November 13th, 2013 No Comments

working with a photographer from engagement to wedding day, expert advice from scott and dana halvorson

Scott and Dana Halvorson, husband and wife photography team of Weddings by Scott & Dana share with us some of their expert tips for working with a photographer. Based in both Las Vegas and Sacramento this couple is passionate about their work and can travel anywhere to photograph your event. And don’t forget, hiring a photographer for any special event in your life, from a birthday to an anniversary is always a great idea. Please scroll down for many wonderful images by Scott & Dana as well. You won’t want to miss these!

November 12th, 2013 No Comments

Chocolate Bar Place Cards and Favors in One, Perfect for the Holidays

We did this simple idea a lot for holidays and weddings at Martha Stewart. Take your favorite (flat) chocolate bar and cover with a beautiful paper or wrapping paper and secure with double stick tape. To personalize, add a simple label with each guests’ name. Hershey bars are an easy choice but I love my friend Jessica’s chocolate company Woodblock Chocolate, chocolates handmade by her and her husband. (see our behind the scenes post visiting their factory) You can find labels like these at Staples stores and online and search the internet for free clip art to print … Read more

November 11th, 2013 No Comments

this week’s color palette: modern southwest

This week’s color palette was inspired by the watercolor of Lourdes Sanchez, a Cuban-born artist whose work has been translated into fabrics for leading designers. Her work can be found at the Sears Peyton Gallery. The Benjamin Moore colors I’ve selected are from top to bottom: Arizona Tan 2162-50, Dusty Mauve 2174-40, Autumn Purple 2073-20 an Hale Navy HC-154.

November 8th, 2013 No Comments

add a pop of color to your doors to infuse a bit of character to your home

If you’ve been reading my blog you know I’m a big fan of painting doors a color to add character to a home. I like to stay in the gray and blue color family but read my past post on the meaning of colors for a front door if you think you’d like a brighter color. If you have multiple doors down a hallway I would consider painting them all the same color for harmony. Take into consideration the color palette of your whole home when selecting a color for doors. My entire house for example is shades of blue, … Read more

November 7th, 2013 No Comments

meet johana molina, felting extraordinaire from Calera De Tango, Chile

I still can’t get over how amazing these felt animals are, handmade by Johana Molina, a 25 year old artist living in Chile. Her shop FeltingDreams on etsy.com has small collectable felt animals that range from about $40-$100. For the holidays these would make sweet additions to the tops of wrapped presents, or make your own magical holiday town display complete with traveling mice. But just on their own I love them.  She started sewing at the age of 7 and in 2010 she discovered fiber art and started creating wire skeletons that she could cover in wool felt. … Read more

November 6th, 2013 No Comments

can’t find inspiration for your wedding or party? browse a fabric store

If you are just overwhelmed at the possibilities for your wedding or holiday celebrations, take a break and head to your local fabric store. Browse the fabrics and you might just be inspired by a pattern, a color or a design. For weddings, even taking a cue from your wedding dress fabric can inspire a cake design like you see above. My longtime friend and collaborator, Ron Ben-Israel designed the cake above from a lace. Pull out a flower from the centerpieces or several types of flowers to adorn your cake as well, like these sugar orchids. (Ron is … Read more

November 5th, 2013 No Comments

we’re loving Kaminer Haislip’s silver snowflake ornament

We love the work of silversmith Kaminer Haislip and the holidays are the perfect time to give a gift of her extraordinary work. We’re loving her silver snowflake ornament, $100 and it can also be engraved. Browse her online shop for the most beautiful tea and coffee sets, spoons, wine coasters, jewelry and more!

November 4th, 2013 No Comments

this week’s color palette: shades of blues

I came across this little shop on etsy.com called Geninne that has these charming watercolor illustrations. With over 71 prints to choose from these could make unique holiday gifts or brighten up a corner in your home. Pictured above, “Blue” and pictured below, “ABC of Birds”. Every Monday we select a color palette along with paint chips as a guide for you, in case you like this palette. All colors can be found through Benjamin Moore. From top to bottom: Marlboro Blue HC-153, Whipple Blue HC-152, Van Deusen Blue HC-156 and Soot 2129-20.    

November 1st, 2013 No Comments

recipes: white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake

Here is a wonderful no bake white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake with pecan pie crust recipe from Bakeaholicmama.com. And if cheesecake isn’t quite your thing see her link for 100 of the best pumpkin recipes. As the holidays approach it’s fun to try new recipes on the weekends in November. Let us know what your favorite recipe is by leaving a comment!

October 31st, 2013 No Comments

10 kitchen design tips for a classic kitchen

When designing a kitchen it can be quite overwhelming, I know. There are a lot of choices to consider. Here are a few quick tips to consider if you’d like that classic look to your a kitchen. 1. When in doubt, use a white subway tile backsplash, it is a classic choice and goes with most any cabinet style. 2. If you would like to have color in your kitchen cabinets, but you are not sure how to infuse it, keep the color on your lower cabinets (like you see above) and select white upper cabinets. This keeps the kitchen … Read more