–Jessica

Hey Birdhouse readers, I’m Ginger from Sequel-Sequel. I’m SO excited to be writing for/helping with Birdhouse’s new adventure, COOP.  So today I’m going to share on a topic that both Jessica and I have seeded in the depths of our bones: fashion. And I’m not talking as if I’m a total snob or that I know the rights and wrongs of everyday apparel, but I would say I’m a first impression observer.  If you dress the part and are confident in your choice, that always makes for a good combination in any practicing field.  I am also an interior designer, practicing on the other side of that world in commercial interiors.  So unfortunately, my first impressions for clients have to come from a very business attire point of view.  It’s a bit of a drag to always shop with an idea of “Okay, how could I wear that to work?” because street clothes are so much more fun to wear and buy.

Let’s face it, clothes are expensive.  As much as I would love to look like a walking Anthropologie or J.Crew ad day to day, reality hits my checkbook every single month and keeps me a window shopper more often than not.  However, with a little thought, a little budget, and a few staple pieces, achieving a personal style fit for you is WAY better than the generic ill fitting suit (which Jessica coined in an earlier post).  Take a look at how I can pull three different looks from one higher priced piece in my closet.  (All of which will keep me flying under the radar of the ever-so-dreaded “write up” in my company’s wardrobe rule book.)

LOOK 1:

Shirt: Banana Republic (regular price staple piece), Blazer: GAP (end of season sale rack), Skirt: Forever 21 (always affordable, just don’t dry it or maybe don’t wash it, Febreze should do the trick), Socks: Target (another affordable clothing/accessory option), Shoes: Franco Sarto (via Von Maur shoe sale. OH: and that interest-free credit card thing? It’s like layaway that I can take home with me that day).  I try to always challenge myself to add some punch of color if my outfit has a lot of blacks or neutrals.

LOOK 2:

Shirt: staple piece, Vest: Express (end of season sale rack), Skirt: thrifted, Belt: thrifted, Shoes: Nine West (end of season shoe sale at Dillard’s).  I can’t stop laughing at how ridiculous I look in that second photo. I mean, senior picture moment!  But I had to include it so you could laugh at my obviously amateur modeling abilities.

LOOK 3:

Shirt: staple piece, Pants: GAP, Belt: thrifted, Shoes: LuLu*s, Necklace: The Oxford Trunk (Gifted by my little boy for Mother’s Day.  Like, melt my face off when I opened that gift up). This look is one of my favorites.  The necklace comes from an online boutique (which I discovered via Instagram) that sells jewelry for a very affordable price.  This will not be my only piece, fyi.

I started my interior design company, Birdhouse, with the notion of accessibility. Month after month I would get my lifestyle, shelter and fashion magazines and, while flipping through the glossy pages, I was often left with the sinking and almost crippling feelings of envy and self-doubt.

Why couldn’t I have that couch? I must be such a failure since I can’t afford that gorgeous pair of shoes. How can I compare to all the amazing designers out there decorating with $100,000 budgets? All of these thoughts ran through my mind, picking away at my self-worth, salting the wounds of my insecurities.

Birdhouse was supposed to break that cycle and it has in many ways.  But living and designing in a very Midwestern (i.e., hard-working and budget-friendly) city has highlighted that I am far from the only one feeling overwhelmed by fashion, art and design. I’ve noticed that most people have chosen to handle this scary situation by avoiding it entirely and, like we often do when feeling vulnerable, getting very defensive.

Finally, it dawned on me that when people are feeling shaky about the way they present themselves to the world, they can lash out. I’ve been known to throw a magazine across the room after reading a particularly flashy interior design article filled with unattainable items, so I get the frustration. I also understand that many interior designers and “lifestyle experts” are pretty snobby and the design world can feel a bit like high school. Unfortunately, I then realized that people thought that I was that snobby girl because of my profession.

But here’s the thing: it’s not about having the best things or being the perfect representation of glamourous people. It’s about loving where you live and loving the people who surround you. At the end of the day, people love to come to a house that they feel comfortable hanging out in. It’s an added perk if they think it is pretty. Think about the hotels you choose to stay in. You pick the really stylish and welcoming ones, right?  When you complement that with great food and delicious drinks, you are guaranteed to have friends lining up at your door.

This is why Christopher – who brings cooking and gardening to the table – and I wanted to start COOP. To show you how you can live well on any budget. We want to share the high end version of life and show you how to tweak it to fit in your comfort zone. Splurge here, save there. Keep it classic, but don’t be afraid to cheat a little. It’s sort of like the Cliffs Notes version.

We don’t take ourselves too seriously. There are no real experts on lifestyle. Only people who are excited to share some ideas that have helped them have good experiences. That’s our goal. Create good experiences that add to your catalog of great memories.

COOP is set to launch June 12, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Starting tomorrow (on Birdhouse) we are going to show little sneak peeks on what COOP will really be about. The most exciting part about all of this is that Christopher and I won’t be the only ones sharing our passions and knowledge. We’ll have a great group of contributors discussing a bevy of related topics. You can also sign up for updates teasing our progress and sharing more about the type of articles you can expect.

 Simply Lemonade, Blueberry Vodka, Blueberries. Boom.

We had leftover lemonade from a presentation we had earlier in the day down at our studio. I poured a bottle of Stoli Blueberry and a pint of fresh blueberries and it was delicious. It looked like I went all out, but in reality it took me less than a minute.

Apples, Crackers, Pretzels, Prosciutto, Gouda, Blue Shropshire.

It’s all about the presentation. You don’t have to have everything homemade – though it works well to add some freshly made items into the rest of the mix – if you present it in a pleasing way. Don’t just throw the bags of crackers and pretzels on the table. Take 10 extra seconds and put them in cute bowls. Create a super easy meat and cheese board. It all adds up to a charming display that can take hardly any time.

We found this really cool art print from COZAMIA, an online source that features original digital prints by artist Nancy Ramirez.

Nancy describes her theory behind forming the abstract combinations.

“I love to explore the relationship between abstract, hand painted patterns and the more rigid conforms of digital art, the combination of these two things allow me to create strong and modern yet beautiful art full of life and energy.”

When I brought it up to Jessica as an idea, she just kept shouting “LEMON” until I gave in, so the flavor was settled.

I can’t imagine how difficult this would be without a machine; for me, it was as easy as making the mix, chilling it overnight, and running the machine the next morning. Pretty much that easy.

It’s a simple recipe; perhaps a little too tart for my taste, but I’m really looking forward to this summer when we can try other flavors, hopefully raspberry and blueberry if our plants decide to bear any fruit.

Recipe is from Martha Stewart.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 6 lemons)

If you’re going to make it immediately, get an ice bath ready, otherwise you can chill the mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the juice. Chill in the ice bath or overnight in the fridge. Mix in the ice cream maker according to its directions, freeze and serve.

That’s right, lids. Not quite e.coli, but pretty annoying nonetheless. How many of you are missing the proper lids to your pots and pans? I know we don’t have half as many as we should in our kitchen.

In my culinary class, a solution to this was presented a few weeks ago. The theory lab/kitchen doesn’t have lids for most of the smaller cookware, such as sauté pans and saucepans to save space. But you still need to cover certain things when you’re cooking them, right? The answer to this is the cartouche.

Being a French term that literally means cartridge (which doesn’t make any sense here), or loosely translated as scroll or packet, this is a simple way to cover a pan with some paper to substitute for a missing lid. So let’s see how to make one.

Start with parchment paper anywhere from 18-24 inches. You don’t have to be exact here – the sheets in the theory kitchen are pre-cut, so that helps. This is really the only type of paper that will work for this, as its nonstick capabilities are built-in. It’s also something everyone should have in their kitchen – it makes baking cleanup extremely easy. You can either use a knife or scissors to cut it. I used a knife just because it’s what I’m used to.

Fold it in half lengthwise.

Fold it in half lengthwise one more time.

Make sure the folded edge of your last fold is at the bottom, and fold over from the upper-left corner down to the last folded edge. I swear this is not going to be a paper airplane.

Fold the top 45-degree side down flush with the bottom edge.

Take your knife or scissors and cut off the point made by the folds. You want the amount you cut off to be miniscule, as this cut will form the center hole where steam will escape – however, anything under this hole while cooking won’t cook properly, so again, make sure it’s a very small amount that you cut off.

Hold the paper over the pan or skillet you will use. Line up the end at about the center and mark where the outside edge of the pan is. You’ll want to cut a little bit to the outside of that, as the cartouche will sit directly on the food or liquid that you’re cooking and up the sides of the pan. On another note, that skillet is clean, I assure you. Reason #4958 of why I hate stainless steel cookware, but that’s a forty-page rant for another day.

Make the second cut where you marked it (you may just want to eyeball it – whatever you use to mark the paper will come in contact with your food, so that’s your call).

Unfold, and there you have it. One perfect cartouche.

Obviously, you can’t reuse these like you can a lid, but for those of us that have lost them, or never got them to begin with, this is a quick and simple solution. If you don’t get it right the first time, just try again. I ended up with several half-circles before I got it right.

If you still can’t work it out, ask away in the comments and I’ll try to help you through it. Good luck!

One such result was transforming our worn and ragged (and sort of boring) deck into a nice extension of our dining room.

Check out this old guy. He’d seen several winters and spring rains and was looking worse for the wear.

After sweeping away mountains of annoying helicopters, scrubbing it down, putting one coat of gray stain – in a solid finish so it almost looks like paint, filling cracks with wood putty, and staining an additional coat, the deck looks like this.

So, your options are Fast and Cheap, Fast and Good, or Good and Cheap. If you are looking for Fast, Cheap and Good, it’s not going to happen.

This rule completely applies to interior design. Sure, you can bang out a project incredibly fast, but if you want it to look really good, it’s not going to be cheap. Contractors, shipping companies, and vendors will move faster than average, but you better start adding additional zeros to those checks. You have to pay for special treatment. On the other hand, you can thrift and search for the best deals and the end result can still be amazing. I’m sure you noticed, though, that you don’t get that option super fast. The final choice is to breeze through decorating a room and spend hardly a penny, then probably hate everything and end up with a lot of buyer’s remorse because you didn’t take the time to do your research.

My suggestion is to get out of those extreme points and head more toward the middle. You can do things a little slower, spend a little bit of money, and end up with something fantastic in the end.

Here are some tips, touching on all three triangle points:

• Give yourself a budget so you don’t spend without a limit in mind, but don’t be an absolute freak about it. If you find something that you love, love, love and it’s fairly expensive, go ahead and splurge. Just know that your indulgent piece probably pushed your timeline back on finishing your design project. Then wait before going ahead and give yourself some time to recoup that overage in the budget. Once you can get back on track, move forward with more purchases.
• On the flip side, you should give yourself a timeline. Again, don’t be super rigid about it. It helps to have an idea of an end goal, but if you need to take more time to get it right, then do it!
• Don’t pay exorbitant prices on items that don’t have to be the highest quality. This will help you avoid endlessly decorating one room, always waiting for that perfect piece. It also helps you not spend a fortune on everything, while never paying attention to a budget. Good places to save are on smaller accessories like throw pillows, trays, small accent furniture and interesting knick-knacks. There are endless sources for all of these at retailers like Target, HomeGoods, and Marshall’s and also at garage sales, thrift stores, and antique malls.

Now, get decorating!

Since our old house has been treating us pretty well lately, we decided to slowly invest in the aesthetics a bit more. We’ve mentioned that we have a photo shoot coming up and there’s no better kick in the ass than a magazine scheduling a shoot of your digs. It seemed like good timing to actually pull the trigger, so we finally got it painted!

This it what our house looked like last summer. We had just started to work on the landscaping (hence, Christopher strutting his stuff in the photo) and notice all of the white trim with a white front door.

This what it looks like now! Trim painted black (by our contractor Gus), mulch around the tree with a bench (we did that), some hosta are now around the front porch (help from Christopher’s parents), nasty shrub was hacked out of the front yard (Christopher and his dad), and now the front door is bright red (me). I’m pretty excited about these developments. We still have to either replace our garage door or paint it the same black as the trim, put all the storm windows back up, and stencil our house number to the front stoop.

There is always something, right? But, that’s part of the fun.

In one of my culinary lectures a few weeks ago, the chef was discussing spices and herbs, and specifically their shelf life. Which, as he pointed out, most people don’t really think about. I know I never did. He told us that most spices really only are fresh enough for use for about one year from purchase.

We have a ridiculous amount of spice bottles; so many that our “spice drawer” had been filled long ago and had spilled over to a cupboard above the stove (which now that I think about it, is a terrible place to store anything that can be affected by other odors).

So, after hearing that, we decided to go through our bottles and weed out that which had expired, and in the process, reorganize and reprioritize with a much more aesthetically pleasing spice collection.

To our horror, we found several expired bottles, with some even dating back as far as 2005.

Ugh.

Here’s what didn’t pass inspection:

To be fair, we still use plenty of thyme, cilantro and basil; we’ve just moved towards using them fresh instead. There’s really no comparison between fresh and dried. Sure, it’s much more expensive to purchase fresh, but a packet of seeds of any herb you enjoy will cost you a quarter of the price of a small packet of fresh, and last you forever. Do this. Do it now, you can thank me later. Several are extremely hardy, and for those that aren’t, well, that’s why we have heat in our homes, right? We currently have chives (which survived a winter outside), basil and rosemary all growing inside, until we send them out after the last frost.

Anyway. This is what passed the test:

Definitely not much. Plenty of these will probably expire before we can use them all anyway. I’d say we’ll never make it through all that rosemary, especially with a plant growing so well. But, the more that I cook at home, which is becoming quite often, I’m sure I’ll be going through all this at a much faster rate.

Our next step is to organize our existing collection into uniform (and attractive) containers to make storage, organization, and access easier. While at IKEA in Minneapolis a couple weeks ago, we saw these “DROPPAR” bottles in a drawer in one of their showroom kitchens.

Very cool. But after two trips through the store on two separate days with no luck finding them, we figured out that they were one of the products that were pulled as a result of a renovation. Of course this was happening during one of the one or two trips we make there a year. Oh well.

Here’s an alternative from Williams-Sonoma. Nice with the shaker top, and they come with labels for each jar as well.

And finally, a magnetic tin from Bed Bath & Beyond. Very helpful if space is limited, which is the case for just about all of us.

We haven’t quite narrowed down which solution we’re using. Just use whatever is the most efficient for you, and makes the most sense for the space you have in your kitchen. And change those spices every year, please? Don’t be like me.