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The Office Overhaul | Week 5 Disaster

May 3, 2018 by Natalie 5 Comments

It wouldn’t be the One Room Challenge unless something went terribly wrong, right? The Office Overhaul Week 5 has been quite the disaster.

While doing the Spring 2017 ORC the day I was having the wallpaper installed we realized we didn’t have enough wallpaper. Last minute we had to switch walls, which actually turned out for the better. THANK GOD! For the Fall 2017 ORC I had a lighting nightmare that almost made me not finish on time but then we were luckily granted a week extension. Phew! This time around I knew exactly what to do ahead of time to ensure that this project was smooth sailing. Sometimes things are completely out of your hands though.

I had The Office Overhaul finished ahead of time.

I need to stop for a second and pat myself on the back before I tell you that I drowned myself in many Aperol Spritzes last night. This room was completed ahead of schedule and is so glorious I exceeded all of my own expectations for it. I was suppose to shoot yesterday, Wednesday May 2, but the photographer flaked last minute leaving me in a lurch. Everyone is saying I should just shoot it myself but I dont have the correct lens and I wanted these photos to be 100%.

This is a huge setback as I need photos for the reveal next Wednesday. It’s already such a tight timeline to have photos taken and get edited product back in 7 days but in a few days depending on when I get them taken? I could be cutting this REAL close. There was a breakdown, then there were some tears, then there was a cheese danish (if you watched my IG stories), and then there were drinks. Can you blame me? Also the drinks are defintely to fault for me getting this post up late.

I took some quick pics yesterday just to show you what I got done last week. It’s a small room so I don’t want to show you the desk or shelves styled. I need to leave something if the final reveal ever happens.

Last minute I decided not to make a seat cover. I love the way the chair disappears into the room and because it’s a small room I like how it takes up now visual real estate making the room appear larger in a way. If I decided I want something removable I can always make it at a later time.

I DIYed this pegboard book shelf. It was SO easy. I used leftover paint from my hallway stairs to create the ombre effect, got wood cut at home depot, and used elastic cord to hold the books up. Pretty neat, huh? I already had the pegboard from my studio so I just repurposed it. So much of that stuff would be sitting all over the desk and now I have somewhere pretty to stash books and notepads that are easily grabable when I need them.

I’m sure you’ve seen these baskets everywhere, and for sale online for a lot of money. I snagged the baskets at IKEA for $12.99 and made my own pom poms using supplies I already had (pom pom maker and yarn).

There are lots of plants. Ethan has been calling it “the jungle room”. I’m not mad about it. I bought that plastic flamingo at Target for $1!!!

Erik approves of the room transformation. It also wouldnt be The One Room Challenge without one of my pets photobombing my images. How is he even comfortable lying there like that? lol. Wish me luck in my hopes to track down another photographer and get this room shot on time. Stay tuned for the reveal (hopefully) next week!

Images edited with Amethyst from Glow using the A Color Story app on Iphone

My 2017 Highlights

January 5, 2018 by Natalie 2 Comments

Happy New Year everyone! This year is off to a crazy start with the blizzard we just had here in the Northeast. I’m snowed in and have had a lot of time to reflect so I thought I’d do a post on my 2017 highlights. 2017 was a difficult year overall for our country and the world in general but I was determined to make it one of my best. I have grown so much over the last year both personally and professionally. I traveled to so many places I only ever dreamed of seeing, collaborated with so many talented people, and moved into my dream home. 2017 was pretty much the best year of my life and honestly, I was sad to see it go. Here are some of my 2017 highlights!

Bowie and I started the year off as models for Gypsy Warrior. I always joke around that I should start him his own Instagram account. What do you guys think?

Ever since I studied design and architecture in college I have always been obsessed with Palm Springs, CA. 2017 was the year I made my dream come true and finally visited this magical city in the desert. I definitely found my spirit animal city and the place where I belong. Can’t wait to go back this year and I’d love to do a travel guide on the blog. The first photo is from our trip to Moorten’s Botanical Garden. If you’re ever in Palm Springs going there is a must. Admission is just $5 and looking at all the amazing desert plants and cacti is breathtaking.

I started contributing to A Beautiful Mess in 2017 which was a huge deal for me. I have long looked up to Elsie and Emma and am a long time reader of the blog. I’m so honored to be a contributor and am happy that I can bring my recipes to their readers. If you want to see all the recipes I did for A Beautiful Mess you can check them out here.

I collaborated with Michelle Gage for the Spring One Room Challenge and it was a complete success! My living room was (of course) Palm Springs-themed and I’m so happy with the results. It got a lot of features including ones on Domino, The Every Girl, Houzz, and Apartment Therapy. It was even named by Domino as one of their Most-Loved Living Rooms of 2017 and Wallpapered Rooms That Made Us Embrace Pattern in 2017. Does this mean my living room is so 2017? I still love it!

I traveled to Spain with Cardenal Mendoza which was a whirlwind. We did four cities (Madrid, Sevilla, Cadiz, and the winery/distillery in Jerez) in four days and I fell completely in love with Spain. There was so much brandy and sherry consumed on that trip and I was heaven. I have to edit the hundreds of photos I took while I was there and get them up on the blog. Keeping up with regular content is overwhelming enough that the thought of editing travel photos was daunting to me. Definitely going to try to be better this year with sharing travel on the blog.

I started contributing to Palm Springs Style as well which was so exciting. I’m such a fan of everything Katy does especially her Door Tour for Modernism Week. Can’t wait to go back this year and have people to connect with.

A huge dream come true and the biggest of my 2017 highlights was getting to finally travel to France. This has been a dream of mine ever since I was an Audrey Hepburn movie obsessed little girl so it was a really big deal for me. I got to travel with one of my favorite spirit brands Pierre Ferrand and Plantation Rum. We spent time in Paris checking out all the cocktail bars and also took a trip to Cognac to visit Chateau Bonbonnet and the distillery where Pierre Ferrand Cognac is made and where all the Plantation Rums are aged in barrels. Citadelle Gin is also made there among other spirits in their portfolio.

I stayed behind for a few days by myself and got to explore Paris alone. Something I wish I did in Spain. If you get the chance to travel, stay as long as you possibly can because you never know when you’ll be there again! I need to edit more photos from France and get them up on the blog as well.

As you know I was nominated for Best Drinks Blog by SAVEUR Magazine and traveled to Charleston, SC for the ceremony. Even though I didn’t win, it was a great trip and inspiring experience. I met so many bloggers IRL that I’ve been following for years and got to connect with new ones as well. It was great to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals that are all trying to accomplish similar goals. Hopefully, in 2018 I can take the trip again!

After all that traveling in September and October, I came home and jumped right into the Fall One Room Challenge. I decided to do this challenge alone to motivate me to get another room done in the house. So happy with how the hallway and stairs came out. Still makes me happy every time I walk up and down them!

Ethan and I had to go to Texas for a family wedding. We were in Grapevine mostly but got to spend a night in Dallas. I visited my friends Christy and Chad’s cocktail bar Midnight Rambler. Can’t wait to go back to Texas and explore a little more. That trip was too quick!

The only bad part of my year was when I lost my best friend and kitty Phil the day before Halloween. He was so young and got sick suddenly so I was completely unprepared and totally devastated when he passed away. I still think about him every day and I know he would have loved the pink Christmas tree as much as Erik did. Erik sleeps under it almost every night. I don’t want to take it down!

My last trip of the year was going on a quick trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL to spend time with my mom, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. It was fun but I was excited to come home and spend some time here before the holidays. It was the first year I decorated for Christmas as an adult and I think I just wanted to enjoy it.

Thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support. Hope you enjoyed my 2017 highlights and I’m so glad I have all of you to share them with. I’m looking forward to accomplishing more and seeing what 2018 brings. Let’s kick some butt this year! Happy New Year one last time! xo

Summer Peach and Plum Sangria

August 10, 2016 by Natalie 2 Comments

Sangria is probably one of the easiest batched cocktails around. It can easily be tweaked to be seasonally appropriate depending on what time of year it is, and it can be convenient to make for as few or as many people as you like. Besides, if you make too much whats the harm? The longer is sits and soaks in fruit the better it gets.

Sangria is a beverage common is Spain and Portugal. It normally consists of red wine, chopped up fruit, a type of sweetener, and a small amount of brandy. It can be steeped while being chilled for a few minutes or up to a few days. The beverage is thousands of years old but wasn’t widely popular in the United States until it was showcased at the 1964 Worlds Fair in New York. This is despite Sangria being a common beverage in the United Kingdom, where it was known as Claret Cup Punch.

I saw peaches and plums at the farmers market last week and immediately thought of how tasty they might be soaked in wine and drank on a lovely hot afternoon, icy cold, accompanied by brandy, and some soda bubbles. This is a super simple recipe, something you can easily recreate at home with very little fuss. I made my version with a Cabernet from the Napa Valley, it was a touch fruitier with slight notes of vanilla and pepper. If you’d like to use something a little drier perhaps a Spanish red like Garnacha or Tempranillo would work better for you.

Summer Peach and Plum Sangria

1 750-ml bottle red wine of your choice
1 cup peach nectar or peach juice
1/4 cup Brandy (I used Pierre Ferrand Cognac)
3 peaches, sliced
3 plums, sliced
1 cup cold seltzer

In a pitcher combine wine, peach nectar, and brandy and stir together until incorporated. Add fruit, let soak, top it off with seltzer and serve. Smile.

Women & Whiskies Event

June 22, 2016 by Natalie Leave a Comment

Last week I had the pleasure of working with some of the most talented and inspiring ladies. I collaborated with Women & Whiskies + Love & Victory to put together a wonderful summer cocktail party featuring drinks with Glen Grant Scotch, Forty Creek Whisky, and Wild Turkey Bourbon. Beautiful flower arrangements graced every table thanks to RoseHip Floral, and 50+ women mingled over sips of elegant whiskey cocktails in the sundrenched garden of Tuffet in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

I can’t thank everyone who was involved or all the lovely women who attended enough, you all truly made that night as special as it was. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Each and every one of you is the reason why I love what I do. Can’t everyday be a garden party with whiskey, friends and edible flower garnishes?

I’ve included recipes for all the cocktails that I made for the party incase you’d like to recreate them at home.

Photos are a collaboration with Love & Victory shot by Kerry Ann Stokes

Pretty in Pink

1 oz Glen Grant Scotch
1 oz Aperol
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz hibiscus tea syrup
sparkling wine
edible flower garnish

In your shaker add lemon juice, hibiscus tea syrup, Scotch, and Aperol. Shake with ice and strain into a wine glass, top with sparkling wine, stir, and garnish with an edible flower.

To make Hibiscus Tea Syrup, steep 2 Hibiscus tea bags in 1 cup water for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of sugar, and stir. Let cool, stirring periodically to dissolve sugar. Refrigerate.