We’ve got some work to do before the granite arrives, so without counters I foresee a significant amount of outdoor barbecuing and a large quantity of paper plates in our future.

Dominic Schuster Ltd

The kitchen renovation is moving forward!

I’ve installed decorative molding on all of the cabinets, the chalk paint process is coming along swimmingly, I’ve picked out gorgeous brass hardware and an even more gorgeous brass faucet, the antique chandeliers are glistening and our new countertops are being installed next week!  Picking the backsplash, however, has been a serious bone of contention.  I discovered that my first choice, an incredible three-dimensional Ann Sacks tile, was way (I mean, wayyyyyyyyyyy) out of my price range.  In the words of my granite fabricator, I have really, really expensive taste (no surprise there).  My next thought was a beautiful Moroccan inspired design, but I became concerned it was too trendy and again, too expensive.  Alas, Joey and I were warming up to the idea of a simple subway tile.  It’s classic, clean and cheap!  Unfortunately, it’s also a little boring.

Yesterday evening, we were walking down Magazine Street with the evil beagles, when I stumbled upon a gorgeous antique mirror in a shop window.  Somehow… someway… it sparked a brilliant idea!  Why can’t we do a mirrored backsplash!?  If we antique the mirror ourselves, it could be fairly cost efficient and there are plenty of products on the market.  I love the idea of a harlequin pattern with rosettes at each corner.  We could even add a design with etching or relief.  The mirror would be easy to clean and would reflect light, brightening up our rather dark space.  I found some examples online that look absolutely gorgeous, so the idea isn’t completely untested.

Obviously, we’ll have to do some experimentation, but I think Joey and I may just have a backsplash winner!  I’ll let you know how it turns out.

I prepared the dark chocolate cake mix and filled the cups, then topped each one with a combination of peanut butter and chocolate chips, along with a pretzel.  I sort-of expected all that jazz to sink in and it didn’t, so next time I’ll chop up the pretzels and stir them into the batter with the chips.  For the frosting, I combined a large container of pre-made vanilla with about a quarter cup of creamy peanut butter.  FAIL ALERT: I ran out of frosting halfway through, so half our friends had to suck it up and eat dry cupcakes.  Wah wahhhh.  Let’s go ahead and double that frosting next time.  I did put what little I had into a Ziplock bag with a hole cut in the corner, piped it onto the cupcakes in a swirl pattern and then topped it off with a pretzel.

My husband ate three… so I’m thinking they turned out alright.  Hell, at least they look good (half of them).

As if i didn’t drop enough dough on that puppy, weeks later, I stumbled upon another incredible photo I just had to have.  This one was an antique print of the “Meade Girls.”  I haven’t the foggiest clue who the hell they are, but I’d like to think they were 3 badass saloon girls from New Orleans’ infamous red light district who swindled men out of money with their voodoo and feminine wiles.  That’s probably not the case.  Anyway, I dropped more money than I’d like to admit on these mysterious ladies and I don’t regret it for one second.

Unfortunately, my two awesome prints were two not not-so-awesome sizes and finding frames was starting to resemble one giant, infuriating Where’s Waldo puzzle.  They were NOWHERE to be found.  Eventually though, as I was just about to give up and have them professionally done, I discovered two matching frames in just the right measurements.  The best part!?  They were half off!  Finally, Uncle Lionel and the Meade Girls are now hanging proudly in my dining room and they all look absolutely gorgeous.

In an effort to avoid the Canadian tuxedo (I’m talking to you, Jay Leno), I pulled together a few styling ideas.  Here are some rules to keep in mind…

If you’re wearing denim on denim, pair a light wash with a dark wash to break things up.  Chambray looks great layered on the top or bottom, so have a little fun.  Don’t be afraid to dress up chambray with a sequin skirt, classic blazer or piles of jewelry.  When in doubt, throw on white shorts or white jeans and go!

It’s a stunner, though.  The casual french furnishings and ocean view courtyards are certainly drool-worthy.

Don’t serve these “Pizza Cones” to anyone with a sense of humor

If you’re half as interested in interior design as I am, inevitably you’ve stumbled upon Pinterest at this point.  The concept is brilliantly simple: create a virtual pinboard where you can gather all your ideas and inspiration.  From high fashion to gourmet cooking, there are limitless images and countless categories:  A kitchen iPad holder for recipes!  Glass floor over a creek!  Build an exploding chain reaction from craft sticks!

Inventive?  Yes.  Creative?  Yes.  Ridiculous?  YES.

There’s some absolutely insane stuff on that website and thanks to the ever-wonderful-internet, there’s now another website that celebrates all the ridiculousness Pinterest offers.  It’s called Pinterest Fail and if your “exploding chain reaction from craft sticks” left you feeling a bit inferior, it’ll make you realize you’re probably not the only one.  Need a little pick me up?  Check it out.  (On a side note, check me out!  You can follow my not-so-ridiculous Pinterest boards here.)

If you haven’t seen The Great Gatsby yet, it’s about time you scurry on down to the theater and soak up all of the excess and exuberance it has to offer.  Admittedly, I found shortcomings in the most recent rendition of the film, but casting and character development aside, it’s impossible not to get swept away by the sheer cinematic beauty of the jazz age interpretation.  From the opulent gardens to the sprawling mansions, along with Miuccia Prada’s lavish costume designs and Baz Luhrmann‘s over-the-top party scenes, the film is a feast for the eyes!

I could barely get through the movie before I was planning some Gatsby-inspired additions to my wardrobe and it seems I’m not the only one.  Brooks Brothers has unveiled an entire Great Gatsby suiting collection that’ll have your man calling everyone “Old Sport” in no time.  Meanwhile, Tiffany & Co. is offering a brilliant collection of jewels appropriately called Jazz Age Glamour.  If your budget is more Nick Carraway than Jay Gatsby, I’ve also pulled together some more affordable additions.

Joey’s home!  Yay!

Since Joey got back from Afghanistan, I haven’t asked him to do much around the house.  After 7 months in a war zone, I think he deserves to relax a little.  A little.

So, it came much to my surprise when Joey told me he wanted to start a new project and build a peg board for our out-of-control tool storage.  He bought white peg board, some 1/2″  x 1″ framing, a package of assorted hooks and scrounged up some leftover decorative molding from our kitchen cabinets.  Using a nail gun and compound miter saw, he build the frame to the size of the peg board and nailed it onto the back.  He then added the decorative molding to the front and hung the entire piece with a French cleat.

The project was easy- it only took about an hour and a half from start to finish- and now, we can finally find what we’re looking for!

With that said, Joey and I had our freshly polished antique chandeliers installed in the kitchen last week.  I chose to put the smaller of the two in front of our kitchen fireplace.  The larger one is in what’s supposed to be the breakfast nook, but we’ve turned into a small office.

Thus far, we’ve now installed 4 gorgeous chandeliers and 2 sparkly sconces in our historic Garden District home.  We only have 999,996 more to go!