FarmHouseUrban

Lily's Bedroom is finished!

Hi to you...First I want to say, as I often to do, thank you to each and everyone who reads this blog. I cannot express the sheer amazement and pleasure it gives me to know that so many people actually read it and even better, like it and find it inspiring. I appreciate your understanding during my recent hiatus.... I've missed you. It's so good to be back.

A little background for those just tuning in... My daughter Lily is 14 and has had the same bedroom furniture since she went from a crib to a bed. She was long overdue for a room makeover, so I decided to surprise her (actually she weighed in on most decisions) while she was away at camp. The big reveal was HGTV worthy -complete with jumping, squeals, etc. Needless to say she loves it and the added bonus - she has actually kept it tidy so far!

The color scheme before was lavender. Her beds were a purchase from ebay from years ago. I bought one bed and when I went to pick it up, the bidder on another bed never showed, so I scored both! Lily was a toddler and still quite content in her crib, but I loved them and figured someday soon she would be ready. The seller had shabby chic'd them, as you can see below.

After...

I painted the beds gray (I didn't actually do the painting, but you knew that :-). I will look up the color and give it to you in a later post. Incidently, a reader emailed me recently requesting my favorite shade of gray. I realized as I walked through my house counting all the things I had painted in various shades of gray, that it is hard to pick just one!

When we were under construction and replacing all the windows in the house, I had the window in Lily's room moved from off to the left to where it is above - centered in between the two beds.

the duvet covers came from here

The nightstand and matching desk are available through the trade. They are sold in many home furnishing stores around the country. If you are interested in purchasing click here.

The nightstand and desk came with different pulls - brass, circular and rather large. They didn't work with the feel of Lily's new room, so we bought these pretty glass knobs at Anthropolgie. Click here for the link.

I had a pair of these lamps from Z Gallerie. We replaced the lampshade with this gray one. 

The fabric is by Clarke & Clarke. Click here for the link. Lily wanted the colors in her room to match her bathroom, see it here, so once we found this fabric that has grays and dark pinks, the rest of the accessories became easy to find. 

We used it for Roman shades and pillow shams.

Floating shelves, gray storage box and pink desk organizer are from here. 

Petite chandelier is from here.

Gray zebra rug and fuzzy pillows are from here.

That's it!

Happy Monday! Have a great week! 

Giveaway winner!

Hi to you. It's the last weekend before school starts and I'm holding onto every last drop of summer. At the same time, I've been looking ahead and thinking about Fall with anticipation. I read the quote below on the blog Habitually Chic this week. A good reminder of what matters. The timing was perfect for me, I hope it is for you as well.

The lucky recipient of the Uncle Goose wooden block set and wire basket is Joey! Congratulations! I will email you to get your mailing info!

 

A FarmHouseUrban Giveaway - for the baby in your life!

Designing a nursery is not something I've been asked to do often, although I love the idea of creating a space that welcomes a new little person into the world. For my own children, I went the traditional pink and blue route because there weren't many other choices at that time. Nowadays, there are many new color combinations, as well as crib and furniture styles making the design options for nurseries endless. 

It was such a fun surprise to receive a set of wooden blocks from the company Uncle Goose. They make traditional old-school style alphabet blocks with a modern twist.

 

I started playing around with them because they have cool patterns on one side.

 

And fun fonts and icons on the others.

Then I starting thinking about designing a baby's bedroom around the colors in the blocks because as it turns out, army green, orange and black are great together!

Here's the nursery I came up with...

crib source here

rope rug source here

wide weave linen glider source here

lumber pillow source here

shelving source here

Camouflage name banner source here

Throw source here

Sooo, for the giveaway, one lucky winner will receive this stylish set of blocks plus I will throw in this vintage-style (but brand new!) metal basket! All you need to do is go to the Uncle Goose website, have a look around and leave me a comment here sharing your favorite set. I will select a random winner on Sunday, August 11th.

To see the other fun Uncle Goose block sets, click here.

FarmHouseUrban Remodel Update - Landscaping Phase One: back patio

Hi sweet readers. I hope you are having a wonderful summer! It's flying by isn't it? My daughter Lily came home from camp on Sunday, which means I have both my kids home finally! While they were away, I spent several days out of town enjoying great weather, friends and lots of relaxation. All of our scheduled summer plans are behind us now, so other than spontaneous get-aways, we have the remaining month of summer before school starts to take it day by day. I did deliver on my goal to finish decorating Lily's room before she got home! I want to wait for the last two items to arrive before I show it to you. But, it turned out really well and most importantly, she loved it!! Have a great weekend!

This week we began work on the area outside the lower level of the house. There are french doors that open to a deck that steps down to what will be a flagstone patio with a fire pit.  The one I really like is more of a fire bowl - kind of modern and made from cast concrete. I have to place the order tomorrow, so in 3 weeks the entire project will be complete. S'more time!!!

Here's what it looks like now:

The railing around the porch is almost finished too.

My Overnight at Holman Ranch

A few weeks ago I received an invitation for a one-night stay, property tour, dinner and wine tasting at Holman Ranch in Monterey County.  There were about 15 people attending the event - other bloggers, journalists and travel writers. In exchange for our stay, we were asked to write and photograph our experience and share it with our readers. Here you go - I hope you enjoy it!

Holman Ranch is located in Carmel Valley, about a two and a half hour drive from San Francisco. Not to be confused with it's tempermental neighbor; Carmel-by-the-Sea where the weather is typically overcast and the climate cooler. Carmel Valley has on average 300 days of sunshine per year. 

The Wine

Located 12 miles inland from the coast, and nestled among the Santa Lucia mountains, this region is prime for grape growing, mostly Pinot Noir.

The ranch produces many other varietals on approximately 19 acres. All wines produced by Holman Ranch are 'Estate' meaning they are made strictly from grapes grown on the property. The wines we sampled were all excellent, but the Pinot Noir was exceptional. I purchased several bottles as well as the Pinot Noir Rose which I can't wait to try!

In addition to Holman Ranch, there are several other tasting rooms all located next door to one other along the main street in town (separate from the vineyard and ranch). Monterey County was named a “Top 10 Wine Destination” for 2013 by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

To purchase Holman Ranch Wines, please click here. To join their wine club click here.

 I ran into these two in front of the tasting room.

 The Property

The property was purchased by it's current owners -- the Lowder family-- in 2006. A complete renovation, refurbishment and landscaping overhaul is now complete. It is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I have ever seen.

There are 10 cabins like the one I stayed in (above and below) on the property that each sleep up to four people. There is one larger cabin with a full kitchen that can sleep up to six. When an event is booked at Holman Ranch, the entire property -- all 11 cabins, hacienda, game room and grounds -- are reserved exclusively for your group. 

This is the larger cabin below.

This gate separates the cabin area from the main celebration area.

The landscaping is informal and cared for impeccably. For example, the lawn is the same grass variety as the PGA uses and a special lawn mower was purchased to keep it at 1/4".  

At the end of the lawn is an overlook where wedding ceremonies take place. It is just about the most romantic place I could imagine getting married. 

Wedding receptions are held just a few steps from the lawn in this gorgeous courtyard. This converted carriage house is now a deluxe game room with a full bar set-up, comfortable furniture, billiards, and other activites.

After dinner, the barn is ready for dancing all night.

In every direction there was something beautiful to look at. 

Our dinner was held on an intimate patio just off the hacienda.

Surrounded by gardens.

Inside this hacienda is a conference space, a chapel and grand living room with stone fireplace.

 

Holman Ranch is currently booking weddings for 2015. To learn more about weddings at Holman Ranch click here.

To contact Holman Ranch, click here.

Thank you to gracious hosts Hunter and Nick! 

Teenage Girls' Bedroom Ideas

Well hi there.  It's early morning and really quiet around here. On Sunday I put my daughter Lily on a plane ~ by herself ~ for a month at summer camp. She's fourteen. It wasn't her first time flying alone, so no first time jitters, but this time she asked me to let her go through security and wait at the gate by herself. One of those tough mom moments... Wait, what if...?  I bit my tongue and watched her until she made it through. As a baby she was attached to my hip, never more than a few feet from me. The one who never stopped crying when a babysitter came. As she headed towards her gate, she gave me a big confident smile and a wave. Snip, went one of the apron strings. The day before, a plane crashed upon landing at the same airport. The wreckage was still on the tarmac. Many were injured on that flight as I'm sure you're aware and two tragically lost their lives. The two were teenage girls heading to summer camp. To those moms, my heart goes out to you.

While Lily is away at camp, I want to surprise her by re-doing her room. We're keeping all the same furniture - a fresh coat of paint here and there, swapping out some old hardware, and updating the accessories. I can't wait to see her reaction when she comes home and sees it! She and I picked out most things before she left, so it won't be a total surprise. If you are getting deja vu, it's because I did a post awhile ago showing a few things we picked out. You can read it by clicking here.

I'll show you the finished room just before she gets home which is still a few weeks away (the window coverings are being installed the day before). In the meantime, here are some rooms that I think provide great inspiration for teen girls.

Amanda Nisbet

Aren't these curtains incredible? Daybeds are perfect for teens because they serve double duty as sofas. I think this one is from West Elm. Piled with splashy colors like this is an easy way to bring in lots of color without making a major commitment.

It's also nice to repeat just one color throughout. It makes the textures and patterns stand out.

 Love the light-up vanity and gorgeous chevron floors. 

It was tempting to replace Lily's twin beds with a queen size, but having the extra bed for sleepovers which happen weekly or more, it made sense to keep them.

What a great reading spot, The mattresses remind me of the story The Princess and the Pea!

Lots of fun ideas here - the striped ceiling, the pillows that spell out her name, a photo gallery wall. Coral and light blue are such a pretty color combo.

I like the way just two colors were used here. It's playful and adds whimsy without being over-the-top.

One wall of wallpaper (or stencil or contrasting paint color) is a great way to add interest to a room especially if the architecture is lacking. I happen to adore this wallpaper and love the bed with it. However, I would be really tempted to paint it like the frame below...

 

I have so many juicy posts coming, I can't wait to share them all with you! 

TGIF!

It's all in the details: home accessories.

Well, hi! Our heat wave finally ended - what a relief. Almost no temperature is too hot for me, but without the reprieve of cool nights we typically get in California, it was downright uncomfortable. I hope it is cool where you are and you're enjoying a lovely weekend!

For the past few weeks I've taken a little break from house matters - so much other stuff going on plus I just needed to recharge. I'm excited to be back to it and made progress this week with furniture and window coverings. As I've said before, this is going to be a gradual process, layering over time rather than a big reveal. Speaking of a big reveal, we got tv hooked up this week after a year without it. I turned on HGTV and watched a show about a major renovation of a bungalow in Hollywood. The homeowners moved in after 9 months with all new furniture and accessories that were perfectly in place within a month. It put me in a little bit of a bad mood and I had to turn it off.

While I took a mental break from the furniture plan, I have had some fun playing around with accessories - some old, some new. It's amazing what a difference adding a few books to a shelf, putting flowers in a vase, fruit in a bowl and candles on table can make.

Metal vase caddy can be found here.

Blown glass votive holder can be found here.

Glazed handmade pitcher can be found here.

  Bud vase can be found here.

Narrow breadboard can be found here.

Vacation Snapshots - Part One

Hi you. I hope you have had a fantastic week! Mother Nature seems to be under the spell of the Super Moon around here. It went from torrential down pour, to East Coast humid, to 100 degrees within the past five days. The highlight of my week was Friday night - I had a few girlfriends over for a spur of the moment "Girls Night In". On the menu: Grapefruit Margaritas, Grilled Shrimp with Mango Salsa and Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Tacos. I winged it with the chicken and didn't have a recipe (all the others were from Barefoot Contessa cookbooks) and it turned out great!  I'll share the recipe and photos next time I make it - didn't think to do it yesterday.

Two friends brought flowers from their gardens. Those are gardenias floating in the bowl.

Here are a few photos from the trip we just took...

 

Enjoy your Sunday. If travel plans take you some place far far away this week, I hope you have a wonderful time...

FarmHouseUrban Recipe File - Caramelized Onion and Roast Beef Appetizer

Hi there. By the time this post is published, we will just be getting home from a great little spontaneous vacation. It was a whilwind, but so worth it - even the jetlag! Before I tell you all about it, I want to share, a dish I brought to a graduation cocktail party before we left. Like the other recipes I post here, this one is also SUPER easy and adaptable!

Enjoy and happy Monday! I've missed you ... 

Typically at cocktail parties or potluck's, there are mostly carb heavy dishes, so I prefer to bring dishes that are protein based. My usual go-to dish is grilled lemon chicken skewers with spicy peanut dipping sauce (the recipe is here), but this time I decided to change it up a bit from and go with a mini version of a hearty open faced sandwich. I'm not much of a beef eater, nor a vegetarian, but somewhere in the middle. If you are like me, one or two of these is just the perfect amount to satisfy that once in awhile craving.

Ingredients:

Freshly sliced deli roast beef 

Baguette

Yellow onions (Walla Walla or Vidalia are great, but any yellow onion, even red will do)

Blue cheese salad dressing (get the best you can find)

Butter

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

 

The only measurement you will need to know is 2T of oil to 1 onion. I like to use a little less oil than that, but add butter making the proportions the same.

I found this blue cheese dressing which is made locally. If you can't find something similar, just get the best you can find and add some crumbled blue cheese if it looks too thin.

Caramelizing onions is a s-l-o-w process. Make sure the heat is not too high - medium to medium high depending on your stove. Keep stirring so the onions don't stick or get brown too fast.

Cook them until they get golden brown. I cooked mine a little longer than above. At this point, I added salt and pepper.

To assemble, spread the blue cheese dressing on sliced baguette. Top with some roast beef, followed by the onions. As with all sandwiches, the contents to bread ratio is key. That's it!

Variations:

Use sliced beef tenderloin, but because it's difficult to eat without utensils, use slider buns instead of baguette.

Instead of blue cheese dressing, use a combination of horseradish and sour cream.

Make into full size sandwiches by slicing the baguette horizontally and filling it with the other ingredients. Slice the sandwiches to your desired size and wrap in wax paper for a picnic. 

Style - Vintage Clothing

Hi. I hope you've had a good week. Around here we've been wrapping up the school year (yipee!)- studying for finals, attending end of the year events and getting ready for Lily's 8th Grade Graduation tomorrow. Thank goodness we planned ahead and shopped for her two outfits (one for the ceremony and one for the party afterwards) a month ago! Tonight we are practicing walking in heels and trying on make-up. I'm crossing my fingers there are no unforeseen fashion emergencies before tomorrow afternoon!

Happy Friday and Happy Father's Day a few days early!

As for me? I'm wearing something I bought a few months ago while up in Seattle for a friend's birthday. Leave it to cutting-edge Seattle to be the first (or at least the first I've seen) to up the food truck ante with vintage clothing trucks! My friend and I were exploring a hip new area and spotted a parking lot filled with Airstream trailers, each of which contained mini vintage clothing boutiques. Isn't that a cool idea? Like quaint little shops that rove around to different neighborhoods and are not beholden to set store hours.

Before I tell you about my purchase, I'm curious do you shop vintage or consignment? It can be daunting combing through racks of old clothes and since it's is hit or miss, you need to have an open mind and no expectations.

On one fruitful day at a local consignment shop I picked up this Missoni dress...

On another this cropped cashmere cardigan...

One truck was well stocked with mostly European vintage pieces. My friend scored a gorgeous dress and me, this cream and navy silk Ungaro Paris skirt.

For a whopping $15! It made the shoes sort of wash. Kind of.