So if you’re like me and you love food and love TV (I hate to admit it, but it’s true), you possibly watched the Food Network’s “Next Food Network Star.”  And if you have a soul you’ve probably fallen in love with Aarti.  But!  What you probably didn’t know is that she has had a You Tube cooking show for three “seasons” that is awesome.  What the buck? Who knew? I am sure the Food Network will produce some cookie cutter crap, so watch her on You Tube, because she is freaking adorable.

PS – Wait for it.  The best part is after the cooking demo.

Yum

Sigh.  I would like to be here right now.  This picture was posted by colorTheory, a Boston based interior styling firm I’ve been following on Facebook.  Check ‘em out.

Bedrooms, Living Rooms

Just in case you aren’t on Gwyneth Paltrow’s short list of friends she emails about things that interest her, like I am, I thought I’d post these photos of a renovation of a loft space in Nashville she lived in while filming a movie.  Say what you will about her – the girl’s got taste (in picking a good decorator, anyway).

By the way, the email she sent refers to this place being done on the cheap – complete with a new gas stove (as GP loves to cook, which you would know if you were on her personal email list, like I am), $3100 bed-frame, and $1200 claw-footed tub.

Bedrooms, Living Rooms

Here’s the thing – lately I’ve been on a non-consumption kick.  I’ve been trying to refrain from buying new things  I don’t need, getting rid of things I don’t use and generally reducing the physical clutter (which I truly believe reduces the mental clutter).  I recently did a huge purge and streamlined my closets and it feels great!  True to what I tell my clients when I do this in their homes, I feel like I have more clothes and am wearing different things a lot more often.  Here’s some before, during and after pictures.

Before – Yikes! This is embarrassing.

Just a small sampling of what I gave away:

After:

Closets, Crazy Things

Lately, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think of ways to update my living room.  I have to be creative because my husband has given me a budget of $500 (I think he’s kidding, but the general point is noted) and told me that painting is tantamount to appearing on “The Real Housewives of Boston” (ie grounds for divorce).  Because the walls are this very unusual yellowish/neutral color I’ve been searching for ways to incorporate stuff I like without breaking the bank.  Here’s what I am thinking:

I am obsessed with gray right now and think it the perfect color for a couch.  Here’s one I love.

But how to tie it in with that yellow??  I am thinking these pillows will do the trick.

Of course we need some accent chairs.  I love these choices from Target and they are very budget minded.

I think I’d like to hang this on the wall:

I think this rug is pretty nice.

And I am fond of this one, too.

Or maybe this one.

I’d like to arrange our bookshelves so they look a bit more like this:

And we need a few decorative touches to round things out.  I’d l like to pepper the bookshelves with these little bookends.

I love these little candles.  Save the bees!  (Proceeds donated to research on honeybee crisis.)

So what do you think?  I am just getting rolling  here.  Stayed tuned for an update on the dining area.

Living Rooms, Spring

Stripe-y rugs!

Click here to see more of this apartment.

Living Rooms

I have a huge girl crush on Sophie Dahl right now.  She’s just published a cookbook and as such is suddenly everywhere, once again.  I think it’s largely her hair with which I am obsessed (why won’t my hair grow already!)  Oh, and how she says shallots.

No tags

Having recently married, I have a ton of gadgets that I am just not sure what the heck to do with.  Yes, I understand that a waffle maker makes waffles, but is that it?  No!  Check out this site devoted to the “waffle-izing” of the world.   I love it!

Food, Yum

I haven’t done any home posts lately in large part because the aforementioned unanticipated car purchase has dashed any hopes I had of decorating any time in the near or distant future.  Still a girl can dream.

Living Rooms

Elephants are cute in things design.

Animal Style, Baubles, Toys