Bathroom Demo

Well, it's official all that remains of our bathroom is a lone, crooked, toilet. The demo was actually relatively painless and by doing it oursleves we saved about $500. We found that demolition quotes were all over the place, some as low as $400 and some as high as $1500. The contractor we ended up choosing quoted the demo at $500, so by doing it ourselves we saved enough money on the budget to splurge on this gorgeous Grohe faucet. Faucets are like jewelry in the bathroom and this one is so glamorous.

Grohe Kensington Series

A couple of tips for the potential DIYer. It was inexpensive for us to complete the demolition because I have access to a painter's van and a dumpster. If you do not have access to these things, then the van/truck will cost you about $60 and to dump the larger items between $100-300, so at that point all that work to save just $200-300 may not be worth it. However, since my Dad runs a construction company we were able to do the demo for the cost of a couple miscellaneous tools at the hardware store and being forever indebted to my father-in-law for doing most of the work. I seriously pretty much watched him and my husband Andrew do everything!

We started the demolition work around 8:30 and finished everything, including clean up, at 3 pm. I thought that was pretty fantastic. The job went so quickly because we were prepared with the right tools. Al, my Father-in-law brought a sawzell or blade saw and a mini jackhammer. The sawzell was used with a diamond blade to cut out the drain in our porcelain coated steel tub. It was a beast getting that out! The mini jackhammer made quick work of the ceramic tile floor. Without these tools it would have been a very late night. Of course we did lots of google work to figure out how best to tackle each project which was pretty helpful to determine which tools we would need. If you don't have access to these tools, they could both be rented at a local hardware store.


Our contractor arrives at 8 am tomorrow. I'll certainly continuing posting about the progress!

Sex and the City - Swoon!

So first an apology - it's been ages since I've posted and there is so much to report on. Am I forgiven? I promise to be more diligent. The craziness of wedding season is for the most part over so I can now focus on all the major happenings in the condo.

Back on topic now...despite the fact that the movie sequel has gotten pretty terrible reviews, I'm still excited to see, mostly because it's my excuse to throw a party for all my fabulous girlfriends. I've been setting aside fancy hors d'oeuvres recipes for months for just such an event. Sidenote - I have to think triple hard to remember how to spell the word hors d'oeuvres and I usually have to google it to make sure I'm spelling it correctly. The party will certainly be a blast and I'll be sure to pass along any successful recipes here.

But to get everyone excited for the movie and to just enjoy all the fantastic stylings here's a link with images of the interior spaces featured in the new film:

Sex and the City 2 Movie Sets

Carrie and Big's apartment is GORGEOUS! Even though my style might be a bit more boring (I prefer to call it classic) like Charlotte, I wish I could be more fearless like Carrie!

To give you all an update on the condo we are really making progress. We installed a new furnace and a new washer dryer - totally boring renovations, but practical. I promise to take pictures of the new stuff soon. I'm waiting till I can get to the Container Store and splurge on organizational tools so I can make our little laundry closet look perfect!

We are also starting construction on our new bathroom this upcoming Tuesday. Thanks to all of you who helped me decide on a vanity and tile. I think it's going to look amazing! My Father in law came into town yesterday and him and Andrew did all the demolition. I'm sure there would have been quite a lot more frustration and "choice" words exchanged had me and Andrew attempted this on our own. I have a few progress pics that I'll post tomorrow.

So get excited for lots more posts and updates to come! Especially because directly after we complete the bathroom we are moving into the kitchen and I'm so excited for all we have planned there!

Bathroom Reno Question

So Andrew and I have spent a few of our weekends searching out tile. For those of you in the Chicagoland area, let me provide some recommendations for tile vendors. The four vendors we've visited are:

Lewis Floor and Home
Locations in Chicago and Northbrook (Northbrook is much larger)
They have a great selection and offer "Stock" tile at a great price. The are currently running a promotion offering 20% off all stocked tile and 10% off all non-stocked tile through the end of February.

Terrazzo and Marble Supply
Locations in Wheeling and Chicago (Wheeling is much larger)
Wonderful natural stone resource. I would definitely recommend making the trip to Wheeling to see their amazing collection of stone.

Stone City
Located in Chicago.
Offers a huge selection of all types of tile and has a great showroom for inspiration.


Tile Outlet - Discount tile at a great price.
Located in Chicago.
Offers tile at a discount price - only downside is you cannot hand select your material as you would at the other tile vendors listed. This really makes a difference when choosing natural stone as each stone is different and the variation can cause one tile to look completely different from another. I wouldn't recommend purchasing natural stone from this vendor, unless the variation will not bother you. It is definitely a wonderful resource for porcelain or glass tiles. Their price was $2 cheaper per square foot than Lewis.

We have narrowed it down to the following selections. I know which one I'm leaning towards, but please weigh in with your opinions.Botticcino Fioretti Marble


Vanilla Marble

Since our bathroom is sooooo small, I've decided that the best way to create the illusion of a larger space is to keep the color scheme fairly monochromatic. For this reason, I've decided to repeat the marble from the tile in the vanity countertop.

An interesting note about natural stone vanity tops. Many vendors will sell marble or granite slabs, but are not fabricators. A fabricator is a contractor that cuts the granite or marble slab down to fit your cabinetry. Since this is such a small job, it does not make sense to purchase an entire slab from a vendor only to ship it to a fabricator to be cut down. Therefore we will be buying our marble directly from the fabricator. If we are lucky we may be able to find a remnant piece, which is essentially the "leftovers" from someone else's counters. These pieces are cheaper as they can only be used in small spaces. This does make our job a little trickier as we will have to make sure that the tile and the vanity top match and have the same coloration, however the options we chose are not too unique and should be carried by most fabricators.

My one gripe with the entire natural stone industry is that there really isn't much standardization when it comes to colors and their names. One vendor will call one marble one thing, and another will come up with a completely different name for it. I believe they do this to keep customers from "shopping around", but it can make choosing tile a frustrating process!

The Bathroom renovation is hopefully going to begin at the end of March, but there is a lot of decisions to be made before that! Hopefully we can get moving!

Holiday Entertaining

Wow it's been way too long! The holidays were crazy and I can't believe it's been so long. I was busy all season with holiday cards, stationary orders, and prepping for the busy wedding season ahead.

By the way if you haven't checked out our new website please do! The address is the same www.paperpossibilities.net however its undergone a total make over! I'm very excited about the new ability our customers will have to order directly online. Although, please don't forget that we aren't limited by the products featured on our website. I love designing custom pieces, so please don't hesitate to ask! Also we will probably be posting the 2010 Wedding Collection in March so keep an eye out for that.

I wanted to share with you some really great recipes that I made over the holidays. My sister and I were in charge of appetizers at Christmas and we went totally overboard. My family is hardcore Swedish and every Christmas we eat the traditional smorgasbord. The only truly delicious item served is swedish meatballs. The rest is pickled jellied cod (it tastes as nasty as it sounds), potato sausage (which looks like brain matter, but can be tasty if cooked properly), and red beans (I'm not a big bean fan of beans). So needless to say appetizers are a crucial part of our Christmas meal, in fact most of us fill up on appetizers before the smorgasbord is served!

I found some great recipes on Real Simple that are incredibly easy and you can make them ahead, which is a perfect solution during the busiest season of the year! To view the full list of recipes (I've just shared some of my favorites) go here.

Prosciutto Crostinis with Lemon Fennel Slaw

Ingredients

• 24 thin slices baguette (from 1 small loaf)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small fennel bulb—quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375º F. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toast until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the fennel, parsley, lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
3. Divide the prosciutto evenly among the toasted baguette slices and top with the slaw.

By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry, December 2009

Goat Cheese Crisps with Red Pepper Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped radicchio
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup fresh goat cheese (about 4 ounces), at room temperature
• 24 thick-cut potato chips (from a 5-ounce bag) I used pita chips instead as I found the potato chips to not be substantial enough. You could also use slices of a baguette toasted.
  

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the radicchio and parsley.
2. Gently spread the goat cheese on the potato chips and top with the pepper mixture. Warning: Do not spread the goat cheese on too early as it can cause the chips or baguette to absorb the moisture and the goat cheese texture will crack ruining how pretty these appetizers can look.
   

By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry, December 2009

Bacon Wrapped Dates: Oh my gosh were these a hit. I ate so many I thought I would explode! But they are that amazing combination of salty and sweet, and I'm all for incorporating more bacon into any meal! My friend Kelli made this recipe for my wedding shower and ever since I've been hooked!

1 pkg pitted dates (medjool dates

are the best, but expensive and sometimes hard to find already pitted, I bought sunmaid pre-pitted dates and they were great!)

4-5 oz goat cheese

Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese cut into 1/2" cubes (this is a very expensive cheese and although the bite of the cheese makes a great combo be forewarned you will pay between $10-15 for a small block of this cheese, but I think it's worth it)

thick cut maple bacon 1 package ought to do it...

toothpicks (if you buy the kind with colored tops then you can make all the goat cheese stuffed dates one color toothpick and the parmigiano another - as some people may not like goat cheese - I know, I know they are totally missing out!)

Cut the bacon in half and set aside.

Slice dates in half, and open them up. Scoop a small amount of goat cheese or place a cube of parmigiano reggiano into the center of the dates, and close the halves of the dates.

Wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside of the date. Secure each one with a toothpick.

Arrange in a foil covered baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.

Cook at 400 for about 5 minutes on each side or until bacon is cooked. You'll definitely have to watch these as they can burn easily.

Carmelized Onion Tarts with Apples

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 red apples (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into small pieces
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the apples, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until just tender, 2 minutes.
2. Place each sheet of pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Spread with the crème fraîche, leaving a ½-inch border. Top with the onion mixture and bake until the pastry is crisp and browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into pieces before serving.

By Kate Merker and Sara Quessenberry, December 2009

For New Year's we ended up heading up to a friend's cabin in Holland Michigan. It was an awesome time. I knew that we would be out late New Year's Eve, so I made this breakfast casserole ahead of time to enjoy New Year's Day. I can't say that it's mind blowing, but it's mind blowingly easy to make, tastes great and makes even better left overs.

Ingredients

• 6 eggs(Sometimes to make this casserole more substantial I double the eggs and the half and half - it makes it more "eggy" and less bready.)
  
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
• salt and pepper
• Butter to grease pan
• 1 baguette cut into 1" thick slices
  
• 1 pound spicy pork sausage, cooked and drained of fat I like Jimmy Deans HOT pork sausage
  
• 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
• You can also add veggies such as peppers, onions, or even brocolli
  

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they loosen up. Add the half and half, and green onions. Mix well, highly season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Butter a 12 by 10-inch baking pan. Line the pan with the bread, cutting and rearranging, if needed. Sprinkle the bread with the cooked sausage and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the entire pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (I forgot this once and the eggs didn't get absorbed into the bread, so don't forget this step)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes or until the egg mixture is set.

Alright well that's enough recipes for one day! We've been working lots on the house, so I have tons to report back on! Stay tuned!

Hostess Gifts

I promised some gift ideas and I thought I would start hostess gifts. After all it is the season for parties, and traveling and its always thoughtful to bring something for your hostess. If I was really organized I would buy a few of these gifts ahead of time and just constantly have a stash at my house - that way I wouldn't be running out before the party to grab a bottle of wine or flowers.

Hand Embroidered Napkins - $18 for a set of four.


Not only are these napkins beautiful, but they also benefit woman living in the mountain regions of Pakistan. It's always wonderful to do "good" while gift giving!

Alterra Coffee gift set - $18.95 for coffee, hot cocoa, and all natural granola. Based out of Milwaukee - Alterra coffee tastes phenomenal and is perfect for your hostess friend that is a bit of a coffee snob!

Voluspa Candles - $18.00 for an 80 hour burn candle tin.


Voluspa are the best smelling, least expensive luxury candle available. At just $18 for a burn time of 80 hours they are truly a steal! I suggest the Yuze Bubble Bath scent.

French scented bar soaps - $4.99 each

Package up these inexpensive bar soaps in a basket or bag and decorate with a ribbon for a more luxurious feel.


Olive Oil, Vinegar, Salt, and Pepper containers - $6.99 for the set

Wouldn't these look adorable on top of an oven?

Doll measuring cups - $12.00


Totally obsessed with these - they are sooo adorable! And each portion of the nesting doll is an actual measuring cup. How perfect!

The Little Pink Book of Cocktails - $9.95



Sometimes you need a little hard liquor to make it through the holidays! All that stress! Give this book to your hostess and help her relax with some cocktails.

Slate Wine Coasters - $17.29Perfect for protecting your host's furniture and in a neutral gray/black these will certainly go with anyone's decor.

That's it for Hostess gifts, but stay tuned for more gift ideas!

Remodeling our Bathroom

So we are starting to make progress on the bathroom renovations. Before I start making the smaller selections like tile, paint, lighting, etc - we need to decide if we are going for a more contemporary or traditional design. Whatever we decide to do in the Bathroom obviously needs to be carried over into the Kitchen.

Our building is over 100 years old, so a more traditional look would work well with the historical nature of the building. However we live in the city and modern design just seems more urban. I think both designs will appeal to future buyers when we go to sell in a few years.

So the main piece that will set the design tone of the room is the bathroom vanity. We've narrowed it down to 2 options. Unfortunately our bathroom is tiny, so we only have enough room for a 42" vanity.

First the contemporary option:


What I like about this vanity is its clean lines. However it really doesn't offer much in the way of storage, which could be a problem considering the amount of cosmetics I have and the general lack of storage in our condo.

The Traditional Option: A traditional cabinet vanity.


These are cherry cabinets in a dark wood stain. The door style is very traditional, however I could use a more contemporary door style to make it more transitional.


This gives a bit of an idea of what the vanity would look like. Clearly this option has a lot more storage, however I'm not sure I like the way just one cabinet door looks in the middle, but I do like all those drawers!

Please tell me which one you think we should pick!

Orchids on the cheap

The other item that is adding fresh life to my condo these days are my fresh orchids. Turns out one of the largest and most renowned orchid growers in the nation is located right here in Chicagoland! What are the odds - considering that our cloudy and drab winters are certainly not ideal for orchids. Hausermann's Orchids is located in Villa Park (just east of Lombard and west of O'hare) and their greenhouse is open to the public. Their orchids are gorgeous, well cared for, inexpensive, and of course will last a lot longer than plants you purchase at the grocery store. I bought two gorgeous flowering plants for about $15 each (and they weren't even in the sale section!)

I've heard it said the best way to care for orchids is to water them using 3 ice cubes once a week. However when I questioned the professionals at Hausermann's they said that will not allow for proper drainage. One should instead wait until the soil or moss is completely dried out, remove the plant from its pot, take it to the sink, thoroughly water, and allow it to properly drain. Repeat once the soil dries up again. Hausermann's also has a wonderful selection of pottery and planting accessories. They also offer delivery to the entire Chicagoland area as well as ship to many places in the midwest. Of course if you have a green thumb (I most certainly do not) you can continue to care for your orchid after its blooms have faded and it will rebloom. This requires lots of sunlight and minimal watering.

Following are some photos of my new orchids.