Cute Little Nothings

The morning sun...



Flowers lovingly given in the least expected day...

A cake, baked and decorated by 10-year-old hands (with daddy's help)...

Those cute little nothings...

...that end up being absolutely everything good in life.

The very same ones that make it all worthwhile.
:)

Dreamy Bathtubs

As a girl, I had a built-in bathtub, and enjoyed delicious time there. Now that we got married and have a house of our own, there are no bathtubs around. We have been thinking of installing one in our bathroom because, though tiny, there's enough room for it --problem is, there's still no budget =) Who cares when we've got these gorgeous pics? The good thing about dreaming is, we don't even have to worry about spoiling the perfect wooden floors underneath ;)

Have you got your favorites yet? Mine are definitely the very two last ones. To die for.

images from:

1. interior alchemy

2, 3, 4, and 5. house to home

6. elle decor

7 and 8. nuevo estilo

Going Green

Even with the green trend, I find there is still the belief that green design is not trendy enough, luxurious enough, or livable enough. To me, an environmental lover, it's a matter of being congruent with Earth. That's why I love to find good examples of green living and green designing. =)

So, this is how I found about Alex Scott Porter Design, a NY based firm doing green arquitechture. Love it. They're work is truly remarkable.

That's where I saw this gorgeous house, which used an antique barn about to be demolished as an addition to the previous house, joined by the kitchen (the central, glass structure). I love the contrast of old and new, and the simple design which adds elegance to this lovely house.

My favorite rooms are the living room with pink pillows and the bedroom. Exquisite.

Do you fancy green design? Are you up for green living?

images: alex scott porter design

Amazing Castle in South Italy

This gorgeous place is home to a Danish couple. Apparently they found a small castle in South Italy, and they decided to stay there for good. Who wouldn't, I ask?

Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend!

 skona hem

Before and "After"

Hi there!

Yesterday I spent quite some time fooling around with Photoshop. See, I challenged myself to change the elements in a room, turning it into something completely different. Does it sound like fun to you? It sure was for me, especially trying to figure out how to do it in Photoshop. So, after spending the whole afternoon and some night time too, here's what I came up with. =)

 

The room: A very colorful kitchen from Spanish magazine 20 Casas.

As you see, this kitchen has a very strong color palette, and an amazing vintage-style fridge with lovely figure.
However, light and texture seem less important here.

Now, if we turned things around...

Ok, so I gave light and texture a high importance in the space. I love the cottage feel texture can give.
Color and shape, on the other hand, are secluded. The palette is neutral, and I actually love that about it. Feels homey.

Now a quick look at both of them. I love this effect.
(Move your cursor over the image to see the change).

Amazing how the very same room can have the potential to be anything we like, by using different materials and elements, and thus giving it personality, huh?

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Lately I've been very busy with several projects... can't tell much about it for the moment, but hopefully I will soon.

In the meantime, thanks for your kind comments and emails, have yourself a very happy day!
P.S. If you'd like to see the same photoshop effect in our own kitchen, as part of our reno planning, click here!  =)

Hiding the TV

I'm loving this shelving TV unit featured in the latest issue of Elle Decor. It's simple, sleek, and modern. Such an excellent idea and pretty simple to adapt it to any room, I believe. I'm thinking our master bedroom --once we buy our TV, of course (tiny, little detail, of course).  

There's a whole debate over having TV in bedrooms, but then apparently there's also another one going on about whether or not hiding your TV.

What's your thought? Do you like hiding TVs, or not? Do tell!

 

Fun Staircases

It's Thursday already and I've had such a week. I've been working on a few new projects, which is exciting, but I hate being away from the blog.
Perhaps having one of these staircases at home might work my stress out.
=)

At least my daughter and friends would thank me, for sure!

Have a wonderful day, y'all.

images: the telegraph y freshome

Recipes - Strawberry and Yogurt Ice Cream

These last few days have been pretty hot around here. This was the perfect excuse for us to make ice cream. =) I must tell you, it's both delicious and healthy.  Did I mention easy, as well? A definite must for these days!

Ingredients:

3 c yogurt (best if natural and sugarfree)

3/4 c sugar

1 pinch of salt

1/4 t lemon juice

1 t ground cinnamon

1 t vanilla extract

1 c of chopped strawberries

(we used raspberries as well, yum!)

How To

These is a few-steps recipe. Basically, you need to mix everything together. You can use a bowl, or the blender for this.

Once done, put the mix in a sealed container and straight to the freezer.

The trick to get great ice cream if you haven't got an ice cream maker, is NOT leaving the mixture alone the whole time. What I mean is you must eventually stir it with a fork, before it gets completely frozen. Add strawberries and raspberries when it's almost frozen, and place in freezer one last time.

Hold on a little longer, and then...

enjoy!

Update*** I tried this recipe with mango instead of strawberries, and it's really out of this world. The only difference is I put the mango in the blender with all the other ingredients, instead of chopped. A great twist! 

Have a great, yummy week!



P.S. Linking at:

Sweet Jar Lanterns - Simple Tutorial

Longer days, warmer weather, everything is perfect for the lovely, summer outdoors. After working on a candle catalogue production these last couple of days, I came up with an easy DIY project to share in Casa Haus. Being such a lighting fan (especially candle lighting), I've been pretty busy coming up with this easy tutorial.

 I hope you enjoy it!

I love this DIY because it is really easy, and it's just as good for both home and party decor. Plus, it's eco-friendly. Win-win situation here!

So let's start, shall we?

Here's what you'll need:

• Clean and empty jars.
• Tea or votive candles.
• Metal wire (mine was 24 gage)
• Wire cutters

Cut 1 yard of wire and wrap it under the lip, forming a tight ring.

 Twist the wire together to close the ring.

Twist all your way up.

Bend the twisted wire over the top forming a handle.

Carefully introduce the wire's tip into the opposite side of the ring. This is a little tricky, since the ring must be tight, but be patient!

Bend the wire up and twist some more to finish.

This is an extra step, but it's totally worth it. Hotglue flowers or foliage (artificial works just as good).



That's it! Now just place the tea candle inside, and hang them around.  I love the way they look in my parents' garden.


Enjoy your week!

**update**

For those of you coming from Kate's Spring/Summer link party,
welcome!
I hope you enjoy it around Casa Haus!!!