Project: Desks

My husband works at home, and one of my current goals is to create a workspace that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. We're getting there slowly, but there's only so much you can do with a full-size keyboard. But I have been doing some digging and was thrilled to find several posts on Ikea Hacker with creative, beautiful solutions.

My favorite is this Milk-inspired desk that enables you to have workspace and keyboard access. Right now, J has a desktop set up behind the keyboard, but it's anything but ergonomic. Other than a canister of pens, everything else has to go on other shelves.

Project: Rug Dreams

We need a rug for our living room. I love our hardwood floors, but in a room that triples as living, dining and kitchen, it'd be nice to define the space. These are older pictures of the room, but they give a sense of layout. Moving the piano is the biggest obstacle because it has to be on a sheet of soundproofing as well as casters. All that has to go underneath any rug we put down, and then the piano lifted on top. Needless to say, J is not too fond of that idea.

I really like the Andalusia rug from West Elm but think the weave might be too coarse and the color too much of the same chocolate brown.

Easter Framily Dinner

Sunday was our first Easter in the apartment, and we celebrated by inviting over several of our closest friends for a family dinner. The day marked several firsts for me: It was the first time I've used my china, and I've been given pieces since high school. (Doesn't it look pretty??) My mother and grandmother are excellent cooks, and growing up, I found cooking more frustrating than fun. My younger siblings are also good cooks, so they helped with kitchen duty. On major holidays, I was given the esteemed job of... table-setting. I know where the silverware goes and I can fold a mean napkin. But keeping all the steps and ingredients straight has always intimidated me. This year, one of my goals is to become more comfortable in the kitchen, to be able to cook things I'm not embarrassed for guests to try, and maybe even to start enjoying the process and not just the final product. Sunday was only the second time I cooked the main entree—and both times it was honey-baked ham! I also made blueberry muffins (Thanks for that one, too, Mom!) and mashed potatoes. Not feeling like an expert yet, but I definitely was pleased with the results. 

I don't have any great pictures of it, but the ham on the left-hand corner is my mother's recipe. It's the one I pull out for special occasions to make my friends believe I'm a better cook than I am. You know what I mean, I think everybody has one. But in the interests of helping out other aspiring-chefs, I'm sharing the top-secret-sugar-infused-honey-baked-ham. Enjoy!

A 5th-grade Boy's Valentine

A friend of mine who is a teacher posted this on her facebook page today. Each of her 5th-grade students decorated their own bags to put their Valentines in from classmates. Apparently, this boy has already gotten his heart broken...

My Favorite Season

I love fall. Crisp air. Yellow leaves. Trench coats. Apple picking. My birthday. Everything even smells differently.

The gang at Friends of Type have some amazing designs, but the above one by Erik Marinovich makes me smile. 

I know it's a couple weeks late, but Happy Autumn!