Need a quick getaway? here's some ideas...

My hubby and I were overdue for a vacation, so we took a day and a half, drove up to Ventura, stayed over night, and then drove to Santa Barbara. We packed in several things to do and had a blast.
If you wanna make your little vacation feel like a long one, I recommend doing as many things as possible, but also, don't get yourself too tired. Plan to relax at the beach, like we did. We went to Arroyo Burro beach, which was a gorgeous drive! We ate at nice restaurants and took nice, long  walks. We also came back home through the highway instead of the terrible 101 freeway. It was such a beautiful, scenic, stress-less drive home! Maybe fit in a movie...it'll feel like you've done tons! And you'll come home re-energized!

drink yo' coffee!

breakfast in Ventura

cute little alley in Ventura

my Ikea lack tables become one.

Everyone is doing it. Why shouldn't I? I've seen Ikea Lack table makeovers floating around various blogs and since I was getting tired of my two little tables and like the challenge of creating something new from old stuff, why not try it. It's not like I would be spending hundreds. As a matter of fact, the Lack tables are 7 a piece and mine were on sale for $5. So if $10 goes to waste and I'm not happy with the results, no biggie!

The idea was to create a table similar to the Parsons cube table from West Elm, which I am sure is NOT anywhere near the amount I am spending. On top of that, I wanted a Moroccan touch to my table to match my global deco style.

I basically combined various ideas I saw here and there. Since I was going for the Moroccan look and didn't feel like spending lots on fancy wallpaper, I took a Moroccan motif and created my own stencil on some hard cardboard.

Then I stenciled it over and over again with a nice, black marker. I guess you can try a sharpie, even a lacquer one. If you have the patience, you can create a sweet design and get real fancy!
I stenciled both bottom and top part. In other blogs, they maintained the color side up. I just kept the back part (bottom picture) facing up. I like the contrast of color.

I then added some of those upholstery nails on the sides of the table. I added about 22 nails. You can put them close together. I just did it this way because I was running out of nails and was too lazy to run to get more ;)

 

Because these tables scratch easily and I don't know if the marker design will quickly fade or smear, I sprayed some glossy clear acrylic sealer to seal in design and to prevent easy scratches. I also like the glossy look. I let it dry for about an hour.

While your table top is drying, you can begin adding upholstery nails to the legs of the tables. You'll be leftover with four other legs. I kept them for an emergency or for some other project in the future. (I know they will come in handy and I'll kick myself for throwing them away someday.) 

On the legs, I added the nails to two corners, like this:

Voila...four legs done!

After the table is dried, you can add the legs. Basically, I screwed in the legs to the table top and glued the bottom of the legs to the other table top with liquid nails. It's super easy and cheap. Place some heavy books on top of the table and let it dry for 24 hours. BAM! You got yourself a fancy, Moroccan design coffee table for less than 25 bucks!

Wedding style to inspire your everyday

Whether you are getting married or not, I thought I'd share with ya'll Yolan Cris' New Sun Collection...the master of bohemian bridal wear. It is gorgeous and I think it will inspire you even if you aren't walking down any aisle soon. Enjoy!

Outfit Inspiration for today

today's outfit inspiration...

Ode to Granada

It's been about 3 years since I last went to Granada, Spain, my favorite place in the world! I was sitting today, looking through the countless photos I have of my many trips there, including the time I stayed there for 6 months, and then going back and forth from France back into Spain for a period of 2 years. I don't know what it is like today, but I can tell you that it was amazingly beautiful then and I had many wonderful moments in that little city! It inspired me to write about the things I miss about Granada...

I miss Granada. I miss waking up and walking through the village to my dance class. I miss shopping in the little village market, where though it is the size of a convenience store here, it has all I need. I miss eating healthy and deliciously with people from all over the world; my dinners on the terrace overlooking the beautiful city. I miss the teterias, the Burgos cheese, the arabic spoken through the little narrow streets and all the colors that adorn la calle Caldederia Nueva. I miss walking down the steep hills to the Plaza Nueva and finding a bunch of friends hanging out and making new friends just by standing there. I miss the tapas and the couscous and the BEST Syrian Shawarma! I miss dancing in those caves having my butt kicked by my teachers. I miss sitting in cafes drinking sangria in the afternoon or cafe cortao in the mornings with a baguette with butter or with tomato and cheese. I miss the PURE orange juice. I miss the Baklava. I miss even taking the bus. I miss the summer sun...and winters too (but not as much). I miss Granada.

the Alcaiceria

view of the Albayzín from the Alhambra

inside the Alhambra Palace

the white village...ahhhh!

the Alhambra from Mirador San Nicolas

El Generalife, the gardens in the palace

el Generalife

the morning mercados, buying my groceries for the week

a view of the Sacromonte and the Gypsy caves.

Mara Hoffman's world

What is there not to like about Mara Hoffman? Her global-chic styles are bright and colorful, pattern-happy, and oh so nomadically wonderful! Models struttin' braids, Frida-like hair, touches of Africa, Mexico, and India amongst her multi-cultural designs. Here are some global offerings from now and the past from Lady Hoffman to inspire you!