abby's Profile

Hi guys, Abigail here, responding to you.

Patrickx, Bohohippiemom, Pidgie, honest day, etc: thanks!

KGold, Ivy Phanitac, Mimi: check this link to see the full before. There was a wooden rectangular table, there was a black chandelier, there were curtains. this is 180 from that!

nic243, AidelK: the bookcase top is a magnetic board i purchased a few years ago from Pottery Barn. I used it to have it hung up over the stove to hold the spices. similar ones are available from amazon, crate & barrel, west elm, etc. google "magnetic stainless steel board"

portandia: i got the fruit bowl at a vintage store; it was one of those awful, sad centerpiece things which had fake moss and plants glued into it (which i ripped out). if i hadn't found it, i'd have bought the canoe pot from bauer which looks beautiful with fruit or planted with succulents.

to all the yellow tile lovers: tile countertops are impractical for someone who cooks and bakes as much as I do. marble countertops = more pies, more cookies! also, the tiles are completely chipped and luster-free and are super-sad in person. (Sorry to disappoint you MissC but I've lived here for over a decade and still feel no yellow tile love)

to all the people who liked the dark trim before: to each his own. I was jonesing for a change. i liked it when i did it but right now i am liking bare/simple/clean/sparse. also, sally305, the trim wasn't chipped, that picture was taken in the middle of me stripping the window frames down to the wood)

MSG, Nelly: yes, cabinet hardware is a great way to update a kitchen and mine will be changed out at some point but, with 24 cabinets & drawers, even Ikea hardware rings in at way way more than i am currently prepared to spend. This makeover hovered around $100 (2 cans of good paint)

and for the people who are worried about what my landlord will say: what he said was, "whatever makes you happy". he paid for the work and because i know he will get inexpensive paint, i offered to pay for the paint and i also stripped the windows & cupboard.

bepsf, you're right, i meant sports coat or blazer!

9 tops may feel like a lot but that includes everything that you'd wear on top. if it's winter and you're doing a layering thing -- a camisole, a long sheeve t and a cardigan with jeans, that's three tops right there. Even so, I've never had to use anything bigger than a small pilot case.

my challenge with this food plate is that it includes dairy AND protein -- which is mixing metaphors. dairy is a form of protein. so, while i applaud the graphics change and believe it's a step in the right direction, it's based on a 1950's idea of eating, with everyone sitting down to dinner with a glass of milk to drink.

i'd redesign the plate to double the vegetable portion and instead of a round of dairy, that would be a round of fruit.

Creative License,
The house was built in 1922 and yes, the kitchen tiles are original.

Lepidoptery,
Yes, you are right, the purple rug was a remnant, also from Linoleum City on Santa Monica Blvd. I did a post on them a few years ago: here.

Thanks!
Abby

watermelon, tomato, feta, greek olives, cucumbers, basil, mint, red onion optional = edible summer

my fav breakfast evah. i made a savory version for dinner a few weeks ago when i wanted something quick and didn't have any pasta. Swapped olive oil for butter, left out the sugar, added a little minced garlic to the olive oil, sprinkled with parm and rosemary. no leftovers.

Wow, what i'm mostly gonna take away from this is the poaching method from ICThomas and Bittman of boiling the water, with or without the chicken already in the pot, & then leaving the chicken in the hot water with the fire turned off to finish cooking. One thing I've always hated about poaching is having to constantly watch that the liquid stays just at the low simmer mark. This frees me up to leave the kitchen, even the house. thank you!

jbess101

if you're in la, there's a place on robertson, just about 2 blocks north of national (around David) on the east side of the street, that has similar mirrors. They display some examples of them outside when they're open so even though i can't give you an exact address, it should be pretty easy to find.

abby

Denise123,
That is The Bailey Studio's booth at a recent design expo.

Alexis,
They also sell the pillows.

The Mlle Kate method works for me too! To make sure I don't have to do it again, I keep a stick of chalk in my silver drawer and it stays bright (if somebody knows the science behind that one, splain please.)