Archive for January, 2010
Can’t take my eye off of this Julia Child inspired butcher’s apron from Sara Smedley. Great colors and simple design make this apron a perfect fit for cooks of any age.
Many artists in the community are reaching out during this extremely hard time for the people of Haiti, and donating money. The amazingly talented Irene Suchocki of isphotography is also stepping up to the plate. And is donating 15% of all her sales from now through Jan 31 directly to the Red Cross Haitian Relief Fund.
Please visit Irene’s shop and support this great cause.
It is an honor to have Katherine Jalaty of Making Chicken Salad here today showing off her cozy retreat. I love Kat’s home almost as much as her blog. Both are really lovely. And Kat has done an amazing job creating an inspiring place for her, her son, and boyfriend to be proud of. Enjoy the tour…
Tell us about yourself.
I write a creative lifestyle/craft blog, named Making Chicken Salad; The Art of Something Out of Nothing. I also run a few small etsy shops (one and two) where I sell both vintage and handmade items.
-What kind of home do you live in?
My boyfriend, Josh, my son, Henry and I live together in the house where I grew up. My mom was getting ready to move to another town just as Henry was born, so when he was three weeks old we moved into her house. The house was built in the mid 1940s and had a kitchen remodel and family room added on during the 1990s.
My mom left her house furnished, and it has been an interesting challenge to incorporate all of my belongings and my style into this house. She and I have very different taste in furniture and décor, and slowly over the past six years I have been swapping out her things with my own. It has taken a long time (and countless hours in thrift and vintage shops!), but the house finally feels like my own and the style is nothing like it was when she lived here.
-As you mentioned before, you have two shops: Katherine Handmade and the Making Chicken Salad shop. What is your favorite thing to create for them?
I have fallen completely in love with crochet. Since the birth of my son six years ago, my mind has been in constant motion and it is hard to slow things down and relax. Sitting down with pretty yarn and a crochet hook allows me to unwind in a way that nothing else does. It helps that one can crochet an item fairly quickly, too—I love instant gratification!
-Writing a successful blog and juggling your shops, I imagine takes a lot of work. What advice can you share with us on getting a business started?
Jump in and do it! I am a firm believer in doing everything you can to make things happen. Don’t sit around wishing you could do something—start doing the research and learning as much as you can about what it is you want to do in order to make it happen. I like to do things myself, and have read hundreds of tutorials online in order to learn about formatting my blog. The internet is such a great resource for learning skills, which I have not been able to learn elsewhere (college was a long time ago!).
Also—do not be afraid to practice the shameless art of self-promotion. This is something that I have struggled with. I sometimes feel shy (and, let’s face it—cheesy) talking about myself and what I do. Not everyone gets it. But, I have become much braver about telling people about myself and my business and have found that it really does pay off.
-On average, about how much time per week are you able to put into creating?
I am lucky that I am able to a lot of time into creating at this point. I usually have a couple of projects going at one time and I will work on them periodically throughout the day (in between dishes, laundry, making meals, etc.) I also try to put a creative spin on everything I do—that is what makes life interesting for me!
-What is your favorite decorative element in your home?
Textiles—both old and new. I love fabric of all sorts, and I love being surrounded by pattern and color. Whether it is a new pillow from Urban Outfitters, one of my grandma’s handmade quilts, or a kilim rug, I enjoy incorporating and layering many different textures and colors into our home. I especially love old textiles where the work of the person who made it is evident. There is nothing sweeter to me than evidence of hand stitching on and old quilt or garment.
-Many of us enjoy collecting things over the years. And I see that you do as well. What is it that you collect and when did you start collecting it?
The first year we were together Josh bought me two vintage miniature sewing machines for my birthday. Since then I have been collecting them and am really on the hunt for a pink one!
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How sweet. Thanks so much for the interview and house tour Kat. To view more photos of Kat’s home, click here.
Today’s daily favorites. Loving these greys and blues…perfect winter colors.
Looking for a more natural way to bring that Valentine’s Day spirit into your home? Maybe something a bit more subtle? How about this moss filled heart. Found the image via .bobby and thought it would be an easy diy.
How do I get this look? Cut two pieces of chicken wire into identical heart shapes. If you want to add a little color, spray paint chicken wire and wait for paint to dry. Lay the hearts on top of each other.Then, starting from the bottom of the heart run a thin, pliable wire through the holes in the chicken wire that lines the outside of the hearts. Threading the two separate hearts together. Leave the top open in order to stuff in pete moss or something similar (air plants might work well too). Then close top of heart again using the wire threading technique. And there you have it: a unique indoor/outdoor piece that you can leave up well past the holiday.
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Image: Country Heart via .bobby
Stunning. Jewelry from Moth House. This shop has done everything right. From product to styling- its perfection. Bonus for me: Sharina lives right here in Jacksonville. But the online shop has plenty of jewelry to drool over for those that don’t live in the area.
You can also catch Moth House on papernstitch. And be sure to check out the Moth House look book as well.
We have a pecan tree in our backyard, and although I don’t bake or cook much, I thought I should come up with some way to use the pecans that have dropped recently in our yard. So, here’s an easy (but thoughtful) gift for the cooks/ bakers in your family. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or as a just because I love you gift…
Materials: All you need is a mason jar, some left over scarp fabric, and a hearty handful of nuts still in their shells (walnuts or pecans are best). The whole thing (materials and all) shouldn’t cost more than a couple of bucks to make.
How To: Its pretty straightforward. Collect the nuts you are planning on using, whether they be from your yard, someone else’s, or even the grocery store. Wash and towel dry. Then place in your mason jar. Cut a piece of fabric in the shape of a circle that is approximately two times the size of the opening of your jar, so your fabric will hang over the sides. Add outside metal ring to jar once fabric has been placed over opening. Add a tag (maybe even a recipe for cookies) and you are all set!
If you have any recipes that use walnuts or pecans, leave a link in the comments. I’d love to hear ‘em.
