buffalo exchange…
Posted: May 29, 2011 Filed under: style & fashion., sunday funday..., vintage prints 1 Comment »i’m excited to blog about another favorite for sunday funday! you may have heard that a new buffalo exchange moved into town… and if you haven’t you should be on the edge of your seat!! i spent a year wishing we had one when my l.a.-esque friend Taylor lived with me. she worked {and is now back} at one of the l.a. stores. i’d raid her closet and my ears would twinge when i heard “oh, those manolo spectators? i got them at buffalo exchange.” ahhhhhhh! seriously?!? it sounds too good to be true, but what if you could get cash, or NEW clothes for all those old clothes you’re about to give to goodwill?
my closet is now SO happy.
buffalo exchange is a whole new spin on your typical thrift store… they operate as a trading post where you can, buy {shop} or sell or trade. it’s easy. you take your pile of stuff in, they sift through it, decide what they like\want to re-sell on the spot. the deal works like this: they tell you what their re-sale price will be. let’s say it’s $20… if you agree on it, then they offer you 50% of that price in trade {$10} or 30% in cash {$6.} it’s completely your choice to let it go or not, if you don’t think the price offered is worthy, then you can hang on to your stuff. i kept a leather motorcycle vest instead of selling it… i’m still trying to figure out how to work it into my wardrobe though! once you’re finished they can cash you out on the spot, or you can shop to trade! i acutally decided to get some in cash and they rest on a trade card to spend later. how amazing! {also, if you end up with things left over that didn’t work out and you still don’t want to keep them, they have a huge bin where you can donate the rest to crisis assitance!} you’ll love knowing there’s room for new goodies in your closet at home and that you’re helping the local community!
and they have SO much! mens, womens, vintage, new, designer, shoes, accessories, jewelry & they even have they’re own line of band new basics that you’ll find mixed in. i think gil and i made about $115 and $40 to trade later. not too shabby for a goodwill pile.
i found my new favorite vintage dooney for $17.
and an awesome vintage dress… i love this print!
lastly… one thing i love is that you can take your new things home in a plastic bag OR you can ditch the bag for a token worth 10 cents that you can donate to your favorite charity on your way out the door. each city with a buffalo exchange gives to different local charities. i love it!
location: 1521 Central Avenue Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 372-2300 {look for monica, she runs the place!}
be sure to visit and let me know how much you get, what you find and how you liked it!!!! be curious! hg
princess party cupcakes…
Posted: May 28, 2011 Filed under: business., cupcakes., party. 2 Comments »lily is turning 5! last year she had a topsy-turvy cake at her pool party… but this year it’s all about being a princess! not only were real princesses visiting her party but the girls were getting all dressed up, and having real tea with these adorable mini cupcakes!!
red velvet and vanilla with lots of pearls, gold and silver dragaees and LOTS of edible glitter… just perfect for little ladies.
happy 5th birthday lily!
olivia’s graduation…
Posted: May 27, 2011 Filed under: business., party., personal. Leave a comment »olivia. this girl is just the sweetest and one of the most stylish ladies i know… we’ve gotten to hang out a lot lately as she interned with me for her senior exit project over the last few months. we did manage to do some vintage shopping in between all the cupcakes and still have an antique hunting date to set! but alas, her senior year is officially over and now she’s college bound!
she had gorgeous pink hues, candles and peonies in mind for her graduation party… and this girl wanted red velvet with cream cheese filling all the way. the result of her stylish request was a simple, but breathtaking 3 tiered cake, each tier boasting a different shade of the prettiest pink. pale grey ribbon lined the edges and a fresh peony added the perfect whimsical touch… it turned out gorgeous just like her and encompassed her personality like perfection.
i was excited to deliver the cake, hug the graduate and swing by the party with gil… it was a gorgeous day to celebrate.
happy graduation olivia! wishing you the best in all that’s ahead! xoxo ps: i’ll be visiting you in the Holy City…
pss: a new catergory is being introduced here… {vintage prints} i have so many in my collection i want to start sharing them. i wore this 50′s print to celebrate olivia.
how to: burlap bed canopy…
Posted: May 26, 2011 Filed under: how to., interiors. 2 Comments »i vividly remember my canopy bed growing up… i had a white four poster bed with a ruffle edged cotton eyelet canopy. i remember feeling like i could escape there, hide there.
i happily ended up with yards and yards of amazing burlap and had the idea to make my own bed canopy with it… {since gil and i got married last september we’ve been re-decorating our house… i already owned it, so when gil moved in, along with all of his stuff we… well, i decided that we should start over. start fresh. honestly, i felt like i needed to grow up a little bit. i wanted to mix my love of antiques and trinkets with a modern spin. anyway, i started with our master bedroom and we’ll carry the style of this room throughout the rest of the house. we’re working our way slowly but surely…}
here are a few photos from my inspiration folder… ps: i love you apartment therapy.
romantic.
modern.
refreshing.
gorgeous. all via apartment therapy...
and of course, who doesn’t want to feel like a king and queen?! Versailles much?!
all you need for this project is your burlap, fabric, or whatever ya got… scissors, tiny nails and a hammer.
wish i could tell you where to get this... it was gifted!
honestly, i didn’t measure anything. our headboard made it easy to start right in the middle. then, i just worked my way out… nailing once on each side then draping it and nailing once on each side again…
and here’s the finished product! what do you think?!
this has been my favorite how-to project so far! i love the way it turned our ordinary blank wall {i didn’t like anything hanging over the bed} into something we love! i feel like a queen every time i walk in our room, and it still puts off an antique vibe that i just can’t live without. try it! i’d love to know how you innovate your own canopy. be curious… hg
recipe: linguine with shrimp scampi…
Posted: May 24, 2011 Filed under: personal., recipes., uncategorized. 1 Comment »my mom and i love the barefoot contessa… her cookbooks are awesome and if you don’t have one, you need to get one! recently we discovered a new favorite recipe and i wanted to share it here.
ask my husband gil, i may be a cake designer and i bake constantly but i am not a chef. actually, i don’t cook a whole lot, but i am getting better! we are very snacky eaters and i cook dinner MAYBE 2 times a week. also, i don’t really like meat and we never cook it at our house, so it’s usually vegan/vegetarian dinners galore. this recipe is easy, fun and SO flavorful. gil loved it, and said it was his favortie thing i’ve ever made. now, that’s pretty impressive becuase he is quite the foodie. it also gave me a reason to use this new serving platter. 
here’s what you need :
- vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus
- another 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 lb linguine
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 16 shrimp) {now shrimp have been known to freak me out a tad, so i decided to use medium sized shrimp insead, but feel free to use what you like. even the jumbo!}
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 lemon, zest grated
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
- 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
