Simply Cville.

New Blog!

2011-09-08T12:55:00.001-07:00

Hi All!

I hope this message finds you all well. Well, I'm back, and I'm blogging again. This time, with a brand new blog! Check it out and follow along, if you feel so inclined!

http://www.edwardupward.blogspot.com/

Cheers,
Edward

Bright Idea.

2010-07-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hey Simply Cville Readers!

If you find yourself in town or are up for a roadtrip to my favorite small, Southern city, please head over to The Shade Shop & Lighting Gallery for their Annual July 30% Off Sale!

The Shade Shop carries a wide variety of beautiful lamps, shades, and lighting fixtures/accessories, ranging from the modest of modern to classic and traditional!

All in-stock merchandise is 30% Off--ALL MONTH! You can't beat it.

So hop over to The Shade Shop & Lighting Gallery in the Ivy Square Shopping Center (next to Foods of All Nations) in Charlottesville! Some of the prettiest lamps in town from some of the nicest folks in town! What more could you ask for?

http://www.theshadeshop.com/

Follow their Blog!

http://www.theshadeshop.com/blog/

Cheers,

Head Bored.

2010-06-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

I had been searching for a simple Headboard solution for the bed in the front guest room of the bungalow. Guests have always said the bed is super comfortable, but the room has always looked unfinished with the metal bed frame, mattress, and box springs just pushed against the wall.

I wanted something that felt light, airy, and matched the "beachy"/coastal feel of the guest room. I love for a guest room to be cohesive, yet eclectic. I think you have a lot of wiggle room when decorating a guest room, because you can play off the fact that your guests are coming to you from near and far, traveling, and leaving small pieces of themselves in the space. I like to think of a guest room as a collection of the people who have stayed there. So, I loved the idea of using a found/re-purposed object for the headboard to finish off the space.

I found my solution at The Covesville Store, located 15 miles South of Charlottesville on Route 29 toward Lynchburg. The Covesville Store is a treasure trove of antiques, vintage furniture, old fireplace mantels/surrounds, glassware, and really just anything you could imagine. They also keep their website and facebook up-to-date with their new arrivals!

http://covesvillestoreantiques.com/

Shopping with my friend Richard, we spent over an hour combing the different levels of the old general store building, not looking for anything in particular. After purchasing an old silver Hunt Club derby trophy (I love old trophies, they also make great centerpieces/vases for flowers) and a Diet Coke (my drug of choice), we set out to hit our next destination in Cville. As we were walking out, there it was, propped up against the side of the building. An old, black, metal screen panel. I swear the light was shining down on it like it does in a movie, like some beacon of hope, or like when the cute boy walks into the cafeteria in a movie and the rest of time stands still.

Like many former boyfriends, he was chipped, dirty, rusty, and not much to look at it,but I didn't care. I saw some major potential, and I knew he had to go home with me.

The best part? $25.00.

So, a little spray down, a scrub brush, 2 cans of Krylon Rustoleum white spray enamel later (1 can of spray primer, one can of spray paint), I had a new headboard in one afternoon. The panel, being a part of a screen or larger piece, already had holes along the side for easy hanging. Using 4 anchored screws, I threw that bad boy on its side and attached it to the wall. It reminds me a lot of the headboards from companies like West Elm, with the overlapping squares and grid patterns (which I love). So, I'm pretty thrilled with it.

For under $40.00, I was able to go from simply bored, to simply head board. And I can't wait for my next guest.

As always, keep it simple,

C-VILLE.

Cheers,

and P.S., don't judge the crappy cell phone pics. We don't judge in this house.

Simply, Back.

2010-06-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm in one of those scenes in a movie where a guy has been kicked out of his apartment in a huge fight by his girlfriend. The one where he's standing outside in the rain with his suitcase and a wilted bouquet of a dozen long-stem roses, asking for forgiveness and to come back home.

Well, here I am folks. I'm back! After much deliberation and much coaxing, aka a full-court press from my friend and amazing Cville Blogger, Jeanine over at Small & Chic in Cville, I'm giving in (Thanks, J.) Will you have me back? I hope so. I've missed you all. I really have. For those of you who might stumble upon this little blog randomly, I'll catch you up to speed. I shut her down back after the holidays or as my friend Jeanine likes to say "I was simply taking a break." I wanted to focus on a few other things, and I had quickly realized coming up with a new project or post every night was quite cumbersome and unnecessary. You don't want to reach that point in your life that you just start tearing up perfectly good stuff just for the sake of having a blog post. It's an ugly place.

I had hoped to start writing more professionally about home design and DIY projects for the boy or girl next door, and well, it happened. Shortly after I closed up shop at Simply Cville I was hired as a columnist for C-VILLE Abode, our monthly leisure magazine/newspaper dedicated to home design and better living in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. When the March issue of Abode hit the shelves, I was introduced as C-VILLE's new Do-It Yourself Guy and the author of "Rental Rescue," a column helping renters complete DIY projects to improve their spaces without breaking the bank or breaking down walls. I have to say, it's been a blast working with my editor at C-VILLE Abode and I'm super psyched about the column for the upcoming year. There's also something really humbling about standing in line for bagels and the girl in front of you is looking at your kitchen on page 27. Crazy stuff.

You can check out some of my columns here:
http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=11801401090567142&ShowArticle_ID=11802705103371924

http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=11801401090567142&ShowArticle_ID=11803004103676547

http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1990205074270051&ShowArticle_ID=11800204104172687

http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1990205074270051&ShowArticle_ID=11802602104171323

The July column will be out in 2 weeks!

Otherwise, life has been pretty par for the course. Upon returning from vacation in Nantucket, a brief "burst" of an intense storm hit Charlottesville on a Thursday afternoon sending an 86 year old tree onto my small house. Flash forward to interior shots of tree limbs poking in to the attic, brown, water stained ceilings, cracks that look like the Mason Dixon, no gutters, and learning what it looks like when it rains in a living room. Hooray for great insurance all around. The other lesson learned? Kartell Ghost Chairs do Windex really well when they are covered in brown water spots. Perhaps I should invest in all Lucite/acrylic furniture.

So, I can't promise that there will be posts every night, actually, I I can assure you there won't be. However, I'd like to come back if you'll have me. I can also promise you it won't be super fancy. It will just be, Simply Cville.

So, that being said. I hope you'll have me back. After all, I've missed you and it's raining out here. I'd like to come inside, even if it's raining in the living room, too.

Cheers,
Ed

Shoppers Tip: Richmond West Elm Closing

2010-01-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

Howdy All,

Just a quick shoppers tip. The Short Pump Mall location of West Elm is closing its doors. I stopped in on Saturday while I was in the area, only to see all of the clearance/we're closing our doors signs. The place has already been somewhat picked over, but there's still a good bit of merchandise, furniture, etc. Everything is on sale, plus an additional 20% off for now.

I walked away with the following chair in white for $60.00. Retails $229.00

So, if you're in the area, like West Elm, and need to stock up on a few things for your place, definitely worth a look.

Cheers and Happy Shopping,
Ed

http://www.westelm.com/
Photo Credits: http://www.westelm.com/

Out of the Envelope and Into the (spit)Fire.

2009-12-29T12:46:00.001-08:00

Happy Almost-New Year, all!

While the bulk of the Holiday entertaining is coming to an end, I don't think it's ever too early to start thinking about next year or your next Shin-Dig. You know me, I'm always looking for alternatives to the alternative, and new ideas that break the vanilla mold. Here's a fun, unique alternative to your next invitation, Evite, or Save the Date.

Spitfire Girl (www.spitfiregirl.com) does a great line of gift box invitations for pretty much any occasion. The invitations arrive as a jewelry box size gift filled with a little scene and small trinkets to reflect the appropriate holiday or occasion you're celebrating. These could be really fun for a New Year's Eve party, holiday gathering, birthday party, or if you're a very non-traditional bride and groom, even for a wedding. The boxes have a very, vintage, 1950's feel. The decorations remind me a lot of vintage cupcake/cake toppers, ballerinas from old music boxes, and Christmas ornaments. You simply fill in the important details for your shin dig, and mail them off to your guests. How fun is that? It's like getting a little gift that keeps on giving in the mail. Your guests are sure to never forget your party, even before they get there. You can even send them as an alternative to cards, instead of as an invitation. So, if you have the room in the budget next time, skip the fill-in invites from Hallmark, and think outside the box. Or in this case, inside the box,

Cheers,

Image Credits: www.spitfiregirl.com

Happy Holidays From Simply Cville.

2009-12-24T11:22:00.000-08:00

Peace, Love, Joy, Laughter, Hope.

May All Things that mean "Happy Holidays" be Yours.

Wishing you all the Happiest of Holidays and all the best in a Simple 2010.

Cheers,

Ed (and Bodie)

A Family Tradition: The Angel From Hell.

2009-12-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

HO, HO, HO, Mistletoe, and Happy Holidays, friends.

My parents just finished hosting a holiday gathering here on old Parkview Avenue, the presents are almost wrapped, and I'm exhausted, in a wonderful way.

Listening to all of the guests tell stories of days gone by, happy holidays, and family traditions made me want to share one of my favorite "new" family "traditions" with you all. That, and I feel like this gives you an even larger window into my life and why I'm the way I am.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you "The Angel From Hell."

So, hear me out. Several years ago, my Mom decided it was time for a new angel to adorn the top of our living room Christmas tree (the living room Christmas tree is always a live Frasier fir, hosts all of the nice family ornaments, while the "kids tree" is in the family room with bubble lights, colored lights, peppermint lights, and all of the "less than Southern Living-esque" ornaments aka all of the ornaments we made as children. I'm just kidding, the two trees are the result of having way too many ornaments for even one large tree. At least that's what the Queen Mum tells us.) So, Mom's on this hell-bent mission to replace the angel. The angel we had always had was very nice, short blonde hair, angelic, sweet face, white dress, nice wings, and her whole life ahead of her. However, she was out. Mom shopped, searched, and even considered alternatives like a star, a bow, or even one those retro tree toppers with the glass spike on top of the ball. However, she finally came home with this beauty. She's a good 16.5 inches tall, jet black hair, and a very stern face. She's nicely dressed, has gold wings, and can def. hold her own. However, she just looked so stern and not, well, angelic.

My Dad, who leaves the bulk of the indoor, Holiday decor to my Mom took an immediate stance against this angel, really disliking her. He nicknamed her Harriet Beecher Stowe based on the stern old portraits and black hair. So, where is this story going? Here it is. She sat atop the living room Christmas tree that first year. However, after that she was banished and replaced by a different angel. However, my Mom kept her around and she found a new home atop the piano. In response to Harriet remaining a part of our Holiday decor, my Dad decided to have a little fun with both her and my Mom.

My Dad started by fashioning a pair of small sunglasses for Harriet, the angel out of Christmas tree hook wire and construction paper. He placed them ever so gently on her head, and waited to see if anyone ever noticed. Family, guests, and my Mom, of course, noticed. Everyone got such a kick out of it, a new tradition for my father was born. He said he made the glasses to cover up her stern, serious eyes, and "soften her." However, since the birth of her sunglasses, My Dad now dreams up something new to add to Harriet, the Angel from Hell, every year. It's our job as members of this household to see if we can figure out what's new. The next year, in addition to her sunglasses, Harriet was holding a small bottle of champagne and a cigarette in her hands (I don't even know where you find a mini, plastic bottle of champagne--maybe Barbie gets snockered these days?). The next year, like everyone else in our household, Harriet showed her love for the University of Virginia by sporting the traditional orange, block V on the chest of her dress. This year, I came home, ran to the piano, and realized my Dad had not let me down. Harriet now sports 2, mismatched Christmas light earrings. He also decided to give her cigarette a filter (he said he was worried the original looked too much like a joint--please keep in mind, my parents don't drink or smoke. Go figure.)

So, needless to say, I, my brother, sister, Mother, brother-in-law, and all of our other holiday guests always look forward to the next Christmas and to see where my father's off-beat sense of humor has taken him and Harriet. I have a feeling one year she will have cleavage...her dress is just begging for it. I also feel like she may get a shoulder bag, a chest tattoo, and some kind of feet to stick out from underneath her dress. I just have a feeling. Maybe I have the same sense of humor as my Dad? Needless to say, welcome to my world. If nothing else, Harriet reminds us all to enjoy the Holidays and not take things so seriously. It's way too easy to get all wrapped up (no pun intended) in all of the hustle and bustle of the season. Just know, in my parents very traditional, Southern, colonial, cape cod sits an angel, on the piano, drinking champagne, smoking her Virginia slim, loving the 'HOOS, and being pretty damn fabulous.

Happy Holidays, Harriet. Happy Holidays, all.

Cheers,

The Mix & Mingle: Jingle Bell Rock.

2009-12-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

So, I write to you curled up with my dog on my lap, sitting in the family room of my childhood home. Yes folks, I made it home. One tank of gas, 2 Christmas CDs, and 10 dollars paid to 2 neighborhood boys to help dig my car out of the snowy abyss, I am home for the holidays, and there's no place I'd rather be.

All of the Holiday tunes that kept me company on the ride home have inspired me to share some of my favorite holiday albums with you all. If you remember several posts ago, I gave you my list of favorite albums for year-round cocktail parties, barbecues, and just slubbing around on a Sunday. Same story, just yule-tide-afied. I know that's not a real word, but indulge me, it's Christmas. The best part? These are the kind of albums you can pop in the CD player or upload on your Ipod and just let them play. No skipping a song, just let it ride. The right music is the perfect compliment to your holiday decor and favorite dishes. I mean, who wants Robert Goulet belting "Oh Holy Night" during your office Christmas Cocktail? I didn't think so. It came upon a Midnight Awkward.

In no particular order:

1. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" -Vince Guaraldi Trio

If you ask me, there's no real match for this iconic holiday album. Vince Guaraldi captures the humor, joy, and child-like wonder of one of my favorite holiday specials. The smooth piano and jazzy qualities make this the perfect album for a holiday cocktail party, great background music for opening presents Christmas morning, or when you're making your list and checking it twice. The innocence in the children's voices circa 1965 on "Christmas Time is Here" get me every single time. Image Credit: www.amazon.com

2. "Jazz For Joy: A Verve Christmas Album"-Various Artists

A Christmas CD for true jazz lovers. Features legends like Abbey Lincoln, Christian McBride, and Roy Hargrove. The perfect CD for your next Christmas party or holiday gathering. Even the numbers with vocals make great background music. There's just something haunting about Lincoln's Christmas Cheer. Give it a listen, you'll be glad you did. Image Credit: www.amazon.com

3. "Christmas With the Rat Pack"- The Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.)

Transport yourself back to the days of Vegas luxury, martinis, and the real swingers ala sleigh bells, mistletoe, and snow. Digitally-remastered, recognizable classics from the infamous Rat Pack. I love Sammy Davis Jr.'s "Christmas Time All Over the World." Sinatra's "Christmas Waltz" is the perfect song for a quick spin around the kitchen island with the one you love. Fun, upbeat songs that will last you all season. Image Credit: www.amazon.com

4. "James Taylor at Christmas"-James Taylor and Friends

Great, mellow remakes of holiday classics from ol' JT himself. He's joined by other great stars on the tracks like Natalie Cole (Baby, It's Cold Outside) and trumpeter Chris Botti (Winter Wonderland). Gorgeous, simple, smooth version of "Some Children See Him." Image Credit: www.amazon.com

5. Christmas Remixed: Holiday Classics Regrooved-Various Artists

Great holiday party tracks. This album is very Christmas meets the club. This is the kind of CD you want if you're holiday party has a very cocktail/young/urban vibe. You'll actually recognize a lot of these DJ'd mixes from GAP and other holiday commercials. Kay Starr's "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" mix is awesome, and you'll get a great laugh out of the remix to Louis Armstrong's "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Totally Fun. This is one of those albums that will cause your guests to ask "where do you get your music/where did you get this song?" This also makes a great addition to your Ipod if you occasionally like to rock the Christmas music at the gym. I wouldn't know what that's like or anything. I don't look like the kind of guy who would listen to Christmas music on a rowing machine, do I? Because I'm not. I've just heard it's good for the gym. Available on Itunes.

Image Credit: Itunes

6. Holiday Pops-The Boston Pops (Keith Lockhart or Arthur Fielding conducting)

My sister and I made a trip to Boston to visit a good friend the week before Christmas a few years ago. We were treated to an actual Holiday Pops concert with the Boston Pops, in Boston. Let me tell you, it doesn't get much more Merry Christmas than that. It's the classic sound of an orchestra playing "Sleigh Ride" you've come to know and love. There are a ton of Holiday Pops albums available with both Lockhart (current conductor) and the original, great Arthur Fielding. You can't go wrong with any of them. However, I'm really partial to "Sleigh Ride"--the album that came out when we went to the show. Image Credit: www.amazon.com

7. December-Chris Botti

Smooth, melodic tunes from the infamous trumpeter. Perfect for a rare, quiet night at home by the fire during the holidays. Also great for a nice sit-down Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" will break your holiday heart. Image Credit: www.amazon.com

8. Christmas With the Beach Boys

Don't laugh. It's just a really fun, innocent, beachy, up-beat album. You just have to smile and laugh when these songs come on. I would be lying though, if I didn't tell you that I may or may not have been President of my high school concert choir, and we may or may not have done an all-male version of the Beach Boys' "Little Saint Nick." We also may or may not have worn sunglasses, tuxedos, and Santa hats. It may or may not have seemed really cool at the time. Good times. Image Credit: www.amazon.com

I could seriously make this a day-long entry. (If you only knew how much I love Christmas--fool. for. the. yule.) Here are a few other favorite holiday numbers, perfect for your playlist that I don't associate with an entire album:

1. All I Want For Christmas Is You-Mariah Carey

2. Celebrate Me Home- Kenny Logins

3. What Are You Doing New Years Eve?- Lena Horne

4. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)-Darius Rucker/Hootie and the Blowfish

5. This Christmas-Donny Hathaway (Christina Aguilera is a fun alternative, as well.)

6. Christmas: Baby Please Come Home-Darlene Love

7. Santa Claus is Coming to Town-Bruce Springstein
8. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year-Andy Williams

9. When My Heart Finds Christmas-Harry Connick Junior

10. My Grown-Up Christmas List-Michael Buble

11. The Bell That Couldn't Jingle-Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass

12. Step Into Christmas-Elton John

13. Christmas Star-John Williams (Home Alone 2)

14. Christmas Don't Be Late-Alvin & The Chipmunks

15. White Christmas-Bing Crosby (also my favorite Christmas movie)

16. Christmas in New Orleans-Louis Armstrong

17. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow-Frank Sinatra

18. What Christmas Means to Me-Stevie Wonder

19. Everybody's Waitin' For the Man With the Bag-Kay Starr

20. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas-Coldplay

21. Santa Baby-Earth Kitt & Henri Renni

Once again, the list could go on and on. You're talking to a guy with over 200 songs on his holiday playlist (don't judge.) However, I thought this would give you a great start/some fun new additions to your collection for holidays to come.

All is Calm, All is Bright. All is Simple.

Cheers,

The Write Stuff: Christmas? It's in the Bag.

2009-12-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

So, I honestly forgot how busy the Holidays can be. I know, who does that or says that? That's like watching "The Aviator" and saying "I was surprised there was so much, aviation."

When Thanksgiving arrived and quickly passed like it always does, I had this wonderful vision of a December chock-full-a Holiday blogging. I would photograph every cookie, every cocktail, every Christmas card, make Martha Stewart and Colin Cowie jealous, and then tell you all where, when, why, and how-to. Needless to say, it's December 21st, and I've realized we're lucky if we find time to even get these things done this time of year, not to mention write about them. Martha Stewart and Colin Cowie would spit in my eye and kick me in my jingle bells.

However, for me, I'm proud to say the last gifts have been purchased, the last Christmas card has been mailed, I've hosted by last party of the season, and the halls are beyond decked, yadde yadda yadda, and a Partridge in a pear tree. I'm ready to head home to my family for the holidays, my 26th Christmas at home. However, I still come to you from the bungalow downtown where I'm snowed in with 24 inches of snow outside.

At first it was pretty, as I walked on to the newly dusted UVA lawn following our division Holiday party Friday evening, very "moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave a lustre of midday to objects below." All was calm, all was bright. I had even been grocery shopping on my lunch hour after seeing the forecast, and after battling Charlottesville residents in Harris Teeter with a look of sheer panic and terror in their eyes as they bought enough milk and bread to survive the next Apocalypse, I felt well-stocked and well-prepared. I had already coped with the fact that with a 100% chance of heavy snow forecast in my future, I was probably not getting up early Saturday morning and hitting the road. However, 24 inches later, I'm now really over it. I'm tired of looking at the snow, I'm tired of putting my Hunter boots on and digging my car out with a shovel that handles that like a dessert spoon, only to have the snow plow come by and push 3 feet of snow up against my car, blocking me back in. I'm ready to go home. I'm at that place where I'm about to play Darlene Love's "Christmas: Baby, Please Come Home" and run through an airport terminal like Catherine Ohara in a scene from Home Alone.

Needless to say, I will hopefully hit the road tomorrow and begin the nervous, holiday trek home. While I feel we're at that point in the season that it's getting too late to really offer a lot of new, extra decorating and entertaining tips, I did want to share a little something with you all. I love Christmas cards. This is probably not very surprising, considering I told you all long ago, I have a bit of a stationery fetish. Christmas cards: I love getting them, I love sending them, and I love coming up with a new, fun card each year. There's something so classic about sending a Christmas card. I think I really enjoy it and appreciate it so much, because it tips it's newsie cap to the days when folks used to actually write each other. I mean, who doesn't like getting an actual letter in the mail? It's a lost art. Let's face it, you start receiving fewer Christmas cards and start getting more "Merry Christmas" text messages on the blackberry Christmas morning. Not that I don't appreciate a Christmas morning text message, but you don't email your Christmas list to Santa, and the Wisemen didn't send a text message saying "Yo, the baby's here in the stable. Bring frankincense and myrrh." Show some love. Pick up a pen, people. Put on "White Christmas," pour yourself a Maker's and Ginger, and crank the cards out. I think if you do the Christmas card right and put some thought into it, it becomes a gift in and of itself. A pretty cheap way to spread a lot of love over the Holidays.

So, as I remind you all every chance I get, I'm a single guy. (I don't remind you because I'm bitter, I remind you, in case you know someone with a good head on his shoulders: a neighbor, brother, friend, co-worker, complete stranger, etc. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?...Bueller?). I don't think my marital status should mean that I can't send Christmas cards or that I should have to send out a generic Thomas Kincaid (don't get me started on that man) boxed set of cards. I sent out a card with a photo of Bodie and I during his first Christmas as a puppy, and no, I'm not going to send out cards with headshots of myself. Although, I do think it would be funny to get a glamour shot taken, have it made into a Christmas card, and see if you can keep a straight face when folks open up a photo of you in a rhinestone denim jacket in front of a city lights backdrop.

I'm really not a fan of the Christmas family newsletter. You know what I'm talking about. The letter that Moms write that say things to the effect of "Connor is a Senior at Washington and Lee majoring in Political Science. Leonard and I only wish he'd drop the minor in "partying!" (pause for laughter). Kacky just got her braces off and shined as "Townsperson Number 5" in St. Anne's production of "Hello, Dolly!" and our cat Mittens just continues to be a barrel of laughs, hugs, and pure joy. We've included a hand-stamped and decorated brown paper bag for you to throw up in while you read this!" Ok, I know that's a little harsh, but you know you've read something similar. Maybe I'm just bitter, being that I don't think I could even start to write a Christmas newsletter. I mean, what would it say? "My job is going well. I think they really like me there. I recently got a haircut, some new slacks, and am currently collecting ex-boyfriends. Send help." Love, Ed.

So, yes, Christmas cards. Here's a fun, personal alternative to the boxed set or the typical insert a family photo card. We've all seen those fun cards in stores, you know, the ones with an old black and white photo, accompanied by a funny caption that adds a spin to what "could be" happening in the photo. For example, a picture of an old "church lady" dancing at a party with a caption saying "Not only did Helen bring the Green Beans Almondine to the neighborhood potluck, she always brought the funk." (pause for laughter.) Needless to say, I thought it would be really fun to recreate this idea using a holiday photo from my own childhood. Thanks to my good friend and graphic designer Todd of Soder Tass in Nashville, TN, we were able to create the card below. Todd took it to the next level, making the card look like a page out of an old photo album and like the card had been typed on an old typewriter. I've had so much fun sending them out, and my family has really enjoyed opening the cards and seeing an old, familiar face. They're personal, funny, and funky. You could easily recreate this idea with any photo, whether it be a childhood photo, a family photo, wedding photo, or well, any photo. It gives folks a chance to delve a little into your life and have a good laugh over the holidays. You can easily make a card like this using your own computer. If you didn't want it to be a seamless greeting card, you could easily do an "insert" card, make a lot of copies of the photo, and include it with the caption/message in each card.

Front

Inside. (Click on the photo to make it larger/read the text)

Here's a quick example using a photo of my sister Lauren, circa early 1980's.

"Lauren really struggled to find a polite way to tell the family that tinsel was Out and that they really should have gone monochromatic on the holiday decor this year. Red and Silver?

Oooohhh, Ouch."

So, just a fun idea for your next holiday/New Years card. I also thought this would be a fun way for me to share my Christmas card with you all and say Thank You for reading my little blog/thanks for being so forgiving when I get behind and don't blog as much as I should. Keep it Simple this Holiday season.

May your days be merry and bright.

Cheers,
Ed

Tie One On: Homo For the Holidays.

2009-12-02T13:14:00.000-08:00

So, it's already that time of year. The downtown windows are decorated to the nines, lights are untangled, you can hear the jingle jangle of the Salvation Army bell ringers on every block, and it's that time that you sit across from a 6 year old at the Thanksgiving dinner table and she tells you she wants an iPhone and a plasma flat screen for Christmas. Oh to be young and still think the world owes you something just because you're cute. Yes, my friends. It's the Holiday Season.

Also, on a fun note. We just hosted a great 85th Birthday cocktail party for my PopPop (maternal grandfather), and while I was helping my aunts set up for the party, we found a pack of cocktail napkins in the buffet my Grandmother purchased years ago at Christmas. They said "Charles Dickens may be Dead, but I'm married to Scrooge." I like it. I think I may use that some day against whatever poor son of a Santa marries me.

As I start to deck the halls of the bungalow downtown, I thought I would start to share a few of my holiday design projects and favorites for entertaining this holiday season. With a break in the weather yesterday, I was able to go get my Christmas tree, garland, and start working on the yard. It was perfect timing as I was stringing Frasier fir garland around the lamppost, the UPS man arrived with Santa and his Rudolph all the way from Valencia, CA. If a young soldier had snuck in and made coffee waking up my family, it could have been a Maxwell House or Folgers Commercial.

So back to the projects. I'm happy to say the Neck-tie wreath I mentioned many, many posts ago has finally come to full fruition. I really don't consider myself to be a "crafty" person when it comes down to it. However, I'm pretty pleased with the result. The best part? It was so easy. I literally made it in 15 minutes, from wire frame to hanging on the door. I wish I had taken pictures step-by-step through the process, but it happened so quickly, it just didn't happen. You also know I'm bad about that. However, if you like it, here's all you need:

1. A wire wreath form (literally like 2 bucks at a craft store. You can get a larger one or a smaller one, I bought the smaller one.)

2. 11 neckties if you're covering a smaller wreath form (a smaller wreath form is about the size of a full-size dinner plate or charger). You could use your own neckties, but I got mine from thrift stores, yard sales, etc. I didn't pay more than a dollar for each tie (and as you can see, they are nice, good looking ties.)

3. 1 package of safety pins.

That's all you need. For real.

How to do it? (I've tried to make you a sad diagram to show you since I didn't take pictures, Please excuse my horrible computer drawing skills. Don't Judge.). Click on the photos to view them larger.

Step 1: Lay your your ties in a circle so you can see how you like the patterns together. I tried to keep mine in holiday-ish tones and similar patterns (mostly stripes and patterns reminiscent of polka dots.)

Step 2: Lay out your wreath form in front of you. Take your first tie and fold it over tip to tip (basically you want to the skinny part that hides behind to touch the bottom of the point on your tie. Lay the tie upside down, with the top of the tie under the wreath form. Then fold the top of the tie over the wreath form toward you. Holding the starting point in place, wrap the tie around the wreath form away from you (in the opposite direction, pulling it tight as you go around.) several times until the bottom tip of the front of the tie is now on top and pointing away from you (it looks like what one finished section would look like.)

Step 3: Once you have the front the way you want it with the point up, holding it in place, turn it upside down and fasten the tie to itself (you'll pin the back fabric flaps of the tie to the part that's wrapped around the form. This will hold the tie in place. Believe it or not, you don't have to do anything to keep the points up. They stay once the tie is pinned. I thought maybe I'd have to run wire up the backs to keep them like a star. However, not necessary. This may be necessary if you use flimsy, silk ties. I would recommend going for ties with more structure and more of a traditional thickness/weave.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until the form is completely covered.

Step 5: Garnish the wreath with a bow made from another necktie. Literally tie a necktie around the finished form into a bow and let the long thin part dangle down.

Step 6: Hang her up on the door of your choice.

Step 7: Make a martini or cocktail of choice and admire your handy work.

I know this would be easier with real photos, but you're all intelligent, bright people. Just by process of elimination, with those tools in front of you and the finished result picture, you can start to imagine how it comes together if you get confused. Also, you don't have to harm any of the neckties in the process. They don't have to be cut, just wrapped around. You may have a few pin holes if you ever take them off, but I don't recommend using your favorite ties anyway. Part of the fun is finding old ties at thrift stores, sales, etc. It's also a great way to put your damaged ties to use (just make sure the part where you spilled your lunch on it isn't showing.) Eleven dollars worth of neckties (1 dollar each at the goodwill--and a lot of them turned out to be Jos. A. Bank and other nice brands--nice Goodwill), 2 dollar wreath frame, $1.50 worth of safety pins, and we're done. For under $15.00 we have a fun, funky, and unique wreath. Done and Done. Talk about tying one on this holiday season.

Ok, one more super quick idea: a five minute holiday kitchen window treatment. Another chance to tie one on.

Step 1: Take your simplest of simple tab top window valence. As plain Jane as can be.

Step 2: Using your favorite ribbon, tie vintage cookie cutters (or new cookie cutters, I like the look of the old ones) to each tab like ornaments.

Step 3: Your done. If you want to use the cookie cutter, just untie it and put it back up later.

Just a fun way to dress up a simple window treatment over the holidays. You could even take down the valence and just hang the cookie cutters from the curtain rod across the window for a different look. Or, you could substitute the cookie cutters for glass holiday balls/ornaments, or candy canes, or any of the endless possibilities. Just use your imagination.

For now, it's a start. Many more holiday tips and tricks to come. Tie one on, keep it fun, and keep it simple.

Scrooge, if you're out there, give me a call. Dickens may be dead, but we're not.

Cheers,

Vintage Holiday Style: Clark Griswold Eat Your Heart Out!

2009-11-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

So hear me out. If you're like me, you're finally starting to come out of your turkey and mashed potato cranberry coma, and starting to realize Christmas is already coming rapidly around the corner. I typically allow myself to start to thinking about Christmas on the drive back to Charlottesville from my family homestead post-Thanksgiving (this is also the first time I allow myself to listen to Christmas music, although, I snuck a few tunes early on Pandora this year.) My family refuses to participate in Black Friday shopping, especially after watching the news and seeing some poor woman trampled in line trying to get in Best Buy at 4AM or hearing about some lady getting in a cat fight over the last cotton/poly blend twin set and 2 karat diamond ring at JC Penny. I love a good sale, but I'm not trying to buy a ticket for that hot mess express. Nothing quite dampens my holiday spirit like taking an elbow to the throat over sportswear.

That being said, what does get me in the spirit is starting to decorate the house and yard. I always like to start with the yard and get it out of the way. I was raised in a home with several Holiday decor rules, especially when it came to the outdoors. As a small child, I was obsessed with plastic blow molds, especially the nativity scenes. You know, the plastic light up Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus. Mary is wearing blue, Joseph in hot pink, and Jesus, small in white. All is calm, all is bright. Occasionally someone would go all out and get the wise men, a few angels, some straw, making me even more excited. I don't know what it was, but I thought they were the coolest, prettiest things I had ever seen. I even asked for one from Santa one year. I used to force my parents to drive me around to look for nativity scenes at houses and churches. They were good sports. However, despite my neon Bethlehem fetish, my parents also thought having a light up nativity scene in our yard was somewhat sacrilegious and didn't match our classic, colonial, Cape Cod holiday decor. My dad's always had a rule about only using real greenery. He makes his own wreaths, real evergreen garland, and we always pick out real Christmas trees with white lights. If it's artificial it doesn't belong outside. Candles in the windows, simple bows, some old wood snow sleds, and we're in business. I have to say, it's a nice, classic, old Virginia look. Very pineapple Della robbia around the door, "I'll be Home for Christmas" playing in the car when you pull in the driveway, "come on in, y'all" kind of look. A lot of this style has rubbed off on me. I always get real garland for outside, real wreaths, and a real Christmas tree with white lights (I know it's more work, but I love the smell in the house and I even like going to pick it out and strap it on the car. However, I also like to have a little fun, and I figure now is my chance to live out my dream of a colorful display in my yard this Christmas.

JUST SAY NO. THERE'S NO ROOM AT THE INN.

Photo Credits: www.americansale.com

I do have to say, now that the time has come and I have the opportunity, I have no interest in the light up nativity scene (I guess my parents were right). I still get a kick out of seeing a nativy scene in front of a church or in someone's yard, but just not my yard. I'm also really, really, really anti-inflatables. To me, they're too big, they're random, and they deflate when you turn them off. It's the most depressing sight, looking at a sad empty sack of a Santa or Snowman laying on your lawn like he's been shot. Also, have you ever seen one of those guys in a wind storm? It's also equally as depressing to see Santa about to go airborne without his reindeer and sleigh, whipping back and forth like one of those "Come in here" inflatable tube men at a cell phone or Cash Advance store, luring folks inside to trade their car title for $500.00 and an unexplained interest rate.

Nothing quite says Happy Holidays like the cast of Winne the Pooh and a wheelbarrow, made out of wind breaker material.

Photo Credit: www.halloweeninflatables.info

Needless to say, I wanted something fun, spirited, yet classic and classy for my yard this Christmas. What I found was a wood, 2-dimensional, vintage inspired Santa and sleigh that mimics the cuts-outs of yesteryear that folks used to buy and paint in the 50's and 60's. The best part is this one comes already painted, meaning I won't have to try to paint by numbers this holiday season. All I'll have to do is stick these guys in the ground and put a spotlight on them. I think the wood cut outs are unique, festive, and will look great with the 1950's Cape Cod charm of my house. It's by Department 56, the company that produces those Dicken's Christmas villages people collect and put in their homes during the holidays. Sounds pretty fitting to me.

This is what I picked out. You may not like it either, but I think it's fun. Several of the families on my street have small children, and if they're anything like me at their age (minus the light up nativity scene fetish), they'll get a big kick out of the display.

Photo Credit: www.ebay.com

If you like the vintage look, I came across these fun blow-mold reproductions from Sundance. I know you can still buy plastic Santas and Snowmen in major chain stores, but these are based on vintage, original designs and add that unique charm at your house. They also have a lot cuter faces and expressions than today's versions. The old Santas always remind me of the classic Santas on the Coca Cola bottles.

Photo Credits: www.sundancecatalog.com

I'm excited to go pick out my Christmas tree and evergreen garland tomorrow. After that, the lights will start going up, then Santa and his red reindeer will take center stage. I think the holidays give us a great opportunity to showcase our homes, our style, and our creativity. Explore holiday decorations that fit both your style and the style of your home. It's difficult to pull off Colonial Christmas in your 1970's modern A-frame, but it doesn't mean it can't be done if that's what's going to make you happy this Christmas. Take inspiration from holidays of the past and incorporate the fun of modern design. You're certainly in store for a fun holiday season. Until then, have fun untangling your lights.

Cheers,

What He Really Wants: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things.

2009-11-20T10:22:00.001-08:00

Sorry friends, no girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, or snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes. However, I figure since the holidays are rapidly approaching, you may be looking for some fun, new gifts for the special man in your life, not that he didn't love the sweater and target gift card you gave him last year. I thought I would share a few of my favorite things, both things I own, and things I covet/lust after (and no, this is now my subtle way of putting my holiday wish list out to my family. However, family, if you're reading, wink wink, nudge nudge.) I mean, if Oprah can do this, why can't I?

In no particular order:

1. Monogrammed Pajamas. Because sometimes you want to leave a little something to the imagination. Perfect for a lazy Sunday in bed with the New York Times Crossword Puzzle, Christmas morning, or when you really do have a headache and just want to get your sexy little sleep on.

To Buy/photo credit: www.jcrew.com

2. Jonathan Adler Needlepoint Pillows. Who says your sofa or favorite easy chair shouldn't have a little whimsy?

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.jonathanadler.com

3. Postalco Notebooks and Journals. It's like Back to School shopping for big boys. Staying organized is sexy. Great, chic little notebook for your shopping lists, to-do lists, and the perfect place to jot down your next great book idea.

To Buy: http://postalco.net/paper.html

Also to Buy/Photo Credit: www.jcrew.com

4. The RayBan Clubmaster Sunglasses. The original design was launched in 1986, and it's still a bright idea.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.jcrew.com

5. The Jonathan Adler Whale Collection. Call me Ishmael. Ishmael, pass the butter, please. You know I love the whales. Who says a pitcher has to be just a pitcher and a butter dish just has to be a butter dish. It's time to have a little fun at the breakfast table. A whale of a gift. The best part? You can get them at "Oh, Suzannah" in downtown Charlottesville.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.jonathanadler.com

or Oh, Suzannah of Charlottesville.

6. The original Hunter Wellington Boot. Because you can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather, Miss Jackson. Available in myriad colors from classic "Hunter" green to orange. Stay dry, in style from the English countryside to the city streets.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.jcrew.com

or www.zappos.com

7. The Converse Jack Purcell Sneakers. The classic is back and better than ever. The quintessential Saturday, walk the dog, trip to the farmer's market shoe. Dress them down with a pair of shorts and a basic T, or dress them up with a casual blazer and your favorite jeans on a night out. Jack would approve.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.jcrew.com

8. The Vintage-Inspired Graphic T. Let him show the world a few of his "favorite things." Perfect for a lazy Sunday or perfect under a casual blazer/jacket on a night out at the bar. A fun alternative and a good way to get him to stop wearing his old fraternity crawfish boil tshirt from 10 years ago.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.urbanoutfitters.com

9. Mint Condition: A favorite from one of my Favorite Cville Boutiques. Grab a fun toss pillow from Pillow Mint of downtown Charlottesville. They're sure too add a bit of fun, class, and whimsy to your sofa, favorite chair, or guest bed.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.pillowmint.net

10. Heavy Metal: A Bitchin' Kitchen. I fell in love with this vintage-inspired metal kitchen collection from Sundance. Shelving inspired by old gym locker/wire storage units, and these heavy duty chairs and stools. A fun, masculine way to shake things up in the kitchen, home office, or mud room.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.sundancecatalog.com

11. The Crab Polo by Jimmy & Sook. A Virginia staple (Irvington, Virginia to be specific) by Jimmy & Sook (Their Clothes and Things.) Perfect pique for a summer day, barbecue, or next vacation. The embroidered blue crab adds a little fun to your everyday polo.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.jimmyandsook.com

12. Will Cook For Sex Cookbook: A Guy's Guide in the Kitchen. I love this cookbook. It takes you through several multiple course dinners, as well as what to make for breakfast the next morning, if you get my drift. Not only is it funny, there's an amazing salad called "Hidden Greens" I make all the time. The difference between this cookbook and other cookbooks? It's the difference between "I'll call you." and "I'll wake you."

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.amazon.com

13. Shade Shop Lamps. Your Christmas tree and the Little Star of Bethlehem aren't the only things that can light up your night this holiday season. You probably saw my previous post about the lamp I won from this fine local establishment. So many fun styles, brands, and unique, one-of-a-kind pieces for your home.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.theshadeshop.com

14. A Little Night cap. Literally. If you're like me, you wake up in the middle of the night craving a nice glass of H2O.Thanks to this recycled glass water bottle, all you have to do is reach over to the nightstand, take the glass off the top and pour yourself a drink. Keeping the glass on the top cuts down the chance of spilling in the middle of the night. The best part? It looks great on your nightstand. Fun, functional, and aesthetically pleasing.

To Buy/Photo Credit: http://www.reformschoolrules.com/

15. The Cabot Apron by Lucy & Michael. Get your cook on, stay clean, and look hot while doing it. One of those great aprons you won't mind running around in when your guests arrive less-than-fashionably early at your next shindig. You should check out Lucy & Michael if you're in the market for some gifts for the little ones. They have adorable play tents and kids aprons. Bon Appetit.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.lucyandmichael.com

16. I am Not a Paper Cup. Do you feel all warm and toasty walking down the street with that t0-go paper coffee cup and cup huggie in your hand? Well, now you can do it and be friendlier to Mother Earth. It's the James Burgess "I'm not a Paper Cup" reusable coffee cup. Enjoy your Macchiato and do your part for the environment. Remember, One Earth.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.uncommongoods.com

17. The Stanley Thermos. He may work in an office cubicle, but he can carry a thermos like he works in a coal mine. This vintage-inspired piece is perfect for those 3 cup kind of days. Simple, clean, masculine, classic, yet modern. Great for camping, tailgating, or just the regular Monday-Friday commute.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.restorationhardware.com

18. The Snowball Maker. You're never too old for a Snowball fight. With this helpful gadget, your hands stay warmer and dryer, and you get the perfect snowball almost every time.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.restorationhardware.com

19. Smathers and Branson Needlepoint Belt. Anything else is just a waist. It's like bling for your waist. Dress up your jeans and khakis with these fun, needlepoint belts. Show off your favorite hobbies, places, and even your alma mater.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.smathersandbranson.com

20. Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook. Down home, Southern, Comfort food done right. Matt and Ted Lee take your appetite down South in this fun cookbook. Ever wanted to know how you can cook with Royal Crown Cola? It's time you learned.

To Buy/Photo Credit: www.boiledpeanuts.com

or www.amazon.com

And a Grab Bag for Boys and Girls, alike. Well, maybe more for the girls, but I still love it.

21. Cartier I Love You. My favorite photographer, Bruce Weber and the jewlery house without an equal pair up in this centennial celebration of 100 years of Cartier luxury. The book is even made to look and tie closed like a Cartier jewlery box. Worth a look.

To Buy/Photo Credit: http://www.amazon.com/

So, while it's no raindrops on roses or crisp apple strudel, these are just a few of my favorite things. You may not love all of these items, but they may spark some new ideas and inspiration for your holiday shopping. Maybe you don't love the Jack Purcell sneakers like I do, but it may make you think "hey, he sure could use a new pair of everyday shoes," giving you a chance to be creative and enjoy the hunt. Either way, you're sure to end up on the Nice list this year, that is, unless you'd just prefer to be on the Naughty list...that's a whole other post.

Cheers,

Seaon's Eatings: Easy Apps.

2009-11-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it's time for us to kiss and make up again. I have to be honest, I recently invested in a new relationship with the gym and a personal trainer. I do have to say, it's nice to have a new man in my life. Unfortunately, our dates consist of him laughing at me while I lift heavy things over and over again, but even with that being said, it wouldn't be the worst relationship I've ever been in. At least I can fit in more of my fall/winter suits again. I also have to admit, when I started this Trieste with blogging, I was overly inspired by "Julie and Julia" and thought I would kick it off at a feverish pace and stay up every night and burn the midnight oil to share some new design secret from the South. However, I've also realized, I'm no Carrie Bradshaw (I guess my blog would have to be called "No Sex in the City.") This has also been one of my busiest seasons at the University. To put it in perspective, if I were an accountant, I would have just finished tax season. Either way, it's nice to be back.

So, the holidays are about to be upon us. Here in Cville, we'll be celebrating with the Grand Illumination of the downtown Christmas tree on Friday, officially kicking off the holiday season, and officially making it a little more socially acceptable for me to listen to Christmas music at the gym, already. However, we can't forget Thanksgiving. I feel like we all have our own turkey glazes, pumpkin pie recipes, 100 ways to make stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. I don't know about you all, but in my family, you have to get through Thanksgiving cocktail hour before Thanksgiving dinner. And let's just put it this way, sometimes that hour lasts a few hours, especially when the perfect dinner isn't right on schedule. So, you have to give the people a little nosh while they slosh. I feel like people spend all day fasting in anticipation of stuffing their faces at dinner. However, I think you need a little nibble to get things going and to keep yourself from gorging. So, from my table to yours, a few quick, super easy, seasonal appetizers for your holiday.

Cranberry Goat Cheese Crostini
I don't even know if I can call this a recipe, because the name of the dish lists all 3 ingredients and the finished product in it.
1 french baguette
1 small package of goat cheese (plain, not herb-infused, etc)
1 package of dried cranberries (organic, if you can)

Ok, this couldn't be easier. Slice the baguette on the diagonal to make the crostini. Lay the sliced baguette pieces on a cookie sheet. Place the slices in the oven on 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until they start to brown/crisp up/dry out. Remove the crostini from the oven and allow them to cool. Once cooled, spread the softened goat cheese (about one tablespoon) on each piece of crostini (let the goat cheese reach room temperature, it will spread a lot easier and won't crumble so much). Then top the crostini with a small handful (5-7) of the dried cranberries. And guess what, you're done? They're so good, seasonally appropriate, and beyond simple. It's a great combination of sweet and savory, and your guests will love them with a glass of Prosecco or a nice Riesling. A perfect combination of savory and sweet. Don't try to make it perfect, it's meant to be rustic. If you're feeling really saucy that day, feel free to garnish with some walnuts for an additional texture/crunch.

Easy, Baked Brie en Croute.
1 wedge or wheel or Brie (double creme)
1 package of Pillsbury or store brand Crescent rolls
1 package of pecans
1 package of water crackers or your favorite mild cracker
2 Granny Smith Apples
1 small jar of apricot or raspberry preserves/compote

Ok, this is beyond easy. Take the package of crescent rolls (you may want 2 packages depending on how big the wheel or wedge of brie is). Lay all of the dough triangles on a cutting board and pinch them together to make one big piece of dough. Be sure to pinch all of the edges together well. Lay the Brie in the middle of the dough and begin to wrap it like a present. Pull all of the sides together and pull the dough until the brie is entirely covered. Using your clean hands, make sure the Brie is totally covered and that there are no holes (if there are any holes, the cheese will ooze out). If you have any extra dough left, feel free to use your favorite cookie cutter to put a decorative shape on top of your baked brie. You could do a monogram, a holiday shape, or if you're me, you could do the Commonwealth of Virginia. Yes, I have a cookie cutter in the shape of Virginia. Don't judge.

Place the Brie on a greased cookie sheet or cake pan in the oven at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes or just until the crust is golden brown. Once the Brie is nice and golden brown on the outside, all melty goodness on the inside, serve it on a platter with the water crackers, pecans, slices of Granny Smith apples, and apricot preserves/compote. (You can place the preserves/compote on the wedge of brie before you cover it with the crescent dough and bake it. When you do this, the preserves heat up and bake inside with the cheese. However, I just serve it on the side so those who don't like the preserves and just want the cheese, apples, etc. they don't have to have it.) Just leave it all with a spreader for the preserves and a knife for your friends and guests to slice into the Brie. Bread? Cheese? Apples? Can you go wrong? The best part, Granny Smith apples are in season right now.

These apps. are so easy and sure to please all of your guests. While they're seasonal, they're great anytime and perfect for an engagement party, happy hour, dinner party, or any gathering of friends. When you make things stress free and easier for yourself, you have more time to enjoy the holiday and your guests. So this time, skip the Green Bean Casserole with the friend onion rings, and volunteer to bring some appetizers to Thanksgiving dinner. Throw in a bottle of Prosecco, or hell, even better, get a bottle of Cranberry juice to mix with the Prosecco, and you're so beyond in business. Folks will forget all about the bird when they get down on these appetizers.

Season's Eatings, y'all.

Cheers,
Ed

The Baby & The Bathwater: You Better Shop Around.

2009-11-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

My Mama told me, you better shop around. And hear me out, she was right. I think one of the biggest mistakes we make that breaks the bank is that we don't shop around enough. We've grown accustomed to "one stop shopping" out of pure convenience and sometimes, laziness. I must warn you, you're talking to a guy who would much rather spend a day running errands than hitting one large chain store. If I could do it every Saturday, I love to get things at the local Farmer's Market downtown, buy wine from the Market Street Wine Shop, get stationary at Rock, Paper, Scissors, get my pants at a men's shop, and then pick up my dry cleaning. As the son of local business owners, I grew up kind of anti-bring the giant chain store to town.

In addition to isolating privately owned and operated boutiques, hardware stores, markets, etc. I just really have no desire to look down into my shopping cart and see a pack of blank CDs, a pair of khaki pants, a box of holiday cards, 2 spare tires, a bolt of fabric, a car battery, some windex, a head of lettuce, and a pound of ground chuck. Doesn't do it for me. However, I'm not here to tell you how to shop, and as my friend Ted likes to say in reference to my ramblings "what does Ed know?" Exactly. Not much. You all have to have learned by now that I like to circle the airport a few times before I finally land this bad boy.

This is not new news, so don't call the press. I've just learned that if we take our time and look around, we can really start to save money. I think we're guilty of getting one catalog in the mail and seeing something we don't think we can live without, and what do we do? We assume it's exclusive to that company, no one else makes anything like it, and we convince ourselves our lives are going to a little less beautiful and meaningful if we don't buy that one thing at that moment (or guilt our significant/insignificant others into buying it for us.) This is especially true with design catalogs and magazines. For example, I fell in love with this Good Housekeeping print when I saw it in a Ballard Designs Catalog. This kid looks just like I did as a child, I have a dog, I grew up with dogs, his washtub is the color of my bathroom. (I also thought it would be fun to have because I grew up with my mom always having Good Housekeeping, Southern Living, etc. around) We were a match made in heaven. However, Ballard was selling it framed for over $200.00. While I loved it, I'm not paying $200.00 for something that's going to hang over the john. So I went searching and I found the exact same print in larger, poster form from http://www.allposters.com/ for $25.99. Add in a $25.00 frame from the craft store and for $50.00, I have exactly what I wanted and I can still afford to eat and go to the gym.

The same thing goes for the following piece. A large, stretched canvas version of this guy sells for between $150.00-$200.00 from various design companies and chain stores. However, a still large, but smaller than the others, version retails at Target for $40.00. It raises a good point, no it's not going to be the exact same frame, or stretched on the exact same wood canvas, but in my book, who cares? It's about getting that look and that same feeling. Hell, between these 2 purchases alone, I've almost saved enough money to rent my friend Tom's beach house in NC for a week (it's available and gorgeous, if you want details, let me know).

So, next time, skip the one-stop-shop if you have the time. Let go of that immediate desire to hit the "add to cart" button when you're online shopping, and shop around for a little while. Even if you find it at another store and it's the same price, maybe they do free shipping or have a coupon. You never know. It can't hurt. It can only help you save. If you shop around, come back and the item is now sold out, it wasn't meant to be. It's like I said back in one of my first posts "it's a pretty dress, Christy. It's just not your pretty dress." That, or you can blame the new void you now have in your life due to the lack of buying that now, sold out lamp you coveted, on me if it makes you feel better. I won't hold a grudge. Do a Google search, try Ebay, Craigslist, or hit some stores one weekend, you never know. You might just find exactly what you were looking for. Mama is right, you better shop around.

P.S. Much love to my Lovely Ladies of Peabody Hall aka The Real Designing Women. Julia Sugarbaker, eat your saucy heart out!

Cheers,
Ed

Images lifted from: www.allposters.com

Shopper's Tip: Check In and Check It Out.

2009-10-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Quick Shopper's Tip (because things are beyond busy these days): The Hotel Furniture Sale.

No, I'm not saying you should go down to the local Holiday Inn Express or the Bates Motel and see if they'll sell you their old mattress and vinyl covered arm chairs (especially not after those Dateline specials with the black lights in the motel rooms.)

However, many of us live in towns and cities with nice resorts, inns, hotels, or towns and cities adjacent to such amenities. If you keep an open ear and and an open mind, a lot of times, these stately establishments will, just like your home, go under renovation and want to revamp their style, liquidating all of their current furniture and decor. They will sell the goods at a ridiculously low price, just to get it out the door. I purchased a set of these high back, gold brocade, upholstered chairs from The Hotel Roanoke (http://www.hotelroanoke.com/) for $15.00 a piece. They are currently in my office at work (hence the crappy/shoddy photos...I don't keep a camera in the office, so I had to use the phone.) There wasn't a scratch, spill, stain, or thread out of place on them. The best part is a lot of this furniture is made to be durable and spill proof, to accommodate the heaviest of heavyset guests to unstable Mable with her sloshing of the Sunday Brunch Bloody Mary.

A lot of times, the local news will announce such sales as well as the local newspapers. Major Hotels will unload everything from chairs, to lamps, drapes, artwork, mirrors, nightstands, armoires, and even headboards. At the Hotel Roanoke sale, the headboards were the coveted item with the the infamous "HR" wood monogram and crest at the top. (This hotel has been around for a long time, for locals, it's a piece of history). My parents live down the road from The Homestead Resort and I know they do a similar sale from time to time. These sales are especially great for those of you with a more formal approach to interior design and decorating, as a lot of grand old hotels have started ditching some of the antiques and formal pieces for an edgier, more modern approach of clean, classic, comfort. It's also a great chance to own a little piece of personal history if the hotel or resort means something to you (i.e. you got dressed there before your wedding, you went to an annual benefit there growing up, you made some babies there (come on, you know you were thinking it.)

Be willing to get up early, be willing to elbow some girl in the throat to get the chair you want (just kidding...kinda), and maybe wait in line at a warehouse (you typically won't be going to the actual hotel, or at least not carrying stuff out of the lobby). So, check the papers, check-in, and check it out. You're in for quite a steal and deal. Bon Chance.

Cheers,

Ed

It Isn't, But It Is: Beyond the Basics.

2009-10-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

So, I was on the hunt for a new end table to go between the sofa and love seat in the living room. (Please note, in the bungalow, the living room is also the TV room. There is no formal living room full of antiques, ginger jars, and Faberge eggs that we only look at from behind the velvet ropes.). Some people hunt Pheasant and Ortolan, I hunt for furniture.

I had grown tired of the end table I had, not because anything was wrong with it, but I just wanted something different. You know how it is. I looked in furniture stores, consignment shops, estate sales, and my parents' basement. I looked at traditional, mission, glass, wood, etc. Finally, while browsing in "Ike's Underground," a vintage store on Charlottesville's historic Downtown Mall, I came across a large Department of Civil Defense water barrel from the early 1960's. The barrel was popular in the 60's to store water in fallout shelters. I thought it was cool when I saw it, and didn't give it much thought. However, then it hit me. End table. Ok, so I may lose some of you on this one (especially those of you with really formal homes), but I love to mix in vintage pieces, repurpose items, and incorporate a mix of hard and soft lines/elements. I loved the gun metal/dark olive color, the pop of writing on the front (mine is white writing, unlike the yellow of the picture), it was the perfect height, only $20.00, and if nothing else, it will be a conversation piece. I also love having pieces from the 50's and 60's mixed into my modern decor, because the bungalow dates back and has a very 50's/60's feel.

*Quick side note, my friends from college should get a kick out of this post, because I made an end table out of a beer keg in college. I applied our Alma mater's decal on the front, and fashioned a top from a a round piece of plywood, covered in stick on silver flashing tape (used to cover a car bumper.) See, even back then I was up to the same old tricks. I was just trying to be an interior designer while pretending to be straight. You try being the only boy in the dorm with curtains and a duvet cover.

I placed a large coffee table book on top to create a more substantial surface to place a lamp. However, you could easily add one of those round pieces of glass they sell in every major multi-purpose chain store (you know, the glass that goes on top of the "Screw in the three legs, round, raw particle board tables they sell that you put a table cloth on to cover). I think this could be not only great for a bachelor pad, but for a modern loft or industrial space. It's sure to spark conversation at your next cocktail party, and it can't hurt to have a little history in your home. Also, for that price, it sure beats buying a fiber board table from a chain store that you have to put together and hope nobody scratches or leaves a drink on. This doesn't mean you have to buy a civil defense water barrel from the 60's. It means design, once again, doesn't have to be so damn literal. Look at items in a different way. An old ladder can be wall art, a door can be a table, and you get to make all the rules.

So, next time, think beyond the basics, and think creatively. It may not be what you were looking for, but then again, it might end up being just exactly what you wanted.

Cheers,

photo credit: www.civildefensemuseum.com

Freak Chic: A Ghost of a Post.

2009-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

With Halloween creeping up quickly around the corner, I wanted to take a hot second to share a quick, easy, and beyond cheap Halloween-decorating tip: The Lamp Post Ghost.

While I can't take credit and say I came up with this concept in bed one night (although, I do dream of such design-related things), it's just too quick, easy, and beyond cheap not to share.

To make your lamp post into an instant Halloween ghost, drape the lamp post in any white fabric that you feel comfortable leaving outside. I used an old table cloth that has a stain on the back, but you could certainly use an old white bed sheet, buy some yards of inexpensive muslin or other white fabric. Once you have the fabric draped how you want it, secure it and define the head around the lantern with some string/twine (the string keeps the fabric from blowing off in wind).

To make a face (make any face you want, I went for a traditional ghost), cut out circles or shapes out of black trash bag (this will hold up in potential, unpredictable fall weather vs. using craft paper, or black construction paper). If you have black house paint and fee comfortable painting a face on, knock yourself out. Just don't use a craft or acrylic paint that's going to run in potential rain. Secure the cut out shapes in place using straight pins or small safety pins. Turn it on, and wait for dark. So Simple. Very Freak Chic and Halloween-a-Go-Go. Don't have a lamp post? I'm sorry, I know this must be hard for you. However, you could always try a smaller version using a porch light. Just don't put the fabric on an exposed lightbulb.

So, in five minutes, you have a fun, funky Lamp Post Ghost that is sure to delight you, your neighbors, and light the night for your local, little ghouls and goblins on Halloween.

Cheers,
Ed

"We've Got Spirits, Yes We Do! We've got Spirits, How 'Bout You?" A Tasteful Tailgate.

2009-10-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

For many of us, 'Tis the season for football. And for those of us who are experiencing what we wouldn't call the glory days or our Alma Mater or our chosen institution/team, 'tis the season for quality tailgating.

In all seriousness, you'll never hear me say that. (disclaimer: UVA isn't having the best season of all time.) There are folks out there that say they only go to football games for the tailgating, or that here, no one is going to actually watch the football game. Personally, I think if that's the case, find another team, find another temple to worship at, and get a new hobby. Maybe it's the fact that I work with college students, I always remember that they're students and they're out there trying their hardest, or maybe it's the fact that I've been going to football games ever since my Mom and Dad could tote me around like a pocket-sized orange and blue accessory. You learn to stand by your team, through good seasons and bad seasons.

Anywho, I'm going to hop off of my coach soapbox before I lose you. While we can't control what happens on the field, we can control what happens off the field with a tasteful tailgate. If you don't attend football games, but you follow a a college of NFL team at home, apply this to your spread in front of the old flat screen.

I've been fortunate over the years to attend many tailgates with friends and family, as well as plan some, and I figured I would share some of my favorite tips with you on this fine evening. When I say a tasteful tailgate, I'm not talking silver candelabra, and silver chaffing dishes. If that's what you were hoping for, well than pardon me Chrystal Carrington while I go play the grand piano. Just remember, you're standing in a parking lot with silver candelabra on a folding card table. Does it equate?

Ok. So my favorite tips and tailgating treats:

1. Don't be so damn literal: One of my favorite things to do is to take the school colors/team colors and find objects/serving pieces in those colors. However, I don't like to buy things that are necessarily school specific. For example, UVA's colors are orange and navy blue. Instead of going to the UVA bookstore or the gas station and buying the orange plastic table cloth that has Virginia Cavaliers, giant V's and footballs all over it, I opt for a navy and white patterned table cloth I purchased at a discount home goods store. It's attractive, durable, washable, and reusable. It sets a nice backdrop to add orange pieces to the spread. When you do this, you avoid having your table look like a child's birthday party table (you know, the Strawberry Shortcake table cloth, the Strawberry Shortcake napkins, plates, blow whistles, cups, cake, etc.) Remember, don't be so literal, you can show your support without literally saying it. Think of it like wearing a blue and orange tatersal shirt verses an actual UVA tshirt. I like it.

2. The 10 Minute Centerpiece: I'm sorry, call me crazy, call me persnickety, but I think all tables need a good centerpiece, and that includes your tailgating table. I always laugh because whenever my friends and I divvy up what we're bringing to our next tailgate, I always say I have the centerpiece on my list. My friend (and "wife") Alexis always responds "Friends, you can now rest at ease and sleep at night, Ed has the centerpiece under control, I know you've all been really worried and thinking, gosh I hope we have a centerpiece for Saturday's game." Sarcasm dually noted, ignored, and forgotten. ;) Anywho, the 10 minute centerpiece. It's Fall, so rock it fall. Buy one Mum. Wrap the plastic pot of the mum in your favorite wrapping paper, construction paper, scrapbooking paper, or whatever you have in the house. If you have something in your school colors, even better. Using your standard computer software, print images of footballs, football players, cheerleaders, phrases, "Go, Fight, Win" etc. and cut them out. Using scotch tape, attach the clip art images to your standard bamboo skewers (used for shish kabobs). If you want the backside to be appealing, trace the shapes onto another piece of paper, cut it out, and tape it on the other side of the skewer (sandwiching the skewer between the two pieces of paper.) You've instantly created your own, super cheap version of those plastic decorative messages florists stick in floral arrangements (you know the plastic stick with the plastic words that say "Welcome Baby," "Happy Birthday," "Sorry I got your pregnant and didn't call." Wait, what?

So, take your skewers, stick them in the mum in a nice arrangement, and wam, bam, instant centerpiece for your tailgating table. Time for the next tailgate and your mum is looking a little worn out? No worries, captain. Get a pumpkin at the market and stick the reusable skewers into the pumpkin. If you're feeling extra Martha that day, using some craft paint or leftover house paint, paint an inspirational phrase for your team on the pumpkin. Once again, instant centerpiece. Super cheap, super easy, and your guests will love it.

3. Tailgating is Not Work: Plain and simple, I don't grill at a tailgate. I'm there to enjoy time with my good friends and family, I'm not there to cook, and I'm not there to work. I'd rather do a little work before hand and enjoy the day, than set up a grill and fire away. Sure, you're going to have some "hot off the grill" goodness, but it's not my style. I also encourage you to think about what you're serving. If you can, opt for chicken fingers/strips over friend chicken. A lot of folks will be standing up and walking around, and let's face it, it's hard to look attractive and tear into a chicken breast full of bones. I mean, that's hard enough to do sitting down. If possible, stick to wholesome, filling finger foods. The best part? If you have a little time the night before, or even the morning of, you can make your own snacks, make them healthier, make them for less money, and your guests are going to scarf them down. Here are two of my standby favorites:

Oven Baked Chicken Fingers: (The amount depends on how much you want to make)
Take your standard boneless, skinless, raw chicken tenders from the market,
Salt and pepper the naked tenders
Dip the naked tenders in a quick egg wash (2-3 beaten eggs with some water or milk)
Then dredge the tenders in Panko (Japanese Bread crumbs--add your choice of seasonings to the bread crumbs and mix around--garlic powder, Soul Food Seasoning, paprika, onion salt, etc).
Lay the breaded tenders on a greased cookie sheet, spray the tops of the tenders with cooking oil so they'll brown, bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the tenders are golden brown. Serve with low-fat honey mustard salad dressing for dipping, barbecue sauce, or your favorite condiments.
(They're really good hot and cold, and they're so much better for you than if you buy fried chicken or go through the drive through).

Mini Pigs-n-a-Blanket (in lieu of grilling hot dogs)
These are so easy, breezy, lemon squeezy it should be illegal. And please do me a favor: make these and don't buy the ones that are already done or the ones that come in bulk at Sams club for wedding receptions. People always eat these and they can taste the difference. People are like, wow you made these? Can I have the recipe? Well, if you can even call this a recipe:
Buy 2 packages of Hillshire Farms "Lil Smokies" or if you like cheese in your dogs, "Lil Cheddar Smokies"
Buy 2 cans of Grands or grocery store brand "Flaky Layers" biscuits. (If you really want to step it up, buy a can of the whole wheat biscuits--hooray for health.)
Take each biscuit, pull apart the flaky layers, and then cut each layer into strips using kitchen scissors.
Assemble a pile of little pigs, little dough strips, and start your assembly line. Roll each pig in a cut layer of biscuit dough and then lay it on a greased cookie sheet with the seam side down. Bake in the oven at 350 until the biscuit dough is golden brown. Once again, serve with honey mustard, BBQ sauce, ketchup, or your favorite condiment. Great both warm and cold.

So, if you have the time to save the dime, do it yourself and skip the drive through and frozen food aisle for the next tailgate.

3. Make a packing list: This sounds a little excessive, it's a tailgate, not a trip to France. However, think about it. Once you get there, it's a one shot deal. There's no running out to get a corkscrew. So, make a packing list for the day. It's a great way to divvy up things amongst your friends and do a quick check before you load up the car for the day. Here is a good go-to list for many of our past tailgates:

1. Folding Card Tables and folding bag chairs
2. Table Cloth
3. Centerpiece (see, I told you it's important)
4. Paper plates
5. Solo Cups
6. Cocktail Napkins/Dinner napkins
7. Bottle Opener
8. Corkscrew
9. Shot Glass or Jigger
10. Cooler
11. Ice
12. Ice Bucket to hold ice for mixed drinks
13. Beer (seasonal preference)
14. Bourbon (Maker's Mark or Knob Creek, please.)
15. Vodka/Gin
16. Mixers: Cranberry, Ginger Ale, Soda, Diet Soda, Sparkling Water, Water (not really a mixer, but you always want to have plenty of water on hand, regardless of the weather/season) Tonic Water, and Club Soda
17. Straws or plastic swizzle sticks for mixed drinks
18. Trash Bag and second bag for recycling (in case your plot isn't near a trashcan
19. Wine, if you have wine drinkers
20. 2 Entree dishes (i.e. country ham biscuits, chicken/pigs, etc)
21. Chips, Dips, Chains, Whips (pita chips, hummus, corn salsa, tortilla chips, etc.)
22. Salads (pasta, etc.)
23. Dry roasted Peanuts--a great option for munchies
24. Dessert--brownies or cookies will typically suffice, unless you're dying to make a "Go Hoos" Cake.
25. Fruit and Veggies--because some people are still trying to meet a man.
(See, there's a lot to forget--making a packing list is not that crazy for a tailgate. Of course some of these things will change depending on the time of season. You might not be as concerned with a cold drink in late November, but you know what to swap out.)

The final ingredient on your list is to bring good friends and family to enjoy both the spread and the game with. That's what it's all about after all.

So, whether it be outside the stadium or inside your family room, consider these tips when you plan your next tasteful tailgate. Keep it Simple and Keep it Classy. Grab a drink, grab your friends, and grab your seat and enjoy some football, y'all.

Cheers,
Ed

No Man's An Island.

2009-10-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

So, you all have seen photos of my kitchen. The Galactica walls, the open shelving, etc. etc. However, one of my favorite cost-saving, functional design tips is in the heart of that kitchen: The Kitchen "Island."

When I moved into the bungalow downtown, I fell in love with the eat-in kitchen. The only thing I could find wrong was the large amount of space in the center of the kitchen, an area just begging for a kitchen island. Without an island there, I had the perfect space for a kitchen dance party. Don't get me wrong, spontaneous kitchen dance party is one of my all-time favorite things. My friend Christy and I do the Carolina Shag to the Fifth Dimension's "Marry Me Bill." It brings down the house every time. Needless to say, I put away my tap shoes and went in search of a kitchen island.

I wanted something different, something clean, something easy to maintain, something functional, and something that wasn't going to break the bank. Once again, like I always say, what's the fun in sinking so much money into your home that you can't afford to have any friends over? I found my long laundry list in the stainless steel prep table. First off, I'm a Top Chef fanatic and wannabe. I need to start learning how to make things into a foam and start turning out dishes that involve an "emulsion of fennel bulb, blood orange puree, and a reduction of caramelized fig, with a marscapone demi-glace." Sure, sounds good. The stainless steel prep table is what you see running down the middle and sides of every restaurant kitchen, and hell, every high school cafeteria, and there's good reason for it. Not only do I love the clean, simple, modern look of the stainless steel, but it's sturdy, it's super easy to clean (you literally wipe it down, and then give it a spray with a can of stainless steel cleaner, available in any grocery store, typically to clean stainless steel fridges), and being that it's stainless steel and meant for an industrial kitchen, I can literally take a hot dish from the oven and sit it on the surface. If the surface is clean, you can cut your ingredients right on top, and trust me, the more it gets scratched up, the better it looks (and it's going to get scratched up...it's always a matter of getting past the first scratch.) When I first got the stainless island, it was perfect. My ex-boyfriend at the time came in and threw his keys on it 10 minutes after I pulled the protective plastic off of it, making one singular scratch. You would have thought he poured bleach on my rose garden, I was so mad (that's not why we broke up, I promise I'm not that difficult to live with). Anywho, you get past that first scratch, remember that's why you went industrial in the first place, and you rock it out like any good Chef or Sous Chef. The bottom shelf is galvanized steel and the perfect place to store extra goods like small appliances, wine, cookbooks, etc.

I was able to order my table from Charlottesville Restaurant Supply Company, a local distributor that has since moved to only online sales (http://www.cvillerestaurantsupply.com/) If you visit their website, the little cartoon french fry guy says to even call them for the best deals on stainless steel prep tables. Good to know. (Don't worry if your town doesn't have a Restaurant Supply Company or distributor, most places will have to order your table regardless. Try online vendors like http://www.webstaurantstore.com/. However, I was able to get my stainless steel prep table (giving me an additional 4 ft long x 2.5 wide feet of counter space) for $200.00 including shipping. While 200 smackeroos isn't couch change, think of what you'd pay to have a real island installed? Ok. The best part? You can get these tables in various sizes, ranging from small 2ft. x 2ft. square tables to ones that could literally run the length of a restaurant. It's perfect, because it's being used for it's exact purpose. If it can withstand the prep line in a gourmet kitchen, I'm sure it can withstand my small kitchen calamities. It's a great option for any renter, or just anyone who wants something a little different. When you move out, you can take it with you, or leave it with the house. Or, if you don't think it's going to work in your next kitchen, use it as a work table in the garage or basement. If you have kids, they'll have a blast playing on it with magnets (and if you don't have kids, you can still play with magnets, or leave yourself a note/grocery list.) Maybe you aren't ready to put in the permanent island, but you crave the counter space, and also don't want to buy the butcher block rolling cart from the chain store. Consider this cost-saving, functional design tip.

Remember, no man's an island, but a prep table can be.

Cheers,

Image Lifted from www.webrestaurantstore.com

A Reason AND a Season to Celebrate.

2009-10-19T21:04:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not talking about Christmas. Although, it will be here soon. Hell, it's already Christmas in a lot of stores already (which I don't understand, in my parents' business, we just make sure the place is ready to go for the holidays on the day after Thanksgiving.) But seriously, while I'm not talking about Christmas, this entry is semi-inspired by my Dad's take on the Holidays. He always encourages us and reminds us to not put all of our stock in Christmas day. After all, it's one day. It comes and goes so quickly, and no matter how much you pack in one day, you can't stop the train...or in this case, the Polar Express? Anywho, he always encourages us to think of Christmas as a season and not a one shot deal. We stretch it out, have several small gatherings with family, friends, neighbors, attend a lot of events, concerts, leave the trees up until New Years, etc.

Anywho, that's the whole point. I don't think we celebrate enough, or at least not in the right way. We put all of our eggs in a few small baskets, and hope for the perfect day, or holiday. Where am I going with this? Ok, so over the past week, I was really inspired by two different events, a small dinner party, and a large party with friends. The best part? Both events just screamed fall in Virginia. I love fall here. I love the changing of the leaves, the little nip in the air, the smell of fire (like a camp fire or chestnuts roasting on a, not a house fire), the sound of a marching band practicing when you walk home, snuggling up (once again, Husband...where are you?), the sound of crunching leaves beneath your feet, and knowing you have a fun holiday season ahead of you. Sure we celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving, but why not celebrate Fall?

At the small dinner party, 2 couples, myself, and my date (my "wife", she's the best, really. Not only is she a fun, intelligent, attractive, and successful young woman, she totally understands and accepts the fact that her "husband" is attracted to men and will most likely, one day, leave her for a man) ate appetizers by a cozy fire, drank "Stone Fences" (4.0 oz. Maker's Mark Bourbon, or any bourbon and 2 oz. fresh apple cider), feasted on a delicious meal with seasonal ingredients like butternut squash, and just had the best damn conversation you could ask for. On Saturday, my friends Jill and Christie hosted their annual Celebration of All Things Fall. They live on a beautiful farm outside of Charlottesville, and it's the kind of place that begs for a gathering like this. There were hay rides, a pumpkin carving contest, cider and adult beverages, a small band and dancing in the barn, a fire, dogs, delicious food, children, you name it. It was a little chilly, but bundling up is always fun, and there was no rain thanks to Old Mother Nature. We were also celebrating Christie and Jill's recent Nantucket nuptials, which is just the best thing ever.

Needless to say, I've left this past week and weekend inspired to celebrate fall. There's no need to put all your stock, or stock pot on Thanksgiving and Halloween. That's one stressful meal and one night of tricks and treats. You're probably thinking, I don't live on a perfect farm in Virginia that screams fall bash, and it would look really silly to host a hayride on our busy, city street. No biggie. Do it on your level, with your space, and with your style. If you live in an urban environment and you don't have the outdoor space, rock the fall dinner party. Cook with warm, seasonal ingredients, serve some stone fences, and finish off the meal with a nice apple crisp, or something that evokes those senses and tastes of fall. In other words, leave the mojitos and citrus salad for another day and another dinner party. I'm pretty anti-Sandra Lee and seasonal decorating (outside of holidays) but break out the fall colors for your table. Some nice beeswax candles, use your thanksgiving linens if you have them, or venture outside and find your decor. Gather a few acorns, some twigs, and a nice spray of changing leaves. Add one glass vase or hurricane, and BAM, we have instant center piece.

Image lifted from myweddingfavors.com

If you have a backyard and some outdoor space to throw a fall party, then rock it out on a small scale. This is a really affordable gathering. It's fall, the decor is taken care of. It's all about the air, and the leaves, and the trees, and the feeling. Get a few pumpkins and a few mums and you're in business. If you're going into the evening, bust out some Christmas lights early. Have guests bring pumpkins to carve in the contest, get some cider (with a hard option for the big kids), some apple juice boxes for the wee ones, some pumpkin ales, and set the time for late afternoon, making the event kid friendly for those with kids, and let it carry on into the evening for those who may want a few extra brews and think that it's a marvelous night for a Moondance. Start a small fire pit when the sun goes down, and you're in big business. You may have a friend who's willing to play the guitar, or just rock a nice playlist with some bluegrass, some classic rock (for example, the aforementioned Van Morrison ala Moondance, some Dave Matthews, etc.) If you're crossing over dinner time, feed your guests. If you fancy yourself a grill master, grill up some chicken, roast some potatoes, some green beans, and you're done. Or, grill the chicken and ask your guests to bring their favorite seasonal dish. Roast some pumpkin seeds for a snack if you're feeling adventurous. Or, be like Jill and Christie, and order from a local Barbecue restaurant. We're not talking a lavish catering deal here, we're talking order some pulled pork, some coleslaw, your favorite side dish, get some hamburger buns and some plastic cutlery, and you're in business. Either way, it's going to be pretty damn fabulous.
So, don't wait for the holidays, celebrate the season. Grab a Stone Fence, grab a pumpkin, grab your friends, and take it as an opportunity to be thankful for all the wonderful things and people in your life. So, for all my friends out there, make an ordinary day, extraordinary, and celebrate Fall.

For my friends who found love and were gracious enough to share their joy with us last weekend, congratulations and thanks for the inspiration. Here's to love, laughter, and Happily Ever After. (and here's to Fall, y'all.)

Cheers,
Ed

My friend Karie, and I at the Fall Party. (Just in case we haven't met in person, and you're curious who I am.)

Picture This: A Beautiful Life

2009-10-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Aaaaaannnnd we’re back in business. It was a very fun weekend: had a smashing time with friends tailgating and enjoying all things Homecoming, our beloved football team actually won 47 to 7 (I don’t think we’ve sung the Good Ol’ Song that much all season), and I spent a glorious, crisp fall Sunday with four of my favorite gents at a local winery/vineyard, followed by picking out the perfect 29 pound pumpkin and apple cider donuts at the Annual Carter’s Mountain Orchard Apple Festival (I know I shouldn’t be eating donuts as a single man trying to land a husband, but they’re so, so good. Don’t judge.) It’s always weekends and times like these that remind me how truly blessed I am, not only blessed to get to live in a nice home, but blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing people. Ok, get out your Hunter Wellington rain boots; it’s starting to get really deep in here.

Anywho, let’s talk pictures. I’ve always been a picture person. I was actually just thinking about the dowry of printed Kodak doubles and negatives I probably have between my house and my parents’ house. Personal photographs are a great way to personalize your home, surround yourself by people, places, and memories you love, and the best part? Photographs are so much cheaper than art (well, fine art.) While it’s great to have a lot of photos, the question becomes how to display them. We’ve all seen the buffet or the grand piano that’s covered in so many family photos, they’re sitting so close together in front of each other, and you can’t even see the photos, except for the front row. The solution? Creating a home gallery.

There are so many different ways to create a home gallery of varying sizes, shapes, frames, feelings, etc. However, I figured I would at least show you how I do mine. Over time, I’ve taken some of my favorite photographs from childhood, travels, places, and just things that are going to conjure up warm memories. Sing it with me, "Memorieeees, like the corner's of my mind..."

For example, my parents have this great brick sidewalk in their backyard, that over time, my Dad swapped out some of the regular bricks for bricks from when they tore down the historic city hall in our hometown and bricks from when they tore down the elementary school that I, my siblings, and my mother all attended, to build a new one. I took a picture a few falls ago of my bare feet walking down the path, and while it looks like maybe I was trying to be Dr. Artsy or Beck Home-Ecky, the photo is a literal walk down memory lane for me. Anywho, I digress. I’ve hung photos in series in different rooms throughout the house, but to create a consistent feeling of flow, I converted the photos to high contrast black and white (can be done with any photo editing software, even the cheap software that came with your laptop or camera), and I use the same very simple gallery frames. They’re available at most craft/framing stores, they’re front loaded (glass pops out the front), they already come with the mats in fun shapes and sizes, and they’re crazy cheap.

Once I’ve declared my gallery space, I typically lay the framed photos on the floor, on a tabletop, or on a bed in the desired pattern. Remembering to hang photos at eye level (however, being a 6ft. 4 man, I tend to go a little lower so it doesn’t look like my whole house was designed for Yao Ming) I typically start with one photo, working from either the left or the center and working out. Once you commit to the first photo, it’s much easier to hang the others. Let’s face it, people don’t like to do this kind of stuff because they think it’s impossible to get everything spaced evenly and level, especially in a collage formation. Here’s the best tip I can offer you.

1. Starting with your first photo (or any piece you’re going to hang), be sure you have a lead pencil, a ruler or tape measurer) and your hammer and nails/picture hangers.
Place the framed photo against the wall in the desired location and draw a very light pencil line evenly across the top of the frame (using the frame as your straight edge on the wall).

2. Lay the photo down with the backside up. Using your tape measurer, measure the distance from the top of the frame edge down to the top of the nail hole/picture hanger on the back of the frame. If it’s a picture wire, pull the wire very taught with your finger in an upward motion toward the top edge of the frame (basically act like your finger is a nail) and then measure the distance between the center of the taught wire and the top edge of the frame. Still with me? Awesome.

3. Now go to the wall and measure the same distance from the center of your pencil line down (toward the floor)(most of the time it’s going to be 1-2-3 inches.) Make your nail dot at the bottom of the measured distance. So basically, if you look at the wall, you should have a faint pencil line and a dot drawn a few inches (or whatever the appropriate distance is) below it.

4. Hammer your nail in on the dot and hang your photo. It’s really important to remember though, if you’re using a picture hanger and not just a plain nail, you don’t want to nail on the dot you drew. You want the bottom of the picture hanger (the bottom of the J) resting on the dot you drew. If you nail the top part on the dot, your picture (which really hangs on the lower J part of the picture hanger) will hang lower than you thought.

Seriously, follow these steps and you’re going to be surprised how easy this is and how perfectly your photos line up each time. You will certainly have fewer of those “whoops” holes that are hiding behind many of our photos.

I’ve used the gallery idea to create a sort of headboard over a guest bed, to line walls and hallways, and I love to see guests actually walking up and down the walls like they’re in a real gallery. I like the cohesiveness of having the same frames in different rooms, creating the idea of a continual collection. If you aren’t feeling the idea of having family photos/childhood photos around but you still want the same look, go talk a walk around your town/neighborhood and shoot some architectural elements. Find places that are significant to you and your significant other (or just you). If the simple frames don’t match your décor or your home, do mix and match, find vintage frames from consignment shops, and create a more eclectic look. Even better, find a bunch of vintage/old frames in cool/funky shapes and sizes, and paint them all high gloss black or white, creating cohesion with a fun, modern twist. You are your own curator.

And most importantly remember, you’re life is really beautiful. You shouldn’t have to buy pictures of somebody else’s.

Cheers,

HOO Says You Can't Go Home?

2009-10-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Homecoming HOOs!

It's a beautiful fall day here in Charlottesville and the Commonwealth as UVA Alums of all ages return to Grounds for a weekend of football, tailgating, trips to favorite restaurants and watering holes, cocktails on the Corner, and some serious reminiscing. If you've seen our football record, you'll understand the emphasis on tailgating and cocktails.

In the collegiate spirit, I wanted to share another of my favorite finds. Asgard Press (http://www.asgardpress.com/) does this amazing line of vintage football game program calendars. They've done calendars for a wide variety of schools, ranging from Alabama to Washington State. Not only are these images a phenomenal reproduction, and the best part is they come perforated and ready to tear out and be framed as perfect, standard 11 x 14 Prints. I did some prints from the 2009 calendar for my office at UVA, and am already loving the 2010 calendar that's about to come out.

So, even if you aren't a football enthusiast, or your Alma mater isn't listed, you can still think about this tip for your next art project. In the case of the UVA calendar, for $18.95, you get 12 frameable pieces of art (they're high quality, great weight to the pages), throw in some vintage frames from a yard sale or some cheap, simple black frames (typically made to fit an 11 x 14 certificate or award) from a craft store and you've got a great installation for your hallway, family room, office, etc. Love sailboats? Pick up a sailboat calendar. Love old movies? I've seen some great calendars with vintage movie posters ("Singin' in the Rain, Wizard of Oz, etc.)

If you can stand the wait, the best time to make this move is to wait toward the end of the calendar year. I mean, who's going to want a 2009 calendar in December 2009? You are, and you're going to get it for next to nothing. Where else are you going to get a series of 12 prints for under 20 smackeroos?

Until next time friends, be well, have a fantastic weekend, and Happy Homecoming HOOs!

WAHOOWA and Cheers,
Ed

P.S. For all Charlottesville followers and those nearby, if you're free tomorrow morning, swing by the UVA South Lawn from 9AM-1PM for the Annual Pancakes For Parkinson's. Pancakes is an annual breakfast hosted by UVA students to raise money and awarness for The Michael J. Fox Foundation and those individuals and families suffereing from Parkinson's Disease. It's one of my all-time favorite UVA events (I got to be Michael J. Fox circa Back to the Future one year in graduate school, Yeah Marty McFly!). The event is free, but donations are greatly appreciated. Tavern Pancakes and juice, served up with a smile from UVA students in the heart of Mr. Jefferson's Academical Village...it really doesn't get much better.

All Images lifted from www.asgardpress.com

The Writing's On The Wall.

2009-10-08T21:39:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's fun to convey a message, but sometimes it's fun to just flat out say it. I recently hung up a large film poster I won at auction by my favorite photographer, Bruce Weber in one of the bedrooms of my house. You're probably thinking, Good Bachelor, way to hang a giant sailor in the bedroom. And while there's a sexy element to the piece, I chose it because I love the film, his work, and it's a collector's item. I also love the pop of red not only on the poster, but in the whole room, which is draped in soft greys. The walls of the room are also a marriage of my own black and white photography and his. The words are the first thing I notice when I look at the print, and while the message is not "I love to eat Chop Suey," it got me thinking about the fun use of statements in our homes.

My first disclaimer is that I'm really not a big fan of the wooden signs in a lot of major chain stores that say things like "All Because Two People Fell in Love," "Faith, Family, and Friends," "Live, Laugh, and Love," "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle," "If Mama Aint Happy, Aint Nobody Happy," etc. You get the picture. It's not that they're not cute, they're just becoming very common and you could totally make your own with a little acrylic paint and a piece of scrap wood from the shed. Maybe I'm just bitter, because I can't hang a sign over my bed that says "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" when I'm more likely to call my Mom and Dad before bed, and blow a kiss goodnight to Mr. Chop Suey over the night stand. Just kidding. Kinda.

However, there are so many great pieces out there that literally make a statement for you, yet are still really aesthetically pleasing and design smart. I think it's really fun to incorporate a message piece into a gallery wall of family photos, different pieces, etc. Also look for rooms that are appropriate to the messages being sent. Clearly you aren't going to hang the word "Eat" over the toilet in the guest bathroom, but think about your placement in relation to the overall picture and concept for the space. Here are a few fun examples:

I love both of these prints available at Reform House (http://www.reformschoolrules.com/). You can find the Keep Calm (copy of the infamous WWII Propaganda) through a lot of poster companies in a lot of different colors from red, to blue, to metallic gold. It could be a great message in a bedroom. I love the idea of incorporating the Perfect Together print, once again in a bedroom or in a gallery wall installation of wedding or family photos, providing a pop of color amongst all black and whites or just to provide a fun, focal point. Both images lifted from www.reformschoolrules.com

If you like things a little funkier and it matched your decor, I really enjoy this guy. Not only does it conjure up thoughts of the old Nat King Cole classic..."the Rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble, they're only made of clay. Our Love Is Here to Stay." Come on, you can't make that stuff up. So good. Once again, nice in a bedroom, in a gallery wall of family photos, etc. Image lifted from http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

I love the rustic gather sign from Sundance (http://www.sundancecatalog.com/). It's made out of metal and has a great texture. If red isn't your color, you could easily paint it a different color with some Rustoleum spray paint (I bought the "Eat" sign from the same company and just painted it white. See my "Bitchin' Kitchen" entry.) This could be great in a kitchen, with a nice farmhouse table, or on a back patio hanging on a brick wall. Anywhere friends and family will, you guessed it, Gather. Image lifted from www.sundancecatalog.com

I think these Nikki McClure prints could be pretty fabulous and a fun alternative in a nursery or a child's bedroom. Not only are the images outstanding, but the choice of words and theme create a really dreamy feeling. I got them from Reform School online (make sure you type in reformschoolrules dot com and not just reformschool. Apparently, reformschool dot com is pretty graphic pornography. Learned that one the hard way, and I'm pretty sure they aren't selling anything you want to hang in your foyer. Regardless, the best part is I'm 99% sure you can get these prints from "O' Suzanna" on 4th Street NE in Downtown Cville. Yeah shopping local! If you do have to get them online, they're only $9.50 a piece.

All four images lifted from www.reformschoolrules.com

These pieces show a variety of styles that could fit a lot of different spaces and design styles depending on how/where they're used. Just remember, sometimes it doesn't hurt to just say what's on your mind.

Cheers,
Ed

Pick a Pillow, Any Pillow.

2009-10-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, two posts in one night? Call me Butter, 'cause I'm on a Roll. No, call your cute, intelligent, and funny, gay friend/brother/cousin/neighbor/colleague and tell him to read my blog so we can fall in love, get married, and fulfill my dream of two men, a renovated row house, some Danish, mid century, modern furniture, and a baby that looks nothing like either of us. Once that all happens, I won't have as much time to blog.

Until then, a quick update separate from tonight's "Functional Can Be Beautiful" post. I'm loving the idea of a pillow on the painted captain's chairs I painted 3 entries ago. Take a look at these 2 Target finds (the tufted, rectangular pillow was on clearance for $7.00). The other pillow is reversible, with the other side being robins egg blue with the chocolate brown stitching. Either way, I think the addition of the pillow further changes the feel of the chair and almost removes the thought of them ever being anything other than what they are now. What do you think?

Cheers,

Functional Can Be Beautiful.

2009-10-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

I think one of the biggest mistakes we make when it comes to interior design is that sometimes, we're too literal and we choose too much form over not enough function. We feel like we have to go out and buy accessories to cover our desk tops and counter tops, or just to fill some negative space (or void in our lives). I think we have to be honest with ourselves and realize that the most beautiful part of our homes is the fact that we live there, our friends and families gather there, and that it's meant to be a safe, comforting sanctuary, not a showroom. I don't care what you do before a cocktail party, but chances are, your coffee table is going to occasionally collect a magazine or twelve, a crossword puzzle, and some reading glasses during the week, and that's a beautiful thing. It should be functional for you and your lifestyle. Your coffee table doesn't have to be the resting place for a decorative bowl full of wicker earth balls (you know which ones I'm talking about).

Ok, so we've admited we live in the house. Fantastic. The next step is to think through our decorative elements and accessories. For example, you may live in Charlottesville, but you may love all of your family trips to Italy and want your kitchen to have a wine/wine bar feeling. Awesome. How about instead of going out and buying a stack of decorative hat boxes with some wallpaper-ish pattern of grapes, Chianti bottles, and Tuscan villas decoupaged on them from TJ Maxx for your kitchen counter (who keeps hat boxes in the kitchen, anyway?), you could put out a few of your favorite bottles of wine, or a favorite vase or bowl full of corks, or use open storage that could display your favorite wine glasses, corkscrew, etc. The best part? You'll actually use these things. The hat-less hat boxes will take up space and collect dust. No thanks. (You all probably know by now, I'm not crazy about a theme room. I think it's great to convey a feeling, but when we get too "themey" we run the risk of our living room looking like a nursery sans crib, changing table, and Diaper Genie. You know, the light house curtains, with the light house border, with the oar and fish net window treatment, and knobs made out of fishing tackle. But that's a whole other entry).

The big picture lesson here is that decorative can be functional, and functional can be beautiful. The icing on the cake? You're already going to own a lot of the things you need to decorate for functionality. While I love to have guests drop by on a weeknight and at the drop of a hat for an impromptu gathering, I can't live in a home that's always staged like a movie set for a party. This place has to be ready for Ed getting ready for work in the morning and for Ed lounging around in old lacrosse shorts, with a morning Mudhouse, with his flip flopped feet, on the coffee table, on the occasional weekend. What I try to do is to figure out how to make my everyday, functional life, beautiful. I like to do that by decorating with things I'm going to actually use.

Similar to the aforementioned wine example, I use bottles of Pellegrino water atop of the china hutch in the kitchen. Not only do I love the pop of blue with the red star, and the green glass against the pale, milky blue walls, I drink this stuff like it's, well, water. I love to drink it with a wedge of lime with dinner, have it for guests, and it keeps me from drinking soda. You might say I'm a recovering coke addict. Diet Coke, that is. So, instead of hiding the stash in the pantry and putting some basket of fake ivy atop the hutch, I put out an old metal basket full of these bottles. They're pretty bottles, about $1.70 a piece, delicious, and they're ready to be thrown in the fridge one by one. If you don't like Pellegrino or sparking water, you can find a lot of Italian sodas/lemonades in pretty bottles, and as I mentioned before, you could always do several bottles of your favorite wine. A little more expensive, but bottoms up, my friends. It's a kitchen, it's a place to eat and drink. Pretty fitting, I'd say.

I also keep my favorite rain boots and umbrella by my front door. Being a tall guy (6ft. 4inches), my boots are tall, and I think pretty cool and sculptural with the simple lines. I keep a great umbrella with a bamboo handle in one of the boots, serving double duty as an umbrella stand. They're solid navy, and they pop against the white walls. And the best part? They're ready for me to slip on before heading out on a rainy morning. No digging through the closet. Talk about functional. The Burberry-esque box holds some spare gloves, dog leashes, etc. Take this idea and apply it to similar elements of your life. Guys, invest a few dollars in a desk valet, so you'll have a stylish place to always leave your watch, ipod, cellphone, keys, etc. Not only will it look a hell of a lot better than a pile of pocket accoutrements on your dresser, but you'll avoid the daily trip on the hot mess express as you frantically look for everything in the morning and before going out.

Another one of my favorite, functional design elements is my "adult" piggy bank. I feel like I've earned the right to talk about this because in college, I collected my laundry money in a giant, plastic Bud Light beer bottle that I bought at Spencer's in the mall. Oh, to be young, in the South, and in the closet again. (sigh). Boys will be Boys. Don't judge, it looked really good with my "Animal House" poster. But no, seriously. Everyday when I come home, I empty my pockets and dump all of my spare change into the pictured, over-sized jar/vase (it's about 18 inches tall, the picture doesn't really capture the size). I keep it on the floor next a leather club chair. People typically don't even notice it's full of change, because it's just a pretty blue, recycled glass jar that looks nice where it's sitting. And if they do, you just get a little sparkle of silver and copper in the bottom. I mean, people put out vases of fake river rocks and glass pebbles, and we could all use a little change. Having it out and having it be both aesthetically pleasing and functional, really encourages me to save my change and money. There's over $150.00 in change in the jar currently, and I've been collecting for under a year. Not only does every penny add up, it can be aesthetically sexy to save.

So, do yourself a favor. Look at yourself in the mirror and say "I'm [your name here], and I live here." Then make your home comfortable and functional for you. We all have different lifestyles, and maybe the bachelor's off-white duvet cover isn't right for the couple with 2 dogs who sleep on the bed. Maybe that just means you find a machine washable version or look for a different color. If you have a piece of furniture or some random statuary that you knock over or trip over everytime you come in the door, you should move it. It doesn't matter if it looks perfect there...it's causing you to trip (very circa Dick Van Dyke and the ottoman.) We can't and shouldn't all do the same thing. However, what we all can do is decorate to make our lives a little easier and a little prettier. So, keep it simple, keep it functional, and keep it fabulous.

Cheers,
Ed

Let Your Light Shine...Or Don't.

2009-10-06T22:09:00.001-07:00

So, hear me out. I've personally never subscribed to the idea that anything has to serve its original purpose. I mean, clearly you should use your toaster to make toast and toaster strudels and not to crimp your hair, etc. But I'd like to think we can have a little fun with things when it comes to design. You might think I'm just trying to be difficult, but it's just part of my charm. No comment.

I just wanted to share another one of my favorite ideas from my little design bungalow. As I mentioned in a previous entry, I'm not a big candle guy. I keep a case of tea lights around for parties, some tapered beeswax numbers for the table, and a few that don't seem to ever get lit on the piano. However, I don't buy a lot of candles, especially of the Yankee variety and scented nature. I just don't really like for my house to smell like snickerdoodles, if there aren't any, well, snickerdoodles. One of my favorite compliments I've received was when my friend Christy told me my house smelled like me. Well, I think that was a compliment. She likes my cologne, so I guess it's ok for your house to smell like Boy. Maybe Yankee Candle should come out with a candle that smells like me. It can be called something like "Bachelor Bungalow Breeze." It can smell like cologne, laundered dress shirts, pizza delivery, and the slowly rotting decay of youth and hope. Just kidding.

Anywho, while I'm not a candle guy, I love the resurgence of over sized lanterns that have popped up in a lot of both indoor/outdoor design stores and catalogs. I love the clean, simple lines, the glass, and the beachy feeling. Loving the lanterns, but not loving the idea of loading them up with candles that I most likely won't light, I wanted to use them in a different way. While it's purely a decorative concept (vs. functional, i.e. filling the lantern with your cheerios on the kitchen counter), I like to use lanterns as shadow boxes of sorts, or as mini-curio cabinets/cases.

I display a pair of my baby shoes in a great lantern I got at West Elm on clearance. (The best part was watching me carry this lantern around the streets of DC all afternoon, with the ultimate goal of not breaking any of the glass.) I purchased a second, over-sized lantern from Pottery Barn in the off-season, and I filled it with a Jefferson Cup atop a collection of old books that match the blue color scheme of the living room. I think it's a fun way to display some of your favorite items, and not only does it protect and showcase your items, but you can easily swap things out. You could fill one with glass ornaments at Christmas, use seashells, old jewelery, a few childhood keepsakes, or even candles if you're not feeling it. Either way, I love it, and maybe you will too. Keeping it simple, from my home to yours.

Cheers,
Ed

Tie One On: When In Doubt, Frame It Out.

2009-10-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

You probably read the title of this entry and thought, cocktail recipes. Sorry, I hate to burst your bubbles in your Tanqueray & Tonic, but not this time. However, I don't mind if you make yourself one while your read this. I might even join you. So, I got a wild hair to do a craft project of sorts, with the end result being something for the walls/a distant relative of the art family. If you've been following along or recently found my blog, you know that I love to re purpose, revamp, and revitalize old finds and things I find in my own home. For this project, I went to my closet. It was there, I found my divine inspiration on the tie rack.

I have to be honest and tell you I have an obscene number of neck ties. For a while, I thought it would be fun to "collect" neckties. I mean, I figured it was better than collecting something like thimbles or bells from different states, or collecting dust. I could at least wear these to work, weddings, and obligatory social functions. I also grew up in the menswear/haberdashery business, so I was rocking the little bowtie, seersucker, and saddle shoes from the time I was knee high to a grasshopper. However, 2 full tie racks of neck ties and bow ties later, I've learned my lesson in this small bungalow. I saw this as a fun way to make a conversation piece that would both represent me (someone who dresses up quite frequently/fancies himself a bit of a Southern gentleman) and pay homage to my heritage in the menswear business. Taking an old necktie of my grandfather's he gave me, I cut it half, about 7 inches from the bottom tip. (small disclaimer: my grandfather is still very much alive and kicking, this tie also had a small stain in the middle, which I knew I could cut out, making it a prime candidate for the project). Taking the 2 tie halves, I decided to line them up, frame them, and mat them to form a diptych. A diptych is a continuous painting, photo, or piece of art that is done on two separate panels or canvases. Using 2 identical frames and white mats, I lined up the tie pieces to create the whole tie once again. Using double-sided tape, I secured the tie pieces to the backs of the mats, lining up the center to create a continous tie.

I purchased 2 pieces of scrapbooking/craft paper from a major craft store that I thought looked like a man's dress shirt. I decided on a small blue gingham to go with the red striped tie. Finishing off the backs with some cardboard to press everything into place, I sealed the frames and hung them one above the other, leaving some space to create the division between the two pieces. I'm really pleased with the result. It's fun, kind of whimsical, and a new approach to "Bachelor Pad." I think it could be a fun series, lined along a wall in a bedroom, hallway, or dressing room with several different ties and backing paper. Ladies, this project might not appeal to you and your lack of bachelor bungalow, however, don't discount the necktie. Your husband's, boyfriend's, significant other's, or insignificant other's neckties can make great, fun, curtain tie backs, a fun belt to wear with jeans, or a great accent tied around a throw pillow. Or if you're just not buying my necktie campaign of love, why not frame out an old silk scarf you love? When in doubt, frame it out.

Also, you can bet your bow tie I'm going to make this wreath for Christmas. So be warned! I've already started collecting contrasting neckties from local thrift stores/sales to make my wreath next month. I think I would put pieces of coat hanger or wooden dowel inside the back of each tie to make more of a stand-out sunburst pattern and to prevent the ties from wrapping down around the edges of the wreath form. However, that's a different project, for a different day, and a different blog entry. So, hit your closet, get a little creative and crafty, and then really "Tie One On" to celebrate your new piece.

Cheers,

Photo Credits: Skitzo Leezra Studio and http://www.southernproper.com/

A Chair is Still a Chair: New Life for an Old Standard

2009-10-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

First off, allow me to apologize for being in absentia for the past several days. (this is when you look at the computer screen puzzled and say "I didn't realize he hadn't posted in several days, I don't really follow this thing that closely.") However, for those of you out there in some cosmic waiting room, I apologize. I know you've been skipping work and pacing back and forth, wondering when I'm going to give you a Sangria recipe or tell you about the glory of Monogrammed bed linens (sarcasm noted). When I began this little jaunt with blogging, I started at a blistering pace. I thought I would post every single night with my Memoirs of a "Gay-sha," but I've quickly realized that may have been a somewhat presumptuous goal, or I was simply off my rocker...or in this case, my club chair. To make it a short story, work is busy, life is busy, U2 Concert in Charlottesville last week, photo shoots , etc. etc. Ok, now we're all caught up. Promise me we'll always kiss and make up like this?

So, we've all seen this chair. Many of us have this chair. This chair, along with 3 of her identical sisters sat in my maternal grandparents' knotty pine kitchen with black, wrought iron handles and drawer pulls circa 1970's-80's. I kid you not when I say I saw chairs like these for sale at a consigment shop, and they came with a kitchen table that was essentially a whiskey barrel base and a wagon-wheel top. Little House on the Scary. As these things typically shake out, these chairs ended up in my parents' basement for a rainy day, and as of recently, 2 were passed down to me and were now living in my Charlottesville basement. I mean, that's how these things work. We pass down our cast-away, less than optimal, and sometimes plain ugly furniture and goods to our children, friends, and those who are "just starting out." Speaking of pass-down furniture, I am proud to say that we never owned any of the "This End Up" furniture. You know, the wood crate furniture that not surprisingly, is as comfortable as sitting in a wood shipping crate. Anywho, I figured why not spit in the face of this pass-down tradition, take the chairs out of hiding, and give them a new a life?

Looking at the chairs, there are some neat design elements: the curved back, the wide seat, the intricate spindles, etc. These have a more classic, traditional feel, so I wasn't about to go over the top and try to make them look like very modern chairs. They have traditional lines and are a little too detailed to be painted hot pink. However, I did want them to look a little less Long John Silvers meets the Wild Wild West. I took design inspiration from the classic, collegiate captains chair you often see for sale in most college and university bookstores. They're typically black with a gold school seal. If you work at UVA or have even just walked by Grounds for ten seconds, we have these chairs everywhere. There's one in my office, we put them in waiting rooms, we have panelists sit in them, etc. I received one as a gift upon completion of my Master's graduation from the University, and I've always liked it. While it's a different chair, I saw similar potential in the old kitchen chairs that hid in my basement.

The Inspiration. Photo Credit www.uvabookstores.com

Sanding the surface of the old chairs, lightly to remove the old seal/finish, I prepped the chairs for ten bucks worth of black, high gloss enamel. Each chair took 2 coats and required some attention to avoid any drip marks on the spindles, arms. etc. Once the chairs dried nice and smooth, using a small gold leaf paint pen (available in any major craft/home improvement store), I decided to highlight a small area on the back spindles. And voila. The old kitchen chairs are ready for their close-up. The chairs now have a more sophisticated, gentleman feel, with a bit of Asian, lacquered flavor. For around $15.00, these tired old chairs are ready to serve as a desk chair or seat the head of the table at your next dinner party.

So, the lesson of the day. If you are fortunate or unfortunate enough to have a basement or attic, don't fill it with crap. We always make the mistake of stuffing things away that we don't need or don't even like, just because we have the space. I'm all about using things, even if it means rotating things out over time to better utilize the things you love. Look through your pass downs and your less-than-favorites, and see the new, hidden potential. A few bucks, a decorative pillow, and a little imagination can turn that piece of crap into a show piece. Simple Enough.

(And yes, that's a white picket fence in my backyard. Talk about living the dream.)

Cheers,

Déjà vu All Over Again: The New Old Look of Sound

2009-09-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

I’ve never been a big “sound system” kind of guy. (I know, big shocker). You know, giant black speakers, speakers mounted to the wall, having the house wired for sound (although, that does sound kind of fun.) However, I love music. So, I set out to find a system-of-sorts that would both meet my needs and still look sleek, sexy, and aesthetically pleasing.

In my search, I came across a great, vintage-inspired line of audio equipment by Crosley Radio. Crosley pairs fun, timeless, vintage designs with modern technology and crystal clear sound. I wanted something small that I could put on the kitchen counter and rock out while I get my cook on in a big way, but once again, wasn’t looking for anything too big, too expensive, or that was going to require me to under mount it, run a bunch of cords, etc. I feel in love with the Crosley Solo AM/FM Radio (small black unit pictured here). I love the vintage look, the small, compact size, and the great sound. The best part, it comes with the jumper cable you need to easily plug in any IPod. Simply turn the auxiliary dial, and you’re rocking the IPod. The icing on the cake? I had this very small radio playing with my IPod at a Holiday cocktail last year, and a colleague of mine asked where the music was coming from and if I had a built-in, surround sound system in the kitchen ceiling. The speaker is located on top and provides great, amplified sound. Not to mention, it’s just fun looking, and people always ask about it. I liked it so much, I bought a second one to put on one of the nightstands in the master bedroom. Once again, small, clean, chic, ready for the IPod, and beats having some silver boom box with blue buttons and a green light-up display sitting next to the bed. You can buy this guy directly from the Crosley website, or you can get it for 20 bucks cheaper at Target. (Around $75.00).

As part of the vintage line, Crosley also does a great line of turn tables/record players. I love this turquoise two tone tolex turn table available at Urban Outfitters. They actually have this one in the Charlottesville store downtown, and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the market. It’s a fun way to break out those old LPs at the holidays and year ‘round. The best part? It’s portable, USB ready, Mac and PC compatible, and comes with software so if you get bored, you can ditch the Lawrence Welk and start spinning the tracks on your IPod. This guy retails for $160.00.

So, if you’re in the market for some sound, and you aren’t ready to buy the Bose, check them out. It’s not your parents’ stereo, but then again, it kind of is.

Be Well,
Ed

Photo Credits: http://www.crosleyradio.com/
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

Easy, Sleazy, Mac & Cheesy: Black Tie Comfort Food

2009-09-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

When I first began this tryst with blogging, I promised my friends I would include some of my favorite recipes and go-to dishes for parties and gatherings, so a good recipe is long overdue. I figure, I stalled long enough on the Galactica shtick, the kitchen is all finished, so it’s time to start cooking again. Bam.

First off, the disclaimer. I love fresh ingredients, I love fresh foods, hitting the farmer’s market, and cooking with seasonal ingredients. However, we’re going to hold off on the pumpkin ravioli and squash soup, because what good Southern Boy could get away without paying homage to the ultimate of Southern-perfected comfort foods: The Mac & Cheese. After all, the weekend is over, who doesn’t need a little comfort for the work week? I love comfort food. An ex-boyfriend of mine once brought me brownies, and he might as well have been handing me a diamond engagement ring at the foot of the Eiffel tower. Remember, through his stomach, through his stomach (but diamonds are nice, too.) I love Mac & Cheese. I always have. My mom makes an amazing Macaroni and Cheese that’s so good, when she would serve it, the other women in the Garden Club would threaten to pour bleach on her roses behind her back. I mean, what’s Southern cooking without a little cattiness? You’re probably surprised that in this bachelor blog I’m not telling you how to adapt the Blue Box Blues. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and place for the Blue Box Blues and the Velveeta, and I’ve certainly had many a dinner of Kraft Easy Mac, paired with a PBR on a dorm room futon, in my hay day, but let’s think outside the Blue Box this time.

Speaking of the Blue Box Blues, I was always struck by the wording on boxed Mac & Cheese. They always say “Macaroni and Cheese Dinner.” I don’t know if it’s the fat little boy inside of me clawing and dying to get out, or the sheer fact that I could eat the box by myself, but I always considered Mac & Cheese to be a side dish, paired with anything from a hot dog to a New York Strip. That being said, this Mac & cheese recipe can really be dinner. It’s good enough, rich enough, and beyond filling enough to be your main dish. Paired with a nice salad of micro greens, a bottle of white, and some crusty French bread, you’re in business. If it even makes you feel better and makes it easier to sleep at night, you can tell your guests it’s a “pasta bake.” I love this dish, I’ve served it at numerous cook-outs, gatherings, and friends always ask for seconds.

So without further adieu, I give you “Black Tie Macaroni and Cheese.”

Black Tie Macaroni and Cheese
Total Time from prep to finish: 40 Minutes Max (and we’re talking from shredding your own cheese to pulling this bad boy out of the oven.)

Ingredients: (This recipe is “family sized” and will definitely yield leftovers, so feel free to scale it back if it’s just for 2 people/a small family)

2 (8-oz) packages of Cavatappi pasta (Please see the photo above for example. Feel free to sub for elbows or your favorite shape. I like the Cavatappi because they have the curve of elbow but are longer, and a fun, curly shape with ridges that hold the cheese sauce well…it’s food, have fun.)
2 Tablespoons of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Flour
1 ½ cups of milk (once again your preference: whole milk, clearly richer, but I use skim because it’s what I keep in the fridge for my cereal)
½ cup Half-and-Half
1 cup/8oz block of Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (shredded—I highly recommend CABOT of Vermont. Very good, not too pricey, available in most grocery stores)
1 cup/8oz wedge of Gruyere Cheese (shredded)—You can substitute Swiss for Gruyere if you are saving a few bucks or can’t find Gruyere.
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (the stuff in the green can is fine).
1 bag of shredded Colby Jack or Cheese Blend.
1 Box of Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)—this can be substituted with a crusty French baguette.
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Optional: Pinch or two of Garlic Powder
Optional: ½ a jar of store bought Alfredo Sauce (you'll see where this comes in)

Prep:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil both packages of pasta according to the instructions on the package. Be sure to salt the water once it comes to a boil to flavor the pasta.
3. While pasta is boiling, start the sauce. Ok, here is where I change things up. This recipe calls for flour and butter to make a Rue. I’m all about a Rue. Especially if it’s Rue McClanahan from the Golden Girls, but sometimes I skip this step. The point of the rue is to serve as a thickener for your cheese sauce, and while it’s necessary, this is where the optional ½ a jar of store bought Alfredo sauce comes in. So, at this point either a. make your rue by heating the butter and flower and quickly/constantly whisking the two over medium heat until it forms a kind of wet, doughy thickener, or skip that and dump the half a jar of store bought Alfredo sauce into your sauce pan over medium heat. The sauce just gives you a nice, thick, creamy base to begin with. (Plus, who wouldn’t want some extra, cheesy, garlicky goodness?) If you burn your rue, it's going to be totally nasty funk city, so you'll have to start over.
4. Gradually whisk in milk and half-and-half over the heat, allowing to cook while whisking constantly. Whisk and stir until thickened. Stir in small handfuls of the shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Gruyere cheese, and Parmesan cheese, whisking constantly over medium heat. (It’s crucially important that you shred your cheese and add it gradually. If you drop in chunks of cheese, they don’t melt quickly enough in the sauce and form a big, gooey cheese ball that separates from your cream sauce and basically floats in the middle/sticks to your whisk. No good. Well, it tastes good, but good luck spreading a massive cheese ball throughout the pasta. Whisk the ingredients until smooth and bubbly.
5. Add your salt, pepper, and optional garlic to finish off the cheese sauce.
6. Combine the drained pasta and cheese sauce in the original, now empty, pasta pot. Stir so all the pasta is covered in the cheesy goodness. Pour the pasta and cheese into your favorite Pyrex or 11 x 7ish baking dish. Once you spread the pasta and cheese out evenly, cover with the bag of shredded cheese blend (or Colby jack). Then top with generous handfuls of Panko bread crumbs. You could also really sex up this recipe and skip the Panko, and top the Mac n Cheese with slices of crusty French baguette. The bread will act as your crust and will create perfect serving size portions for guests. If you’re really feeling the love, throw some slices of fresh tomato on top. If you have any extra Parmesan left in the green can, throw a sprinkle on top as well.
7. Bake in the oven, uncovered at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s bubbly and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
8. Serve to guests either as a main dish, or as a side dish, and receive rave reviews.
9. Hire personal trainer the next day or go to Bikram yoga to work it off.

I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe as much as I and my friends have. Like I said, it’s not health food, but then again, I’m not comforted by Granola. Granola is my 9-5 life. Consider this a guilty indulgence. The best part? It reheats like a dream. So, next time. If you have a few extra minutes, skip the Blue Box Blues and go for the Black Tie. You and your guests will be glad you did.

Cheers,
Ed

Photo Credit: Effillee Images

The Reveal: A Bitchin' Kitchen.

2009-09-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

And now, the moment America has all been waiting for (and by America, I mean my 19 followers, one of whom is my own sister.) The "Sunday Afternoon Project That Bled Into Thursday?" Drum roll! Well, I was painting the kitchen. (I know, not very exciting). From buttery yellow to a soft, milky blue, the walls above the chair rail received a new breath of life and fresh air ala Galactica Semi-gloss. While I was on a roll (or a paint roller for that matter), I took the opportunity to change out some accessories, simplify the window treatment, and swapped out the open shelving full of glasses for more decorative items that complimented the color scheme. I'm really digging the colors and the cozy, yet clean, and beachy feeling you get when you walk in the room. Clearly, the room is not finished. I still need to hang some artwork and try a few things, but I couldn't keep you waiting and guessing any longer.

I've always called my design style "modical" (Modern meets Nautical, aka how do you have the feeling of the beach, without being at the beach, and without having literal theme rooms/wooden lighthouses, life preservers, and a light house border running the circumference of your space. You could also think of it as "Urban Beach Cottage." I try to achieve this idea through soft colors that remind me of the ocean, sea glass, sand, and the faded facades of white washed beach cottages. I like to mix textures, materials, and the old with the new. For example, I love having the modern, stainless steel island in the kitchen with the antique Baker's Cabinet that used to hold toys in my childhood bedroom. I really like the juxtaposition of the hard and soft elements, both serving their own unique purpose in the space. When I think of a beach house, I think of a comfortable collection of family treasures, found objects, and mismatched pieces that now have a new life. It's more about creating a feeling than a look, because let's face it, I don't live at the beach. Taking the idea too far would be the same as decking this place out in a Southwest theme. I mean, who wouldn't want a living room full of dream catchers, cacti, and paintings of coyotes and wolves howling at a blue corn moon? I want my guests in my home to feel comfortable, safe, and like they've stepped into a home away from home. That same feeling you get when you walk into a beach cottage. I hope you like it as much as I do. Readers, let me know what you think. Now, to go scrub the Galactica semi-gloss off of my fingernails.

(Click on photos for high resolution)

Here are a few Before Shots:

Who knew 17 bucks worth of paint, some rearranged accessories, and a few extra evenings after work could make such a difference? It just shows you, folks. You don't have to go crazy to get crazy, big results. Paint really does go a long way, and shopping in your own home can lead to a really cost-effective makeover. The best part? With the savings from this project, you can head to the real beach house. Paint on my Brothers and Sisters, Paint On.

Cheers,

Ed

Waiting for Godot...or Galactica.

2009-09-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

My father, the epitome of the consummate host and good steward of the household, always told me "things always take longer than you think." Well, not only was Daddi-o speaking the truth, but apparently, sometimes Sunday afternoon projects last into Thursday. However, I think it's worth the wait. The big reveal will be tomorrow, so get excited...or at least pretend to be.

Cheers,
Ed

A Little Night Music

2009-09-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

I thought I would briefly transition back into party planning mode and keep you in suspense for a little longer in regards to what part of my world is now coated in a gallon of Galactica semi-gloss (that, and I'm not finished...sometimes Sunday afternoon projects bleed into Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.)

When we're planning our next shin-dig, whether it be a simple, September Saturday Night in the backyard with the fire pit-a-blaze, an engagement cocktail party, a themed dinner party, or a sit-down Sunday brunch for 6, what are we going to focus on? Well, the food, the drinks, and the decor, of course. Or as I like to call them, The 3 D's: Decor, Drinks, & Deliciousness. And why wouldn't we focus on these things? Having quality food, beverages, and a timeless design plan can either a. make you a chapter in Colin Cowie's next book or b. make you the laughing stock amongst all of the women in your Glaze Your Own Pottery class. I mean, who wants to go to a party with no food and libations? Not this guy. While these are the staples of the successful shin-dig, there's still more to it than that. Today's lesson: Don't Neglect the Music. So, on the bottom of your planning list, under "Drive to Foods of All 'Inflations' and buy impressive cheeses", write "pick out music for party." Done.

I love music. I think music is one of the ways we are really able to connect to people. Whether it be going to a concert with your friends or hearing a song in a restaurant that everyone knows/yet haven't heard since high school, music is a memorable element of many happy occasions for a lot of people. I mean, who doesn't love those moments when everyone in the bar starts singing the words "Josie's on a vacation far away, come around and talk if over" at the top of their lungs?" I certainly do. I think picking the right music can not only enhance the mood of your next party, but it can make for a much more memorable evening for your guests. Whenever I've planned or catered a party for friends in their home, I include samples of the music in the design proposal. I use music to really convey a theme and a concept. Let's face it, there's a big difference between a sleek Holiday cocktail with peppermint martinis and a "bring your children" Holiday Open House. It's Bing Crosby vs. Bling Crosby. You want to put thought into your music selections.

I'm going to be honest for a moment (like that's something new). If I come to your dress up cocktail party and you start playing Britney Spears' "Circus," I'm going to judge you a little bit. It's not a bad jam, but save it for the club, or for the hour prior to the party when you're getting ready, dancing around in your underwear, and reminding yourself how fabulous you are. This example highlights the underlying thought to this all. You want to think about the purpose of the music. If you're rolling up the carpet in the living room and having dance party, awesome. Pump up the volume, Pump up the volume, Pump up the volume, Dance, Dance. However, if the music is meant to be background music to fill any awkward silences over dinner or to distract from and drown out the fact that your new condo is next to the train tracks, then it's a different ball game.

We all make a lot of simple mistakes when it comes to the music. The first being that we play it too loud. Your guests should never have to shout because they can't hear each other over your "smooth jazz." We also pick the wrong music for the occasion (please see the aforementioned Britney example.) If the music is solely meant to be in the background in areas where guests are going to be talking and mingling, I typically go more instrumental. It provides a great opportunity for you to break out songs from jazz legends, new electronica/fusion artists, and no one gets bogged down in trying to listen to words that they can't quite hear clearly. One of my favorite things to do is find funky, instrumental versions of classic songs (and no, I'm not talking elevator Muzak). You get the memorable melody, with a twist. If you're having an event outside, you have more room to play, so have fun with it. Go for some Motown classics for the background cocktail, or bluegrass for the barbecue, and turn it up a little bit. Whatever you do, keep it at a good volume and consider the purpose/feeling and mood you're trying to convey. Maybe you love REO Speedwagon, but maybe they don't go so well with Eggs Benedict and mimosas served in your Tiffany champagne flutes.

I'm a big fan of the playlist. I think crafting a quality playlist for your Ipod is a wonderful shout out to the lost art of the Mix Tape. Seriously, if a guy wants to win my heart, he needs to stand outside my window with an old school Boom Box over his head ala "Say Anything." However, I think playlists could be a whole other, endless entry, and I'm all about making this super easy for folks. So, I thought I would include a few of my favorite "Go To" albums that I like to rotate and rock at various occasions at my house. I think having a few CDs you can pull off your shelf and pop in the player is a wise investment. It's very set it and forget it. You can let it play, knowing the next song isn't going to be something offensive or something you're going to want to run to the stereo and skip over to avoid embarrassment. "Oh, gosh, how did that song from 'Dream Girls' get on my Ipod playlist? One of my fraternity brothers must be playing a trick on me! (awkward laugh)" In efforts to avoid any of these embarassing adventures in entertaining, here are a few of my favorite "Go To" albums that you might consider for your next shindig.

Outernational Sound-Thievery Corporation
It's like telling a story with two turn tables. A great mix of electronica, organic mixes, and smooth sounds from around the world. Each song is so unique, it sounds like you're rocking a playlist. Great for cocktail parties or sharing tapas with friends.

Sounds From the Verve Hi-Fi-Thievery Corporation
More from the same dynamic DJ duo. A great collection of old meets new, feels very 21st century "Mad Men" lounge with a kick of Brazilian/Latin flavor. Great for cocktail parties.

Simple Things-Zero 7
A hot mix of electronica/techno beats with inspiration of cool jazz, soul, and Quincey Jones, George Martin, and David Axelrod. Perfect for a sit-down dinner party. I'm not going to lie folks, this is a sexy CD. You might want to skip having the guests over all together, have a nice dinner for two, and have a little night music of your own. I'm just saying.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights REWHIPPED- Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass
Progressive jazz versious of the classics from Herb Albert's 1965 "Whipped Cream & Other Delights." Mixed by DJs but maintaining the Herb Albert trumpet solos, it's a fun, funky approach to old classics. Great for a cocktail party or fiesta with friends.

Riverside Profiles-Bill Evans
A 2 CD set/tribute to the infamous piano trio of yesteryear. A lot of the tracks are from the 50's and 60's but remastered with a crystal clear sound. It's a great mix of memorable,instrumental, classic jazz piano. Includes both some upbeat tunes and slower tempo tracks. Perfect for a sit-down dinner party, cocktails, or a Sunday Brunch.

When I Fall in Love-Chris Botti
The legendary trumpeter of our time, paired with a real orchestra (no cheesy synthesizers here). The man seriously shines on this CD. Lots of classics like "When I Fall in Love, "The Look of Love" and "What'll I Do." Great for a sit-down Dinner Party, or a quiet dinner for 2. Meow.

Kind of Blue-Miles Davis
There are no words to even say. The man's a legend. You can't go wrong. It's a short album (6 tracks, although several are 10 minutes long) so pair it with another Davis classic or some John Coltrane. Great for a cocktail party.

A Strange Arrangement-Mayer Hawthorne
A modern day answer to Motown/neo-soul. It's nostalgic but with some urban twists. Lots of great Motown covers (Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Curtis Mayfield.) So good. This is a fun CD to use if you're going for the feel of Motown but you don't want to literally play "Tears of a Clown."

Summer Love Songs-The Beach Boys
No explanation needed. I mean, "wouldn't it be nice if we were older? Then we wouldn't have to wait so long." God Only Knows? Don't Worry Baby? It doesn't get much more Summer Saturday Night. Perfect for a summer barbecue/outdoor gathering. This one is sure to have your guests singing along.

Reach Out: The Motown Record -Human Nature
Australia's premier male vocal group takes a fun spin at Motown classics. "My Girl" "Ooh Baby Baby, etc." Has a great orchestra sound. Nice covers. Great for a barbecue or casual night on the deck with friends.

Melody A.M.- Royksopp
Think of this CD as morning recovery from a crazy night at the club. Fresh, mellow dance beats from a Norwegian electronic music duo. A fun alternative for the next cocktail party. You might even recognize their song "Remind Me" from a popular commercial.

The Greatest Hits-James Taylor
You can't go wrong with ol' JT. "Carolina in my Mind," "Shower the People," "How Sweet it is (to be Loved by You"). Great tracks that span generations. It's one of those CDs I appreciate just as much as my parents. Everyone will surely have their feet tapping at the next barbecue or outdoor soiree. If you're looking for covers, JT does a great album called well, "Covers." He does a great beachy/bluesy version of The Temptations' "It Keeps Growing."

Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday
The infamous blues legend doing what she does best, flexing her pipes. You'll love her renditions of "God Bless the Child," "The Very Thought of You," and "Summertime." It's that great sound that just begs for rocking chairs, mint juleps, lemonade, and catching up with friends. Rock it at your next summer/spring soiree.

The Complete Verve Remixed- Various Artists
What do you get when you take Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Dizzy Gilespie, Ramsey Lewis, and mix them with popular DJs? You get The Complete Verve Remixed 4 CD set. The four Verve volumes originally sold separately, but can now be purchased as a set. Twenty jams by blues/jazz legends kicked in the seat of the pants with steel-toed boots. Another fun alternative for your next cocktail party/mixer or Happy Hour.

I could seriously go on forever, but these are meant to be a good base for your collection. Definitely worth the investment. A great place to start is Itunes. Search a genre, find a song you like and explore the whole album. If you aren't digging all 13 tracks, just go for the one and add it to your playlist. So set the mood, Set the volume, and remember, Lady GaGa and your Mother's Day tea just don't mix.

A little night music never hurt anyone.

Cheers,
Ed

Images lifted form http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

Strip Tease.

2009-09-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

Meet 1 gallon of "Galactica" (it's a very soft, milky, beachy, greenish blue) **side note: I can't believe I bought a paint called "Galactica." All I'm ever going to think about is Battlestar Galactica. However, it's the color I was looking for. I guess it could be worse, I could go into the paint store looking for a particular color, only to find out the color I want is called "Bitter Blue" or "Jaded" or something equally as tragic. So if the spaceship fits, ride it.**

Where is Galactica going? Is it for a room? Is it to add new life to some flea market finds? Feel free to guess! (unless you're a friend who a. stayed at the bungalow this weekend, b. visited the bungalow this weekend, c. spoke to me on the phone today, or d. ran into me at the super market.)

Stay tuned to find out what happens when the bachelor with a slight case of interior design turrets wakes up early on a Sunday morning after an amazing weekend, with a spring in his step, a latte from Mudhouse, and an insatiable desire to do some damage.

Cheers,
Ed

P.S. Go back and check out my post on the Coral China from Caspari. I was shopping with a friend after brunch on Saturday and we ducked into Caspari. I snagged a photo of the china with my camera phone, and it looks like my "china" is a better match than I remembered. Killer.

Oh, Friday. Where Have You Been All My Life?

2009-09-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, Friends!

In anticipation and preparation for one of my favorite out-of-town house guests this evening, I''ll keep this simple. In the spirit of treating my good friend to a weekend of "all things Cville," we're looking forward to many of the Cville weekend staples and downtown guilty indulgences (Fridays, brunch at Bluegrass, maybe a wine tasting, dinner and drinks on the Downtown Mall, etc.) If you're in town this weekend, you all should check out UVA's Symphony Under the Stars Saturday evening. The show features both the Charlottesville and UVA Symphony Orchestras. 8PM in the McIntire Amphitheater, and the icing on the cake, it's free. It looks like it's going to be a beautiful night On-Grounds, so come on out!

With many fun, fall weekends ahead, I thought I would also share UVA Magazine's "16 Things to Love About Cville in the Fall." Hopefully you'll add some of your personal, fall favorites to the list!

1. Leaves
2. Football Games (at this point, we'll call this debatable. My 45 yard line season tickets beg to differ. However, great opportunities to plan some pretty fabulous tailgates with friends.)
3. Skyline Drive
4. Trick or Treating on the Lawn (one of my all-time favorites)
5. Soccer Games in Klockner (my good friend Kyle used to be the UVA Mens Soccer Goalie. Great Memories and fun stadium.)
6. Wine Tours (Make Mine Virginia Wine)
7. Apple Picking at Carter's Mountain Orchard
8. Homecomings Weekend (even if you aren't an alum, lots of fun things going on!)
9. Music Under the Stars (Cville Pavilion, the aforementioned Symphony Under the Stars)
10. Hiking in Ragged Mountain Natural Area
11. Warm Days, Crisp Nights
12. The Virginia Film Festival
13. Watching Migration of Hawks Over Afton Mountain (I can't say I've ever done this, I'm actually kind of afraid of birds. Don't judge.)
14. Hot Air Ballooning
15. Foxfield Family Day (It's like Foxfield, without all of the DUIs, intense heat, traffic, and poor decisions...what a concept.)
16. Marching Band Practice (I used to live over off of Rugby Road, and I used to love walking home with the marching band practicing. It was especially fun last year when they were rehearsing for their Journey Medley. I mean come on, Separate Ways? You know you love it.)

So stop reading blogs, get out, and go enjoy all that our sweet, small, Southern city has to offer!
Have a great weekend and be well.

Cheers,

Ed

Shopping In Your Underwear: Can I Get a Woot Woot?

2009-09-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

Let’s face it, besides saving money, the best part of a good sale is “the hunt.” You know, the excitement of finding a Kartell Ghost Chair for $100.00 wholesale instead of $350.00, or finding your dream home for sale by owner, and the owner being a 90 year old woman who doesn’t realize her house is worth a lot more than the 70 grand she paid for it in 1961 (you’re sure as hell not going to tell her she could be selling the place for 650 plus), or just elbowing some girl in the throat to get the last wayward Hermes pashmina in the clearance sale bin at Bloomingdales. I’m just kidding…kinda. It’s all about the hunt.

However, if you’re a busy young professional like myself, or a busy anybody for that matter, sometimes you don’t have time to hunt. So, today’s super small tip does the dirty work for you and lets you have all the fun. To the web we go! (Let’s also be honest, folks. I’m kind of punting today’s blog entry. It’s just been one of those exhausting, rainy days where I’ve done everything from getting lost in the woods during a rainy morning hike to conference calls, to cleaning the bungalow for house guests this weekend. I don’t have the energy to talk re-upholstery or fall cocktail recipes tonight. So once again, to the web we go!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Woot.com. What is Woot.com, you say? Woot.com is a fun website that sells one item each day, at a discounted price. I don’t mean they have one item on sale, they only sell one item on their website each day. One Day. One Deal. The fun part? You never know what the item is going to be. For example, one day it may be a discounted Roomba vacuum, and then the next day, it may be a case of bacon-flavored salt (I think they really did sell bacon-flavored salt one day). You never know what you’re going to find each day, but it might be just what you needed (or what you never realized you needed but now must have.) Today’s item is an Eton Voicelink FR1000 Self Powered Radio with NOAA, 2 Way GMRS, and a Flashlight for $49.99 plus $5.00 shipping. You may see that and say “meh.” Or you may have just said “Oh my gosh, Christmas just came early, I’ve really been looking for a reasonably-priced Eton Voicelink FR1000 Self Powered Radio with NOAA, 2 Way GMRS, and a Flashlight.” Either way, enjoy it and check it daily. You never know what you’ll find. The best part? There’s also a Kids.Woot, Wine.Woot, Shirt.Woot, and Sellout.Woot. One Day, One Deal.

While you’re browsing, also check out Shop It To Me.com. Who wouldn’t want their own personal internet shopper? Think of this kind of like a Match.com but for clothes. “I now pronounce you Husband and Banana Republic $20.00 khakis.” I Do. No, seriously. You fill out a profile of sorts, specifying all of your sizes (shoes, neck, bottom, waist, etc), the brands of clothing you are interested in (there are over 316 listed: JCrew, Urban Outfitters, Ralph Lauren, etc.), and then based on your preferences, you receive either a daily, weekly, or semi-weekly email from Shop It To Me featuring items on sale that match your preferences. You open your email and it’s like somebody was saying “hey, while you were at work, I took the liberty of finding this closet full of clothes and accessories from your favorite stores that are all in your size AND on sale. It doesn’t get much better than that. Hopefully these sites will make your day a little easier and keep your wallet a little fatter.

Good deal, my friends. Good deal.

Cheers,

Ed

http://www.woot.com/

http://www.shopittome.com/

photo lifted from emmatom.

So Cville: Allison & Ethan

2009-09-16T13:46:00.001-07:00

Clearly, one of my favorite things to do in this blog is to talk about beautiful things, especially beautiful things we can find in Cville. And while this is a beautiful thing that you can't buy or sell, I think it's still deserving of a spot in Simply Cville. I'm talking about love (pause for Gag reflex/the simultaneous clicking of the small X in the top, right-hand corner of your screen). However, if you're willing to indulge a hopeless romantic, please read-on.

As an aspiring, part-time photographer (purely a side hustle outside of my world of UVA/academia), I recently had the opportunity to shoot photos of my good friends Allison and Ethan. Allison and Ethan came to Cville in Summer 2008 for Allison's Masters program (which she completed this past spring, Go Girl!) after a fairytale courtship at Appalachian State in North Carolina, where they met as Student Ambassadors. Ethan works in Development at UVA, and I'm beyond thrilled to have them here as full-time Cville residents, post-UVA graduate school craziness. Along with our good friends Tara, Ray, and Sarah, we were all united over a fateful Labor Day weekend UVA football game that quickly transpired into both a friendship, and into me hosting an impromptu cookout for 10 that evening, which lasted until 4 in the morning. The rest is history. Ethan popped the question to Allison last December, and they are currently engrossed in the process of planning their dream wedding in North Cackalaky in April 2010. How great is that?

In my short time as a "wannabe" photog, I've had the opportunity to take a lot of pictures of different people and different events, and the one thing I've learned (well, one of the things) is that both the pictures and the experience are so much better and more fun if you have a personal relationship with the clients on the other side of the camera. We spent the Saturday going to some of Allison and Ethan's favorite places in Cville, from picking peaches at Carter's Mountain to eating Splendora's Gelato on the Downtown Mall. I had a great time, and they were just both such great sports and so much fun to work with. It really felt like we were just hanging out, and there happened to be a camera there. The whole day was simply, so Cville.

The Best Part? (you do realize, there's always a best part, right?) They have this amazing love between them, they are truly each other's best friend. It's the kind of love you can't fake, make up, or even try to duplicate. Let's face it, y'all. There's a lot of crazy, unfortunate crap going on in the world, but I look at these two, and I have no worries for them, whatsoever. I know they're going to be just fine with whatever life and the universe decide to throw their way. How do I know? I just know. And if that doesn't give a true love-seeking, optimistic bachelor hope, well then, I don't really know what does.

The Lesson: The best house on the block isn't always the biggest house, or the house with the best furniture. It's the house filled with people, laughter, and you guessed it, Love. My Grandmother always said the best table is the one surrounded by family and friends. You can't just surround yourself by beautiful things. You have to surround yourself by beautiful people (and I'm not talking in sense of Super Models and looks). It can't be all about club chairs, Jonathan Adler Lamps, wall paper, and ampersand paperweights (you're welcome, Sally). You have to surround yourself with beautiful people who care about each other and who make this crazy thing we call life a little easier, a little more fun, and simply, a little better.

Cheers,

From Garage to Glam: A Cinderella Story

2009-09-15T21:18:00.001-07:00

As you may have already learned, one of my favorite things to do is to repurpose items, or revamp and rediscover the things I already have. That’s where my (and maybe your) next project comes into play. First, allow me to set the scene. When I was in school, a young scholar if you will, my parents always asked that I please not sell back my textbooks at the end of each semester. Why? Well, I like to think it’s because much like Thomas Jefferson, they believed I would never stop learning and that I would like to hang on to them/use them for reference in a future career. However, I think the more likely scenario is they didn’t want me to sell back a $150.00 book (which they paid for) for $20.00 worth of beer money. So the lesson is, The Norton Anthology of English Literature ≠ Pabst Blue Ribbon. Got it.

Needless to say, with this expectation in place, one Bachelor of Science degree and one Master of Education degree later, I have a lot of books. I also have a lot of books from when I rediscovered the joys of pleasure reading after graduation (aka how to pass the time without a husband…maybe that will be the title of my first book). As a photographer, I also have a lot of photos, and like any other average human being, I have a lot of stuff (chotchkies, bric-a-brac, knick-knacks, stereo equipment, crap, junk, etc.) But where does it all go? Well, on shelving of course. (Just as side note, Urban Dictionary defines Chotchkie as: A small piece of worthless crap, a decorative knick knack with little or no purpose. Sample usage in a sentence: Meg loved her cow figurine, but Dave thought it was a useless Chotchkie.) Love it.

Some of us are blessed with homes with “libraries” and built-in bookcases and well, some of us are not. If you don’t live in one of these blessed homes, I think bookcases and shelving can be tricky. Real bookcases can be quite expensive, and sometimes you’re just not ready to make that purchase or commitment to cherry or mahogany stain. Installing built-in shelving can not only be expensive, but labor intensive, and impossible/against the rules if you are renting. Plus, you shouldn’t be sinking your hard-earned money into somebody else’s property/equity. However, you also have to be careful with bookcases and shelving from home goods and stores that you wouldn’t call “furniture stores.” Shelving units that are made with cheaper materials can start to sag from too much weight, pegs, can snap, etc. I’ve owned my fair share of wobbly IKEA shelves, but they can certainly do the job from time to time. I’m also really wary of “collapsible shelves.” First off, the fact that something collapses is not a prime feature for me like airbags or antilock brakes. Once I put a bookcase in place, I don’t have major plans to collapse it and move it around very often. I also don’t move residences that often, making the collapsible feature kind of “ehhh” for me. I like my bookcases like I like my amusement park rides: heavy duty, permanent, and bolted to the ground. (I refuse to ride any ride that can be packed up and moved on a flat bed from town to town, it’s ok, I can come to you, you don’t have to bring the ferris wheel to me.) I also feel like when you market something as collapsible, there’s a chance I may load it up with books and then it might, well, you know…collapse. I’m just saying.

So, in the spirit of repurposing and rethinking, I wanted to find a bookcase or some shelving that could handle my collection and still look aesthetically pleasing (that’s the whole point, after all) I found the answer in the garage. No, I don’t mean I’m going to store my books and Chotchkies in the garage. I’m talking about garage or utility shelving. Before you read on, I have to provide a disclaimer: these shelves are very industrial, modern, and may be more suited for “modern” spaces. That being said, you never know, you may like it. The 5 shelf unit (purchased at Lowes of Charlottesville), typically used for garages and storage sheds is made of heavy-gauge steel (silver in color), they lock together in place without the use of nuts and bolts, and the best part, the whole unit is large (much bigger than your average Target bookcase) and is built to hold 5,000 pounds. Done! Well, not quite. The shelves are finished plywood. While I love the industrial look, that’s a little too industrial/unfinished for my taste, and that’s where Fairy God Mother steps in and we go to the Ball. Each of the wood shelves just fits on top of the steel outlined supports, so why not just replace the wood shelves? The replacement? Glass! How sleek and sexy is that? Nice, steel frame with clean, modern lines, finished out with nice glass shelves. I love it already.

You’re not a glass cutter? Well, crap. Neither am I. The easiest thing to do is to take one of the wood shelves with you to a glass store and have the shelves cut to fit the dimensions of the wood shelf. You’ll want to let the glass experts help you select the thickness/type of glass. However, you’ll want something that will suit your design needs. If you just plan to place Chotchkies and photos on the shelves, you won’t need anything too heavy duty. If you plan to load that puppy up with textbooks and stereo equipment, you’re going to want a thicker, reinforced glass. Either way, don’t expect to maximize the full 5,000 lb. capacity using glass instead of wood. I also hope you don’t have 5,000 lbs. of books/Chotchkies. Go for something with a nice edge to get that clean, green glass line you always see in high-end bathroom shelving. Charlottesville Glass & Mirror won’t steer you wrong or overcharge you! They’ve been in business for over 55 years, are friendly, and have locations both in Cville and Ruckersville to take care of your glass needs. Just be sure to take the wood shelf with you. The glass shelving totally transforms the piece, lets light through, and really takes the whole concept from rags to riches. It’s a great marriage of masculine and feminine with the hard, stainless steel/clean lines and the light airy feel of the glass. Adding your collections and items to the shelves will also soften the piece up considerably, as well as personalize it. Is this unit going to look right in a very traditional living room full of Grandma’s antiques? Probably not. However, you can incorporate this idea into your home, even if you don’t live in a loft with concrete floors and stainless steel walls. Think about it anywhere from a modern kitchen, holding extra appliances (stand mixers, cookbooks, canisters for food, etc), to a media room with stereo equipment, family keepsakes, and photos, to a teenager’s room with books, trophies, and video equipment. For close to what you would pay for pre-fabricated shelves, you’ll get a unique piece with a custom, high-end look that’s sure to hold all of your goods, give you room to grow, and keep your friends guessing.

And remember, Garage = Glam, pre-fabricated does not always = fabulous, and college textbooks ≠ Pabst Blue Ribbon (even though sometimes, they do.) Thanks, Mom and Dad.

Cheers,
Ed

The Shelves: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=101933-1281-CR4824&detail=&lpage=none
On Sale: $76.98
Height: 72 Inches
Width: 48 Inches
Depth: 24 Inches

Image lifted from lowes.com

Charlottesville Glass & Mirror: http://www.charlottesvilleglassandmirror.com/

If the Shoe Doesn't Fit, Make It Fit.

2009-09-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

I think I’m one of the few people who actually weighed less in college. I’m serious. No one really warns you about the Real World Fifteen, but that’s a different story. Today’s little lesson is a very simple one: if the shoe doesn’t fit, make it fit. That doesn’t mean if the jeans don’t fit, stuff yourself into them, sew in an extender button, or add elastic to get you through the work day without cutting off the circulation to your lower half. I mean, make the piece fit you in a totally different way. Be creative.

For example, I’ve had a pair of patch madras shorts I’ve been rocking since sophomore year of college. I’ve always loved these shorts, loved the colors, loved the pattern (if you know me, you know patch madras is a staple of my wardrobe). Unfortunately, these shorts are not my size. They just aren’t. I know we all fluctuate in weight, we all have good days and bad days, and we all have those bad days and break-ups that remind us life’s too short to not eat half a pizza from Mellow Mushroom and a pint of Phish Food. We also all have those garments in our closet we can’t seem to let go of, yet we know damn good and well, we could do P90X until we can’t walk and we still will never fit into our size 30 shorts from college….and that’s ok. For me, these shorts were that garment. I always kept them around for a rainy day thinking that one day I would look like a 19 year old boy again, but in a liberating moment, I decided to let them go, stop playing Peter Pan, say farewell to Never Never Land, and embrace the Real World. That being said, like many of us, I didn’t want to completely let them go. I’m all about donating clothes to the Goodwill and other charities, and I do it often. However, these shorts carried a lot of memories. So, I set out to find a fun and new way to still enjoy the shorts without taunting myself. I figured, if Scarlett O’Hara can turn the drapes of Tara into a dress, I could turn my shorts into drapes…kinda.

With one pair of scissors, a ruler, and a steady hand, presto change-o, one pair of patch madras shorts becomes a set of patch madras summer napkins and 4 patch madras pocket squares. A simple hem finishes the edges of the napkins (the two front leg panels of the shorts), keeping the cuts from fraying (I'm not a very good sewer, don't judge). The back of the legs and back pockets were easily transformed into pocket squares without any sewing. Simply fold the square into a triangle and iron the edges to make crisp lines. The unfinished portion isn’t visible inside the pocket. The best part, I can still wear my favorite “shorts” and still actually breathe. The fun, colorful plaid easily dresses up both my summer table and my summer weight suits and sport coats.

Maybe you aren’t in the market for any pocket squares or napkins, but think outside the garment. This doesn’t mean you should turn your wedding dress into a table cloth, unless you want to tell guests they’re dining on your bustle. However, next time, instead of hitting the home goods stores, hit your own closet. You’d be surprised what you’d find.

You work it, don’t let it work you.

Cheers,
Ed

A Personal Record: Vixens of Vinyl & The Music Man

2009-09-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you about to rock, we salute you. For those of you about to hang that Dave Matthews poster over your bed, hold up. So, I often get a lot of questions about art: where to buy it, what would look good in the master bathroom, where to hang it, etc. First off, I really do not consider myself to be a purveyor of art. A lot of times, I understand a lot of art about as well as I understand America’s obsession with Longaberger Baskets (I’m sorry ladies, I love you all, but I just really don’t get it.) I tend to either A. frame my own photography/art work, B. just buy what I like because I think it’s pretty, or C. rummage through antique stores and consignment houses for affordable “one-of-a kind” pieces. Rarely will you see me walking guests around the living room, talking about how I found a particular print by an up-and-coming, starving artist in the East Village and how I think her delicate strokes mimic both fear and desire, simultaneously. Instead, you’ll find vintage UVA Football program covers of the 1940’s and 50’s, black and white family photos, and 2 of my favorite pieces, 2 large, vintage prints of what I believe to be fraternities at Oxford circa early 20’s (they used to hang in the short lived Polo Rugby store at Barrack’s Road). Needless to say, a vintage yet eclectic feel.

Art can be expensive, and let’s face it, people can usually tell when you went to Target or Bed, Bath, & Beyond and purchased a “painting” or pre-framed photograph of a sailboat. If you’re going to take this route, you just have to be prepared to overpay (typically, pre-framed, new artwork in a major chain is just a poster or print on glossy paper and is sealed in a frame that will be difficult to ever re-use if you ever decide to change it out.)You also have to be prepared to walk into the scrapbooking party at Kaky’s house (the new girl you just met at Junior League) and be prepared to see the same painting, hanging over the same micro-suede sofa from Grand Home Furnishings, with the same coordinating throw pillows. Once again, I’m not knocking it at all, but you aren’t allowed to get mad at her for having the same living room and art as you. She did the exact same thing you did. Also, don’t try to pass your “new” art from the major chain off as a unique, one of a kind piece. How tragic would it be for your next house guest to call you out at the neighborhood cocktail, telling your friends there’s no way your grandfather took that picture of the sailboat after he sailed it to Captiva, because they have the same one hanging in their half bath? It would be like that commercial when the Soccer Mom tries to pass her Glade scented candle off as being from a French boutique. Que c'est triste! You bought it in the check-out line at Bed, Bath, & Beyond (I guess you could say you bought it in the Beyond section, since it really isn’t Bed or Bath…). Now own it and love it. If you’re going to buy mass-produced, go for unframed pieces. Matting and framing your piece out in a custom or vintage frame can totally transform the look of your print. If you take a walk past Freeman-Victorius Framing Shop on Charlottesville’s/UVA’s historic Corner, there will often be a large box of unique, professional quality frames outside, right on the sidewalk, on major clearance, we’re talking nice frames for under $10—definitely worth a look!

If you’re like me, you love music. I cook to the best of Motown, I clean to the worst of the 80’s, and I fall asleep to Zero 7 and Thievery Corporation. Hell, I even spent over 10 years on Pat Howard’s piano bench, learning to tickle the ivories. I might not be able to talk serious art with you, but I can definitely tell you about my favorite song by The Decemberists (Cville Pavilion, September 24th, tickets still on sale by the way) If you’re also like me, you learn that your love of music can be difficult to incorporate into your design style without hanging a trumpet from the ceiling or using your cello as a coat rack. And let’s face it, you reach a point when you’re too old for music posters. I was reminded of this last week when UVA hosted its annual fall poster sale on-grounds so all of the students could decorate and transform their cinder block dorm rooms. All of the boys get the same Bob Marley poster, even though they may have heard “Jammin’” once. All of the young ladies buy the same Audrey Hepburn “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” poster, even though 98% haven’t seen the movie and would look at you strangely puzzled if you asked them who Holly Golightly is. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. I finally parted with my “Caution: Student Blood Alcohol Experiment Now in Progress” poster from the basement last summer. Oh, freshman year. No wonder my colleagues looked at me funny when I carried a red, plastic solo cup full of iced tea into the board room on Friday.

Anywho, that leads to my next question, how do you incorporate this love of music or even of a particular group/artist without tacking/framing a poster on your wall? My answer? The album cover. After all, they call it cover art for a reason. This is not a brand new concept or one I by any means invented, but it’s one that I’ve found to be fun, simple, effective, and even sophisticated. Framing out a few of your favorite classic LP album covers is a great, affordable way to create a conversation and add personalization to your space. Let’s face it, despite their lack of current use, record albums are pretty accessible. A lot of us have a dusty milk crate full of old LPs our parents/grandparents gave us, or they can be easily found at second hand stores for dirt cheap (we’re talking .50 to $3.00), Goodwill, library sales (stay tuned later in the year for the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library sale in Charlottesville on Gordon Avenue...tons of books, tons of old LPs and albums) and used book stores. You can look for particular artists you love (The Beatles, The Beach Boys, etc.) or pick an era to convey a theme. I looked for vintage collections from the Rat Pack Era/days of the cocktail hour, and came across three of my favorites in a used record store called Stereo Jack’s in Cambridge, Mass. I loved the clean and modern lines with the pop of pink on the “Music for Bachelors” album. Plus, hello? Can we say current soundtrack to my life. I also fell in love with the “How to Strip For Your Husband” series. Besides being only $2.00 a piece at Stereo Jacks, I thought they were so scandalous for the era, had great colors, and would be fun, funny, and sexy adorning a bedroom wall. Plus, talk about a roll model. A woman who can unzip her own cocktail dress, all by herself, while her husband drinks the martini she had ready for him after work. I’m pretty sure she also had a roast in the oven at the same time. Multi-tasking at its finest. You can’t make this stuff up. (And to answer your question, no I’ve never played these 2 records, and no I haven’t practiced their “how to” techniques). Do you think I’d be writing a blog if I knew how to do that? Why did I choose the Beach Boys album? Because not only do I love summer, the ocean, and sailing, but my Dad used to sing Beach Boys Songs (Don’t Worry Baby, In My Room, etc.) to my sister, brother, and I before bed, and when I see it, it just makes me smile. Choose albums that have special meaning for you. Maybe you danced to Tony Bennet’s “The Very Thought of You” for the first dance at your wedding, why not have that memory in your home, in a unique way? After all, that’s what our homes should be, filled with the things and the people we love.

Record album frames are available at most major chains, framing stores, and craft stores (Michael’s, etc.) Urban Outfitters is currently running a buy one for $15 or buy 2 record frames for $20.00 sale online at http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ (record frames are typically even cheaper in stores). These sleek, modern, simple frames come easy to load and ready to hang. Use several in a grid pattern to create a bold statement or scatter a few around your home on bookcases, in media rooms, or above your music library. A collection of vintage Disney or sing-along/musical albums could add a fun, funky look to a child’s bedroom or playroom. Or what about a classic Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis/John Coltrane album on a shelf or bar cart with a few martini glasses and a sterling silver cocktail shaker? Depending on the albums you choose and how you choose to display them, these simple, unique pieces can work in any space, from the most traditional of homes to the most modern loft.

The other benefits of using your old record albums as art? You don’t have to frame the actual album. Leave the LP in the white protective slip or sandwich it between cardboard folders, and just frame the album cover, all while you continue to play and enjoy the music. Also, you can easily swap out the records depending on your mood, changes in décor, or if you find something new on your next excursion to the thrift store. Treat them like a rotating gallery. The frames don't damage the album covers at all. I’ve also found it fun to swap out the records for vintage holiday albums around Christmas (Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, etc.) So next time, think about this chic, affordable alternative before you buy that framed Rat Pack poster at Target or before you pull that Bangles poster out of the attic. You’ll be glad you did.

Who knew vinyl wasn’t just for sofas and hot pants?

Cheers,
Ed

The Great Wall of China: Getting the Look For Less

2009-09-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

So, let’s talk China. And I don’t mean East Asia/most populace country in the world. I’m talking fine china. First off, I don’t have any, and I’m really ok with that. I’ve seen patterns I like, and ones I could stand to see collecting dust in the china cabinet between dinner parties. However, in all honesty, I, like many folks, reserve the selection of china patterns and purchases for wedded “bliss.” I do think it would be kind of funny to roll up in Macy’s or Tiffany & Co. to pick out my own china pattern….Bitter, party of one….Bitter, party of one. However, I think I’ll save myself for marriage. Do you think I’m giving up the chance to go around Crate & Barrel and point a price gun at things I think I want, need/may never use? Hell No. They always say the registry price gun is for the groom, because apparently we like guns and gadgets. But 2 grooms? I don’t know if we’d fight more over who gets the price gun or if we’d fight over lemon zesters, stainless steel mandolines, and pastry wheels. Maybe both. Don't worry, I'll let you know what he and I argue about once we finally meet. It will probably be in 2071, in a nursing home, so we'll argue over things like what color Rascal Scooter to buy or about who peed on the sofa. Joy.

While I didn’t intend to get on a registry tangent, this reminds me of comforting words from my good friend Sarah Jean. Sarah (who’s an amazing hostess, by the way) trying to help me see my bachelor glass half full (of Makers Mark, of course), reminded me that if I get married later in life, she and all of my friends will be more established in their careers, will have more money, and will be willing to buy nicer wedding presents. Hooray for silver linings. Married tomorrow in this cluster of an economy? You’re getting the toilet brush and dish towels. Married in 20 years? We’ll talk Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixers. (I’m totally kidding. I’m actually pretty anti-registry when it comes to giving gifts. I’d much rather find something unique I think the couple would love/maybe didn’t think of. Favorite gifts have been arranging a nice picnic basket, packed with dishes, napkins, a blanket, wine, etc for one couple and a silver party ice bucket, packed and ready for a summer shin-dig (Lilly Pulitzer cookbook, margarita glasses, personalized cocktail napkins, etc.) for another. I think I’m noticing a theme. Baskets and buckets packed for a party. Good. If you’re one of my friends who are getting married this year, act surprised when you get a picnic basket or party bucket. Ok, great, thanks.

Ok, so where were we? Ah, yes…the road to China. Let’s face it, we all have the set of Correll Corning Ware in the cabinet, and that’s a beautiful thing. We throw it in the microwave, we throw it in the dishwasher, we throw it against the wall when our boyfriend tells us he’s leaving us for someone he met online…wait, what? The everyday dishes are a beautiful thing in their own place. However, we turn to the china cabinet or the box in the storage room for those special holiday gatherings, dinner with the spouses’ boss, and when we’re trying to show off and one up Miss Town & Country Lockjaw 2009 who was running her mouth about her new subzero freezer at the Junior League last week. But what about me? Am I supposed to serve my guests on paper plates at the next dinner party? I think not. What do I do? I get the look for less. How do I know I pulled it off? When a dinner guest complimented me on my “china pattern”…deception at it’s finest. If you start to look at a lot of major retailers, you’ll start to really see that it’s not just delicate china, dense Corning Ware/Crockery or bust. There are a lot of great, affordable, happy medium options in between. When we think of fine china, we think of our Mothers or Grandmothers trying to delicately and carefully remove these elegant, thin plates with silver or gold leaf details and intricate patterns from the china cabinet (it’s especially fun to watch after they’ve had a few Manhattans). So that is what I look for: quality dishes that will last a while, but have a lighter, thinner feel, a flat rim, and a smooth texture like fine china. You can find a lot of nice boxed sets (typically service for 4; 16 pieces) that will more than do the job, still give your table an elegant look, and leave a little green in your pocket.

For example, if you’ve been outside of your house/bomb shelter in the last few years or receive one of many design catalogs in the mail, you may have noticed coral has made a comeback. Who knew it was possible for marine colonial polyps to be chic and fashionable? Well, they are. We see hints of red coral on pillows, prints, upholstery, and coffee table books giving a shout out to the “Cabinet of Natural Curiosities.” I have to be honest, I’m a fan. I like a little pop of coral here and there, but that’s just me, and not surprising for a beach bum at heart. I came across a gorgeous, coral china pattern while “shopping” (I’m using the term shopping very loosely) at Caspari, on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. I loved the bold, graphic pattern. I figure I have the rest of my life to eat off of white plates, why not have fun now? Don’t get me wrong, I love Caspari, I’d like to live inside of it, and I’ve had dreams where Heaven has been decorated similarly. I have a cocktail napkin fetish (similar to my lamp fetish) that makes my going inside, highly dangerous. It doesn’t help that I live 2 blocks from the Downtown Mall. Seriously, I’ve considered moving because of this. It’s the kind of beautiful place that you remember your mother nervously taking you into as a child, and begging you to please not touch anything. Mostly because if you broke something, she would owe both you and her next-born to the store owners. While the coral china was gorgeous, I couldn’t justify spending a week’s grocery money on one charger. I mean, what’s the good in having nice china if you can’t afford to buy food to eat off of it? “Could I offer anyone more hot water and saltines on this $75.00 plate?” No? So, I set out on a mission to find an affordable alternative.

After a bit of searching, I stumbled across the solution at Belk (I literally stumbled…like I almost knocked the display over. I’m not kidding.) I found a 16 piece, serving set for 4 by Oneida, in a pattern called “Island Hues.” The plates and mugs feature a bright coral pattern in shades of “orangey” red and chocolate brown. The brown bowls feature a piece of red coral depicted inside, and I love them all. I’ve even been able to mix and match pieces with plates from a white and blue china-esque collection I purchased a few years ago. You might look at these pictures, and say Ed, these are not the same plate or even the same colors. First off, no crap, Nancy Drew. These plates aren’t meant to confuse folks in a police line-up, they are meant to achieve the feeling and the idea of the Caspari plates. They are by no means a dead ringer, but they provide that same fun, yet elegant pop of color on the dining room table.

This is the Caspari Coral Pattern. This isn't a picture of an actual plate, but I found the pattern online. I'll be damned if I'm going in there and risking the possibility of buying more cocktail napkins, just to get a photo of a plate I won't be buying. (Photo lifted from Caspari Showcase Online)

Update: So, I was in Caspari with a friend to buy some napkins (I know, I told you I have a problem) so I snagged this photo of the coral china. I think my plates are an even better match than I remembered! Especially the cup/saucer.

And these are my plates. I dig them, in a big way. I hope you do too. The first picture is mixed with a plate from another set of dishes I purchased from Bed, Bath, & Beyond a few years ago.

The icing on the cake for me: They were 60% off. I paid $37.00 for service for 4, considerably less than I would have paid for one charger at the aforementioned specialty store. I mean, who doesn’t get gratification and satisfaction from a receipt that says Thank you, Ed. You saved $58.00 on your purchase? The icing on the cake for you: I was in Belk picking up a wedding gift last night (from a registry…I know, contradiction. Work has been busy, don’t judge me. I’ll start making picnic baskets again soon) and the whole set is still 60% off! So, if you love this look for less, it can still be yours in a heartbeat.

So remember, if you want the look of fine china but not the commitment or the cost, look for plates with a smooth texture, thinner body, and a flat rim. These aren’t the dishes you’re going to pass on to your grandchildren’s grandchildren, but that’s not the point, so keep that in mind. Shake it up, find a fun pattern that meets your design style, suits your entertaining needs, and don’t be upset when one of your guests has a few too many Tangueray and tonics and breaks a plate. That’s actually the sign of a successful party.

Just because you aren’t ready to go to China, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to China Town.

Cheers,
Ed

The Look For Less. How Can You Beat That?

A Labor Day Giveaway: What a Difference a Shade Makes

2009-09-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Are there any fans of A Christmas Story in the house? Don’t hate. You know you love it, even if they play the movie on TBS everyday from Thanksgiving until Christmas, and all day Christmas day. You’re probably wondering what this holiday tale of Ralphie and his quest for a Red Rider BB gun has to do with a Labor Day Giveaway? Well, to be honest, not a whole hell of a lot. However, I keep thinking about the scene when Ralphie’s father comes home to find his mysterious “major award” marked Fragile (must be Italian) on the front porch. After eagerly prying open the wooden shipping crate, he delicately removes the emerging, now infamous in American pop culture, leg lamp. The look on Mr. Parker’s face with a mix of pride, excitement, and eagerness to display the leg lamp and its radiant glow for all of the neighborhood to see is one that’s hard to forget. It’s also an expression I mimicked last night after receiving some great news from one of my favorite local Cville specialty shops. The best part? The new addition to the bungalow is not an illuminated thigh, wrapped in fishnet stockings, supporting a silk shade, trimmed in burlesque fringe. It’s way better.

First off, my office was open on Labor Day, so hooray for laboring on Labor Day. Needless to say, I probably wouldn’t have even remembered it being Labor Day if the NBC 29 News crew didn’t continue to drop phrases like “your Labor Day forecast” and “be sure to perfect your macaroni salad recipe for Labor Day.” Great, not only am I at work, but I’m being taunted by local news personalities. I guess it wouldn’t be the holidays if there wasn’t some form of obligation and someone didn’t get their feelings hurt. Happy Holidays. However, I digress.

While I was thumbing through some old messages on Facebook, I remembered the mentioning of a Labor Day Giveaway from the Shade Shop & Lighting Gallery in Charlottesville, a great, local establishment specializing in lamps, chandeliers, shades, and lighting design. Seriously, folks. If you love lamps and the art of lighting like I do, the Shade Shop would be the equivalent of a Porn Shop. Although, you won’t want to leave the Shade Shop with your purchase in an unmarked, brown paper bag. Anywho, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to vote for a lamp that would be given away in a drawing to loyal, Shade Shop facebook fans for Labor Day. There were two lamps to choose from, both of which were beautiful and unique in very different ways. While I would have been honored to win either of these amazing Shade Shop lamps, one really spoke to me. The other lamp? Well, it reminded me of a time I was shopping with a dear friend. As you can imagine, being the gay friend, I’ve often found myself outside of many women’s dressing rooms, offering my “honest” opinion about debated cocktail attire, if one’s butt looks large in a pair of Rock & Republic jeans, or whether one is too old to pull off something designed by Mylie Cyrus (just in case any of you were wondering the answer to this question, unless you are Hannah Montana herself, the answer is Yes, you’re too old.) My friend emerged from the dressing room of a major department store in a black cocktail dress, seeking my unbiased, and honest opinion. My response? “It’s a pretty dress. It's just not your pretty dress. It’s somebody else’s pretty dress.” It’s a pretty lamp, it's just not my pretty lamp. It’s somebody else’s pretty lamp. So, I casted my vote for the lamp that “spoke to me” (and by “spoke to me,” I mean the lamp I selfishly thought would look really great in bedroom number 2 of the bungalow with its juxtaposition of masculine steel, soft curves, airy negative spaces, and large, textured, linen drum shade that goes on for days.)

Upon looking back into the contest, I discovered the lamp I voted for and secretly lusted after, had been chosen for the Labor Day Giveaway. To win this coveted metal lamp, retailing for $298.00, the next step was to post a photo of your favorite desk/task lamp on the Shade Shop’s facebook page, and hope that your submission would be drawn from the entries. After a Labor Day full of labor, I took a quick 2 minutes to post a picture of a white Jonathan Adler horse head lamp I have an interior design crush on and went about my evening. After going about my Tuesday and recovering from my exciting Labor Day (sarcasm noted), I was met with great excitement and surprise when I received a message ala Facebook saying I was the winner of the beautiful lamp from the Shade Shop! I was very eager to get it home, plug it in, and enjoy this functional piece of art, all of which I quickly did.

The Shade Shop & Lighting Gallery really is a Charlottesville treasure (and not just because they gave me a $298.00 lamp for Labor Day.) My family has been in the men’s haberdashery/department store business since 1915, so I’ve always grown up with an appreciation for the local businessman and hometown customer service. I really believe in trying to buy locally and support local businesses whenever possible. Unfortunately, I think the art of true customer service and pride in one’s product is becoming a lost art for many. However, the Shade Shop does more than preserve all of these principles. Hell, when I went to pick up my lamp, the ladies on staff practically cheered for me (and I most likely wasn’t going to be giving them any money, that’s customer service with a smile!) Not to mention, they carry an extensive collection of beautiful, unique lamps, shades, and lighting fixtures. They’re definitely worth a long look!

The meaning in the mayhem: Maybe a new lamp isn’t in the budget, and you aren’t in the market for a new showpiece to dangle above the dining room table, but you can still take advantage of more affordable fixes and upgrades. A new shade and finial can totally transform the look of your tired old lamp. Small, black, raw silk or paper shades can even transform a basic, builder’s grade brass chandelier. And let’s face it, shades get damaged and worn out over time, so why hang on to a cracked and stained lamp shade that survived your parent’s 1975 neighborhood fondue party and still adorns that avocado green lamp in the living room. Switch it up and switch it out! Just keep in mind the proportions of your lamp and your shade. Example: A larger drum shade can balance out a lamp with a wider body/base. See what a difference a shade makes?

Images lifted from The Shade Shop & Lighting Gallery

The beauty in the breakdown: Don’t be afraid to put your name in the design hat. We often think, who really wins these things and we don’t even bother to enter. Just ask Tiffany Gutshall of Charlottesville, who less than a year ago said “who wins these things?” as she entered to win a paid honeymoon to Fiji from a bridal magazine. Who wins these things? Tiffany Gutshall wins these things, and she and her groom Coleman have the photos of their honeymoon to Fiji to prove it. So put your name in the hat next time. What do you have to lose? Maybe 2 minutes of your life. What do you have to gain? A beautiful, unique lamp that might be outside of your everyday budget and one that you’ll enjoy for years.

So, thank you, Shade Shop for making my Labor Day a little less laborious, and for making bedroom number 2 a littler sexier and a little sleeker, and for making Cville, simply, a little brighter.

Cheers,
Ed

While this may not be the permanent "new home" or final resting place for the new Shade Shop lamp, I thought it was a great match for the soft grey walls and dark furniture of bedroom 2. The lamp is featured on an antique dresser my parents purchased for me as a child from an estate sale. The top of the dresser is covered in pages from a few, old, collapsing, wayward volumes of an encyclopedia I picked up from a thrift store in the "free! take me!" box. I chose pages that I thought would add to the masculine feel (as well as pages that had significance to my life, e.g. Thomas Jefferson, rugby, liquor laws, jazz, etc.) They're all protected under a piece of glass, custom-cut to fit the dresser top.

The lamp is coupled with a vintage mesh seltzer bottle (purchased for less than $15 from Circa of Charlottesville), an antique Georgetown Relay trophy (purchased for less than $30 from And George of Charlottesville), my favorite sunglasses, and a hexagonal lantern (purchased on sale for $9 from West Elm in Richmond-- http://www.westelm.com/) to balance the weight of the lamp. What's in the lantern? My first pair of saddle shoes from childhood. Why? I'm not a huge candle guy, so sorry if you come visit and my house doesn't smell like vanilla or fields of lavender. I think lanterns provide a clean, modern alternative to display cases and the curio cabinets of yesteryear. I'd much rather see a clean, modern lantern full of a few treasured childhood keepsakes or travel mementos vs. a cherry corner cabinet full of China Dolls, Precious Moments Figurines, or Willow Tree Angels. Who's "Baby Got Back" on the wall? He's a reprint by one of my favorite photographers, Bruce Weber. I think this print is proof you can show a little skin without being revealing and bawdy. Well, I neva!

I like the consistency of grey and silver tones, and mix of heights and textures in this grouping. While it may seem like a lot of items on one table, the design of each piece lends to an open feeling (e.g. the open spaces in the lamp and being able to see the wall/print through the glass of the lantern.) Who says you can't pair a $298.00 lamp with some consigment/thrift store finds and hand-me-downs?

Life is Way Too Short to Live With Ugly Wallpaper.

2009-09-08T23:12:00.000-07:00

So here goes. When I told my friend Alexis I was going to start writing a blog, she responded with a chuckle “haha, if you want to start telling people what you had for lunch, then knock yourself out.” In a world of blogging, facebook status updates, and “tweeting,” I know exactly what she meant. After following friends’ progress on building new homes, exploits of circumnavigation of the globe ala Semester-At-Sea, and even after sitting through Julie and Julia with one of my best friends in a Washington, DC theater, one begins to wonder, what do I have to offer perfect strangers and the occasional friend through the art of the “blog?" Should I cook my way through Ina Garten’s cookbooks and call it “Barefoot and Starting to Look Pregnant?” Nah. I don’t think any self-respecting bachelor should be making profiteroles or Meringues Chantilly every night.

First off, I’m not a trained Interior Designer, a professional event planner, or an executive pastry chef. I’m a 20-something, Southern bachelor (not by choice, unless by choice, you mean the choice other people have made not to date me) with a job I adore (UVA/Higher Education by day), a small bungalow in the heart of downtown Charlottesville, wanna-be photographer by night, and a hopeful, consummate host-in-training to a great circle of friends, family, and neighbors who have always seemed eager to sample the latest recipe or check out the most recent addition to the master bedroom. I’ve never subscribed to the idea that a bachelor pad has to feature a black leather, sectional sofa, a kegerator, and a fish tank that would make the staff at Benihana blush. Although, let’s face it. In some shape or form, we’ve all been there.

After playing musical furniture and paint samples in my own home, helping numerous friends design their spaces, shooting engagement photos, and even catering the occasional neighborhood Holiday Open House for a colleague, it hit me. “Oh crap, I’m another gay guy who’s passionate about photos, Persian rugs, period details, Pomegranate Mojitos, and puff pastry.” Could I be any more generic? Perhaps. However, I also figured I could just shut up and share my ideas with others. The best part, you ask? I do it on a budget. After all, this is a recession folks. I mean, I think anyone with a credit card can go out and buy a Jonathan Adler lamp, or buy out the Pottery Barn showroom, but where’s the fun and creativity in that? Step 1: Pick out expensive sofa. Step 2: Write check for 3 Grand to cover expensive sofa. Step 3: Don’t let anybody sit on new, expensive sofa. Done! Remember, you can pay for school, but you can't buy class.

Don’t worry, you’re not going to see me serving Ramen to a dinner party of 10 (Sandra Lee is my least favorite Food Network hostess, I’m just saying.) wrapping a chair in tin foil to make it look like stainless steel, or wallpapering my bathroom with paper grocery bags…at least not yet, we’ll see how my investment portfolio looks in a few years. But you will (hopefully) get some new ideas for your space, your next cocktail party, and see how you can live fabulously, on a budget.

While, my idea of the hopeful, perfect family consists of 2 men, some Danish, mid-century, modern furniture, a restored row house, and a baby that doesn’t look like either of us (thanks W&G), I try to share my life with others and make my current home a place that’s not only fun and functional for me after work, but a place that’s both comfortable and memorable for my amazing, inspiring family and friends (the family you actually get to choose). So hopefully you'll find as much fun and amusement in my life as I do. After all, life is way too short to live with ugly wallpaper.

Cheers,
Ed