This Dream Room Is For The Birds

My biggest gripe about my apartment is that I can't decorate as much as I'd like to because my home is the size of a shoe box.  And so... the Dream Room series is born!  In its maiden voyage I have created a mush of a bunch of items that I think would make a lovely room, inspired by the Conjure Rug from Anthropologie. 

I hope you enjoy. I expect many more of these to follow!

Holy Simplicity.

I hit the mother load. I went to Joanne Fabric for some interfacing so I could start on the Burda Cofee Date Dress and I came home with 19 Simplicity patterns. NINETEEN SIMPLICITY PATTERNS! They were on sale 5 for $5, and of the 20 I looked for all but one were available including 4 or 5 Cynthia Rowleys. What are the odds? And at a normal price of $15-$17 per pop it was a steal of a deal.

I need to get crackin so I have dresses to wear this summer, and I’m not locked inside tied to my Singer making these frocks. I will keep you posted!

OK, Wendy Did It.

I told you I have some crafty sisters. This weekend at my mom's 60th birthday party my niece Samirah rolled in wearing the most fabulous leg warmers. I asked my sister where she got the pattern so I could link to it, but the crafty lady just whipped it up herself, sans pattern! She said it's a simple tube, and she wove some satin ribbon through.

Is she not the cutest and most stylish 3 year old around?

Studio Living... Urban Chic

Living in a studio apartment certainly presents some challenges, and forces you to get creative with space. My best friend Kate has deemed my apartment "Urban Chic" (LOVE HER). Here is one of my favorite solutions for creative studio living. This is the play by play of how I make the most of my space.

First things first... the bones are a Metro Shelf from the Container Store. I have the canvas cover that zips closed if you ever want to completely conceal the goods. This shelf is totally customizable, and I used to use it with a closet bar. Great investment, when you get sick of it one day when you have a real house you could even put it in the basement or garage.

1-3) Baskets from the Christmas Tree Shop. I store bathing suits, beach towels, and other out of season goods you don't need to access often.

4) Mini version of the same Christmas Tree baskets, perfect for DVDs

5) IKEA EMU boxes, good for storing mail and bills

6) Place to stash throw pillows. Great pattern coming up for the white and grey one...

7-8) I can't find these little beauties on the IKEA site, but I use them for storing small random things like phone chargers, hand weights, extensions cords etc. I said random!

9-11) From the same IKEA series. #9 is crewneck & turtleneck sweaters, #10 is cardigans and #11 is my dirty laundry. But it looks pretty doesn't it?

With a couple tricks you can disguise your lame and ugly things so that even though they are technically on display in your living room, no one knows the wiser. Now that's Urban Chic!

Liz Likes... Parapluie. Oui Oui!

Take a gander at this print I found over at Oh Brooke. Purely Frenchy beautious. Book me a flight to Charles De Gaulle s'il vous plaît.

I Fell In Love With A Sandwich

I fell head over heels in love with a 7.5″x 10″ oil on linen painting of a PB&J sandwich.

A few years ago I stumbled across Duane Keiser’s website: A Painting A Day. He paints the most ordinary and fantastic things like a cupcake, chocolate covered cherries, a lollipop. eggs, onion, lemon slices, and wax lips!

You can now buy a print of PB&J, and believe me I’ve thought about it. But one day, I want the real thing. Or a kitchen wall covered in his little gems. Or if I’m really lucky, this beauty.

For the record, he does paint more than food.

Pump Up The Gym Jams

I find the gym less than enjoyable. If I am going to be stuck on a glorified hamster wheel for 60 minutes I need some good music to keep me motivated.

If you Google “gym music” or “songs for running” nine out of ten playlists will include “Eye of the Tiger” and the theme from Rocky. L-A-M-E.
These are some of my favorite picks that will hopefully give you a boost to keep going.

Here is the iMix. Hope you enjoy!

Sew Challenge… Burda Coffee Date Dress

I come from a long line of crafty women. My great grandmother was a hat maker. My grandma owned a dress making shop. My mom sewed both of my sisters’ wedding dresses, one with a broken wrist (and a hot pink cast). Either one of my sisters could sew, knit, and paint circles around Martha. I have a twinge of it but it could certainly be developed.

Even though it is 22 degrees on this balmy Boston day I feel like Spring is around the corner. Every year at this time I get the sewing bug, with the intention of crafting my own Spring/Summer wardrobe of skirts and dresses from scratch. This year is no exception and my first slated project is the Burda Coffee Date Dress. This amazing free pattern is begging to be added to my wardrobe.

With generations of such crafty divas before me, I can’t fail right? And by putting it in writing, I have no choice but to rise to the challenge. Pictures to come this Spring…

All Dressed Up

I recently invested in a micoplane because after watching countless hours of the Food Network, how could I not have one in my arsenal? I thought for its inaugural voyage I would take a crack at making my own salad dressing.

As long as I can remember, my dad has been making Good Seasons salad dressing. That little packet of salty seasoned goodness mixed with copious amounts of vegetable oil and cheap vinegar made a magical concoction that beckons me back to summers of my youth. Part of me thought “Why mess with a good thing?” The other part thought… “To hell with it. I’m making it my own!”

The ingredients are simple. Olive oil, vinegar (I had apple cider on hand), a lemon, a shallot, garlic, various herbs & spices. The rest is easy. Microplane the shallot and two cloves of garlic (watch your little fingers!). Take the zest off the lemon, and drop them all in your container of choice. My choice is obviously a good seasons bottle. Juice the lemon, and add as much olive oil as you like. I drizzled mine out of the bottle until it felt excessive, but it is no doubt a fraction of what you’d get in store bought. Add a splash of vinegar, some pepper, Italian herbs, whatever you like, and VOILA!
And as an added bonus, mine is mostly organic. Everything but the vinegar and pepper are certified organic, which make me feel even better about it. Keep it on the counter, give it a good shake, and you have cheap and healthy homemade dressing for the week.

What's In A Name?

Two of my most fabulous girlfriends, Kate and Rebecca, are sisters. Over the years I have become a part of their family. At their house I became the scapegoat for anything bad that happened- only when I wasn’t there to defend myself of course. A glass broke? “LIZ DID IT!”. We’re out of diet pepsi? “LIZ DID IT!” The dog chewed the corner of the couch? “LIZ DID IT!”

Since these lovely ladies and their mama Linda have been bugging me to blog for years now, I thought they deserved the naming rights. So you’re damn right Kate, Rebecca, and Linda… LIZ DID IT!

This blog is dedicated to things I cook, craft, create, or just like. Let’s face it, we all think we have great taste. I’m here to share mine with you.

Enjoy!