Archive for October 2011

My Etsy Shop

For many years I've had visions, ideas, dreams about some day opening my own shop.  These ideas have evolved from a cafe, coffee shop, vintage boutique... you name it.  I knew that all of these shop ideas would have to wait until I retired, but it wasn't until last year that I came to the realization that I didn't have to wait.  With Etsy, anyone can open there own shop without the fear, huge capital, and big time commitment needed for a retail shop.  It's been a while in the making, but it's finally official...tonight I opened my own Etsy shop - Heart Full!

Filling your heart full with repurposed vintage goods, at Heart Full you'll find a small collection of timepieces recreated from vintage books. Soon to hit the "shelves" are industrial light fixtures and a variety of furniture pieces.  Below are just a few photos of the book clocks that I have in stock. 
This is just a soft opening, with more product and work to be done on the shop in the near future. 
For now, I want to get my feet wet and see if my little shop will go places. :) 
I'm seriously so excited and feel like I'm finally giving my dream a chance!  
So hop on over to Heart Full and take a look. 
Let me know what you think and what repurposed goods you'd love to see in here. 

Have a lovely night! 
I'm off to date night with my hubby. Hurray! 


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Weekend Adventures - Gull Meadow Farms

Glorious autumn weather and apple picking are perfect together.
Sunday we headed down to Gull Meadow Farms, for Miss Natalie's first birthday!
We had a awesome time apple picking and watching our niece, nephew, and their friends run around Pumpkin Lane.  I'd have never been apple picking before, but soon learned that I shouldn't eat every good apple I found! Truly think we should make this a yearly tradition. 










So now that we have a 1/2 bushel of apples...what to do with them? 
Zach think's he'll be able to eat them all right away... I told him I'll start looking for some recipes. 
I want to try something other than the ordinary apple pie or crisp. Suggestions?

Hope your week is going well! I've been busy with a few big projects here. I am really excited to share with you all some of my plans and thoughts that I've been throwing around my head for some time.
Stay tune! 

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Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew

Stews, warm bread, and hot tea...
All perfect compliments to this dreary, cold autumn weather. 
Your nose smells the warmth first; taking in the spices of the stew simmering, bread rising, and tea a brewin'. 
Your hands gather the bowl and cup, both overflowing with steam. As you break bread to dip into your stew, the smell of goodness floats up and welcomes you. The warmth fills you instantly as you partake this meal; melting the weariness of the day away. With a full belly and happy heart, your night is now complete. 


There is something about a hearty stew that just makes one feel so cozy and content.   
This Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew is probably one of my favorite autumn and winter staples.  Created by Alicia Silverstone and feautured in her book, "The Kind Diet" this stew is seriously amazing. 

Ingredients
1/4 cup oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
fine sea salt
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
7 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils

Directions
Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the onions and cook till translucent and tender. Stir in tomatoes and ginger, cooking for 2-3 more minutes. Add rest of spices. I was pretty generous with the spices...adding about 1 or 2 teaspoons more of each...and then taste testing for flavor.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, broth, and lentils (I added about a 1-2 cups of diced carrots as well). Stir well, and bring to a boil. Once the stew is at a full boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 40 minutes or until lentils and sweet potatoes are soft. 

Making plenty of leftovers; this stew just doesn't stop. 
It's perfect with a whole wheat baguette, cornbread, or just by itself...it's that good. 

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Drive-In Fashion Shoot

Hurray! 
This past Saturday I received my disc of lovely photos from last months Drive-In Fashion shoot that I did with Tieka, from Selective Potential and Megan from Lime Green Photography!  Megan did an amazing job capturing this "drive-in" themed shoot and Tieka seriously rocked out all her frames!
Check out some of my favorites...





Isn't she just the cutest?!









This black and white one is definitely my favorite!




Thanks so much ladies for letting me join in on the fun. I loved it!
Go check out the rest of Megan's work on her website or leave her some loving on her Facebook wall. :)
And make sure to pop over to Selective Potential to see more beautiful shots of Tieka! 

-KateLainey

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Industrial Cabinet

Slowly, I've been finding my style and direction for the house. 
For me, beauty is seen throughout the ages and I want my house to portray this. Blending styles from vintage, industrial, and modern inspiration is my goal. My latest project was to find more storage for my dressing room. I wanted to go industrial and I wanted it to be bright. 

Here is the before. 



And the after...


It's perfect, it's me, and I love it! I'll be doing more industrial pieces for the house...so stay tuned! 
Think a combination of rustic, steel, and illumination.
Any guesses? 

-KateLainey

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A Taste of Indian Summer


It's sad, but the past week I didn't get a chance to enjoy this insane weather at all.
I shouldn't complain too much because it was spent working the Nike expo booth for the Chicago Marathon!
To see 45,000 people come through the expo in two days is phenomenal...and overwhelming.
On our breaks I'd take a moment to go outside and check out all the sailboats and people by the lake.
So glad that the weather stayed nice for me to enjoy it a little bit on Sunday and Monday.
Just a taste of Indian summer. 



The leaves are falling like crazy in our neighborhood! 
I'm loving all the vibrant colors of orange, yellow, and red...and have been enjoying wearing clothes that match the lovely outdoors. I've was so pumped when I found these pink shorts at the J Crew Outlet coming back from Chicago a couple months ago, but my favorite find was this burnt orange top from the kid's section. Don't judge...it fits and it was super cheap.  Seriously, if you are a x-small or small, you should always check out the kid's section for the same kind of clothing, but at half the cost. 
Little trick my bestie, Kenz, taught me. :)

-KateLainey

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Vintage Meets Modern - Guest Post by Susi

Hi guys! I'm out in Chicago working the Nike Expo booth for the Chicago Marathon!
So in my absence Susi, a writer from Arcadian Lighting, will be sharing on how vintage and modern can make a beautiful combination in any living space.  Founded in 2002, Arcadian Lighting started selling decorative home lighting fixtures and lamps online, and has become one of the top Internet retailers for home lighting products. Visit their website and cool blog for more information! 

Something magical happens when vintage meets modern. Vintage and modern are a stylish pairing that feels very 2011. Gone are the days when a room's style must fall into one style and one style only. Mixing it up creates the magic that happens with good design. Here are eight rooms that have a magical pairing of vintage and modern. Enjoy!

Vintage and Modern Design
Sweetie Pie Style via
The clean lines of the Parsons desk mean it will work with a number of styles, including both modern and vintage. Love the vintage black painted French armchair.

Vintage and Modern Design
Delight by Design via

An Eames rocker adds a modern touch to this elegant vintage living room. The white color palette unifies the disparate style furnishings into one cohesive look. We adore the ceiling light that is fixed in the middle of the room.
Vintage and Modern Design
Mi Casa Revista via

Another modern classic, the Tulip table by Saarinen, works well with modern, vintage and traditional chairs. Love it paired with the vintage French side chairs in white.

Vintage and Modern Decor
Daisy Pink Cupcakes via

A modern slipcovered sofa is mixed with a vintage bench covered in shiny black patent leather, and an oversized chandelier—a perfect light fixture for this chic living room. The shiny black material is a modern twist for the vintage bench.

Vintage and Modern Decor
Rearranged Design via

This vintage style bathroom gets a nice dose of modern style with a graphic wallpaper. Classic fixtures like a pedestal sink can stand up to more modern design elements.

Vintage and Modern Decor
Pinterest via

The Victorian wrought iron table base is unexpected in this contemporary space, but it works. The ornate curves of the table are a nice break from the minimalism.

Vintage and Modern Design
Apartment Therapy via

Vintage yellow lamps and a vintage mirror hung above the sofa add vintage charm to this modern living room. Mixing in traditional style vintage pieces is a great way to soften the straight lines of modern furniture.

Vintage and Modern Design
Delight by Design via

When mixing vintage and modern style pieces, choose a focal point. In this case the vintage trunk becomes the focus while the ghost chairs take the background.

Mixing and matching decor items such as furniture and light fixtures can be fun! For more magical finds and interior inspirations, make sure to check out Arcadian Lighting!

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Weekend Adventures - Chattanooga

Can you believe it's already October? I sure can't! Don't get me wrong, I love keeping busy...but I'm anxiously awaiting the month where I don't have a single weekend booked. I have a feeling I might be waiting a while. :) 
This past weekend, Zach and I got to attend his cousin's beautiful wedding down in Chattanooga, TN. 
Here are just a few snip its of our weekend. 



Before the wedding on Saturday, we decided to take a tour to Ruby Falls. 
We weren't a huge fan of the overall guided tour, but the cave itself was pretty dang impressive. Especially the waterfall at the end. All the the lights they had made for some funky photos. I couldn't help thinking about the movie The Descent the whole time I was down here. Creepy! 



We took a double decker bus up the side of Lookout Mountain to get to the wedding...of course Zach and I had to ride on top. The views were breathtaking and it was so nice to be out in the open after being inside of a cave for an hour an a half! 



Of course some wedding planking was bound to happen. 


 I'm sad my phone didn't last longer for the rest of the shenanigans. 

Hope everyone is having a great week so far! 

-KateLainey




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