Archive for May, 2009
May 28, 2009
In my last post, I mentioned that I had recently discovered the world of digital scrapbooking. I’ve finished up the teacher gifts which were custom cookbooks featuring favorite recipes of the kids in the class.
I’m really happy with the way they turned out! I anticipate using this technique again in the future on our website in our product features.
I found 12×12 scrapbook paper at Michael’s. Paper is available by the sheet, at .59/per sheet, but I found a more economical solution. They also offer packs of 25 sheets for $9.99. The paper is white, but the graphics are so colorful that the background color really wasn’t an issue.
I also found packages of page protectors for the 12×12 printed sheets. They have 3 hole punches along the side since, technically, these should be inserted into a scrapbook binder. I couldn’t find any binders that didn’t look like photo albums, so I simply created another graphic for the cover & back of the book.
Michael’s also cut the matboard for the cover and back! I simply went to their framing department, picked out a mat color, and told them what size I needed. It was a great solution because I was able to pick a mat color that matched the theme of the recipe pages. They cut (4) 12×12 pieces for me, and I simply inserted them into the same page protectors as the recipe pages.
Kinko’s printed out the pages at .59 each in their color printers. I didn’t realize that they could take the 12×12 paper I provided and print my files directly on there. What a relief! Just a word of caution, the downloaded digital images are 300ppi, which results in a large final file. I copied each file onto a 3GB thumb drive to bring down to Kinko’s. Be sure you save your files as a .pdf file so that the text & graphics remain exactly the way you’ve designed them!
To bind the book, I simply used a fun taupe gingham ribbon threaded through the 3-hole punches and tied off at the top.
May 26, 2009
I volunteered to create the surprise end of year gifts for my son’s teachers. We decided we’d collect a favorite recipe from each child and compile them into a cookbook for each teacher. I knew I wanted the cookbook to have a homemade, scrapbook-y feel.
Problem #1: I’ve never created a scrapbook.
Problem #2: I have neither the time or patience to fiddle with papers, die cuts, tapes, glues, etc. to create a traditional scrapbook.
Apparently, I’ve been living under a rock for the last few years. I had no idea there was a whole world of digital scrapbooking out there…
After a quick google search, I found many sources of digital scrapbooking kits. Could it be this easy?? You mean someone has already gone through the time and effort to put together a completely digitally designed package of themed graphics that I could compile in Photoshop??
I headed to scrapbookgraphics.com and, lo and behold, a whole kit of vintage inspired graphics for $6.95! The kit is properly named, Everything But The Kitchen Sink. It contains 13 digital backgrounds, and over 25 kitchen-type images. Plenty of variety to make an interesting book. A quick purchase, followed by an email with download instructions, and I was in business. The site mentions that it’s a large kit, so I was sure to download to an external hard drive with lots of room.
I got down to business! Below is a graphic of 6 of the 20 (or so) pages that will be in the book. Each child gets their own page, featuring their recipe, along with their picture. Some kids wrote a little paragraph to include on their page. The graphics were so easy to use, providing you’re pretty comfortable using Photoshop. I created these in CS4.
I will post pictures of the final book once it is printed out and compiled. But, all in all, a great new tool for creating digital scrapbooks. I’ll never venture into the paper & tool aisles again!
Each child will have a separate page featuring their recipe, photo & special message for their teachers.
May 25, 2009
Just a quick gardening post…
I planted a peony bush 3 years ago. Each year, I’ve waited patiently to see the first bloom. Every year so far, I’ve gotten foliage, but no blooms. I felt like I did everything right…I looked online for the type of soil they like, the sun exposure, the fertilizing.
I kept it planted where it was, and continued taking care of it each year. Finally, patience paid off this year with three beautiful light pink blooms. They were so worth the wait. I didn’t even realize peonies had such a scent! They’re like sweet roses times ten.
I’m not sure I would have appreciated it as much if it had bloomed the first year. I’d like to think I would have, but maybe not. It was definitely worth the wait!
May 21, 2009
A new Mexican restaurant recently opened up near our place. The best part is that it’s the real deal. I’m embarrassed to admit how often I’d go there if I could. It’s that good.
After ordering (and loving) their chopped steak taco many times, I decided to go with something new. I settled on the carnitas tacos. I’d heard the term carnitas from various cooking shows…and my foggy sixth through twelfth grade Spanish education reminded me that carne = meat, and the suffix -ita means small.
The waitress asked if I’d like them ‘authentic’ style. Turns out, authentic style means the taco is served simply: meat in 2 layers of fresh corn tortilla, chopped cilantro, chopped onion. Before you think that couldn’t possibly be enough flavor, you need to try this. Forget about the loads of cheese, rice, beans and sour cream we’ve somehow come to expect in our in-authentic tacos.
I knew I had to find a recipe so that we could prepare this at any time at home. It’s not something you whip out at five o’clock to get on the table at six. In fact, it braises in the oven for three hours and fills your home with an aroma something like Thanksgiving Day. After that, it is pulled apart into small pieces of meat (hence the name carnita) and is roasted in the oven on a sheet tray until the outside is crisp and brown, while the inside is still soft and tender. Yum.
Browning the meat on the stovetop.
Return the meat to the pan, add spices (including cinnamon!), and liquid. Put in oven.
Three hours later--the meat is falling off the bone tender. Most of the liquid is evaporated.
Pull the meat into pieces and place on cooking sheet to return to the oven. Don't skip this step. It's the secret to the crispy outside.
Served simply with 2 layers of corn tortillas (I softened these over a gas flame first), chopped onion and cilantro.
Carnitas
You can get the recipe online at David Liebovitz’s Blog
And his book The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
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May 18, 2009
I ran across this contest and the I Heart Faces blog and immediately thought of the photo below. It captures their personalities so well. There’s something about the missing teeth that makes me chuckle too.
I am submitting this photo into the www.iheartfaces.com Blurb Book photo contest. I am granting I ♥ Faces permission to use my photo in a printed version of a book for commercial use and possibly advertising of a photo book on both the Blurb and I ♥ Faces web sites.
May 15, 2009
Remember the old saying about when ’someone’s eyes are bigger than their stomach’? I admit I sometimes suffer from the design version of that saying. I can’t get enough fabric. Sometimes I see a fabric and I picture the perfect usage. But that’s how new products are sometimes born, right? At least that’s what I tell myself…
I can’t tell you how many times I walked passed this black and white fabric on the bolt in the fabric store. It’s an indoor/outdoor fabric which makes it super durable and perfect for this use. I love when black and white fabrics are combined with a pop of color. I chose a solid turquoise for the cording on this bed.
One day I finally broke down and bought the fabric. Our workroom made up this beautiful sample. I think they did a great job. Maybe you’ll see it on our site soon! Wouldn’t this be great with a monogram??
When I decided to design a dog bed I knew it had to be the following:
1) Durable: This indoor/outdoor fabric is washable and coated for durability.
2) Ease of washing: There’s a concealed zipper along one side which makes it so easy to remove the insert and throw the cover into the wash.
3) Quality insert: Some dog bed inserts are too hard, some too soft…this one is just right. The gusseted sides mean there’s lots of filling here, but as you can see from the photos, it’s soft too. Rectangular shapes seem to work so much better for me than round ones which never seem to tuck against a wall very well.
4) Good looking: Don’t get me wrong, our coffee tables are covered in legos, and there are probably dishes in the sink right now…but, I don’t want a cartoon-y dog bed smack dab in the middle of the room. Why shouldn’t it look good?
May 14, 2009
The term “shop your home” has become pretty popular given today’s economic climate. I think the concept is great. The basic premise is that before heading out to purchase a must-have item, take a look around and see if you already have something that will suit the purpose. I’ve made a conscious effort to take a look around my own home at items that can be re-purposed and reused.
I’ve been looking for a way to use an old chair that has been taking up room in the garage for a while now. It used to have a woven leather seat that ripped a long time ago. Instead of continuing to fool myself into thinking I would eventually have it repaired, I decided to repurpose it. Combined with a galvanized tub from my mom’s garage, it makes a cute garden decoration. The best part is that if I find the plants aren’t doing well under the limited sun provided by the maple tree above, I can just pick the whole thing up and move it!
So I’ve officially ’shopped my home’.
May 13, 2009
Did you know that here at Monarch Creations we can create custom window treatments for you? You probably didn’t because it’s not mentioned on our website. But we can. Just take a look at the beauties we’ve featured below…
Recently, we created draperies for a good friend’s beautiful new home on the lake. She trusted me enough to be the first to punch holes in her pristine new walls. I love friends like that. I couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out. It’s amazing how draperies instantly add a sense of warmth and coziness to a room — even before any furniture and belongings have been moved in.
DINING ROOM
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First were full length draperies for the formal dining room’s double french doors. Just take a look at the beautiful trim work and casings in this room. Gorgeous! The bold patterned fabric works so well with the scale of the room. These draperies are approximately 10 feet in length. We created a slight puddling effect on the beautiful hardwoods.
We opted for pinch pleats along the top. The wood rings make it easy to slide the draperies open and closed to access the french doors when needed.
The six foot wooden rods and rings are the perfect complement to the fabric pattern and light fixture in the room.
GIRLS ROOM
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Next up was a fun room for a little girl. In the room is a single full length window and a window seat with a double window above. The pink & brown color scheme is so sweet and feminine.
On the full length window we opted for a single lined drapery panel due to it’s location against an adjacent wall. This time, instead of pinch pleats along the top, a simpler rod pocket with ruffled header. We added a coordinating fabric detailing along the top and along one side. We finished it off with a custom tieback in the coordinate fabric.
There’s something about a window seat that is so inviting. I’d love to have a place like this to curl up with a blanket and a latte.
We made some matching drapes for the window above the seat. They’re sized to be able to close for privacy, if needed. But they can easily be pushed back again to reveal an incredible view that looks as if you’re in a treetop.
This is one beautifully huge window seat cushion. It is 4 inches thick, and almost 6 feet across. I did a silent prayer when I put it into place. It fit like a glove. You’ll recognize the fabric from the detailing on the draperies, and the cushion is corded in the alternate fabric. Details like this make a room feel totally custom and finished.
All this little space is missing is some matching throw pillows!
If you’d like to discuss some custom window treatments to make your house a home, feel free to contact us!
May 12, 2009
Summer is approaching, and that means our annual trip to see family in Massachusetts. One of the most important reasons for our trip is to visit my grandmother. She’s greatgrandmother to my boys. That’s a pretty unique thing these days.
Each year, I take a picture of the boys under my grandmother’s grapevine in her yard. It’s fun to see how much bigger they get each year, with the backdrop of something constant, the grapevine, which my grandmother religiously prunes and brings out of dormancy each year. When I think of my grandmother, I think of the house my brother and I visited every Saturday as kids, her grapevine, her fig tree, her garden, her clothesline, and her hands.
May 12, 2009
(12×16 accent pillow from custom set)
I love being able to do custom designs for my customers. There’s something exciting about hearing someone’s description of what they’re envisioning for their nursery and turning it into a reality. Most times, a mom-to-be has specific colors they’re hoping to incorporate, or patterns. Sometimes there’s a piece of artwork, or in this case, a rug that drives the design direction.
One of the benefits of being a self-proclaimed fabric nerd is that I usually have fabric(s) in mind immediately after hearing someone’s description of their vision. That’s what happens when you spend so much time drooling over fabrics in stores, online, at shows. So when someone approached me with an image of the faux-bois rug that was purchased for their nursery, I immediately thought of a fabric combination.
Here’s a picture of the rug. I love the color and pattern. Faux-bois is French, meaning false wood. It’s a design motif that mimics wood grain. It can be used on textiles, ceramics, and even concrete.
(Faux Bois rug from Pottery Barn)
The customer knew she wanted to use the nursery rhyme pattern toile as the main fabric to the set. It’s illustrations are so fun. It’s called Over the Moon toile and it depicts images from classic nursery rhymes like The Cat and the Fiddle, Humpty Dumpty and more. The colors were perfect, and it was simply a matter of finding and combining some accent fabrics. I had an olive stripe in mind. It’s a fabric we’ve used in the past. I just knew it would be a perfect complement to the rug’s color and pattern. We discussed the fact that although the olive green was an important color to the overall design, we didn’t want to go overboard. So, we incorporated our taupe gingham and solid colored minky dot chenille for texture.
After doing a quick sketch and emailing for approval, we were ready to go! The finished set was a beautiful custom creation.
(Sketch sent via email for approval)
A closeup of the pillow’s detailing. So sweet. If you’re looking for something custom, don’t hesitate to contact us!
