Thursday, August 30, 2012

Covering Kitchen Windows


There is a secret battle going on in our house. One of the first things I do in the morning is raise the blinds on the window above my kitchen sink to let the sunlight in. If my husband walks through the kitchen, the first thing he does is lower the blinds. It can go back and forth like this all day!

When the blinds are open, we get a nice amount of sunlight in our kitchen plus I love the view. The one problem is the window faces the street, so fully raising the blinds presents some privacy issues.

A midway compromise
Because I do seem to spend a lot of time looking out this window washing fruits and veggies and doing other kitchen tasks, I would really like to frame the view a little better and find a way to let light in while protecting privacy. 

I have narrowed the options for new window treatment down to three categories:

Cafe Curtains
I like the way cafe curtains let in light while also offering privacy and look great closed or open. A pattern would also add a nice contrast to the mostly white in my kitchen. Sometimes cafe curtains can be a little too country kitchen for my taste, so if I do go with this option I will need to pick the right fabric, curtain style and curtain rod and rings.






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 Interior Shutters
I love interior shutters, especially plantation shutters. They are timeless and work with any style interior. Shutters offer a nice, clean line which seems so right in a kitchen. Plus, in my experience keeping them clean is fairly easy.




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Bamboo Blinds
So bamboo blinds wouldn't allow more light or more privacy than my current blinds, but I do prefer their soft color to my dark wood blinds. Plus, I keep finding myself drawn to kitchens with bamboo blinds. It is a nice way to break up a lot of white in a kitchen.



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How do you cover the windows in your kitchen? Pros and cons??


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

California Cool; Style

This summer has felt a bit like a whirlwind of travel which I always enjoy, especially when it involves great places like Southern California.

I love how laid back and casual Southern California is without sacrificing great style. I was so inspired by the SoCal gals on my two trips and have tried to bring a little bit of California Cool to my wardrobe this summer.

I have searched far and wide on the internet for a cotton Mexican dress which reminds me so much of my childhood. I finally found the perfect pink, hits-just-below-the-knees dress in Old Town in San Diego. I have lived in it this summer!


My other favorite California purchase which I have also worn like crazy this summer- a pair of kelly green Current/Elliott jeans. I am such a black and white wardrobe person, but it seems whenever I purchase something in a great color like these jeans I wear it with everything!

via shopbop

Cut off jean shorts, an open weave sweater over a simple tank with minimal jewelry and great sandles just seems like the quentisential outfit to throw on after a day at beach when you are headed to one of the many incredible restaurants that line the beach up and down the coast.

California Cool



Grey sweater
sheinside.com



Agent Ninetynine cotton shirt
$21 - generalpants.com.au



J Brand cutoff shorts
net-a-porter.com




I came this close to purchasing a pair of soft yellow cut off shorts which is so not my normal style...I own one pair of shorts to my name. That is what I love about traveling, though, it gets me out of my normal routine and makes me consider new things!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Pinterest for IPad!

I am breaking my months of radio silence to share the good news I woke up to this morning...Pinterest finally has an IPad app!



If you are an IPad user and a Pinterest lover, you have no doubt shared my frustration for how IPad unfriendly the Pinterest site is. I have been relegated to just looking at images on Pinterest and not pinning when I use my IPad which of course make me a little panicky because how on earth am I going to remember to go back and pin that great pesto recipe I saw once I get to a computer?!?

I downloaded the new Pinterest app this morning and have had a chance to play around with it. So far, I really like it and recommend it.

Two other new-to-me apps that I am loving lately:

Houzz
Lots and lots of home and landscape ideas with the ability to save to your own "Ideabook."



Next Issue
A friend at work (thanks Dave!) introduced me to this and I am still not sure how it is possible, but you can get tons of digital versions of magazines for just $9.99/month. Titles such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle, Bon Apetite (my new favorite), Real Simple, Cooking Light, Southern Living, and on and on. The great thing is this downloads to your IPad so you can view them without internet connection which is perfect for traveling!



Any new apps you love? Please share in the comment section. I would love to hear about them.

More posts soon...