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spring style: on the run

Written on April 28, 2013 by Kim A

While our freaky Oklahoma weather has put spring on a long snooze this year, it’s finally time to dig out those sweats and go on that run.

Spring is full of events, races, charity runs and casual weeknight walks. So instead of busting out those baggy sweats for another year, put some pep in your workout wardrobe this year.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to look like that girl at the gym we all envy (perfect makeup and all). If getting excited about your new yoga pants or that pair of running shoes is what it takes, then so be it.

Whether you are a serious runner or casual workout’er like me, adding something stylish and bright to your workout is just the thing for spring.

Eddy glass water bottle, Camelbak; Endurance headband, lucy; Boyfriend striped tank, Adidas; Nike Free 3.0 running shoe, Nike; Steadytone tote bag, Puma

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Design, Fashion, Kim A., Style Tags: fashion, Kim A., style

kitchen cabinets: two-toned color trend

Written on March 25, 2013 by Kim A

Image via the deocorologist

The easiest way to transform your outdated kitchen is to slap on a fresh coat of paint to those worn-out kitchen cabinets. And that’s exactly what I plan to do this spring or summer.

I’m not the most timely of DIY-ers, that’s a well-documented fact on this blog. But I hope to knock out this much-needed task soon — yet the paint decisions are driving me crazy!

Do I go all white? Or should I do a universal black-and-white decor? Or, should I be daring and take a risk with a fun color? I hate to get too trendy, or I’ll need to repaint in a year.

So here is what I WILL be using — a two-toned kitchen cabinet color scheme. Darker paint on the lower cabinets, lighter on top.

It’s not terribly new — designers have been using this idea for a few years now. But for those who think it’s too out there, think again. You can really get creative with this trend– while keeping the look sophisticated and subtle.

Image via the kitchn

From a visual perspective, it’s a good idea to keep the darker color on the lower cabinets – love the indigo blue in the above kitchen. Then use a crisp, lighter shade on top. This will make your space look larger. You really can’t beat a bright white for a a clean look.

Image via Better Homes & Gardens

But just because there are certain “rules” for two-toned kitchen cabinets, that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with finishes. This glossy look is a perfect example. The glossy paint from the lower cabinets gives these basic espresso cabinets a modern touch.

This would be a good option for a more traditional kitchen, like mine. Or for those who want an updated, yet approachable look. I for one, don’t want my kitchen to look so sleek and perfect that you can’t get your hands dirty!

Image via Design Traveler

And for the more daring, you can still get very creative with kitchen cabinet color, as well. You can choose to color block your kitchen cabinets, so to speak. Paint an island cabinet section white, then choose a bright shade for the opposite block of kitchen cabinets. You can’t go wrong with green, especially this year!

The bottom line in kitchen design is to have fun, be creative and make your kitchen the most comfortable room in your home!

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Design, Home, Inspiration, Kim A., Kitchen, Trends Tags: Inspiration, Kim A., kitchen, trends

deco-inspired Oscar gowns

Written on February 25, 2013 by Kim A

Images via Getty

Did you watch the Oscars last night–or, shall I say the more important event — the Oscars Red Carpet?

A theme on the red carpet always emerges, and this year it seems to be a style — Art Deco!

An Art-Deco loving Tulsan like myself was thrilled to see some of that glamorous style of Art Deco making it to the red carpet. Perfect example, Jessica Chastain — my personal favorite –in Armani Prive.

Art Deco style is so present in Tulsa, and we sometimes take the gorgeous architecture for granted. But the style also has translated into beautiful fashion designs.

I was so happy to see this elegant style translated into the most elegant night of the year.

Here are some other favorite Oscar dresses from last night, with a feeling of that distinctive style we so love.

Stacy Keibler in Naeem Kahn (with her so-so looking date -we kid!)

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Zuhair Murad

Halle Berry in Versace

And best accessory definitely goes to Jennifer Garner, wearing a gorgeous Deco-inspired (at least I think it looks Deco-inspired) necklace by Neil Lane. (Her plum Gucci gown isn’t that bad either!)

Who were your favorites on the Oscars red carpet this year?

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Design, Fashion, Kim A., Style, Tulsa Tags: art deco, fashion, Kim A., style

oscar party: hosting a hollywood gifting party

Written on February 20, 2013 by Kim A

Image via NY Daily news

There are sports fans, and there are Oscars fans. And this Sunday is the movie buff’s Super Bowl. Yes, it’s time for the Academy Awards — and time to host a Hollywood-worthy party. We were featured on Fox 23′s show Great Day Green Country to share some fun ideas today!

I’ve hosted Oscars watch parties for years, and they’ve ranged from elaborate nights with food and wine, to sweat pants and cheap champagne.

But this year, I thought we’d try something a little different — a red carpet gifting party.

Haven’t you always been envious when you hear about those luxurious gifts, trips and fabulous items the stars get for free? Just for showing up to an event, a starlet can walk away with a year’s salary worth of gifts.

So why not treat your friends like the stars they are, and host an easy, memorable Oscars party? We’ve got everything you need from a DIY Hollywood sign to swag bags full of goodies. Happy Oscars!

Image via My Paper Pinwheel

The Hollywood sign

To start the party off right, we asked one of our favorite Tulsa crafters — Thuy Bui at My Paper Pinwheel — to set the tone. And she created this fun Hollywood Glam Banner. Inspired from the infamous “Hollywood Sign” in LA’s Hollywood Hills, Thuy made this cute sign from card stock, a little glitter and a few more easy craft-store-bought items.

See the bottom of the post for her simple DIY.

Treats

An Oscars party is all about food, of course! To keep in theme, I thought that celebs would want to start their night with a tiny bite — so they don’t ruin their couture gown, of course. Our friends in Tulsa at The Dainty Dozen, have just the perfect little bites — Red Velvet cake balls. These cake balls are serious — two little bites and you’re hooked.

Swag bags

Treating your guests can be part of the party. Any Hollywood red carpet is full of swag — and I mean the take-home kind. We chose some lovely gifts from Sideways Boutique on Brookside.

We picked a beautiful candle by Pre de Provence, and one of the most sought-after fragrances from TokyoMilk — Gin and Rosewater. To finish the bag, we chose a glam, sparkly cocktail ring — surely to be emulated on the red carpet.

Oscar Bingo

After your friends are sufficiently wined and lavished with gifts, the long awards ceremony begins. To keep things fun and interesting, how about a game of Oscars Bingo? Sarah V. was kind enough to design this cool game for the Oscar buff and novice alike –just follow along with the show, and the first person to get five in a row wins yet another lovely gift!

We have six cards available for you to download here!

Have a great Oscars party!

DIY Hollywood Sign instructions:

Here are Thuy’s easy-to-follow steps for her cute banner.

Supplies:

Black and white card stock
Gold tissue paper
Gold glitter
Glue stick and mod podge
Baker’s twine

1. Cut out the letters for “Hollywood” with a Cricut, using white card stock. Cut out pendant-shapes in black card stock for the backing of each letter.

2. Using mod podge to outline letters, and add glitter around each letter. After it has dried, glue the letters on top of the pendants.

3. String the baker’s twine along the back of the pendants and secure with tape or glue. To add some flair, cut gold tissue paper into a strip the length of the banner and fringe the edges with scissors.

For more visit, My Paper Pinwheel.

Here’s my turn on Great Day Green Country, where I show the whole party put together!

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Design, DIY, Entertaining, Kim A. Tags: DIY, Entertaining, Kim A., Oscars

Delicious Raspberry Crumble Bars: Make Them Today

Written on February 14, 2013 by Kim A

Happy Valentine’s Day! Or Happy Anti-Valentine’s Day if you prefer.

If you’re a planner, then Valentine’s Day dessert is likely in the bag. You’ve ordered your chocolates, baked your cookies or at least purchased your ingredients for the big day.

But if the week slipped by, and you’re scrambling for a quick treat — we’ve got just the thing: Raspberry bars made with jam and shortbread. Perfect.

I have to admit, I actually made these lovelies for the Super Bowl. But the pretty raspberry jam squished in the middle of the buttery shortbread made me think they would be perfect for Valentine’s Day. And they are!

The secret? Good jam and a great recipe. Mine is circa Ina Garten, her Raspberry Crumble Bars to be exact. I know, I know! I share way too many Barefoot Contessa recipes.

But I just couldn’t resist — the woman really knows her way around a shortbread!

The recipe is really easy to follow and the ingredients list is short. Butter, flour, sugar, vanilla , salt raspberry jam and almonds.

If you can read, you can make this decadent dessert. The sweet to salty ratio works really well here because the raspberry jam is tart, and the shortbread is buttery and not overly sweet.

Enjoy the holiday however you choose to celebrate (or not celebrate).

Raspberry Crumble Bars

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 to 12 ounces good raspberry jam, such as Hero
2/3 cup good granola without dried fruit
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed just until combined. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla.
3. Sift the flour and salt together and, with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter mixture, mixing until it almost comes together in a ball. Turn the dough out on a board. Lightly pat two-thirds of the dough evenly on the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan and about 1/4-inch up the sides. Spread with the jam, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Mix the granola into the remaining dough with your hands. Break the dough into small bits and distribute it on top of the jam, covering most of the surface. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake the bars for 45 minutes, until lightly browned.
4. Cool completely and cut into 9 or 12 bars. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

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Holiday, Home, Kim A., Recipes Tags: holiday, home, Kim A., recipes

Design Sting: Inexpensive, Rock Star Wall Art

Written on February 4, 2013 by Kim A

As I’ve clearly stated before, I’m NOT the hands-on, creative type of our group — but I managed to pull off a pretty fun, fool-proof Design Sting anyway. This easy, and very inexpensive wall took some planning, web surfing and lots of measuring. But I did it all myself, which proves anybody can do this easy project.

I’m doing some redecorating in the back of my house, and art is always an important — but expensive — part of the process. So I turned a blank wall in my office/media room into a colorful grid of rock art. (Of course, my cat was on hand to help, as always).

My husband, along with two other Prairie Hive husbands, is a musician, and we’ve both always been fans of concert posters. So when I found the book, Gig Posters Volume 2, I was inspired! I knew we had to use these somewhere in our home.

Image via Amazon

The book is full of perforated, ready-to-frame posters. And with so many talented artists, who use their favorite bands as inspiration, the hard part was choosing which posters to frame! The only slightly tricky part was finding 11-by-14-inch frames — but I did some web research and found these really inexpensive, glass-front poster frames at Target.

Image via Target

So it was all a matter of selecting and hanging — not going to lie, both of these tasks took time. My husband and I looked through the book many times, and decided to pick posters from bands we loved, had seen live together or had sentimental value from college concert days gone by. I wanted the colors to sort of blend and stand out against my very beige wall, so I also decided to pull out the dark reds and blues and greens that I wanted to highlight in the room.

Once we had the final nine selected, the rearranging puzzle began. My favorite is Norah Jones poster, which was different from the rest, so I put it in the middle.

I’m not going to lie –hanging these posters was not easy. There was measuring and math involved! But I was adamant that I do it myself, and I did.

The best part — other than filling an otherwise blank, blah wall — is that it cost around $65. You can’t beat that!

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Design, DIY, Home, Kim A. Tags: design, DIY, Kim A.

Soup’s on: Spice up your winter soups and stews

Written on January 21, 2013 by Kim A

Image of Winter Mexican Corn Soup via Verses from My Kitchen

It’s post-holiday winter, so in my house that means hearty soups and stews. But we all get bored with the same old varieties, right?

I not only like to try new recipes, but I love experimenting with new ingredients. So here we go — I’ve done some research and found some exciting recipes to try! First, is Winter Mexican Corn Soup . I’m all over this for many reasons, the main being that it involves ancho chili powder. This kicked-up spice is made from dried poblano peppers, and it gives your recipe a kick of heat and warmth we all need in the winter.

Image via Martha Stewart

Wouldn’t you know Martha Stewart has already experimented with spices for us? Her recipe for Indian Stew includes one of my favorite winter ingredients – ground ginger. It’s not just for holiday cookie recipes! This adds a lovely aromatic element to your stew. Can’t wait to try this one out — maybe for the Prairie Hive gals’ next meeting!

Image via Baked Bree

Even if you’re craving the classic beef stew, you can add an unexpected flavor to make it special. This recipe for Balsamic Beef Stew is just the trick. Use that aged balsamic vinegar you got for the holidays for a rich flavor.

Image via A Bitchin’ Kitchen

I’d never thought to combine these flavors in the recipe above — Chipolte Sweet Potato Soup. I love chipolte in adobo sauce , so I always have some in my freezer (hint, you only need one or two of these smoked jalapenos, so freeze the rest of your can when done!). I”m not the hugest fan of sweet potato casserole at the holidays, so some heat would do me just fine.

What’s your favorite go-to stew or soup recipe for winter?

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Design, Home, Kim A., Kitchen, Recipes, Serving Suggestions Tags: home, Kim A., recipes

Re-Entry: Set the tone with a refreshed entryway

Written on January 14, 2013 by Kim A

Image via Pinterest, source unknown

Creating a new look for my entryway is one of many home projects I’ve got up my sleeve for 2013.

A perpetual home-update slacker, I’ve proud to say that I’ve made some pretty major gains for my home remodel project lately! Thanks to a self-imposed, certifiably cuckoo deadline for Thanksgiving, I finally repainted a huge chunk of my home, including the entryway. Go me!

Now, I’m making the entrance to my home a priority. I’m lucky to actually have a pretty big entryway, so why I’ve chosen to neglect this area is strange! It’s the first impression your guests get when setting foot in the door.

Gone is the “antique” wallpaper — and I use that term very loosely (it was so old it wasn’t cool) — and I went with a nice neutral paint color. It’s literally a blank canvas. But before I start decorating, I’ve been carefully putting together ideas and inspiration — which I’m sharing with you now:

Image via Nylon

Classic, polished. For me, the first (and most important) decision is setting a tone. I love the above look — classic, updated and stylish — but I’m afraid my home is just not quite this polished. This is the entryway I wish I could have, just not there yet! Still, I love the use of black and white with a hint of pink and the great accessories.

Image via Cherry Blossom World

Artistic modern. I could definitely see some of these inspirations in my entryway in the future – love the weathered console table, and the shape of the chair. The rug adds some nice texture, and I also love the color choices. But I might be a smidge more on the traditional side to pull this off.

Image via A Note on Design

Arty entry. This is a good example of taking advantage of every inch on your entry wall. Framing favorite pieces of art and photographs is an easy way to add interest and fill space. I also love the bench. I’m always in need of a place to pull on my boots before popping out the door!

Image via Let’s Stay

Industrial, minimal. I also love this look for the right house. I like the use of minimal, stark colors accented by the cool (metal-looking?) trunk. The frames on the wall look great in black, and their varied shapes add warmth and personality, otherwise it would be a bit too bare. The pendant light is perfect to complete the urban apartment vibe.

What’s your favorite entryway inspiration?

I’ll keep you updated once I’ve finished mine!

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Design, Home, Inspiration, Kim A. Tags: design, home, Inspiration, Kim A.

A New Year, New Cook’s Tools

Written on January 7, 2013 by Kim A

Image via Etsy

Happy 2013! Hope you had a happy holiday season and have had a good transition back into Normal Life.

For many of us, that means getting back into the routine in the kitchen. Not gonna lie — it’s been tough for me to get back into the grind of making dinner every night. I’ve been quite the slacker! But a good resolution is always to make a healthier meal, or at the very least, a homier one.

So, I’m glad I got some foodie goodies for Christmas! Here are a few new cook’s tools and gadgets we got in our stockings this year. Because I’m big on baking and because my hubby’s a barbecue fanatic, we get a healthy assortment of cooking supplies each year, and they’re so much fun to try out.

From individual steak thermometers to reusable cupcake liners, I thought I’d share these fun and inexpensive gadgets to try this year. Have fun experimenting!

1. Silicone cupcake liners, Amazon 2. Mini steak thermometers, Creative Kitchen 3. Zeroll ice cream scoop, Sur La Table 4. Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Sugar, Williams-Sonoma 5. Clip-on spoon rest, Amazon

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Design, Home, Kim A., Kitchen, Serving Suggestions Tags: home, Kim A., kitchen, serving suggestions

New Year’s Eve Bubbly: Easy Champagne Cocktails

Written on December 31, 2012 by Kim A

Image via Revel: Revel

Happy New Year’s Eve! For festive party-goers or for curl-up-and-stay-home-bodies, the night is a perfect excuse to bust out some of that bubbly you’ve been saving.

Champagne, or sparkling wine, is one of my favorite beverages. I’ve always been a fan of the bubbly, and I drink it on every special occasion.

That said, not everyone in your party is always a huge fan. So sometimes, they are more apt to try a glass of the festive stuff if it’s in the form of a cocktail. Fair enough!

Image via WildFleur

Sometimes, all you need is a few drops of Chambord or another flavored liqueur to brighten up those glasses of bubbly. Or, you can liven up a party with a Champagne punch. No matter what you choose, it’s a fun way to celebrate the New Year!

Here are a few of my favorite Champagne varieties and recipes. Have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve!

1. Individual cans of Sofia, by Francis Coppola Winery 2. Pomegranate Champagne Punch, Martha Stewart 3. Frozen fruit skewers for a slushy Champagne garnish 4. Blackberry Champagne Cocktails, Williams-Sonoma 5. Cosmopolitan Champagne Cocktails, Epicurious

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Design, Entertaining, Holiday, Home, Kim A., Kitchen, Recipes Tags: Entertaining, holiday, home, Kim A., kitchen, recipes