ramblingirl's Profile

After a long quest for an affordable, space-conscious solution to the organizational chaos caused by my shoe habit, I finally gave up this weekend and decided to DIY it. So now I'm in the process of building rolling underbed shoe storage out of pine boards and plywood. Casters on the boxes make things easily accessible while keeping them out of the way, the wood is solid and goes with my decor, and I'm not wasting valuable space lining all of my shoes up in boxes.

What color gray did you use for your walls? I'm on a quest for a good gray paint for my living room and, at least on the monitor, this looks like it might work?

If someone has *just* moved in, I think there's actually a way to package the toilet paper that makes it seem like a thoughtful gift. Perhaps as part of a "move-in" kit that contains a bunch of little items that people need and often forget when they're moving into a new place.

I still often follow the Jewish housewarming tradition of bread, salt, and sugar. I'll pick up a loaf of good bread, some fancy salt (Himalayan pink is a favorite of mine), and some good honey (which I sub for sugar). To me, it screams tradition and thoughtfulness -- "Bread so that you shall never know hunger; salt, so your life shall always have flavor; and sugar, so your life shall always have sweetness.”

Another good one, if you're willing to put in a bit of work, is to do a takeout binder or a guide to some sort of neighborhood/local resources (e.g., for someone with little kids you could do the closest playgrounds, or for a foodie maybe a guide to farmer's markets or gourmet shops).

I have to admit that I'd prefer any of those to a spray-painted trophy...

Anyone know where the coffee table is from? It would be perfect in my living room!

Brunch at the Tabard is an old standby for me. The food, service, and atmosphere are all fantastic and the prices are relatively on par with other places in the area.

Also worth checking out as far as eclectic, boutique-y hotels in the area is the O Street Mansion: http://www.omansion.com/. If you can't afford the (rather steep) room rates, there are frequent opportunities to explore the nooks and crannies. My personal favorite is the annual "yard sale", which sprawls through the guest rooms for the second half of August. There are some great finds in there, especially if you have a bit of patience and imagination.

Does anyone know anything about the couch and table in the first picture? I love them!

I had a chance to visit the Esquire house this year, and the kitchen was my favorite part of the whole thing. Too bad it didn't make it into the house tour. It was huge and gorgeous and had more gadgets than I ever would have imagined. Apparently the Esquire bachelor loves to cook...

World Market also is a great place to look for baskets.

I cook a big pot of something on Sundays that can be doctored a bit to make several different meals throughout the week. That way I don't have to cook for myself every day, but I also don't have to eat the same meal several days in a row.

Spinach, because it's super health and still tasty. And eggplant, because who doesn't love purple food?