Friday Favorites

Mike's birthday is Monday so this weekend is full of friends and fun (and rain)! Also, my wedding dress is finally in so I get to try it on for the first time on Sunday. I have a feeling this bagel will be the last one I eat for the next five months...

READ: Feeling lost and a need for self discovery was an overwhelming theme for me in January so when I stumbled on this interview on Design*Sponge, it really resonated.

MAKE: This healthy peanut butter dip. I haven't tried it yet but if it can satisfy my pb cravings without all the calories, I'm in.

ORGANIZE: I'm a huge believer in making lists to get things done. This online tool & app is a straight-forward approach to organizing your to-do's. I especially love its sharing capabilities which comes in handy when planning a wedding.

TRY: This spray-on sanitizing spray is all natural, convenient, and smells great! Our good friend actually works for this company and I recently re-discovered the sample she gave me -- just in time for flu season.

DIY: Don't forget Valentine's day is this Friday. With a shoe-string budget, I was searching for a few cute projects to do this weekend. This watercolor and gold-leaf geometric heart is on my list of things to make.

Image: Ali Harper

Pluviophile

One of my favorite things I inherited from my mom is my love of rain. Sure, I enjoy sunny days but give me a downpour, a hot cup of tea, and a blanket and I am content. We've been having a drought here in California so I am happy it finally decided to rain this week (I keep telling Mike we should move to Oregon but he's a little reluctant).

Although houses in the Bay Area don't need to take their 'winterizing' as seriously as other areas of the country, there are a few things that I always forget about until it starts to pour:

//1. Cleaning Out Gutters: unfortunately for us, Mike and I are both not a fan of heights which makes cleaning our gutters (on the second story) not the most pleasant thing. This year we got a pass since they were cleaned before we moved in and the HOA seriously cut back all the trees in our complex before the leaves fell so not much should be in there now. We did buy these little expandable, wire-mesh doodads that are supposed to keep the downspouts free of blockage, but neither of us are brave enough to climb up there and put them in.

//2. Being Extra Vigilant about a Clean Kitchen: I haven't seen any yet, but usually when it rains hard outside, all the ants decide to come inside. The house I grew up in had a big issue with ants in the winter and my mom was extra careful to clean up spills, crumbs, and store the peanut butter in the fridge (ever tried to make a PB&J with cold peanut butter?! miserable).

//3. Covering or Storing Patio Furniture: With patio furniture being as pricey as it is, you definitely don't want to end up replacing it year after year. We are waiting on buying a good set for this summer, but if we end up spending the money to get the one I really want, you can be sure that baby is getting a nice, water-proof cover to go with it and the cushions are going in the garage rafters before the first sprinkle. The same goes for the grill - it's already too late for the one we have now (it was abandoned for a few years while Mike was living in the apartment) but I recently took it all apart to clean it and was amazed at how rusted the inside was.

Anyone else have tips to add? Are there any other Pluviophiles' out there who want to put on their rain-boots and go jump in some puddles with me?

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Currently Obsessed: Black Window Trim

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There is a house on our street that they've been building since Mike and I moved in six months ago and I cannot get over how beautiful the windows are. The black, steel frames look amazing with the modern/Mediterranean architecture. They just put up a for sale sign and I am definitely going to drag Mike in there the first open house they have.

In our home we are *blessed* with old single-paned aluminum frame windows. Not only can you feel the draft from them, but they leave our entire complex looking shabby. I don't love the look of bright white vinyl windows, but I would take those over our current ones any day.

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Mike and I have our first HOA meeting next week and we are totally nerding out over it. The president sent out a preliminary list of what is on the agenda and it includes everything that Mike and I have been wanting to address: rotten trim, over-zealous sprinkler system, hideous sign out front, etc. New windows weren't a part of it, but I'm hoping they can at least answer if replacing the old windows falls under the HOA or if it is our individual responsibility.

In the mean time, I am seriously considering painting the inside trim of our windows black. I am a little concerned about the paint chipping off when we open and close the windows but I read if you use oil-based primer, then they should hold up fine. I usually shy away from anything oil based because it's really hard to work with / clean up / is super toxic, but I might just have to give it a try for this project. Mike is heading to Asia on a business trip this month and I think it would be the perfect time to give it a go on at least one window.

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