I've moved to www.hannahkateflora.com 19 Jan 2011 6:38 AM (14 years ago)

Don't forget - I've moved to www.hannahkateflora.com

Come visit!

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. . . . 21 Nov 2010 5:26 PM (14 years ago)

I've got some news for ya'.

The blog has moved!! Blogspot has been oh so lovely, but we're entering a new season. So update your bookmarks and google readers and head over to the new site!

You can now find Hannah Kate Flora at:

www.hannahkateflora.com

go now! go now!

See you there!

Please Pardon 15 Nov 2010 1:15 PM (14 years ago)

- the lack of posts!

I have a handful of fun side projects I'm getting ready to show you + I'm in the process of overhauling the blog. Get ready for big changes!

Bear with me.

Happy Monday!

Well Shoot! 9 Nov 2010 6:30 AM (14 years ago)

I totally forgot about Street Merch Monday. Whoops! But I do have 2 Before's to offer up this morning!

The first is a dresser I ran across on 47th and 9th Avenue. Love the lines of this dresser - could definitely benefit from legs though!

The other before is from my fave - Salvation Army. Co-worker, Bridge, and I found these a couple of weeks ago. They resemble bowling pins. Maybe they were? The pair cost $10. Yes please. Wait till you see what I have planned for these!

Cookie Cutter Love 7 Nov 2010 6:28 PM (14 years ago)

My mom and I have been looking for cookie cutters to be used as a party gift for an upcoming wedding and we stumbled upon American Tradition Cookie Cutters. Holy cow, if you're in need of cookie cutter, this is the place to go!

I'm also styling a baby shower next weekend and have now decided to theme it out with Owl's - thanks to this darling cookie cutter.

Go Alpha Gam!

Cutest farm animals I ever did see -

I'm out - Gotta go order my cookie cutters.

Happy Sunday. PTL we have an extra hour!

Street Merch Monday: Greene & Grand 1 Nov 2010 6:42 AM (14 years ago)

Co-Worker Bridget is contributing today's Street Merch. She found this large vase on the corner of Greene & Grand.

To give you an idea of scale, not only is the above vase holding 4 dozen roses, but it's also sitting next to their large flat screen TV! What a cool oversized vase!

Great find Bridge!

Wa Waaaaaaa 29 Oct 2010 12:46 PM (14 years ago)

Went back to Salvation Army today with Bridge to buy these on our lunch break. I was going to get Peter, the salesman, down to $35 a chair. I just knew it.

I already started to scope out fabric to reupholster them in...

But then we got there, and the chairs were sold.

Lesson: When you see something at the Salvation Army and you love it - you BUY it.

Happy Weekend!

10 Under 10 29 Oct 2010 6:52 AM (14 years ago)

Living in Manhattan can be super pricey - good thing I love the challenge of spending with in a budget! Here are my top 10 things to do/eat/see for under $10. Roll with it.

1. $8 Manicures - To pay more than $8 for a mani in New York is a travesty when there are so many affordable places!

2. Sephora - Don't be awkward about this, but I love refreshing my makeup before meeting friends for dinner. Instant pick me up.

3. $1.09 ice cream cone from McDonald's. 150 calories. Enough said.

4. Fountain drinks with good ice are hard to come by in the city. That's why I head to 7eleven for the occasional Big Gulp.

5. Grays Papaya - You can get 2 Hot Dogs and a drink for five bucks. Delish.

6. Sabon - Lotions, bath salts and creams from the Dead Sea. Each store has a giant hand washing station used to try the products - it's the best free refresher on a hot city day!

7. Salvation Army - You could buy an end table, an ottoman, or a set of lamps for under $10, easy!

8. Having a particularly gray day - pick up a $7 Revlon lipstick from the drug store. Love that red is a favorite of mine.

9. Magazines at Barnes & Noble. You can snag magazines from B & N, hunker down in a corner and read your little heart away - as long as you return them, of course!

10. Street Merch! Too obvious? Clearly, I'm a fan of finding furniture on the street and giving it new life, in case you missed that. The furniture is free, the fixin's (spray paint, hardware, etc.) are easily under $10.

Happy Birthday Sweet Lou! 27 Oct 2010 7:46 AM (14 years ago)

My mom, affectionately dubbed Sweet Lou by my brother and his friends - it's a derivative of Little Cindy Lou Woo, is the birthday girl today!

Here are the top 10 Reasons Why I My Mom is Great:

1. She's the most clever and creative person I know when it comes to presentation, interiors, gifts, and staging.

2. She is a problem solver. I'm talking BIG TIME. In everything!

3. She's doesn't ever seem to sweat the small stuff. She's a big picture gal.

4. She helps lead our family with faith, patience and crafts.

5. She instilled in me, a love for Roadies, i.e. a good coke with good ice while you're on the road.

6. I have an incredible threshold for spicy food because of her. She says she ate a lot of Mexican while she was pregnant with me.

7. She's walked with me through many days of uncontrollable big frizzy curly hair. Bless her.

8. She thinks Rich, my dad, is as funny as I do (most of the time). I love her half laughing expression here. And that side pony tail - whoa baby mom!

9. She is so generous with her time, her gifts, her conversation. And she is such a hard worker.

10. And she always gets a kick out of my brother and sister. What a funny package we all are!

Happy birthday mom! Love you much!

How precious is that picture of mom and dad?

Gus the Mouse 26 Oct 2010 5:46 AM (14 years ago)

There is a plug-in you can buy at Bed Bath & Beyond that has changed the lives within Apartment 9A. It's called Riddex. It has worked wonders! We haven't seen a mouse or roach one since we plugged that thing in.

Until 2 nights ago, when I opened the cabinet under the sink and saw him. Sitting next to trash can, totally unbothered and in his own world. We call him Gus, like the mouse from Cinderella. He's a little pudgy, a little slow, and and completely uninterested in people. Which I am thankful for.

Over the next day, the roommates precariously peer into the cabinets any time we need to throw something away. No sign of his return for a day or so.

Leave it to me, to spot Gus.... again. At this point, I'm reminded of a quote, in the words of Home Alone, "Keep the change you filthy animal!" I shut the door. UGH. The roommates and I share in a grossed out moment and decide Joe, the super, will have to deal with this. I take one more glance into the cabinet and see he hasn't budged. I mean, I know Gus has a case of latharga (derivative from the word lethargic created by the Cindy Flora), but he seems really out of it!

That's when I realize, he's dead. (Those poison traps really work!)

RIP Gus.

Guess we won't be seeing you around the kitchen any longer.

Street Merch Monday: 92nd & Amsterdam 24 Oct 2010 7:40 PM (14 years ago)

Here we go. This is what I found walking home the other night -

Such potential! After some careful shifting around, I found what I was looking for -

This vanity / cabinet thing. Didn't need the whole piece - I really just wanted the drawer. So I took it.

See, my mom repurposed an old wooden drawer and now uses it as a tray that sits on our dining room table. I wanted to do something along those lines. Here it is before - Please note the adorable hardware!

I used some Dark Green Rustoleum Lacquer spray paint I had from a past project, as well as Rustoleum's High Shine Aluminum spray paint for the hardware.

(If you've met my dad, then you'll recognize the above set up as being so him. Like how my screws are punched through a piece of box to promote full controlled spray paint coverage? He's like that - rigs anything/everything! This probably doesn't mean much to you, dear reader, but if you know my dad, it's just funny. Like father like daughter, I suppose!)

Next - I wanted to jazz up my drawer. Why not add a bright white stripe!

NOT. Party Foul. After globbing my paint between my tape lines (first mistake), patiently waiting for it to dry (first clue) and then precariously pulling up the tape (first cuss word) - ALL of the dry paint peels off with the tape. Welllll shoot.

So instead, I use paper I have in supply and take it to the drawer with a paint brush and matte medium. Great! All fixed? No. During my white paint peeling frenzy, I didn't seem to notice the off centered paper. So, I oh-so-cautiously add a small white stripe to help balance it out.

This Street Merch is getting hilarious. I've gone full blown craftastic on this thing - but oh well, what can you do!

Life Lesson: Things often turn out much differently than planned. But why does that have to be a bad thing?

So the AFTER. I'll make you a deal - I'll show you 3 different ways to use this Street Merch Drawer, if you'll settle for non-detailed pictures of my kitschy/crafty/imperfect piece. Deal? Deal.

Use Number 1: Practical

Use Number 2: My favorite

Use Number 3: Current Status of the drawer

Thats it. I'm wiped out.

I think I'll treat myself to a manicure tomorrow.

Lunch Break 21 Oct 2010 7:08 AM (14 years ago)

Bridget, my co-worker, and I have started a weekly ritual: During our lunch break, we riffle through the furniture at the Salvation Army across the street from our office. Our co-workers think we're crazy, but we are mildly addicted to the weekly mark downs, the constant warehouse reorganization and the absurd bargains!

Here is a piece we've been eying this week. Very Rachel Ashwell . . .

Now, while we both LOVE this piece, neither of us have the space or the money for it. So instead, lets pretend one of us bought it and now its time to fix it up. Below you'll find paint samples, fabric swatches and metal detailing to fit 3 possible profiles. Since this is all virtual imagining, I don't have to pick one. Ha!

Profile 1: Turner Outlaw. Born and bred southern gal. Currently dating a Florida guy. Lives in Atlanta. Has the most classic, coastal and southern style of anyone I know. Think Garden & Gun. Loves new things made to look old.

Profile 2: Bridget K. Co-Worker. Married. Had DIY flare and high design sensibilities. Born in the Midwest - Now shares a white monochromatic apartment in the flatiron district with her husband. Husband is part Art Director, part Graphic Designer and all boy.

Profile 3: Me! Texas bred. Oldest child. Lover of street merch and anything with character & potential (both in furniture and people.) Living on the Upper West Side + pre-war apartment + 3 Roommates that I adore.

All fabric from Calico Corners, Paint from Behr and Door Details from House of Antique Hardware.

Tuesday Sparkle 19 Oct 2010 6:29 AM (14 years ago)

I don't know about you, but I need a pick me up today.

Yesterday, I was introduced to the work of Aaron Dyer. He's a Brooklyn based still life and portrait photographer, most recently known for his Kate Spade work. I love his stark color palettes and flat lighting. Just the sparkle I needed today!

After Ivy and I shopped all day for wedding shower dresses, we passed through Lord & Taylor and tried on every pair of Kate Spade shoes we could find. Including those glitter ones in that purple handbag. I'm not kidding - the second we slid those shoes on our feet, our energy perked, our spirits lifted and our feet were no longer tired. That Kate Spade is amazing.

To quote Rachel Zoe, "Bananas."

Love.

Country Flea Market Merch - Part II 15 Oct 2010 8:54 AM (14 years ago)

So back to Prattville, Alabama. Remember that Flea Market in Atlanta we went to? While we were there, I was also on the hunt for needle point hoops. Cause I had this idea....

And what do you know? We found tons! For cheap.

So we picked up some upholstery fabric from Joann's in Montgomery and put Melinda and Mark to work. Mark was thrilled. Ha. He was a great sport, actually!

It was so simple. We just stretched the fabric through the hoop, gave it a quick tighten and a small trim and we were done!

After trying a few different sprawled out layouts on the floor, we were ready to hang them.

(Ignore the superfluous fabric on some of the hoops! Guess this picture was pre-trim.)

We were quite pleased! The homemade/old school character of this project fit the house perfectly! Kim & Melinda - hope y'all are still liking it!

First comes love, then comes Marriage! 12 Oct 2010 8:15 AM (14 years ago)

Spent last week with my best friends from college so we could celebrate Ivy's wedding that's rounding the corner! There are 13 of us, and because 7 of the 13 are already married, we wanted to give this bachelorette weekend a different feel. So we themed it out. Like way out.

Welcome to our Junior High Slumber Party!
**All Photos taken by J. Rawlings Photography**

Our focal point. We made paper chains out of scrapbook paper and rigged a pink sheet to become our 'lingerie opening tent!'

We flew Laura in to make our cupcakes.
Kidding. But in all seriousness, she is the best baker.

I used pieces of cardboard and left over fabric to craft the 'Ivy + Drew' centerpiece. I'm all about working with what you have.

For dinner, we picked up dough from Whole Foods and made a variety of pizzas. Soo good.

Drinks: Roy Rojers and Shirley Temples.

Our Junior High Spread of candy, pizza and coke!

Jess and I packaged smore's for later in the evening. What is it about individually wrapped things that is so darn cute?

Oh, we had LeighAnn, the graphic designer of the group, make labels for each item. Her skills are ridiculous.

And here she is. The engaged girl!

I came up with a new rendition of "Spin the Bottle" and LeighAnn made it happen. Ivy spun the bottle, it would land on a face, the person whose face it landed would draw out of a basket filled with questions and answers we asked Drew, if Ivy got it right, she'd spin again, if she got it wrong, she'd have to face the consequences.... ha ha ha! But trust me, the consequences were not bad!

A junior high party isn't complete with out a game of Twister!!

And our group would NOT be the same without our Melanie. She's living in Hong Kong with her husband. We skyped her in :)

It was a fantastic weekend. Thank you Jess for being such a gracious host and Leegs for rolling with the punches. Happy wedding Ivy! I love my friends.

All Photographs taken by Jessica Rawlings of J. Rawlings Photography.

Street Merch Monday: Hotlanta 12 Oct 2010 5:49 AM (14 years ago)

Street Merch Monday is on Tuesday this week! I had every intention of posting last night, but once my 1.5 hour flight turned into a 6 hour ordeal and a pit stop in Richmond, I decided it could wait until this morning.

I was in South Carolina (more on that later) this weekend for my best friend, Ivy's, bachelorette weekend. Before heading back to the city, I spent the day in Atlanta and went on a hilly walk with my dear friend Turner. On our way back to her house, we ran across this:

A discarded screen door... Street Merch Alert!

We needed it for Turner's room!! She wasn't so convinced. Ha! You should have seen her face when I told her we were going to carry it back to her house.

We got it into her room, gave it a quick cleaning and...

Voila! A perfect place for a few miscellaneous items including jewelry, a painting or two and a basket.

Thanks for rolling your eyes and bearing with me Turner - such a good friend!

Can you do me a favor? 7 Oct 2010 9:33 AM (14 years ago)

Want to do me a favor? Pray for our friend Turner's mom - her name is Sissy. She's having surgery in Houston this very moment to remove cancer in her throat. She about 5 feet tall, has a BIG and fun personality and is a woman of tremendous faith.

Instead of flowers, my friends opted for a picture card that she could keep in her room. Sissy got it this morning.

Thanks to our designer friend LeighAnn, who brings these crazy ideas to life!

I'm off to spend the weekend with these friends in South Carolina.
It's Ivy's bachelorette weekend!

Box-O-Tea Love 7 Oct 2010 6:34 AM (14 years ago)

A coworker came back from a shoot in London and brought back this Clipper Organic White Tea. The color palette on the packaging makes me want to make my life over in robins egg blue, celadon green, white and gray.

Love.

Country Flea Market Merch Monday 4 Oct 2010 5:31 AM (14 years ago)

Instead of Manhattan Street Merch today, I'm posting Flea Market Merch from Georgia - I was too excited to wait any longer. As I've mentioned, I was in Alabama about a month ago helping a good college friend with her new house. We swung through Scott's Flea Market in Atlanta on our way back to Alabama and found some GREAT pieces. My favorite - a pair of chairs.

It was late in the day and really hot when we found them, so I'm not sure the woman selling the chairs new what she was doing.... She sold them to us for $20 - for the pair!

This receipt makes me laugh.

Here they are. Overloaded with character and potential!

They were in great shape. The woodwork was beautiful and the seats were detachable. Thank goodness.

Oh what lovely scratchy old fabric. Ick.

First things first. We prime.

Then we paint. 2 cans of Antique White Satin Spray Paint.

We went fabric crazy at Joann's and decided on a black, white & gray damask meets ikat pattern, which you can see below... On our FINISHED CHAIRS!

This is the country for you. Cotton fields and dogs in the background.

I love how these chairs turned out! Next round, I'll show you the room where these chairs are now living!

Street Merch Monday 27 Sep 2010 5:00 AM (14 years ago)

Whats the deal with all the pianos on the street? Ran across this one the other day on 9th avenue and 43rd.

And also saw this desk! Yes, it's missing all of its drawers. I think it could be easily remedied with baskets or small wire metal crates.

Wasn't able to bring any of these pieces home with me - bad timing and where would I possibly put a piano? But I'll have you know, I'm on the hunt for a desk that I can take home! Stay tuned!

Street Merch Monday: WIP B&A 20 Sep 2010 5:41 AM (14 years ago)

Sorry about the acronym overload in the title. Today's Street Merch Monday is the Work In Progress Before & After of the table top I found a few weeks back! Remember -

Blue tape and white paint (that I already had) was an easiest way to freshen this up.

Perhaps diamonds?

My mom taught my sister and I to always do a good job on projects, but to not be overly obsessed with details. Translation: I eyballed my blue tape lines up there.

My room is so small. Ugh.

Primer + Paint =

This! You can't see from this picture, but there a few small discrepancies I need to fix...

But for now, it's a headboard of sorts. I kinda like it.
But as mentioned, it's a Work in Progress. We'll see if it lives there long.

Happy Street Merch Monday!

Take Me Home Country Road III - The Kitchen 17 Sep 2010 10:38 AM (14 years ago)

The kitchen was a main point of focus of our overhaul. It's the first room you see when you walk into the house. Before I got there, Kim & Melinda had re-painted the cabinets and the trim with paint we had picked out. What a great head start! Here's where we ended up:

KITCHEN SINK BEFORE:

KITCHEN SINK AFTER:
Kim restored the small metal logo to its original form - nicely done Kimbo!

WALLBOARD & WOOD TRIM BEFORE:
Having seen only pictures of this goodness before my trip down South, I wasn't sure what to expect when Kim & Melinda described this 'wallboard' in the kitchen. Turns out it's like dry wall or plasterboard with wallpaper adhered to it. The question of the day - Is it paintable? And if so, what will Gran & Ms. Jan say about it?

DURING:

WALLBOARD & WOOD TRIM AFTER:
I can't think of a more perfect place for gray chalkboard paint than a country kitchen. Turned out the wallboard was paintable and Ms. Jan said we could paint it! So we did. As you can see below.

We found those dishes in Gran's garage. They're from the 60's!

OTHER SIDE OF THE KITCHEN BEFORE:

KITCHEN AFTER:
We used $7 matchstick blinds from Big Lots, clear IKEA vases on the window sill and white paint. Then we sprinkled in dishes and details that the girls already owned.

I almost stole that adorable tea pot and tea cup set. Kim brought it back from Russia after spending a month there a few summers ago.

There it is - Kim & Melinda's kitchen!

Can't get this out of my head - 15 Sep 2010 5:17 PM (14 years ago)

(Thanks Erin.)

So I thought I'd share the song and its adorable accompanying video.

Sara Bareilles

King of Anything

Take Me Home Country Road II 13 Sep 2010 2:06 PM (14 years ago)

Back to Prattville! Not literally...but figuratively...on the blog.

I think spacial/home/design/color issues are the most fun to solve. Which is a good thing because we had a few obstacles to dodge in Kim & Melinda's new house.

Guidelines to adhere to:
- Leave the beautiful, dark, wood paneling untouched
- Keep within a $1,500 budget
- Include 3 generations of women in the decision making process

To Do List:

- Invest in great pieces of furniture

- Find ways to lighten and spruce up the dark walls

- Add grown up style while still keeping with the sparky personalities of Kim & Melinda

We began at Scott's Antique Market in Atlanta.

We also went to IKEA to pick up some sparkle and a cinnamon roll. Jessica & Turner shopped the day away with us. What good friends!

Here's the group that was waiting for us at the Autauga County High School Football Game.

From the left: Kimberly, Gran, Mary Jackson (aka Peanut), the dog whose name I can't remember, but check out his pose!!, Ms. Jan & Melinda.

I love this next part. This porch that everyone is perched on, is the same porch where both Gran and Ms. Jan were married. How sweet is that!

Pesky dog.

Our Atlanta & Montgomery errands were a great start. Next up - the kitchen!

Take me home, Country Roads 13 Sep 2010 10:58 AM (14 years ago)

**Pressing enter while you're editing your blog title POSTS YOUR POST rather than going to the next line. Hence, why this posted when I wasn't quite ready. Dangit.

I spent last weekend in Autuagaville, Alabama.

Population: 870
Closest large town: Prattville, Alabama
Closest large city: Montgomery, Alabama
Favorite Past Time of Autaugaville Residents: Alabama/Auburn Rivalries, Drinking Sweet Tea and watching High School Football.

I love it there. It's a completely different world of deep Southern accents, slow paced folks and extended cab pick up trucks. I was invited down south to help one of my dear college friends with the house she and her sister just moved into. They live on a large piece of land where cotton grows. Their parents and grandmother all live on the same piece of land. It's so Pioneer Woman of them.

Here are the adorable sisters - Kim & Melinda. You get the idea of how far into the country we are - just look at the expanse of fields behind their mailbox!

And here's our project - their house! Stay tuned to read about our flea market finds and thrifty home overhaul!

Can't help but think, War Eagle! when I see those cute blue shutters.

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