Have I mentioned...?

That I love the blog "A Life's Design"? (link on sidebar). This morning I found this picture on said blog (from Architecture's Digest):



Soo many things to love about this kitchen - the cabinet hardware (black hinges!), the chandelier (why can't I find something similar for over our dining table?), the blue subway tiles (are they glass? that would be even cooler), and finally the metal stools.

I love the contrast of the brushed aluminum stools and the Early American style chandelier. There is something about mixing modern with country that I love!

While I hunt to find a similar chandelier - I found the stools for only $99 here.

Old Habits Die Hard

My dad and brother were in town this past weekend. Brett just graduated undergrad from Texas and is off to Houston for med school, so he and my dad did a "Graduation Man Vacation" before he heads off to sleepless nights of studying and clinicals. My dad and my brother headed out in my dad's van from Texas to California and stopped to enjoy many baseball games, mountain biking and golfing along the way.


Brett, Dad and Blake (who did not go on the Man's Trip due to finals) at our wedding.

We had a great weekend packed full of fun Southern California types of things - Friday night pizza and beer at a local joint, Saturday Angels game (GREAT game), Sunday bike riding and then off to Temecula).

Speaking of bike riding, my dad is an avid biker. He's told us again and again how lucky we are to have amazing trails behind our house, and I mentioned to him I wanted to buy a bike. He then set out on a mission to find me the best bike for the least amount of money... and we settled on this Schwinn Hybrid bike.


It's the perfect bike for me - I'm able to use it as a street bike but also a mountain bike (hence the hybrid name). My dad bought it for me for my birthday.

THANKS DAD!

We took it on a ride on Sunday and I had a blast - you forget how much fun it is until you pick it up again - I felt like a kid again.

Old is New

Although our home isn't spanking new (it's 20+ years old), in house years, it is relatively new. It doesn't have any of that "old home" charm that you find in homes 100 years old. Here are some great ways to add old touches to your new home, found on myhomeideas.com (one of my FAVORITE sites):

10 Ways to Make a New House Look Old.

1.) Aged Floors


2.) Reclaimed Bricks


3.) Antique (or Antique-looking) Appliances


4.) Old Doors


5.) Vintage-inspired plumbing


6.) Handy Hardware (check eBay for old hardware, I have seen tons there!)


7.) (Not particularly a fan of this one, but I can't leave out a number on a list of 10)
Natural Wood


8.) Salvage Old Architecture (cool and inexpensive - find old doors and windows at flea markets that you can use as decor in your home).


9.) Antique Lighting (again, eBay is a great source for this)


10.) And All The Trimmings (I love the subtle room number in this picture - what a cute idea!


Sorry I've been MIA in the blogging world lately - life has gotten the best of me, I should be back to my daily posts in no time :)