shabou: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Gallery Walls

I love a gallery wall for many reasons, but the thing I love most is that no two walls are the same. Each gallery wall is unique in what the art is, what the frames look like, and the arrangement of how it is hung.

You can do a gallery wall of all photographs, all artwork, or a mix of the two.

Some images of inspiration

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a good gallery wall. You should purchase art as you find it and slowly build the wall after collecting pieces you love. There is no right or wrong way to create it, however I would suggest starting by lying all of your art and photographs you want to hang on the floor. I would then trace the frames on a sheet of paper (or brown grocery bags are a good cheap option for larger frames) so you can play with the layout on the wall, before going at it with a hammer. My suggestion would be to start with one larger focus piece in the middle and build outwards. Tape the sheets to the wall and play around with the design.

You can be as creative as you want with your arrangement. I personally love using all different size frames and colors. I think it gives the wall character and shows your personality.
Just have fun!

Some websites to browse for reasonable art:

There is also the Affordable Art Fair in NYC. The next fair is October 4-7th, 2012, The Tunnel, Chelsea.

As far as frames, West Elm has great gallery frames and they are 15% off right now, until 9.10.12.
Pottery Barn also has a great selection of Gallery Frames and a bunch are currently marked down online.
Ikea is a good place to find more reasonable frames and they come in a ton of size options!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

The kitchen isn't just for cooking...

There are many rooms and places in the home you'd think to accessorize, but rarely does the kitchen come to mind. There are so many fun and fab things to decorate your kitchen. Besides, it's probably the room you end up spending most of your time in, so you want to love being in it!

Artwork.

You don't necessarily think to put artwork in the kitchen, but really, why not?

I love these Fruit Prints, by Avalisa. You can frame them in anyway you like but I actually love the contrast of them with a light wooden frame and a white mat. I would love to see these hung on a grey wall.

Baskets.

Have you seen a cuter way to store fresh fruit on your counter? These ceramic Farmers Market Baskets come in 3 sizes and styles. I think they would look just adorable filled with fresh strawberries, blueberries and cherries!

Dish Towels.

I don't know anyone that actually likes doing dishes so why not make the task a little bit more fun with chic vintage dish towels. I'm one for simplicity so I think these Hammam Towels are perfect!

Storage Jars.

I know I personally get Flour and Sugar everywhere if I don't have them stored in proper jars. The bag ends up ripping, spilling everywhere and my cabinets are filled with flour and sugar!

I love these Chalkboard Storage Jars from anthropologie. You can write the names of your dry goods right across the slate painted medallion. They're clean and simple and you can say goodbye to a messy cabinet forever!

Spices.
I love to cook and am always grabbing for one spice or another. This Dean & Deluca Spice Rack is not only convenient but would look super cute on the kitchen counter.

Tea Time.
Steep yourself some afternoon tea with this Art Deco Teapot. It's stainless steel lining keeps the tea warm for up to 45 minutes. The tea won't just taste good, you'll look cute making it too.

Runner.
I love a vintage looking runner in a modern kitchen. It just brings an element of surprise laid out horizontally in front of the sink area.
This Floral Fresco Runner would be perfect!

Cookbooks.

Last, but definitely not least, an assortment of great cookbooks!
I love how they are arranged by color in the below photo.
(hanging pots, another kitchen decorating must!)

image via elle decor

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Happy Weekend!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Lunch Date

My friend Lisa came over today for lunch with her friend Lisbeth, who just moved to NYC from Belgium. She has a daughter the same age as Harper so the kiddies played while the grown ups ate. (Well, that was the plan but the kiddies never actually sit quietly and play when you want to eat.)

So, it's always a little hard cooking a meal for someone you never met before. What if you ended up making something that they don't eat?

I decided to pull my panini maker out of the closet and put it to good use. I figured that's a pretty safe bet along side a cold pasta salad. Perfect!

I got ciabatta rolls, chicken cutlets, fresh mozzarella, pesto, red peppers and olive tapenade. I got thin sliced chicken breasts. I seasoned them with salt and pepper and grilled them on the stove top.

I cut the rolls in half. On one half of the roll I put the sliced mozzarella, roasted red peppers and sliced grilled chicken. On the other half of the roll I did either pesto or olive tapenade.

Put the buns together, brushed the tops with some evoo and ready to be grilled!

Finished product turned out A+

The mozzarella cheese was oozing out the sides and the grill gave it a nice crunch.

I wanted to do something simple alongside the panini's. I decided on a Greek Orzo Salad. It was so simple to make and tasted delicious. I cooked a box of Orzo. When the orzo was done I drained it and immediately added fresh spinach leaves while it was still hot, so it cooked the spinach. I sliced up kalmata olives and tossed it all together with some olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. Once the orzo cooled to room temperature I added in crumbled feta cheese.

To cap off the meal I made a fruity iced tea. Boiled water with a few bags of green tea. I added in frozen raspberries and peaches and a little agave necter to sweeten it.

It was the perfect refreshing drink to accompany lunch.

Cheers to a fabulous lunch and meeting new friends!

Monday, August 13, 2012

The Bar Cart is back

I've been daydreaming about how I am going to decorate our new place. One absolute must is a fabulous stocked Bar Cart. There is something dramatically chic and at the same time retro about the Bar Cart; it's Mad Men has a dirty martini. An elegant bar cart is not only functional but also acts as a design element in the room. It not only holds the obvious, the liquor and glassware, but can also display anything from a lamp to a vase of flowers. And it doesn't have to be expensive. You can find a perfect bar cart on etsy, ebay or even at a local flea market for under $100.

Must haves to go on the Bar Cart

1. This is an obvious one, Liquor.

Vodka, Gin, Whisky, Champagne, pick your poison. Look out for interesting bottles the next time you are at the liquor store. I think a bottle of Lillet, which is a French aperitif, is the perfect touch to a vintage Bar Cart.

2. Glassware. Since there is something 1960's about the Bar Cart I think a vintage highball or stemless wine glass would look perfect.

Silver Rimmed Lowball Glasses

3. Napkins. You need a nice set of cocktail napkins, preferably monogramed and hung over the carts' side.

Caterer's Napkin Set

4. Bar tools. Wine opener, cocktail shaker, ice bucket, decanter.

Equestrian Ice Bucket with Leather Handle

5. Whisky Decanters. Get two or three different vintage decanters for a unique look.

Vintage Crystal Decanter

6. A chic candle to set the mood.

Baies Large Black Candle by diptyque

7. Fresh roses in a simple vase.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Obsessed with: Moroccan Rugs

I love love love Moroccan rugs!

Below, some fabulous finds...

Souk Rug

Flokati Diamonds Rug

Moroccan

Berber Rug

Zagora Rug

Tuscan Moroccan Shag Rug

Friday, August 10, 2012

Tiny Gold Rings

I love the delicate look of tiny gold rings.

Some of my favorites below...

SCOSHA Circle Ring

14k Knot Ring

YAYOI FOREST, Knot Gold Ring

Gabriela Artigas, Mini Diamond Ring

Reticulated Narrow Band One with Diamond

14k Yellow White and Rose Gold 4 Diamond Ring

Iwona Ludyga Tiny Skull Ring

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Office Space

"Have you seen my stapler?"
In all seriousness, I think there is nothing chicer then a fabulous office space. All of the little details make a huge difference in my opinion. The table lamp, desk accessories, the perfect chair and even the wall decor over the desk.

Some images that have been inspiring me

Below are some great finds to construct the perfect office space. Everything I find I try to make within a reasonable price range. I hate when you go on a blog and see an amazing piece only to click on it and realize it is $100,000 over budget!

Some Great Desks I found

West Elm Metal Parsons Desk