Style & Skill Crush: After Dinner Design

When Christina of After Dinner Design emailed me to introduce herself and her blog a few months ago, I could hardly believe what I was reading. She and her husband are DIY renovating their Williamsburg apartment a little each night after they finished their respective full time job workdays . Thus, after dinner! I don't know about you but the only energy I can muster after working a full day is the kind that lifts the remote!

As if that weren't impressive enough, they had already accomplished the most adorable cottage makeover in their free time before they started working on their Brooklyn apartment.

As you can tell, I'm quite wow'd by their energy and dedication. As if that weren't enough, I spotted their bathroom and just had to share.

Isn't this gorgeous?



What a perfect way to take a simple white bathroom and elevate it to a whole other level without spending much money or hiring a professional. Just a few (ok, more than a few but still!) well placed mirrors make this something special.

Thanks so much to Christina for sharing. I can't wait to see what this couple can accomplish while most of us are watching trashy tv!

Over yonder.

I'm over at A Diary of Lovely, hi, sugarplum and Samatha Muse participating in their guest series. Swing by and say hi.

G'day Melbourne.

So after months of waiting and anticipation, off we went to the other side of the world. We don't normally plan trips this far ahead of time but the hubs managed to score first class tickets using our frequent flyer miles so we had to set it all up way in advance. And yes, it was awesome.



Just about 24 hours later, we arrived bleary eyed and confused about what day it was in Melbourne. In an effort to stay awake that first night (to fight the jet lag) we booked an afternoon/evening tour to see some of the wildlife just outside of the city. First stop was a farm where we got a chance to feed kangaroos and wombats. I wasn't sure what to expect but both are adorable and we had a great time.



Just as the rain started we stopped at a Koala sanctuary. Did you know Koalas don't like the rain? Well they don't. So they weren't hamming it up for us but they were still adorable.

See, look how miserable he looks.

Next was the top billing of the tour, seeing the little penguins storm the beach on their way home from fishing each evening. Its quite cute but I'm not sure if was the fact that I weren't allowed to take photographs (downgrade!) or it was drizzling or I was just too tired to appreciate it but it was a bit of a let down. The penguins are adorable for sure but it was just too much of a commercial circus for me. We did manage to stay awake until a decent hour so score on that. Back to the city we went.



The following day we took the train to Camberwell for their Sunday flea market followed by a tram ride to St. Kilda for the afternoon. A great day to soak up some of the atmosphere of the area and browse. There were quite a few things I wouldn't have minded taking home with me but it was about now that I came to the realization that Melbourne (and I would later realize everywhere else we visited) was really expensive! Chalk that up to the weakness of the American dollar but I wasn't quite prepared for it. And I'm not talking about just at tourist spots or high end places - the prices on just about everything from 711 to subway fare surprised me.



Our final full day in Melbourne was reserved for the lanes and the Queen Victoria Market but I somehow missed the fact that it was closed on Monday. Chalk that one up to reading the travel guide incorrectly but my fault. So off we went exploring the lanes. I had originally thought that was one place but in reality its tons of tiny little alleyways hidden all over the central city. Fun to explore and window shop. And even though we seemed to cross all over the city, Im sure we missed loads. I guess that is the nature of Melbourne.




Melbourne was wonderful as was the entire trip to Australia. I can see why Australians are so proud of their country - its a wonderful multi faceted place. We were a little surprised just how little culture shock we experienced. I expected a place so far away from home would feel foreign but that is just not the case. We both felt right at home in this city as well as everywhere we went in Australia. Its just a very friendly and comfortable place to explore. The thing about Melbourne (and Australia in general) is that there are just too many things to do in our short time there so we barely got a taste.

Our time in Melbourne was up and off we flew to Queensland. Hamilton Island to be specific. More on that to come.

Hello again!

Hi everyone! I'm back in the flesh. Have you missed me? You probably guessed already but I was living it up down under. Yes, Australia! We had a great trip and of course I can't wait to share it but today I have bigger fish to fry.

stall at camberwell market (Melbourne, Australia)

After several amazing weeks off, I'm starting a new job today. Same industry but new company. I wanted the job, was so happy to get the offer and give my notice. So why am I'm stressing? I know almost no one and nothing about how things work there. I was at my last company for 9 years so starting fresh is somewhat daunting. Not to mention I'll likely have to work my tail off at first just to keep my head above water. So yea, I'm having a mini panic attack about the whole thing. So if you could send some mental good thoughts my way that would be very much appreciated.

My plan is to write up posts on weekends and after hours so nothing should be changing here.

Once again a huge thank you to the following bloggers who shared their favorite nooks and kept this place warm while I was gone.

Australia trip recap starts tomorrow!

Favorite Nook: The Blah Blah Blahger

Closing off this Favorite Nook series is a blogger I was introduced via twitter - the BlahBlahBlahger. JJ is a talented photographer, kitchen maven and DIYer who doesn't take herself too seriously. What's not to love?

So lets take a peek at the very last favorite nook of the series, shall we?

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First off, I must say I was tickled pink to hear that Mrs. Limestone wanted to feature my favorite nook here...I feel so unworthy! When I first stumbled upon her blog, I fell in love with EVERYTHING she and the Mr. have done to their home (can I pick it up and bring the whole house to CA???)…I wish we had that kind of architecture here in southern California!

When I bought my shoebox condo 8 years ago, I thought I wanted something new and fresh. After several years, I realize that the thing missing in my home is character and architectural details that older homes typically have. As a result, I’ve worked pretty hard to add them into my newer condo through furniture, décor and a little DIY.

My favorite nook these days is my dining room. Though my condo is not yet a castle, I’ve worked really hard to not let the size of my home limit my entertaining. I often have people over for dinner parties and spending time around the table has brought me a lot of joy and great memories, although, that has not always been the case.

In order to LOVE this room, I decided it needed a face lift a few years ago. My obsession with Candice Olson let me to the first change…with the light fixture. I originally had the big boob, and while it provided a lot of light, it was boring. I found one I loved and it really began the transformation as it was elegant, had a little glitz and glamour, and was a statement piece for the room.

Next up, my dad and I installed moulding and a chair rail along the walls. It brought a sophistication to the room and “aged” it. (My dad and I worked our tails off, but had a great time together on the project.) I found a great beverage cart from Ballard Designs to show off a collection of crystal bottles and my Great Grandmother’s Depression Glass dishes. I found an incredible ledge to show off my photography at Home Depot. I’ve had trouble hanging these kinds of shelves before, but this one was simple to install and a fraction of the price at other design stores!!!

Lastly, I purchased a new dining room table for a steal at Living Spaces and partnered it with chairs from Ballard Designs. The chairs were not a steal, but the style and comfort made up for that…plus, I had a 15% off discount and frankly, was ready for some grown up furniture in my house. With the amount of time I’ve spent in this room with friends and family, it has DEFINITELY become my favorite nook.