Parties - Pink and White Bridal Shower

Here are some pics from the bridal shower I hosted for my wonderful friend. All she said was she wanted something 'girly.' The main inspiration came from my vintage linen collection - florals, pinks, and very girly. I re-purposed the linens into cloth napkins, wraps for vases, basket liners, pillows, and some fabric flowers. Other DIY projects included tissue paper flowers (the bride-to-be is allergic to most real flowers), the invitations, and the hanging advice cards. We had the most perfect spring day for the shower and it was truly a pleasure to host for my friend.

Home Style - John Tunger Fire Pit

I want this bad... real bad.

Travel - California Recap

I have finally worked my way through all the shots I took during our trip. Of course, the pictures don't do justice to the beauty of California.

After a very bumpy flight out (WAY out of my comfort zone) we landed in the morning, had a quick lunch and headed leisurely down from San Francisco to Monterey. We followed the coast for a good portion of the drive. Multiple 'state beach this way' signs lured us off the highway. The first was Seacliff State Park, which had a little pier with fisherman and a big shipwreck.

The second was Salinas River State Park, gorgeous, utterly deserted, and a wicked wind that blew sand in our eyes and the cuffs of our pants.

The drive also took us through the heart of artichoke country (hehe). Miles and miles of artichokes growing amid signs that trespassers could be shot, which frankly were the only thing that stopped us from a life of crime as artichoke poachers.

Luckily, there were many roadside establishments where I could legally get an artichoke fix. We didn't get the chance to experience much of the fine dining California offers, but I am so grateful we pulled over to try fried artichokes. Fresh from the fields, strangely creamy, and piping hot, deep fried artichokes are the things dreams are made of.

The next day, since I am a whore for beaches, my aunt drove us down Hwy 1 from Monterey towards Carmel, and indulged me by pulling over several times. We trooped down the craggy rocks and looked at tide pools while the wind frizzed my hair with salt spay and made our noses run.

The beach at Carmel was also gorgeous, wide and sandy. The town was so cute, with a main street lined with boutiques (including a Lush!) and cafes and well-behaved dogs on leashes everywhere.

Unfortunately, when we returned to San Francisco, I remembered that I hate taking pictures in a city because it makes me feel so touristy. But, I did take a few on our trip out to Alcatraz. Yes, that is a super touristy spot, but cool and creepy nonetheless.

On our last day, we drove down an incredibly winding road to Muir Woods to see the enormous redwoods. Many of the tourists did not make it far down the path, so the forest was so peaceful and quiet.

In the afternoon, we drove up for a quick drive-by tour of the wine country. Also, very pretty with beautiful views and quaint towns. We got to try out wines at two vineyards, both tasty, one very friendly and the other not so much. We spent the evening resting and flew home the next morning, glad for making the trip but happy to be headed back east.

Recipe - Seared Scallops

I am slowly weeding my way through all the great pictures from our trip, but I am not quite done yet. Here's a quick and dirty recipe in case you need a scallop fix. I only made this for myself, but to feed more, increase the amount of butter and the size of the pan. If there are too many to fit without squishing in the pan, do them in batches. Also, make sure the scallops look and smell fresh. Old scallops are no one's idea of a good time.

4 jumbo sea scallops

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

1 Tablespoon butter

wedge of lemon

Sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides of scallops. Heat the butter in a small pan over medium-high heat.

Add scallops to hot butter and sear on all sides until golden brown, just a minute or two per side should do. Try not to overcook them - nothing is worse than making $15 worth of scallops into a disgusting chewy mess. Remove scallops from pan and squirt all over with lemon juice. If you feel very naughty, top with the remaining butter from the pan.

Travelling Afar

Beautiful Day at the Golden Gate Bridge - Día bellísimo en el puente de Golden Gate, originally uploaded by worldsurfer.

Headed out of town for a few days tp San Francisco. I am a virgin California traveler and am looking forward to the trip! Be back soon with lots of pics.

Home Style - DIY Wall Art

Recessions suck. But, cheap DIY art work the recession forces us to make is great! Check out the project my friend Matt did over the weekend. White curly willow, a few screws, and voila! I especially like how the willow pieces are very organic and contrast with both the dark wall color and the angular furniture. Good job, Matt!

How To - Fabric Lined Envelopes

One of my best friends has a BIG weekend coming up - her birthday, bridal shower (I'm hosting, so more on that soon!), and bachelorette party all wrapped in three days. So, I made her a set of blank notecards for her birthday and lined them with cute fabric. The fabric is a little unexpected twist on traditional paper lined envelopes. I think they add a good dose of flair and style to any correspondence.

The process is pretty simple. Start by tracing the outline of the envelope with the flap open. Then cut out a template about 1/2 inch smaller than the envelope. Cut a piece of lightweight cotton fabric large enough for the template, I fit two per piece of fabric in the sample photos.

Next, cut a piece of paper-backed heat fusible fabric webbing (Wunder Under or the like, for lightweight fabrics) slightly smaller than the piece of fabric. Fire up the iron to medium-high and iron the fabric to get rid of any wrinkles. Let the fabric cool off, then place the fusible webbing rough side down on the wrong side of the fabric and paper side up. Press and hold the DRY iron in one spot fo 10-12 seconds to melt the glue to the fabric. Pick up the iron and move to the next spot and repeat pressing for another 10-12 seconds. Continue across the fabric in the same manner until all the webbing is fused.

Let the fabric cool off to set the adhesive. Then carefully pull the paper backing away. The adhesive should be firmly attached to fabric and feel slightly rubbery.

Now, cut a piece of white tissue paper slightly larger than the fabric. Using the iron, repeat the pressing and holding to adhere the glue and fabric to the tissue. It will take a little less time than the first one, only about 5-7 seconds each pressing.

Now the fabric is offcially paper-backed and very very handy to have around. To finish up, trace the template made in step one on to the tissue side of the fabric and cut out. I used pinking shears just because I like them, but straight scissors will work, too. The fabric shouldn't fray because of the glue.

Open the envelope and insert the liner. Fold the fabric over exposing the flap of the envelope and run a glue stick over the area the liner will cover. Press the fabric firmly over the glue then fold the flap down to crease the fabric. Ta-da, all done. Mail at will!

Recipe - Buffalo Steak Bites

Quick recipe today, cubes of steak pan seared and doused in delicious hot sauce. Use whatever hot sauce you enjoy most. For my husband, that's Cholula, for me, it's Texas Pete.

1 lb. sirloin steak, well trimmed, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. (or more) hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Quickly sear steak cubes on all sides to whatever done-ness preferred (medium rare will take about 4-5 minutes). Toss with salt, pepper, hot sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.