Life of a designer...Bridal Shower

My life is a little crazy right now.

Big things are happening!

I shared last week that Roost is moving up to bigger and better things, including offering design services.

Getting things up and running is proving to be a difficult and time consuming, yet rewarding journey.

Meanwhile, my personal life is going at a mile a minute.

I've been planning my wedding for two years (yes, I've been engaged that long) and suddenly find myself with only four months left to plan.

A designer planning a wedding is a dangerous thing.

We're also moving. Next week. No big.
I'm a wee stressed.

Enter my fabulous sister.

She's the left half of my brain and the glue that keeps my together on most occasions.

Knowing that I tend to stress over decision making and looking for an excuse to immerse herself in wedding blogs...she planned the most amazing bridal shower a girl could ask for.

I want to share a few of the photos with you.

She's not a designer or an event planner, just a creative at heart.

This is living proof that you don't need to be a professional to create something truly beautiful in any space.

The details...

The shower was almost totally DIY (except the amazing lunch and cake), including the escort card display.

The gorgeous cake with hand created sugar flowers. 

Milk glass vases filled with beautiful white hydrangeas decorated the tables. Most of the milk glass was an inheritance from my grandmother...the rest was salvaged from antique stores and online bargains.

All the paper goods were a huge DIY project made by my sister and her husband. They were painstakingly cut to size by my loving mother.

The gift boxes at the head table contained a sweet little handkerchief that had personalized monograms sewn by hand (again by my sister).

Guests received an ivory wrap that was tied gracefully to the backs of the chairs. 

My favorite image featuring the champagne cocktail and all the pretty details.

Lastly, please allow me to share a semi-embarrassing picture of yours truly.

Luckily, my sister knows me well enough to not try to put a bow hat on me!

The tulle was from a gift, however.

Wasn't it beautiful?

I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

Now...back to work. There's lots to do!

Fun Find...Letter Lights

Modern Media Room design by Austin Architect Cornerstone Architects

Image Source: Houzz.com

There's so much that I love about this space. 

I've been obsessed with those windows for months.

Look at all those patterns! Chevron, ikat, zebra...oh my!

Check out those antique doors!

Industrial vents! Concrete flooring!

Perfection.

There's a whole lot of style happening here.

If your mind isn't already blown, check out the rest of the house here.

I shared that to share this:

 

 

 Image Source: ShadesofLight.com

People have been using vintage letters to spell out words as art for a long time.

It can be a little predictable, but I just love these lighted letters from Shades of Light.

They're a little pricey at $89 a piece plus the cost of bulbs, but spelling out a short word wouldn't be too unreasonable considering the huge wow factor!

I'd love to see these spelling out "vino" in an industrial dining room (or wine cellar if you have one) or used somewhere unexpected like a powder room or mudroom to add a punch of style.

 Love them, too? Add them to your Roost.

Life of a Designer...Blog Office

Big things are in store for the Roost blog!

I spent the morning in my blog office (aka Panera) sipping a latte and enjoying a chocolate pastry while working on the new changes.

The new Roost will continue to have great posts a few times a week as always.

Here's the big news:

In a few weeks, Roost will be launching a new blog under a new name.

In addition to the blog, I will be offering affordable design services to fit your unique needs.

Services range from quick consults to full kitchen design to true concierge design service (giving you personal access to my designs and input on just about everything whenever you need it).

As a special thank you for being a dedicated reader before the big launch, I'll offer a discounted introductory rate to anyone who mentions this post.

Exciting stuff!

What you need to know about....grill shopping

Modern Patio design by Dallas Landscape Architect Harold Leidner Landscape Architects

I wanted to share a picture of my new outdoor kitchen with everyone.

Just kidding. I could never afford this. But, I can dream! (and do so regularly)

In all seriousness, I am in the market for a new grill.

I know how to grill, but when I went shopping quickly realized I know nothing about grills.

Enter the wonderful man working at the local Lowe's.

I learned some really valuable nuggets of information for grill shopping and can't wait to share them with you!

What you need to know when shopping for a new grill:

• Most importantly- know your needs. The grill you'd need for cooking an occasional hotdog or burger is different from the one needed for the serious griller who cooks a variety of food and won't let a little thing like winter stop him from grilling (i.e.- my fiance who enjoys grilling steaks in the snow)
• Respect your budget. You can get a pretty decent piece of equipment for under $300. If you take care of it, it will last you for years.
• It doesn't matter how much money you spend, if you don't properly clean your grill, it won't last.
• The biggest threat to grills (other than weather) is acids. If you're a cook who loves a good tomato or bbq sauce, you'll need to give your grill some TLC. Juices and sauces have a habit of finding their way into the little nooks and crannies of your grill. After it's cooled, be sure to remove all the grates etc. and give it a good scrub down, focusing on the corners and all the places that metal is folded or attached. Slacking in your cleaning duties leads to rust. Rust is your grill's sworn enemy.
• If you can afford it, stainless is the way to go. We're talking stainless grill plates and elements. The outside isn't as crucial as the inside. However, most grills that feature stainless grill plates have upgraded exteriors as well.
• If a grill has cast iron plates instead of stainless, they will be uncoated (rough and bumpy) or enameled (black and shiny). You really shouldn't take the wire brush (that comes in just about every grilling tool kit) to enameled plates or you risk chipping it off. That being said, a grill brush isn't the most effective tool to use ever. My new friend from Lowe's hates them. While they get off big chunks of leftovers, they aren't efficient cleaning tools. You'll still need to take the cooled plates off the grill and let them soak in the sink before cleaning them thoroughly.
• The higher the BTUs, the better.
• Weber grills are expensive, but worth the money for a serious griller (so says the man at Lowe's). Personal experience from family and friends tells me that they get blazing hot (which is good), but it's hard to finesse meals that require lower temps. So, jury's out on that particular brand. 
• Weber does have a few models in which the cooking area body is made from a one piece cast iron unit. This makes them in the $700+ range, but it also eliminates all those teeny tiny crevices that hide your dripped sauces and harbor rust. Pretty cool.
• Master Forge is a brand that's new to the market (and available at Lowe's). They're offering fantastic grills at reasonable prices because they're just breaking in. They're selling at lower prices and waiting for word of mouth to spread. The same quality grill you buy this year will probably be more expensive next year and continue to rise until they hit market price.
• More expensive grills have more convenience features. These added features can be anything from a place to hang a kitchen towel and racks for spices to conveniently located drip trays and slide out tank tray with fuel meter. You don't need any of these things. But, they're nice, aren't they? I was drawn to a model with blue LED lights on the knobs. That's totally over the top, but still pretty nifty.
• Pay attention to the type of side burner that comes with your grill. A gas burner or an infrared burner will give you different benefits. Continue reading below for more information on infrared grilling.

 

What's the big deal about Infrared?

Infrared grills aren't new to the grilling scene, but they've definitely enjoyed a yearly increase in popularity. 

An infrared grill works in the same way that a regular gas grill does (gas from your tank is lit and pumped through burners) except the burners are buried beneath a few layers of stainless steel to inhibit airflow. Regular gas grills work through convection (the food is cooked by the hot airflow). Because infrared grills don't have the convection process due to the lack of airflow, they cook by the radiant heat (like your microwave or oven).

What that means:

• Infrared grills can reach screaming hot temperatures in a short amount of time.
• This means they're great for searing steaks and locking in juices. This also means you'll probably burn the first meal that you cook until you get used to it.
• Many people use infrared grills for grilling more delicate meals (like fish) after a little practice
• The different cooking style will take some getting used to. Delicate meals will be tricky at first.

A note on side burners:

Depending on what you use your side burner for, infrared might or might not be the best option for you.

What to use an infrared side burner for:

- Searing steaks before placing on lower heat on a regular gas grill

- Preparing delicate mains (ie fish) while cooking hearty veggies and potatoes on a regular grill

An infrared side burner is not good for:

-Sweating onions or sauteing any veggie

-any type of cooking the requires another vessel (boiling corn or lobster, pan frying, etc.)

Only you know what you grilling needs. 

Don't be pushed into an infrared grill if you'd rather stick with what you know. You don't need the $899 KitchenAid all stainless model if you're only going to grill a few burgers over Labor Day weekend.

Most importantly, never smush your meat down onto the grill. Pressing down on meat squeezes out all those delicious juices. No one likes a dry burger! 

Enjoy grill shopping!

Have any advice on grill shopping?

Share in the comments!

Fun Find....Wine Rack

Hallelujah!

Finally...a way to store wine bottles that's both chic and unique! 

The best part: there aren't any of those darn iron grapes that seem to always crop up on perfectly good wine racks.

Image Source: Kathy Kuo Home

I'm just head over heels for the 8-bottle rack. 

I'm loving the modern minimalism and natural materials (just iron and leather) that make it fit in perfectly with both an industrial kitchen (yes, I'm still thinking about last week's post)and that dark mahogany paneled office/smoking room that your husband has always wanted.

It also comes in a single column version (that holds five bottles) that you could just sit right next to this one if your collection is a little bigger. A square 4 bottle version is also available.

Oh....did I forget to mention the price?

Silly me.

$87. 

Knock your socks off affordable for that much design impact? 

I think so!

Head over to Kathy Kuo Home to check this out and all of the other fabulous industrial/rustic/Parisian chic items that they have available. It's one of my favorite places to window shop.

Source:

Large Brighton Rustic Farmhouse Iron and Leather Wine Rack Holder from Kathy Kuo Home. See it at http://www.kathykuohome.com/Product/Detail/2337