chloe's first haircut

before.

after.



Doesn't she look cute with her little Halloween bow?

how to: glitter pumpkins

I stole this idea from Martha Stewart a few years ago. This is by far my most anticipated craft project each fall, so much so that I don't even carve pumpkins anymore...

Here are all of the supplies that you'll need:

pumpkins, tacky glue, paint brush, glitter (I used Martha Stewart Collection fire opal, bronze, and brownstone), newspaper

STEP ONE.

use the paint brush to cover the pumpkin with the tacky glue. be careful not to use too much or the paint and glitter will slowly drip down the side of the pumpkin as it dries.

STEP TWO.

sprinkle the glitter over the glue-covered pumpkin. you will probably need someone to hold larger pumpkins for you on this step. shake off excess glitter and repeat as many times as necessary.

STEP THREE.

you're done!

Here's how I used mine:


And here are the adorable jack-o-lantern string lights that I put up on the patio:

(please ignore the empty flower basket hanging in the background...)

If you make your own glitter pumpkins, post a link to your project in the comments section so I can see them!

kitchen wish list

Camouflage paint by Benjamin Moore
Wooden Serving Bowls from Target
Chalkboard wall decals by Wallies
Mounted stemrack from Crate & Barrel
Layla glassware by Pottery Barn
Sheffield Heirloom Silver-Plated Flatware by Pottery Barn
A Year of Cookie Cutters by Crate & Barrel
Striped rug by Ballard Designs

casa de angevine: kitchen

As you know, Justin and I recently bought our first home--a 1,060 square ft condo with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. We love our little home--it is perfect for us and we are so thankful to have it. We've been going through and making little improvements (slowly but surely), and I thought I'd share it since that's what occupies a lot of my time and thought these days.

Here is our kitchen before we got our hands on it:

And here's what it looks like now:




Much better, don't you think? I really love all of the extra cupboard and counter space that we were able to add. My mother-in-law spent a lot of time figuring out how to maximize the space that we had in the kitchen, and she did a great job!

And here are a few of my favorite things in the kitchen:

The fruitbowl: there's something about the way that it changes every week that I just love. It's my revolving still life. I also always keep fresh flowers from the farmers' market in my house, and I love the little art form that I bought from IKEA a few years ago. I love that people can't walk through the doors of our house without playing with it.


Wine rack.


Being able to grow herbs in my kitchen window sill. Aren't those stainless steel pots great?


Magnetic spice rack. Adds some appropriate color and texture to the kitchen.


This little phone booth coin bank that I bought in a souvenir shop in Cambridge last year and a bowl that I made in an art class in junior high.


A Starbucks tin that my mother gave to me. It's the Pike Market store front.


I'm not much of a collector, but I do collect these Starbucks mugs whenever I go anywhere. Aren't they fun? My friends have started to pick them up for me whenever they see them, too (my friend Jessie brought the Paris mug home from one of her many trips).

Well, that's all for now. I'll keep you all posted on updates as I continue to add and edit things in the kitchen. Stop by for a cup of coffee anytime. I can't promise much else, but we always have coffee in the pantry...

Even though this is probably the most finished room in our home, here's what it still needs:

• finish painting cutout wall (Benjamin Moore Camouflage)
• rug for sink area
• replace missing piece of moulding
• paint trim white
• water glasses
• flatware
• serving dishes
• utensil holder
• wine glass storage
• chalk board

meet chloe

A little over a week ago, Justin and I adopted a puppy from one of the local animal shelters. She is a little terrier mix about 2 months old. She settled right into our house and our family within a couple of hours of coming home--she ran around the condo going from room to room checking out her new digs. She loves to play with Justin, and she follows me around the house from the moment I get home until we put her to bed at night. She's a little bundle of mischief, and we're having a lot of fun with her. I'm sure that you'll be seeing much, much more of her...

train at the greek

Thursday night I got to see Train at the Greek Theatre with an old friend. It was a great show--you can tell that the band loves to perform and that they really appreciate their fans. The lead singer was hilarious and he has an amazing voice--even live! The venue was also amazing--I can't wait to go to another show there!

In case you aren't sure who Train is (I had to google them!), here are some of my favorite songs from the concert:

26 Before Twenty-Six

It is Fall! The new seasons always make me feel the need to institute some change in my life (apparently getting married, moving, and starting a new job has not been enough change for me). Inspired by this post, I decided to make my own 26 Before Twenty-Six list. My birthday is about 5 months away, so that should give me plenty of time to complete all of these (famous last words).

1. Find a church that Justin and I both like
2. Attend our HOA meetings regularly
3. Start attending local city council meetings
4. Get back involved with politics
5. Redesign my resume
6. Put together a marketing/design portfolio
7. Go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market
8. Lose 20 pounds
9. Read 1 book from the College Bound Reading List each month (join me!)
10. Get Jody's business listed online
11. Compile a list of family birthdays
12. Organize the office
13. Clean out and organize the garage
14. Have Chloe completely house-broken
15. Go to the Aquarium of the Pacific
16. Go to Santa Monica Pier
17. Take all of my clothes that I love to the tailor
18. Make our patio into a nice living space that we can enjoy
19. Send out Christmas cards
20. Put mirrors up in bathrooms
21. Start a home binder
22. Compile a list of creative projects and start working on them
23. Compile a list of fun/creative ideas for our date nights
24. Keep up with the news everyday
25. Clean out my e-mail inboxes and start a new account with my new name : )
26. Learn how to give myself a blowout