(Mini) Pie

Yesterday was the three year anniversary of my boyfriend Chris and myself. Since we both love food, our gifts to each other usually involve edible things. I decided to make some of these mini pie pops that I saw on Luxaire not too long ago. Chris loves lots of different flavors, so I thought this would be the perfect thing to experiment. I had never made pie, or anything close, before. A visit to the Luxaire site will show you that there aren’t directions, so much as just photos. I decided to make my fillings from stratch. Somehow, through all of that, they came out divine. Proof they are easy as…pie.

It Takes Practice and People…

I watched the Colbert episode where he had author Malcolm Gladwell on to promote his new book “Outliers”. The interview didn’t really have me interested in the book but this article on Time did. Two interesting things I took out of this article:

the 10,000 rule – that it takes 10,000 hours of practice of anything (notice I’m not saying “talent”) to become an expert at something (that’s roughly 20 hours a week for 10 years).

That no one can make it to “successful” on their own.

Interesting. Anyone read this author’s previous books before?

Why You Should Consider Hiring an Interior Designer (or at the very least a consultant)

I suppose this post could alternatively be titled “Why You Should Consider Paying Me Money for a Service”. And while it’s true I’m writing this article to lobby on behalf of my chosen profession, I’m looking out for you, too.

I once read a wise wise book that said (and I’m paraphrasing here, I can’t find the darn thing to write down exact quotes) that you should stick to what you know, and pay someone else to do the stuff you don’t know as much.

Take me, for example. I am crafty, industrious and more than a little enthusiastic about saving money whenever I can, but when it comes to taxes, I give up! I bow out. I hire someone to help me. It’s not because taxes are completely out of my comprehension (I tell myself I could learn it all, given enough time), it’s because I’ve decided the time it would take me to learn all of that IRS gobbly gook is way more valuable to me than the money it would take to pay someone to help out.

So what does this all have to do with you? And why are you still reading this quasi-rambling article? Wait for it:

Hiring a designer, if even for an hour, buys not only that designer’s fresh, professional eye, but also all the years of experience in design that they’ve seen in their career (which they can assumably apply to your home’s specific needs).

Sometimes you can’t always see your home or office in a the way that a seasoned, professional eye will see it. Maybe you’ve gotten so used to an unfinished room that it doesn’t even bother you anymore. Hiring a designer means you’ll finally be able to ask someone (and trust their answer) when it comes to the little things like what to do with that blank wall in the living room that’s been there for 3 years or how on earth anyone’s supposed to work around that pink tile in the hall bathroom.

And, if you feel like you can’t afford a full-fledged, fancy-pancy interior designer, considering hiring a consultant or a reDesign specialist, whom along with offering flexible time frames usually also come with a lower rate.

Did I mention I’m an interior design consultant? Why not check out my design consulting page for more information?

Tips and Thoughts on Rearranging

I rearranged my teensy little studio apartment that I share with my lovely boyfriend yesterday. Since I’m still afflicting on it all manner of design elements and decorative ideas, I’ll withhold from sharing any photos from the time being. I did want to share with you an article I wrote for 2Modern’s Design Talk blog about tips on rearranging. We might not be able to afford to travel to exotic locations because of our stinky economy right now, but we can still change the scenery in our homes if we want to!

So, the economy’s tight. You probably don’t have the budget for that new couch you’ve been eyeing, and you certainly can’t afford to hire an interior designer to pull it all together for you. What’s a homeowner to do? Suffer through the same old home decor as you always have? Of course not, you can redesign your home.

ReDesign is basically defined as using the furnishings you already have in new ways to create fresh spaces in your home. And while the very best thing you can do is enlist the help of a designer to craft your new home, there are a few tips you can remember when opting to tackle this job yourself.

1) Take photos! You live in your home, day in and day out. Sometimes you can’t always see the things that could be changed or even the areas that are a bit cluttered. A photograph never lies though. Take a bunch of shots and examine them for areas that look confusing, cluttered or even that could change.

2) Take stock of your current inventory. Maybe those nightstands in the guest bedroom that you don’t use could be better utilized in the living room as end tables? Perhaps even just switching out throw pillows and accessories could be swapped to enliven spaces. Don’t rely on your memory; make an actual list!

3) Get creative. As mentioned above, take freely from rooms all around your house to help transform your new spaces, and don’t get stuck on what a piece of furniture is “supposed” to be used for.

4) Remember to arrange for more than just aesthetics. Sure part of the fun of rearranging is making your space look better, but also concentrate on things like space planning and traffic flow. Is there a chair you’re always running into on your way to the kitchen? Take this time to really examine what works and does not work in your home.

5) It may seem obvious, but measure before you move! You might think you’re eyeing things correctly, but how much would it suck if you hauled that huge couch on the other side of the room only to find out its two inches too long?

6) Lastly, get help with large things. I don’t know what the statistics are on injuries incurred in the house place while moving huge pieces of furniture, but I bet the numbers are high. Always keep in mind safety so you don’t end up injuring yourself!

Happy rearranging!