Decorate

Thrift Store Find: Gold Sunburst Mirror

July 28, 2011

I've been blogging for about 8 months now, and in that same time I've discovered quite a few blogs that I enjoy reading. One thing that these blogs all seem to have in common is the authors fairly frequently find something really great at a thrift store.

Whenever I see one of these posts I tend to trundle off to a thrift store thinking I too will find something great, and have pretty much always come away empty-handed - until recently.

Feast your eyes on what I found at a local Goodwill store:
Convex mirror with gold coloured frame
Curious about the price? It was a hugely expensive $6.06. I think this qualifies as a great find - don't you?

Decorate

Spitting Image Style - Jonathan Adler - Meurice Table Floor Lamp

July 18, 2011

I while back a bunch or friends and I were going out to dinner and everyone met up at my place before we headed out. In an attempt to be a gracious hostess (as my mom taught me) I offered everyone a drink. It was then I realised I had a bit of a problem - I didn't have anywhere for my guests to put their drinks - there were no tables in my living room which meant my guests had to hold on to their glasses while we sat around and chatted. I'm pretty sure this and the lack of beverage choice (I could only offer water) would be an automatic fail in Hostessing 101. That evening ensured that tables for my living room moved to the top of my long list of things my home needed.

I few weeks later I was browsing the HomeSense near work on my lunch hour when I spotted this:
Maurice Floor lamp knock-off
I liked it on sight, but with its slightly gold tones was a huge departure from my normal preference of silver hues, so with one last glance I left it behind. Halfway back to the office I knew I'd made a huge mistake. The problem with HomeSense is if you see something you like, you need to buy it immediately, because more often than not by the time you return it will be gone. I rushed to my desk, googled the phone number and frantically dialed. Phew - it was still there, and they put it on hold for me until I could pick it up after work.

Remember my giant pear? Well I bought it at the same HomeSense. When I arrived to pick up my lamp, the cashier who served me commented on the lamp saying that it had been admired by a few customers, and then looked at me and said - 'You look familiar'. I smiled and wondered which gorgeous and talented Hollywood star she would say I looked like, and she said 'I remember - you bought the giant Pear!'. Apparently I've developed a reputation at that store.

When I looked again at the lamp I was about to purchase I realised I had seen it before, or at least something that looked an awful lot like it. Here's the Meurice Table Floor lamp by Jonathan Adler:
Jonathan Adler Meurice table floor lamp
Jonathan Adler Meurice Table floor lamp - Image Source: Jonathanadler.com
Anyway, I brought the lamp home (getting a few odd looks on the subway), and set my new lamp up in the living room. I think it looks pretty good, and the best part? The lamp cost only $70+tax vs. the $595(US) + tax and shipping that the Jonathan Adler lamp would have cost me.
NEW JONATHAN ADLER-ESQUE LAMP
My new Jonathan Adler-esque lamp

Food

Summertime Watermelon and Feta Salad

July 05, 2011

This post is a little bit of a departure from my usual decor fare - but I'm hoping I'll be forgiven. I have a bit of a problem with recipes - it's not that I have too many, it's that I'll discover a new one that I really like and then promptly lose it. I tend to get my recipes from online sources - I print them out to go to the grocery store, and then recycle the paper it's printed on once I'm finished cooking. Nine times out of ten I can't find the recipe again if I want to make it at a later date.

Anyways, I've decided that from time to time, when I find an exceptionally good recipe I'll post it here. That way when I'm looking for it later I'll know where to look.

Summertime Watermelon and Feta Salad

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups cubed seedless watermelon
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives (about. 25 olives)
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion
  • 10 large mint leaves
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. Olive oil
  • 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
  • 5 turns of fresh black pepper
  • a pinch of salt
    Watermelon Salad Ingredients
Directions
    1. Slice 1/4 of a small red onion as thin as you can with a sharp knife. In a small bowl, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes.
    2. While the onions are soaking, cut the watermelon  flesh into bite-sized cubes - slightly larger that a standard sugar cube. Place in a large bowl.
    3. By hand, crumble the Feta cheese into the watermelon bowl. Most of the pieces should be just slightly smaller than the watermelon cubes, but don't crumble them too small. Do not mix.
    4. Use the flat side of a knife or your hands to crush the olives one at a time on a cutting board. Remove the pits by hand and rip each olive into two pieces. Place the olives in the watermelon bowl. Do not mix.
    5. Drain the onions and pat dry with a paper towel. Add to the watermelon bowl. Do not mix.
    6. Chop the mint leaves very finely. Sprinkle into the watermelon bowl. Do not mix.
    7. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the watermelon mixture and gently toss with a large spoon just until all the salad ingredients are coated with dressing. Do not over mix the salad as the watermelon and feta are fragile. Transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with two or three sprigs of mint.
Watermelon salad in a white bowl

I originally got this recipe in 2010 from The Globe and Mail.


print recipe

Summertime Watermelon and Feta Salad
by May-7-2011
A great summer salad
Ingredients
  • 3 Cups Seedless watermelon, cubed
  • 1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted (about 25 olives)
  • 1/4 cup Red onion, sliced
  • 10 large Mint leaves
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp White wine vinegar
  • Fresh Black pepper 5 turns
  • A pinch Sea salt
Instructions
Slice 1/4 of a small red onion as thin as you can with a sharp knife. In a small bowl, soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes.While the onions are soaking, cut the watermelon flesh into bite-sized cubes - slightly larger that a standard sugar cube. Place in a large bowl.By hand, crumble the Feta cheese into the watermelon bowl. Most of the pieces should be just slightly smaller than the watermelon cubes, but don't crumble them too small. Do not mix.Use the flat side of a knife or your hands to crush the olives one at a time on a cutting board. Remove the pits by hand and rip each olive into two pieces. Place the olives in the watermelon bowl. Do not mix.Drain the onions and pat dry with a paper towel. Add to the watermelon bowl. Do not mix. Chop the mint leaves very finely. Sprinkle into the watermelon bowl. Do not mix.In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.Pour the dressing over the watermelon mixture and gently toss with a large spoon just until all the salad ingredients are coated with dressing. Do not over mix the salad as the watermelon and feta are fragile. Transfer to a serving dish, and garnish with two or three sprigs of mint. Serve.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 6 cups

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