Category Archives: Uncategorized

I have to admit that I’m much better at helping other people with their causes than finding one of my own.   That being said, when I came across Rebekka Seale’s blog, I immediately fell in love with her art and her story.    She and her husband are going through the process of adopting a child from Ethiopia after trying to have kids for several years.   Part of their effort to raise the $25,000 for adoption fees is Rebekka’s Etsy store featuring ADORABLE stationery sets and prints.   Take a moment today and help out a stranger.  For $10 you get a beautiful set of cards, and you get to help bring a child into a love (and art) filled home.

I have no idea why they are holding up their plates like that...but aren't they cute?!

Our brilliantly funny friend Josh is an expecting father, so we decided to throw him a shower while he’s working in New York.   Even though Mom couldn’t fly out, we thought it was still fitting to celebrate with a small group of close friends that wouldn’t be able to make it to Los Angeles for an official celebration.

One of our favorite Josh “characters” is Jose Sanchez, a ridiculous workout guru, so we thought it would be fun to create the theme around that.  

INVITATIONS

Somewhere between a casual Evite invitation and a printed invitation are emailed versions like this one that I made in Photoshop.  If you don’t know how to use that program, you can always use a Word document with clip art.  Just be sure that you “save as” a type of file everyone can open like a JPG or PDF.

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN

The key to any successful party is the planning process.   No one wants to see you sweat, so make a schedule that allows you to enjoy your party.  Make sure that a decent amount of prep can be done the day before and NEVER buy your groceries and start everything the day of!   Jeff and I have thrown over 30 parties in the past 4 years and we have it down to a science.   We always make the grocery list a week ahead, shop a few days before and spread the prepping out between the day before and the day of the party.

OCD much? Organize your grocery list by your grocery store aisles. Don't look at me like that. I KNOW you know the aisles by heart too.

For re-heating or cooking things that MUST be done right before serving, write out your schedule backwards in 30 minute increments from about 30 minutes after your party has started.  That way, you can get out of the kitchen to eat and enjoy!  For example, here’s how we did it:

MENU

No, we are not perfect, Josh. We did, indeed, over steam this tortilla...thanks for showing me that.

Taco Bar:  Shredded Beef, Shredded Chicken, Rajas, Pickled Red Onion, Queso Cotija, Radishes, Salsa Verde, Chipotle Hot Sauce

Mexican fruit salad: Watermelon, Cucumber, Oranges, Mango, Pineapple, Lime juice, sprinkle of salt.

Chips with Guacamole, Texas Caviar, and Pico De Gallo

Mexican Fondue with cookies, marshmallows, cherries, pears and bananas

Margaritas

SCHEDULE

Headed back for seconds!

Friday night:  Make beef, Chicken, Rajas (minus the cream and cheese), Pico de gallo, Texas Caviar, and pickled onions.  (Always go ahead and put pre-prepped items in the bowl or dish you are going to serve them in to cut down on time and dishes)  Shred cheese for Rajas and store in a ziplock.  Put salsa verde, queso cotija and chipotle sauce in serving bowls and refrigerate.   Plate cookies and marshmallows, cover with plastic wrap and store away.  Juice limes for margarita “punch” and refrigerate.

Saturday:  10am to 4pm- tidy the house and put up decorations (Never FULLY clean your house before a party, because you will have to do it all over again the next day anyway. Sweep, don’t mop!)

4pm:  Make fruit salad (minus salt)

4:30pm: Slice radishes and refrigerate

5:00pm: Make margarita “punch” and refrigerate

5:30pm: Make chocolate and keep at room temp in a fondue pot covered with plastic wrap.

6:00pm: Make guacamole and set up salting station for margarita glasses

6:30: Salt the fruit salad and put on the table with the guacamole, pico de gallo, texas caviar, chips, salsas, cotija, radishes, pickled onions, fondue cookies and marshmallows, fondue chocolate (covered and with tea lights UNLIT below), margaritas, pitcher of water, and ice

6:50pm: Put beef, chicken, and rajas in pans with lids and put tortillas in a steamer over a pot a water to reheat but keep the stove off!

7:00pm: Greet guests and get them set up with a margarita and show them over to the chips and dips.

7:30pm:Reheat beef, chicken, and rajas.  Add cream and cheese to rajas.  Steam tortillas.  Put back in dishes and serve!

When everyone goes for seconds on tacos, light the fondue tea lights, slice pears and bananas and plate both with cherries.

IT WORKS!

Jeff seems pleased that Ben was my co-captain for this party!

This might seem a little obsessive, but it does work.  Everyone feels comfortable and at ease when you aren’t running around in the kitchen trying to finish everything an hour into the party.   You truly come across as a star host or hostess.  Try the system out next time you have a small dinner for friends or a huge cocktail party and you’ll never go back!

PARTY THOUGHTS

Always spruce up your water pitcher.  Add mint, or cucumber, or lemon slices.  Play around with different subtle flavors, but never let it be boring!

Simplify your menu.  A few well made dishes are better than a bunch of things that don’t really “go” together.

Skip the cheap looking paper plates and hit up a party store for elegant square ones.  They are still inexpensive but look much better on your table!

I was just inspired by Andrea to share this little idea, who likes “Save Your Money – Buy Our Groceries”, but doesn’t think that lack of variety would work for her family.  Totally understood.  It is truly not for everyone.  However, I remembered how well this menu worked for us when my family (with a 9 year old) came to stay for the week.   The idea is simple and helps a lot with wasted food and money.   Before they came, we thought up a few breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts and snacks for the week.   We made sure that we only bought exactly what we wrote down, and kept each meal at exact proportions so there wouldn’t be a ton of leftovers, but enough that each dinner could work for two nights.   The best part was writing it all down like a little cafe sign and letting my nephew choose each day what he wanted.  The novelty of it made him forget that there weren’t a ton of different things, and he LOVED being able to choose based on what was written down.   Limiting options but presenting them in a fun way saved us a lot of money and stress.

For the scoop on this series of posts, click here!

THIS WEEK’S MENU

Breakfast

• Yogurt with Blueberries, Honey and Kashi Go Lean Crunch
• Fake (but tasty) Iced Soy Latte

Lunch

• Chicken Salad Sandwich with Green Apple on Whole Wheat
• Clementine

Dinner

• Two Variations of Bruschetta- White Bean and Tomato
• Roasted Red Potatoes

Snack

• Rice Cake with PB and Golden Raisins

Continue reading →

Jeff and I LOVE to eat out and cook beautiful, organic meals, but we’re budget conscious since moving to New York.   With that in mind, we plan all of our meals for the week allowing ourselves to indulge on take out or restaurants a few times over the weekend and we save our gourmet stuff for parties.   Our groceries always seem to come out at about 75 dollars for the week…that’s only around $2.50 a meal!   I thought I’d share our list and recipes each week just in case you want to eat for less too, but here are a few disclaimers you ought to know before copying it all down:

1. Jeff hates leftovers, but I hate waste and making something different every night for dinner….SO…every week I have to come up with something that IS leftovers but doesn’t taste like it.  Also, I like to only buy what we will eat for the week and to start with a mostly empty fridge every Sunday.

2. We eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 5 days and then change it the next week.  If you can’t stand this thought, this is probably not for you! 🙂

3. Our list only includes things we don’t already have, so your list might be a little more money if you don’t have some of the ingredients in the recipes.  Some weeks, we go over 75 dollars because we’ve run out of olive oil or salt or coffee, etc.

4. As much as I like the idea of going to farmer’s markets or buying a share of vegetables from a local farm, this is not that kind of list.  It is preplanned so we don’t waste food or money or time.  For example, we shop at Trader Joe’s, not Whole Foods.  We shop at Food Bazaar, not the local organic market…that’s just how we roll.

SO, coming soon….Save Your Money- Buy Our Groceries!   2 people, 3 meals a day, 5-6 days a week, 75 dollars (give or take a few).

UPDATE: Click here for all volumes of “Save Your Money-Buy Our Groceries”

Rethink everything you think you know! Paper Mache bowl from Up In The Air Somewhere

I’ve been away (again) working on a movie and spraying the same colors of sweat and dirt on clothes for days on end gave me some time to think.  And this time around, I thought a lot about CRAFT.   Every year it seems that some vintage craft becomes popular and I see actresses and crew members spending their slow hours knitting or crocheting or quilting, and Etsy gets flooded with new stores selling the next cool thing your grandmother used to make too.  But while I was working this summer, I started thinking about the people who are changing these crafts for a modern audience.  People who really think about the craft itself and how it might be used differently.  I do the same thing because questioning my process is what I was taught to do, but I realized that this is not how everyone thinks.  So before you pick up that scarf you’re knitting, read this.  I’m here to talk about how you might take your craft to the next level.

SCALE

Tinctory necklace

Every time I go to make something, I ask myself, “Why?”  Why that color? Why that scale? Why that fabric?  That’s why I ended up making my tiny woven necklaces.

Tiny weaving necklace

Weaving was something I learned as a kid and I decided to pick it up again but this time I thought I’d play with scale.   Scale is a simple to change any craft.  For example, if you knit, why not knit with silk thread and make a necklace OR with nautical rope and make a rug?    The store Tinctory uses old stitching techniques and natural dyeing, but on a tiny scale for jewelry.  So beautiful!  AND because smocking is usually for clothing, that brings me to the next point…

PURPOSE

Biscuit Scout ottoman

Bibuki cactus

Another thing to think about is changing the original purpose of the craft.  If you quilt, do you always have to make a quilt?  Could you make a children’s book instead?  Or why not crochet a chair rather than a tablecloth?   I came upon some artisans that have done just that.  Here is a Biscuit Scout knitted ottoman and a Bibuki crocheted cactus.   These are people taking the basics to the next level.

MODERNIZE IT

Chez Sucre Chez cross stitch

Corporan Glass bud vase

KG+AB porcelain bears

Sometimes you’re just really good at your craft and you all you need to do is bring it up to date.  That can happen simply with color choices (or removing color if you want to get REALLY modern) or style or content.  For example, Chez Sucre Chez sells stunning cross stitch with a very modern message, Corporan glass uses bold color and design to update glass blowing, and KG+AB uses clean white porcelain for very modern sculpture.   These artists aren’t reinventing their individual craft-wheels, but they are rethinking their message!   I’m not saying there isn’t a place for a really well made crazy quilt or knitted sweater, but change is also good (and exciting)!  Think about it.  Next time you sit down at your craft table really question what you are doing and maybe change the color, medium or size.  Or better yet, write down every craft you know how to do from paper mache to sewing on a button and investigate whether there is some way to use those simple skills in a new project!

I’ve been MIA getting a TON of new stuff made for this awesome craft fair in Brooklyn.   Visit us!

Jeff emerges on Saturday morning to start our deck.

Well, we are almost done with our roof deck and worn out beyond belief!   We planned on making this a two weekend project, but Lowe’s delivered the wrong sized lumber last weekend, so we were left with only two days.  Luckily, on Saturday, some lovely friends helped us out and got the project way ahead of schedule before we were on own for Sunday.

After much hauling, everything we needed was up on the roof.

We ended up only doing one thing by the book, so in a few months we may be hating ourselves for some of our less than kosher choices.   The deck frame is properly resting on 3/4″ plywood squares and seems to be pretty level, and the deck itself is soundly built, but we went against the advice of many people who said we shouldn’t paint the decking, and did it anyway.    I can’t explain why I do some things when I’m not supposed to.  I guess I just like to tempt the gods (and I just couldn’t believe that the crazy exterior primer and exterior porch paint wouldn’t last at least a few years before we move).

The deck chairs and table are painted with the same primer and paint, but I’m still waiting for the cushions to arrive in the mail.  The plants I ordered online were MUCH smaller than I thought they would be, but I’m crossing my fingers that they grow super fast and actually add some GREEN to the garden!   We ended up going with rosemary and barberry bushes instead of boxwood because of everyone’s comments that they smell like cat pee.   Good advice as I have a very sensitive nose and do not like the smell the cat pee AT ALL.

Lounge chairs primed and plants planted!

I’m still skeptical of my choice to use the yellow Ikea stools.  They were only $2 each, so it won’t be a huge loss if I still hate them when we are done.   I’ll post pictures of the finished project just as soon as we have one!

Check out this tour underground that Jeff and I stumbled on this weekend!

After spending a full day of searching EVERYWHERE, Jeff and I have figured out the cheapest way to create our rooftop deck garden!  I was hoping to keep everything at $1000 with the decking, plants and furniture, but that was overly idealistic.  We aren’t too far off, but it will be closer to $1700, and we might be able to save a little here and there as we get going.   We wanted to maximize the entertaining area/seating and minimize on plant care, so we settled on boxwoods that are those bushes you can prune into shapes or animals…maybe one day we will have 10 little giraffe topiaries.  We will supplement the boxwoods with pots of tall grasses or maybe (to save money), just some lawn grass.  Perhaps with pink flamingos stuck in them?   Our only concern are the Ikea stools that sort of look like trash cans upside down.  We are hoping that with a lot of them, some used as plant stands and some as seating at the table, they will seem more like a statement than an accident.

We start building next weekend, so cross your fingers and we will keep you posted on the progress!

Here is a collage of what we found with the prices, should you be in the market for an all new outdoor area yourself: