OUR HOME // living room update

Mid-summer I got the idea stuck in my head that we were gonna split once Dan got home from Alaska, move out of our house into the Winne and sell all our stuff.  After my trip up to Alaska to visit him I came home and started selling our furniture.  I sold and donated quite a bit of stuff, including our couch, but then after Dan came home he got a new job, I got invited to join the Gritty City Sirens and staying in Tacoma started to sound appealing again.  Our house was still in a bit of a jumble from my purge fest and our living room always felt like it was in a state of being unfinished.  
We're still thinking of moving, but that won't be happening until at least after I return from the Wildbride Retreat west coast tour.  So for now, it made sense to make our home feel homey again.  We got a couch again, and I set up the living room into an arrangement that I've never had it in before!  I've always liked the idea of the couch being on the black wall, but I wasn't sure how that'd work with the front door being right there.  I figured I'd try it out anyway and I really love how it feels!  Plus, there's a perfect spot for our Christmas Tree!
See the other ways I've arranged our living room here.



 




 






Almost everything is Ikea, thrifted, or Target.

diy home office

So, based on my hair color you can guess that these photos were taken a while ago.  June, I think? I hinted at these photos on instagram, but never got around to posting them here because blog hiatus.  My office looks a little different now,  I put my big desk where the chair/sidetable is and I finally have an actual sewing station for the first time in, well, forever.  Which is good because I have two burlesque shows coming up and that means costuming!  The rest of the room is the same, save for a bit more clutter because for whatever reason I'm incapable of keeping a room tidy for any sustained period of time.  
This room is a bit awkward. Technically it can be considered a bedroom because it has a closet, but it's right off the living room and has been through quite a few iterations before ending up as my home office.  the little nook where my standing desk is now has always been an awkward area because it's behind the door when it opens into the room, so it felt hard to utilize.  I figured it looked just deep enough to be the perfect size for a big long standing desk, so a sheet of OSB ripped in half, and some 1x4s later: standing desk.  It's a pretty long span, so I put a bracket in the center to make it more sturdy, but it doesn't really support a ton of weight.  It's basically a real long, deeper than normal shelf.  Super minimal and one of the most functional DIY's ever.  I'm not going to do a DIY post for it because it's so basic.  Cut OSB to fit your space.  Screw 1x4s into wall.  Set OSB on top of 1x4s.  Screw top down.  Done.




 

This guy was a thrift find when I was searching for a bar cart.  It was brown faux wood and brass, so I spray painted it green.
I wanted to raise my computer screen a bit higher than where it was when it sat on the desk so I stacked some of my vintage library books and now it's perfect.

 

I loathe screwing things into my walls because they are lath and plaster, so I wanted to make a shelf that had the most minimal screwing possible.  And also cheap.  Plain wood shelves from Ikea, eye screws and hooks, and some white rope were the perfect solution.  I love how minimal and clean it looks, and it was one of the cheapest DIY's I've ever done.








rug + ottoman + sidetable + cart + dressform + barstool + globes/thrifted chair + frames/ikea :: flag/urban outfitters :: tiny hanging airplant holders +  wire metal diamond + phrenology bust + morroccan lanterns/modcloth :: peony print/vol 25 adventure print/ABM happy mail :: block party print/year round co.  stay humble print/jenny highsmith :: standing desk + hanging shelf/DIY

ginger lemon drop

ou guys know how obsessed with ginger I am, right?  I can't get enough of ginger infused treats and cocktails.  I recently got to go on a tour of Heritage Distilling in Gig Harbor and participate in their My Batch experience where you get to distill your own craft spirits and at the end of the day, in addition to the spirits I created, I also couldn't resist picking up a bottle of their ginger vodka!  They have so many amazing flavored vodka flavors, and while I'm not usually a vodka fan, after trying their ginger vodka I knew I'd have fun making cocktails with it!  I almost picked up the blood orange vodka too, but I didn't and I kind of regret it.  Blood orange summer cocktails are calling my name!  Blood orange AND ginger?  OMG.  Okay, anyway.  After getting the ginger vodka I was brainstorming how to use it first.  I had a few leftover lemons, so a lemon drop fit the bill!  The lemon drop is a simple, sweet cocktail that is a definite crowd pleaser.  The bright, citrus flavor makes it a perfect cocktail for those hot summer days.  Now, if only those hot summer days would get here...

 
Ingredients (makes one cocktail):
2 oz Ginger Vodka
.5 oz Triple sec
1 oz Simple syrup
1 oz Fresh lemon juice

Garnish:
Brown sugar mixed with a bit of ground ginger (for rim)
1 Lemon twist
1 Piece Candied Ginger


1 / Coat the rim of a cocktail glass with brown sugar mixed with a bit of ground ginger and set aside.

2 / Add ginger vodka, triple sec, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a shaker and fill with ice.

3 / Shake until frosty, and strain into the prepared glass.

4 / Garnish with a lemon twist and candied ginger. Enjoy!

THE BRAVE // vintage rv renovation inspiration

lot has happened in the past week (including my first burlesque show on Saturday!), and I've got some Brave news forthcoming, but for now lets just look at pretty pictures, eh?  My aesthetic has changed quite a bit since my last Winnebago journey.  I was into textures on vintage prints on more textures next to more prints... you get the idea.  Hence my obsession with all things 70's.  Faux wood?  Hell yes.  Tacky patterns?  Bring it on.  But my current style is a bit cleaner and simpler, with some nods to that vintage style I was hot and heavy with back in 2008-2010.  The Brave needs a refresh, so it makes sense to give her a look that matches current me!  Plus, with my plans to film the video podcast inside the Brave,  I want something less dark, dim, and cave-like.  I know it's, like, all the rage to white wash the interiors of these vintage RVs and trailers, but the truth is, a good whitewash can seriously open up and brighten a space, and when you're dealing with a space appx 20 x 8 ft?  I'll take all the openness and brightness I can get.  
Obviously this is going to be a DIY-heavy endeavor, so I'm excited to share projects as things start to get rolling.  I have some boring mechanical stuff to deal with first, but I'm already filling my brain with inspiration for her cosmetic overhaul.  I don't even think Pinterest existed when I did my updates to the Brave before my last trip in 2010, and it's crazy how many RV renovations are out there now!  It's fun to see how many people have taken an interest in reviving these old gals since I was deep into that world in 2010!
 
  I really want her to be clean and bright, but still full of personality.  And for me, practicality and functionality has to be major.  I see a lot of cute RV or trailer renos and I feel like you'd have to remove half the stuff to make it driveable.  I mean, I love styling spaces as much as the next blogger, but I also am going to be driving this beast thousands of miles, so she really does need to be functional as a vehicle that drives on the interstate. It seems like most of the renovations I've found that I love are trailers, which seem a bit easier to work on since you don't have to deal with being inextricably enmeshed with the chassis of a truck.  The layout of my Brave is pretty much stuck, since everything is where it needs to be to work with the truck base, which is fine because I really love the layout I have.  I've been in a few Braves and mine is by far my favorite layout, very open and light, all things considered.   Right now on my to do list: 

• whitewash interior
• reupholster bench seating in rear
• refinish counter + table
• make new curtains, possibly new rods too
• redo bathroom (not sure what I want to do yet, though)
• finish flooring
• repaint flying W on exterior!

I seriously can't wait to transform the Brave into a mobile home and studio that reflects my style and give it a fresh new life!  It's gon' be awesome, y'all.  *does geeky excited dance*

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