47 Park Avenue and Bulletin Board Decision

Over the past two months, I've been following the steady progress of the most amazingly gorgeous home renovation blog, 47 Park Avenue.  The writer/designer/owner doesn't include much text, but the images are so beautiful they'll practically knock you over.

I love how dramatic everything is, with the dark walls and saturated colors, but it's still whimsical and fun.  It's been interesting to see the blogger gradually add furniture, fixtures and decor.  Just when I think it's looking perfectly finished, bam, he'll throw up a stuffed zebra head on the wall.  You definitely have to check out the whole blog, but here are some of my favorite rooms from the home.

OK, so this is about the only thing I can replicate from his home on my particular (read: miniscule) budget - a black corkboard!  This desk layout is sick.

All images from 47 Park Avenue

My mom forced me to clean out my room a few months ago. (My room at my parents' house is just as it was when I was in high school. Completely untouched and authentic.  Sort of like the Julia Child kitchen at the Smithsonian.  It's as though a preteen Adele could walk in at any moment and start playing with a Tamagotchi).  But I realized I could recycle my old high school corkboard at my new apartment.  Here it is:

Gosh, it's embarrassing to even put my photo next to the previous ones, ha. So that's what we're working with at the moment.  The room has all white Ikea furniture, if you can imagine that.  So if I paint the corkboard black, will it be too much, like a scary black hole in the all-white galaxy of my room?

Should I pick something more colorful or use white stripes, like these pretty corkboards here?

Image from This Little Street

Ann Taylor Perfect Pointy Pumps

My Ann Taylor shopping trips continue - last Monday, I needed to find some grownup clothes and shoes.  Most of my shoes have vestigial buckles or pictures of cartoon dogs on them, so this is a huge step forward for me.

I needed something that was decidedly conservative, so Ann Taylor seemed like a good bet.  I know this is the store of choice for D.C. careerist types.  My roommate who works on the Hill used to wear Ann Taylor almost exclusively.  She even wore it when we out clubbing at a sketchy warehouse.  But I've avoided Ann Taylor thus far, mainly because I hate buying work clothes.  This shopping trip impressed me, though.  It seemed very on trend, lots of neon everywhere, but in a restrained boss lady way.

I ended up getting these shoes - what do you think?  The saleswoman who helped me picked out an entire outfit for me, including the pumps.  I put them on and they were the most comfortable heels I've ever worn.  "I'll take them!" I said.  Then I looked at the price.  This sent me reeling, because I was expecting a tag similar to the $5 pants I just bought at Ann Taylor Loft.  I had no idea their shoes were this much.

Oh well.  Wish I had used a coupon.  They won't go out of style, so I feel better about it.  I wore them all day and stood in them for one hour straight and they didn't obliterate my feet so I'll give the Perfect Pointy Pumps a thumbs-up so far.  Anyone else wear Ann Taylor shoes?  Let me know if this was a good buy or not in the comments.

Joe's Birthday Party

I love to read food blogs, so when Joe told me that he and his good friend Andy planned to host a joint birthday party, I finally had an opportunity to make all the fun party food that would be strange for me to cook for myself.

Like chocolate-covered potato chips.  I found the recipe from the very fun blog Spoon Fork Bacon.  Just what America needs right?  Greasy salty chips covered in sugar.  Eh, it's a party, I say.

I hand-dipped every single potato chip from a family size bag of Wavy Lays into a vat of milk chocolate.  "These are bespoke potato chips," Joe said. It took a very long time.  Once I started, I couldn't stop, and covered every available flat surface with potato chips on wax paper.

The ones photographed on Spoon Fork Bacon are eerily perfect.  My chips were lumpier because I had a hard time getting the perfect amount of chocolate on each chip.  But dang, they tasted good anyway.  If there is ever a situation to use the word "dang," I think it should be when describing chocolate-covered potato chips.

Behind the potato chips, you'll see dulce de leche sandwich cookies via Joy the Baker, who is the cutest person ever, at least judging from her blog.  I love her, and the rest of the recipes I cooked are from her website.  This party was brought to you by Joy the Baker.

These cookies might not look like much, but they are the best I've ever made.  I've made three batches this year, by popular request.  It's easy too.  A can of dulce de leche serves as the filling, with some sea salt sprinkled on top.  I'm very into the salty/sweet combination.

I also made baked brie lollipops. Joy's baked brie look prettier than mine, but I was just happy they didn't explode in the oven, as some commenters mentioned.  I was using Joe's oven, so no skin off my nose if they did.  Haha.  No that was easy too.  I convinced Prudence to come to the party by saying that I would serve "fancy Hot Pockets on a stick."  I think that would be my food truck concept as well.

Alex made a sign advertising my mixology skills.  Not sure why "special" is in quotes.  Is he humoring me?  I made another Joy the Baker recipe, rosemary lime cocktails.  These are so good.  I have a heavy hand with the vodka too.  Prudence said that I would be distracted, talking to someone, meanwhile the vodka bottle is going "glug, glug, glug."

Someone bought in mini-pies from the new Pie Sisters in Georgetown.  Georgetown Cupcake, will this put a crack in your empire?

The birthday boys blow out the candles.   [Not pictured, the awesome friends who made the trek in the cold to help us celebrate].

I wore my party dress meant for a six-year-old for this special occasion.  The print has little horseys, bunnies and teddy bears on it.

I don't wear this dress very often.  I tried to wear it to the office, but I felt like the bunnies might make it less than professional.  I still love it though, it's from a stall at an amazing flea market in London.   So I've only worn it a handful of times, and one time I was wearing it, waiting for the bus and a girl walks by wearing the exact same dress I was wearing.  What?  I'd expect that for a F21 sweater, but what a coincidence.

Happy birthday, Joe!  So looking forward to spending your 31st year together!

Cape Weather

I checked the weather this morning and saw it was going to be 50 degrees.  That is the tipping point for when wearing my cape makes sense.  Warmth is not its greatest feature.

I bought my cape two years ago, and now I see quite a few girls wearing capes.  It's no biggie these days.  Well, at least to me.  Maybe not for others.  I generally get my own seat on the bus when I take the cape out for a spin.

During my halfday today, I went to the library to pick up my books on hold.  (An aside: the DC public library system's website is amazing.  Couldn't be easier.  Just type in the name of the book you want and they'll deliver it to your nearest library and you can run in and pick it up. If you don't have a library card, you are missing out!  It's a shame I waited so long to do this).

The librarian who checked out my books said "Nice cape."

"Thanks!" I said, a bit too eagerly.  Then I thought I should go ahead and say what everyone was thinking.  "It's a bit eccentric."

"But it's perfect cape weather," she said.

That's what I've been saying!  Finally, someone gets it.

Headboard Was Not To Be

I returned the headboard.  Thank you for voting in the poll, the results were very close.  And though my heart said "keep it," my head said "return it," and that's what won out.  I was worried about getting it up the stairs and having to drag it to my next place, which my practical friends reminded me of.  If only this headboard wasn't so massive.  If only.

Anyhoo, my next fanciful idea is to make this Polish chandelier featured in Oh Happy Day.  Lots of cutting of tissue paper, and probably lots of patience required.  Patience is not my strong suit with crafts (example here).  We'll see how it goes.  Hopefully my Pajaki chandelier will somewhat resemble these!

New Headboard: To Be or Not To Be?

Ever since I moved into my new place, I've had my eye on this Scroll Headboard from West Elm. I've never had a headboard before. In my last bedroom, I put the bed in front of two bookshelves and books occasionally fell on my head. 

But no more, if I had the Scroll Headboard. It looks suitably imposing/princess-y, which apparently is a look I'm going for.

While Christmas shopping at Tysons, I saw that the headboard happened to be on sale for 25% off, which is the best deal I'd ever seen in my year of careful monitoring. So when I was supposed to be shopping for others, I dropped $300 on myself. Plus they had it in stock, so I wouldn't have to pay to get it delivered. Even more savings. They said it would fit in a minivan, no problem.

I made my dad drive me in the minivan to Tysons during the thick of Christmas shopping, which is a kamikaze mission.  Of course I bought this thing during one of the most painful times to go to the mall. 

And unfortunately for both of us, it turned out the headboard wouldn't fit in the minivan. The stock guy wouldn't even try. It is gigantic.  Much more so than I accounted for in my initial impulsive shopping.  Which made me wonder, will it even fit up the stairs in my apartment?

My boxframe for the full bed fit up the stairs, but it was a struggle.  If the box frame fit up the stairs, then a 5.5 ft x 4.5 ft headboard will be able to as well?  My fear is that I will manage to drag it home and then it will get stuck on the stairs.

So my options are as follows. I can:

a.) Convince my dad to take the seats out of the minivan, which will involve much grumbling and be painful for all involved.

b.) Pay $120 to get it shipped, but that is almost half of the price of the whole thing.  But it would be less of a hassle.

c.) Rent a UHaul, which would be a huge hassle.

d.) Return the dang thing and wash your hands of all of it.  Maybe it wasn't meant to be.  And plus I will be dragging it around forever.

Right now it is sitting in a stockroom, awaiting my next move.  I'd like to outsource this decision.  I really want it, but is it worth all the hassle?  What do you think I should do?