Holiday Cat-astrophes

"You better watch out, you better not cry" might be a good behavioral deterrent for little kids, but there's no gimmick that works on pets. "Santa is watching" does not prevent Phineas from gnawing on the Christmas tree. If I hide an elf on a shelf, you'll find Matilda up there with him (probably biting him, actually). You better believe that both of my cats are on the naughty list.

Really, who can blame them? This is a season of enticing foods, drunken strangers, and tail-pulling babies. We bring a perfectly climbable tree into the house and put shiny temptations on every branch. It's no wonder that every year we experience a bit of cat-related holiday mayhem. Just look at our Thanksgiving aftermath...

Our kitty mishaps have ranged from amusing (Tildy's obsessive pilfering of faux cranberry vase filler and Phinney's sneaky turkey tasting) to slightly stressful (like the cat + dog chase that led to a broken mirror). 

The key to avoiding disaster is simply to know your pets. Between Phinney the plant-nibbling ribbon-swallower and Matildor the Destroyer, we have our hands full.

• If we're expecting a house full of guests, I know that Phinney will hide under the bed until the party has died down- but Matilda loves to mix and mingle. I put a bell on her collar to prevent her from getting underfoot.
• Ribbons are Phinney's ultimate temptation. A pricy trip to the emergency vet in the middle of assembling wedding invites taught us to keep loose ribbons and bows out of reach, and to skip the tinsel on our tree.
• Matilda likes to bat at baubles, so we tie ornaments onto the tree.
• Phineas has a sensitive belly, so we don't overdo it with the treats.
• Knowing that Tildy holds grudges (she's been hissing at my brother for years now), we're careful to make slow introductions to new people and animals.
• Like many cats, Phineas can't keep his teeth off of the greenery- so we avoid poisonous poinsettias.

So, a few questions for you in the comments section:

How do you keep your pets out of trouble during the holidays?

-and-

What's your most memorable Christmas Cat-astrophe?

How to Make Perfect Paper Snowflakes

The Best Spoons (and the Best Mom!)

If you're a House Beautiful reader, you probably delighted in this spread of Sabre frosted acrylic spoons in the November issue.

We spotted them at Maison d'Etre in Oakland and my Mom surprised me with a little burgundy spoon! (Did you think I was kidding about my Goodies from Mom theme this week?)

It's cheeky, but I think it will play nicely with my more formal white dishes.

There's a color to please everyone (22, to be exact), and the salad server sets would be an excellent hostess gift... definitely an idea to tuck away for the holidays!

Gearing Up for the Holidays?

It's November, and time to set things in motion for the holiday season. This year I'm scouting for gifts that are memorable and shippable/carry-on-able, since we're not yet sure where we'll be at Christmastime!

Industrial chic always seems to come in a rusty, half-ton, impossible to gift-wrap package. Not so with these gear candleholders (CB2, $6.95 each). 

They're well priced, unisex, and best of all, a scalable gift: present just one to a holiday party host, or give seven to your best friend as a statement piece for their enviable loft apartment. These are a little modern art, a little steampunk, and heck, so universally appealing (I mean, who doesn't like tea lights?) that I'm tempted to buy 10 to have just in case.

Speaking of universally appealing, have you all seen Ez's new Gifted Magazine at Creature Comforts?

It's amazing. Read it, unless you're a member of my immediate family. In that case, don't peek, or you'll likely spoil the surprise for your present this year. Seriously, it's that good- I am stealing every idea.


Anyone else getting a head start on their holiday shopping?

Word to the Wise: 101 Things to Put in Apothecary Jars

I'm kicking off my Seattle visit with a shout-out to local blogger Maggie Morgan of Maggie Rose, who just published her first ebook, 101 Things to Put in Apothecary Jars. I can't divulge the 101 decorating secrets within, but I can tell you that I'd never thought of idea #12 before, and that suggestion #40 would fit into my decor nicely!

When I get back to Berkeley, I'm going to be putting Maggie's tips to the test in my own collection of apothecary jars- because right now they're just filled with air!

I'm off to enjoy the Northwest! Wishing you all a beautiful weekend,

Elizabeth

Potential Trend: Vintage Alphabet Plates

Last month at the flea market, I found a child's alphabet plate and thought, "vintage font and patinated metal... why haven't these caught on?" Seems like just the thing for type nerds!

Alphabet plates are available in materials to suit any decor (or outfit, apparently). While I prefer the rustic, timeworn look of aluminum, I've also spotted a wide range of colorful ceramics and pressed glass. I love the sparkly caned pattern on this one- very Hollywood Regency glam!

Image via eBay

I found this one on eBay and snapped it up for myself!

For now it'll be cute as a catch-all, but I think one day it'll find its way back into a nursery. These plates were made as learning tools for kiddos, and they haven't lost their value: not only do they teach the ABCs, they're a lesson in flea market style!

D-I-Whyyyyyyyyy!

Here's a pet peeve for you: when a weekend project stretches into a Monday project.

Consider this a PSA to all you DIYers out there. Having run out of my go-to aerosol paint stripper, my enthusiastically green local hardware store guilted me into trying Ready Strip. The label states that the product takes at least 30 minutes to be effective, but I figured I was better off killing time than braincells. Ha! Let's see if I can reenact the process for you.

30 minutes after application: Is it ready to strip? Hmm. No.

1 hour: Ready? No.

4 hours: No.

8... 12... 24: No, no, NO!

Hour after hour, this useless goop just sat on top of the paint. When I finally got frustrated with all of the pointless scraping and reapplication, I gave up- only to find that cleaning up this disgustingly sticky mess would take another hour of scrubbing. Now I've got a patchy chair and a whole lot of aggression (though I guess that might help with the sanding process).

What a disaster! Anyone else have a DIY-Gone-Wrong to share?

A Tip for the Last-Minute Gift-Giver

Ah, December 23rd, the day when you realize that you have left your brother-in-law/dentist/dog-walker/favorite-Seattle-blogger off of your gift list. It is time for a gift on the fly, and the very thought of elbowing through hoards of panicked shoppers at the mall makes you hy-per-ven-ti-late...!

Take a deep breath.

The solution is right around the corner at your local market. Admit it, if you're behind on gifts, you're probably missing a few ingredients for your holiday feast as well (oh $#@*, need eggs for the pumpkin pie!). We're not suggesting that you give anyone day-old Santa-shaped cookies wrapped in a plastic grocery bag (in fact, having received this exact present before, we'd strongly discourage it). Supermarkets are stocked with incredible treats that you may have overlooked during the chore of weekly grocery shopping. We like to think of Christmas as the time to buy our loved ones the items that they couldn't justify buying for themselves. In more prosperous years, that might mean electronics or precious metals, but this rotten economy has made this a Christmas of simple pleasures. Wouldn't it feel special to receive the fancy olive oil or exotic imported salt that you always deny yourself?

As for us, getting a bottle of wine really lights us up (especially after we've opened it). If we're going to be living just a quick jaunt away from Wine Country, we've got to build up our cred. You know, "Ah yes, the '87. Oaky, but do I detect a faint aroma of cherries...?" Our budget is really putting our wine education on hold, so we'd much appreciate a bit o' primo vino. We aren't wine snobs yet though- you won't hurt our feelings if you buy us a crappy wine. We won't drink that swill, but we'll certainly unscrew the top and pour it into one of Adam's cooking concoctions!

Alcohol in gorgeous packaging is sure to please these bloggers. We'd probably leave the bottle on the shelf long after the last drop has been drunk.

This bottle has got us all wrapped up in its tantalizing tentacles. 

We may not know much about wine, but we do know that we should like a Syrah.

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Robbins, Cool Wine Labels Blog

These clever labels appeal to our devious natures, and the name certainly does the wine credit!

Photo Taken with Elizabeth's iPhone, Second Image & Wine by Francis Ford Coppola Winery

The great thing about food and wine is that it's easy to wrap. Gourmet tidbits look amazing piled in a basket, and wine boxes are fun to customize (or try a mailing tube!). Anyway, stop stressing over last minute gifts and remember that the fastest way to a friend's heart is through their stomach.

Wishing you a delicious holiday,


Adam & Elizabeth

A Clever Display

While picking out our Christmas tree at Sky Nursery, my parents and I couldn't help peeking around at their other offerings. Ornaments galore, a greenhouse full of wintry blooms, and these very inspiring displays:

What a great example of thoughtful merchandising. These doors will be easy to paint and keep fresh for a year's worth of ideas. After all, the massive selection of this nursery can be a little overwhelming for the amateur gardener or for those of us who rent. Not everyone has a front yard, but all of us have front doors! These displays show how to create a welcoming doorstep using coordinated colors and practical container gardens. Forget about landscaping, this is porchscaping!

Images Taken with my iPhone

Kitchen Chemist: Soup of the Day, Part IV & Finale

I hope that you've been enjoying my Salmon Bisque tutorials as much as I've been enjoying the soup- all week long!

Just a few last ingredients to add...

Keep stirring, keep tasting, and then you're done...

This is one of our favorite recipes- it fills our stomachs without emptying our wallets. A tough economy can be pretty unappetizing. When money is tight, it's easy to turn to canned soup, top ramen, or worse. Cheap food doesn't have to make you feel and look lousy. For just a few dollars per serving, this Salmon Bisque (and many other homemade soups and casseroles) is nutritious and almost extravagantly flavorful. Better yet, it's a meal that can be reheated and eated all week, and it freezes well (for those of you preparing for the long winter).

I'd like to hear from all of you foodies out there, and of course, anyone who is culinarily-challenged. What kind of recipes would you like to see here at StB? Restaurant-inspired? Gourmet on a budget? Holiday party appetizers? Gluten-free? Leave us a comment!

Kitchen Chemist: Soup of the Day, Part III

If you've been following along with my Salmon Bisque tutorial, you're already familiar with the ingredients, and you've also seen me cry on camera. Now it's time to get things cooking- and add the feature flavor.

Putting the Salmon in the Salmon Bisque



Tomorrow we'll finish things up with some veggies and a long simmer.

It's a Wrap

I'm running a little behind today, so I'm going to postpone the third installment of Adam's Salmon Bisque Tutorial until tomorrow- many apologies to those of you craving soup!

You may be wondering why the blog has been a little quiet this week.  I've been having so much fun at my day job that I've been neglecting my hobby!  I've had the great pleasure of putting together my company's annual client and associate gift.

My task was to dress up a bottle of wine in a way that represents the company and celebrates the season.  Think of it as one part marketing to five parts good cheer. Here's what I came up with...

The wine boxes are from Paper Mart, an excellent online source for packaging materials. I worked with a local printer to have the company logo applied to each box in metallic silver ink. Each box is stuffed with shredded plans- much more attractive than multi-colored crinkle filler, and a great way to recycle! A trip to the hardware store produced hex nuts, flat washers, fishing line, notched washers, and mirror florets. These inexpensive materials are sparkly, but definitely relevant for a construction company! I strung them with beads to make simple gift tags into ornaments.

They resemble snowflakes, and each one is different!

After I wrap-up this task, it's on to the next: wrapping up my own Christmas gifts! I'm going to be using the same hardware for my own gifts, but I'll style them with a bit more festive whimsy. If you're bored of the same-old store-bought bow, I'd recommend you give this a try. It's a very approachable project (and you can use up all the extra parts and pieces in your junk drawer!).

Because I had to be a thrifty gifter this year, it's especially important to me to go all-out with extravagant packaging. Presentation is everything- and a gift doesn't have to cost a fortune to look like a million bucks.

Ah, I love wrapping gifts. It's my favorite part of Christmas! Don't suppose anyone has any extra presents I could decorate?

Kitchen Chemist: Soup of the Day, Part II

Yesterday I introduced you to the ingredients for my Salmon Bisque. Now it's time to break out the big knife and hack 'em up. My tip of the day: don't anthropomorphize your veggies. Really.


Butchering the Garlic & Onions:



Check back tomorrow, we'll heat things up...

Decorating for Two: Lofty Aspirations

Like most internet-scrounging bloggy-types, I've amassed a collection of decor images that threatens to cripple my hard drive.  When I have a design problem (how high should I hang my drapes? can white trim work with deep greige walls? should I arrange my frames in a grid?) a quick click through the archives is sure to bring me the answer (just below the ceiling, mebbe, no!) and probably a host of completely unrelated "aha!" moments (I should have a dust ruffle! nailhead trim on the settee! a wooden chandelier!).

When I resolved to make my apartment a bit less girl-dominated, I went straight to the files for inspiration.  I pulled an assortment of rooms that I think succeed fabulously at being couple-friendly without being dully asexual.  Each room has elements of masculine and feminine style- and they seem to be made more beautiful in balance.

This dining area seems to beg for an imaginary scenario to go with.  She's a thoroughly modern girl with a sunny attitude, he's a traditional type who appreciates her quirky ideas as long as she doesn't paint his grandpa's solid wood table?  Who knows, but they've got a good thing going- proof that gender neutral doesn't have to be colorless.

Image Source Unknown

There's something approachable about this vignette.  Touches of whimsy like the silhouette, branches, and magenta decanter are grounded by the black table, angular clock and bottle, and (naturally) the dead bird.

Image Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Here's the magic of a loft: without walls, couples are forced to blend their decor (no man caves or boudoirs behind closed doors!).  The airy, gallery-like space makes every item an objet d'art and exaggerates the interplay between masculine and feminine.  It's impossible not to get dramatic in a loft.  This one (which you have probably seen recently on like... every other blog on the net) is so awfully lust-worthy.  If I lived there I'd want to throw in a few more feminine touches, but those pooling curtains against the raw wood floors and beams... so romantic.

Image Courtesy of Loft Life Blog, Uxus Design

I'm not sure how many of you have ever tuned an instrument before, but it's quite the experience.  It's odd, I know, but my favorite thing about playing the violin was always the pleasure of easing each string up to its perfect pitch... the initial wobbling discord, then perfect resonance.  This kitchen has a similar hum to me- the ornate gold mirror and playful chandelier in harmony with the rugged brick and clean modern cabinetry.

Image Courtesy of Living Etc.

Purple is not in the least bit girly when set on point and matched with somber grays.  Yes, the pink roses are the definition of girly, but what man would care if he had a deep tub like that?  Living with men is all about acknowledging a different scale- it may not be the pink he minds, perhaps just the petite furniture!

Image Courtesy of Waterworks

This dining room is all about contrasting weight and delicacy.  Solid architecture, deep color, heavy table.  Light as air branches, tiny specks of bright color, impossibly wispy chairs and candlesticks.  Balance.

Image Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

The next logical step in this progression towards couple equality?  I suppose I should ask Adam what he likes... so tomorrow I'll be posting HIS picks from my image library and exploring how they work with my favorites!

Decorating for Two

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, which is definitely true- I like Adam way better over Skype.


No, completely kidding.  In truth, the distance is really starting to gnaw at me.  I'm a strong and independent girl, and I've found a thousand ways to keep myself busy... but that doesn't take away the stab of disappointment I feel every morning when I wake up to face another day apart, especially since our reunion in Berkeley is not a "when," it's an "if."


I'm waiting for the stars to align (in other words, I'm searching for a job in CA) and when they do, I'm going to be so grateful to be with Adam again.  I'm so very thankful to have him in my life- and it's occurred to me that I need to tell him more often.  Better yet, he should feel appreciated every day in our house.


I'm determined to make decorating our shared space into a much more collaborative project so that our apartment is a reflection of both of our tastes.


Upon reading that last sentence Adam is likely uttering the heavy sigh that he usually reserves for trips to Ikea (even though he's always amply rewarded with a heaping plate of Swedish meatballs).

Can't understand why he's not happy to be standing next to that handsome Edland cabinet...

Don't worry Adam, this isn't going to be a chore for you- it's going to be a test for me.  I'm challenging myself to pinpoint his taste and infuse it into our home.  This week is going to be all about successful couples decor- and what I'm doing to get us there as well.


Any other cohabitators out there who want to get in on the discussion?

A Few Finds for Me... and You?

The other day I met my Parentals for a dinner at Zao and some post-noodle shopping at U Village.  I had to spend a small fortune on a blogging necessity (*hmph* Merry Christmas, readers), so I refrained from snapping up some lovely bits and pieces for ME at Miller-Pollard...

Neighborhoods of miniature Christmas houses are cropping up all over the place this year, but most of them are too pastel, too twee, or just too x-mased out for me. Not so with this sparkly white church. A simple, traditional structure with just enough crookedy "made it myself" charm.  Love it.

This green glass urn in the window has year-round potential, but it would be perfect for forcing bulbs in the Winter.  Alabaster pebbles and a graceful paperwhite? Black river rock and a lavender hyacinth?  So versatile. So thinking I should go back and snap it up.

Later we went to the organizer's promised land also known as Storables, where I discovered an unexpected treasure. No, not an illusion bookshelf or a neato cord control kit... it's a really classy desk.

Who would think to go to Storables for anything other than boring metro shelving?  Madly crushing on this desk though- sleek and modern and solidly built, with chrome trestle legs and a bamboo top.  The keyboard drawer is at the perfect height for comfortable typing, and the cross-bars are an excellent spot to put your feet up (you know, so you can try to relax while you're paying your bills).  The best part is that it looks wayyyyy more expensive than it is.  Would you have guessed $150?  That's what I call champagne on an Ikea budget!  

It would be completely wrong in my house, but I feel like somebody has to have it- anybody looking to revamp their home office?

Adam's Bachelor Thanksgiving, Part Three: Bruschetta and the Whole Spread

I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine a while back (a brother from another mother).  He had just picked up a generous bucket of chicken wings (at 1:30 in the morning) and was explaining to me that, in his opinion, his "people's" obsession with chicken was not an unfounded stereotype at all, but God's honest truth and a scientific fact.

He then turned the tables on me, asking if I was Anglo-Saxon.  I responded that to my knowledge, I didn't have a single drop of Anglo-Saxon blood in my veins.  He then asked, "well, are you European?"  I confirmed that I was indeed of European descent.  He responded, "then I know what your favorite food is......... you guys LOVE CHEESE."  I replied with a fit of approving laughter, and then I almost hit a deer with StB's car.

The lesson to take away from this story: I do indeed LOVE CHEESE.  With that in mind, I have a recipe that will satisfy both your sweet tooth and your, uh... "cheese tooth" (FYI, if you actually have a tooth that in any way resembles cheese, you should consult a dental professional).

To make Gjetost-Raspberry Bruschetta with Dates Batonette, you'll need:

1/4 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Cream

1/2 Cup Ski Queen Gjetost Cheese (found in the specialty cheese section of any decent grocery store)

2-3 Tablespoons Raspberry Preserves

4-6 Dates (by the way, this recipe is so good it will get you all the dates you could ever want)

Making the Cheese Spread

Decking out the Bruschetta

PS: I just tried my leftover cheese spread on some vanilla ice cream............ PROMISED LAND.

So, now my Thanksgiving Feast is complete!

Check it out:

And in the Spirit of Thanksgiving, Thank You!

We're looking for a little feedback on this "Remote Cooking" project.  Did you enjoy the peek into our Berkeley kitchen?  Elizabeth has created a survey, check it out over thatta way ----->

Also (as always) leave us a comment or shoot us an email if you have any questions (or requests!)