Design Crush » entertaining

May
03

Happy Weekend

01/ The Clip Bag.
02/ Disney’s Sloth Princesses.
03/ You’re Officially Awesome!
04/ The power of reading. Literally.
05/ I never thought I wanted a swimming pool. Until now.
06/ Petheadz – an Instagram series of pets and their owners.
07/ The most minimalist playing cards ever.
08/ Leather suitcase furniture, yup it’s a thing.
09/ Punk Kitty Graffiti – amazing.
10/ Red SOLO cups go fancy!

Miss anything on Design Crush this week?
Gem Scarves
The Animal Alphabet in Primitive Portraits
InstaApril
Modern Sprout Hydroponic Planter
Color with Confidence: Pantone + Valspar + Lowe’s
Brevity Signature Necklace
What Will You Make Today?
Quilt Collection
I Heart NYC

Apr
16

April DIYs

Click on each image to go to the project.
All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.

Mar
25

An Easter Lunch

THE APPS
Grilled Corn Crema Mexicana Cilantro Crostini – Epicurious
Raspberry Canapes with Basil and Balsamic Vinegar – Cook the Story
Salt + Vinegar Sweet Potato Chips – Undressed Skeleton

THE COCKTAILS
Sgroppino – Saveur
Pear Rum Blush – Eat Boutique
Meyer Lemon Sour – Honestly YUM

THE TABLE
Tinted Base Tumbler Set – Anthropologie
DIY Ombre Napkins – Once Wed
Vermelho Dinnerware – Anthropologie
DIY Washi Tablecloth – Style Unveiled
DIY Tissue Decal Candles – A Subtle Revelry
DIY Bird Nests – Home Made Simple
Tulips – Blossom Boutique Flowers
Bitty Black Bunny Treat Bags – Mer Mag
DIY Origami Bunnies – How About Orange

THE MEAL
Kale and Fig Salad – Pure and Simple
Risoni Tomato and Bean Salad – At Down Under
Roasted Polenta-Crusted Potatoes – Simple Bites
Zucchini Ribbon Salad – Proud Italian Cook
Wild Rice Mushroom Pilaf – Real Simple
Broiled Spicy Brown Sugar Salmon – How Sweet It Is

THE KID DESSERTS
Speckled Egg Cake Bites – The Cake Girls
Easter Bunny Sugar Cookies – Indulgy
Speckled Egg Cake – The Cake Blog

THE ADULT DESSERTS
Vanilla Rum Custard – Saveur
Brown Sugar Banana Parfaits – Bon Appetit
Raspberry, Pistachio + Rose Cake – The Wild Flour Bakery

All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.

Mar
18

March DIYs

Click on each image to go to the project.
All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.

Mar
08

Happy Weekend

01/ Giant ocean waves made of wood and glass.
02/ I’m not much for the nail art craze, but love these watercolor nails.
03/ Matchstickmen – giant matchsticks with human heads.
04/ Check out Stick-lets then go build a fort!
05/ Overcast – an animated short about a guy followed around by a rain cloud.
06/ Pantone Pairings, a series of typically paired foods as Pantone swatches.
07/ Banknote portraits!
08/ This giant mirrored canopy – the Port Vieux Pavilion – is beautiful.
09/ A series of photos of a photographer’s girlfriend leading him around the world by the hand.
10/ Love these CMYK playing cards!

This week you might’ve missed…
We Hope You Like This Song
Win It: Artifact Uprising
Minimal Acrylic Jewelry
Home State Address Stamps
Animals Loose in NYC
West African Peanut Soup
The Daily Dish
Old English Company

Feb
22

You Should Totally: Get a Bar Cart + Make a Grapefruit Gin Sour

A bar cart is something that I’ve wanted for a really long time. I’ve always had dreams of playing the hostess, guests walking in my front door and me smoothly offering them a signature drink. The Leon Iron and Mirror Bar Cart from Arteriors Home is a nice match for the mid-century decor I already have in my home. It’s also nice and narrow, really good for small spaces. And do you spy those antiqued mirror shelves? So good mixed with the industrial iron frame.

So, what goes into putting together a great bar cart? Start with the basic liquors – vodka, whisky, rum, gin – as well as any you use regularly. For me those are tequila, Pimm’s, amaretto, and Cointreau. The middle shelf of this particular bar cart is extra tall and nice for bottles of unusual sizes. But since I don’t have any of those at the moment I had a piece of lumber cut to size, then stained and sealed it to make extra space for the hammered metal bowl I use for an ice bowl by laying it across the end bars. Now it’s easy to leverage the extra vertical space and easy to remove when needed!

Next comes the essential pieces of barware. Most importantly a cocktail shaker, jigger, and some varied glassware. The types I use most are tumblers, collins glasses, and shot glasses. Again, it’s all about making the pieces you find yourself using most easy to access. I also like to keep some disposable coasters around for when there are more than four people and my every day ones are maxed out.

Now yes, I’m aware that not everyone drinks alcohol which is why I also like to add some sparkling waters to the mix. Add a few slices of citrus and it still feels special. Fun accessories like these short stubby paper straws and the (hidden) colored glass stirrers are also great to keep on hand.

You all know there’s absolutely no way I could talk all about bar carts and not give you a new cocktail to try! We’re heading into the last month of super cold weather, which means beating the winter blues and taking full advantage of the bounty of citrus are both of the utmost importance. This Grapefruit Gin Sour takes both things into account, which means you should make room in your weekend to try it out firsthand.

Grapefruit Gin Sour
serves 1

• 1 oz gin
• 2 oz fresh grapefruit juice (or go the easy route with bottled ruby red)
• .5 oz fresh lime juice
• .5 oz simple syrup

Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with ice, then add the rest of the ingredients. Shake away for about 30 seconds, then strain into glass. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit or lime and enjoy! Sour, sweet, and full of vitamins which means it’s basically a health drink.

Disclaimer: My Leon Iron and Mirror Bar Cart from Arteriors Home was provided by Euro Style Lighting. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush going!

Feb
21

It’s Time to Party: Awards Season

It’s here! Awards Season is once again upon us – did you catch the Grammys last Sunday? So many wardrobe hits/misses and unexpected wins and losses that it’s a shame to watch alone, don’t you think? Well, I do. So I’ve put together a little inspiration for my ideal Awards Season party including decor, appetizers, desserts, and cocktails. My goal was to create a bit of an old Hollywood-meets-cozy winter wonderland feel with a twist.