Thursday, December 17, 2009

Ahh, a design pitch..

Good morning! I got to work today and received a funny email about a yahoo digital short from another designer on campus. If anyone is reading this blog and is also a designer, then you'll see this humor in this youtube video. I think its really funny and true in some aspects. Well, think about it, we are always trying to be trendy, we talk in circles explaining our concepts (some of us), work long hours which we aren't paid well, don't enjoy criticism, and usually have to work with a tiny-tinny budget. Enjoy! 




As for house updates, I feel like Dave and I haven't really been motivated to work much on the house. I know we have only been there for three months or so, but you get anxious and tired all at the same time especially when you have all these idea bubbles in your head. What a mess! We are currently working on the kitchen and its such a long, drawn-out project that I just tired of looking at it. There are so many decisions to make when you are working on a kitchen. What kind of countertops? cabinets? layout? flooring? etc. etc. The list could go on, not to mention that we want to get the best bang for our buck so we have to get a thousand different estimates from multiple companies. How do you decide who is the best? If there is anyone reading this blog at all, how do you get through the "lazy" periods and how do you know if you are making the best decisions all the while trying to be money-savvy plus getting what you want? If anyone wants to help prime the rest of kitchen this evening, just give me a ring!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Puppy Love!

Here are some photos of our adorable little boy pooch, Tux. He is a black and silver  miniature schnauzer. I thought it was time to share him with the world. We love him and he's my pride and joy although he does tend to yap from time to time. I think Dave and I take pleasure in making fun of him, poor Tux. Here he is in a whig that Dave used for one halloween. What sort of stuff do you do to annoy your pets?









Friday, December 11, 2009

Heading to Sweden!



This weekend while Dave is with friends in South Carolina, I'll be in Sweden! Yup, I'm finally going to make at a spot at Ikea and maybe a few other stores while I'm staying with my pal, Maggie in Atlanta, GA. Last week, we got roman shades for our bedrooms and I would like to finish out the rest of the windows for the house. I got the roman shades for a really great deal from JCPenny's, I purchased them in cool white which would allow sunlight to shine though. I plan on getting Vivian curtains from Ikea. I found them from a blog that I am totally obsessed with, which is YoungHouseLove, if you haven't noticed already. Here is how they used them.






I don't want to be a complete copycat, but I like to think of it as I just really admire their particular style. But curtains for only $9.99, how could you not want these curtains too? If I can't find bamboo roman shades at a good price in Atlanta, I'm gong to order bamboo shades from Amazon. Don't worry, I measured every window so I won't be going into stores completely blind. I also plan to buy some wall shelving units as well, which is yet another design idea that I stole from Sherri and John.



Wish me luck so I may find all the great bargains on this shopping trip!

Happy Weekend!


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Totally Wicked!

For my "big-girl" job that brings in the big bucks, ...yeah right, I'm a graphic designer. I love what I do and enjoy working on most of the projects that come my way. Whenever I am stuck on a project or need a bit of inspiration, I tend to do the same thing that most designers do which is research or brainstorm. In whatever design field you might enjoy or work in, the process is almost identical to one another. Its the same whether you are researching what kind of fabric you want to re-upholster your sofa or what typeface would work best for a particular publication, or designing the perfect shoe for the perfect party dress. I wanted to share some graphic design pieces that I thought were totally awesome and found to be very energizing and influential. 


















































Friday, December 4, 2009

Chili and the SEC Championship!



Its time to gear up for cold weather, warm chili, and good ol' fashion football! Thats right its the SEC championship, a rematch between the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide. Its hopefully gonna be a great game! After 10 years, Dave has converted me to a Florida fan, and I love it! I'll be making a big batch of chili and watching my gators. This chili is pretty awesome, and it freezes pretty well too. Here is the recipe.




Big-Batch Chili


Ingredients
4  pounds  ground chuck
2  medium onions, chopped
1  green pepper, chopped
2  garlic cloves, minced
3  (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
4  (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1  (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/4  cup  chili powder
1  tablespoon  sugar
1  teaspoon  salt
1  teaspoon  pepper
1/2  teaspoon  paprika
1/2  teaspoon  ground red pepper
1  bay leaf
2  (16-ounce) cans light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (optional)


Toppings: sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, sliced ripe black olives
Preparation


Cook ground chuck, in batches, in a large skillet over medium-high heat about 5 minutes, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Place meat in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir in onions, next 12 ingredients, and, if desired, beans. Cook, covered, at HIGH 5 to 6 hours or at LOW 6 to 8 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Serve with desired toppings.


Cooktop preparation: Cook ground chuck, in batches, in a large Dutch oven. Drain beef and return to Dutch oven. Add onions, next 12 ingredients, and, if desired, beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 4 to 6 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf.


To freeze: Let chili stand 30 minutes. Evenly divide chili mixture into 3 (1-gallon) zip-top plastic freezer bags; seal and lay each bag flat. Stack bags of chili in freezer. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw frozen chili overnight in refrigerator or defrost in microwave. Pour thawed chili into a 9-inch square baking dish. Cover tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap, and fold back a corner to allow steam to escape. Microwave at HIGH 6 to 7 minutes or until bubbly, stirring after 3 1/2 minutes.


Well, if that doesn't get you fired up enough, check out some of these videos of my man Spikes and the other Florida Gators!






Thursday, December 3, 2009

Inspiring Design

I have a laundry list of things that I want to do to our home, but sometimes it just can't happen all at once; although, I wish it did! Speaking of wishing, I've been gathering photos that inspire me for a while now, it ranges anything from a little bit of blog love, window shopping, random home design magazines and general design. There is great design out there, I just want a tinny-tiny piece of it.