amy’s had a tough year I’m happy for her to have this nice closet upgrade :(
Hello Everyone! Last month I got my dream closet put in. This was a three month process to get the closet done. We first meet with a designer over zoom. To talk about what we want for are closet. Then they drew up a rough darft. After looking at the rought draft. We went in a changed a few things.
Once we had everything in place we went to work by emptying the closet out. After all the clothes were out of the closet. We took down the wire shelfing. Patched the hole in the walls. Then painted the wall grey to match our bedroom wall. Then on December 1st, 2020.
Closet factory came in and installed the closet. It toook them two days to get the closet set up. After the closet was put in. We went to work and cleaned all of the shelfs. After everything was clean. We started to put are clothes back in it.
As I was putting my clothes away. I ended up getting rid of a bag of clothes. Not only did I get rid of a bag of clothes. We change are all are hanger out to to matching ones. Over all are closet looks amazing and I can’t wait to shop my closet more this year and not buy so many new clothes.
Goodbye to the blue in their logo! This is how Burger King's products will soon look ^
Their new look features a lot of mustard and burnt orange, to mimic the colours of the food they sell.
“We wanted to use design to close the gap between the negative perceptions people have of fast food and the positive reality of our food story by making the brand feel less synthetic, artificial, and cheap, and more real, crave-able, and tasty,” said Lisa Smith, executive creative director at Jones Knowles Ritchie, the agency used.
- claims that she is more than ready to take "control" of her own life - wants her father removed from her conservatorship - loves performing and her fans but wants life to revolve around her family - blames "less time" with sons because of incident with her father last year - conservatorship under her father recently extended until September 2021
well i know which two businesses in salem will be the first that i boycott :)
Two companies that run walking tours of Salem are suing the state over Covid-19 orders that effectively limit the size of their gatherings to just a dozen people, saying that's an impermissible violation of their free-speech rights under the First Amendment.
Why, Salem Ghosts and Zaal Ventures say, they've had to turn people away when they reached that limit, in an age when the state does nothing to stop far larger Black Lives Matter demonstrations and church services and are asking a judge in US District Court in Boston to issue an injunction to let them resume walking tours with up to 50 people at a time.
Even in the face of the Pandemic, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts cannot set unreasonably restrict and arbitrarily ignore the First Amendment rights of its citizens. ...
Walking tours inherently involve speech protected under the Free Speech Clauseof the First Amendmentas applied to the states and their political subdivision under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Also:
Other guided tours that use buses or some form of a motorized vehicle on public streets are permitted to operate at a 50% capacity. Therefore, a guided tour such as a Duck Tour which regularly hold 32 people at a time, is permitted to provide a guided tour to more than 10 to 12 people. ...
Although the governmental restrictions reduced Plaintiffs right to have 50 people participate in an outdoor guided walking tour on public streets and public sidewalks to only 10 to 12 people, an outdoor gathering on the same public streets and public sidewalks for political expression is not subject to any limitation while other outdoor gatherings on public streets and sidewalks allow more than 10 to 12 people at a time.
The Commonwealth's restrictions issued by Governor Baker and Secretary Keneally burden a substantial category of protected speech based on the content of the speech–walking tours.
The latest state Covid-19 statistics show Salem now has a test positivity rate of 4.1%, with an average count of new daily cases per 100,000 people of 41.6 - higher than Boston. Last month, the city ran an ad campaign urging people to stay away from Witch City for Halloween because of Covid-19.
It’s officially one week until Halloween! This has always been one of my favorite times of the year, and as the end of October gets closer, I typically take a cool morning or afternoon to decorate pumpkins while listening to ’80s music and sampling chocolate. This year is different in so many ways, but I’m clinging to comforting traditions, so bring on the pumpkins and paint! Keep reading for all of the DIY details…
Over the years, I’ve enjoyed many a pumpkin project. Here are a few things I’ve learned:
Your pumpkin creation doesn’t have to be complicated to make a big impact
If you’re going to completely cover it in paint, it’s better to use a faux pumpkin (to avoid rotting from the inside out)
Starting with a white pumpkin can eliminate the need to spray paint a base color
This year I let ’80s modern art be my inspiration and turned to some of my favorite colorful images to inspire the designs on the small pumpkin. The 1980s artwork of Tony DeBlasi was a big influence. For the large pumpkin, I let the lavender paint drip and then piled on the confetti. Both pumpkins pictured are real (rather than faux). While I needed some alone time to create the squiggles and lines on the smaller pumpkin, the confetti pumpkin is a totally kid-friendly endeavor! My young daughter enjoyed helping me sprinkle the confetti.
Painted Pumpkin Supplies
The supply list for these pumpkins is surprisingly small:
acrylic craft paint in various colors (this set is a great buy)
For the small white pumpkin, I actually completed the design over the course of a few days, free-handing the lines, loops and squiggles with a small paintbrush. You can totally do it in one sitting, but pandemic parenting gives me little snippets of free time rather than an hour at a time. So I painted when I could and set it aside as needed. This method actually worked well, as it kept me from getting burned out and allowed portions of the pumpkin to dry before I tackled the rest.
The confetti pumpkin can be tackled in one sitting. It’s super manageable, and the payoff is big!! If you’re looking for an easy way to make a statement, this is it, so don’t hold back. Rather than pouring paint directly from the container, I applied globs of it with a large paintbrush, making sure it started to drip in various spots around the pumpkin. If the drips started to get out of hand, I just put a paper towel near the bottom of the paint stream to lighten the look and stop the flow of paint. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle the confetti. Go ahead–it’s fun!
When the pumpkins have dried, enjoy displaying them for a colorful, ’80s art gallery feel. Wishing you and yours a vibrant Halloween! Thanks for reading.
The level of thirst a celebrity must have to do the whole ~*~*~ fashion thing *~*~~* right now is just beyond
And now the phrase that all fashion bloggers must fall back on now and then when words seem to fail them. The phrase that comes in so handy when fashion shows are happening (for which we are deeply grateful) and celebrities are showing up at them in whatever merch was handed to them. The phrase that says so much by saying nothing at all.
Well. It’s a look alright.
Call us crazy, but we don’t actually hate these pieces. We think the boots are a really interesting, kind of cool design that could be set off much better paired with a garment that doesn’t overwhelm them so much. The…pull-over..? We guess we’d call it? Whatever it is, that thing is a bit oversized and a bit too paperbag-colored for us to love it, but we don’t think we’d mind it if it was worn as outerwear instead of a dress.
Style Credits: Christian Dior Ensemble from the Pre-Fall 2020 Collection
[Photo Credit: Marechal Aurore/Abaca/Instarimages.com, Courtesy of Christian Dior, dior.com]
Maura showed this to me earlier today it is INCREDIBLE and I cannot believe it's real
Fun fact: I did an alternative album while I was making Daydream 👀 Just for laughs, but it got me through some dark days. Here's a little of what I wrote about it in #TheMeaningOfMariahCarey 🤟 S/O to my friend Clarissa who performs the lead w/ me as a hidden layer #Chick#TMOMCpic.twitter.com/Re23t5whcd
It’s very Rick Moranis of Rick Moranis to come out of retirement to make an appearance in the last place you’d ever think: a commercial for Mint Mobile. And well, Rick can write this off as a charitable act since he was gracious enough to appear with a fan – Pajiba
Selena Gomez says that every one of her exes think she’s crazy. One of her exes is Justin Bieber so I’d take that shit as a compliment coming from him – Lainey Gossip
QUICK! Someone save Cate Blanchett! Her body looks like the scene of a vicious fight between a little girl’s ice skating costume, her matchy mom’s skirt, a man’s tuxedo jacket, and a rogue tutu – Celebitchy
Cats are the rulers of the house they live in, so this isn’t thievery. Those pussies are just taking what’s theirs! – OMG Blog
Zac Efron is probably going to move to Australia permanently for real and partly because of a Vanessa. No, not Vanessa from High School Musical, Vanessa from the Byron Bay General Store – Just Jared
“Hello, welcome to the 1960s Pregnant Pilgrim Cafe, I’m Emma Roberts and I’ll be your server tonight” – Popoholic
According to court documents filed this week, Britney is opposed to certain aspects of her conservatorship battle remaining private.
The documents, filed by Britney's court appointed lawyer, state that:
-"Britney herself is vehemently opposed to this effort by her father to keep her legal struggle hidden away in the closet as a family secret."
-“Far from being a conspiracy theory or a ‘joke’ as James [Britney's father] reportedly told the media, in large part this scrutiny is a reasonable and even predictable result of James’ aggressive use of the sealing procedure over the years to minimize the amount of meaningful information made available to the public.”
-Britney's financial conservatorship (different from the conservatorship over her personhood) is "voluntary" and therefore she has the right to appoint who she wants as the conservator of her estate.
-Britney does not have a developmental disability, nor is she a patient in or on leave of absence from a state institution under the jurisdiction of the California Department of State Hospitals or the California Department of Developmental Services.
OP edit: I literally can't believe I forgot to add this part! "Britney welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans"
"Britney welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans"
Spotted! A maskless Björk, on her phone, dressed all in black, standing in the entrance of a New York City subway station. What a sight to behold!
One fan couldn’t believe his eyes, and decided he must take a video. Um, you’re playing with fire, dude, but, hey, it’s your life to lose! I guess this guy encountered Björk earlier in the day because he says, “I didn’t get the picture before, you got mad at me though.” Björk’s response was to remain Oh So Quiet and flip him the bird (instead of wearing it like she usually does). The fan replied, “Bye Björk!” and giggled gleefully at his dumb luck.
54-year-old Björk’s middle finger technique is very “horny teenager’s first-time finger-banging”, which means, I like it! I love it! I want some more of it! Up and down, over and over, like an angry yo-yo.
This fan was tremendously lucky to get flipped off by Björk (quel honneur!), and walk away unscathed. I think the trick is to avoid saying something as inflammatory as, “Welcome to Bangkok!”
Across history, moments of reset, or restart, invariably put human values at the center. Humanism is the seed of rebirth.
This is one of such moments. Focusing on fashion as the profoundly human activity of giving form to matter through the hands, shaping creations that the body inhabits and brings to life, Pierpaolo Piccioli conceives a new start in the space of fifteen silhouettes. He focuses on the human and lets it dialogue with the digital to create a new dream, at once material and immaterial. A dream of pure fashion in which the painstaking work of the Ateliers is handed over to artist Nick Knight to bloom and flourish in light.
Maiko Kurogouchi is a designer based in Tokyo who launched her brand Mame Kurogouchi a decade ago and has overseen its rise to international acclaim and prominence. She won the award for Best New Designer at the 2014 Mainichi Fashion Grand Prix Shiseido Sponsorship and in 2017 claimed the Tokyo Fashion Prize. After graduating from Bunka Fashion College (which oversaw the design educations of Junya Watanabe and Yohji Yamamoto), Maiko Kurogaouchi worked at the Issey Miyake studio for a few years before launching her line. In the years since, she has cultivated a brand following among fashion insiders ecstatic over her 21st Century high-fashion approach using traditional kimono textiles and embroideries rendered in modernist shapes and styles.
From the description of her spring summer 2020 collection featured below:
The family of Kurogouchi used to grow silkworms during her grandmother’s days. Silkworms were treated as a sacred being with respect as they brought business to the family. Silk is considered to be a normalised material, but back then, it would take 3000 cocoons in order to weave a piece of Kimono garment.
While, Silk has had a special place in Mame Kurogouchi’s design, she has come to think without doing it themselves, she couldn’t understand the challenge of weaving a textile using cocoons. This realisation drove her to plan growing 30 silkworms at her atelier with the team, and name them Shiro (white).
Silkworms are sensitive and delicate beings. If one gets sick, it affects others. In order to turn cocoons into yarns, it would have to be consistent which is why producing silk on commercial basis is challenging.
Newborn silkworms are so small that are almost invisible but through five molting process, they become 25 times longer and 10,000 times heavier. And before it starts to blow fibres into the air and around them, its body becomes transparent. Yarns came out of Shiro’s mouth had sparkles, reflecting lights around them. Kurogouchi wanted to make a garment that would wrap one’s body gently by breathing soft light into the body, just like how Shiro transformed itself by wrapping its body with shiny transparent yarns. She went to a weaver in Komatsu Ishikawa, the only weaver that can produce silk jacquard, and came away with a delicate sheet of textile she was looking for. Using silk and shinny flat yarn for the warp and silk yarn for the weft, weaving together, and two types of the jacquard textiles were made thanks to the idea of leaving the shiny yarn uncut. The black one provoked the image of a dark night in Amami, brightened by nocturnal insects.
Adebayo Oke-Lawal has been designing since the age of 10. He started Orange Culture in 2011, after having worked with several Nigerian designers, to turn his unique vision of fashion into reality. Since starting the label and an official runway debut at Lagos Fashion & Design Week 2011, he’s been hard at work trying to showcase Orange Culture to the world. The label is more than a clothing line, Adebayo insists. It is a “movement” that covers universal silhouettes with an African touch to a creative class of men, translating into a heady mixture of Nigerian inspired print fabrics, colour and contemporary urban street wear.
In the years since founding Orange Culture, the self-taught Adebayo Ole-Lawal has been quietly but forcefully pushing his vision of colorful, challenging, androgynous fashion on the world, in a mission to deconstruct or re-examine traditionally masculine modes of presentation. His work challenging gender norms and masculinity has been met with some pushback, but he doesn’t seem remotely concerned with it. As he told Vogue last year:
“We had, and still have, some problems. The way society is in Lagos…we’re used to very specific ways of seeing things. Gender is an exact way of thinking back home and has been for a very long time. Things have been written in the press that say Orange Culture is ‘feminizing our men’ and that we’re going to hell because of it. Now it’s just, like, I don’t care, you can write it. I’ve been doing this for years, and it is working, and it is still growing. If you have a problem with a man wearing jewelry or an oversize blouse or painting his nails, that’s your problem. It’s not Orange Culture’s!”
And while his androgynous clothing may be the more notable or press-worthy thing about his work, there’s no denying his slightly more traditional manifestations of womenswear and menswear still manage to be challenging and eye-popping in a way that feels so new it’s pre-new.
WBUR reports a site that tracks Covid-19 transmission says Massachusetts has an Rt rate of 0.67, which means that many people who test positive are not spreading the virus - a rate of 1.0 would mean that an infected person has infected just 1 other person. This is a good thing, obviously.
Annie, the voice of songs such as "The Greatest Hit", "Heartbeat", "I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me" and "Russian Kiss", is finally back. This is the first release of the Norwegian singer ever since her latest EP, Endless Vacation, in 2015. It's a slower song than your average Annie song, as it is pretty much a downtempo, but you still can see her identity there.
Not only that, she also announces a new album is on the way, the first since "Don't Stop", in 2009. It was produced by Stefan Storm and was defined by the singer as “the soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist”.
01 In Heaven 02 The Streets Where I Belong 03 Dark Hearts 04 Miracle Mile 05 Corridors of Time 06 Forever ’92 07 American Cars 08 Mermaid Dreams 09 Stay Tomorrow 10 The Countdown to the End of the World 11 The Bomb 12 The Untold Story 13 It’s Finally Over
Bella Luna Restaurant and Milkyway Lounge, which survived a traumatic move from Hyde Square to the Brewery complex, couldn't beat Covid-19: It announced today it's shutting for good because the very nature of its business - a social gathering place - is now untenable due to Covid-19 concerns.
The mission of our business is to gather people together in groups, to foster social closeness - the opposite of social distancing. Gathering in groups is not going to be a safe activity until there is a widely-available vaccine or treatment. We are not comfortable putting our team members and guests at risk of contracting the virus while working and dining in our space. Also, the public health hazards of Covid-19 will exist for over a year; and without being able to operate at full capacity, our business is not financially sustainable.
The restaurant and lounge became a JP meeting spot over its nearly 28-year history, and continued even as it had to shut its candlepin lanes and pick up and move several blocks away in 2008 after a rent dispute with its Hyde Square landlord.
Thank you for making Bella Luna & The Milky Way your second home, for becoming friends with us and our team, for celebrating life’s most precious moments with us. It has been our honor to serve you all.
We are proud of having created a vibrant and safe space for all, founded in the values of generosity, inclusivity, creativity and respect. We are proud of our team members, past and present, who worked with tremendous dedication and commitment to carry out our special brand of hospitality with a purpose. We are proud of our wonderful promoting partners and the countless talented performers who expressed themselves through music, dance, art, spoken word, opera, crafts, comedy, story-telling & fashion, and to all who came to witness and celebrate that talent. Thank you all for having fun and creating community in our space. We are proud of having used our business to support so many amazing non-profit organizations and individuals working to build a better Boston; thank you for giving us the opportunity to help.
“I'm wearing a mixture of everything. The beige jacket dress is my latest vintage found. I'm inspired by classical feminine business looks and the tomboy style.”
- Karlie Kloss shared a quote from Instagram poet Cleo Wade encouraging people to call out racism within their own family - Tavi Gevinson, actress/writer/etc, left a comment pointing out Karlie has no problem associating with her in-laws, the Kushners and the Trumps - Karlie ignores Ivanka's comments and posts on social media but still associates with Ivanka and Jared in private - Tavi points out Karlie can't have it both ways
Transcript of Tavi's comment in case Karlie pulls a Lea and deletes it: "Karlie, give it a rest. You have a lot of nerve to make a show of championing girls‘ coding and your other causes while only politely disowning your family in public (lmao @ you ignoring ivanka on social media; she still went to your wedding). I can’t believe you’re not more embarrassed not just by them but YOUR decision to only publicly disown their politics in polite ways so you can have it both ways. I don’t know what kinds of conversations you have behind the scenes (besides when Jared asked your dad to solicit solutions to a global pandemic in a Facebook group back in March 😂) but like.....what am I looking at. This is a fucking joke."
Remember two weeks ago when we shared the tour of this kitchen and laundry room? And everyone LOVED it (including us). WELL, that house is back, and today we’re sharing the rest of it.
If you missed the last post, you should 100% go check it out, but here’s the quick recap – Allison and Benjamin bought this cute home back in 2018. Over the course of a year they freshened the whole place up without ripping out any flooring or tearing down a single wall. And yet, through the magic of paint, wallpaper, new hardware, beautiful vintage pieces, and hard work, they managed to give new life to their home. I think what we all collectively love so much about this home is the fact that Allison and Benjamin worked with what the house already had, versus starting over. I feel like there’s this standard in the design world that when a house is bought the new owners are expected to have all these plans for how they want to change the property they’ve just purchased. But, not only is that not financially viable for every home buyer, it’s not always necessary. Some homes are great as is, and just need some tender love and care to really shine.
Allison was once again kind enough to chat we me, interview style, about her home transformation. And just like last time, I’ll be in italics (mostly for the cool factor, but also to make it clear who’s “speaking”). Let’s get into it…
I’ll start by saying that your home already some very cute features, and good bones (like the parquet style floor in the entry). But, even with those moments considered, you didn’t change much in terms of structure in the home. Could you elaborate on why you kept so much of the homes original architecture? Was that a stylistic decision to keep as much of the original character of the home intact, or a budgetary decision?
Hot Tip
Old, dark wood paneling on the walls or ceilings making a room feel too heavy? A fresh coat of white paint will brighten the space, while still keeping the character and texture of the paneling.
It was a bit of both! The house has so many lovely features that are original to the house that I wouldn’t have changed if you had paid me, like the scalloped vent over the stove in our kitchen that I am OBSESSED with. I had initially wanted to renovate the bathrooms. But to do them the way I really wanted to was decidedly out of our budget.
Let’s jump right into those next then, because they are two of my favorite moments in the house. Both bathrooms are really extraordinary – any story to deciding the stylistic direction behind either of them?
I think the biggest challenge in the home was figuring out how to give the original tile in the bathrooms new life
When we first moved in I looked into renovating both the master and guest bathroom, but realized it was not in the budget (and wouldn’t be for a while). I had wanted to open up the master bedroom to the master bathroom, which you have to enter via the hall, to make it en suite. But to do it how I wanted it would have been well over $50k. So I thought, “how can I make these beautiful, feel more functional, and bring new life to the original tiles?”
This is what the master bathroom looks like now (above). I almost put up chinoiserie wallpaper, which would have been gorgeous, but there is no exhaust fan in there so it would have been a mess (wallpaper and moisture don’t mix – but if you get a good fan you can do it). My sister suggested painting the walls blue to compliment the blue tile. It was a bold decision, but I experimented with it, and ended up using Farrow and Ball Inchyra Blue. I absolutely love it.
We think that keeping things tonal (with a moody element) was the way to go with that lighter blue tile. Now it looks sophisticated and modern but still looks like it belongs in her wonderfully vintage home.
I was not very fond of the yellow tile in the guest bathroom at first, but I really love it now with the red and white ticking wallpaper. I used Farrow and Ball Red Earth on the doors and molding and it is a very happy combination. I folded up a yellow scarf I found at St. Vincent De Paul’s thrift store and nailed it up to make a valance. I also had this one roll of vintage Schumacher chinois wallpaper that I was dying to use but didn’t have enough for the whole room so I put it on the wall behind the toilet, and it seems to work together!
These two bathrooms were my least favorite rooms in the house, and they took the most creative juices to get them right. But now I love them so much that I don’t think I’ll ever want to renovate!
Hot Tip
Mixing wallpaper patterns is the same as pillows or bedding - Make sure to vary the pattern scale so they don't visually compete. Allison did it perfectly with these two.
One of the changes that was made by the real estate agents to prepare for the sale was to remove the original sink in the guest bathroom (so sad) and replace it with an IKEA cabinet. I found a vintage pedestal sink with a gorgeous vintage brass faucet on Craigslist for $200, and it made all the difference in the world.
When you moved into the home did you have a budget in mind for any of the improvements you wanted to implement? And do you mind sharing what that was?
Hot Tip
If you have wall to wall carpet in your home or rental that you're not a fan of, but can't remove, just throw another rug right over it. A layered rug will steal the attention of the eye. Just make sure the piles are different. A flat weave or big fluffy flokati rug are good options - just choose something with big contrast from the traditional pile of wall to wall carpet.
I did not have a specific number. In the end, I think we spent about $20k, give or take. That included the appliances in the kitchen, labor to paint and install wallpaper, all the hardware, and supplies for the entire home.
What aspects of your updates do you think made the biggest impact throughout the house?
Our house had been in one family since it was built in 1939, which is why so many of the original features were still intact (like the cute built-ins in the dining room). We didn’t want to lose those. In the end, I think putting colors and patterns on the walls made the biggest impact, without sacrificing any of the original character.
Hot Tip
Try matching your trim to a tone in your wallpaper (other than white) for a bold, yet pulled together look.
I love color so much and it never ceases to amaze me how it can transform a space. Choosing the right color, though, is quite a challenge and can drive a person completely insane. But when you finally find the right one, it’s like angels singing!
Where did you source all your amazing wallpapers from, and what paint colors have you used throughout the house?
I looked at SO MUCH WALLPAPER. I was dreaming wallpaper by the end of it. wallpaperdirect.com and decoratorsbest.com are my go-to sources. They’ve got pretty much everything you could need, and sometimes at lower prices. I also bought a bunch of vintage wallpaper on eBay and Etsy.
Lastly, any favorite sources for vintage items in your home?
I live for estate sales. There is no greater joy for me than getting to explore beautiful old houses and finding treasures and seeing how people lived. I also spent a LOT of time on Etsy and eBay. I’ve found that most vintage and thrift stores in LA are either tapped out or too expensive (for what it is), so I don’t frequent those as often as I used to.
One last BIG thank you to Allison and Benjamin for not only letting us into their home, but letting us take it over and shoot it for two days, and then annoy them with questions for this post. Their home is a true testament to “making it work,” which is something I’m going to putting into practice in my own kitchen VERY soon. And as always, if you’ve got any “make it work” or old home charm stories I love reading them endlessly in the comment section.
In the inaugural episode of Side-by-Side Chef, Troye Sivan calls Carla Lalli Music from Australia to make a spot of breakfast. Of course, with the time difference this means that Carla is making breakfast at 9PM EST, but everybody loves breakfast for dinner. Can Troye follow Carla's instructions without looking and make Japanese soufflé pancakes?
Claire Saffitz, Brad Leone, Chris Morocco, Andy Baraghani, Sohla El-Waylly, Alex Delany, Carla Lalli Music, Priya Krishna and Christina Chaey at home as they compete in a one-on-one scavenger hunt.
Claire Saffitz, Brad Leone, Chris Morocco, Gaby Melian, Andy Baraghani, Sohla El-Waylly, Amiel Stanek, Carla Lalli Music, Priya Krishna and Christina Chaey at home as they show us the oldest food in their kitchens. Whether it's smuggled lardo or ten year old fruitcake, there are a probably a few items here that may be a health hazard.
sorry i sent this twice mods, i forgot to add the write up the first time! source: yt1, yt2, yt3
Actor Stanley Tucci (who apparently still gets dressed and isn't slumming it in jammies like the rest of us during this quarantine) shows us how to make a Negroni, a popular Italian cocktail.
A Negroni is 1 oz Gin, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz Sweet red Vermouth. Stanley shakes the drink in this video but usually with gin (or with a cocktail that is all liquor) you give it a nice stir since shaking can bruise the gin and change the flavor.
Stanley should definitely do more videos on cocktails to keep us occupied during this quarantine time of year.
ONTD, what's your drink of choice to forget about everything right now?
I am SO excited to show you guys this project that has been complete for a little while. It was slated to be published and then all hell broke loose and instead of waiting even longer for another publication to decide- I made the call to go right to you through the blog. :) This client was a DREAM to work with. She bought this one bedroom condo in Boston’s gorgeous Back Bay with incredible soaring ceilings, giant windows and lots of potential. The whole building had been renovated by a builder- so the kitchen and baths were redone before we came into play, but luckily they did a good job on the finishes. We wanted to take it further and replace some of the items they chose (namely all the lighting!), and because this is a one bedroom, we needed to get creative in ways to maximize storage. Let’s start the tour!
Here is the whole living area- open, bright and THOSE CEILINGS! We needed to create three zones here- kitchen, dining and living. The walls are Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace Matte and the trim is Chantilly Lace Satin finish. We wanted to keep this room bright and clean and let the furniture and art be the star. The floor to ceiling drapes make this room. They emphasize the height of the space and also add some desperately needed softness to it as well.
The client loves blue and so we convinced her to do a bright blue sofa in an awesome indoor/outdoor velvet. I was OBSESSED with this huge Kristin Blakeney piece from the moment I saw it and felt it was the most perfect piece for this project. It took a little convincing, but she went for it and it’s absolutely perfect. A soft, super durable rug grounds everything and the large glass coffee table keep the space feeling open but offers up lots of surface area for entertaining. We added two ottomans for pull-up extra seating along with a pair of comfy club chairs.
The most impactful thing we did in this space was the built in. We designed it to be a storage powerhouse using the vertical space we had an abundance of. I was SO excited to incorporate a library ladder too, let’s be honest. We wallpapered the back in a gorgeous woven grasscloth in pale blue to add a hint of color and texture. The pair of chairs we have in the bow front window area are done in an indoor outdoor woven to prevent fading from all the sun coming through those huge windows. Those little plaid pillows kill me too- made from an insanely luxurious alpaca fabric.
Looking from the living room you can see back towards the entry and bedroom and the awesome little dining area we created. The space is narrow so we thought a banquette and oval table would allow for the most pass through space between the counter stools and the seating and yet offer up enough space to host up to six.
I have been in love with these Peter Dunham chairs FOR AGES. And I finally got to use them! :) The channel tufted banquette was made for us by Bjork Studio and came out perfect.
The art was commissioned by us from Erin Clark. I adore the graphic nature of these and how the tones play off the Blakeney painting in the same open space.
As I mentioned, the kitchen was already done, but we replaced the lights they had with these amazing Urban Electric pendants- there is no other statement lighting in those whole room, so I wanted these to be a showstopper! The stools are actually Restoration Hardware, but we had them reupholstered in the same pale blue faux leather as the seat of the banquette to keep things uniform (and also SO easy to clean). The pinboard we had made to coordinate with the finishes.
The elevator opens up right into this space and we wanted to create a “moment” here, even though it’s a small entry. We also needed some more storage (always, right?) This chest was custom made by The CEH for us. A statement mirror covers the electrical panel (sneaky!).
The powder room was renovated, but we wanted to make it WOW, so we did this Cole & Sons wallpaper in here to really make a statement in this small, windowless room.
A new mirror and lighting capped off the mini-makeover.
There is a long narrow hallway between the entry and the bedroom and given that the ceilings are SO high, I thought it was a space calling for fun lighting. We replaced the can lights with these star pendants and they make the journey from the living area to the bedroom so much more special. We also hung gallery walls on each side of the hall with the client’s personal photos and special memorabilia, keeping it more private but organized and visually quite stunning.
Looking into the bedroom. Literally feels like a breath of fresh air.
I am SO glad our client let us use grasscloth all over this room, including the soffits (it helps conceal them, I think). It warms up this room SO much. And that chandelier? I literally leapt for joy when it went in. :) The roman shades are motorized (think Cameron Diaz’s bedroom in The Holiday) and the bed was done in the prettiest shade of pale pink.
A gorgeous detail shot.
Again, this room is narrow, so wall sconces were a must in order to free up nightstand surface space. As you can see, there is lots of storage space with the upper and lower closets here. And I so love that bench we did in a nubby boucle.
Of course, yet again, we needed more efficient storage that used up the ample vertical space- so we designed on another built in that houses the TV, more “stuff”(including her printer) and acts as a desk too! We lined the backs of this one in a small scale pink wallpaper to balance the pink of the bed on this side of the room.
The master bathroom had such nice finishes, but we did replace the sconces and add a vinyl patterned wallpaper to make it more interested and warm in here.
I’m proud of this space, mostly because our client tells me all the time how much she loves it and how happy it makes her. That is why we do this after all, right??
While I’m not sharing specific sources (we have to maintain the value of our services) here is a “get the look” roundup of items that can help you get a space like this!
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I’m switching to five posts a day this week because there’s so much to talk about. There’s still one more coming after this one…
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which became law last week, offers some American workers expanded family and medical leave — and it’s paid. That’s a key difference from the leave already provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act, which protects your job but doesn’t require you to be paid while you’re out.
This new law only applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees and some public agencies. If you work for a larger private company, none of this covers you. But if you’re at a covered company, you are eligible for:
• Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of expanded family and medical leave at your regular rate of pay (up to $511 per day and $5,110 over a two-week period) if you’re unable to work because you’re quarantined (via a government order or on the advice of a health care provider), and/or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis
• Two weeks (up to 80 hours) of expanded family and medical leave at two-thirds of your regular rate of pay (up to $200 per day and $2,000 over a two-week period) if you are unable to work because you need to care for someone subject to quarantine (via a government order or on the advice of a health care provider)
• Up to an additional 10 weeks of expanded family and medical leave (on top of the two above) at two-thirds of your regular rate of pay (up to $200 per day and $2,000 over a two-week period) if you are unable to work because you need to care for a child (under 18 years old) whose school or child care provider is closed for reasons related to COVID-19, and if you have been employed there for at least 30 days
If you’re a health care provider or emergency responder, your employer may exclude you from this leave. Small businesses with fewer than 50 employees may qualify for exemption from the requirement to provide leave due to school closings or child care unavailability, if it would jeopardize the viability of the business.
Employers will receive tax credits to offset the costs of providing this paid leave.
Employers cannot require employees to find a replacement worker for themselves or require them to use other paid time off.
Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Louis. DePasquale announced today they're signing contracts with several restaurants in Harvard and Central squares to cook meals for the city's homeless population, at a time when local homeless shelters are having trouble with staffing for own kitchens.
The restaurants will prepare bagged or boxed lunches for delivery to local shelters, the officials said.
The Central Square Business Improvement District (BID) and the Harvard Square Business Association are identifying restaurants in their Squares that can help provide meals to the shelters in need of food next week. The city will then be seeking to identify additional restaurants for contracts and meals beyond next week.
If restaurants are interested in supporting this initiative by providing individual hot and/or cold bagged or boxed meals for distribution to the homeless population at various locations, they should contact the City of Cambridge’s Purchasing Department at purchasing@cambridgema.gov by Monday, March 23 at 9 a.m. Once the city has a list of interested vendors, the Purchasing Department will send the vendors who inquire a formal solicitation of quotes for them to submit prices to Purchasing.
— Britney Spears Remixes (@BSpearsRemixes) March 5, 2020
- On the 20th anniversary of “Oops!...I Did It Again”, Record Store Day 2020 offers a 12" vinyl record featuring four (4) rare remixes of Britney's hits AND four (4) rare songs previously released only outside the USA.
- The limited edition 12" vinyl record will only be available on Record Store Day 2020 which happens on April 18, 2020 (Saturday).
- Side A: Oops!... I Did It Again (Ospina's Deep Club Mix), Lucky (Jason Nevins Mixshow Edit), Stronger (Mac Quayle Club Mix), Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know (Hex Hector Radio Mix)
- Side B: You Got It All (The Jets cover), Girl in the Mirror, Heart, Walk On By
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