Before/After: Gold Bar Cart

Happy Thursday amicis!  I'm back with another Before and After project.  We've all seen the gorgeous bar carts that adorn Pinterest's hallowed halls, right? Let me just refresh your memory:

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Ahhhhh...true love.  As a direct result of what you just saw, I've been pretty much obsessed with finding a bar cart for our sun room.  After running around antique stores, flea markets, big box stores, and the Internet I came across these beauties:

The above 3 are at Wertz Brothers Antique Mall in Santa Monica, and all are a couple hundred dollars.

This gold bar cart is perfect and for sale at Open Sky - $275

 Let's put it this way - I had to keep looking :>)  These were all just a tad out of my price range - ha!  And just as I was losing hope, I walked right by this guy at Stars Antique Mall in Hermosa Beach:

Seriously.  I walked right by it.  But then some strange, internal tug forced me to turn back around and unearth this piece (under dishes and frames and art and glasses and you name it, it was sitting on her)...and I looked at the price tag.

$39.

Seriously? Thirty nine DOLLARS!?!?!??!!?  Sold!  With a little tender loving care (using the same process I posted here), she turned into.....

I used Rustoleum Metallic Spray Paint in Gold Gloss after priming her with Zinnser Cover Stain Spray Primer.

I could not pass up this gorgeous bottle of Pimm's we saw in London.  It's one of the 2 souvenirs I brought home for myself from our Europe trip a month ago.  Isn't it gorgeous? I'm such a sucker for anything "Union Jack".

Recipe for easy Pimm's Cup Cocktail

Mix 1 part Pimm's No.1

with 3 parts chilled lemonade.

Add some mint, cucumber, orange

and strawberry.

I love her.  I plan to style her up a little more, but she's so pretty now!

Side note: I stumbled across this super fun quiz over at the Homegoods website.  It's helps define your home decor style using different photos...check it out!

xo,

Kate

New Workout Gear - Get Motivated!

When our days get busy, it can become difficult to find time to hit the gym.  For me it is the first thing to be cut from my to do list on an overwhelming day, and really it should be the very last thing I consider skipping.  Obviously we all know it's good for our bodies, but for me I seem to gain the most benefit in my head.  It makes stress easier to handle when I get in a good run at the beginning of the day. Problems seem easier to solve when I have taken time for myself to get those endorphins going.  And frankly, I am a happier person when I workout.

So, if you are struggling to get up early to make it to the gym before work, or class, or life begins each day, I have a little piece of advice that always seems to motivate me.  What is it you ask? GO BUY NEW WORKOUT GEAR!!  I swear to you, a new tank, or some sweet new kicks are just what the doctor ordered when lacking a little motivation. 

  I won't lie to you, I am a Lululemon-aholic. But seriously, the quality of their brand is top notch, and I believe the clothes are worth the price.  

Here are a few of my favs.

Gather and Grow Crop - $78

Cool Racer Back xlong - $48

In Stride Jacket - $108

One of my favorite things about Lululemon is that basically everything thing they make comes in an option to cover my backside. So when I hop on the treadmill I am not as worried about my bum, because it's covered! What is better than a strategically placed, LONGER tank? Not much in my humble opinion.  If you are looking for a little pick me up head to Lululemon and pick out something new.  Oh and just so you know, I always try to purchase as much as I can on sale.  They always have a cute tank on sale, and then buying the crops to run in at full price doesn't seem quite as painful.  At least that is what I tell myself. 

Go friends, shop and then work your butt off.  Pretty soon you won't need those extra long tanks to cover your bum. :-)

xo,

Kara

all running inspirationals from here

clothes from lululemon.  - not a sponsored post, we just LOVE it!

On the Couch: Mindful Moon

I was on the ever enlightening Facebook the other day, and an old coworker had posted about an app she had recently discovered.  It’s called Mindful Moon, and it's basically a self-affirmation, pick me up in the middle of the day, getcha thinkin’ kind of app.  I downloaded it immediately as I have been in need of the occasional pick me up these days.  I gotta tell you.  It’s awesome!  It seems to know exactly what I’m thinking and what I might need to put a smile on my face.  

For Example:

I had just gotten home from taking the pup I was caring for on a walk.  As I tried to enter my house, Cali (the pup) resisted walking into the shadowed living room, instead opting for the sun drenched deck outside.  Not a bad call right?  I decided to indulge her as I could literally feel the stress of the oncoming day start to creep up the base of my spine.

As Cali settled in to do some sunbathing, I sat down and… I found that I was frowning…on the inside.  Boo.  Why was I sad? It was a beautiful day…what was UP with me??  I needed a pick me up.  (On a side note, being a girl is weird, huh?  We are complicated, moody creatures...sigh…).  So I swiped my Iphone and clicked on the new app I’d just downloaded.   Here’s what it said:

“Breathe in Gratitude.  Breathe out negativity, stress, bad thoughts…

…Do this for 3-5 minutes.”

Ohhhkaaaayyy.   I closed my eyes and attempted to breathe.  Have you ever noticed how shallow and stunted our breath can be throughout the day?  It was like I couldn’t inhale for more than 2 seconds before I felt uncomfortably full and had to exhale.   Like I was choking on my own oxygen.  Do I really go through my day so closed up, so bottled in?  Wow.  

My first grateful thought was…”love”.  It was all I had time to think before having to let the air out.  My first negative thought to let go was…”self hate”.  Ugh.  Kinda deep for a Sunday.  But….I might as well go ahead and get that bad feeling out of my head right?  So I kept going with it, just letting the thoughts ebb and flow as they wanted, each positive, grateful feeling proceeding it’s negative counterpart.  

It was amazing.   Pretty quickly I felt my breath begin to lengthen, to lighten.  I felt a calm, lovely warmth settle around me.  I gave appreciation and acknowledgment to my husband, my family, and breathed out the fight we’d had, and the worry that I’m not there enough at home.  I thanked God for my health, and let go of the stupid guilt that I hadn’t worked out this week or the Chipotle (darn it) that I’d given in and eaten the day before.   I felt inspired that the world was full of possibility and I was only just beginning my journey.  And with pleasure, I threw away the feeling of dread when I thought about the future, what I was going to make of myself, and was I too old to start over?  I smiled when I thought of the precious puppy I got to take care of this week, and I let go of the annoyance that she woke me up at 5am:)  Trust me, I was pretty amazed, slightly scandalized, and fairly amused at some of the thoughts that floated in and out of my brain in those 5ish minutes.  I mean, if I hadn’t taken the short amount of time to acknowledge them and then get them the heck out of my head, would they have just festered, unknowing but all too powerful inside of me?  Ugh.  Not a pretty thought at all. 

When I opened my eyes…I felt light.  My whole body had opened and softened to the world around me, almost like it was ready to accept the day (and myself) for whatever it (or I) was going to bring.   I had this big grin on my face, and I felt confident... and so sure that this day was going to be fun and magical.  So, lovely peeps, do yourself a favor.  Go download Mindful Moon immediately.  It might just save your day…

…even if you didn’t know it needed saving.  

Love and all that stuff,

Kacey

Magical Song of the Moment: "It’s Only Fear" ~Alexi Murdoch

Recipe: Orchiette with Prosciutto and Bread Crumbs

After a whirlwind weekend flying to Nashville and back to LA in under 36 hours, the last thing I wanted to do last night was cook dinner.  But we're trying to cook more and eat out less (and after a weekend away, home cooked food sounds so much better than another restaurant meal, right?), so I chose this quick and easy pasta recipe.

Orchiette Pasta with Prosciutto and Bread Crumbs

Orchiette pasta - or similar shell pasta

2/3 cup bread crumbs (either flavored or not)

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 package of prosciutto, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

hand full of torn basil

salt and pepper to taste

Add on: Grilled Chicken breast

1. Cook pasta according to box directions.

2. In a skillet, heat the oil slowly.  Add bread crumbs and stir often - too high of heat will cause them to burn.

3.  If you're not using flavored bread crumbs, add a little salt and pepper to taste.

4. Turn heat off after about 3 minutes.  Add the chopped prosciutto, Parmesan, and cooked pasta. 

5. Sprinkle chopped basil on top and serve.

I also grilled up some chicken breast to pair the pasta with.  A few sliced of toasted french bread and a fresh green salad - and dinner was ready in under 30 minutes!

And what made the night even better?   A new episode of Homeland - get on the bandwagon. It's so good!

xo,

Kate

Friday Favorites

Our favorite new website this week has to be the new home decor store  Lulu and Georgia.  Amazing rugs, pillows and accessories:

This pin inspired me to paint some furniture emerald green...risky but worth it (I hope!):

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Listening to Mumford and Sons "Below My Feet" from their new album Babel...."keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn".

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Loving this Essie color for fall: Bobbing for Baubles. Friday afternoon manicure - check!

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Truly Rachel Zoe can do no wrong in my book. My favorite look of the week. How fabulous is this outfit?



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 My favorite inspiring quote of the week. I believe life is too short to not share our happiness.

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What we're up to this weekend:

Kate - headed back to Nashville for a friends wedding

Kara - Relaxing at home and trying out some new recipes...yum!

Kacey - On her way to Missouri for her new show Honky Tonk Angels

What fun things are you gettin' into??

xo,

Kara, Kate, & Kacey

Before/After: Nightstands

I think most people would agree that moving into a new home (and out of an old one!) is one of the most stressful activities around.  The packing and unpacking, purging and storing decision making is a lot to take on.  But the one thing that makes all that backbreaking work worth it?  

Decorating!  

Decorating a new home is so much fun.  I've been loving the process - looking at pieces we've had for awhile, determining how to use them in different ways.  Should we donate to Goodwill? Or paint this a new color? Something bright and risky and fun? Or perhaps we play it safe and leave it as is?  The options are endless, bound only by how creative I can be...or by how inspiring Pinterest is!

As a result, I've been on a spray paint kick for the past few weeks.  And while my hands are temporarily dyed winter gray, hunter green, and primer white...the results have been worth it.  We've been needing nightstands for...oh several years now :>)  I've used mismatched side tables for much too long, so finding 2 matching nightstands has been a priority for me.  Our bed is fairly feminine with it's curvy shape and tufting.  We also recently purchased a new dresser from the flea market.  It's a distressed cream color and has an antique feel to it.  I knew I wanted the nightstands to add a contemporary layer to help balance out the other elements in the room.  

Brand new nightstands are not in the budget at the moment, so I've been searching flea markets and thrift stores high and low, keeping an open mind toward color and finish.  As long as the shape fit my modern parameters, they were in the running!  And the winners are....

Gorgeous, right? Ha! Oh these cuties needed a lot of love, but at $20 a piece at the Salvation Army store, I couldn't leave 'em behind.  And fortunately, they weren't hard to doll up...see below for the step by step process:

1:  Wash completely.  Inside, outside, take the drawers out, and clean clean clean.

2:  Remove hardware.

3:  Sand off unidentified sticky residue (I don't want to know.)

4:  Prime with Zinsser Cover Stain Primer Spray Paint (it's the best.  No need to sand or remove previous stains - it literally covers everything).

5:  Spray with color of your choice - I used Rustoleum's Dark Gray in Gloss Finish.  Buy at Lowes, Home Depot, Amazon.

6:  Seal with Minwax Water Based Polycrylic Protective Finish in Clear Gloss using a foam brush.  

7:  Reattach hardware.

I LOVE how they turned out!

What do we think?!  Have a fabulous and stylish Thursday!

xo,

Kate


Linked to:

And Between Naps On The Porch

and Thrifty Decor Chick

Alice by Temperley New Accesories Line

Alice Temperly has launched her very first jewelry collection, and it's debut was Monday October 1st.  For those of us who can't always afford this London designer's beautiful clothing (sadly, Kate Middleton I am not), her whimsical jewelry line gives us the chance to wear Alice by Temperley without breaking the budget.  Temperely collaberated with chic, fashion jewelry line Stella & Dot to create a beautiful charms collection, said to be somewhat inspired by Alice and Wonderland. 

Take a look at these beauties.

Wonderland Charm Necklace

Queen of Hearts Charm Necklace 

Wonderland Charm Bracelet

I honestly think I want one of each. Don't you?

xo,
Kara

all images via www.stelladot.com