The Home Library

I have been re-watching seasons of Gilmore Girls - man, I love that show.  And I was reminded of the wonderful corner library at the Dragonfly Inn.  

Although a separate room for a library would be ideal, we don't all live in mansions. I love how this library is just a corner of a larger room, with a bunch of book cases and a couple of comfy chairs.  I also love the chicken wire on the bottom cabinets - a great way camouflage a vast collection of paperbacks.

So if you have a lot of books and love the idea of a home library, check out some of these library corners.  I am definitely setting up a little reading/library nook.

 

I love libraries.  Having one in the house is such a luxury.  So even my future dwelling doesn't have a whole room I can dedicate to it, where there's a will, there's a way.

Quick Kitchen Tip: Preventing Fruit Flies

Having fruit flies in the kitchen can be such a pain.  They can be especially bad in the summer months, because they like the heat and the humidity.  But there is a way to prevent them from ever coming into the house in the first place.

When it comes to fruit flies, bananas are your worst enemy, because in the supermarket, fruit flies preferentially lay eggs on bananas.  When you bring your bananas home, the flies hatch, and you have a problem.

The easy solution - rinse your bananas thoroughly when you bring them home from the store.  Voila!  No more pesky flies.

I Heart My Food Processor

I have resisted buying a food processor for the LONGEST time.  I can chop.  Why do I need a machine?  I already have to many machines and gadgets cluttering my kitchen.  And I CAN CHOP!

As you probably know, I make my own dog food.  It has a lot of veggies in it, and I always chopped them by hand.  After all, I can chop.

About a year ago I was stayig with a friend.  I had shared my dog food recipe with her, and she just happened to be making it one of the days I was there.  First thing she did after washing all the veggies was pull out her food processor.  "UGH", I though, "I can chop".  I judged.  But I also was surprised at how much less time it took for her to make dog food.

But I'm stubborn.  AND...I can chop.

Two months later, about 10 months ago, my sister dragged me to a Cuisinart warehouse sale.  And I couldn't pass up a 14 cup stainless steel food processor for $120.

It has an extra wide opening at the top so you can shred veggies without having to chop them up too much first.  And it processes all the veggies for dog food in about 1 hour.  It used to take me 4-5 hours.  And it also makes great pie dough, slices veggies for salads in a snap, and shreds through costco sized bricks of cheese (for freezing) in minutes.  It has a strong motor and sharp, good quality bades.  It goes through anything I throw in to it like butta!

I can STILL chop!!

But for bigger jobs, I save tons of time using my swanky, welll loved, food processor.

Resistance is futile. Get one.  You won't regret it.

What's your favorite kitchen gadget or appliance?

The Food Pod?

Sometimes I look at my kitchen and think - why do I have all these gadgets?  Then I look at a new gadget, and thind - oh man, I need that!

I first saw the food pod in a magazine a couple of weeks ago.  I was somewhat intrigued, but not nearly enough to run out and get one.  It's a silicone contraption that you put your food in before you put it in a pot to boil.  It allows you to easily pull out your food out of the hot water without the need for additional straining.  It's $15 from Fusionbrands.

This weekend, while we were boiling all of those eggs for christmas, I couldn't help but think how much easier it would be with the food pod.  Stuff the eggs in the pod, and drop into water.  No broken eggs.  And the first eggs in the pot wouldn't be overcooked.  I could also use it for veggies, potatoes, and anything else that we boil.  The possibilities are endless.

Apparently it fits about a dozen eggs...

So now I'm thinking I need a food pod.  What say ye?

DIY: The Vanity is Officially Finished!!

I'm really happy with how this turned out.  Here are a couple of pics of the finished masterpiece!

What do you think???

Although this is not the first piece of furniture I have refinished, I learn something new with each project.  Lesons learned with this project:

   ~ I heart Benjamin Moore melamine paint.

   ~ A good electric sander saves time and sweat, and increases the quality of the finished product - worth it's weight in gold.

   ~ Ditch the brush (even the expensive ones leave streaks) and use a small foam roller whenever possible.

   ~ Take more/better 'before' pictures.

I can't wait for my next furniture refinishing project! 

For the full story, check out the rest of PROJECT VANITY.

DIY - Vanity is Almost Done!

Just like the weather man promised, it was a sunny day in Toronto today.  I took the opportunity to finish painting the vanity.  It still has to dry thoroughly, so it's in the garage at the moment.  The sales guy at Benjamin Moore told me that for best results, I should let the paint cure for about 1-2 weeks before I use it.  Just as well...I can postpone the necessary organization and cleaning to get all of my beauty products moved in.

Here is what the vanity looks like after two coats of paint with sanding in between.

I tinted a small portion of the paint with purple artist's oil paint, and painted the flower accents to bring them out a bit more.

I used Benjamin Moore melamine alkalyde (oil) paint.  It comes in a limited collection of colors.  I didn't like any of the premixed colors, so I bought a can of white and had them tint it their 'Antique White' color.  I have to say, I really like this paint.  It went on well with a foam roller and did not leave any bubbles.  It went on more streaky with a paint brush, I think because it's so thick.  So I say, edge with a brush, but then switch to the roller.  There were subtle roller marks at first, but they faded away as the paint dried. 

The paint dries to a non-shiny semi-gloss. And even though oil paint is a pain to work with, I would definitely use this paint again, especially on kitchen cabinets or other furniture that takes some beating.  I like the quality, the durability and the finish.

Oh yeah - and I ended up getting drawer knobs at Anthropologie today.  These beauties were the clear winner:

I can't wait to see it all together.  And I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of the finished product.

For the full story, check out the rest of PROJECT VANITY.

DIY: Drawer Pulls for the Vanity

It has been raining the last 3 days, so the vanity refinishing has been put on hold.  However, the weather is supposed to clear tomorrow, so I will be able to finish the project.  In the excitement, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time looking at drawer pulls.  I have decided on Anthropologie - they have the most unique (and still reasonably priced) pulls I could find.  The above are the top contenders (the vanity is painted antique white).  I think the ceramic flower (top left) is my favorite.  I will have to see it in person to decide for sure.

Which one would you choose?

For the full story, check out the rest of PROJECT VANITY.

DIY - Refinishing the Vanity Day 2

Today I filled any holes and after the wood fill dried, I sanded it down.  I then wiped the whole thing down again really well and let it dry.  The first coat of paint also went on.  The guy at the paint store recommended Melamine Paint by Benjamin Moore.  It's an oil based paint, which is not my favorite to work with. However, I am really impressed with the way this paint went on, and the satin finish it's giving me.  I had it tinted to an 'antique white'.  The drawback to this paint is that it does not come in a huge variety of colors, and the colors are premixed.  I was told that a light color can be custome mixed, but they can't guarantee a match.  Since I wanted something off white, I wasn't too concerned.  I bought he paint because I was told it's very stain resistant and durable. 

Tomorrow, more sanding, then the second coat of paint.  Then finishing touches!  Oh, I can't wait!

For the full story, check out the rest of PROJECT VANITY.

OOH, and I have an appointment for some makeup at the Bobbi Brown counter!

DIY: Refinishing and Painting an Old Vanity

I bought this really cute vanity at a garage sale for $25 and it has spent all winter waiting to be refinished.  It's pretty beat up, and there are bits of the drawers that have broken off (luckily the previous owner saved them so they could be glued back).  I really like it though, and I will be able to fit all of my makeup into it.  It's one of those vanities that has a flip-up top with a mirror inside.  I love how girly and cute it is, but the yellow chipping paint had to go.

Now that the weather is getting nicer I was able to get on with this project.  I spent all day today sanding and gluing.  Tomorrow I will fill everything with putty, sand again, then paint.  Above is the BEFORE picture.  I will keep you posted on the progress.

For the full story, check out the rest of PROJECT VANITY.

How To: Organizing Computer Files

I recently got a new laptop and have been thinking of ways to name and organize my files.  I figure that it's better to begin organized than to try to sort it out later.  My new organization system is as follows.

Organize your files into functional folders.  So for example, I save my blog templates under ~

Documents > Blog > Templates

Then, and this is the cool part, I name the files with the date first (YEAR_MONTH_DAY).  So the template I saved today is called ~

10_03_17 blog template

By first listing the date, the files are automatically arranged chronologically.  So in my template folder I have the following three files ~

10_03_06 blog template_new fonts
10_03_12 blog template_new header
10_03_17 blog template

Now I can easily delete everything but the three most recent templates (just in case!).  This has worked very well with my resume and correspondence folders as well!  I'm loving this system so far!

How do you organize your computer files?

The Perfect Bedside Table

I really want a 'shabby chic' inspired bedroom.  I like the idea of finding old pieces and refurbishing them.  I love old furniture - it has so much character and presence.  I like to mix pieces from different periods.  I recently purchased a vanity at a garage sale that needs some TLC.  I plan on refinishing it as soon as the weather gets a little nicer.  I will be sure to post some pics of that project.

I was online the other day looking at furniture when I came across this picture.  I absolutely love this night stand. So much, that I would consider paying the big bucks to have a set made.  I think the little knob at the top is a leaf that pulls out for extra space to put something on. 

Do you ever look for decorating inspiration?  What are your most interesting finds?

Tea Overview

I am not a coffee drinker.  However, tea is my passion.  I enjoy trying new teas, and find the whole tea experience very soothing.  Of all the teas I have tried, below are some of my favorites.

Rooibos (Red Tea) - Rooibos has been my favorite tea since I discovered it about two years ago.  I'm not really a fan of herbal teas.  Other than an occasional Chammomile with cloves added to it, rooibos is the only herbal tea I drink.  It has a sligthly 'grassy' flavor, and the best caffeine free substitute for black tea I have found.  I love to drink it with milk.  Rooibos is high in anti oxidants, low in the tannins found in regular tea (even green), and may help with digestion.  I have yet to meet a rooibos tea that I didn't like, but I especialy like the selection of rooibos teas from Adagio Teas (check out the almond and vanilla ones - which are great when mixed together). And if you're in Canada (or an online shopper) check out the Rooibos de Provence from Davd's Tea, which combines rooibos, rosehip, black currants, rose leaves, lavender, raisins, red currants, rose petals and dried blueberries.  Rooibos de Provence makes a perfumey tea that tastes like a blend of earthy forest berries.

White Tea - White tea is made from young tea buds and leaves that have been left relatively unprocessed.  Though white tea has the same amount of caffeine as green and black teas, it is higher in antioxidants (which are more concentrated in the younger plants.  White tea brews to a very light color and delicate perfumey flavor.  My favorite white teas come from Adagio Teas.  I recommend the white blueberry and the snowbud. 

Green Tea - Green tea is processed in such a way that it is not allowed to oxidize, and hence its green color is preserved.  Green tea is high in antioxidants, and may decrease your chances of heart disease and certain types of cancers.  The highest brewing temperatures for green tea are 180°F to 190°F (81°C to 87°C), so let your boiled water cool for a few minutes before you brew your tea.  I sometimes find green tea to be a little strong and bitter, so I choose milder varieties.  My favorite mild green teas are Adagio's White Monkey and Pi Lo Chun.

Black Tea - Black tea is allowed to oxidize more than any other tea varieties.  As a result, it tends to contain slightly more caffeine and has a stronger flavor than its more green counterparts.  It also retains its flavor for longer than green teas.  To my palette, black tea tastes best with milk, though some also like to add a bit of sugar to counteract its strong flavor.  My favorite black tea of all time is Earl Grey, and my favorite Earl Grey is from Whittard of Chelsea.  Its virtually impossible to find this tea in North America, so it was the item I always requested from friends and family when they visited the UK.  This Earl Grey is so fragrant and delicious, it is the tea I will be brewing for myself when I finish this post.  Earl Grey is traditionally prepared with lemon and sugar, but I like mine with milk.  I also enjoy assam (my fave is from Taylors of Harrogate) and darjeeling (fave from Adagio). 

 When making tea...

I love to boil my water in the Bodum Ibis cordless electric tea kettle.  It was a little more expensive than the other tea kettles, it brings my water to a boil in a flash, comes in a variety of colors, and has lasted me a long time.  I also picked up a 'Perfect Cup of Tea Spoon' at David's tea, which is perfect for measuring just enough tea for one cup.  You will find me drinking my tea from either the glass Jumbo Tea Cup or glass Mug from Adagio Teas.  I love that these cups both have a fine stainless steel strainer that fits right into the cup, so I can just dump my looseleaf tea in and not worry about bits of tea in my teeth.  I also like the little glass lids that keep my tea warm while it's steeping.  If you plan on getting the mug, be aware that you can get it as part of a tea sampler gift (check under the 'gifts' tab).

And please note...
I do not work for Adagio, nor am I in any way affiliated with them.  I think their products are good quality, and I love their sample tins, which allow me to try many different types of teas.  The sample tins are only $2-$4, an last for about 8-10 cups of tea.  Not bad.


Are you a tea drinker?  If so, what are some of your favorite teas?