Looking for kids wall art ideas today and stumbled across this laser cut wooden alphabet art. I love the letters running together to form a diminutional yet one-peice work of art. Simple. Natural. Smart.
Love the hanging tissue puffs!
Archive for the 'Underneath' Category
Hang Your ABC’s.
Published 10/25/2011 Inside , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: art, design, nursery, wood
Not All Scotch is an Acquired Taste.
Published 08/04/2011 In Between , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: beauty, color, design
Okay, most of us are getting on the au natural bandwagon, painting our homes with low-VOC paints, making sure children’s toys and gear is toxin-free, and even cutting out additives in our food. So what not our beauty products!? I’m curious about the non-toxic nail polish from Scotch Naturals. Literally, no chemicals included. An eco-friendly alternative to conventional polish, Scotch’s water-based formula, so they claim, delivers long-lasting, salon-quality results in a stunning array of sophisticated shades. I know that if I’m painting my own nails, there is no long-lasting anywhere on these fingers and toes. Now, the salon finish is another story (ahem, why did my nicely filed nails chip after day three last round?). And with names like To Hell with Swords and Garter, Leprechaun Lynch, Hot Toddy, and Lochness Mystery… and classic packaging, we can surely toast to forward-thinking lacquers.
The Best Guacamole. Ever.
Published 07/23/2011 In Between , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: dc, Mexican, recipe, Rosa Mexicana
Last night, I had the pleasure of spending the evening with my good friends Julie and Matthew. They are a headed off to Belgium on a 6pm flight tonight for a few years of work and for their final night in the states, we decided to grab the best table in the house downtown at Rosa Mexicana. For those of you who have dined at this establishment (either here in DC or at another location), you know how damn delicious their guacamole tastes. I’m typically a queso-slurping chip-crunching person who tends to stuff my face with every last dribble of queso before barely being able to start on my main entree (always has and always will be a beef taco fan). Ole! But last night, I could have died for some of their crowd-pleasing gaucamole.
That is, until I realized I can make it at home. It’s an experience to have a server comes to your table with a cart full of fresh ingredients and prepare the guacamole in the traditional molcajete, a Mexican version of the mortar and pestle. But with the right ingredients and instructions, it can be yours tonight, wherever you are, right in your kitchen. Here’s the recipe!
Rosa Mexicano’s Guacamole Dip
From Rosa Mexicano Recipes
Makes 4 servings
Chile Paste Ingredients
1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
1 firmly packed tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons finely chopped jalapeño, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
Squeeze of lime juice, optional (I added this for a little citrus zest)
Additional Ingredients
3 tablespoons diced tomato
2 firmly packed tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
Salt if necessary
Tortilla chips and/or fresh corn tortillas
Directions
Make the chile paste: Grind the onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and salt together in a molcajete until all the ingredients are very finely ground. Alternatively, use a fork to mash all the ingredients to a paste in a wide hardwood bowl.
Cut each avocado in half, working the knife blade around the pit. Twist the halves to separate them and flick out the pit with the tip of the knife. Fold a kitchen towel in quarters and hold it in the palm of your “non-knife” hand. Rest an avocado half cut side up in your palm and make 3 or 4 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts through the avocado flesh down to the skin, without cutting through it. Make 4 crosswise cuts in the same way. Scoop the diced avocado flesh into the molcajete/bowl. Repeat with the remaining avocado halves.
Solar Chandelier of Blues and Butterflies.
Published 05/24/2011 In Between , Inside , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: green, insect, lighting, solar
Butterflies use the sun to get those wings flapping… as does this Virtue of Blue solar chandelier by Dutch artist and designer Jeroen Verhoeven. Beautifully made up of 500 die cut sapphire photovoltaic solar cells in the shape of four different breeds of fluttering butterflies, this is self-sufficient light fixture – gathering light into its wings during the day for a soft glow at night. Hanging gracefully from the ceiling, the delicate shade encircles a glass bulb that’s charged by the suns rays during the day to cast a sultry blue glow after sunset.
Virtue of Blue chandelier is part of a solo exhibit called The Curious Image on display now at London Gallery. If you are in the UK.
Ikea Hacking Gone Glamourous. And Gorgeous.
Published 03/11/2011 Inside , Underneath 1 CommentTags: DIY, drawer pulls, dresser, furniture, hack, hardware, IKEA, paint
I found this dressed up dresser on Houzz when looking for storage solutions for a clients nursery (paired here with the Crate and Barrel Colette upholstered bed). What looks a lot like other manufacturers fine goods, the solid wood $30 IKEA Rast dresser is reinvented into a high contrast two-tone jewel using just primer, a couple top coats of white paint, walnut stain finish, and new hardware. All very easy on the purse strings or wallet. Here’s how you can save a couple bucks and spend just a a little sweat creating this DIY dresser.
Start with the simple solid wood IKEA Rast dresser:
Gather the following items:
- Kilz all-purpose white primer for the drawer fronts
- Minwax Poly Shade in Royal Walnut (Stain and Polyuerathane in one can!)
- Benjamin Moore OC-17 White Dove in Semi gloss for the drawer fronts.
- A foam roller for the paint, and two brushes for the priming and staining.
- 6 ring drawer pulls (see my selection below)
Start by painting the face of your drawers with a nice, even coat of primer. While the drawers are drying, move over to the frame of the dresser and start staining with the Miniwax. Use long even strokes and thin coats. Wait a few hours, then add a second coat of stain. Once that’s done, add the second coat of primer to the drawers. The drying time is fast for primer, so you should be able to apply the semi-gloss paint to the face of the drawers. Wait an hour or so, then apply a second coat on the drawer fronts. I’d leave everything to really dry overnight. Once the sun rises the next day, slide the drawers into the frame, and add your new shiny drawer pulls.
To match the picture above, these six shiney brass ring pulls should do the trick for the drawer fronts. This old polished brass drawer pull can be found at Hardware Hut and cost $7 each:
If gold tone is not your game, this modern brushed nickel drawer pull would suit the lines of this dresser beautifully for only $3.99 each:
And as with any weekend project, make sure you’ve got a full tummy, plenty of space to work, good ventilation, and a drop cloth to lay down because you’re about to get a little messy. It’s all worth it in the end.
Back to the Future Photographically. Wow.
Published 02/22/2011 In Between , Inside , Outside , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: Irina Werning, people, photography
This is a very cool and creative project depicting two times in a lifetime – depicting the past in current form. Buenos Aires award-winning photographer Irina Werning’s project Back To The Future takes old photos of people and recreates them in the modern-day with the same subjects. I am blown away by her talent in matching coloring, backgrounds, and even the clothing! A very talented and totally awesome time warp. Ahhh to have our youth back. =0)
New Header!
Published 01/09/2011 In Between , Inside , Outside , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: blog, design, header, MBD
I like change. It’s good. I had a few extra minutes ti burn this chilly Sunday afternoon, so I thought I’d quickly create a new header for this blog. Although I love color, I thought a neutral header would allow all of my fantastic and colorful content to shine. The background is a natural linen fabric with a screened imprint design of my professional design services logo icon (see square MBD image link at right). A way to tie all of moi in – this blog is such a creative voice for me. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Happy Sunday!
Happy New Year!
Published 01/01/2011 In Between , Inside , Outside , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: confetti, Irish, New Year, wish
In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want.
~ An Irish Toast
Image courtesy of KBost.
Eco-Luxury on the Wrist.
Published 11/16/2010 In Between , Underneath Leave a CommentTags: green, sustainable, watch, wood
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And in the case of this wooden wrist watch at WeWood, it’s the most hypoallergenic and toxic free kind. I have a lovely Rolex that I received a decade ago from a family friend, and I adore it to bits. However, I think I could give it a couple of days off and flaunt my and inner green with this look-a-like 100% wood version. Is the Swiss tree a better buy? And in WeWood’s own words… this might be the sincerest form of sophisticated sustainability. Eco-luxury at it’s finest.
WeWood Date Watch, $119 | WeWood.com
Au Revoir until October!
Published 09/23/2010 In Between , Inside , Outside , Underneath Leave a CommentI am signing off for the next ten days. I’ve got a lovely vacation planned with my sweetheart for the South of France, the Cote d’Azur to be specific and bits of Southern Provence! It’s a hard decision, but I’m leaving my technology behind to rest up for my return (and the hundreds of photos I’m going to be snapping and sharing with the world!). I am so looking forward to this trip and am in the midst of some last minute packing. So, although DCDesignCoop will fall silent for less then two weeks, keep me in your daily Must Read List because I am going to be back on with LOTS of inspiration! Hugs, Kisses, and bon French Fries!
