DIY- Hollywood Regency Greyhound

 

As I have previously said, I am in love with anything Hollywood Regency style. I first spotted a ceramic greyhound on a blog a few months ago and I was in love. So naturally, I scoured the internet looking for one for my home. I came across a few but they were way out of my budget. Last month, I went to Tuesday Morning and found a greyhound in their garden department, he definitely wasn't the right color but he most certainly had potential. For $35 dollars he went home with me, for a glamor treatment was in his immediate future.

The Inspirations:

 

Image via

Image via

Image via

What you'll need:

Greyhound- or dog of your choice (mine is from Tuesday Morning)

Fine grit sandpaper

Primer

Spray Paint- High Gloss White

This is how he looked from the store. He is made out of resin and was coated in some sort of varnish.

He was just dying to be something more glamorous than this!

 First thing I did was sand him down. Diva Darling keep telling me he was starting to look more like a giraffe than a greyhound.

After sanding him down, I gave him a few coats of primer. Some of the staining kept showing through so I had to make sure I had him good and primed. After that I used a high gloss white and gave him a few coats.

Here he is in all his glory, looking on guard and very regal next to my bar cart. He is kind of a mobile greyhound, as he has graced my fireplace, buffet and front door. This was a super simple and affordable way to add some Hollywood Regency style to my home. What do you think? I also love that he is virtually indestructible (resin, you are my friend) with my little Diva Darling around. 

♥ Jen

Hollywood Regency Inspiration

Hollywood Regency is one of my new lust after styles. I love how elegant the furnishing and home accessories look in a modern home. Gilded etageres and tufted furniture are probably my favorites. I am really careful not to invest in uber trendy pieces of furniture or clothing since my budget doesn't allow for new purchases when the trends change. I have incorporated a few Hollywood Regency inspired pieces to my home that make it feel modern and not stuck in another time period...a bar cart, glassware, and accessory pieces. Friday I will show you what Hollywood Regency inspired DIY I tackled over the weekend.

♥ Jen

Weekend in Pictures

Essie Smokin Hot, Essie Luxeffects As Gold As It Gets

Fall is in the air! The mornings have been quite cool (for me anyways) and the evening have been very nice. The last few weeks have been sooo busy around our house. I was finally able to spend some time at home this week and completed so many projects. I was able to catch up on my magazine reading and I even had time for a fall manicure.

   

 

My mother recently gave me an early birthday present.....A SEWING MACHINE! I have been wanting one for what feels like forever! I picked up some of these fun fabrics and can't wait to get sewing.

 

 

I'm starting to add new pieces to my wardrobe for fall. I found this chevron patterned scarf at Forever 21 over the weekend. For $8, it was a real steal! 

 

 

I have added a few new pieces to my etsy shop. I love the feel and look of this acrylic bracelet. It has a mixture of greys, browns and maybe even a hint of blue. You can find it here. 

 

 

I am obsessed with sugar skulls and crosses. I created this lovely bracelet out of white and turquoise magnesite and a silver sugar skull bead. Perfect for the upcoming Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. You can also find that here.

 

Friday I will posting a Hollywood Regency inspired DIY so be on the look out for that. Have a great week!

 

♥ Jen

Labor Day Crab Fest

The end of Summer just wouldn't be complete around our house without a blue crab fest. There is nothing like sitting for a few hours with friends and family, cracking crab and enjoying every ones company. You can purchase crab either steamed or live in whatever quantity you choose. Typically in the past we have always had our crab prepared and steamed before we pick it up. This year, we decided to purchase live crab and steam them ourselves and the results were amazing. Here is a super simple way to steam your own crab.  

We purchased a bushel and this is how they will come. They are usually cold so the crab will actually appear as if they are dead. Do not cook the dead ones! The cold kind of makes them lethargic and they won't move very much until they warm up a bit. Just tap them with your tongs and they will start to move.

What you'll need:

Vinegar

Old Bay

Water

Steam Pot with Basket

Tongs

Butter

Crab Hammers

Fill your pot with equal part of vinegar and water. Make sure your steamer basket does not touch the liquid.

Crab waiting to be steamed.

Now, for us this was a team effort. Hubby grabbed the crab out of the basket and I was in charge of holding the lid down on the pot. ***Note, they will become much more sprightly after they have begun to warm up. We may have had some that tried to make a break for it off the deck. But have no fear, once you get a system down the process goes much smoother.  

Put as many as will fit in the pot once you put the lid on. Between each layer of crab we added the Old Bay. You can add as much or as little as you like....we prefer our to be completely doused.

 The amount that will fit will depend on the size of your pot and the size of your crab.  

Steam the crab for approx 20-25 minutes and they will be ready to enjoy. We steamed our whole bushel in about 2 hours. Your neighbors will be able to smell your yummy delicious crab about 4 blocks away!

Heat up some butter and grab your crab hammers, its time to eat. Some people, my son in particular, like to eat their crab with vinegar.

Typically beer is our go to beverage with crab, but drink whatever you would like.

Even Diva Darling enjoyed the crabs. 

Cheers! You did it!

♥ Jen

Summer at the Beach

Vitamin A "Redondo" Romper, H&M Bikini, Betsey Johnson Straw Tote, Jeanne Simmons Beach Hat, Madewell Belle Sandals, Beach Towel, Marc Jacobs Aviator Sunglasses, Fekkai "Summer Hair" Cooling Shine Mist, Lancome Juicy Tube, Bvlgari Mon Jasmine Noir Perfume, Nars Laguna Bronzer, Nars Eyeshadow Trio, Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color, Deborah Lippman Boom Boom Pow Nail Color.

A few weeks ago we were vacationing at the beach, enjoying the sun, sand and surf. The time seems to pass so quickly and before you know it, you are heading back home and wishing you could have stayed for just one more day. As our family grows, it seems like we are carrying arms loads of stuff out on to the beach....chairs, umbrella, towels, bags, toys and a cooler. It seemed to be so much more simpler when it was just the hubby and I. Here are a few items that I had in my beach tote and a few that I am totally crushing over!

♥ Jen

Weekend in Pictures

Sorry, I have been a little MIA as of late. We have been so busy! We've gone camping, fishing, a trip to NYC, and the beach...so it has been a little crazy around here and my blogging and DIY projects have gone by the wayside. So, I am back! Refreshed and ready....can you believe how fast the summer has gone by? School is starting soon which can only mean one thing.....Christmas is just around the corner!

Here's a few snapshots from our trip to the beach. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect beach day.....sunny and mid 80's. We stayed at this lovely mid century modern hotel on the beach. This hotel was super swanky with a wonderful owner who treated us like we were more than just guests. I can't wait to go back and visit again soon.

 Diva Darling in appropriate beach attire....Hello Kitty bikini! The sand was soooo soft and I just couldn't help but run the sand through my fingers and toes.

Here's a photo hubby snapped of me....he could have at least told me my bra strap was showing!

 Perfect pedi for the beach....Turquoise and Caicos from Essie.

 Does anyone else love to draw in the sand?

I just couldn't get enough of the views. I think I took a million photos of the beach grass and surrounding scenery. Our visit was so short, and as soon as we left we were wishing we had stayed just a day more. This is definitely a must do vacation for our family each summer. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far.

♥ Jen

Weekend in Pictures

It has been a busy couple of weeks around our home. Summer is in full swing and vacations are in the air. Posting has been a little sporadic as of late....we've been camping, to the beach and NYC, the zoo and a maraud of other places.

Last weekend a couple of my girlfriends and I headed to New York City for a day of shopping and entertainment. We spent a good deal of time in the garment district oohing and aahing over the vast selection of fabric and trimming. Then we headed towards Times Square since it was so close. Now, I have been to New York City before, but for some reason never in Times Square. There were so many people and other less than exciting things....next visit I will be skipping this major tourist trap.

We decided to see the Terracotta Warriors at Discovery Times Square and it was absolutely fascinating. It was so amazing to see things that were made so long ago....soooo glad I was able to see this exhibit before it ends.

Here are a few snap shots.

I am a Project Runway geek. Here is a photo of where they film the show.

 Many, many, many people around Times Square.

 Drawing from the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit.

Terracotta Warrior.....they had a few different ones and it was just amazing to see how intricate and detailed they were. By far, my favorite stop while we were in NYC. I took way too many photos!

We will be traveling again later this week, so I won't be posting until next week. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

♥ Jen

Weekend in Pictures

We had such a wonderful weekend, and I hope all of you did as well. We enjoyed lovely fireworks, weather and food. Over the weekend I did a little shopping by myself since it was over 100 degrees here and just too hot to take little ones out. In the picture above, I found this unique cocktail fork set made of some type of horn and made in Spain. It fit into a little space on my bar cart perfectly!

At a little furniture and home accessory consignment store, I found this inlaid Italian handmade checkerboard. It has some of the most beautiful color wood inlay that I have seen in a long time.

It has has these little slide out compartments to store the checker pieces, and folds up into about the size of a cigar box. This unique item was only $18.95, and I can't wait to find the perfect place to display it.

Over the past week I decided that I NEEDED to have a campaign style chest. I have seen many fabulously redone campaign dressers and other furniture pieces on pinterest. I initially was looking for a dresser, but I found this one at the Goodwill, and I think it will provide so much extra storage that I need in my office. It's a little rough on the top and it is missing one of the corner brackets, but she has soooo much potential and I can't wait to make her beautiful again. I'll post an update when I am done refinishing it.

After researching campaign furniture on the Internet, I came to the conclusion that it may be very expensive to acquire. I couldn't believe that on my very first weekend of looking for one of these pieces, that I was able to score one at the Goodwill for only $9.97! Crazy awesome deal....I almost couldn't contain my excitement.

What July 4th weekend would be complete without gorging on some yummy and festive cookies! Let me know what you did over the weekend and any ideas that you might have for paint colors for my new campaign chest.

♥ Jen

Happy 4th of July

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

♥ Jen

DIY- Patriotic Nails

I can't believe the 4th of July is already tomorrow....and we are already half way through the year! The year has just flown by so fast. Since I lack really any patriotic clothing I created this simple nail design for the upcoming holiday. Keep reading to see how I achieved this look.

What you'll need:

Red Polish- OPI Ali's Big Break

Blue Polish- Orly Witch's Blue

White Polish- L.A. Colors White

Top Coat

Scotch Tape

Nail Dotter

Nail Polish Remover

Q tips

First, paint nails the red color of your choice. I did 2 coats.

Tear a piece of scotch tape off and stick it on the back of your hand a few times so it is not so sticky...it'll pull up your base coat if it is too sticky. Then place at an angle.

Paint your blue color onto your nail.

When the blue coat is dry, carefully peel back the scotch tape. This is what you should have so far.

On a piece of plastic or paper plate, make a small pool of white nail polish.

Using a dotter, dip into white nail polish and create little dots of the blue portion of your nail.

All finished!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday tomorrow!

♥ Jen