Spring has arrived…per the calendar

30 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Flowers, Gardening, Outdoor living

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Since spring is sure to arrive any minute now…it’s officially on the calendar but isn’t in full swing. Mother Nature has toyed with us and there’s been a couple of spring-like days but I’m still waiting for the real deal.

So while I wait I thought I’d dream of what I want my garden to look like.

No, I don’t have a thatched roof cottage but I wish I did!

Somehow the Brits just know how to grow flowers without them looking too contrived, almost as though they grow wild.

In case you imagine this entire post is a fantasy, I do have a white garden gate to the back yard…now I just need to tame the wildness that has occurred over the winter months.

Okay, this garden is being shown because wouldn’t we all love a tennis court in our back yard, especially a grass court!

I am going to work on my herb garden this spring. I want more herbs than I’ve had in the past, maybe even a pepper or two.

This image is not part of the Options 1st set, Flickr

If my yard had more sun I’d definitely be down for a few raised vegetable beds.

It seems that in England flowers even grow in baskets on bicycles!

The above images are via a website I discovered thanks to Rosemary at Content in a Cottage called Options 1st…enter at your own risk!

Via UGardeners, Flickr

I will work on my roses so that they bloom like these (above) and try my best to get rid of the sawfly that has plagued them every summer for the past 5 years!

And finally, I will tend to my sheep…oh wait, I don’t have any sheep. Sheep and chickens, I’d like them both but might have to move to be allowed any!

Happy Spring and hopefully, we’ll all feel the warmth of the season soon!

Paint color…too many choices!

28 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, DIY (do it yourself), Renovating

≈ 6 Comments

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paint color

I’m in the process of renovating our library (or sitting room, or very small living room, whatever I call it on any given day).

The room was wallpapered with a Ralph Lauren paper made to look like aged plaster (not a really good imitation, but fairly neutral and I liked it for quite a few years).

The print between the plates (above) is the print that now hangs in the dining room…as you might imagine, quite a large patch of original colored wallpaper in a sea of faded paper, not a good look!

About a month ago I decided I wanted to move a framed print from the library into the dining room. I had a little vignette all figured out for the space and was pretty excited for the change. {I do love change!} I moved the print and was amazed at how faded the wallpaper had become.

I confess, I love the new look Restoration Hardware (images above and below) has been promoting and the gray they use became an inspiration for upcoming (and much needed) upholstery fabric for the sofa, window seat cushion, and ladder back chair and ottoman.

Since the library was wallpapered about 8 years ago I thought it was a good time to take down the paper and paint (more on the renovation in a future post).

Image via Elle Decor

I knew I didn’t want the paint to be too sunny since the room has so much natural light, sunglasses indoors isn’t a good look for me!

Image via John Jacob Interiors

…I know this is a bathroom, but the color on the walls reminded me of Restoration Hardware paint and I really liked it. So I bought a smallish can of Restoration Hardware’s Graphite (it was similar in appearance to the above wall color.

Image via Atmosphere blog

Additional inspiration…

Image via Atmosphere blog

I have a gray-ish basket trunk from IKEA that I use for a coffee table so this image was additional ammo for the whole gray paint idea.

Many of you probably figure that finding paint is easy, right? Well, I have seen more paint chips over the past 2 ½ months than I care to mention and ultimately, I have decided to paint the room the same color the dining room is painted, “Inside Passage” by Dunn Edwards.

Image via Country Living

I didn’t think white paint (as in the image above) would be a good fit for the “look” I ultimately wanted to achieve, however, I love this room by Kolene Spicher.

Meanwhile, I looked at Pottery Barn paint chips (Benjamin Moore paint), Restoration Hardware paint chips, Behr from Home Depot, Martha Stewart paint chips, also at Home Depot, and my head was aching by the end.

There are a lot of paint tools online and House Beautiful has one that works well, but there is nothing like painting a good sized patch on the actual wall and standing back to determine its merit. I ultimately called by good friend and designer, Gretchen, to weigh in on the sample. She saw green in the Restoration Hardware gray sample. Knowing her eye is better trained than mine I went back to the Inside Passage by Dunn Edwards.

Image via Jackye Lanham – website

The wall color in the image above is what “Inside Passage” looks like. It has a bit of gray and taupe in it. I like it because it changes looks with various light.

Have you had to select wall color recently? Was it as challenging for you as it was for me?

Atlanta Designer, Dan Carithers

25 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Designer

≈ 12 Comments

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Dan Carithers

It all started with this kitchen…I spotted it in a magazine so many years ago. I clipped the page (maybe even some of the other rooms associated with the kitchen) and saved it. The Atlanta based designer responsible for this beauty is Dan Carithers.

Image via Southern Accents

His interviews and design philosophy was so appealing to me—I always felt he was creating rooms I could live in. They never appeared stuffy or overly formal. In fact they were usually just slightly unpredictable and a little unorthodox.

The above 3 images are from Southern Accents, May-June 2005. A young Atlanta couple had Dan Carithers design their home with French influences.

I’ve seen homes that he’s designed that are quite contemporary, and they are lovely, but it’s his classic and traditional looks that hold the most appeal for me.

Here is Dan and his lovely wife, Nancy. The images below are from Southern Accents (I believe) and they are of the Carither’s home.

I could feel very comfortable in this house!

In 2008 he worked on the Southern Accents Showhouse at Regents Park, Atlanta. For a video tour of the house visit HERE.

Below are some additional kitchens I’ve saved that Dan Carithers designed:

I love the beams and the open feel to this kitchen.

This kitchen has a cottage feel to it but with that touch of elegance in the upholstered chairs and beautiful dining table.

More beams and I love the glass front cabinets above the kitchen sink.

I love the simplicity of this bedroom, the neutral palate is calming to me.

More beams and I like the interesting decorative items that create a history of where and what the homeowners interests are.

Are any of you Dan Carithers fans? (Note: Just one more Atlanta designer to love!)

Irish Stew, a simple recipe

23 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Food, Recipes, Simple Meals for the Avid Cook

≈ 2 Comments

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Irish Stew

I realize St. Patrick’s Day is behind us but I thought I would share the recipe I prepare for the holiday. It’s a modification of my mom’s beef soup recipe; with a bit of tweaking and some thickening of the broth you have a hearty and tasty stew good for any cool winter (or spring) evening meal. As with so many stews, it’s better the second time you heat it so I usually make mine a day before I’m going to serve it. Enjoy!

Image via Pioneer Woman ~ link on my GHP Home page

KB’s Irish Stew

Beef (serves 6)

———————————————————————————————————

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds London broil, cubed, patted dry

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons butter

4 large carrots, scrubbed and sliced

8 large mushrooms, sliced

3 medium potatoes, diced

1 large onion, diced (or you can use frozen pearl onions)

4 cups beef broth+

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cube beef, trim off excess fat. Heat oil and butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Dry beef with paper towels; season with salt and pepper; brown beef in small batches. Once brown on all sides; continue until all beef is browned; set aside.

Next add onion and carrots, (it may be necessary to add a little more oil); add mushrooms after onion has cooked for about 2 minutes; cook until mushrooms have released their juices. Return beef to pan and add broth and cubed potatoes. Reduce heat to keep (medium-low heat) stew simmering; cook for 2 hours, with lid on pan. Check periodically in case more broth is needed.

30 minutes before stew is finished, make slurry of flour and whipping cream, add to stew and stir. Check and adjust seasonings.

Serve with crusty bread and salad.

Spring fever…a little daydream

21 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Misc, Travel

≈ 4 Comments

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Scottland

I’ve been diagnosed with “spring fever” (self-diagnosis) and as a result I find myself sitting around, staring out the window and day dreaming…

…of taking a little trip to Scotland. I’ll use the Orient Express for an overview of the country and then stay in a few castles to round out the vacation.

Image via Atmosphere by Ingrid

Image via The Royal Scotsman, Orient Express

The Royal Scotsman (one of the Orient Express trains) offers a 2 night Highland Journey for only $3,720. This price is per person but does include all meals and alcohol, HUGE savings there! I’d definitely want to go with Hubby so make that $7,440. We’d depart from Edinburgh and during our 540 miles on the train we would see Dundee, Montrose, Aberdeen, Keith, Inverness, Dalwhinnie and Perth.

Once the train portion of this dream is complete, I’ll head north by car to Loch Ness, near Inverness for a stay at Aldourie Castle. The region is called the “capital of the Scottish Highlands”. We’ll look for the Loch Ness monster, visit the James Pringle Weavers operation and tour the Abrinchan Gardens. Oh, and the price for 2 nights in this castle? £10,500 plus VAT. {Did I mention this little vacation will take place once I hit the lottery? Guess I better start buying a lottery ticket!}

Next stop, Comlongon Castle, Dumfries & Galloway. The restored Medieval Scottish Castle and Baronial Hotel specializes in a menu that is prepared with the current season’s bounty. Lots of abbey ruins and museums to see here along with the home of Robert Burns, (Auld Lang Syne). Cost: £120 – £240 per night, seems a bargain!

And finally, we’ll stay our last few nights at Skibo Castle. Andrew Carnegie, a wealthy industrialist, bought this castle in 1898 for £85,000. Carnegie, his wife and only child spent many summers here. Its changed hands a few times since the Carnegie family sold it in 1982. We won’t be joining The Carnegie Club but we’ll take advantage of their policy of letting new guests stay there once while being considered for the exclusive membership!

Isn’t dreaming fun? Any thoughts of spring floating through your head during this change of seasons?

For Japan with Love

18 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Thanks to paper{whites} for her post sharing information about For Japan With Love

I’ll be observing Bloggers Day of Silence, (today, Friday, March 18th) and I’ve made my donation that goes towards providing Japan earthquake victims with much-needed shelter boxes. If you’d like to donate you can make it right HERE.

I’ll be back on Monday with a new post. Be thankful for the simple abundance most of us enjoy daily. Say a little prayer for Japan.

A bit of the Irish and a spot of green

16 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking

≈ 8 Comments

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St. Patrick's Day

Top o’ the mornin’ to you. Here’s a bit o’ green for your upcoming St. Patrick’s Day…

Okay, technically this cottage is in the Cotswold's...I couldn't find one nearly as charming on Google for Ireland.

You may want to dress up and paint the town red, I mean green!

I'd add the Burberry scarf just in case it's cool outside.

You'll want to take your bag, green beer isn't free.

I've never had this drink, but it's so much prettier than green beer, right?

I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland…I’ve been to England several times and just never managed to get to Ireland (bucket list #5).

Maybe you just want to keep it casual...

Hey, not that I own green UGG’s but these would be comfortable for an evening at home.

Maybe you'd rather stay home with your best friend, Reilly, the Irish Wolfhound (not to be confused with the Deerhound that just won Best of Breed at Westminster Dog Show.

Curl up by the fire with a little Irish tea...

...have a few friends over for Irish Stew

Whatever you do have a Bonnie St. Paddy’s Day!

Dan Marty…praise from a fan

14 Monday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Designer

≈ 18 Comments

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Dan Marty

Inspired by a post on the adventures of tartanscot earlier this month (during his visit to Los Angeles for the 2011 Design Bloggers Conference), Scot gave us a peek at Dan Marty’s Los Angeles home as featured in House Beautiful May 2010.

I don’t know if his dogie is still with him, he must be pretty old if he is, but he was such a cute dog and was always with Dan when he was in his shop.

I immediately wanted to revisit the “beach cottage” I had the privilege of touring when Dan allowed the Corona Del Mar High School Home Tour to include his home. (I can’t remember what year it was, but I was still working in my garden business so it had to be at least 7 or 8 years ago, maybe longer). At the time he had a store in Costa Mesa; Les Interiors which was a wonderful venue for inspiration and a great place to pick up the occasional home accessory, always new and original. The store also offered design services, which I’m sure did some beautiful work for local folk’s homes. He parted ways with Les Interiors and opened Dan Marty Designs in Corona Del Mar but alas, we ultimately lost him to the Los Angeles Design Mart (affectionately known as The Blue Whale, due to the color of the main building).

The above images are of his beach cottage. I loved the use of space and somehow the small spaces felt ample and oh so comfortable!

Griege did a pretty extensive piece on his designs last year. Clearly Dan Marty has a following…and for good reason.

The above images are mostly from the House Beautiful story last year. I love seeing some of his obvious ‘favorite accessories’ used in his newer house.

I’m partial to the charm his beach cottage offered but I admire the French flair of his home in Los Angeles.

Above images are from his commercial sites.

Do you have a favorite designer…or 2 or 10?

Its so Ozzie and Harriet!

11 Friday Mar 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Misc

≈ 6 Comments

*WARNING* I’m about to age myself, but who care’s right…it’s your outlook and attitude that matter, right. But I digress…when I was growing up I used to love to watch the Ozzie & Harriet show. For those of you who are now asking yourself, what television show is that again? …The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet ran on ABC for 14 years between 1952 and 1966. Early this year David Nelson passed away, the last of the family that starred in the series.

I was only 2 years old when the show premiered so I didn’t see it until much later, but then I watched all of the old episodes the network would rerun. I was in ♥ love with Ricky, the younger sibling of David, and was a huge fan of the lifestyle they acted out on their show. I’ve read that the genial life they performed was pretty accurate to their real lives, at least for the most part. If you want to read more about the show and the family members visit HERE.

When I read about David’s recent passing I thought about the show and remembered why I enjoyed it. The show created the “ideal” lifestyle using a real family. In fact one of the frequently used colloquialisms I heard as a young adult was “it’s so Ozzie and Harriet”, which I’m sure was a stab at the perfect lifestyle that was projected. For me I had conjured up an image that to this day seems doable and at the very least something to strive for. (A married couple raising 2 sons in a neighborhood where most everyone gets along).

I find I still use the “…so Ozzie & Harriet” phrase when I see a really traditional neighborhood or a very traditional home with a well manicured lawn and maybe a basketball hoop on the garage. I imagine (perhaps wrongly) that there is a perfect little family living there! There are still a few of those neighborhoods in Orange County and its fun to drive by to admire the architectural style and see what they’ve done to the landscape.