Hello Summer--Vintage Inspired Lawn Chairs from Target

Yesterday it felt like spring, but today it felt like summer.

And tomorrow temperatures are supposed to reach the high 80s, and that might as well be summer.

All this sunshine makes me want to be outside as much as possible.

It makes me want to work in the yard and then loll about with a glass of lemonade.

Yes, even though I'm stuffed up with a spring, uh summer, cold.

So today when I had to run to Target for some essentials, (toothpaste, toilet paper and tissue--darn cold) and I saw these chairs, I had to get them.

They just said summer to me.

Take a look.

I saw them last summer and I wanted them then.
But I didn't act fast enough and they were gone before I knew it.
Seasonal or limited items can fly out of Target.
We all remember the Orla Keily line.  Her stuff lasted like 1 day at my Target.
Will she ever be back?

Anyway, back to the chairs.
They were on sale.
$10.
I decided to act now and I am glad I did.
They look pretty perfect in my back yard.
How can you not love red, woven lawn chairs?
(in case you didn't know, i love red just as much as turquoise.)

They fit in just right with my beat up, red and white, enamel topped table, my red pots and my succulents.
(I need to get all those babies in pots or in the ground)

These are not the most comfy chairs.  You aren't going to spend hours lounging in them.
But they are perfect to have on hand for a summer bbq in the back yard, to take to picnic or camping.
They are infinitely better looking than those fold up camping chairs that fit in a bag, and much more feasible than purchasing this kind of patio set.  
(although i do dream of that patio set on my own patio someday.  a dream for sure.)
Yes, they are low brow vintage and Bertoia is high brow.  But you have to admit, they have certain charm. 
We plan on storing them in the garage and bringing them out as needed so they won't get rusty and worn right away.

And for $10, we might be getting a few more.
Because summer is coming and I'm getting ready for those backyard bbqs.


Hope the sun is shining where you are.
Love from,
Greta

Hello Spring--I'm Sick

I know I promised pictures of our new lamps.

But my throat is on fire and my nose is running.

It hit me this afternoon--like a ton of bricks.

Aaron was sick on Sunday night and he shared with me.

But it seems like it was a 1 day thing--he felt dramatically better after a lot of sleep (I made him go to bed at 8:30) and woke up with the throat of fire gone.

So I'm off to lay on the couch, drink hot tea and try to finish the BBC version of Emma. 

I have been watching it in bits and pieces for over a week and have not yet been able to finish it.

I'm sure tonight will be more of the same.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel up to taking pictures of the lamps.

I know you'll love them!

And to make up for making you wait, I leave you a picture of one of my favorite parts of spring.

Nasturtiums.

We picked them today at Gum Grove Park.
The hillsides are covered in them.
Don't they look beautiful with turquoise?
Doesn't everything?


Hoping to wake up healthy.
Love from,
Greta

My Shower Swag

So a surprise shower was held for me on Saturday.
It was a fabulous time (see more here) and I am not going to pretend I didn't love getting some truly fantastic gifts.
It wasn't even my birthday, but I felt so spoiled.
How can a girl not love that?


The thing is, I didn't really expect a shower for my 5th baby.  
After all, what do I really need?
Nothing.
But I was showered with gifts just the same.
Get some good gift ideas for the 5th, or 1st time Mom, when you see my shower swag.


Diaper bag!

Well, kinda.  I wasn't planning on getting a diaper bag this time, but when a friend sent this to me on FB, I couldn't resist re-posting it on my Picnics in the Park FB page.  
(which you should go like, by the way.  and there are some really cute sandals I posted there, too. you know, in case you were wanting to get me more stuff)
It is cuter than a regular diaper bag, no bunnies or pastels.  
I like that it looks vintage.
And I thought it would be great for my next Palms Springs trip--with or without baby.
Some friends decided to act on my post and ordered it for me.
You know who you are and I love you!
See more of their bags here.  They're not all diaper bags.  They've got a lot of great stuff.

The color red! 
My favorite things must be pretty transparent.
Oh yeah, I have a blog where I tell you constantly what I like.
I like red.  And love this sweet, little giraffe.  
It's nice for baby to have a toy that is all his own.

Handmade goods.

Like this onesie, stitched with vintage fabric by my Betsi.

The baby may wear this once and then I'll just hang it up.

Also a hand knit sweater with vintage buttons.

Have no fear.  If it's a girl we're dressing her in pink leggings and tees and she'll rock this sweater.

I love a gift that I can save for them when they have their own babies.

Because yes, I totally do that.

Don't you?

And this gift, so me.
Charlie Harper, birds, it doesn't get much better.
Put a bird on it!  ( if you haven't seen this, watch it!  you'll love it)
I appreciate that this is "for the baby" but really for me. (grin)

It was also nice to get items truly intended just for me.
Because, as I said before, at 7 months, mama loves a little pampering.
$ for a massage or whatever else my heart desires.
Gift certificate for the best pedicure in Long Beach.  Maybe the world.  Seriously.
New jammies to wear at the hospital.  So much better than those horrible gowns.
(how come no one told me that the first time around?  get a woman some new pjs for the hospital!)
Chocolate.
A whole stack of stretchy, comfy clothes for after baby and I come home.  Because by then, my tank tops and sweats will be stained and stretched out and I'll feel really ugly.
But some new tanks and gaucho pants will help a lot.


Again, I have to say I feel so incredibly loved.
What a special treat.
And what I knew to be true already, was reinforced 100 fold: it doesn't matter what number the baby is, it's just nice to show someone you love them and shower them with a little bit of that lovin.


Tomorrow I'll show you the vintage lamps we found for the kitchen.  Only $10 more than the lamps we were going to get at IKEA!  And these are sooooo much cooler.
Check back.
Love from,
Greta

Showered With Love

This weekend my husband and my sister-in-law surprised me with a baby shower.
It was wonderful, amazing and a total shock.
I am still crying every time I think about it.
Head over to Lilly and the Brothers to see some of the magic.


And those booties--handmade by my soon to be sister-in-law, Karen.  
They are so very sweet.
Sometimes I still can't believe there is really going to be another pair of tiny little feet in my life.
I can't wait!
Happy Monday.
Love from,
Greta


PS.  I'm linking up The Kitchen Post to Life Made Lovely.  Because I've been showered with love in a whole lot of different ways lately.  And, yes, I know I am a very lucky girl.

My New Baking Corner and the World's Best Banana Bread

I have a new corner of counter top in my kitchen. 

(have you seen the new kitchen?  go here)

I love it.

It's the perfect spot for my pink mixer--a Christmas gift from Aaron quite a few years ago.

I use it a lot.

I decided this is my new baking corner.  

A place to rest my cookbook, close to my spices and other baking ingredients and right next to the oven.

It's perfect.

 I filled the drawer with my wooden spoons and spatulas, my measuring cups and spoons.
It doesn't take much to make me happy.
A square of new counter space, an organized drawer, and a quiet morning to do some baking.
I'm easy to please.
Yeah, my husband knows he's lucky. 
Cause guess who got warm banana muffins for breakfast this morning?

I used the recipe from this cookbook.
Aaron bought me this the first Christmas we were married.
(and, just so you know, one of the reasons I chose the turquoise boomerang for my counters was because I knew it would be awesome for photos.  how's that for crazy?)
To be honest, there are not a whole lot of recipes that I make from it.
But I love it just the same.

 I do make the banana bread recipe a lot.
So much so that the page is marked with one of our extra wedding invitations.
It makes me happy every time I open this cookbook.
I've been making this banana bread for 12 years.
It's the best.

I've changed some things to make it my own.
No offense to Martha, but now it's even better than hers.
Other people like it too, so I'm not just saying that.

I often make it into muffins rather than as a loaf of bread.
Muffins cook a lot faster.
And when you have 3 hungry kids and a husband who's leaving for work, speed is important.
Yes, I could have just made toast, but we were out of bread.
And the night before, I thought, "I really don't want to go to the store right now.  I'll just make muffins for breakfast.  That's easier."
Is that insane?
Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to use my new baking corner.

Whatever the reason, here's the recipe.
It is, hands down, my favorite recipe for banana bread.
You should try it--it's almost the weekend and muffins are a wonderful way to start a Saturday morning.
I'm just sayin.


Love from,
Greta


The World's Best Banana Bread (adapted from the Martha Stewart Cookbook)


1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature (or softened in the microwave)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (omit if you used salted butter, which I always do)
1 cup mashed, very ripe banana
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350
Butter a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan or 12 standard muffin tins
With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs, beating well
Sift the dry ingredients together (I never do and it still tastes fabulous)
Combine dry ingredients with butter mixture
Blend well
Add the bananas, sour cream and vanilla
Stir well
Pour into prepared pans
Bake about 1 hour for loaf pan, about 20 minutes for muffins.


My changes
I use whole wheat flour instead of white.  It tastes way better.  Seriously.
I use unsweetened apple sauce instead of sour cream.
BUT, today I was out of applesauce and had to use plain, lowfat yogurt instead.
I liked it even better than the applesauce.  The muffins were not quite so sweet.
You decide.
I add a couple tablespoons of ground flax seed meal. No one notices.
I always make a double batch.


Now go bake.

At Long Last--Our (nearly) Done Vintage Kitchen

We're finally done!

Well, there are a few minor details that need to be finished, but the big things are done and I just can't stop looking at my kitchen.

Is it weird to love a sink?

And the counters?  Let's just say I am over the moon and back again (hint) happy with our choice.

Wanna see?

We started with this

Then came this

Then this

Then this--almost there!

And now, THIS!!!!

We went with the boomerang.

In turquoise.

Because in the end, you have to go with what you love.

And we do.

So, so much.

Jut look at that color.

I was worried it would be too much with the red floor.

But it isn't.

At least not for us.

Because we are the ones that live here, and so we had to listen to ourselves,

not anyone else.

This kitchen might not work in your house.

But is just right for us.

So many people give you advice about resale value and decorating your house

in such a way that it appeals to everyone.

I don't want to appeal to everyone.

I want to walk into my kitchen everyday and smile.

Because we made the choice that was us.

Don't be afraid to be yourself--even when it comes to choosing your counter tops.

I even got a little extra counter space over in the corner between the stove and fridge.

It's the perfect spot for my pink mixer.

And did you know, pink and turquoise look fabulous together?

And so do pink and red.

See what I mean--don't be afraid--just go with what you love.

It has been really, really fun to share this process here.  I can't believe how many people cared about our kitchen counter tops!  I appreciate all the interest and excitement.  
It made it that much more fun for us.


We still have some things to finish.  
We need to replace those awful fluorescent lights.  I try not to look up when I'm in the kitchen.
We need to find fabric to make valances for the windows.  I know it seems hard to believe, but the kitchen seems more white now and I think that a pop of color up at the top will help.
The hard part is going to be choosing the right fabric.
And we need to hang a few more things on the walls.
But those are all the details that are fun--except for the lights, but we have a plan for that.


I'd also like to post some better pictures.  
When I took these yesterday there was a storm coming in and so the sun was coming in and out of the clouds.  
I didn't want to make everyone wait any longer, so I am posting what I have.
I'll post more when we get things on the walls and curtains up.


Until then, thanks for all the love and encouragement.
I know it's not a traditional remodel, but there isn't much about our house that is traditional and that suits us just fine.  
We like it old school--even though we like it modern.
Vintage modern--that's the way we do things, from kitchens to travel.
Because we got enough boomerang to use in the trailer we dream of owning someday.


Now I'm going to go look at my new kitchen again.
And again and again.  I'm a little giddy with it all.
Love from,
Greta

His Biggest Canvas: Painting Our House

I know, I know, I promised kitchen pictures.

But there are a few minor details being taken care of--like one last coat of paint and switch plate covers--and I don't want to post pictures until they are taken care of.

So until then, I'll give you some of the other big project looming around here.

Still. (see here)

Choosing the colors to paint our house.

This was Aaron working at color combinations.

No matter how hard we try to move in different directions, we always seem to come back to the same color palette.  These are the colors that we love.

I think it is important to remember that.

He decided to start with sample cans of these colors.
Like I said, the same color palette we're always drawn to.

He painted spots of all the colors on the back of the house.  He tested out different combos of wall color, trim color, and door color.  The grey is primer.

The orange would be an accent color for  the diamonds he wants to add to the garage and the gable end of the front of the house.  (yes.  diamonds.  don't worry--aaron has an uncanny ability to make things you think will never work look really good.  believe me, i know from experience.)
We've tried 4 oranges so far and none of them are right.  It is hard to find a good orange.

Recalling this beautiful front door hiding behind those gates, Aaron decided to take action.  Might as well go for it and see if you like the results.
(this house is in a really cool mid century neighborhood near the golf course near our home.  yes, we drive around sometimes and take pictures of houses for inspiration.  love that painted, white wall, love those big, bold house numbers and love, love, love that front door)

He took down our hideous security screen, sanded and sanded and sanded the peeling, forest green front door and painted it this glorious shade of turquoise. 
We were pretty sure we wanted turquoise doors.
Now we are completely sure.
I am willing to figure out an entire color scheme for our house based on that color.
It absolutely sings to me.
And our neighbors think we are crazy.

Then Aaron began painting different color combos on the front of the house around the front door and our entry way.

The colors looked completely different than they did in the back.

It was maddening.

So he tried some entirely new color combos.

The light makes it hard to see, but here is one.

 He used a new green paired with the turquoise.  It is entirely reminiscent of my favorite house and for sure my favorite combination.

He also tried the turquoise with orange, but I like orange better as an accent.

The kids love all the construction and projects going on around here.  They want to be a part of everything.

Aaron was outside on Sat night painting swatches until dark.

He came in and said he felt like he was working on his biggest painting ever.

I love that man.

He's a crazy artist for sure.
Just as long as he keeps both his ears and eventually decides on something.
By eventually I mean this year.


Kitchen pics are on the way.
For reals.
Love from,
Greta

It's Going to Get Worse Before it Gets Better

There are many of you who have lived through weeks, even months of remodeling--I salute you.

When we first bought our house and it was truly unlivable for myself and 3 small kids, Aaron camped out on an air mattress, often with my dad, for 5 weeks, and worked until the wee hours every night.

After he put in a full days work art directing.

He lived amongst paint buckets and dirt, kitchen and bathroom that mostly didn't work and spent weekends working and missing his family so that we could move back home.

I meanwhile, lived in comfort at my parent's house, driving my mom crazy with our 3 kids.

I was spared the difficulties of living in a remodel.

The last month or so, I've had a glimpse and it is fair to say that, I am a remodel wimp.  

I don't know how anybody does it for long periods of time.

I am not good with disorder, disarray and chaos.

Don't worry--I kept it all in and didn't complain to my hubby who was working his tail off yet again--but on the inside I was having some minor nervous breakdowns.

We're closing in on the finish line now, counter tops went in yesterday and sink and dishwasher will be installed today.  It is so much fun to watch our plans and dreams become reality.  I'm a pretty happy girl.

But I couldn't show you the end product without showing you all the work it took for Aaron to get us here.

I give you :  It's Going to Get Worse Before it Gets Better

The first of many times we emptied the cabinets

Sparks fly!

Aaron using a dremel saw to cut out the metal cabinets
 in order to fit in our new dishwasher.

Now there's a gaping hole and 50+ years of dust under a that cabinet.  

How does that all get in there when it's completely closed off?

And underneath all that dust is the original linoleum--still in great shape.

Let's hear it for linoleum! 

It was a marbled pattern.  It looked a lot like a bowling ball.

Next up: getting rid of that old. grimy, tile back splash.

Bring on the sledge hammer.

 There was a lull in the progress as we waited for our counter tops and edging to be done.  

It took longer than originally planned (of course) but this weekend, 

Aaron was finally able to remove the sink and counter tops 

in preparation for the new ones to come in.

How do you remove a sink?

With a car jack, of course!

I do love a handy man.

 There were some creaks, cracks and scary sounds along the way,

but Aaron was pretty happy his idea worked.

The old metal ring came out first.

The the heavy sink.

When Aaron threw it into the grass in the backyard, 

the pipes sunk right into the ground and made a deep hole.

Next the counters came off.

Bye bye 70s faux wood.

We were left with this.

We moved stuff out of the kitchen again.

Aaron removed the last of the tile, re-plastered and sanded the walls.

We realized too late that laying down drop cloths 
during the sanding would have been a smart idea.

I'm not going to lie--I hated this part.

But on Monday morning, the kitchen was ready for the new counter tops.

 Aaron put in long weekend hours, and plenty of late nights to get us here.

I am really grateful to have a man that knows how to do so many different things

(I never would have thought to use a car jack)

and who is willing to work on this old fixer of a house.

 And let me tell you, even with out the sink in, our new counter tops look 

AMAZING!

Can't wait to show you all.

Check back tomorrow or Thursday for the big reveal/

And thanks sharing my excitement as we've gone through this process.  It has been really fun to read your comments.  I'm sorry to those who feel I have tortured them.  You only have to wait 3 more months for our next big surprise!

Love from,

Greta