thoughts on ikea

ikea rast dresser

i really didn't want to do it. outfit my first post-college apartment with the quintessential (or is it requisite?) ikea. i searched for a cheapish affordable dresser in my price range on craigslist and etsy, but nothing i found quite measured up the the shabby chic dresser i was envisioning for my bohemian boudoir. however, i eventually bowed to the fact that ikea had affordable items. and for a few extra dollars, i could transform it into something else. i'm happy to say, it only took me one day, one trip to the hardware store and a lot of paint/wood stain fumes to turn it into something i'm proud of. (even if it is relegated to my closet for now.)

finished product

all it took was some white spray paint, walnut stain and knobs from anthropologie that were on sale for 2.95 each! in my opinion, much better than the original.

catching dreams

 

as mentioned before, i'm currently in the process of updating my room in the new apartment. it's the first time i've lived in neither a dorm nor sublet, so i've been slowly accumulating things to create the bedroom i've been envisioning. i'm in the midst of a bigger project, but yesterday i was inspired to make my own dream catcher. perusing the free people blog certainly helps to inspire some diy decor...

how to: make the best cookies

about two years ago, i found my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe in this book. well i have yet to try many of the other recipes in in, i have made this recipe one of my standbys. i've shown it before here, but i decided to share how to make it. besides modest tweaks and a general disregard for directions, this is not my recipe. so if you like it, think about buying the book... there's a lot of fantastic (and easy) recipes to try.

[ingredients]:

1 lb butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar*

2 cups pecan halves**

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 2 1/2 cups flour***

12 oz bag of chocolate chunks

 

[instructions] 

(1) preheat oven to 350. if you add the pecans now, they'll be good to go when the oven is done preheating (2) using microwave/stovetop, heat butter until melted (3) combine melted butter with sugars and stir (4) add vanilla, salt and eggs. stir (5) add baking soda, baking powder and flour. stir until a soft dough is formed (6) add pecans and chocolate chunks (7) evenly space the balls of dough on a cookie sheet. the book says to chill for an hour in the fridge, but i find popping them in the freezer for about 10 minutes does the trick (8) cook for 6-9 minutes. or longer if you have a gross awful rental oven. or if it's humid and there's no air conditioning (9) enjoy!

*make sure it's the dark brown. i've tried it with light, and it's just not as good.

**or walnuts work just as well.

***i usually use more than 2 1/2. it's never quite 3 cups, but varies in that range.

faire du lèche-vitrine*

i know it's only mid-october, but i've been a bit of a wish list spree lately. partly, because some of my favorite websites are sponsoring giveaways in conjunction with the lists, but mostly because december is a big month for me. when i'm inevitably asked what i want for my birthday and christmas, i never know what to say. but this year, i'm starting the process early in order to make it easier on myself and my gift givers. and because it's fun to look at pretty things while keeping money in my bank account for silly important things like rent and groceries. 

[images via]

1. Stone_Cold_Fox

2. Madewell

3. Rebecca Minkoff

*the title of this post is the french phrase for window shopping. translated literally, it means window licking. i love that. 

sistersly love

        

my sister and i had a couple of LOOONG rides on the subway when she was visiting. so we amused ourselves with my photobooth app until we made it back into the heart of brooklyn. if only we lived closer so we could do this stuff more often... apply to nyu please!

weekend snapshots

last week i got to go home for a few days and hang out. it was great; days filled with naps and little to do. i also got to go apple picking, which is one of my favorite fall activities. i'm still having fun with my diana f+ too. the latest roll turned out the best so far and i'm very happy to be playing with it. 

film is not dead

i just ordered jonathan canlas' FIND (film is not dead) ebook and i am so excited that i'll probably start reading it tonight. in fact, i'll probably end up reading all 96 pages of the pdf tonight before i start packing my stuff for my 6:30 am flight back to nyc. packing of stuff that was 80% of the reason i came home for a few days. not the best plan, i admit, but i'm going to commit to it nonetheless. right after i finish this homemade chocolate peanut butter tart and wine.

i've actually been so intoxicated by film lately that i only brought my diana f+ for this trip. therefore, i have to wait until i get that film developed to post any photos. it's unfortunate that this infatuation with film is coinciding with my first real foray into being broke. but not in a cute, sitcom canned laughter way like in 2 broke girls. c'est le vie though. the pictures just feel so much more authentic to me in a way. perhaps because you're not really sure what you've captured until the negatives are developed. i don't know if you can tell, but all the photos included in this post were taken on 35 mm. they're a few years old, but i love them all the same.