I hadn’t completely emptied my camera when I wrote my last post about our new office. If I had, I certainly would have included this picture of our now almost grown-up (she’s a teenager, really) Bella. She likes the rug almost as much as Guinness, except that she enjoys eating tufts of the wool, which I don’t appreciate as much. But if she has a toy to chew on, we’re both content. She’s our beautiful little “coyote.”
What do you do when you have a room in your house that you hate? A space that you avoid, shut the door and pretend doesn’t exist? Instead of letting it (the ugly space) rule you, you embrace it, find its strengths, and make it into somewhere you love.
This is what we’ve been doing the past six months. Our downstairs bedroom, the eyesore of our house, had hideous dark brown shelves, a ripped up carpet, poor lighting and a tiny closet. Functional, yes, but nothing to write home about. So we stepped back and envisioned the possibility of what could be. We knew we wanted to make it an office, recycle as many components as possible, keep the cost low, and end up with a space where I would enjoy working, reading and even watching the occasional DVD on our iMac.
Finally, months later, we’ve claimed success. The once brown shelves that dominated the room are now bright, sage and white bookcases, the old carpet has been replaced by Maple laminate, the closet has built-in shelving perfect for holding file boxes, and we’ve made a little reading nook with a day bed and yummy chocolate brown rug under foot (Guinness really likes the rug, as illustrated in this picture).
So far I’ve spent every morning drinking my coffee and catching up on the news in my new favorite room. I can even invite you to come and stay on our day bed (it unfolds into a double).
If you’re interested in what we did, here are the components we used:
Lubi Day Bed, in Khaki, CB2
Wool Rug, in Brown, Cost Plus World Market
Two cafe-style pendant lights, Home Depot
Gorm Shelving, Ikea
Throw pillows, Best of Everything (local)
Pittsburg Zero VOC Paint, Kings Paint and Paper (local)
Harmonics laminate, Costco
What’s left? Hanging some artwork, reorganizing the bookcases a bit and a few other odds and ends. But now when a guest arrives instead of shooing them away, I can say “Have you seen my favorite room yet?”
One of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2007 was to eat more “whole” foods, in other words things that didn’t come from a package. My ability to fulfill this wish was significantly improved by our weekly CSA box from Two Small Farms, but now that we’re in the throws of Winter the boxes have stopped and my cooking creativity suddenly stunted. One reliable place for inspiration is Real Simple Magazine (I teased about it in my last post saying my life is to hectic read Real Simple) who regularly print simple delicious recipes. No Martha Stewart recipes here, just quick 5 ingredient meals anyone can make.
This month I found this one and was utterly delighted. The ingredients might not sound that inspiring, but give it a try and you won’t be disappointed. In terms of ingredients, we used Bertoli Cappelini, Trader Joe’s jar of chopped garlic (for the ultimately lazy), Better then Bouillon for the chicken broth, whole red pepper flakes (not crushed), curly parsley (they were out of flat) and Asiago instead parmesan cheese. My hubby said maybe we should use a little less parsley next time, but honestly I thought the quantities were spot-on. One change I will make next time is to add a spinach side salad. With the smaller pasta and no meat you aren’t too full after your serving, so bulking it up with some green leafys would be a good idea. Enjoy and tell me what you think.
Super Delicious Chickpea Almond Pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
7 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
1 pound angel hair pasta
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, red pepper, and 3/4 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until the broth is nearly absorbed and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and parsley.
Divide among individual bowls and top with the almonds and Parmesan.
As we walk into 2008, it’s that time of year when we plan to eat less, exercise more, and make all sorts of promises that are forgotten by January 3. I actually like resolutions and take them seriously, but with more than enough on my plate of life, I thought that they could use a new twist this year. So instead, here’s my list of what I won’t be doing in 2008. Tell me what you think.
1. I will not sign up for any more committees. I’m on enough for the Film Festival, so perhaps I can inspire others to be on more.
2. I will not get another pet. I love mine dearly and they fill my heart and home to the brim.
3. I will not do more than one house project at a time. No ripped up floors and paint-taped walls simultaneously.
4. I will not sign up for any more magazine subscriptions. How can my life be “Real Simple” when they’re coming out my ears?
5. I will not berate myself for not having time to read or write.
6. I will not forget my friends.
7. I will not obsess about the dirt/dust in my house so I am free to use my mind for dreaming!
8. I will not say “Yes” to good things, so that I can say “Yes” to great things.
What goes on your list?