Sweet!

This afternoon I visited my favorite store Faded Elegance in Snohomish and picked up this beauty! It's temporarily in the corner of our family room but we're going to move it in a few days and put a large screen TV above it. Our TV is currently in the armoire but due to the size of the armoire we couldn't fit a larger screen TV in it...so, my husband gets the big TV and I get an antique table. Fair trade.



Kimberly is the owner of Faded Elegance and you need to view her blog as she has great design ideas and inspires me each time I visit her store!!

(In case you're curious, the paint colors in our family room are from Benjamin Moore. Trim/beadboard is "Lancaster White" and the wall is "Camouflage")

I'm not getting it...

Have you been watching HGTV's Design Star? I've watched it each year and have always enjoyed the show but this year, I'm not getting it.



In episode three, they had to choose a musical instrument and redesign an outdoor patio to represent the instrument. Nina chose the french horn and this wall is an interpretation of it.



Sorry, I don't understand the squiggles other than I think she's trying to interpret notes on a bar, but that's just a guess. She won this episode and I'm not sure why as their budget seems pretty impressive but each week they seem to come up short in displaying quality work. I really wanted to see design and creativity, not 1x2's nailed to a wall with squiggly paint work behind it. I'm just sayin'...



In the photo above you can see more of the patio, but I noticed there isn't a good conversation layout as both pieces of furniture seem to be pointed outward so everyone has to turn sideways to talk to each other. That's uncomfortable. In addition, they didn't address the floor. Here was a huge opportunity to do something fun and casual with the floor but they left it as cold concrete. I see the guitar in the corner but nothing associated with it (maybe the wood 1x2's?)



Now on to the other side of the patio. Is that a picnic table? And what is up with the wood planks as the wall? It's as if the right side of the patio has nothing to do with the left side and as a result it's not cohesive. Again, they went to some very nice high end outdoor furniture stores and the best they could come up with is a picnic table dressed up with a tablecloth and planks of wood nailed vertically? This all reminds me of trying to decorate your first home/apartment when the fundage is low. This is all disappointing! I'll watch the show one more time, but if I see amateurish work like this again, I quit. ;-)

Bellevue Garden Tour 2010

I was supposed to go to the North Seattle Garden Tour on Saturday but ended up working, so instead my husband and I attended the Bellevue/Mercer Island Garden Tour on Sunday. The ticket prices were a bit steep at $25/person; however, it helps raise money for the Bellevue Philharmonic so I thought it was a good cause.

The first home was incredible and I'd like to call it the Rose House. The property is in Newport Shores of Bellevue and many of the homes are on a canal which links to Lake Washington.











Some of the homes had restored cars in their front driveway which was fun to look at and kept the men (husband) interested in the show.





This home had a relaxing space and you can view the pergola they are still building.



Husband chasing kitty...





Love this potting shed!







View of Bellevue



View of Seattle (Lake Washington in the foreground and Olympic Mountains in the background)





The third home quite frankly bored me and I didn't take any photographs of the hostas. But the pair of Morgans were fun!







The fourth home was in a very tranquil area of Mercer Island. It would have had a view but they kept the natural vegetation and trees so I admire them for their restraint.



Too cute!









Did you notice the reflection of my husband holding the ever present Starbucks? That man drinks at least 5 venti's of drip coffee/day!



And last but not least, this cute home had a very peaceful backyard and beautiful pond.







I love the blown glass in the pond...

Can't Wait!

Eat Pray Love is out in theaters August 13

Tapenade

I stopped by one of my favorite garden store this afternoon called Ravenna Gardens. They had a cookbook I bought called "Discover Cooking with Lavender" written by local author Kathy Gehrt.



I tried their "Tapenade with Capers and Lavender" for dinner along with fresh fruit, cheese, and artisan crackers. It was great! I highly recommend you try this recipe and I only made a slight modification with adding the Herbes de Provence (recipe called for 1 tsp Mediterranean Seasoning).

1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red peppers, drained
1 can (6 ounces) whole artichokes, drained and quartered
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, large stems removed
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finally chopped or passed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup capers, drained

Place all ingredients in a food processor (which I couldn't find and in a moment of panic used a coffee bean grinder...not the best choice but it worked) and mix well until blended.

Serve on crackers or bread.

Northwest Modern Home

I promised to show you photos of the house that came with that great barn (posted 2 days ago). I've become a huge fan of the Northwest modern aesthetic in the last few years and I'm not sure how to describe it other than modern with wood details that showcase the craftsmanship of the artist. This home reminds me of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes in that it's low horizontal lines and open interior spaces blend into the surroundings effortlessly.



































I believe this is the guest house...











(Images from Windermere Real Estate/South Whidbey)