theKLUBB

CB2 Grand Opening Preview Party

2011-12-10T07:59:00.001-08:00

Was excited to receive an invite to the CB2 preview party.

Has crate and barrel influence w/helvetica signs, bright colors

& built-in paper wrapping station in the countertop.

This clock is really BIG @ 39". Could look great over the fireplace.

This slanted desk was made of a chalkboard.

Flor tile station. I love this idea of them but have never understood why they are $15 a pop.

Liked the hard-wired light fixtures.

This tree was really neat. The bug ornaments were made of tin cans.

I kept hearing glass breaking throughout the evening.

CB2 green is called chartreuse & camo green on their website.

How about some useless hairball coffeetable do dads?

Pretty sure my dogs would eat this log rug for a snack.

What do you think this is?

Vases.

Fun color everywhere and many interesting metal shelves throughout the store:

Not so hot on the rice crispie bar covered shrimp:

Or the mutton.

The Skirted Roundtable

2011-08-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite design blogs is The Skirted Roundtable. I love listening to these professional interior designers chat. You hear the story (and real cost) behind the photos you see in design magazines. Their recent post features James Swan who has just written this book, 101 Things I Hate About Your House. Here's how you can find it on Amazon. After reading the preview there, I can't wait to get this book. It starts with the entryway and he works his way through the house. This is what my version of the book would start with: "Welcome, do you have to use the bathroom? Cuz it's right here-right by the front door."

Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of nice things about my house. Like the kitchen.

and the recently finished playroom:

Right now I've been working on the bedroom and BOY DO I HATE THIS WALL:

The space behind the ironing board is a nightmare. Here's what I've got to deal with there:

2 light switches

(notice one is poorly placed because of vent that runs through wall)

large (dusty) vent

temperature sensor

alarm

vacuum

outlet with co2 detector

Other challenges include:

3 UGLY oak doors

bad paint color

DVD and Tivo

old carpet

This is my latest solution for the wall. These photos where drawn by my mom in college. They used to be in a neat row above the hedboard. I put them up last week to see how this solution would work. And see the paint swatch by the door? That's another story.

Collect-tag.

2011-08-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

In April of 2008, I found this photo on the internet. Inspired, I started my own collection. So here we are, three and a half years later with the result of my effort.

I now have about two and a half inches of tags. Based on my calculation, there are about 12 years worth of tags in the top photo.

Envis Envy

2010-12-28T10:22:00.000-08:00

My go-to gift of the holiday season is TA DAAH:

ENVIS spatulas (click here for info).

Maybe the IKEA designers were inspired by this fabric

(Asagohan by Hokkoh):

Great for breaking up burger.

The wide bottom is great. It's silicone, so it won't melt.

And at $4.99 it won't break the bank.

Elvis has left the bathroom!

2010-11-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

In an effort to FINISH WHAT I STARTed in the playroom, I decided to move the ELVIS tee's in there. That left a huge void in the bathroom. Way back when I painted the bathroom I noticed that these duck pictures looked great with the paint color, but the Elvis theme won out.

In the 90s I started to collect interesting-ly shaped antique shelves. My collection stopped at two:

Notice the candle scent is called "Antique Wood".

My neighbor had given me this cool box of junk to make a mosiac. I never did.

Love it when you can incorporate stuff you made in shop class into daily life. And it's useful!

But what to do with the deer heads?

And Tom's bulleted practice target?

Now boys, do not aim for the target!

(paper deer has since been replaced with an ugly blue Costco Kleenex box)

I do admit, I miss the bright colors from before. I'm not really a neutral, antique-y person but it works. When you embrace the 80s builder parade home style (ie: fruitwood oak finish EVERYWHERE!), instead of fighting it, things can look good.

Click here and scroll down to see the previous bathroom saga.

And the holiday theme is....

2010-11-09T05:25:00.000-08:00

IKEA holiday theming has intrigued me the last few years.

Two years ago, a Valentine's Xmas:

Last year it was a Halloween Xmas:

Maybe they got the memo from Anthropologie:

And this year?

Of course, a Fourth of July Xmas.

Still awaiting the St. Patty's Day Xmas...

Stuven-VIEW

2010-09-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Remember when Erica Kane lived at Linden? Well we live across the street from the Stuven's, so we live at Stuven-view.

found in the kid's area. IKEA stuva.

build it any way you want

wonder if it's just BESTA with cool new doors?

kiddy colors-too bad there's not black or red

here's my other great discovery

filled with spinach and cheese-delicious!

mommy i want this

and this

and a 500 square foot apartment!

HAHM SWEET HAHM

2010-08-24T06:26:00.000-07:00

Curious to know what Dock 86 was, I checked it out. It's owned by HOM furniture (who also now owns Gabberts). It's in a former Levitz location north of St. Paul.

Nice, clean graphics on the outside.

Inside you'll find long couches.

White couches.

Chairs for munchkins.

Pink and blue recliners. Ewww.

I'm not a big fan of ugly recliners, but this one is HEAVEN!

Lizzy hated nearly everything she saw.

And them I happened upon this:

So bad, it was actually good. Heaven for slouchy TV watchers.

And the matching chair?

Cute as heck. Kind of looks like a baseball glove.

And it swivels!

It seems to be smiling at me.

Should we take it home and name it Wilson?

Just add white dog...

2010-08-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

... and you can get all the publicity you want. Exciting day... my post from a couple of years ago made craftzine, a hip blog i read everyday.

IKEA-KINI

2010-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

These creative folks are creating swimwear and more out of IKEA bags...

and you can buy them here.

It's that time of year

2010-07-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's the 60th anniversary of the IKEA catalog. Here's a sneak peek at the cover:

Apparently IKEA put on a cool bash in NYC. Check it out here.

Das Not IKEA

2010-05-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

I've been searching for a small chair for the corner in the bedroom and something for the playroom. My furolough day led me to Dania furniture, housed in the old Roseville Room & Board location. Remants of the store remain, like the cabinetry that once housed the coffee bar to the font used on the entrance to the store. The first thing I spotted was a smaller scale chair for $195. Nice looking AND they did not feel cheap. Great for houses with 8 foot ceilings, like mine. But seat depth was a little short.

Behind the pair, I saw this chair. Much better for the bedroom as far as cozyness, size is perfect, but the price was a little steeper, at $400.

And if I had a LARGE budget, this would be ideal. Leather with an adjustable headrest, for about $899.

So on to the family room where I spotted this party in a box:

Not really sure I'll pull the trigger on any of these. But isn't the hunt fun?

Oh and here's one more...liked the fabric on this:

your ultimate playroom planner

2010-01-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

This is how I make room plans:

I cut out little furniture shapes a play with them.
And I always use a BLUE flair marker.

This is the fabric I bought (maybe a little too early):

Because I thought it might go with the denim chair:

I need a loveseat width couch:

Tom doesn't want anything from IKEA. So I searched real furniture stores in Minnesota. Here are some possibilities:

But it the microfiber was so static-y. The saleswoman said I would have to keep a can of static guard nearby. No way. I have a rule about static. I will not buy static producing clothes, and certianly not furniture!

Now I'm leaning toward a Klik Klak sofa. They fold down into a bed. And were fairly comfortable to sit on.

Even though I like this blue one, I know Tom will want an ARM rest.

And a place for his beer.

Room and Board at Ten to Four

2010-01-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to the Room and Board outlet for about 10 years (did another store fill this void?). I wasn't even sure they'd be open so late on a Sunday. The roads leading there were GLARE ICE. Luckily I ended up having only 10 minutes to shop. Here's what I found:

A buttery double-wide for two (in a cozy chenille).

A midnight blue couch in a linen-like fabric (no kids, no pets allowed)!

Did I mention it was hard as a rock to sit on?

And the "piece-day-resis-tawnce" (sorry i took german in high school):

Even my new camera didn't really capture how fantastic the red leather was. "I DIE!" says it all.

Yes, I'm a sucker for RED.

But perhaps I should share my best R&B piece from the outlet (purchased in 1992?).

It was crazy outfit day at our house.

Ta Ta 4 Now

2010-01-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

I've started an new blog. This blog isn't completely dead yet. If I've got something to say about IKEA and decorating this where I'll but it. Check it out at: http://ohmydoodle.blogspot.com/ Here's my new design for my header:

from my mom's noodle

2009-12-30T06:06:00.001-08:00

mom's way better with flowers than i am

the greenery is a sweet potato vine that strouted in a pot somewhere in her house

the red amarylis you see on the table are probably great great great grandchildren from the ones in the wagon from several years ago:

she wrapped all of the artwork in her house with gift wrap to look like presents

and added coordinating folded stars and tiny packages made from greeting cards to the walls

each gift had a different color scheme

the gift tags are her calligraphy--many saved from the past--one says "from eva" who is gone now. here is a close-up of her folded handmade stars:

this is a "martha stewart everyday from kmart expandable bamboo trellis" covered with lights on the deck outside the kitchen window

on the tiny 2 foot inside the house, are knit dolls i used to play with when i was a kid

here's my attempt at decorating:

Ham Croquettes

2009-12-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

Our family Christmas day tradition.

From the Better Homes and Gardens Meat Cookbook, 1960.

Original recipe was deep-fried and used saltines.

Mom created a baked version using techniques she learned

watching Cook's Illustrated TV.

Butter & brown the crumbs on the stovetop:

Nice close-up from my new camera.

Making the gooey white sauce.

Mixing in the ground ham.

Breading with egg white for maximum crunch.

Yuckky fingers.
Ready to bake, just 12 minutes at 375.˚

Don't forget to make more eggy white sauce as a topping.

Finis. Hope you like washing many pots and pans!

Score some S'mores

2009-12-08T06:23:00.000-08:00

Click here to view.

I Felt Like Making S'more Pins

2009-12-08T06:17:00.000-08:00

I used to have this Snoopy pin on my ski jacket in high school. You can see what I was thinking last November and how my idea has changed here.

Subscribe-UM!

2009-11-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

Upon arrival at IKEA, I was pleasantly surprised to see a poster I designed.

In a partnership with our friends at IKEA, you can get a free IKEA gift card.

Simply subscribe to the paper! The paper really does pay for itself.

Bamboozled

2009-11-30T07:13:00.000-08:00

Last week at IKEA, I happened upon this great kitchen floor.

At first glance, it appeared to be tile.

But upon inspection, it appeared to be a bamb0o-look laminate.

It was cut and installed with grout to look like tile. Nice.

yellow journa-LIZ-em

2009-11-17T06:36:00.000-08:00

It was recently announced that Issac Mizrahi's line (newest designer for Liz Claiborne) will now only be available at QVC, meaning, I will never see his clothing in a store ever again. It was sad enough to see the empty hole he left at Target last year. So this week my obsession is to obtain the most iconic Liz pieces before he vanishes from Herberger's and Macy's (oops, I almost said Dayton's). I like how Isaac brought back this original Liz print from the 80s:

I am a sucker for anything cordouroy, and this jacket, even though it is yellow, has got me thinking "I need that now!"

Yellow can be a bad color on a lot of people, but if you put a brightly colored shirt between the yellow and your skintone, it can work. About a month ago, I saw these at the GAP.

The jacket is no longer available online, but the pants are.

I have big brown super high shoes. I'm pretty sure all of this will be on clearance by now, because no practical person would buy this color.

Silver and gold, silver and gold (but not for Xmas!)

2009-11-17T06:30:00.000-08:00

I spotted these gold and silver pumpkins in my neighborhood. They are REAL pumpkins. Maybe she was inspired by the gold and silver lions up as THIRSTY's in Osseo:

Bad Bad Scottie Dog!

2009-11-07T07:13:00.000-08:00

It's been 10 years since the kitchen remodel/addition. It's due for new paint, anyway.

Puppy Party

2009-10-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

Max took these photos. His great work can also be found here.

Valentines Xmas @ IKEA!

2009-10-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last year the theme at IKEA was a "Happy Halloween Xmas". Next year will it be a good 'ol St. Patty's Day Fest? Green with accents of green? and bold Marimekko shaped cloverleafs?

Last Minute Gag Gift

2009-10-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

AccessVikings.com

2009-10-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

Raspberry Rascal

2009-09-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

Fricken Furniture !#$%?

2009-09-30T06:42:00.000-07:00

The hubbub is not about the f-bomb in my world. (See the video here.)

It's about the barrel furniture I spied on craig's list last year:

The price was $400 for the entire set. The seller was from Oakdale, MN.

And no--I did not buy it. But was highly amused by it.

Grill Man

2009-09-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

What do you do when you don't have a grill for your fire pit?

Have Mike and Sally make one. Sally did all of the welding.

The grill marks are round!

1963 was a very good year.

2009-09-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Even priced at a $1.95, I couldn't pull the trigger.

A quick sneaky photo in the store, and I'm good to go.

Fair Finds

2009-09-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

Judy's first of course.

Sally's Hot Man

2009-09-29T05:55:00.001-07:00

This early layout (about 8 feet across)
edited down became this:
The eyes are speakers (the backs of them are big magnets). The nose is a cable from Mike's camper. "That camper had every accessory on it from the Kmart automotive aisle!".

Menaghmen it!

2009-09-28T07:39:00.000-07:00

How my brother stores his stuff:

Sue's Bookshelves

2009-09-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sue finished her basement a few years ago. Her husband created these built-in bookshelves using the area between the studs. Trim was added to cover the 2x4s and then it was painted. Deeper books in the bottom row steal room from the area behind the shelves.

Laundry Room Redo

2009-08-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

I took down some whiteboards (from IKEA, which suck because the pen will not wash off them!). I had to repair the walls and repaint. I found the original paint in the basement so total cost: FREE. It's tough to repaint the same color, because you can't see where you've been. I positioned a work lamp on the floor so I could see my painting progress. I tried to sell these IKEA racks at the garage sale, but luckily no one knew what they were for when they were lying on the driveway. So I decided to put them up. Very useful for drying clothes.

The clock you see below is from my very first IKEA trip in 1998. I think it was less than 5 bucks. I cleared out some clutter, found receipts from 1993 in a "save your receipts" folder from Dayton's. Relabeled some containers and threw out a bunch of pens.

Even though these built in's are nice, it's hard to reach anything that you store there. My goals of my household re-org/re-dec are "access", "room function" and "vaccuum-ability".

Mom your Lily is Blooming!

2009-08-11T06:50:00.001-07:00

It took forever for that bud to open. I was sure a deer or other critter would get to it first.

Harvey McKay of Cloquet

2009-08-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

Don't get a BIG HED!

2009-08-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

The final concept for the bathroom is nothing like the original plans. It evolved over time. First the paint color decision, and then the knob & hardware decision, and then the artwork decision.

Invited to a friends for Chicago Style hotdogs & a Led Zeppelin imposter concert, I sorted through my drawers looking for an old concert t-shirt to wear. I didn't find one to wear, but in the mix I found 2 old shirts that I had bought in Vegas (1996) that I just couldn't part with. When I got to the party I noticed that chef Steve was wearing an old "Big Hed" t-shirt that he had got in New Orleans. It was the same brand as my Vegas shirts!

The orange/red towel's color drove the concept. So orange and red it is--mix that with my latest obsession for Elvis, the t-shirt brand BIG HED (no relation, funny enough, but these HEDs are) and concept was finalized.

I found shadow box frames at homegoods. Amazingly cheap at $7.99. The second frame was on clearance for $3 bucks, but I had to get glass cut at my local hardware store (two trips to the store were necessary for them to get the cut right).

I thought it was neat that when you look in the mirror, you actually see a tryptych (three pictures). And the cheaping slot machine completes the picture. So project finis and time to move on to the playroom.

My Own Personal Airblade

2009-08-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

The best hand drying solution would have been the old-time cloth rotating towel machine. Or the new Dyson fast drying systems for home use. Dyson has been getting credit for these machines, but they have been around in Europe for a while. At $1400, it's not an option for home use.

I was thinking about sewing the leading edges of the towel together to make a loop. Maybe buttons would help with getting it on and off the towel bar. But I nixed that idea. I just folded Toftbo on the bar, showcasing the great IKEA colors.

And what do you hang above the towel bar? A neat old game I bought at the flea market years ago. Perfect!

Cheating on IKEA

2009-08-03T07:26:00.000-07:00

I went to 3 HomeGoods stores searching for shadowboxes. Even though I'm "all about IKEA" when it comes to decorating, sometimes I'm drawn to classic and wonder where this could go:
Maybe this could go in the corner of the bedroom:
I loved the GIANT container outside the store. The bowl is probably 6 feet in diameter.

Knob an Easy Decision

2009-08-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

The new darker knobs blend into the woodwork and disappear:

Judy's Fun House

2009-08-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

Such an inspiring place.

Perfect Placement

2009-07-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

The bathroom is painted "Apple Cider", which is more orangish than this swatch shows.

Now we need to determine where the TP holder should go. The previous placement made it hard to clean behind the toilet. So I put up this placeholder to test out the spot.

Of course my family had to have some input:

So of course, as ususal, we are paralyzed with indecision and progress grinds to a halt.

Happy 5th IKEA Twin Cities!

2009-07-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

To celebrate, here's what's happening at IKEA today:

That's right, it's been 5 years since IKEA Twin Cities opened. To celebrate we're hosting a birthday extravaganza on July 14th!

Come out to take advantage of giveaways, games, and live entertainment.

5 gift card giveaways every hour!

$5 buffet all day in the Restaurant!

Children's party 1-3pm in the restaurant!

Children's Scavenger Hunt!

UNL Drill and Drumline Performs at 6pm!

Here's the pre-shop invite we got when the store opened:

Tomelilla Chair Update

2009-07-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

A company called BEMZ will sell you slipcovers for your IKEA chairs and sofas. Envision your comfy chair in many types of fabrics, including Marimekko. Here's how my Tomelilla chair could look:

Will Obama Start a Poster Project?

2009-07-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

These and many more WPA posters are available at the Library of Congress online gift shop.

Orla Kiely Summer Stuff

2009-07-07T09:40:00.001-07:00

Get some sun!

Gramma Eva's Grill

2009-07-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

Nice slow, even, indoor burger grilling. Love the fonts on the logo, too.

Orange Attraction

2009-07-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Urban Outfitters has a lot of neat stuff for your house. Very IKEA like.

Pink Palace

2009-07-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

One point two mill will get you this on Lake Minnetonka.

Bathroom Progress

2009-07-06T09:43:00.001-07:00

The bathroom got painted over the holiday weekend. "Apple Cider" was the color Home Depot matched from an old Pittsburgh paint swatch. Now all we need is hardware.

Luv Print and Pattern's Blog!

2009-07-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

I noticed today that Print and Pattern's blog has an exhaustive photo pictorial of IKEA's latest designs. Check it out!

Table talk.

2009-06-30T05:36:00.001-07:00

Luv love lub my new IKEA Sigrid table cloth. The color combo is stunning.

A different DROMMAR.

2009-06-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

I did buy the cupcake pan at IKEA. The bottom of the pan is orange. IKEA named it Red, but it really is orange. It makes very TALL cupcakes with very straight sides. Holds 1/3 cup batter (same as a regular cupcake).

I had to make my own cupcake paper templates out of parchment. They didn't have a bottom.

The downside is that the surface area for frosting is minimal. So next time I will probably make mini-popovers.

IKEA VISIT

2009-06-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I didn't buy either of these:

Wall Want

2009-06-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Found these incredible FRAMED posters at the Disney store for $7.99 ($14.99 online) on Michigan Avenue. But didn't know how we would get them home on the plane.

Summer of Love

2009-06-21T07:04:00.001-07:00

Target has these great 24"x36" retro posters in the store for summer. Less than 10 bucks.

mom's flowers

2009-06-16T07:50:00.001-07:00

not in my backyard

2009-06-02T08:04:00.001-07:00

Rug Fix

2009-04-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

While the downstairs bathroom project is on hiatus (waiting for pool boy to spackle), I tackled the girls bathroom. No not redecorating, just cleaning and unclogging drains. I discovered that the IKEA rubberbacked rug was sticking to the tile. Here's what I did to solve that. I used an old towel, cut it into a circle and serged the edges. Now we don't have to buy a new rug!

Bathroom Project

2009-04-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

It's time to paint the the downstairs bathroom. It took a week to remove the 80s dusty rose "parade of homes" wall paper. Shown here are some decorating directions that we could go.

Project Patchwork at IKEA

2009-03-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 21st 6pm
IKEA Twin Cities debuts Project Patchwork
For the first time IKEA Twin Cities shines a spotlight on the art of quilting with Project Patchwork, a contemporary quilt sale benefiting the Textile Center’s summer youth fiber art programs. Project Patchwork will take place at IKEA Twin Cities on Saturday, March 21, at 6 pm and will feature close to 50 art quilts that will be available for sale. Enjoy food and entertainment as IKEA Twin Cities and the Textile Center come together to celebrate the fiber arts and raise funds for summer youth programs.

In August of 2008 the home furnishing department store challenged 50 local contemporary quilters to design hanging art quilts using IKEA’s modern textiles. Fabric packets were given out on a first come first serve basis causing local quilters to start lining up outside the Textile Center as early as 5 a.m. Each participant received 4 yards of fabric, a list of guidelines, and entry into the Project Patchwork Art Quilt Challenge.

“ Not only is Project Patchwork a chance for our local contemporary quilters to exhibit their creativity, but it is also unique opportunity for supporters to band together and raise funds for the Textile Center’s summer youth programs,” said Margaret Miller, Director, Textile Center. “The contributions made to us through IKEA Twin Cities will have a tremendous impact on our abilities to inspire creativity in youth through the fiber arts.”

Does the Art Quilt: 1. Honor the tradition of quilting? 2. Show technical excellence in construction? 3. Display innovative design and use of materials? 4. Have aesthetic overall appeal?

The quilter awarded Best in Show will win a $1000 IKEA Studio makeover; first place will receive a $500 gift card. Recipients of the Jurors Award will receive $100 IKEA gift card and People’s Choice will receive a $50 gift card.

Through partnerships like Project Patchwork, IKEA continues its mission to create a better everyday life at home.

Home Sweet Parade Home

2009-03-18T06:34:00.001-07:00

Sammy and I did the unthinkable a couple of Sundays ago...went to PARADE HOMES! So nice to get out and DREAM. Almost made me feel that a better future is possible. This kitchen you see here is the second kitchen in the basement, and the door next to it leads to another basement level containing the "SPORT COURT". After the tour, Sammy and I returned to our very own 1989 parade home...which is of course, perfect.

Top-Down Shades

2009-03-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you make top-down roman shades, you need a valance to cover the top mechanism.

Swedish House

2009-03-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

I found this home on flickr. It's in Sweden and has a pool!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T11:12:00.001-08:00

"Holiday Cookies" from Cook's Illustrated Family Cookbook. These are a "grown up" sugar cookie. They are crispy, buttery and slighty tart because of the cream cheese. No big flour mess because of how you roll it out. The frosting was extra runny so I let it drizzle non-stop over the rack of cooled cookies--like a "family circus" cartoon--follow the path.

Isn't this supposed to be an IKEA blog?

2009-02-17T11:10:00.003-08:00

Is it?

2009-02-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

Suzy Tompkins Buell

2009-01-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

Suzy founded Esprit (with partner Jane Tise). Read about how she met her husband here.

Tomelilla Chair

2009-01-18T21:02:00.000-08:00

Hauled this home from Chicago IKEA almost 10 years ago. The slipcover was very dirty. I didn't want to wash it because I was certain it would shrink. So in October I marked it up with a white crayon, and cut it up to make a pattern for a new slipcover. To make matters more difficult, I cut up a pile of jeans I'd been saving and pieced them together. This project took about 4 Saturdays to do: 1. make the pattern, 2. cutting it out, 3. sewing it together, 4. making the cushion. I can't even be objective. Is it good looking? I'm not even sure. But it's soft to the touch and the extra pockets on the side house the remote.

Slab Pies from COSTCO

2009-01-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

A little rich, even Lizzy liked them. The pearl onions did not need to be there.

theKLUBB meeting notes

2009-01-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

Finally we all got together and toured Dawn's fantastic loft/condo. Every square inch yields new surprises. The "wall of storage" was a highlight and is my new inspiration for the playroom.

Elephant Gray

2009-01-10T06:37:00.000-08:00

I visited these boots the customary 3 plus times before plunking down 91 dollars cash in from my secret stash in my purse. Having that exact amout left shows that this purchase was meant to be! (the downside is that the stash is depleted). When the salesperson told me that the color was called "elephant gray", I was sold. (if it was called "toxic waste dump gray", I'd still have $91 bucks in my purse.

shoe closure

2009-01-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

Got the brown ones online through Dillards.com. Original price over $90 bucks. Then $26 plus shipping. I noticed this week the price is back up to $53??? It's that wierd online pricing thing frugal jo was talking about.

Sewn Cookie Exchange Packaging

2008-12-20T07:58:00.000-08:00

"Have S'more Rockin' Reindeer Ravioli".

Anthropologie is all Orange for XMAS, too!

2008-12-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Handmade gifts are best!

2008-12-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

Terri at work made this for her sister in Seattle. Apparently she cried when she recieved it.

parting gift

2008-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

Portraits on a pan.

no butter, no sugar, no eggs

2008-12-16T07:45:00.000-08:00

These miracle peanut butter cookies were featured on the 101 cookbooks blog.

just another boring day at the office

2008-12-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hot Chips!

2008-12-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

These potato chips are made fresh as you enter Albertson's grocery store, and with free samples are hard to resist.

thanksgoodness it's over

2008-12-08T05:57:00.001-08:00

Thanks Martha and Todd English for this painful but delicious recipe!

Swedish Sudz

2008-11-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

The table I needed in 1998!

2008-11-27T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Room and Board L-shaped sectional I needed it for is now demoted to the basement, worn and tattered.

A Halloweend themed XMAS at IKEA!

2008-11-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

these popovers took 24 hours to make

2008-11-24T07:35:00.000-08:00

These are from "Cooks Country" magazine, Dec/Jan 09 issue, and they really are great--but allow time to make them--maybe make them on a sunday.

Here is my recipe research (including the muffin pan weeknight recipe (careful--you might burn your fingers on the pre-heated hot pan), summed up:

the 8 hour pie

2008-11-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

From "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, pg 577 and the crust (which has graham crackers pressed into it to make is crunchy, pg 575. I made a double batch for the 9x13 glass pan."

purple thumb

2008-11-24T07:30:00.001-08:00

Brian Wilson concert

2008-11-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

That's him in the blue striped shirt.

In the works

2008-11-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

Using scraps

2008-11-16T08:07:00.001-08:00

Front and Back

2008-11-16T08:05:00.001-08:00

The silver flower on the right is a piece of costume jewelry I found in the Strib parking lot that had been run over by cars. It still sparkles.

Pin Holders

2008-11-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

Anthropologie Marimekko Sundress

2008-11-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

I scored another great item in Boise for ten bucks (it was $158 new)! Demand for Swedish fashion must be low in Idaho, as they had several sizes to choose from.

world's most perfect purse

2008-11-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

I found it in Boise, Idaho. I didn't know it was Ostrich until today.
So much better in person, with fantastic stitching and quality leather. I don't think I would have given it a second glance if I have seen it on internet.

and the winner is

2008-11-02T09:05:00.001-08:00

issac mizrahi by target

lettuce

2008-10-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

jewelry hang-ups

2008-10-28T07:23:00.000-07:00

MOLGER bathroom rack from IKEA: