Dream Home Color Palette

Our house is on the market for almost 2 years now. We are definitely eager to move in to a more spacious home.

Selling a house is not as easy these days since the house market has gotten weak. Each day I am more and more anxious, dreaming and picturing in my mind what the house would be like; what is my studio would be like. I am excited but I would not lie that I am quite nervous each time people comes to see the house knowing after a working hard cleaning and tidy up that they will leave and never hear from them again. At the end I keep on telling myself; when the time comes then I will start thinking more seriously about the details, etc.

In the meantime I can only dreaming about the color palette of the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen and a little about my working area and studio. After all, it is good to dream and imagining things that makes you happy.

I fell in love with greyish and pewter color interior. So here are sample of color palette that I would like to see popping in my dream home.

Source: buknola

Source; BetterhomeandGarden

Source; decorpad

Source: Habituallychic

Source: Crushculdesac

Source: ThatinspirationalGirl

All of these interior rooms has one thing in common; they are all has  gold accent to the room. It can be a wall molding, a mirror frame, a chair frame, table lamp or a tray.  I think it adds glamor, elegance and drama to the room. I love gilded furniture as long as it is being displayed sparingly. The dominant colors are grey and white/cream.

These are definitely the colors I would like to see in my future dream house.

Good night ! And thank you for reading !

Our Love Cards Binding Book {DIY}

I was inspired by Something Turqoise DIY Card Mini Album to create my version of this lovely Cards Binding Book.

I have been collecting our 'Christmas, Valentine and Birthday' cards through out the years since we have been together.  And when saw this site  thought that I could make similar to keep those lovely cards together.

Here is a tutorial step-by-step on making what I called "Our Love Cards Binding Book.'

These are the basic supplies for this Card Binding Book

 

What you need,

- Varieties of craft art papers for cover and back.

- Card boards for front and back. I am using double water color paper cold press since I do not have card board.

- Scissor

- Hole puncher

- Ring binder {I purposely using large ring binder for this project thinking that I can add more cards for years to come.}

- Dot glue or stripe glue for paper craft making

- Ruler

- Your collection of cards

For the front cover

 Take the biggest size of collection cards and measure the size of the front and the back cover; leaving 1/4" edge around.

Since I do not have 'heavy duty hole puncher' I punched holes on each paper and carefully mark it so that they will line up with one another.

 Using stripe glue to join the two paper together {this is so the front and back cover will be strong and sturdy}

{Note; please do not mind of the paper I already used since it will be covered with other paper later on}

About a little more than half way down of the front cover glue a our design. I am using purple craft paper. {Again do not forget to punch a hole first before you glue them together}

Then glue another craft paper of your design to cover the bottom part of the front cover. The bottom paper must overlap and inch over the top paper. {Remember, the line between the top and bottom paper is where your ribbon is}

Back cover

Like the front cover, I am using double water color paper then cover with craft paper of your design.

Now cover with left over craft papers on the 'inside' of the front and back cover.

Creating antiquing on the edge of the covers

Mix  yellow ochre and black acrylic paint. Using sponge lightly dab the edge of both front and back cover.

Embellishments for the front cover

 - Glitter craft lettering

- Brats

- Ribbon

- Miniature metal frame for scrapbooking

- Tassles

- Small art stamp (Birds)

- Small glitter trimming {I decided not to use this !}

- Vintage cotton trimming

- 2 title embellishment that I created myself using tracing paper and a little drawing.

 - I printed a small of our picture together that fits on the miniature scrap booking metal frame

Using super glue, arrange and glue all of the embellishments on the front cover as per your design.

Putting ribbon on the back cover

 Line up together the front and back cover side by side and make a mark on the back cover where the line of two paper joined together on the front cover. That is where the ribbon will be placed.

Carefully make a hole through the ribbon and the back cover by using x-acto knive. You might want to place an old magazine or foam board underneath so you will not damage the surface you are working on.

 Now that both front and back cover are finished; start putting the cards together in the ring binder start with the back cover, cards and last the front cover. {You might want to insert the tassle amongst the cards}

And last, tye the ribbon together.

Which one do you like best? The one with the black tasle or the light purple one ?

I wanted to stamp two love birds but  one did not come out good. I am planning to do something else to cover up the flaw. But I will do it some other time.

All materials are available at Michael

I am so sorry that this is a quite long post with so many pictures.

I am happy the way 'Our Love Cards Binding Book' turned out to be.

Thank you !

Sunday Interior Arte & Collage Journal

This is an interior and decor collage journal idea about blue and white oriental ceramic vases.

What I love about this particular interior is the white furniture setting where this lovely vases being displayed. The over all look is just lovely, clean and elegance !

Rows of urns holding flowers placed on a long wooden rustic table caught my eyes when flipping an interior magazine one day. A set of varieties style of wooden chairs than added a unique, cohesive and elegance to this dining room. I can feel the playfulness 'not so serious' style of the owner when putting together an interior of this room. {Last seen here}

More of beautiful, creative and lovely art journal collage !

Source: ohgollygosh

Source; The Creative

Source ; wild goose chase

I am definitely crazy making and creating these type of journals. There is so many creative ideas that you can go about to create these lovely treasures. I am planning to make one from  traveling, art, nature (like the above)

I can picture these journals will be tucked away somewhere for many years and I am imagining that one day my grand children will be inspired by them.

Have you written a journal lately ?

Thank you for stopping by ?

Have a lovely week end, Everyone !

A little vacation & surgery trip !

So I hugged my wonderful, kind and caring Dr. John Chang (Vascular Surgeon) when he told me that he is going to send me to Dartmouth Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire to get the surgery done. This procedure is much less invasive than the initial open surgery. It is 'endovascular' procedure. A relative new state of the art procedure to fix aorta and arteries.

We had a week end to explore north part of New Hampshire bordering South Vermont. And what a lovely place this area was ! The weather was so lovely; hot summer day during that particular week end. I fell in love with this area ! Lush green rolling hills covered with all kinds of wild flowers. Just lovely !

Cottage houses situated on the foot hills hiding behind a beautiful green foliage of trees surrounded by beautiful gardens with colorful flowers. I was dreaming owning a small shabby chic cottage here. I was wondering; what is my husband would say about this ? Perhaps one day !

I felt like being on a vacation far a way from New York and the fact is only 5 hours driving by car to get there. I felt so peaceful driving around and just looking out the window car seeing the serene scenery. We are planning  to  come back  next summer and perhaps rent a place for a week.

What I love most are the flea markets and the antique stores. I was just like a kid in a candy store. Here we  bought 10 vintage bottles for USD 3.00 and 12 vintage milk glass bowls for USD 3.00. They were displaying on the table {as seen on picture, a wrapped glass bottles on the empty table} so we bought them all. I figured I could use them for projects and props for a photo shoot. Oh yeaaa......!!

The two times surgeries went very well. What a cheerful and peaceful way to go on a surgery and as a result the next morning after the procedure I walked around the hospital hall way. And 2 days later I was discharged.

My Vascular Dr. John Chang in New York  kept on calling me in the hospital room just to make sure I was alright. And Dr. Richard Powell who did the surgery was ever so kind taking care of everything I need during the  4 days hospitalized in Dartmouth Medical Center, New Hampshire. 

I feel like the most luckiest and special person on earth to have received these treatments from people and Dr (s) around me. 

I am feeling at ease, healthy and happy now and looking forward to a bright future doing what I love most and be the best of what  I can be.

Thank you for reading !

Domino Quick Fixes Spring/Summer Special Edition 2012 {BYW 2.0 e course magazine review assignment}

Domino Quick Fixes Spring/Summer 2012 magazine is definitely a must have magazine to any interior designer/decorator or to any one who  wants to do a simple make over in their home.

What I like about this magazine is that it has hundreds beautiful pictures and ideas of quick fixes that you can do easily in your own home. Each topics written with a stylish graphic type and brief clear explanation on how you can achieve it.

This magazine highlighted everything from 'ways to dress up your staircase', 'wall art ideas for any room', to a 'fun kids bedroom'. 

What I love about this 125 pages magazine is filled with trendy current fresh room interiors. Interiors that has a warm & inviting, fresh & friendly, classic & elegance feels to them. 

It shows the perfect color palette for any room and a chart on how to use them with any of your favorite colors.

Lists of sources as to where to get 'what you need' are listed in the back of the magazine and it has 8 pages of listings from lighting, door & cabinet hardware, bedding and more!

This is definitely a magazine covered everything of a quick fixes you need to know about an interior decoration.

I personally love the article about decorating a room with spring flowers from your own garden.  There is an 'instant of happiness' being created when spring flowers brought in to the room. {Especially from your own backyard.}

I can see myself still looking at the pages of this magazine and searching for an idea of quick fixes to my room in ten years from now.

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Thank you for stopping by !

Healthy Dark Chocolate Cake + Recipe

What I like about this cake besides it is very healthy; it's light and not a super sweet cake. I can eat this without feeling guilty and being overly full in the stomach. I am always in the look out for a delicious healthy diet food recipe and I am not disappointed with this light yummy cake !

 

Recipe

FOR THE CAKE

~ Cooking Spray

~ 1-1/2 cup self-rising flour

~ 1/4 cup finely ground almonds

~ 5 tablespoons cocoa powder

~ 1 teaspoon baking soda

~ 1/4 teaspoon salt

~ 4 ounces beets, peeled and finely grated

~ 4 ounces low-fat buttermilk

~ 2 tablespoons strong black coffee

~ 3 large eggs

~ 3/4 cup sugar

FOR THE ICING

~ 1/2 cup dark chocolate, cut into small pieces

~ 2 tablespoons strong black coffee

~ 2 tablespoons honey

~ 3 tablespoon light heavy cream

For the top (optional); Organic, unsprayed rose petals (I am using organic unsprayed DRIED rose petals)

1. Preheat the oeven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly spray an 8-inch springform baking pan with cooking spray.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, salt and baking soda, and set aside.

4. Using a standing or handheld mixer set at medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar for 4 full minutes until pale and fluffy. On low speed, beat in the grated beets, followed by dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk and coffee, and beat until the batter is smooth.

5. Pour into the pan and place in the middle of a hot oven and bake for 30 minutes. Test with toothpick inserted for doneness; it should come out clean. Bake for an additional 5 minutes if needed. 

6. Cool for 10 minutes or so in the pan and unmold onto cooling rack. Cool on wire rack until cold.

7. To make the icing, prepare a double boiler.

8. Combine all the ingredients and gently stir until the chocolate is smooth. Stir occasionally until the mixture thickens.

9. With the cake still on the wire rack, pour the icing liberally over the top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. Transfer onto a plate or cake stand for serving and garnish with rose petals.

 

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Journal + Home Decor

I love looking at interior pictures in an interior magazine. When I see the interior picture that I like; I tore the pages and keep them in file. Those tear sheets of interior are basically ideas of colors, furniture, grouping of art, or a simple display like   flowers in a particular vase on a table or memorabilia being displayed, table lamp, anything that inspire me.

Over time I collected many tear sheets of interior, beauty, fashion, etc. Hoping that some day it could be useful. But most of the time, I totally forget about them and left in the file somewhere in the book case. Then I started to make a journal out of them. I have been collected ephemeras for quite sometime now. Last seen here.  It could be a clothing hang tags, perfume boxes, interesting picture from magazine, glass beads, vintage lace, etc.

So I started to make a journal out of these tear sheets hoping that one day when we (Steven and I) moved into a new home; these journal will come in handy.

What I like about the above interior picture is the group of figure drawings hanging above the sofa. I also love the monochromatic grey and soft brown color. I embellished the picture with small decorative key, clothing tag, bed cover picture from Anthropologie catalogue and others that I have been keeping for quite some time.

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I remember reading about the above Parisian apartment interior. I love the color; greyish with soft coral curtain, bench and flowers in a large vase on the floor. This apartment has a high ceiling with beautiful decorative white moulding; a typical Parisian apartment. I just love it ! I seem to gravitate to a grey color interior with an accent color here and there. I love doing this journal collage ! I added glass beads in a plastic pocket from when I used to make mood boards when in school many years a go. I also added a decorative with hand writing prints paper.  I wrote a small note on a tear cookie wrapper  we bought when in Milan the last time and  glued on  the top of the picture. So this is a glimpse reminder of that trip every time I see this journal page.

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Thank you for reading !