Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

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Short Story: Teacup Centerpieces

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: ,

Until I was engaged, I refused to pin wedding stuff. That’s right: no “Future Wedding” board, no dream dresses, not even a checklist that says “pin now or regret forever!” My one exception was this little gem here. So I thought, if I suddenly become a millionaire, I’ll have teacup centerpieces. 

Teacup2Well, turns you don’t have to be rolling in it to have similar exquisite arrangements. As it so happens, all you need is a fiancé that loves tea (Michael and I have had a lot of tea parties in our day) and a few bucks.

With that one pin and our venue in mind, I headed over to my nearest Goodwill to see if they had any vintage teacups. I was of the mindset that there was no way I’d be able to find anything that fit the pre-1950s feel that I was aiming for at a Goodwill – you’d need an adorable antique store for that sort of thing. I know, I’m a Negative Nancy. But I browsed the china section and immediately found four beautiful cups and matching (or close enough) saucers all for under $5. After a few more trips I had something like 15 cups for which I paid $20. Yeah. I’m good at deals.

Well, I’ve been sitting on these cups for a while and I figured that I shouldn’t wait until the day before the wedding to try my hand at an arrangement. So I hiked over to my local grocer and picked up a bunch of ranunculus, mini hydrangeas and lemon leaves. And that’s all you need: your cups, a handful of flowers and some floral foam.

Teacup3Now, I won’t give you a how-to on arranging because I’m no expert. My mom, however, is, and you can bet I’m banking on her florist skills to make these little arrangements look even better (and to maybe help me pick out some better flowers for this particular application). One pro tip I’ll leave you with: ranunculus stems are flimsy as heck. If you want to stick them into wet floral foam without them bending all over, just cut a straw the length of that stem and thread the flower through that. It will stabilize the stem and allow you to use my favorite flower of all time.

Teacup1And because Michael and I are old old souls (and he’s a literature dude and I’m a writer), these babies are going to be staged on a stack of old books. Yes, I know that’s on Pinterest too, but it’s still a good idea.

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Save the Super Chill Date

Filed Under: Life Tagged With:

Whoa! Wedding planning can be a real trip. I’ve got people asking me about colors, themes, who’s in the party and on and on; because I’m a totally ill-equipped super chill bride-to-be, I have very few solid answers. It’s not like the whole shebang is only in 100 days or anything (it is exactly 100 days away).

But I will admit, maybe some ideas came together when Michael and I ordered these sweet save the dates from Elli (they did an awesome job, got us proofs in a blink of an eye, and we got them in the mail in just a few days – highly recommend).

Save the date from Elli.com

I had a whole Pinterest board dedicated to stationary, and I sat down with Michael and told him to pick a card any card. He wasn’t entirely into that, so I narrowed it down to three and he picked from there. I say good choice. Even though we’re not having a woodsy wedding, I feel like these work. They have the 1960s National Geographic feel along with some Lost Type action. Plus, I feel like they are Lisa and Michael which is really the whole point. Also shout out USPS for making Johnny Cash stamps – every old man in my family is happy now.

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The Best Place

Filed Under: Adventure, Life Tagged With: ,

Wedding planning is hard, you guys. And it’s especially hard when you have less than five months to do it. I mean holy cats is it a headache. Guest lists, invitations, dresses and caterers – just ugh. Like did you even know that with some caterers the flatware and china is an added cost? Or that dresses take something like eight months to be ordered? I’m convinced it’s all a beautiful lacy racket.

Fortunately, though, picking a venue was a piece of cake: a total one and done situation. Michael and I will be getting married at the Best Place. Seriously the Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery, and it is awesome.

Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery

For you Milwaukee folks, the above photo is pretty well known. I’m pretty sure you all have taken a pic of this sign before. I’m so sure because when my friends and I visited Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub for lunch one day, all four of us pulled out our iPhones and snapped one like a bunch of basics. It’s all with good reason though because this place is beautiful in that old world meets industrial meets German way.

Best_2

This was such a simple decision because besides being affordable, available and perfect, Michael and I have a tiny bit of history with the place. When we first started dating back in 2011, nearly every week we were out taking pictures with an armful of film cameras, and we took these around the Pabst Brewery that summer.

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The area looks slightly different now. It’s been cleaned up a bit and doesn’t look as foreboding, but it retains all of it’s old school Milwaukee charm, which is my favorite kind of charm.

Best_4

I’m pretty thrilled about this whole thing, even if I can’t figure out catering or decide on any sort of color scheme.

And if you want to visit the old Pabst Brewing area, do it! You can take a tour of the facilities, have a drink and head across the street to Jackson’s Blue Ribbon Pub for some eats (you better get that Bavarian pretzel).

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Groovy Printed Napkins, Baby

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: ,

Sometimes you want a practical little craft you can bang out in a day. You know, something you can bring as a hostess gift or a little whatnot to complete that birthday gift. This is that craft. These printed napkins are so simple, so quick and super satisfying.

Napkin_8

Here’s what you’re going to need:

  • Plain cotton napkins – I got mine at JoAnn
  • Fabric paint – I recommend going with the Martha Stewart brand for all craft paint; it’s good on a ton of surfaces
  • Craft foam
  • Cardboard
  • Glue
  • Foam paintbrush

Groovy Printed Napkin

Now before you do anything, wash and dry those napkins (no fabric softener) to remove any coating from the fabric. This will make for smooth sailing for that fabric paint. And give them a good ironing while your going through the trouble.

OK, now that you’ve got that done, it’s time to get doodling. For this, you do you. Leaves, cat faces, initials, whatever floats your boat. I’d just advise to keep your shapes about an inch across or more. Tiny designs and ones with a lot of detail can get pretty muddy with this informal stamping method.

So doodle one design, a handful or variations on theme on your craft foam. Clip these out and glue the shapes to scraps of cardboard.

Napkin_2 Napkin_3Once you’ve got your stamps in order, you can get to painting. To get a nice imprint that’s not too mottled, swipe an even coat of paint on the foam. You don’t want any globs here. Then give that stamp a whirl on some scrap paper. You want to get a feel for how it works with the right amount of paint and pressure.

Napkin_4Napkin_5I’m sure you can guess what’s next: get stamping on those napkins. Get groovy with this. Multiple colors, multiple stamps, print on one edge, print all over – it’s all you!

Napkin_6

And it’s as simple as that. Just let these dry overnight and you’ve got some slick fabric napkins to bust out for your fanciest party or to give as gifts. These are totally washable too, so don’t be afraid to get some use out of them!

Napkin_7

 

If you’ve made printed napkins before or if you make some now, I’d love to see them! Happy crafting!

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And We’re Back!

Filed Under: Life

Whoa. I feel off the face of the earth for a while. Now that we’re practically halfway through January, I figured I should get my butt back in gear.

Not to bore you with a much belated new year post or anything, but this new year is going to get crazy, you guys. For those of you reading this who aren’t my mom, I’ll tell you that we weren’t planning on getting married until something like October 2016, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, we decided to move that date up to sometime mid-this year. So we’re living in the fast lane right now.

Misc

That all being said, I hope you all don’t mind some wedding-related posts thrown in here and there. I’m sure I’ll be tackling a DIY or two (or a million). Until then, I’ll be browsing BHLDN.com like it’s my job.

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Short Story: Tiered Tray

Filed Under: Make Tagged With: ,

The holidays, man. I love them but boy have I been booked solid the last few weeks. Don’t worry, though, I’m back with a simple DIY that might be just the ticket for your next party: a tiered tray.

A few weeks ago when I was in a cookie competition I found myself in dire need of platters that looked at least halfway nice. Well, I didn’t want to invest too much money in cookie plates and cake stands, so I did what any sensible maker would do: I hit my local Goodwill with a plan and a few bucks.

Here’s a full list of what you’ll need when you waltz into your favorite thrift shop:

  • 3 plates in 3 sizes
  • 2 candlesticks
  • Glass/ceramic glue – I grabbed this kind by Elmer’s

Tiered Tray DIY

Now you can figure out the rest of this, I know, but I’ll walk you through it. I grabbed three coordinating plates with the  tacky 70s vibe I love and two plain candlesticks. The whole lot was $3.50. I took them home and gave them a good wash and dry.

Tiered_2Tiered_3

From there, apply your glue to the candlesticks, press firmly in place and let that dry for a few minutes. Then you can move on to the other tiers, working your way from the larger plates and candlesticks to the smaller ones. Let this dry for as long as the packaging of your glue specifies. I’d also advise that if you plan on using this for serving purposes, to select an adhesive that’s low on fumes (you don’t want to taint tasty treats with that chemical smell).

Tiered_4

This project is almost too simple but it’s a great solution when your short on cash or want a more eclectic look for your cookies, cheeses and more (heck, I’d even put craft supplies on here for a craft party).

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!

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It’s a Marshmallow World

Filed Under: Cabin Tagged With: , , ,

I love my home as weird and outdated as it is, and I love it even more during the holidays. My aunt hosted day-after-Christmas parties every year and they were the absolute best. Since I have such fond memories of the holidays here, I knew I had to keep the (Christmas) spirit alive.

It’s not much, but here’s a peek at my marshmallow world.

Christmas Decor

Outside of the tree I don’t have a ton Christmas decor, but enough to make this place feel special. With the glow of the tree, some lights strung along living room bookshelf and some candles in the fireplace, the living room makes you feel like drinking hot chocolate and watching White Christmas every night (I’m totally doing those things right now and it’s perfect).

XMasDecor_4XMasDecor_3

Since this is the first time I’ve really decorated for the holidays on my own since college, I wanted to find decor that felt like me and also felt like it was totally natural for this home (maybe those two things are one in the same).

XMasDecor_2

I hope that you’re jamming out to that Brenda Lee song right now, but more importantly I hope your enjoying your holidays! I’ve got another crafter hours booked before Christmas and then time off from work to perfect my buche noel recipe.

P.S. If you like any of the decor, you can find most of it at these great local shops: Winkie’s in Whitefish Bay, Pear & Simple in Port Washington, and Carrie On in New Berlin.

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Wisconsin Humane Society Fundraiser

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: , ,

Do you all have your Christmas shopping done? What about your wrapping? I’m crossing my fingers that you Milwaukee-area folks are last-minute shoppers because I’ll be wrapping gifts to raise money for the Wisconsin Humane Society this Monday at the Mayfair Barnes & Noble.

I adopted my cat Zara from the Wisconsin Humane Society eight years ago, and I’ve been volunteering as a cat socializer for the past three. WHS is a wonderful animal welfare organization with three locations in Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Racine Counties. I’ve seen first hand the good work they do and the wonderful people that care for the animals there. I can’t think of a better organization to receive your charitable contribution this holiday.

Wrap_1

So swing on by Monday morning and say hi, or come in anytime through Christmas Eve; there’ll be WHS volunteers there to wrap your gifts all week, and of course we’d appreciate your support!

And happy holidays from Zara and me! (She just loves Christmas.)

 

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Crafter Hours: Putz Houses

Filed Under: Crafternoon + Crafter Hours, Make Tagged With: , , ,

Whoa, you guys. This holiday season is flying by. There’s only a week until Christmas and I’ve still got crafting to do! Thankfully I’ve got some great pals that indulge me in my DIY habits.

Last week my friend Kat came over for the late night version of the crafternoon: crafter hours. Like me, Kat has an affinity for midcentury homes and oddly specific decor. This means that when she sent me over to Retro Renovation to check out some putz houses, I knew we had to give these a try.

Putz houses

To get us in the Christmas spirit, we cranked up our favorite Christmas jams and poured a few hot toddies. Then I pulled out a heap of craft supplies. Since this is so customizable and detailed, I won’t call this a DIY post (you can check out Retro Renovation for a complete tutorial) but maybe some inspiration/an intro to putz houses (because now I’m obsessed).

I will say that if you are looking to make these little honeys, grab all the things. Between the two of us we used:

  • Cardboard – cereal boxes, shipping boxes, anything you can get your hands on
  • X-Acto knife and mat
  • Paint
  • Glitter, obvi
  • Hot glue
  • Craft glue
  • Pipe cleaners – metallic, duh
  • Felt squares
  • Tissue paper
  • Craft foam – I picked up some glittery stuff with adhesive on the back
  • Mini pine trees – you can find them in the Christmas village section of your craft store

That’s a lot of stuff, I know, but chances are you avid crafters have a handful of it already.

Putz House

For this project Kat used one of the templates in the links because they are adorable and classy. Because I am a fool, I insisted I make a model of my own home. Word to the wise: it will take you five times longer and test your geometry skills. But either way you go with this project, straight lines and careful cutting are key. Kat was very deliberate about her house and I was – despite my perfectionist nature – less interested in straight lines and more interested in getting the proportions right.

Putz House

You can also see that I was not interested in a clean workspace. We both needed every possible thing at any given moment. In the end though, I was very pleased with my rendition. Cedar siding? Check. Tiny windows everywhere? Got it. New roof? Done and done.

Putz House

Kat’s turned out so perfectly. I loved the nontraditional coloring on hers and how petite it is! I can’t get over it. Right now we each only have one lonely house, so I think we might need a second session to build up the neighborhood.

Hope this got you in the holiday spirit! Let me know if you’ve mad these before (or are planning on making one). I’d love to see!

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Prize-Winning Cream Cheese Pillows

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Here it is, like I promised, the recipe for my favorite Christmas cookie and award-winning confection: cream cheese pillows.

My mom has been making these forever. The recipe is a favorite from her collection of Wisconsin Electric Company cookbooks. You can find it in the 1968 edition, and if you’re curious, the whole set is available in PDF form online – pretty rad.

Cream Cheese Pillows

To make these you’ll need:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • Jam
  • Cinnamon sugar

To start, cream softened butter and cream cheese together. Once those are blended, mix in the flour. Once you’ve got a nice dough, wrap it in wax paper and chill for a half hour (or more). And you read that right – there’s zero sugar in this dough. It’s surprising, I know, but these get all their sweetness from the jam and cinnamon sugar later.

Cream Cheese Pillows

Once your dough is chilled, dust with a little flour and roll it out to about ¼” thick. Then you’ll cut out circles. I used this little cordial glass to get the right size – about 1 ½”.

Then you want to break out that jam. I used a few tablespoons of black raspberry jam stirred up with about a teaspoon of water just to make it smoother consistency. Spoon the tiniest drop into the center of your circles. You seriously don’t want more than just a pony bead-sized amount, otherwise it will seep out all over the place.

Cream Cheese Pillows

Next, you’ll wet the outside of each circle with a little bit of water. You could use a little pastry brush if you want, but your finger will do the job just fine. Then crimp each half circle together with a fork. You can dip the fork in a little flour if needed to prevent it from sticking. They’ll end up looking like awesome little cookie calzones.

Cream Cheese Pillows

Then pop them into the oven at 375ºF for 13-14 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. As soon you take them out of the oven, toss them in a bowl full of cinnamon sugar. Then place on a rack (or paper bag) to cool.

CCP_2

Like I said, these were a hit. Give them a try and let me know what you think!