Friday, March 30, 2012

It's "Favorite's Friday" | Bring on the Yellow

Happy Friday!! I'm so glad it's the weekend again... Of course, I'm back on schedule with another "Favorite's Friday", this time with 5 great yellow items I found recently on Etsy. I won't make you wait any longer, here goes:


1. Fabric Organizer Storage Container in Corn Yellow
By BaffinBags3.

2. Paper Garland in Yellow, White & Blue
By Hoopdaloop

3. Set of Yellow and Gray Chevron Pillows
By MilkandHoneyLuxuries

4. Distressed Yellow 'T' Large Wooden Letter
By PaperJackStudio

5. Yellow Dresser with Bronze Hardware
By iam3rin

Oh, how I love Etsy. I still have to get products made for TheMarthaAnne Etsy Shoppe, but trust me, my goal is to do that as soon as we figure out where we're moving next!! I hope you enjoyed the burst of yellow! Have a great weekend out there!!



Monday, March 26, 2012

I'm Back... from San Francisco!

Dear Blog, oh how I've missed you. We returned Wednesday at 2:00 am... only to turn around and wake up at 5:30 to go to work! It has been an exhausting and busy week. While away we had calls for the house, Ryan got a job interview in Alberta (which didn't turn out to be worth it) and I had a call for a new logo design! We both chuckled and said we need to go away more often... everything seems to happen.

Anyways, San Francisco was great. The weather wasn't the greatest - it rained a lot, but we enjoyed the time away together. We also discovered we're not the type to sit in one area for a whole week, we ended up renting a car to see Napa Valley and Pebble Beach... those were the best days of all... And I have to say our best meal was at The Cheesecake Factory - as some of you may know, we don't have those in Canada, it was absolutely delicious.

So, what did we do? Everything... Alcatraz, Street Cars, Cable Cars, Lombard Street, Outlet Shopping, Coast Driving, Wine Tasting... it was great. Oh and of course, I used to be a Ben & Jerry's Lover at heart, it is always a vacay treat & favorite, but now I'm hooked on Cold Stone Creamery!! Mmm... we visited twice and I'm still craving it! But, now we're back to reality and I've spent the last few days praying our house will sell so that we can buy the country charmer we found. We had a buyers come through our home yesterday, so my fingers are crossed.

Anyways, while we get ourselves back together, here are a few pics from the vacation! I hope to share more soon, but this is a good teaser.

 San Francisco Cable Car by martha.anne

San Francisco China Town by martha.anne

Pebble Beach by martha.anne


Have a great week out there! I'm hoping to have time to do a Pin attempt this week and more picture sharing!





Saturday, March 10, 2012

It's "Favorites Friday" | My Style

I'm a day late, but better late than never? I figured with the upcoming trip to San Francisco, I better get a few posts in before we leave - I know I'll be MIA from blog world while I'm gone. After all, it has been almost three years since we've had a week vacay together... so I'm definitely pumped. Anyways, for today's "Favorites Friday" I decided to dip into my Pinterest - My Style, and pick my five favorite fashion pieces. Wait no longer... this is exactly what I dream my fashion statement to be... (because we all know I don't own all of these!).


1. I love the grays. If you know me, you know I'm a neutral gal when it comes to fashion. I have very few colored pieces of clothing in my closet. I just love how everything compliments each other and the pearls are my favorite (aside from diamonds). I just need the shoes, the white scarf (I have like 40 scarves, but no plain white one).... I think I could managed similar items for the rest.
Polyvore

2. You can say I'm a very self conscious gal, especially when it comes to beach wear... But this bathing suit may just be my next... I absolutely love the lines and how cute it is, without revealing too much skin. I know when I get older I'll wish I rocked a bikini, but I just hate them!
Rey Swimwear

3. Want, need, love... this bag is absolutely amazing. I bet I could fit my laptop in it as well to take on business trips! The worn leather would match any outfit... now, I just need to find out where I can buy it! I'm definitely after an over sized bag for my purse... leather would be great.. but I'll settle for any great bag that can be worn year round.
A Life of Beauty and Grace

4. Very simple, yet something I rarely do. My husband loves the plain shirt and jeans look and I never do it. Again, I feel very self conscious in a t shirt, don't ask me why. The flip flops aren't my favorite, I'm more of a leather flip flop kinda gal, but that bag... ohh, I love. I'll take it in place of the leather one... I absolutely adore it.
Pinterest

5. Back to the neutrals. This look is timeless... and I want those shoes so badly!! I'm not a hoop earrings kinda gal, but I already have a similar belt and watch. I own a black bag and plenty of large neck sweaters, I'm pretty sure I could pull a similar look off with the items in my closet. Now the ring, I want a flat, silver tube ring so bad (without the designs)... but a trip to the jewelry store had them coming in at $800 plus. Eeks... I'll keep it on my wish list though... I absolutely love them!
Polyvore

Favorites Friday a day late, but I still managed. And, you've learned a little bit more about me and my style. Hopefully I get another blog post out to you before I leave. I'll even try and write a few to post while I'm away. But if not ... see you in a week or two and have a great weekend!



Thursday, March 8, 2012

Happy International Women's Day!!

For all the women out there, it's a day to celebrate who we are and who we have became! Give yourself a pat on the shoulder and be proud of everything you have became. Push forward and be sure to work towards everything you want to be! It's a great day to celebrate all of our accomplishments and stand together... Happy International Women's Day!



Cheers!



Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Baby Shower Photocard Reveal

A few weeks back I shared "It's a Baby Shower Photocard" but wasn't able to show the final card chosen, just in case the expecting parents saw it. Now, I've been given the go ahead and am not waiting any longer. I showed you the other designs I had came up with and then my client shared a link to a design they had liked. (you can see it here) I went ahead and turned it into this:


Too cute! I had a blast doing it and I'm happy to say that my design services are needed again for a business card. I can't wait. If you or someone you know is looking for more information on the design services at martha.anne, be sure to direct them to my Facebook page, pricing information or have them contact me.

Cheers! :o)



Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Portobello Mushrooms Sauteed in Red Wine & Garlic

Wow! What a busy weekend. We had a few visitors at our open house, very exciting! We had dinner with the fam jam and we spent the rest of the time getting the house ready or trying to catch our breathe. Tonight we went to look at a house (I'll tell you about it later) and came home to make a nice dinner, pork chops, portobello mushrooms sauteed in red wine and garlic, baby potatoes and fresh french bread from the oven. Mmm... I do love to cook. So, I thought I'd share the recipe with you that we used (followed on Food.com).


Portobello Mushrooms Sauteed in Red Wine and Garlic

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion , cut longitudinally (we used a red onion)
4 garlic cloves , chopped
1 pinch sugar
2 beef bouillon cubes , crushed (we used 2 packages)
2 tablespoons dry red wine (we used regular red wine and added more throughout cooking)
2 medium portobello mushrooms

Warm a saute pan over medium heat and add oil, onions, garlic and sugar. Saute onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.


Next, add beef bouillon and wine and stir until the bouillon dissolves. Continue to saute the onions until most of the wine has been absorbed, about 4-5 minutes.


Next, add mushrooms (we sliced ours) and saute until soft, about 5 more minutes - turning during to cook each side. We added wine throughout to keep the pan from drying out.

  

Place caps on plate, top with sauce and enjoy! Make sure you serve it hot - it was great with pork chops and fresh baby potatoes.


Okay, now as promised, the house tour tonight was great. There was a huge building on the acre and a half lot that was currently being used as a cafe, but easily could be converted into an amazing wood shop. Inside the brick home itself was the most amazing character, a brick wall in the kitchen that was exposed, large trim around the rooms, built in shelves in the dining room and a claw foot tub in the bathroom. Character is what we have been looking for and it certainly had it! The problem is, we can't decide whether character with the quirks of an old house is better than a new house that doesn't have any hidden surprises. Hmm... I guess we'll have to wait and see. Oh yes, and I told you I'd bat my eyes, Ryan is coming with me to San Francisco and we're making a weeks vacay out of it... definitely exciting and I can't wait to share the pics!



Saturday, March 3, 2012

Before and After - The Kitchen & Dining Room

The sneak peak...


And the before & after continues. I know I missed "Favorite Friday" this week, so I thought I'd surprise you with a Saturday post, a before and after. When we first moved into the Cape Cod, everyone said the kitchen was great, but I wasn't so convinced. I  knew from the start that something was going to have to change and the hubby definitely agreed. The U-Shaped Kitchen with double sided cabinets seemed so outdated, but the cupboards were handmade solid wood, so we couldn't destroy everything. Let's take a peak at what we did.

Ah... the kitchen. The outdated countertops, dated wood cabinets and lack of functionality. It was definitely something from the 80's and was driving me insane since day one. The space felt small and wasn't the greatest for entertaining. Take a peek at the pictures below.





The dining room was just one the other side. It seemed to fit our dining set well, but it was always a squeeze to maneuver around. In the pictures below you'll notice a wall that stands between the dining room and the living room, making everything seem closed up and choppy. On the upside, the patio doors were perfect and stepped out onto our stoned patio and country oasis, where nobody could be seen or heard. Time would only make everything perfect. 




And the transformation... Pot lights were put in around the kitchen. The cupboards were painted (a very long process that I'm not sure I would do again), new hinges and knobs were added. New countertops were added at the very end, pulling everything together just perfectly.


A new light hangs over the island - and that green you see behind it, is an access panel that had to be put in to access electrical. Of course, the tape is now gone... I just forgot before the pictures were taken. And of course, you can see our island that was built in December...  Ryan did it himself, we had the wood countertop planed and Ryan joined them together. He also built the island out of two base cabinets from the hardware store and then finished off all the way around with the wainscoting and trim, I chose the red paint to throw in some modern country charm!  


I forgot to mention, Ryan also took the cupboards above the dishwasher and cut out the center, went to a local hobbyist and had the glass cut to shape. He then made these awesome new doors! They show off our glasses and colored mugs, another great feature I love.


Our dining room shares the space with the kitchen, and it is perfect for fitting in a larger table that we can entertain at. The comfy high bar chairs are a favorite for visitors and also pull up to the island when we're just hanging out. I don't know about you but every time we have guests everyone seems to migrate to the kitchen, with all the renovations, it's been a perfect place to host and entertain.


The wall... is GONE! The flow is so much better and sharing a fireplace with the living room was one of the best designs I came up with. Yes, for weeks while we debated pulling out the existing wood fireplace and putting in the propane one, we couldn't figure out what to do. Putting a large stove like that in the living room would leave nearly no room or options for redecorating. So, one Saturday morning I sat staring at the space and finally realized the solution, allowing the heat to flow down both sides of the house while adding an amazing feature to two great rooms! Definitely a lot of work at the time, but well worth the process.


It's been an adventure and the pictures will definitely continue. This new space is one of my favorites and I love entertaining in it. Now, I must leave you and go clean this place from top to bottom. The open house is tomorrow and we're hoping it will be a great turnout. I've never had nor been to one so I'm not sure what to expect, especially living out in the country. Have a great weekend out there!!



Thursday, March 1, 2012

And the Pins Continue...

I was going to do a before and after tonight, but thought I'd change it up and post my last five pins on Pinterest. I haven't had a lot of time on it lately and I really miss it. I can't wait for life to slow down... then again, I don't think it ever will! On the upside, today brought exciting news. As my "work" day came to a close I was asked to travel to San Francisco! I've never been so excited, only I wish the hubby could join me. The problem is, we just bought his plane ticket to join me in Vegas when I go on my other "work" trip. Hmm... We'll see if I can bat my eyes enough to get him to come!! :o) After all, it was only a couple of weeks ago when he said he wasn't going to Vegas again this year... and look at the plans now. Anyways, onto my post, here are my last five random pins on Pinterest:

1. FREE printable labels, templates, cards, etc... Gotta check it out!

everything etsy

2. DIY "Love" Dry Erase Message Board.

a content housewife

3. Amazing open kitchen & living room.

laura lee clark - interior design

4. Simple gray bath, curtain and sconces.

flickr - margot austin window shower

5. DIY Pillow Mattresses.

no rest for the creative

That's it - if you follow me on Pinterest, I apologize for the lack of amazing pins! ;o) And before I forget, we have news on the home front. It turns out if we sell our home, we'll be homeless... okay, not so much. But, the house we had our eye on didn't work out so now we're continuing the search! And, yes... back to the idea of building! Eeks... it's the never ending roller coaster. Anyways, I'll keep you posted. Have a great night.