{ Antipodium – found here & here }

{ Markus Lupfer - found here & here }

{ Temperley London – Bordeaux Leather Dress }

and while the soft, bordeaux leather, incredible stitching and quilted texture are gorgeous, you could also get all of the below for a 1/3 of the price…(not surprisingly, these aren’t from London!)

Scalloped Waist Leather Skirt (See by Chloe on Sale!), Sandy Hyun Necklace & Joie Eyelet Blouse

 A trip to Home Depot quickly followed to pick up the necessary supplies needed for the chalkboard transformation:

1 quart of High Gloss paint in a fun and cheery orange-red [Used Behr Red-Hot] / 1 quart chalkboard paint / Plastic drop cloth for easy cleaning / Roller-brush, brush and disposable roller pan

Cost of the above: $30.00

In process. No preparation to the canvas or frame was needed although the frame may not have required as many coats of paint if a sanding process is applied prior to painting. Each coat required approximately 45 minutes to dry prior to application of another. Chalkboard canvas – 3 coats. Frame – 4.

And now my dream is a reality…. now what can I put in my to-do list… ?!

I wanted to create my own “homemade” version of this dish so I wouldn’t have to go so long without it again!

Ingredients: Mushrooms (I used regular old white mushrooms, but any array of mushrooms would work great), sun dried tomatoes, shallot, garlic, goat cheese, crusty bread, balsamic vinegar, white wine (not pictured), olive oil, red pepper flake, salt, and pepper.

Preparation: Prepare all dry ingredients by slicing mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and dicing finely the shallot and 1-2 garlic cloves.  In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan, heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan over medium heat.  Add shallot and garlic and gently cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add in mushrooms and be sure to coat all mushrooms in the olive oil/shallot/garlic mixture.  Cook down for 15-20 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly.

Once mushrooms have released the majority of their liquid and are the desired browned color, add salt, pepper, and red pepper flake to taste and the sun dried tomatoes.  Cook 1 to 2 minutes more.  Deglaze pot with 1/4 cup white wine and bring to slight boil, then reduce.  Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan reduce 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar over medium-low heat until reduction coats the back of a spoon.  Keep reduction over low heat until ready to serve.

Slice crusty bread in half to create two flat surfaces.  Begin to brown bread in a 350 degree oven with a slight drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Once gently toasted, take out of the oven and assemble bruschetta: a light spread of the goat cheese, mushroom mixture, and additional goat cheese crumbled on top.  Pop back in the oven for 5 minutes to melt cheese.  Serve with the balsamic reduction drizzled on top.

The final interpretation of my inspiration dish turned out great– the flavors were spot on and accompanied a glass of red wine perfectly.

Enjoy!!

Here are a few that made the cut!

#1: Short black boots: After Miss Nikki shared her fabulous find last year, I vowed a similar pair would hit my number one spot of the season [featured: VC Signature boot]

#2 – Mad for (feminine) Menswear: Tuxedo touches, stark contrasting colors, tailoring [featured: Freepeople blouse]

#3 - Leather touches: I purchased a leather jacket with quilted touches at the Nordstrom Fall Review sale and have already started to dream of the various ways I’ll be able to incorporate it in to my existing closet.

#4 – RED! It’s taken me awhile to comes to terms with the bold hue but I’m excited to rock it this year with confidence. And what red dress isn’t complete without…

#5 – The perfect shade of red lipstick: I’ll need some professional help on this one as I’ve never ventured to wear the bold shade on my lips before. In the past I’ve thought of red lipstick to be obnoxious and completely not wearable in everyday situations. But I think I’ve turned over a new leaf and now red lipstick screams confidence, feminine and the perfect accessory. Sorry Adam, I’ll provide a tissue.

#6: A punch of unexpected color: My new must have of the season. Period.

What are you loving for fall?

My apartment has pretty much been a work in progress since I moved in almost 2 years ago but slowly and surely, it appears to be coming together. I’ve been trying to hold back on some additional key pieces that will surely make the entire look a little more cohesive; however, I’m trying to hold off until I’ve taken residence in a more permanent  fashion. In the meantime I’ve began to purchase key items that are sure to handle the long haul and have changed my thinking to focus on the little details.

{Old pieces to bring substance courtesy of Market Days}

*An old wooden window frame is the perfect backdrop for this French Pastry Shoppe Sign that will be perfect in my Kitchen for years to come. – Market Days * * Animal Print Accent rug that will look perfect on dark wooden floors in the years to come*

* An old lantern gets a facelift with Moroccan inspired printed metal.*

{New details to help make my current house a home}

*Wooden placemats layered over a southern touch of seersucker….*

*’Bathmat’ turned kitchen rug to incorporate different textures in the space* [Make sure to put grippers (found at Target) on the bottom to prevent it from sliding]

{And wishes for the future – courtesy of West Elm}

*Accent chair in a pop of color. [still undecided on a natural color with a pop in the pillows.]*

*Not exactly sure where this would go but still WANT!!*

*For my large kitchen island to replace the one that’s 15 years old!!*

Sunsets during our nightly “putt-putt” around the lake.

Trips like this remind me of the importance of taking a step back and allowing yourself the time to unwind and clear your mind.  My week at the lake wasn’t a crazy vacation getaway to an exotic location or to a place I have never experienced, but that was okay.  This was the kind of trip I needed and was exactly what the doctor ordered.

My family’s lake cottage that has been in my family since my dad was young.

 Although I was not lounging by a pool or on the beach, a margarita was still a must!

Taking in the scenery and unwinding with a glass of wine.

 My week at the lake ended and then we headed to upstate New York to spend the weekend with Matt’s family.  My parents made the trip as well so that they could join in on the annual Boilermaker 15k weekend extravaganza.

This was the second race my dad and I have run together (even though he kicked my butt…)!

]]> http://3-chic.com/2012/07/12/a-week-at-the-lake/feed/ 1 kscribs Week at the Lake 004 Week at the Lake 001 Week at the Lake 002 Week at the Lake 003 Week at the Lake 005 http://3-chic.com/2012/07/11/home-goods-southwest-indian-inspired/ http://3-chic.com/2012/07/11/home-goods-southwest-indian-inspired/#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2012 04:00:37 +0000 Nikki http://3-chic.com/?p=2712 Continue reading »

This past weekend, I checked a lot of home decorating projects off my list. I will be sharing these over the next few weeks (I’m still waiting on some things to be delivered), but in the meantime, I thought I’d share with you the pieces and “themes” that are inspiring me right now. I tend to focus on a lot of neutrals in my decorating; however, if my recent shopping trip taught me anything, I’m feeling a strong urge to liven things up around my little apt!

Bangles from ABC Carpet & Home – $35 for a set of 7!! Perfect for color and/or style inspiration, as a pop of color on your dresser and, of course, to brighten up any outfit!

Beautiful pashminas – fun and whimsy inspiration for the wardrobe and home! ($50 each @ ABC Carpet)Bright, vintage mirrorsThe leather slipper chair (so comfy!!) that is on it’s way to my home! I travel to Arizona on a yearly basis and have been wanting to incorporate southwestern patterns, textures and colors into my living room for a while. The light blue and rust pillow seemed to fit so perfectly with the honey dyed leather! And of course you can’t stop at just one pillow…I found this sunburst pillow at Crate & Barrel, which went beautifully with the “smoke” colored upholstery on my couch.

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{ This cinnamon coffee ice cream is ah-maz-ing. It was so good that after tasting, I had to read up on it. Steve’s craft ice cream comes in coconut creme (aka: non-dairy), craft (original whole milk) and sorbet forms, and the varieties are simple, yet so fresh and flavorful (and often locally sourced) that they’re completely inventive. On top of more original flavors, think “Blackberry Honey”, “Mexican Chocolate” and “Strawberry Ricotta” for starters…um, more please. }

{ Whole Food’s freshly baked vegan chocolate chip cookies – or your fav chocolate chip cookie, of course! }

{ I allowed the ice cream to soften a bit before transferring it into a container that would create a perfect circular mold to layer between the cookies. For a little fruitiness and tang, I topped the ice cream with Ina Garten’s raspberry sauce, before freezing up until the point of assembly. }

The finished product. Oh so good! 

]]> http://3-chic.com/2012/07/09/cinnamon-coffee-ice-cream-sandwich-with-raspberry-sauce/feed/ 2 nvernese ice cream sand Vegan Choc Chip Cookies ice cream sand 2 ice cream sand 1 ice cream sand 3 http://3-chic.com/2012/07/08/vivid-green-panzanella-salad/ http://3-chic.com/2012/07/08/vivid-green-panzanella-salad/#comments Sun, 08 Jul 2012 22:48:00 +0000 Nikki http://3-chic.com/?p=2686 Continue reading »

This summer’s been a hot one. Too hot, really. I’ve been so unmotivated, and beyond work and school, I really can’t bring myself to do much else (including complete a post…ugh!). This Friday; however, I took a day off work, my mom came in and we got things done. I even went to yoga twice this weekend and made a trip to the beach – what a change!

Of course, I’m still hot, but I’m feeling more motivated now, and hopefully I can avoid further summer slumps. In the meantime, here’s a really amazing summer salad! Seriously, I plan on making this on a weekly basis – it’s so light, fresh and flavorful! This bright green salad is filled with crisp parboiled asparagus, peppery arugula, creamy avocado, mild leeks and crunchy, garlicky croutons. Let these ingredients meld with a dressing of olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, basil and mint and you’ve got a delicious panzanella salad that is hearty, yet healthy and bright enough to keep the motivation levels up! Stay cool, my friends!

The perfect Panzanella Salad!

A simple culmination of fresh ingredients: arugula, cannellini beans, leeks, red onion, minced garlic, avocado, basil, mint, olive oil, white balsamic, lemon juice & your favorite loaf of bread (can be 1 day old).
The original recipe [here] called for white wine vinegar; however, this white balsamic was so delicious and with a squeeze of lemon, is my preferred choice.
Sliced leeks and chopped red onions.
I found a really yummy organic quinoa and flaxseed loaf at Whole Foods. Only half of the loaf is needed for the croutons, which I sprinkled with olive oil, salt and pepper and broiled until golden.
Pencil Asparagus

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Freedom Strawberries [just dunk your freshly coated white chocolate strawberry in a bowl full of festive sprinkles! (or jimmys where I come from]

Surfing the wake. Officially crossed one thing off my 30 before 30 list…. I’ll consider this surfing until I make it to Hawaii!

Choco-Popcorn with fun Sprinkles that seem to make everything taste better