Monthly Archives: March 2016
Bedroom Design: How to Use Stripes in a Bedroom
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Wide. Skinny. Horizontal. Vertical. Awning. Pinstripe. Stripes play a role in our everyday lives through the clothing we wear and the rooms we live in. When it comes to interior décor, there’s a host of ways to get creative with stripes. From walls to ceilings to upholstery and accent pillows, let’s take a look at six bedrooms using stripes in different applications.
Bold horizontal stripes make a statement on the walls of this kids’ room. It’s no surprise that this townhouse is located in Miami, as this colorful space boasts a real Florida feel.
A striped bench in a London loft introduces pattern and color in a predominantly white space. Coordinating pillows are just matchy enough. Also a stripe, the wood ceiling creates interest on a large surface.
Classic black and white striped wall covering sets the backdrop for this ornate headboard. Black and white can appear dated sometimes, but in this room, the color combo looks timeless.
Stripes take center stage in this Charleston bedroom through an area rug. Built-in beds and a window seat complete the efficient design.
Designer Liz Carroll worked her magic by using stripes on the ceiling of this sweet, mostly pink bedroom. A ceiling isn’t the most obvious location for stripes, but in this room, it works well.
A striped headboard and floral accent pillows make for a lovely combination in this Vancouver home. Simple and straightforward, this room is all about texture.
Breakfast in Bed: Almond Milk Pancakes
Post by Alison Hein.
I’ve recently begun experimenting with almond milk in my cooking and baking. Almond milk has a creamy texture and mildly sweet, nutty taste. It is dairy-free, contains no cholesterol, and is low in calories. Besides that, it is delicious! I completely understand why it is now so popular and available.
I’m entranced by the simplicity of this pancake recipe. The almond milk is sweet and rich enough that there is no need for sweetener or shortening. The texture, somewhat thicker than usual pancake batter, takes a little getting used to. But the end result is well worth the learning curve. Not as many bubbles appear (you’ll need to peek at the bottom of the pancakes while cooking), and the almond cakes will not brown as much when cooked.
I’ve been using my old cast iron pan for frying, which is so well-seasoned that I don’t need to use any shortening at all. Amazingly, I don’t feel the need for butter – a splash of maple syrup or chopped, fresh fruit seems just right.
Use almond, buckwheat or rice flour if you are looking for a gluten-free pancake option. Or, toast some almond slivers in advance for a nice, crunchy topping.
You’ll soon come to see why almond milk was a staple in medieval kitchens, and why it is a wonderful choice for breakfast in bed!
Ingredients
1 cup flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup almond milk
Cooking spray, butter, or vegetable oil, for frying
Preparation
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Whisk in the egg, then the almond milk, until batter is thick and smooth.
Heat a pan or griddle on the stove over medium to medium low heat. Splash a few drops of water on the pan to test the heat. The pan is ready when the water drops sizzle immediately. Add cooking spray or a small amount of butter or oil. (If you have a well-seasoned cast iron pan, you may be able to completely dispense with any type of shortening.)
Ladle about 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan for each pancake, and spread out a little in the pan. Cook until small bubbles appear throughout the pancake, about 1 minute. Flip once with spatula and continue cooking until lightly golden, another minute or so. Serve hot with real maple syrup or chopped, fresh fruit.
Makes about 8 3-inch pancakes.
Bedtime Stories: I am the Messenger
Post by Mark T. Locker.
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak.
Sometimes, the book you are after is unavailable so you grab whatever would be next to it on the shelf, just because. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a critically-acclaimed, award-winning novel that was also made into a movie. I don’t know what it’s about because it was not available. What was available, however, was a novel he wrote a few years earlier called I am the Messenger. It was a Printz Honor book which means it should probably not be terrible. I borrowed it.
I am the Messenger is an unusual story of a young Australian named Ed Kennedy, an 19-year-old who drives a cab and in his free time hangs out with his friends playing cards and drinking beer, or drinking coffee with his dog named The Doorman. But all that changes after Ed accidentally foils a bank robbery. For a little while he is hailed as a hero. After things quiet down, he anonymously receives a playing card in the mail, the Ace of Diamonds. On the back are a list of addresses and times. Ed realizes that he is being placed in the middle of peoples’ lives as a messenger. Each time he fulfills the tasks, which he must figure out on his own, he receives another card in the mail.
There is a woman who is abused by her husband. There is an old woman who is lonely. There is a young girl who is strong but lacks confidence.
In the process of fulfilling these tasks, Ed finds new meaning for his own life. Instead of muddling through the days, he discovers that he can affect other peoples’ lives in positive ways. Something as little as buying an ice cream for somebody can have a powerful effect.
What makes the book work is the narrator, Ed. He’s cheeky and funny but also has a secret poetic side and can be disarmingly insightful at times. A truly interesting read for teens and adults about how sometimes you need a kick in the pants to move you in the right direction.
Bedroom Design: 5 Casual Bedrooms to Love
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Over the years, I’ve learned that a casual room can be just as stylish as a fancy one. Silk tapestries and crystal chandeliers can look impossibly chic, but so can painted floors and an eclectic mix of furnishings. Here are five bedrooms that show how casual spaces can exude as much style as their dressier peers.
I’d call this bedroom Bohemian chic. The interesting mix of textiles and colors almost looks haphazard, yet all of the elements pull together nicely to complete the design.
This shabby-chic room exudes a casual elegance with the white floors and bed frames, not to mention the antique brick wall and blue and white wallpaper. If you guess the locale as New Orleans, you would be correct. This lovely space is in the French Quarter.
Most beach cottages boast a casual feel, and this Fish Camp beach house on the Florida panhandle is no different. The colored trim, quilted coverlet, white café curtains, and overall aesthetic of the room are uber casual, yet beachy and undeniably fashionable.
A Texas farmhouse bedroom takes on a casual feel even though some of its individual components are more formal. The four-poster bed. The floor length curtains. The gold textured art above the bed. All seem dressier in their own right, but when married with the other aspects of this room, they contribute to the overall casual style.
Exposed, rustic beams, wicker furniture, and loads of texture make this room ultra casual but still well thought-out. The designer utilized the space well, despite the funky layout.
Movies in Bed: You, Me, and the Apocalypse
Post by Mark T. Locker.
We don’t keep a television in the bedroom, but I love to fall asleep on the couch. Sometimes the voices and music of TV shows is easier to fall asleep to than just about anything. But sometimes you find a show that instead keeps you wide awake and engaged, even if you were half-asleep moments earlier.
You, Me, and the Apocalypse is one of those shows. It’s got so many moving parts and so many interesting characters that you can’t stop watching for fear of missing something.
One day in the near future, scientists discover a comet eight miles wide is headed on a crash course for Earth. By all accounts, extinction will hit the planet in a matter of weeks. We learn in the intro that a number of characters will be in an underground bunker watching the end of the world on a television. What we are watching is how they got there. I couldn’t possibly try and explain all the characters and simultaneous plots without getting very tedious, but the main points are these:
Jamie is a bank manager in Slough, England who discovers that not only is the world ending but that he has a secret twin, he is adopted, and his vanished wife may not be vanished. He and his friend head off to uncover the truth.
Ariel is Jamie’s secret twin, a hacker and all-around bad guy. He’s only out to save his own skin.
Rhonda is a librarian taking the fall for her hacker son’s activities. She is broken out of prison amid the chaos and finds herself on the lam with a white supremacist named Leanne.
Father Jude is a chain-smoking priest (played by Rob Lowe) who has been hired by the Vatican to fulfill the newly-reopened role as Devil’s Advocate, who seeks to confirm miracles. He is joined by the very pious Sister Celine.
There are lots more characters and they are all starting to intertwine. What’s great is that none of it has gotten confusing. It’s just getting more fascinating as you try to figure out what’s going to connect and how it will all lead to the bunker. Great new show that is worth staying awake to watch.
