roasted tomato basil soup

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it was a gray and rainy weekend filled with football, and a giant pot of soup seemed a fitting way to cap it off.  this is a super flavorful soup that’s pretty healthy, though we balanced the healthy bit with a grilled cheese.  i used this recipe from ina.  it ended up being a little more work than i really planned on, but it was worth it in the end, and we have a ton of leftovers.

first step is roasting tomatoes and doing all the chopping.  the only modification i made was adding a red pepper in the beginning with the onions.  i thought it would add more flavor than it actually did – i may try more next time.

assemble the soup and cook for 45 minutes…

send it all through the food processor, warm it back up, and voila!

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style watch: rachel bilson

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rachel bilson is another celeb whose style i like to watch.  i feel like she’s always on trend without being too trendy, and she always looks just like herself.  she knows what works on her petite frame, as you’ll see some recurring themes – blazers, scarfs, ankle boots, and wayfarers for example.  ladylike or casual, she’s always hitting the nail on the head.

how to: coffee table to ottoman

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ok, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of turning a regular old coffee table into a padded ottoman.  it really is a fairly easy project, but i would definitely recommend you wrangle someone to help you.  it’s so much faster and easier with help!  i am blessed to have two amazing parents, who are game for anything and always willing to help me with my little (or big) projects.  my dad tackled play time, nap time, and lunch time with beckett while my mom helped me tackle the table.  it takes a village!
what you’ll need:
  • coffee table
  • spray adhesive
  • staple gun
  • scissors
  • foam (i used two twin egg crates for beds)
  • fabric (i used 1 1/2 yards for a table 36×40 – make sure you account for the depth of the foam)
we set up our ‘workshop’ in the backyard, so we would have plenty of room to spread out.  we started by coating the top of the table with spray adhesive, and slapping on the first egg crate.  this is the can we had on hand.
here’s the deal on the egg crate:  i looked for high density foam at joann’s, but they were out of the size i needed, and that stuff costs a small fortune.  i thought egg crates would achieve the same look and they were about half the price.  anyhow, first egg crate is on.  another layer of spray adhesive goes on the first egg crate, and egg crate #2 goes on top.  we ran a line of staples around the edges of the egg crates one layer at a time- pay attention to your corners – you don’t want them to look ripply.  we used both an electric and manual staple gun, but i actually preferred using the manual on this project.  we used this one.
{manual staple gun}
{mom hard at work – she liked the electric}
now, cut the extra foam (leave about an inch between the staple and the edge) so your fabric can lay as flat as possible.  now you’re ready for the exciting part – the fabric!  turn your table right side up and lay your fabric on top.  take the time to see how your fabric lines up and move it around until you are 100% happy with the way it’s going to look on top.  make sure you keep enough fabric on all sides to cover the foam entirely.  while it’s still right side up, and your fabric is laying just the way you want it, fold one side on the other, so right sides are facing each other, and another coat of spray adhesive goes on top of the foam.
{about to spray with adhesive – the fabric is folded on itself}
then, carefully lay the fabric on the foam, smoothing it out as you go – you don’t want any ripples!  now, once more around with the staple gun.  we folded the edge of the fabric to give it a cleaner look, and that way the staple has two layers of fabric to grab onto.  again, the corners are the tricky part.  we used the ‘easing’ method (kind of bunching the fabric) because the corners of the table are rounded.
cut any excess fabric – we only had excess on the corners.  now, you’re done with the hard part!!  the only thing left to do was to paint the legs.  i gave them two coats using paint that i had already used on another project.  in a few hours, they were completely dry, and the ottoman claimed it’s new spot in our den.
other fun things you could try:
  • tufting – this would require some preplanning, measuring, and drilling of holes before the foam goes on
  • nail heads around the perimeter – i would have done this if the table had more of an ‘apron’
  • trimming the bottom with grosgrain ribbon

put a little zip in your life

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if you can sew a straight line, you can sew a pillow with a hidden zipper!   pinky swear.

i followed this great tutorial and turned out two pillows during one of becket’s naps last week.  they turned out great, and i’m wondering why it took me so long to do this.  i followed them up with two more, and now our couches are finally ‘dressed’.

my tips:

– take the time to pre-wash your fabric if you want to be able to launder the pillows after they’re complete.  i used lightweight upholstery fabric from premier prints and it weathered the wash and dry with flying colors.  not all fabric will, so just proceed with caution there – you may want to wash and dry a small piece first to see how your fabric will hold up.

– make sure you iron your fabric before you cut your squares and do the seams as you work and at the end – it’s worth the 5 extra minutes of work – and the tutorial will prompt you.

– my last bit of advice is to buy good inserts that you can keep for a long time.  i prefer down, and i picked mine up at nell hill’s.  my 16×16 inserts were $16, but i’ll probably have these forever, and all i have to do is whip up a new pillowcase when i get bored with these.  i’d say each pillowcase cost me about $5 between fabric and the zipper, which is a bargain in my book!

before and after: antique mall project

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have you been on the edge of your seat all day long just waiting to see what i brought home from the antique mall and put my spin on??  that’s what i thought.  well, without further ado (i had to look that up), here she is…

oh boy, can you believe i bought that??  a search for a coffee table is what instigated my trip to the antique mall in the first place, so it was a successful outing.  we wanted to replace the ottoman in our family room, and since we have a toddler (yes, he’s walking!), we need to have a coffee table with soft edges and corners.  i knew i wanted to give something a fairly major overhaul, so i was really just looking for the right legs, and she had them.  my idea was to upholster the top of the table, turning a dowdy coffee table into a pretty cool ottoman.  here’s the finished product.  (tomorrow, the how-to!)

river market antique mall

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i love a good antique mall.  the one in kansas city’s river market is three stories plus a basement filled from floor to ceiling with a fair amount of junk and a lot of treasures.  i went perusing this past weekend looking for a subject for a new project.  of course, you can’t help but get a little off track in a place like that.  there is just so much to look at!  here are a few of the treasures i spotted on my little adventure.

this painting was in the bathroom, and it looked just like the place where we backpacked in colorado a few years ago.yes, i pulled out my phone and took a picture – don’t judge.

i thought this art piece was pretty awesome.  it’s string looped around the pegs, making a really cool design.  it was giant, and just looked bright and playful.  would be perfect for a kids’ play room.  

i really liked this coffee table. love the mid-century vibe, just a beautiful hunk of wood.  the black chair behind it was sweet too – it’s a recliner!  you don’t come across stylish recliners very often.  

turns out, i have a thing for chairs.  i want to adopt all the sad ones and give them a makeover.  i loved this chair and thought it would be great in our front room with some paint and some kicky new fabric.  and it was only $30!!  i texted jared the picture, and got this in return:  “easy chair lady.  i think we are running out of chair space, and we each only have one ass.”  point taken.  

this pepto bismal pink coffee table caught my eye in the very back corner of the top floor.  really, how could you not see it?  hated the color, but pondered what it could be.

check back in (hopefully!) tomorrow to see which piece came home with me and what i did with it!

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pants of the rainbow

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well, i inadvertently took a week off from the blogosphere.  i think i just extended the labor day weekend into the whole week – oops.  anywho, back to business.

i was perusing the latest issue of in style over the weekend, and one of the things that jumped out at me was brightly colored pants.  i’d like to add a pair to my closet for the fall, so i took a quick spin on the internets and pulled a few possibilities.  pair any of these with a white or chambray button-up, throw on a cute wedge and a chunky piece of jewelry – outfit complete for any day of the week.

{matchstick cords – j. crew}

{matchstick cords – j. crew}

{cafe capri – j. crew}

{slouchy pocket pants – gap}

{pilcro chinos – anthro}

these are so cute, although i’m not sure they would do the badonkadonk any favors.  you know what they say about horizontal stripes…

{mobara crops – anthro}

oh yes i did…

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…take one of every single martha stewart paint chip at the home depot.  i think when you have a small child with you, people are distracted by the cuteness and will let you do pretty much anything you want.  my particular small child says ‘hi’ to everyone walking by, and they are subsequently paralyzed at my mercy for anything.  mwah ha ha!  if you don’t have a small child, i’d look into borrowing one.

really, i just wanted something at home that will give me a tangible hunk of color that i can bring around the house, shopping, etc.  i think martha’s (we’re on a first name basis now) colors are pretty great.  none of them are too jarring, and they seem to all have a hint of gray in them, which softens them just a touch.  since there are two hundred and some colors (which makes for a fat book) i haven’t come up with a great way to keep them organized, but for now, they’re in a vase on my desk, which is actually kind of pretty.  most importantly, they were free, and those are my favorite kinds of things.

welcome to the ok corral

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the short guy had a birthday this past weekend, and it turned out pretty great.

we started the day with balloons, which were a huge hit…  

…a gift from our sweet neighbors (hung on the fence, of course!)…

followed by a huge nap (for beckett, if you were wondering), and then the main event.

it was a cowboy theme.  yee haw!

the birthday boy was a total trooper being the center of attention – better than i would have done!  he loved the present opening…

…but was scared of the cupcake – the complete opposite of what i expected.  apparently, being presented with a foreign dessert and having a room full of people watch your every move while you decide what to do with it is scary.  who woulda thought?

he was soon a fan…

it’s just not a cowboy party without roy!

thanks to our fabulous family for being a part of beckett’s first birthday!  here’s to many more we can share!

dear beckett

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it was one year ago today that you arrived and forever changed me.  you made me a mother, something that i had dreamed of becoming.  i have experienced what it feels like to have my heart expand so much that i feel it may burst.  your sweet smile could light up texas, and your joyful laughter is quite possibly the best thing i’ve ever heard.  you are busy and adventuresome, constantly searching for something new to explore, climb, evaluate.  you love to sit and read a book, something i hope you’ll continue for all your days.  you are sweet as can be, telling everyone ‘hi’ wherever we go.  strangers comment on what a cute kid you are, and one lady even said that your smile ‘made her whole day’.  i could say that that’s the way i feel every day.

you have my eyes and your daddy’s mouth, but you are really just beckett – a completely unique little human.  i am working hard to live in the moment with you, enjoying what you can do right now, and at the same time, i’m so very excited to see who you become.

today, and every day, my cup runneth over.