being said, Charlize Theron looked like a goddess. I really felt she was the only one who attended who truly looked amazing. Let's be honest, it's pretty hard to make her look anything but epic. This look just really enhanced all of her beauty.

Wearing a pale pink chiffon Dior Couture gown that had a deep plunging V, and a tiered and gathered ruffle panel to offset the length of the train and body really played off her height and long Amazonian legs. The color accented her skin perfectly.

The accessories are perfect: neither drawing too much attention to themselves, nor fading into the background. My favorite of which was the vintage 1920s Cartier headband. Simply. Stunning.