Kathy at MerrimentDesign made this super cute kid’s travel blanket. Kathy’s a friend and so is Macki, the originator of this brilliant idea, featured at the bottom of the post. I’m just wondering if I’m organized enough to get one of these made for my next baby shower …

Gah. I just really like Wisteria. I need a little more of this vibe in my life and house …

Another friend kicked off a new blog called DesignTripper. Sorry, but it’s genius. Aside from being insanely great entertainment, it’s also just about THE most brilliant way to get invited to stay at fabulous places. Next time I vacation, I’ll settle for nothing less than this:

Think my currently non-existant slip covering skills are sharp enough to pull off something like this? We have an almost identical chair that’s calling out for a new dress.

And last but most certainly not least, let me introduce you to Rebekah Forlines of Four Lions Jewelry. Rebekah is a friend of mine and no doubt a budding marketing genius. She and I have been talking a bit about social media, blogging and whatnot (I actually work in digital marketing which may be hard for y’all to believe since I’m so sporadic with my posts here on I Steal Good Ideas, but it’s true) and she’s taken to it like a fish to water. Rebekah dreamed up this great feature for her business’s blog called Design Destination Day. It’s like a self-imposed Project Runway for a jewelry designer. She forces herself to shop somewhere unlikely for jewelry-making supplies and then posts the materials and the results. Check out this beauty made exclusively from Harbor Frieght Tools (her local hardware store). And last week’s gem you’d never know was built completely of items from Dollar Tree. Follow this girl … she’s up to big things!

That’s it for this week’s Klepto Files! Get out there and steal yourself some ideas, thieves!

This recipe started with me eyeing a bag of Uncle Ben’s 90 Second Wild Rice in the pantry. I’ve got to say, the stuff is pretty darn decent, especially if you are going to dress it up with some other goodies like I have. I was tempted to eat just the rice for lunch (it’s me in the home office, what can I say, sometimes I eat wierd stuff) but then I remembered that Will had put some left over grilled chicken in the fridge. This prompted me to do a little fridge search where I found …

- aforementioned grilled chicken left-overs, generously seasoned with Italian seasoning
- portobell0 mushroom halves
- flat-leaf parsley
- uncorked bottle of white wine; probably open too long to enjoy drinking
- parmesan cheese

The recipe goes like this:

1.) Put a little olive oil in the bottom of a saute pan; drop in mushrooms.

2.) Chop up left-over chicken into small cubes, add to saute pan.

3.) Pour in just a titch of white wine, enough to flavor and re-hydrate the chicken.

4.) Tear the top of your Uncle Ben’s bag, put it in the microwave for 90 seconds.

5.) Pour cooked rice onto a plate. About now, your chicken and mushroom concoction will be warmed through so pour that over top the rice.

6.) Sprinkle parmesan cheese and roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley over top.

7.) Remember to chew each bite 30 times. Otherwise you’ll be like me and gobble the whole thing in about as long as it took to make it … 4-5 minutes?

Enjoy!

http://www.whitlandhometour.org

The projects list is getting longer and longer and longer … and it starts this weekend.

Actually, that would more accurately be represented as Hair Yesteday, Gone Today. Yes it’s true, I finally bit the bullet and chopped off my locks for love.

This was sort of a momentous occasion for me, made more nerve-wracking since my usual hair dresser moved to Austin, TX while I’ve been growing out these locks this last year (I had no idea!). So today I had to take my big, thick, curly mane to someone totally new. She came highly recommended by a friend but since her salon was destroyed by the Nashville Flood this last May, she’s working from a small little studio on Music Row. Walking up, I learned it is not the kind of shiny salon I’m used to at all and I prepared myself for the worst. But then I realized that getting a bad haircut in no way, shape or form comes anywhere close to what it must feel like for kids with cancer to go through treatment, lose their hair, and feel sick most of the time. With that, I schlepped myself right in there and went for it!!

Here are the locks before:

And here I am after:

(My hairdresser was egging me on with that last one.)

It’s super short! But I’m happy with the outcome and I strongly suggest that anyone steal this idea. You can check out more here. Especially in these tough economic times, it’s an excellent way to make a huge difference in someone else’s life by using the resources you have on hand, or errr … on head.

Here’s one with the light turned off so you can get a good look at it. Also a good way to see the detail on the beautiful medallion …

This final picture gives a good shot of the curtains that my mother-in-law and I together made for Mom. Mom actually bought the Pottery Barn Dupioni Silk drapes online but when she went to install them, we realized that the windows were different heights! It’s an old house and we’d never paid much attention before. But suddenly we understood why there was a valance over the drapes in the adjoining living room – those windows were different heights too! Mom found a valance design that she liked in a picture in a Southern Living and Karen and I worked until we had recreated it. I’ll post some pics about that process next … stay tuned!

In the meantime, yay for Pottery Barn looks at Overstock prices!

My friends at Prudent Baby showed up on Hostess with the Mostess and this super-cute tutorial for Mod Podge Coasters. Love!

My friend Bonnie’s blog got me turned on to Flourish Design. This is the post that won me over. Why doesn’t my house look more like that? Love that cream dresser with dark pulls. Hmmmm ….

There are some really gorgeous photographs on One King’s Lane this week by Marcella Echavarria. The one below is stand-out. One King’s Lane is such a daily addiction … and this week I ordered a blue and white garden stool for our living room with a $25 credit that was burning a hole in my pocket! Pics forthcoming …

You know I love Miss Mustard Seed? She’s doing an awesome give-away. It’s a box FULL of fantastic antique stuff. A whole box! Check it out. And congrats to her on 2000 followers!

My friend Eleanor gave me a beautiful Pewter spoon when I was the Maid of Honor in her wedding years ago. It’s monogrammed with a B for my maiden name and it’s way too pretty to stay in a drawer. Love this idea! Think just one would be too boring?

Eons ago, my friend Katie Hitt snapped this pic for me at a Flea Market and said that these were selling for $199 each! She rightly thinks that they could be modified to fit nearly any decor. I was thinking of a slim, gold-leaf frame and mounted on a simple linen background. Would a soft lilac be interesting in a room with dark walls and lots of blue & white? I’d love to introduce another unexpected color for accent but  just don’t know what …

That’s it for this week!

My boss’s blog is genius. It’s called Cooking With My Kid and it’s getting mentioned everywhere cool and crafty, including Daily Candy. Um, go Rebecca go! I’m into these Bite-Sized Greek Salads that she made this week. They look SOOO pretty. Except I don’t like olives so I’m thinking I’d replace that with a little red onion and maybe sprinkle the platter with oregano to give it some extra Greek-ish-ness since removing the olives seems sacrilege.

I love Style Blueprint. They just won the Toast of Music City’s best local blog. Am I surrounded by fabulous bloggers or what? This DIY Herbal Infused Water is a GREAT idea for the dog days of summer. I had the cucumber basil one at Elizabeth’s house this week and it was just the most refreshing thing ever.

I’ve been thinking about doing some silhouettes for my in-progress doggie lounge. Prudent Baby has some adorable projects, including this Vintage Plate Cameo Hanging. And it just so happens that there current give-away is a Custom Cameo Necklace. Uhh … cuteness!

I’ve got an idea that I’m going to try to slip cover a chair all by myself here before the summer is out. So I’ve been stalking Pink & Polka Dot. I love the wing chair featured here!

I love Miss Mustard Seed’s dining room. Especially the blue and white stuff, the gold framed chalk board, and the antlers! It’s a similar vibe to what I’m going for in our den … but I’m aiming for a little more beachy in the den than Miss Mustard Seed has going on here. Still, the color combo and the simplicity of it all is drool-worthy. Get a load of it!

Update: Just after I posted this, Miss Mustard Seed put up a full post on her dining room. Here it is.

And then there’s my perennial fav, Nest Egg, another Nashville blogger. I love Rachel’s style. It’s got just enough of that good, Southern, lived in look to keep it from being stuffy … but it’s still so chic. Check out this nursery she posted this week. I’m really wanting to steal that pleated curtain trim for the guest bedroom. Just love it!

That’s it for this week! Hope you like this new feature. This way, you’ll hear from me at least once a week. Forgive me for being so MIA lately. Our air conditioner has been out for like a MONTH and it’s just too hot around Chez Perry for any home improvement projects and I’m DEFINITELY not doing any sort of entertaining in the “oven”. But I’ll be back in the swing of things real soon!

Antique Bronze 6-Arm Chrystal and Iron Chandelier, $248.99 @ Overstock.com

And I felt like it looked suspiciously like this:

Camilia 6-Arm Chandelier for $399.00 @ Pottery Barn

The difference? A white hanging cord (changeable), antiqued candle sleeves (changeable or per the reviews on Overstock.com spray paint-able), and you put it together yourself (4 hour process per the reviews).

My momma had been eyeing the PB chandy. Let’s just say that less than 12 hours after my discovery and subsequent email, Momma is a very happy lady.

PB rip off accomplished!

May I introduce you to the Clayton iHouse?

Pretty crazy, huh? Who knew Dad was such a cool cat? I know it’s not exactly what you think of when you picture a lake cottage but I think it’s going to be downright fabulous. And when you consider all the reasons it makes sense, well who wouldn’t want one for their vacation home?

Support Local.
Yes Clayton is definitely a TN-based mobile home manufacturer but I’ve got to give them props for entering the green market. Of course, Clayton was purchased by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway several years ago but as Warren is known to do, all of the company leadership is still right here in Tennessee. So’s the manufacturing plant. We like to support local.

Eco-friendly.
This baby has Energy Star appliances, bamboo floors, no VOC paint, compact fluorescent lighting, water saving fixtures, solar panels (an option and I think Pops is going to spring for the wiring and wait for the panels to come down in price – go Dad!), energy efficient windows, sustainable siding and roofing, rain water collection system, and composite decking made from recycled materials. We think if you are adding another whole house to your carbon footprint so you can get out and enjoy Mother Nature then it’s only fair that you treat her with respect when you do it. Hello, iHouse!

Low Maintenance.
It’s virtually maintenance free. Nothing will need painting or replacing for a very long time.

Great Value.
It’s relatively inexpensive! Somewhere between $85-$100/square foot. WOOT!

Hassle-Free.
You pick out your finishes and the the house is built in a plant and delivered to your lot. What does this mean? No surprise costs or going the standard 20% over budget. No running out to Carthage to make sure the electrician showed up. No finishing the place yourself. No more than 4 months from signature on paperwork to walking through the sleek sliding glass doors! Hey, hey! Who wants hassle just to vacation anyway?

I mean this sucker is cool. We love the layout and are especially excited about the idea of adding an observation deck on top of the flex unit like you see in the above picture. Can you imagine looking up at the stars out in the country from that chic perch?

Check out their website to learn more. Right now Dad’s in the process of finding out whether or not this baby will fit on our narrow, hillside lot. Fingers are crossed. We could be lakeside by fall!

A few shots of the spot:

Pretty, huh?

Mom and I are thinking of a mix of modern and vintage for the interior. This is a style that neither of us have attempted before but enough blog surfing and idea thievery and we should be able to pull it off, right?

Here’s what I mean by oomph:

Courtesey Luvzdollz on Flickr.

From BehindtheScenes2006 on Flickr.

From Angie Naron on Flickr.

From Joyeux Artiste on Flickr.

All totally lush and gorgeous, right? When I wrote Part 1, I had my flowers all picked out (and purchased!) and I just knew that I was going to get that kind of look. But I kind of think I struck out.

Here are my front window boxes now:

I used one of my favorite tricks from last year which is to buy a big ol’ bushy fern and take a butcher knife to it. Yes, that’s right I just sawed that sucker in half and used a half in each window box and I think the effect is quite nice.

But my issue is with the Catalina (or Wishbone flower) I chose. I LOVE the trumpet shape of these.

And I had the idea that they would just mass and mound in there and maybe even do a little trailing. And you can see in the photo above that they are trailing a tad. They are pretty up close but not so stunning from far away. I think my issue is that I need more impact!!

I should have listened to the container rule that I have always followed more closely.

Start with a thriller (something tall), add a spiller (something over the side) and fill in with a colorful filler.

Those Catalinas are beautiful but there just isn’t enough impact. So before I threw in the towel, I tried to apply my learnings to our sunny back deck where we also have window boxes. And this is where I netted out:

Geraniums, Petunias, and Potato Vine. Classic. And apparently for a reason. It looks great.

Excuse the slightly dark photos as these were taken at dusk.

So what do you think? Should I replant my Catalina elsewhere and look for a more colorful filler? Remember, it’s shady in the front there and I think tough to find a good bloomer. Any suggestions?