Don't Worry!!

Howdy friends! Don’t worry – I’m not dead. Just taking care of some personal things for the next couple of days. I’ll be back Monday with something fab. Have a great weekend!

Pretty Much Famous

Eeeeeeee! I took a look at Casa Sugar, one of my favorite home/garden/décor blogs this morning and look whose house they’re featuring!!! This is, to me, like winning the lottery, being given a box of puppies and scientists discovering that chocolate doesn’t have any calories, all wrapped into one. Thanks, Casa!

Journal, Journal In My Purse...

I’m a journal gal. Not the, “Dear Diary – Today at school I dropped my pencil in Science class and John picked it up for me!!!!” kind of journal gal, but I always always always have a journal with me for lists, notes, blog post ideas or whatever. I cut out things in magazines I like and stick them in there, I fill them with Post-Its and generally run my life out of them. I’ve tried to use all kinds of apps on my iPhone, but I keep coming back to the journal. It’s nice to look back and some journals from a few years ago and see what I was doing. Here’s a sample of some of my most recent journals – they give a nice glimpse into the insanity that rolls around in my head 99% of the time:

I love filling up a journal, putting it away and going to find a new one. Sometimes I’m in a hurry and just grab a small notebook at the grocery store, but other times I take a little time to find something I really like. I want it to be pretty, and I want it to have paper that’s nice. Sometimes I go lined, sometimes unlined. Here are a few ideas of pretty and functional journals that fit nicely into your purse:

Lewis and Clark probably took notes about the American west in journals similar to this one. I'm sure it's got that great leather smell. $34.95 from Amazon.

This Prospero journal from Anthropologie is almost too pretty to make notes like, "Wash the dog" and "Pick up Dry Cleaning." It's leather, has a beautiful bird motif and is only $18!

Moleskine is the gold standard of journals - they're durable and come in a variety of sizes and styles, including journals for gardeners, wine enthusiasts and travelers.

These journals from Overstock have covers that are made from recycled magazine pages. And you get two for $20.99!

These small French journals from Urban Outfitters are sort of whimsical and cool, and only $9.99 for a set of three. You'll fill them up quickly, but that's OK - because then you get to buy another one!

"Keep Calm and Carry On" has been everywhere for the past couple of years. This journal from Barnes & Noble ($8.99) (terrible picture, by the way) seems like the best place to have this WWII Churchill saying.

Also from Barnes & Noble (RIP, soon) is the "Medicated and Motivated" journal ($10.95) from Anne Taintor. 'Nuf said.

There are literally THOUSANDS of cute, pretty, sappy, enlightened journals out there, just ready for your deepest thoughts or most important to-dos. Do you journal? Tell me in the comments!

DIY: Trendy Necklace Without The Price Tag

I was browsing around the ol' Interwebs the other day and spotted this necklace from Amy DeGregorio. It's got great colors and looks like it will go perfectly with lots of my summer dresses.

But oy - $178? For a necklace? That's just made of BEADS? OK, so the beads are semi-precious, but who would know? I'm making this, and I'm making it on the cheap. Let's get our supplies:

You'll Need
Hemp string (it's really strong)
Beads
Scissors

The shape of the beads in this necklace really make it, and I had a hard time finding them. But I think what really made me want to make it was the mixture of red and blue and multi-colored beads, so I just found what I thougth might work.

Tie a knot in the end of your string, leaving a little slack. Start adding your beads. They don't have to be in any particular order. In fact, I think they look better when they're asymmetrical.

Once you get a pattern you like, tie a knot in the other end. Make sure there's enough slack that the necklace doesn't get stiff.

Then tie a square knot to hold it all together.

Ta-da! You've got a similar necklace that cost a fraction of the price.

The point is, check out things you like that are way overpriced, and figure out what it is you like about them. Since I liked the color combination in this necklace, I had a fairly easy time finding similar beads and making something I'm just as happy with. And, it's one of a kind!

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner (with sauce)

Congratulations to Amanda, winner of the silicone slip-on pour spout from The Kitchen Outlet! Amanda is a photographer who just had a little bundle of joy, so hopefully the pourer will help with late-night milk pouring. Amanda, send me your address and I'll get your spout to you!

I used random.org's random number generator to find the winner:

Thanks everyone for entering! And thanks for passing on my blog. Keep it up, and let me know what you'd like to read about!

Color Combo to Try: Olive and Pink

The giveaway winner will be announced shortly! Try to contain your excitement...

I’m guilty of getting in a wardrobe rut, where I wear the same things day in and day out. So I need to break out of my comfort zone and try something new. I tend to wear lots of black, white and red (like a newspaper! Ba-doom-boom), so it’s time for a new color combo. How about olive green and pink? Sounds weird, huh? But look how good they look together!

1. Tall Mia tiered ruffle tank, $29.50 Banana Republic
2. Tinley Road Cascade Front Top, $23.99, Piperlime
3. Paul Frank Casual Pants, $69, Yoox
4. Self Esteem Fleece Suede Flat, $9.94, DSW

I think the trick is to have a really rich pink without being neon. The olive serves as your more-interesting neutral.

1. Darby Shirt Dress, $39.99, Alloy
2. Fossil Pop Stitch Clutch, $42, Zappos.com
3. Gabriella Rocha Quirina, $36, Zappos.com

1. Chiffon One Shoulder Top, $39.90, Express
2. Two Lips Trust Fund Green Pump, $29.95, DSW
3. Fossil Hanover Flap Checkbook Clutch, $45, eBags

Thoughts? Is this a color combo you'd try? Tell me in the comments!

House Tour: Master Bedroom

Have you entered the giveaway yet? It ends tomorrow!

Room No. 2 in the Casa de Doss is, as they say on MTV Cribs, “Where the magic happens.” And by “magic,” I mean the viewing of Andy Griffith on DVD, ample magazine reading and chasing the dog with the laser pointer. You know, magic.

We lucked out, because the space we didn’t have in the living room apparently showed up in the master bedroom. Take a look:

I’m a firm believer in all-white bedding in a master bedroom, because you’re inevitably going to get tired of whatever pattern you choose for your bedspread. With white, you can change up the look with new throw pillows, or a blanket at the foot of the bed. I’ve even used a tablecloth instead of a blanket before just to give myself some pattern. So, a fluffy all-white down comforter is a nice blank canvas. We searched everywhere for a pretty upholstered headboard that didn’t cost a fortune, and finally found this one at Hayneedle.com. I thought about making one, which I did in my last house, but frankly ran out of inclination to do so. I love the curve and nailhead trim on this one. It was a MONSTER to put together (Thanks, Trusty Husband!), but was totally worth it. Also, no need for a dust ruffle, which is always a plus. The bench at the foot of the bed was a TJ Maxx find for $80. It’s covered in one of my favorite Waverly patterns, and provides (a little) storage.


I wanted to have pattern and texture in this room, but not so much that it made my synapses fire every time I walked in. It needed to be calming. You probably recognize the cornice boards from a previous post – I think the pattern in them mixes well with the throw pillows, the bedside tables and the mirror on another wall (that you can’t see in this picture). Since the windows were so close to the corners, we couldn’t do curtains in here. But the cornice boards make them look finished.

A lot of people thought I was crazy when I told them that the main colors in this bedroom were going to be red, brown and light teal, but the bedside tables ended up really working with the red and brown. The lamps were a Target find a few years ago, and they’re one of my favorite things in the house. I like how they don’t block the light from the windows.

Above the bed, we’ve got sepia-toned photographs from different trips. I found these museum-style frames at Walmart for only $5 each. I really wanted to do another row of them, but it just wouldn’t fit.

This wall was hard, because it’s pretty expansive. We didn’t want to put a dresser there, because Trusty Husband has a habit of bumping into things in the middle of the night. We decided that a narrow console table and a pretty mirror would work best. The mirror is Allen + Roth from Lowe’s, and the table is a HomeGoods find. And don’t the hydrangea look real? They’re not. Hobby Lobby has really great looking silk flowers, and I like the white ceramic giraffe vase from World Market.

The dresser and chest were in my Birmingham house. They are a little more “matchy-matchy” than I like, but hey – your underpants have to go somewhere, right? They had a weird finish on the pulls, so I took them off and painted them a brushed nickle finish. Of course, the TV is front and center, but it irks me when designers leave TVs out of a room completely – it’s 2011, and people watch TV. The lamp is, of course, a HomeGoods find. Seriously - they have the best lamp department ever.

On the chest, I've got some pretty white ginger jars that go with the quirky artichoke lamp. I like to stack coffee table books for some height, and the poster is Louis Armstrong, who sings the song Trusty Husband and I danced to at our wedding reception.

That's the master bedroom. It's not as "decorated" as the living room, because I feel like the master bedroom needs to have fewer things to look at, so you can, you know, sleep. Next on the house tour - the master closet, with lots of organizing tips!

DIY: Garden Stakes

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! Tell some friends about katyharper.com and leave a comment!

I don’t quite have my garden planted yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get some plant markers ready for when I do. I realize that this is akin to buying the prom shoes before either the dress or date has been procured, but sometimes a girl’s just gotta go out of order. Sure, you can buy plant markers. Some are cute and some are purely utilitarian, but why buy them for several dollars each when you can MAKE them for pennies? The options for styles, colors and materials are virtually endless, so you can totally customize them. For this DIY, I’m making tall, colorful stakes.

You’ll need:
Paint stir sticks. I went to the paint counter at Lowe’s and asked for some, and the very friendly lady gave me a heaping handful. Free is GOOD.
Paint.
A Paint pen.
Optional: a small saw
Optional: polyurethane

Step 1: Make a list of the plants you have (or will have) in your garden or containers. If you want your markers to look smart, jot down the scientific name, so that when people ask you what you’re growing, you can be all, “Oh that? That’s just Lycopersicom esculantum.” Then you’ll show them a tomato and they’ll be forever impressed. Or, you can add your own touch, like “Squash – Susie’s favorite” or “Jalapenos – We’re Gonna Make You Sweat.”

Yes I realize "tomatoes" has an e in it. Now.

Step 2: Paint stirrers are good for raised bed gardens because they’re long and strong (“and ‘bout to get tha friction on!*”) so they won’t fall over with a gust of wind or a heavy rain. But if you’re planting in smaller pots, they may be too big. In this case, you can use a small saw to cut them down. If you don’t have a saw, you can always break them – just be careful of flying pieces! You can also use tongue depressors.

If paint stirers were cash, I'd be ballin'.

Step 3: Pick your paint colors and slap some paint on those stirrers. Do a couple coats and let each dry completely.

Step 4: Using your paint pen, use your best handwriting to write the names of your plants on their stakes. “Why aren’t we painting the names on, Katy?” you ask? Because painting letters is hard, and we haven’t got all day. But if you’re so inclined, go for it.

Step 5: If you want to add a coat of polyurethane to your markers, now’s the time. I’m not going to though, because I want mine to weather a little bit. But the poly will make these shiny and fancier-looking.

Step 5: Place your markers in the dirt, and marvel at your achievement. If you haven’t planted anything yet, now would be a good time to do so. Or if you’re not a gardener at all but know someone who is, these make a great gift!

Happy gardening!

*I’d like to now apologize for the Sir Mix-a-Lot reference. But hey – when it’s perfect, it’s perfect.

Weekend Project: Your Outdoor Room

It looks like it may be a pretty weekend in most areas of the country, so why not get your porch, balcony or patio looking good? It’s time for potted flowers and herbs, a little all-weather décor and maybe a comfy seat or two. Here’s your to-do list for the weekend so you can enjoy your space once Sunday rolls around:

1. Clean it up! After a long winter, all kinds of gunk finds a home in your outside space. Give it a good sweep (push brooms are great for this and can be found at home improvement stores for as low as $15) and maybe even a power wash. If you’ve got concrete, I highly recommend painting it with concrete paint. I did this on my porch in Birmingham, and the results were great. Plus, it only took about an hour.

2. Get some seating or get your seating in shape. If you have metal seating that’s looking a little rusty, pull out your trusty can of spray paint and get to work. I really like the look of Rustoleum’s Hammered Strength spray paint – it gives metal outdoor furniture a little texture. Or, if you’re so inclined, go with a fun color – red or yellow outdoor furniture is sure to brighten your day when you’re enjoying your after work cocktail hour al fresco.

If your existing furniture is wood, especially if it’s teak, rub on some oil and let it set it. This will protect it during the harsh summer sun. You don’t have to be too precise with this, but rub on a good coat and let it dry overnight.

If you’re sans furniture, perhaps think about hitting some local yard sales or look on Craigslist for something that will fit your space. If you have a little more to spend, there are some great, affordable options out there, such as:

*NOT my backyard. Source.

I bought this teak set at World Market last year, and I really love it. It was $500 for two chairs, a bench, a coffee table and a side table.

3. Get planting! An outdoor space without potted plants is like a picnic without hot dogs. A unicorn without a horn. A football game without violent screaming at the TV. It just doesn’t make sense. I like a mix of different sized pots in a variety of colors. Just check out your local nursery or home improvement store and find something you like. Check out the tag to make sure you’ve got the right amount of sun for that plant, fill your pot with a little dirt, insert plant, fill with more dirt, and you’re done. Don’t forget to water them regularly! The only thing sadder than no plants outside is dead plants outside.

*Again, not my backyard. Source.

Source

4. Find a few accessories. Even though your plants are your main accessories, a few additional touches here and there really make it feel like an outside room. Some comfy throw pillows in a mixture of patterns make your furniture welcoming. A pretty thermometer lets you know when it’s just too damn hot to go outside. Some iron pieces will resist the weather and add an artsy feel. If you’re feeling industrious, add a fountain! You want to accessorize the space like you would any room in your house, except everything should be weatherproof (duh).

Firepit? Cool! Source.

So. Many. Outdoor. Pillows. Source.

Pretty ceramic lanterns. Source.

 Check out places like TJ Maxx, Ross and HomeGoods for great outdoor accessories that won't break the bank.

You're done! People often neglect their outdoor spaces, but they're just as important as the indoor spaces we all spend so much time on.

And just for fun, here are a few patio images from Houzz that are all drool-worthy:

And that’s that! Trusty Husband and I will be working on our front and back porches this weekend, so I'll report back on Monday. See what you can do, and send me a photo or two of the results! Have a great weekend everybody!

Book Review: My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster

First things first: have you shared me and registered for the giveaway?

I haven't read a book in a WHILE. Between moving and the new job and buying a house and unpacking and, oh yeah, getting married, there just wasn't time to look at words on a page. But now that things are a little more settled, I've started reading again. My first book to get back in the saddle? Jen Lancaster's My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover If Not Being A Dumb Ass Is the New Black, or, a Culture-Up Manifesto (I love it when a book's title is longer than its Amazon URL). 

Are you new to my blog? If so, you might not know that I adore Jen Lancaster (read my review of Pretty in Plaid here). But I do. Jen's (I call her Jen, because in my alternate universe, we're buds) memoirs are laugh-out-loud funny, and not in the Publishers' Weekly "laugh-out-loud funny" way, but in the "no seriously, I laugh out loud enough to irritate Trusty Husband when he's trying to sleep" way.

In My Fair Lazy, Jen realizes that she's become a little too addicted to reality television when she embarrasses herself in front of her idol, Candace Bushnell. She decides it's time to move from Flavor of Love and The Bachelor to operas, theater, wine tastings and stinky cheese. I got to hear Jen read an excerpt from the book during her book tour, and her account of spending nearly $400 on tea had 100 20- and 30-somethings in the Birmingham Summit Barnes and Noble rolling.

I've posted this picture before, but I love it and I'm posting it again because it's awesome and other than Bo Jackson, Walter Matthau and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jen is the most famous person I've ever met.

Bottom line: My Fair Lazy is hilarious in the traditional Jen Lancaster fashion, but also leaves you wanting to turn off American Idol and Rock of Love and try something new. Pick it up as a spring read!

New Favorite Thing + Giveaway!

I was browsing through my Real Simple the other day, and saw this funny looking slip-on pour spout from The Kitchen Outlet ($5). I thought it seemed pretty neat, so a couple days later I got to try one out for myself. If you're messy when it comes to pouring scary hot liquid from a pot, the spout is supposed to make it easier.

And y'all? This thing is awesome. It fits on everything! Case in point:

Sauce pans

Big pots

Really big pots

Glass bowls

Small salad bowls

Because it's made of silicone, it conforms to whatever kind of pot, pan or bowl you can throw at it. It eliminates that irritating drip down that happens when you're too scared to pour hot alfredo sauce quickly, like you're supposed to. And guess what? I ordered another one for one lucky reader!

It's no secret that I'm trying to get my little blog here out there to the masses (can we get to 100 followers?), so simply pass it on through Facebook, Twitter, email, your own blog, snail mail letter or carrier pigeon, and leave me a comment letting me know you did so. We're on the honor system here, so if you say you did, I'll believe you. I'll select one commenter using random.org next Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 a.m., and you'll be the proud owner of your very own fancy silicone pourer. Share me more than once or on multiple venues and enter yourself twice!

So, sure you can just go buy one, but why not try to win one first? Happy sharing!