Wednesday, February 23, 2011

that's a lot of orange beads.


My grandmother's color choices amused me only a little less than her oddball dessert combinations. She L-O-V-E-D hot pink & I wondered how many totes of hot pink beads I'd be inheriting! However, orange was the number one bead color I've brought into the studio so far. Beaded pumpkins & jack-o-lanterns, huh?!

Mind you, I thought I had uncovered all orange beads [1 tote filled, multiple gallon-sized containers + few smaller containers] when I re-organized the studio last week. Oh, how wrong I was! I found even more at the back of my closet today.
At least there's no other secret stashes of beads around here! Or fabric for that matter- lol. I've gone through every nook & cranny of this place these past couple of days. And my back & knees are feeling it, too.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

headband no 7. purple, lilac, green.

purple, lilac, green. $25.
[limited. vintage backing fabric & beads. reclaimed fabric.]




Sunday, February 20, 2011

headband no 6. coral, yellow, cream.


headband no 06.
coral, yellow, cream. $25 [includes s/h to USA].
[limited. vintage backing fabric & beads. reclaimed fabric.]

Find more details &/or purchase HERE>>>


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studious reflection. procrastinators-r-us.


I've had this tray of flowers out for a couple of weeks now. Between re-organizing the studio & taking primo advantage of this FABULOUS weather we've had lately, well, I've slacked. And now I have impromptu company coming in this weekend, so I've got a bunch of things to do this week in preparation. And then next week...okay, you get my point. Perhaps not procrastination. Just life.

Today, my goal is to get at least one headband finished. Baby steps until things calm down some, right? Right.


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Have a good President's Day!


Saturday, February 19, 2011

book nook. torment by lauren kate.



TORMENTED & TORN. On one hand, I’m over the books because of the lack of character depth. But on the other hand, I’m a sucker for an unfinished story. Even though I’m a bit ticked at being led on for a second book & left with only more questions & theories, I’ll check-out the third installment for some *I hope* closure.

This series has the potential of serious disappointment. I mean, if this backstory reveal isn’t fantastic, then all this teasing has been a waste. The world is not made up in black & white. There are many shades of grey [just ask Ansel Adams –bah dum dum]. Got it, understood. Again, I don’t like leaving a series unfinished, but so over the tease. 

READ MY FULL RANT REVIEW HERE>>>



NOTE. I read a lot of gritty supernatural &/or crime &/or cynical --you get my drift-- AND I mean it when I read a lot & many of them in one evening or two. Sometimes, it's because I'm so locked into the story & characters *not the case so much here*. Honestly, I skimmed a lot because there's a lot of filler not relevant to the story & I'm not convinced of any undying love connection between the two main characters. 

Again, I have this personal vow of seeing a series through to the end until I give my final opinion. If you like "lighter" reads, try the series out [and it is geared towards teens, but I'd add towards very sheltered or younger teens- there was more emotion in Twilight].  If you like more potency to any of the above, skip it. If you're looking for something angels/demons with "grit", perhaps check out Adrian Phoenix's Maker series. I've only read the first book, but it dealt with angels mixed in with vamps too.

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 -Kat.

Friday, February 18, 2011

window shopping. 1906 home in NC.

1906 2-story Victorian in Wadesboro, NC.
See full listing HERE>>>
[image from listing]

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Thursday, February 17, 2011

i fear garden gnomes.

Gnudie Gnome by FluffyFlowers.
More gnomes in her Etsy shop HERE>>>


Am I the only one with that fear? I think the only gnome ever that didn't give me the creeps was David the Gnome when I was younger- lol. 

Okay, so this guy doesn't really scare me. I find the naked gnome only slightly unnerving! Thought I'd pass him along in light of the latest movie Gnomio and Juliet [which el kiddo REALLY wants to see & KNOWS that the movie completely creeps me out!].

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Wednesday, February 16, 2011

good eats. diesel pizza pub in roswell.

image from Diesel Pizza Pub [Roswell, GA] site online HERE>>>

This is a new favorite casual fare place for us! It's an old converted fire station & still has the garage-type doors that they keep open during business hours. I've been meaning to try it out for a while now, but honestly I thought it was just a burger/hot dog sort of place & so I've passed. We had some books to drop off at the library today [which is just down the street], & I decided to look it up online to peek at the menu. 

Well, if I had only done this months ago!!! It's a family-friendly pub, pizza, sandwich, panini place. And it is y u m m y! Here's the scoop:


THE FOOD. Usually, I veto mac&cheese plates for el kiddo, but they had these mac&cheese bites. Think chicken nuggets, but with mac&cheese inside instead. So I let him go ahead & get that plate which came with fresh cut apple slices [not packaged] & a juice box. Of course, he finished the juice box & apple slices immediately. And he definitely gave two thumbs up for the bites. 

Now, I ended up getting The Off Roader panini. Lol- it's nearly the same thing I get at J. Christophers [the Billy Goat], but sandwich form vs. omelet! Chicken breast, goat cheese, spinach, mushrooms, red peppers with pesto-mayo sauce* on ciabatta bread. It comes with a basic green leaf side salad [think Greek salads almost, with thin sliced red onions, kalamata olives, cucumbers]. It comes standard with olive oil & balsamic vinegar, which happens to be my go-to salad dressing anyway. 

*Pesto sauces at restaurants can make or break it with me. This one wasn't half bad-- it was maybe a touch too much mayo vs. pesto, but they didn't overly slop it on. There's a chicken caprese panini-ish sandwich at Red Robin, but the sauce HAS to be on the side because they looove to slather it on & it's too runny. Mushy sandwiches are not cool with me!

THE SERVICE & "FEEL" OF DIESEL. We came in as rush hour was picking up momentum. There's minimal parking, but it's located in historic Roswell so we just parked down the street & walked over a block. No biggie. You can sit down wherever, just make sure they see you come in if there's just the one waitress on hand like there was tonight. But that didn't hinder service...our waitress frequently checked up on us & there was no serious waiting- all was good. 

Oh, and note that the outside patio seating is fairly low compared to the tables-- so the kiddies & vertically challenged [like me] will need to sit up very tall to reach their food. The kids may need to stand. SO, I'd recommend sitting at the traditional seating inside or at the picnic tables outside instead if this describes you!

It was a little before sunset & the temps started to cool down, but it was too warm for the patio heaters to be turned on just yet. Also, when the weather is a bit warmer, I'm sure they'll have live music outside like they did last year. For now, the steady stream of traffic & local historical charm is your scenery outside. 

Inside, there's still a vibe of fire department with the open garage doors, exposed brick & ducting, concrete floors. But, it's done well. Like the serveware, it's simple and references a more utilitarian feel, but it's all done with a sophisticated nod. And yes, sports fans, there are flat screens mounted. We sat outside, but I think I only saw smaller screens [27"-no more than 40"].

As far as the diners go, it IS family-friendly [I've walked right back out of some pubs that advertise family-friendly, but are more bar regardless of the hour]. We were there around 5:45-6:45 & there were a couple other families eating & a few clean pairs of suits taking in happy hour. Don't fret, think casual relaxed drinks...not smoky loud bar. 

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Well, I think I made that long enough!
Enjoy!


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

eloise suite at the plaza.


Betsey Johnson designed the Eloise Suite at The Plaza last year & I'm curious to know what you think about it. 


I asked around & got mixed reviews. My kid sis [almost 10] doesn't like it. "Too pink" she said. But it seems to be cool with the 6 & younger crowd per some little experts of friends & coworkers. Don't get me wrong, on one hand, I think it's adorable...just sooo not my typical style. And there's no way that I could actually fall asleep in there, even with the hot pink neon "Eloise" sign turned off. But, I guess I'm also not the intended market segment either. Sorry, Betsey...I just can't shake the adult goggles on this one.


Now, the Eloise Suite is not cheap by any means [obviously, *hello* The Plaza]. There is an optional attached suite package for the adults in order to keep their sanity! But starting at $1125 a night & $2350 including the attached suite, would this be worth it for a special evening for your 5-6-ish yr-old girl? 
  
Feel free to gripe at me because (1) I live on a Wally World/Target/Ikea budget AND (2) would most likely opt for heading out to Disney World/Sea World/Universal, or something like that if I had the spare *ahem* pocket-change. Never mind that this theme sooo does not fly with my son!

**On a sick side note--I'm always surprised when I recognize products out in public or through images. I immediately knew that Sicis was the mosaic tile company for the bathrooms. And because I'm such a pain in the arse & had to know if I was right, I did some investigating and found it on Sicis' site HERE>>>



[top image, The Plaza; remaining images from Hotel Design]

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And, because I was just feeling so funky, here's a treasury that I created inspired by the Eloise Suite. Enjoy!

 
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Monday, February 14, 2011

happy valentine's day.


Happy Valentine's Day!

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I've been super-duper busy rearranging the studio. What was supposed to be a few changes has turned into new shelving & complete re-work of all supplies! It will be FABULOUS once it's done, which I hope will be either tonight or tomorrow!! 
After that, new stuff on the way *promise*!


Saturday, February 12, 2011

diversions. cat in a box.

So I took this picture of Oslo & shared....


Then a friend sent me this video & I thought it was SO CUTE! I had to share it!


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Happy diversions!


Thursday, February 10, 2011

fantasy bloom hair clip, brooch no 12.


wisteria. $8.50.
limited.




Shop more lovely hair clips & brooches HERE>>>

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

rosebud earrings no 44.


mist. $12.
limited.



Shop more lovely earrings HERE>>>

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

beaded rosebud earrings no b01.


olive khaki/gold. $14.
limited.


Shop more lovely earrings HERE>>>

Monday, February 7, 2011

quick update. added to CH Nest Club!

Hi there! 

I just wanted to give a quick notice about another way to earn a quick $5 CH gift certificate! 
Send me a photo or two modeling like a fashionista in your CH design. I'll post you up here & add to the CH Facebook Fan Page AND email you that $5 gift certificate. More info HERE>>>



[buttons image above by me]

fabric flower rosebud earrings by cardinalhouse.


persimmon. $12.


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Shop more lovely earrings HERE>>>

Sunday, February 6, 2011

flower brooch no 11. dusty blue + gold.

gold/dusty blue. $12.
limited.



Shop more lovely brooches HERE>>>

Saturday, February 5, 2011

earrings no 43. fabric rosebud earrings.


sage/bronze. $12.


Shop more lovely earrings HERE>>>

Friday, February 4, 2011

flower brooch no 10. black lace + gold.


blace lace/vintage button. $12.
limited design.

Shop more lovely brooches HERE>>>

Thursday, February 3, 2011

book nook. Fallen by Lauren Kate.


new school, love triangle, battle of good vs evil.

If you like the Twilight or House of Night series, then I think you'd like this too. But, I like that here we're dealing with reincarnation & fallen angels, which is a nice switch from so many vampire-oriented books out there. 

You can figure out a few things easily before the plot unfolds, but there are still a couple twists towards the end. Of course it leaves a big question open at the end that, I hope, is explained in the second book in the series [library reserve already placed for it].

Oh, and I absolutely love the cover art. I want want a dress just like it.

Read the whole review and find more information about the book HERE>>>

bracelet no 07. peach beaded rose.


peach/red aventurine. $15.


Shop more lovely bracelets HERE>>>

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

fleur necklace no 13. aqua mint.


aqua mint. $28.



Coordinating earrings found HERE>>>

Shop more lovely necklaces HERE>>>

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

CH Nest Club is officially here!

Finally, the CH Nest Club is ready to launch! Want to save 10% off all Cardinal House orders? Or earn $5 CH gift certificates? Find the details on the CH Nest Club page HERE>>>




P.S. - Big THANKS! to Ali Marie [aka Mrs. Dolan Geiman] for the initial inspiration & permissions. You're the sweetest!

fabric flower rosebud earrings by cardinalhouse.


mocha brown multi. $12.


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Shop more lovely earrings HERE>>>
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