DailyDesign

Cutest Caddy Ever!

2011-09-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Bird Bath Shower Caddy by Umbra @ Container Store

This is definitely going to be purchased and put in the kids bathroom. Could not be cuter. Also inspires me to paint that bathroom soon! This Bird Bath Shower Caddy is designed by Umbra and is new to the Container Store line. SO cute!

My own Nate project

2011-05-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

So I do watch quite a bit of Nate Berkus these days. I love his design style and the fact that all his shows focus on how to get a great look for minimum cost. And, he is also big on reusing or repurposing things you already have. So taking that approach, I've had a dark brown bird cage sitting in my garage that I brought home on a trip to Hong Kong many years ago. I've never really known what to do with it until this week. I bought a can of high gloss yellow paint (yes yellow again!) and painted it. Now its sitting on my deck and the funny thing is Crate & Barrel are selling one in their store right now! Here are the before and after. It was easy and now that's one less thing out of the garage....

So here's the C&B one for $80!

Starting Over

2011-05-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

I decided today that I am going to start updating this spot at least three times a week with general items of interest, mainly focused around Raleigh but ranging from great design and decor, to amazing food and local scenes. Craft beer, new restaurants, great shopping, you name it I hope to post it!! ;-) My first item of interest is the new video that Whole Foods North Raleigh just released:

Love this store!!

Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

I realized today that I have badly neglected my blog so I am resolving to start posting again! Check back this week for some new updates!! Lots of cool stuff happening here in Raleigh and all over now that the weather is finally getting nice again!!

Artsplosure Raleigh 2009

2009-04-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun event coming up this month of May...the annual Artsplosure Festival downtown. Lots to see and do. Its totally kid-friendly and if the weather is good, we love to just get a beer and walk around and look at the art, listen to some music and watch the kids do some crafts and activities. Definitely get out there and check it out...we plan to!! http://artsplosure.org/artsplosure2009/

Farmer's Market

2009-04-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to see all these new Farmer's Markets popping up around the Raleigh/Cary area but for anyone like me living in North Raleigh area, all of the good ones are still a hike to get to! So, I was pleased to see that EarthFare grocery is starting one on Saturdays in their parking lot from 11-5pm. And, they have an outdoor patio and live music. We will be checking that out this weekend and if its good...I look forward to some great produce at hopefully a good price!

http://www.earthfare.com/storeinfo/1200/events/3090

The Cupcake Shoppe

2009-04-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a great new spot on Glenwood. The girls and I checked it out the other day. Stop by here and get an absolutely DELICIOUS cupcake. They are to die for! Get one with coffee for a treat or pick up some to go for any party or picnic outing. They would make a great gift for someone in need of a special sweet treat. http://www.thecupcakeshopperaleigh.com/

New Raleigh Hot Spots

2009-04-28T07:24:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, I love discovering cool new local places to eat and drink in Raleigh. When I first moved here, they were a rare find. Now, there are new spots popping up all over downtown Raleigh! Here are a couple of recent finds:

http://www.boylanbridge.com/
Boylan Bridge Brew Pub - LOVE this place. Just in time for the Spring/Summer/Fall weather. This place is almost completely outside patio complete with patio tables, picnic benches and a cool low hanging wall just right for sitting on. The beer is fabulous and the view of Raleigh is really great, especially in the early evening. What I really like about this place is how you are not distracted by televised sports or loud music...you simply hang with your friends and converse! How amazing is that? Great spot for meeting up for drinks before dinner or going out on the town (or just simply quenching your thirst on a hot sunny day!) Check it out.

Another great new spot is http://busybeeraleigh.com/.
The Busy Bee Cafe is brand new on Wilmington Street in Raleigh. We came upon it a week or so ago when it was only about 9 days since it had opened. It was packed with young people...word was definitely getting out about this place. The beer on draft is fantastic...hard to find options like the ones they were offering in alot of other bars around town. The food that was coming out looked absolutely delicious. The cafe was a popular spot in Raleigh during the 1920's and they have done a great job with the renovations. http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/the-busy-bee-returns-to-wilmington-street/. The first thing that I noticed when we were there was the stunning wood floors. I also love the way they expose the old brick walls while still keeping the bar fresh, modern and hip. There is a great patio area (although you have to grab a table early and there is not a bar outside which would be awesome). Still this is a great space. The Hive is the upstairs area with more seating and another bar and music. Very cool new spot!! Check it out soon.

Another Good Cheap Eat!

2009-04-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

I was craving something easy, healthy and tasty that the whole family would enjoy. So, I tried out a variation on the Black Bean Salad tonight and served it with instant 90 second rice and a rotisserie chicken. Took no time at all and the kids ate every bite! I will probably put some of the leftovers of the salad into some quesadillas with some monterey jack cheese and I've already got an easy dinner for the kids tomorrow. I think this dish would be great for the summer picnics and BBQ's coming up soon as well!! Try it and let me know how you like it.

INGREDIENTS
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced (I added this as a side)
1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, green onions, bell pepper, pimentos, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and Italian dressing. Season with garlic salt. Toss, and chill until serving.

Launch of new website business!

2009-04-06T12:36:00.001-07:00

We are so excited to introduce the new brand BlakeDesignOnline.com. Christine and I have worked together for years now since I moved to Raleigh but we finally are making it official and are launching our new brand this Spring. Definitely spread the word if you need a new logo design, web design, brochures, business cards, etc. We offer fresh new clean designs at a very affordable price. Keep checking for new updates and interesting tidbits here often. Enjoy!

Time to shop!

2008-09-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hey girls,
For anyone who loves to shop and find those unique gifts with style and an added personal touch, its time for the Jr League's annual Shopping Spree in Raleigh. Starting October 1-5, you can get your girlfriends together and get shopping! We are definitely making a girl's outing for this one! Check out the info at: Shopping Spree.

Renew, reuse, recycle

2008-09-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

In the words of Jack Johnson - "Reuse, renew, recycle" we've been trying to do our best to recycle and minimize our amount of trash going to the local dump. Its pretty obvious what to do with the paper, class, metal and cardboard that comes through this house and the girls are good at making sure it all gets in the right bins and not in the trash. But don't you always wonder what you're supposed to do with all the other stuff that comes through the door and is laying around?Don't you wonder if there's a place it could do better good but have no idea where or what that is? Well I found a very helpful article in Real Simple that has a lot of useful answers for these things. Whether its books, batteries, computers or crocs, they've got the answer! Check out this link: "How to Recycle Anything".
I'm printing this article out (on recycled paper of course! ;-)) and I'm going to try and make it our goal to pass along alot of our things that could go to better causes then the dump. Jack would be proud....;-)

CL

Girl's Night Out

2008-08-26T14:15:00.001-07:00

Now here's a winning plan...to all my girlfriends with girls...here's the ideal night out!
The Artful Mind in Wake Forest offers a 2 hour jewelry class in the evenings...thus providing us with a little coverage while we find a little spot nearby to share a cocktail or two! Girls get to hang with their girlfriends and make jewelry and have snacks, while the "big girls" get to hang, eat snacks and not make jewelry!! ;-) Dates coming up: Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7, Dec. 5, Jan. 2. Sounds like a plan to me!!

Journey to the Center of the Earth...or at least Downtown Raleigh!

2008-08-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

I had to write about a really great experience we had downtown Raleigh Saturday night. We took the two kids and went downtown in search of good food, good culture and something new and different. We definitely got it!

First stop was dinner at NoFo which was fabulous. Especially when you are looking for a good meal, a good cold brew (or glass of wine) and some atmosphere but you still have to remember that you have two kids in tow so this was the perfect option. The place is fun, the food is fab and the beer was good and cold and not very pricey, surprisingly! Everyone ate and the dinner crowd was pretty mellow so no waiting around for a table and our waitress was very helpful and patient with kids. All in all, a tasty experience.

Next up, we headed further downtown to Lichton Plaza where they were holding a free show on the plaza. We parked in the garage and headed towards the plaza when we got a fun surprise! Matt went back to get his camera and me and the girls were heading towards the new Marriott to check it out when we got an offer to take a ride on the new Raleigh Rickshaws. It was very cool. The driver/biker guy told us to jump in and he proceeded to drive us up and around the plaza area and it was like riding a ride at an amusement park! He didn't even want us to pay him, just gave us a very fun ride around the area, dropping us off at the plaza. Definitely a new and very fun way to get from place to place (and will have to make a note of that when out again without kids, bar or restaurant hopping!).

Finally we got to the plaza to check out the show. There we watched a FREE show by a traveling group of Aussie's (yeah!) called "Strange Fruit". Four artists performed on 13 foot poles which swayed back and forth as they performed from above. The kids loved it and was well worth the trip. We then proceeded to wait in line for a bit to see the "Luminarium". This was like a journey on the "Magic School Bus" or a trip back to the psychedelic 70's! Either way, we all enjoyed it. We walked in to an inflated building full of tunnels and domes filled with music, color-filled rooms and AIR CONDITIONING! We spent some good quality time lounging, laying around, dancing and chilling out amidst the colors and shapes. After about 20 minutes, we made our way out and headed back towards the garage to start working our way back home.

It was so exciting to see these great things going on downtown Raleigh. So different from the downtown Raleigh I experienced when I first moved here seven and a half years ago. It was so great to see all the life and activity going on in the city. There were people out everywhere, enjoying a beautiful balmy night in outdoor cafes, bars, families at the plaza enjoying the art and a cold ice cream and a fun ride on the rickshaw!

2008-08-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going to try and start writing my thoughts and ideas as they come to me in this new blog spot. I think most of the things I will write about will be about different interesting things I have come across whether in the newspaper, local information or magazine or just anything cool that I want to share with my mom friends in general! Feel free to drop a comment or two anytime you want!

The first thing I'm going to add are two easy recipes that I got courtesy of www.cleverparents.com today. I love this site and really admire Kris Jackson, who developed this site. She's here in Raleigh with her husband and three boys. These recipes looked so easy and I love the idea of the white bean burrito since we do quesadillas and bean burritos and tacos quite often. Nice to try something different but still easy and healthy! Let me know if any of you make this and whether it was a hit or a flop! I'm going to try it later this week.

White Bean Burritos

White beans have a great mild flavor that most children find appealing.
Ingredients for each burrito:
4 Tablespoons canned, white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons cheddar or jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon mashed avocado
1 small flour tortilla

Directions:Place beans and lemon juice in a bowl and mash with a fork. Mix in cheese and cilantro. Heat the mixture in microwave for 30 seconds, until cheese is melted. Spoon the bean mixture and mashed avocado on the flour tortilla crosswise, fold the tortilla in on 2 opposite sides, and roll it up lengthwise. Let it cool before serving.

Tip: If the flour tortilla seems a bit stiff, you can soften the tortilla by placing it between 2 damp paper towels and microwave 20 seconds.

Broccoli and Rice Casserole

If you don’t feel like making the rice called for in the recipe, stop by a Chinese restaurant and buy a quart to go (by the way, brown rice is better for you than white rice).

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped broccoli
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil2-3 cups of cooked brown or white rice
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions: Pre heat oven to 350 F. Steam broccoli until tender (about 3-4 minutes in microwave/stovetop). Place broccoli, soup stock, oil and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and process to a smooth puree. Place rice and cheese in an ovenproof dish. Pour broccoli mixture over the rice and cheese.
Toss mixture gently to blend ingredients. Place in oven for 15 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted. (Instead of using the oven, you can heat this dish in the microwave for 3 minutes, stir, and cook 3 more minutes)

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for 3-5 days, or can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Enjoy!

Novice Blogger

2008-07-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is interesting. I am attempting my first "blog". I thought it would be interesting to try out creating a spot for my daily thoughts on life, work, children, family, etc. etc. I do seem to have a lot of thoughts in my head these days, tips on things, thoughts on things I've recently read or seen on tv or experienced during the day so maybe I will attempt to try and document them a bit here. We'll see what happens.