What I’ve Thrifted Lately

August 22, 2017

In the past, a had a regular series called “Thrifting Thursday” and it really was just and show + tell of all the things I had found thrifting, antiquing and garage sale-ing. But, recently I asked my Instagram friends to let me know what it is they want to see more of on my blog. And the two most requested topics were pictures of my home and all the things I find thrifting. So, I’m giving the people what they want! Let’s try this again.

My hope in sharing what I find thrifting will inspire you to go out there and hunt for inexpensive treasures. I firmly believe that a beautiful home and interesting spaces, don’t have to cost a fortune to decorated. So, much of what fills our rooms, decorates the shelves and hangs on the walls of our home cost less then a Starbucks drink. And honestly I love to go to thrift stores, antique malls and flea markets. If I’m feeling creatively drained, it’s the easiest way to refuel me.

Sometimes I find big furniture pieces, but more often it’s just weird little bits and pieces. Actually, most of the dishes and glasses I use for photoshoots are usually thrifted. It the best way to keep my costs down and also find unique pieces you aren’t going to see in everyone else’s images.

I’ve quickly become a huge fan of incense. Not just an incense, there’s really just one that I LOVE, Blackbird’s Tenoversix. (I buy it at my favorite local florist, House of Flowers). It’s like a special treat in my day when I get to burn this scent. It reminds me of my years in Yemen and my mind always wonders to adventures in the old city of Sanaa. When we were in Idaho this Summer, I found this little brass piece at an antique mall for $6. An incense cone fits in it perfectly and now when the smoke streams out of it, I can’t help but pause and watch it.

I also found the black platter that everything is sitting on at my local Goodwill for just $2.99. I do not think it is old, but I just liked it and look, I’m already using it on my kitchen table.

Somewhere in between Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park, I found a quirky little antique store in the middle of nowhere Montana. There I found this awesome brass desk calendar. I believe it’s from the 40s. There is a small sliding knob on the back that allows you to set the month, any month of any year. How cool is that? This little piece set me back $10, and it was worth every penny. I know I’m going to love this for years and years to come. And it’s definitely going to sit on my new desk.

And finally, I found this cute little cane stool in Idaho for $18. It’s in perfect condition and really has the prettiest bent legs. I bought it knowing that it would make a perfect little plant stand, and look, it does!

So, here’s what I spent:

$6 – Brass Incense Holder
$2.99 – Black Ceramic Tray
$10 – Brass Universal Calender
$18 – Cane Stool

Total $36.99

I’ll come up with a better series title. But, is this kind of post something you’d like to see more of here? And now I want to hear from you, so what have you found while thrifting lately?

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Food & Drink

Pineapple Chile Ancho Cooler

August 21, 2017

Happy Monday and happy eclipse day friends, if you make it through the day alive, how about celebrating with a yummy sunny colored mocktail. And while is packs a little bit of heat, it’s guaranteed not to damage your eyes. I’m really excited about this latest mocktail recipe. This Pineapple Chile Ancho Cooler has been in the works for a while. I love unusual flavor combinations, and pairing sweet pineapple with smokey ancho chilies really works. My son thinks this drink tastes like a pineapple grilled on the BBQ, which is super yummy and also his description might be spot on.

Like any good mocktail, this drink starts with a delicious simple syrup. And this chile ancho syrup is such a pretty amber color. If you aren’t familiar with chile anchos, they are just dried poblano chilis. They can be found in the Hispanic section of the grocery store.

Pineapple Chile Ancho Cooler

Pineapple Juice
Sparkling Mineral Water
Chile Ancho Simple Syrup
Pineapple slices, leaves and a little piece of the chile for garnish.

Start by making the Chile Ancho Simple Syrup. In a small pot, add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 large chile anchos crumbled into small pieces. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool completely. Pour through a fine metal sieve to remove the chile ancho pieces.

In a glass filled with ice, add 1 oz. of the Chile Ancho Simple Syrup. Fill the glass half full with pineapple juice and then top with sparkling water. Stir and garnish with a slice of pineapple, leaf and a little piece of the dried chile.

For a cocktail, adult version, I think a little dark rum would pair well with this drink.

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Design

Wall Mounted Desks

August 17, 2017

Ok, the time has come. I’m ready for a desk space in my home. I’ve been blogging for over 6 years now from a laptop at the kitchen table, on the sofa, or even in bed. Sometimes that flexibility is nice, but lately my back has been telling me that a proper desk and chair might be a good idea. Yes, I do have a studio, but honestly most of my computer screen time is in the evenings once the kids are in bed. So, I really don’t want to pack up and head back to the studio.

While our house is not small, there isn’t an extra room for home office. So, My place is to find a wall mounted desk for our hallway. It’s actually a pretty good sized area and the wall is about 48 inches wide, so I can get a pretty good sized desk in there. The only issue is that the intake vent for the AC and heater is in the floor right under where I’d like to put a desk. So, take the furniture off the floor and mounting it on the wall seems like the best idea. The end of my laptop’s life is pretty somewhere in the near future, so I’m hoping to make the move to a desktop. I’m ready for a bigger monitor, especially when I’m editing pictures.

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Because I just don’t have the motivation right now to build something custom for myself, I’m on the hunt for a great wall mounted desk I can just buy. I’ve rounded up 8 pretty great options. Number 2 is definitely out of my budget, but it’s pretty dang gorgeous in person. Number 4 feels the most like me, but I think I might need a little more storage. Number 5 is really interesting, but it’s just a little too wide for my space, but I included it because I thought it might work for one of you. Number 7 might be the winner, it’s priced right and the scale of this piece works really well for our hallway.

Is there one that stands out to you?

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 / 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

And if you are just looking for a desk and don’t need to have a computer on it, this one is gorgeous. And actually there are a lot of great pull down options out there. They just can’t hold a desktop computer and that’s what I need at this point.

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Anyone else looking to create a little home office without a bedroom to spare?

Next up, I’m on the hunt for a comfortable, stylish office chair. Does that exist? I mean it does, but really I can’t spend $3000. I’m on the hunt for one somewhere way below $400.

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Find

The Week’s End

August 11, 2017

Well, this week definitely felt like the end of Summer. After being on the road the last couple of weeks, I hit the ground running and worked a jam packed week. It feels good to get stuff done and put out some new content. Today we are going to try REALLY hard to finally finish the painting in the hallway and stairway. We started the week with a good 2 1/2 days of wallpaper scraping. But, I’m so happy to see the yellow stripes GONE. You can follow along on Instagram stories for all the riveting wallpaper removal and painting posts.

This is our last weekend of the Summer. So, we feel like we need to get ALL THE PROJECTS done! I’m kind of mourning the end of Summer, I don’t think I’m ready for all the hustle and bustle of getting three kids off to school. But, maybe a little routine will feel good.

Wildflowers in Glacier National Park

Here’s a few things I think you should check out:

The last days of Summer should involve trips to the pool and lots of watermelon, especially these Chili Lime and Sea Salt Watermelon Pops.
And this Summer playlist will be on repeat.
We installed this AC unit in the guesthouse yesterday and now the room is perfectly chilly. The old unit just couldn’t keep up.
Since there isn’t a H&M Home store near me, I’m going to have to do some online shopping. There are some great pics in this round up post. If you’ve never checked out their home line, be prepared to want all the things.
I’m still only drinking iced coffee, and this Mint Mojito Iced Coffee is the only way to go.
I want to spray all the things! Just look at how cool this dish looks!
If you are looking to keep those Summer vibes alive in your home, may I suggest a cool, airy Rattan Chair.

Happy Friday, hope you all have a great weekend. Soak in all the Summer you can friends.

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Design

eero Home WiFi System

August 10, 2017

It’s really hard to believe, but we have been in this new house a year now. And honestly we have no regrets. I’m not saying we aren’t a tiny bit broke and sometimes overwhelmed by all the updates that need to be done, but really feeling a little poor and always have projects to work on is kind the nature of owning an old house. More then mostly, we just love all the extra space we have. With two teenagers and one very busy 5 year old, we needed to spread out just a little bit more.

One thing we didn’t anticipate with a two story house, was struggling to get wifi reception to every room in the house. The kids tend to do there homework and video game fun upstairs. But, often the wifi ended up being spotty and frustrating. Our house isn’t huge, but it is an old house, with lots of doors and compartmentalized rooms. We also have a guesthouse in our backyard. It is detached to the main house. But, guests need wifi as well.

But, I’m so happy to announce that we have a solution to our crummy wifi. We installed the eero Home WiFi System in our house a couple weeks ago, and EVERYONE is happy, even the guests out in our guesthouse. I am so impressed with the eero, in under 10 minutes, wifi woes were a thing of the past. No more pesky buffering wheel, WiFi dead zones, and the dreaded reset button in this house.

And it’s pretty, sleek white beacons blend seamlessly into our home.

The eero plugs into your modem and then, following the app, you will be guided through setup and placement. We placed an eero Beacon, upstairs in Dylan’s room and another one in our guesthouse. The Beacons simply plug into the wall outlets and you are done.

Before, our modem was located in the living room, which was great if you were in that room. But, as you can see, with lots of doors, rooms and a second story, it just wasn’t working well. Now instead of using a single WiFi router in one room of the home, we’ve placed an eero and a couple eero Beacons throughout our home. They’ve formed a mesh WiFi network that blankets every nook and cranny in fast, reliable WiFi.

Now that we have the three eero beacons throughout our house, I can literally be anywhere inside or outside of our house with my phone or laptop and work uninterrupted. Friends, I really can’t speak highly enough about this system, it has really made working from home so much easier. It’s a must-have in this modern age, as far as I’m concerned.

I have a special offer for O+P readers, enter the code OLEANDER receive free overnight shipping with the purchase of an eero system! (Be sure to select overnight shipping upon checkout.)

This post is sponsored by eero, thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

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Food & Drink

Rhubarb Rose Fizz

August 9, 2017

Well, this has sure been a great Summer. And before I share this yummy Summer Rhubarb Rose Fizz with you, I want to thank you for sticking with me, even though I took most of this last month off from posting. I needed some quality time with my family. Being a mom is always my first job. This time away gave me sometime to reflect and consider the direction I want to take this blog. I don’t think my direction has ever changed, I just haven’t had the time or means to make it what I really want. Some of that is because I take on assignments and freelance work just to pay the bills. These projects aren’t necessarily things I’m excited about or even things you, my readers, will love. Making a little money is important, but I’m considering saying NO to a few more things to make room for better YES’s. Does that make sense? This is all kind of risky business, and it’s not easy have such an unsure and income stream. But, my new goal is to be a little pickier about the work that eats up my time and energy. Anyways, I say all this because I want you to know that I really want this blog to be a place my readers LOVE to visit each week. Just know, I’m doing my best and I hope to bring you some great posts in the next few months. I’ve got some room makeovers headed your way, which I know you are big fans of and there will always be more mocktails.

Mocktails are one of my favorite posts to create. I love being in the kitchen experimenting with flavor combinations. I also love the process of styling and shooting these posts. Anyways, I’m rambling on and on, but I’m there will be more mocktails, mostly because I just love a fun drink. And this Rhubarb Rose Fizz feels like a great way to celebrate the last week before everyone in our house heads back to school.

Rhubarb is the BEST! But, it’s actually really hard to find here in Southern California. And one I bought some the other day, the checker had no idea what it was. He looked at it for quite a while and then said, “Is this red celery?”. I couldn’t help not giggling out loud. Before it’s all gone though, I’ve bought quite a bit and have it chopped and bagged in the freezer, ready to future cobblers, pies and yummy drinks.

I’m really a fan of an egg white drink. It adds a creamy, smooth quality to drinks and really makes them something special. But, I’ll tell you right away, if you are nervous about a raw egg white in your drink, this pretty pink drink can also be made with a splash of club soda instead. It’s still delicious and maybe even a little more refreshing. So, feel free to substitute.

Rhubarb Rose Fizz

5 cups of fresh or frozen rhubarb (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
2 tbsp. dried rose petals
1 cup lemon juice
1 egg white per drink ( or a splash of club soda can be substituted)
crushed dried rose petals and fresh rhubarb for garnish

In a pot, combine the rhubarb, sugar, water and dried rose petals. Bring to a boil and then reduce the temperature and simmer for 20 mins of low heat. Pour through a fine metal sieve to remove the rhubarb pulp. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Store the rhubarb rose syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

When you are ready to mix and serve a drink, place ice, one egg white and 1/2 cup of the syrup in a shaker or large glass jar with a lid. Shake vigorously till it is frothy with foam. Pour through a small fine metal sieve to keep the ice cubes out of the drink. Top each drink with a sprinkling of dried rose petals and a knot of rhubarb. To make the knot, use a vegetable peeler, and peel off a 6 inch length of the rhubarb, then simply tie it in a knot in the center.

Cheers to the last days of Summer friends.

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DIY

3 Ways to Hang a Poster

July 20, 2017

Ok, I am a mom of 2 teenagers, so I feel like I know a little bit about them (a very little bit). But, one thing I do know about teenagers is that they LOVE to change their minds, opinions, likes, and dislikes. So, when it comes to decorating a teenager’s bedroom, you have to be ready to make changes and lots of them. Posters are a great way to change up the decor in a big way and on a small budget. But, who wants a million tack holes and tape all over your walls? I’ve come up with 3 ways to hang a poster and not make a singer hole in the wall!

Ok, let’s start with the poster. Please try to say no to the Back Street Boys and Twilight Movie posters. Mixbook makes adding custom art to your home a breeze. You can even take pictures from your teenager’s phone and blow them up to poster size prints. When my father in law came to visit last month, he brought me bunches and bunches of peonies from his garden. I took some of pictures because they were so AMAZING! These peonies prints are going in my girl’s room (when we finally have a spare moment to work on that space). They are excited for a big splash of pink in their room. And because I love you guys, you get to download these peonies prints for free HERE! This is a limited time free download, so don’t mess around friends, download your copy now and head over to Mixbook and order yourself a poster print or three.

I am so impressed with these poster prints. They come in both glossy and matte, I ordered mine in the matte finish and they look amazing. The colors are bright and vibrant and it feels like the peonies are right there.

Full disclosure, I have a secret weapon, 3M Command Strips. But, I wanted to use them in a way that would protect the poster and also allow you to change out the art without having to use a new set of Command Strips. I also think these 3 hanging methods actually add to the whole look of hanging a poster.

Here’s my 3 ways to hang a poster without putting any holes in the wall:

ONE – WOODEN KNOB MAGNETS

This is my favorite look. It’s super clean and simple and the little wooden knobs are just perfectly cute.

For this method you will need 4 sets of 1/2 inch ceramic magnets, 1 large 3M Command Strip, and 3/4 inch half round wooden balls. All of these supplies can be found at your local craft store. Start by cutting the Command Strip into 4 pieces. Then pair the magnets up and hot glue the wooden knob onto one of the magnets and adhere the velcro to the other magnet. Finally, you will adhere the other side of the Command Strip to the wall. The pair of magnets will keep the poster perfectly flat on all four corners.

TWO – BULLDOG CLIPS

I love the look of bull dog clips holding up posters. But, I struggled to find a way to attach them to the wall without having to nail them to the wall. So, I came up with a solution. These magnetic backed bull dog clips offer a flat surface to adhere a Command Strip to. I also clipped two more to the bottom of the poster to pull to tight against the wall so that it wouldn’t curl up.

Just like with the wooden knob magnets, the poster is not damaged and you can change out the art very easily.

THREE – CLOTHES PEG BOARD

This third idea is the most versatile. Not only can you hang a poster, but you can also add other pieces of art as well. I simply painted a 1 yard measuring stick a dark maroon color and then hot glued on clothes pegs every 3 inches. Then using 2 Command Strips, I adhered the strip to the wall.

And as a little bonus for my daughters, I made a simple little message board for them using a framed 8×10 print.

This post is sponsored by Mixbook, thank you supporting the awesome companies that help make this blog possible.

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DIY

Step Stool Turned Plant Stand

July 18, 2017

I’m pretty sure that almost everyone I know owns this IKEA Bekvam step stool, especially if you have toddlers. We are definitely out of the toddler stage and everyone in our house can reach the sink faucets without a step stool. So, I’m giving this step stool a little makeover and a new purpose. I’m turning this step stool into a little plant stand for all my plant babies.

I’m excited to be joining the ‘Make It Martha’ blogger program. As a long time Martha Stewart fan, I’m excited to be sharing here on Oleander + Palm some fun DIYs using Martha’s awesome new line of craft supplies available at Michael’s.

For this first project, I’m using Martha’s all-new line of Home Decor Paint. These paints come in all the perfect Martha Steward shades and are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. This water-based paint is fade resistant and lends a lovely eggshell finish to the surface. I chose the color Trellis for a perfectly minty/jadite light green.

Here is the before. Our stool has been used for quite few years and definitely was in need of some love.

Can you see how scuffed up and old and yucky this stool is. No lie at all, I put only ONE coat of this paint on this stool. That is amazing. It went on like butter and laid flat and smooth.

I also thought it would be fun to add a little clever customized saying to one of the pots. I used Martha Stewart Crafts Typewriter Adhesive Stencils to spell out “Water Me” and then simply stenciled on the saying with Lava Stone Grey Home Decor Paint with a Foam Pouncer. While the paint was still dry, I pealed off the reusable stencils.

I can think of quite a few pieces of furniture that could use a quick coat of paint. I love this new Home Decor Paint line.

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Food & Drink

Rosemary Arnold Palmer

July 14, 2017

Do these Summer days have you wanting refreshing chilled drinks ALL THE TIME? It’s all I want. I could definitely skip a meal and just replace it with a ice cold mocktail. This yummy Rosemary Arnold Palmer is a fun twist on a classic. You know I’m a fan of herby beverages and this one is perfectly earthy and refreshing.

Head over to Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice for the full recipe and there’s even a spiked version. If you don’t have access to Natalie’s awesome Lemonade Tea, this drink can easily be made with equal parts lemonade, ice tea and a splash of rosemary simple syrup (see recipe below) in a glass filled with ice. And be sure to garnish the glass with a cute straw, a slice of lemon and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

2 tbsp. of finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Place all the ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Allow the syrup to cool. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Place the syrup in an airtight container and store in the fridge.

If you like the earthy rosemary flavor in this drink, you might also like this Pineapple Rosemary Spritzer.

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Food & Drink

Orange Mango Mock-Mimosa Jello Shots

July 7, 2017

The weekend is almost here and that means – BRUNCH! Why not change things up and try a non-traditional mimosa with these Orange Mango Mock-Mimosa Jello Shots. They are both fun to make and also eat! All the fun of a Mimosa but in a jiggly, bite-sized form.

These can be made with either Champagne or Ginger Ale, for a family-friendly version. But, you can check out the spiked version HERE.

Orange Mango Mock-Mimosa Jello Shots

2 cups or an 8 oz. bottle Natalie’s Orange Mango Juice
2 cups Ginger Ale
4 packets of unflavored gelatin
edible flowers for garnish (I used impatients)

Pour 1/2 cup of Natalie’s Orange Mango Juice into a bowl. Sprinkle 2 packets of the gelatin over the juice.
Allow the gelatin to sit for at least 2 mins. In a small pot, bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups juice to a bowl. Add the boiling juice to the juice and gelatin mixture. Stir until the gelatin dissolves completely. Pour into a 8×8 inch pan. Place in the fridge on an even surface. Allow the gelatin to set completely before making the next layer.

Repeat the same directions for the champagne or ginger ale as you did for the Orange Mango Juice. Pour that champagne gelatin over the orange mango layer. refrigerate until set.

Slice the gelatin into 1 inch squares. Top with a few edible flowers for garnish. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

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