Guess where I’m going this weekend…
Yup, you read it right…Vegas, yet again. How fun! Nick’s mom is getting married this weekend and we’re doing it up Vegas style, baby. I’m so happy we only live 3.5 hours from Vegas! I’m thinking with the amount of trips we take there every year, it’d be a good idea to invest in some property on the strip! Have a great weekend everyone! I’ll be back next week, sharing some photos of the weekend!
*click on image for source
What a hoot!
Accessorize your child’s bathroom with this cute owl pattern curtain from Dwell while wearing that owl jewelry from Rachel Roy. So cute.
*as always, "Thursday's This & That", inspired by the creative Bekka from Oh Joy!
Autumn is in full swing and I’m loving it! You know what I love most about Autumn…the cocktails! Warm, caramels, apples, cinnamons, spices…ooooh! It just makes me want to snuggle up with the pups and read a good book! Here’s a good one that I found here. Never tried it before, but sounds delish! Enjoy!
Serving Size: 1
Ingredients:
2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
¾ oz Cardamaro
¼ oz Disaronno
2 tbsp cinnamon fig jam
2 sprigs savory
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
pinch ground cinnamon
Directions:
Pinch, twist and break up savory into mixing glass to release flavor. Add all other ingredients. Shake vigorously over ice for 30 seconds. To serve cold, fine strain into an ice filled Collins glass and garnish with a sprig of savory. To serve warm, fine strain into a glass mug and heat in microwave for 2 minutes. To heat on stove, fine strain mixture into saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Garnish with lemon wheel and pinch of cinnamon.
*found here
As you know, I took a couple days off from blogging while visiting Minnesota. I love to share pictures with you on Mondays of what I did over the weekend, but this last Monday I just couldn’t find time to sit down and put together a “Me Monday” post, so now I’m posting it on Wednesday…a couple days late!
This is my family! My parents, two younger sisters and their boyfriends and Nick. Both my sisters live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. We spent an afternoon walking the Stone Arch Bridge. It was the perfect Autumn day! Crisp, midwest air and plenty of turning leaves!
I love the Minneapolis skyline! It’s definitely not the largest in the country, but it’s graced with some of the prettiest buildings and chapels that I’ve ever seen.
We stopped off at Tuggs Tavern on St. Anthony main to share in some appetizers and cocktails. This place has the best patio/deck that wraps around the restaurant and has great views of the city and river.
I love my Mom and sisters! It was so nice being able to spend some time with all of them and their boyfriends. It was the first time that all eight of us had been together at once!
Handsome men! What a great group of guys! It was so fun having all of us together!
Later on we participated in a little Oktoberfest! So fun! It was my first one. I loved all the different beer and guys dressed up in “German attire”. I have no clue what to call the costumes some of them were wearing! I thought I’d see more bar maids dressed up as St. Pauli girls, but I guess the cold weather inhibits that kind of dress!
Another day, we took the afternoon to drive down to Rochester and see my Grandma. She is 92 and lives on a 130 acre century old farm. That’s the old barn in the background. I’m amazed by her strength and ambition.
My sneaky little sister took these pictures of Nick and I. So cute, I love them! Walking across a bridge in Minneapolis and taking a walk in my parents woods at their house.
It was one of the best trips home that I’ve experienced. I’m hoping to get back there again in December, in the midst of the holiday season. I’m trying to convince Nick that 30 below zero isn’t THAT cold!
Rainbow Bright…
Hello everyone! I apologize for my absentness these past couple of days! I was visiting my family in Minnesota over the weekend, and took a little bloggy-break! It was such a nice time in Minnesota! Fresh, clean, crisp air and I got to spend some much needed quality time with friends and family. It was awesome.
It feels great to be back in CA! Getting back into the swing of things…a few new client meetings this week and finishing up some other projects that I’ve been working on over the past month. I can’t wait to share some pictures of a contemporary house design project that I’ve been consumed with throughout the past couple of weeks.
I’m totally digging the rainbows above. I’ve always had a thing for rainbows! I love the idea of arranging your books like this. Perfectly color coded. It looks like my closet! And that little pug is too frickin’ cute! Love him!
Happy Tuesday! Lets make it a great week!
*click on image for source
Blue and white chevron and ikat!
Wear this Blur Spot Print Top while cuddling up with that chevron throw.
*as always, "Thursday's This & That", inspired by the creative Bekka from Oh Joy!
Rarely have we seen a variation of the Caipirinha that caters to the taste of fall. The Homecoming Caipirinha is that missing link and it is fantastic. This cocktail is the creation of Anika Zappe of Root Down in Denver, Colorado and has a definite apple touch with both Fuji apple and organic apple juice included, which are stunning accent flavors for Boca Loca Cachaca.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
* copy and recipe found here
Such good advice! I love these little weekly reminders that I find for us! Not only do I love these 10 ways to love, but I LOVE this cute little set of cabinetry tucked underneath this red hot set of stairs! Dying! First of all, I think anyone who has a set of stairs should use whatever space they have beneath it. I love when people turn that space into a closet or a powder room, but I’m really digging this exposed storage. And that red window behind…OMG! Happy Tuesday!
*click on image to find source
Welcome to the 4th week of September! Time is just flying by! This month has been filled with weddings and birthdays for us and last weekend was no exception. On Friday, we drove to Big Bear, which is an hour and a half from our house and spent the day celebrating our friends birthday. It was so fun! I’ve never been there before and I was just in awe at how beautiful it was up there! I’m so happy that I live so close!
Above, was a view from our balcony off of the log cabin (6,500 square foot house with 7 bedrooms!). It was extremely peaceful and relaxing to wake up and drink a cup of tea there! The group photo was our celebration dinner at Sweet Basil Bistro in Big Bear. My favorite was the beet salad! So good.
On Saturday, we went to a wedding in Redlands that was held at Kimberly Crest. It was the perfect day for a wedding! Not too hot, not too cold and the sun was shining! These are our friends, Colleen and Tim.
It was a super fun weekend! I was happy to relax and just lounge around on Sunday. I threw in a big of decorating, which I’ll share with you in a couple weeks when it’s complete. It involves some frames from the thrift store and spray paint!
Have a great week!
Today’s post is coming to you from the talented Ekaterina Kohlwes, AIA Assoc., LEED AP, from Branding Companies By Their Interiors.
Every architectural space, every building and every simple room sends a certain message to our brain on a subconscious level. Did you know that the feeling that a space inspires can modify the perception of a company's brand in an instant? It takes only a few seconds for someone to form an opinion about your company's mission, style and the quality of services. With that in mind happiness became one of the most desirable trademarks for large companies such as Zappos, Twitter, and Skype redesigning their interiors.
Larger service companies are interested in the environment of their locations, not only to boost the image if the companies but also to increase sales by creating a pleasant environment for their workers. Multiple studies have shown that a healthy environment increases productivity and saves money on sick days for employees. Using certain colors and materials inside of your office space can provide desired stimulation to workers' brain and to boost energy. Providing adequate natural ventilation and lighting will increase production of vitamin D in our bodies which prevents development of certain types of cancer. There are numerous techniques to improve our health inside of a building.
So how can designers create branded environments that deliver desired messages to clients? The main goal of a professional designer is to identify that custom response for a business's brand based on a type of services provided. As a simple example, a Dentist's office will have a different agenda and will not welcome a response of exploration of the space but will want to create a sense of security and comfort. Where a Yogurt Shop for example shall give a feeling of a healthy choice and imply a smooth, creamy texture. These are extreme examples of different distinctions that should be considered by a designer at the very first consultation with a business owner looking at a space. All the materials, colors, scale, shapes, furniture and lighting selection will follow the desired message outcome. Even the sounds in your space have a profound impact on our psychology! Famous brand stores are being advised by sounds consultants on what music to choose to improve sales.
If you would like to learn more on how you could improve the brand of your business you can take a look at this new e-book created specifically for business owners Branding By Interior. You can also contact Mindful Design Consulting for more information on this topic.
Ekaterina Kohlwes
AIA Assoc., LEED AP
principal / designer
858-733-2445
www.MindfulDesignconsulting.com
Lots of things to celebrate this weekend…
First, we have a big birthday celebration for our friend up in Big Bear! I’ve never been to Big Bear, so I’m super excited to check it out! Fresh mountain air, beautiful lake scenery, spending quality time with friends…ahhhh! Then tomorrow, we’re going to our friend’s wedding in Redlands. The wedding is taking place at a beautiful, historic French chateau called Kimberly Crest. I can’t wait to get all dressed up and celebrate! Have a lovely weekend everyone!
*click on image for source
Deliciously delightful…
Step out in this pair of Charlotte Olympia’s Priscilla Striped Pump while lounging around on that Trina Turk Vivacious Pillow.
This Thursday’s This + That is inspired by this little beauty of a space. Don’t you just love it? I want to curl up here and read a book all day, while enjoying one of these!
*as always, "Thursday's This & That", inspired by the creative Bekka from Oh Joy!
*click on image for source
Still hanging on to what summer is left…! Popsicles are reserved for the summer months, but we’ve been experiencing a little heat wave this week, so these tasty treats are on the agenda for this Indian Summer weekend!
Cantaloupe and Kiwi Daiquiri Popsicles
Makes eight 2-and-1/4-oz. popsicles
· 1 ½ cup pureed cantaloupe (6oz, approximately half a normal size cantaloupe)
· ½ cup pureed kiwi (4 ½ oz, approximately 2 normal size kiwis)
· ¾ cup limeade
· ½ cup of light rum
· 4 tablespoons simple syrup
Instructions:
1. Place cantaloupe and kiwi in a food processor or blender and process or blend until pureed, about 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and process or blend until fully combined.
2. Pour mixture into popsicle forms and freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds.
*Note: To make this non-alcoholic, simply replace the rum portion with limeade.
*tasty treat found here
Minty fresh…
LOVING this reminder and this fresh little kitchen with minty green cabinetry! Check out the brick behind the range and that darling light fixture! I think this would be the perfect little bachelorette pad, no?!
My apologies…I’ve been MIA for about a week now! I’ve just been crazy busy with design projects, a big personal project (which I’ll share with you in October) and working our butts off selling real estate! It’s been a hectic couple of weeks as summer wrapped up, but now with the change of seasons, hopefully we’ll be able to get back into the swing of things! I’m loving this cool and crisp change in our weather! It made me want to run out and purchase a ton of pumpkin and spice candles! Happy Tuesday!
*click on images for source
