Office Makeover

I don't know how it can be possible with how crowded my calendar is and how long my to-do list is, but I must be bored because I can't stop wanting to redecorate every room in my house!  Which is crazy since I just moved into this house a little over a year and a half ago.  While my guest room had a case of the "dulls" (post coming soon), my office was the victim of a poor paint color choice.  Of course, it looked perfect in the paint chip.  Isn't that how it always goes?

So while Motivation #1 was a poor color choice that made my office look more like a little boys room,  Motivation #2 was an amazing chair from Jonathan Adler that I fell in love with after seeing it on a  T.V. show.  

This office makeover started with the paint color.  The best way I could describe the color I chose is that it's an instant hot chocolate powder (grey/brown) color.  Officially, it's Sherwin Williams color #SW7505 Manor House. Unlike the rest of my house with it's simple flat color walls, I wanted to make this room stand out. I've been admiring some photos on Pinterest of stenciled pattern walls, so I searched on Etsy for stencil makers and found the Merrakech Trellis stencil from Cutting Edge that was exactly what I imagined for the room.  Rather than using two colors, I wanted to create a subtle sophistication by doing a tone-on-tone look where the pattern was done in a semi-gloss and the background in an eggshell/satin of the same color.  I decided to have the room painted professionally to save some time, then I would do the stencil myself.  What I couldn't possibly have imagined was just how much work stenciling a room could be!  It took a whole weekend, and that included using multiple stencil pattern sizes, cutting the stencil down to cover small areas around trim by the window and closet, and hand painting the pattern near the ceiling, floor, and wherever the stencil would not fit.  Not to mention the in between drying time - for the stencil and the wall.  Whew!  A lot of work, but worth it I think.

Next, I needed to add a little color back into the room since I removed it with the paint choice.  I've never been a drapery person, but this time I knew it was the right route.  I went to Calico Corners and G Street Fabrics to find the perfect fabric that matched the ideas in my brain.  I found some that were ok or close to what I was looking for, but I wasn't very pleased with the idea of settling.  In a last chance effort, I stopped at retailers that sell prefabricated panels.  Target and Pottery Barn were a bust, and just before I was about to give up and resign myself to spending the next weekend sewing, I made a quick stop at Cost Plus World Market and found exactly what I needed!  And as a bonus found an accent lamp for another room in my house.  To bring the color across the room, I found a bolster pillow at Pier 1 for the chair that had a very similar silk shantung green backing and fantastic, vivid colors on the front.  Finally, to complete the room, I hung a present from my good friends - a framed print of a world map with the text "EXPLORE."  Perfect, right?

So after many hours of accent painting, much energy exerted moving furniture around, and too many miles logged searching for the perfect green silk fabric, here's the final product:

Before:

After:

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A Mumford & Sons Stampede in Arizona

This is the first time I have ever seen the same band three times in one year, but a live Mumford & Sons concert is worth it. They are currently on their Summer Stampede tour that goes from Calgary to Telluride.  My friend and I got tickets in the Pit section of the Phoenix stop when we entered into an ingenious pre-sale lottery that the band is using to combat ticket scalpers.  Back in March, it was announced that if you wanted to receive a special code to allow you to purchase tickets ahead of the general public, you had to submit an application and select up to three tour stops.  There was no guarantee you would get a code for the stop you most desired, nor a guarantee you would get a code at all!  So when my email came with my code 3 hours after they said emails would be sent, my frown was turned upside down very quickly.  And it was for the stop we wanted the most out of the three, though having an excuse to visit Taos, New Mexico for the first time would have also been welcome.

The band made another great anti-scalper move and elected to choose the new Ticketmaster option of using paperless ticketing for select venue sections.  What this meant was that at the entry gate, you had to swipe the credit card you used to purchase the tickets, after which you receive printed receipts that act as your tickets, much like an airplane boarding pass.  If more bands opt to do this in the future, StubHub and other ticket resalers should be worried.

The show was fantastic, as always, and we had an amazing time being close to the band in the Pit section, which was much more comfortable than General Admission at the February concerts in Virginia because there were less people. Surprisingly, the thing I was most worried about - the heat - was a complete non-event.  The air cooled off significantly from the 105 degree high in the day, plus we were under cover which helps.  There's also a huge, welcomed difference between a dry heat and the humidity I'm used to in Washington D.C.  The guys in the band looked tired towards the end of the show, so maybe their opinion on the heat was a little different.  Of course, it's such a fantastically, high energy show to begin with, I don't know how they last that long under any temperature condition!

While the show was non-stop entertainment, I have to say that what happened earlier in the day was equally as great...no, just kidding, it was much, much better!  There are some days when I just have all the luck in the world, and I happened to bump into Marcus Mumford at the hotel as he came back from a motorcycle ride in the morning.  And, he could not have been any nicer.  We talked about his music and his guitars (a Martin D28, by the way) while he had a cigarette.  And, he even helped me with taking a photo of the two of us on my phone, being that he was the one with the longer arms.  Best part was right before I left, he asked my name like a formal introduction, and we shook hands while he said "I'm Marcus," like I didn't already know!  So while meeting Paul McCartney on the streets of London last summer was the ultimate fan encounter for me, hanging out with Marcus was up there on the list - and I have the photo to keep as a memento this time.  OK, fine, I don't have many musician meetings, so that list is pretty small, but it's always great when you meet someone that could be considered famous and discover that they are still a kind, down to earth person.  You hear that Justin Bieber??

Here are other photos and videos from the show...hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed the show! (Pardon the quality...my point and shoot camera leaves a lot to be desired in low-light situations)

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Watermelon Cupcakes

Here's a quick and easy idea for a cookout dessert.  I can also attest to them being kid approved!  Watermelon cupcakes - in looks only, not taste!  Start with a quick trip to the grocery store for some vanilla or white boxed cake mix and its required ingredients, and pick up some cans of vanilla or cream cheese frosting if  you don't feel like making your own buttercream. Make the cake batter as directed, add some mini chocolate chips, and color with Americolor Gel Colors in Deep Pink (#414 ) and Fuschia (#127 ).  While baking, color the frosting with Americolor Electric Green (#162).  Assemble the cupcakes and you're done.  When you bite into them, you will see the mini chocolate chips standing in as the "watermelon seeds."  Cute, right?

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Glen Echo Park, Maryland

It may come as a surprise, but this Memorial Day weekend I decided not to travel anywhere but make a fun "staycation," instead, here in Washington D.C.  First on the weekend's agenda was to finally visit Glen Echo Park in Maryland.  I've been intrigued by this place for a couple years now, ever since I heard they have weekly swing dance Saturday night gatherings in an early 20th century ballroom - because I've always wanted to learn how to swing dance.  It wasn't until I looked it up as a potential wedding reception spot for a friend, however, that I knew I had to one day go explore the park and do a photography safari.

Glen Echo Park was once Washington D.C.'s local amusement park, before today's Six Flags/Kings Dominion/Hershey Park could even be conceptualized.  Opened in 1918 to guests, the park remained the premier destination for roller coaster riding, bumper car driving, carousel spinning, pool going, and arcade game playing until 1968, accessed by the convenient trolley car system that used to run up the river from downtown D.C.  Today, the park is part of the National Park Service program and retains the original 1921 Denzel Carousel and the bumper car pavilion, now used as an outdoor party space. Other remnants of the amusement park include the entrance for the Crystal Pool, once a large swimming pool and sand beach area that is now a playground, and the exterior of the old arcade, that once included a shooting gallery and skee ball palace.  A children's theater and art showrooms occupy these spaces now.  The park is an interesting place for photography both during the day and at night, when all the neon signs are lit.  I was inspired enough to make both trips in one day, coming back right around dusk.  One tidbit I learned was that on the last day the carousel operates for the season, the park plans a special day when they bring back original games and turn the bumper car pavilion back into its original state, so you know where I will be on that day!!

One of the neat things we discovered in the Candy Corner, now a very small building filled with amusement park artifacts run by the National Park Service, was a then-and-now photo challenge.  There are four laminated copies of old photographs of the park, and your task is to find the location and take a then-and-now photo, holding the black and white photo up in front of the lens to be perfectly aligned with where it once was.  I was able to capture two of the four photos pretty well - using my phone's camera because I couldn't hold the photo and steady my other camera.  The other two were near impossible because of the lens used in the original photograph, and the fact that the original entrance sign was smaller in the photograph than the one currently on display didn't help either.  Here are my successful photos of the bumper car pavilion and the trolley tracks by the entrance.  You should definitely try this challenge - at Glen Echo or in your hometown - because it was fun!

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Layered Strawberry Shortcake

Sometimes you get invited to dinner and offer to bring dessert.  And sometimes the day of the event arrives and you don't feel like baking.  And sometimes you need to think of something healthy because everyone is watching what they are eating. In all of these cases, can I suggest an extremely simple, yet delicious option? Individual low-calorie strawberry shortcakes!

Three reasons to make these as your dessert:

1. Everything is pre-made:  fresh strawberries (thanks to Mother Nature), Sara Lee Pound Cake from the freezer section, and Fat Free Cool Whip also from the freezer section

2. They take less than an hour to make: cut the strawberries into small, quartered slices and sweeten with your preferred low calorie sweetener (I like Truvia).  Slice the pound cake, then use a circle shaped cookie cutter to punch out shapes (you need 3 per jar).  Put the cool whip and the cut strawberries into disposable piping bags to keep the mess to a minimum - no tips needed, just snip the ends with scissors, giving a larger opening for the strawberries.  Layer in this order in a small jelly jar, using an assembly line technique: pound cake, whipped cream, strawberries - repeat to make 3 layers.

3. Low in calories: because of fat free cool whip and the artificial sweetener. I like a buttery pound cake, so I didn't scrimp there, but after all the cutting, you're really only eating about 1-1.5 slices of the cake.  It's all about portion control, and this glass jar presentation seems like you're getting a lot when you're really not.

To make 4 strawberry shortcakes, I needed almost one tub of whipped cream, almost one quart of strawberries, and the family-sized pound cake because I sliced the cake thick and you end up losing a lot to excess from the cookie cutter.  Think about cubing the pound cake if you don't like excess cake.  ENJOY!

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Lemon Slice Cookies....For When Life Gives You Lemons

I felt like doing a little cookie decorating this weekend, and I was inspired a photo of some citrus cookies my mom made awhile ago.  Keeping it simple, I opted to just stick with lemon slices because it reminds me of summer and a tall glass of lemonade or that garnish on the side of my margarita glass.  So with a late May weekend as gloomy, cold, and wet as this one in Washington D.C., it was nice to be creating my own little piece of sunshine in my house.

I'm not sure if I've ever posted the two recipes that are staples for any of my cookie decorating, so I'll do it here and forever reference this post in future decorating adventures.  Keep reading for a little hint on how to make the white accents on the cookies.

 Butter Cookies for Cut Shapes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks), softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar.

2. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add a little at a time to the wet mixture, mixing it until everything is incorporated.

4. Divide dough into a softball or handball sized sphere.  Place between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and roll it out until it is about 1/8-1/4 inch thick - I prefer thicker.  Repeat until all dough is rolled out.

5. Place all rolled dough stacked on a baking sheet.  Cover the baking sheet in cling wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.

6. Remove dough from the refrigerator, peel off the paper and cut shapes.  Combine and roll out excess dough after cutting to make even more shapes (though it may need to chill for a bit depending on how warm the dough got).

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

8. Place cut shapes on a silpat or parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, ensuring the bottoms don't get too brown.

9. Cool on a rack until completely cool, then frost.

Royal Icing (Decorators Frosting)

Ingredients:

• 1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
• 3 oz egg whites, room temperature (approx. 3 eggs, but use the boxed egg whites to make it easier)
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Mix together in a stand mixer until powdered/confectioner's sugar is incorporated into the wet ingredients.

2. Beat on high for 7 minutes.

3. Separate into bowls, the quantity depending on what colors you want to use.

4. Add water to the icing in the bowls only one spoonful at a time until you get the consistency you want.

5. Pipe on the cookies as desired.

To make the lemon wedges, I used a round cookie cutter and sliced the shape in half.  I kept a few whole just for fun. I did not pipe an outline for the yellow, rather kept the icing a little thicker and did the edges and flooding all with one squeeze bottle.  Immediately after piping the yellow fill color, I took a squeeze bottle of white icing and did a border just inside the edge and a dot in the center.  Using a toothpick, I dragged the outside edge of yellow frosting through the white line and up to the center dot to create the interior triangles.  I then spread out the center dot to create a more realistic look.  I gently tapped the cookie to make the frosting settled, then used the toothpick to eliminate the air bubbles (not all were successfully popped!).

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Sprinkle Swirl Cookies

I wanted to bake some cookies for my friend's birthday party this weekend, and what screams birthday more than multi-colored sprinkles?  In this case, I'm experimenting with some Wilton Jumbo Nonpareils I found at my local Target.  I originally saw a recipe for these swirl cookies on Sprinklebakes, but if you search on the internet, there are many variations, and I actually decided to use this one from Pip and Ebby, making some modifications of my own.  I liked that her recipe called for all purpose flour, and not cake flour.  The key to this recipe is to use a food processor because the butter is cold butter, and it blends with the dry ingredients a lot better when it gets finely chopped by the food processor.

Sprinkle Swirl Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter - cold and cubed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 Tablespoon lemon peel powder or lemon zest
• Gel food coloring, color of your choice
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup jumbo nonpareils
• 1/2 cup regular-sized nonpareils

1. In a food processor, combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugars) and process until combined
2. Add in butter and process until the dough looks like cornmeal
3. Add the vanilla and process until the dough almost forms a ball
4. Remove half of the dough and set aside
5. To the remaining dough, add lemon extract and powder or zest, gel food coloring (start small, like 1/4 tsp), and 2 Tbsp flour and process until just combined and color is evenly distributed
6. Roll out each ball of dough between two sheets of wax paper, trying for a rectangle the size of a standard sheet of paper about 1/4 inch thick
7. Place both sheets of dough on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours
8. Pour nonpareil mixture into a rectangular dish
9. Remove dough from the refrigerator and peel off on side of the wax paper
10. Flip the exposed side of one dough over onto the other dough
11. Gently roll the combined dough over the wax paper to ensure they are stuck together, then add a little pressure on the ends to taper the dough to make it easier to roll
12. Remove the top sheet of wax paper, take a knife, and cut the dough into a rectangle
13. When the dough has become pliable, roll the dough into a log shape
14. Place the log in the dish with the nonpareils and roll to affix the sprinkles, using your hands to  press the sprinkles into the bare spots
15. Place the roll back into the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours
16. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
17. Slice the dough roll into 1/4 inch slices and place on a parchment or silpat covered baking sheet
18. Bake 15-17 minutes or until the cookies aren't shiny and the vanilla dough is lightly brown on the bottom

Look at the Sprinklebakes version for additional hints on preparing the cookies.  Remember, her ingredients are slightly different.  I actually was not happy with the baking outcome from this recipe.  My cookies flattened out too much, so I'm not quite confident Pip and Eddy's modifications were for the better.  Maybe next time I'll try Sprinklebakes' version.  The flavor ended up coming primarily from the fruity flavors of the jumbo nonpareils.

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