Friday, June 29, 2012

Greek Yogurt-Covered Frozen Blueberries

I have a 2 1/2 year old who doesn't like to eat for me. I can't blame her... I don't like to sit and eat a meal either. We're the type who are always on the go. Our minds are too preoccupied with other things to stop and eat. So I've been trying to get creative with food so that both of us like what we're eating. Today's project: Greek Yogurt-Covered Frozen Blueberries.


Stuff you need:
-parchment paper
-baking sheet
-greek yogurt (i used plain, cause I'm battling Candida... haha)
-Stevia (or just plain sugar or flavored Greek yogurt if you don't have Candida)
-bowl
-blueberries, or any type of berry, really!



Put the blueberries, greek yogurt and a tiny bit of Stevia in a bowl and mix. 



Spoon onto the parchment paper/cookie sheet:


Freeze for an hour: (forgive our horrendous freezer!)



And eat!


Next time I'd rather just use a flavored Greek yogurt instead of the plain and then adding Stevia... but, I'm really trying to get this yeast in my system under control! 



Aloha, Rebecca

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

New projects I'm excited about!

I've gotten a few pieces in the last week or so that I'm sooooo excited about. Kit just surprised me with a bench tonight i was eyeing on CL. And last week my coworker gave me this adorable vintage kids rocking chair. I also have a card catalog I've been storing for a family member and they just let me know a few days ago that we can keep it!

Excited!



Shine Your Light
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My Cousin's San Diego Apartment

During our trip to California in May, we visited my cousin's apartment in San Diego. It was mother's day, and we walked in and she had Mimosa's, berries and pound cake for us to snack on. How cool is she? Her space was so adorable. Within 2 minutes I asked her if I could show it on my blog, haha. I never do that... (except for the time 2 days later when I was at my aunt's house in LA and asked her the same thing!) I was so stoked she said yes! 





As you can tell, Ivy loved her home too. The building was built in the 1920's or something and was just outside downtown San Diego. Look at this awesome view. 


Her color scheme was basically neutrals, greens and wood, with a little black thrown in there. Simply perfect. 


Her boyfriend is into records and music, so they decided on having a vintage speaker system to fit the feel of their place. 


We are a product of the 80's! Old Nintendo!


Her gallery wall was so simple and clean and perfect.



She works from home, and I absolutely loved her office space:

 


All the built-ins flow so nicely!


This green chair was from Craigslist. I love the color. My cousin doesn't love the white pillow (IKEA), but I think it brings a perfect amount of softness to the corner. How's the wood stump on the right?!





In her bathroom she had photos of my great-grandmother Irma that my mom and I had never seen. Wasn't she gorgeous?! I loved how my cousin mixed the vintage style with clean lines and simplicity and personal touches!


My aunt also gave my cousin a vintage train case, and she used it in her bathroom. 




This was outside the apartment at one end of the hallway:


This patio "garden" was at the other end of the hallway:


And last, but not least, look at the old elevator! Complete with the gate you close on your own! So fun! 




And that's my cousin's apartment. I love it. 

After our visit we went to lunch for Mother's Day. Here's Ivy and my cousin:


 Four generations of women:


What a great day!

Aloha, Rebecca
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Friday, June 22, 2012

Upcycled Entertainment Center

Look what I did!


After almost a month of work, this entertainment center is finally in my living room, and believe me, it was no easy task. Our entertainment "area" was in need of help. You see, we had these awesome Hawaiiana end tables and a coffee table from my parents vacation rental that we had stacked up to create shelving under the TV. See below right, last Christmas:


I have no idea what's going on with Ivy and "Sissy" in this pic. (Sissy's a doll, not a human). Forgive the mess, it was Christmas. I felt terrible having these gorgeous pieces stacked on top of each other, and I wasn't digging the Hawaiiana solid wood decor. I'd been scouring craigslist for an entertainment center for a few months, but really hated everything I saw. I even hated what we eventually picked up:


Kit hated it too, but for some reason he loaded it into the truck for $60. (Yes, we overpaid for something we hated.) Since he hated it, that meant I could do whatever I wanted to it. It was particle board, so I researched how to paint it. Kit sanded a lot of it for me:


Then I painted Kilz primer on it with a roller. I've heard lots of people say, "Just use the Kilz spray paint primer. It's just the same." It's not. It gives it a really bumpy texture. Lots of bubbles.



Then I started to get creative, and that was a bad idea...



I got green paint from a garage sale, right before I picked up Cailin from the airport a few weekends back. I also had a grey color called "Owl's Nest" I was dying to use. I put a layer of green on the inside and on parts of the outside, on areas which I was planning on stenciling. 


I created two stencils out of cardboard. I wanted to lay them on the green areas, and then paint the grey around it.

Doesn't look too bad...



Well, when it dried, it was a mess. I don't know what I was thinking. The cardboard was stuck. 
The grey paint was drying all weird in the curves. 
Even though Kit and I both brainstormed as to how to salvage the idea, we eventually exhausted our resources and I just sanded it down and painted it all grey on the outside. 


Then I needed to pay some attention to the inside. I loved the green, but because it was even thinner particle board inside, the sanding, paint and primer just weren't jiving. The green paint on the sides was just peeling off. So, I figured I needed to cover the sides in fabric. I was over painting this thing already. I loved the fabric I bought for my Vintage Train Case, but didn't have enough of it and I didn't want to go buy more fabric. I knew I could use my 2nd Urban Outfitters tapestry, which hung as a curtain in our dance studio on Kauai, (see photo below), but I was so sentimental about cutting it up...  but the colors were perfect!


(yes, I was a prego dance teacher)
I gave in and cut it up, and modge podged it inside:



Even though I love a flat finish, I used a water-based varnish on all the paint surfaces for durability. After all, I have a two year old!


While I was cleaning up a mess Ivy made in my room, I came across some vintage knobs that came off my shiloh desk (see that desk here). (Btw- Shiloh and Owl's Nest are almost identical colors.) I love how they look, instead of the ugly gold knobs that came with it. Thanks Ivy for making a mess so I could find the perfect knobs and finish this piece!


 




And you can spot where my Vintage Train Case now lives...


It's my catch-all.

Kit made that white piece of art. Isn't it cool? It's made out of pallets. 






 I'm a way bigger fan of staring at this, rather than the stack of end tables. It took longer than I wanted it to, but I'm glad it's finally done!! I love sitting on the couch and staring at it! Waaaayyyy better than what we had before. And waaaayyyy better than some cookie-cutter particle board entertainment center... no offense if you have one of those. :)

Aloha, Rebecca



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