Raised by Design – Page 4 – not your mama's interiors

Friday Links

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Yesterday I saved a life. In a heroic display of chicken-shit bravery, I called James home at lunchtime to help me rescue a baby possum that had fallen down our basement stairwell in the back of our house. It was separated from its mother by an 8 foot drop and was much too tiny to climb out using the stairs. And without going into detail about the way we built our deck – there was pretty much no way for the Mom to rescue the little guy or for him to get back to the den. So my choices were to (a) heartlessly let Mother Nature do her thing and deal with a tiny dead possum and months of bad dreams or (b) figure out how to Ranger Rick that sucker.

I went to the Google machine (after a call to my Mom, who has lots of experience with nature and not being a mamsy-pamsy) and found a site that listed Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilition in my area. To my surprise, there are about 100 folks who are licensed rescuers in our area (with hilarious distinctions like “will take turtles” – are turtles the problem child of backyard wildlife?). I found a nice lady who advised me to scoop the guy up with a shovel and put it in a shoebox with one of the following snacks that possums prefer: applesauce, cottage cheese, bananas or scrambled egg. Scrambled. Egg. Hell no. She assured me that possums don’t carry disease and that neither the baby nor the mommy were going to hurt me. Ok, ok.

It took two adults with college degrees to wrangle the little drunksy into the shovel/shoebox scenario and get it in position for the handoff. In my frenzy to complete the mission, I didn’t take any pics. Blogger fail. Turns out, he was super cute too. Thankfully, lots of other folks agree and have taken pics of baby possums, including blogger Kaylah of the Dainty Squid (her shots below). I propped the box next to the opening under our deck and watched through the boards as he wobbled over to Mama with his scraped nose and the pair were blissfully reunited. So, I’m still up 5 possums in my yard. Is that a victory, or…?

Anyway, without further rambling – here are this week’s links:

Nature quiz! 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Opossums
The Polar Bears of architecture – with two of my hometowns on the list! Boo to that, and please get your ish together.
On a related note, The Village of Irvington, where I graduated high school, is now on the National Registry of Historic Places, thanks to my dad, Andy Lyons, and many others in the village. Local artist August Wren made this super cute illustrated map of town that’s being sold as posters and tote bags at the Historical Society. I’m proud of my Dad, and The Village, for not ending up like one of the endangered spots mentioned above.
SF Girl By Bay’s column on Maia McDonald felt like I was having my fortune told.
The cactus is still having its moment. And I like it.
Iced coffee, iced coffee, iced coffee, iced coffee.
Hot Dog of the Week?!?! Somebody has their priorities straight.

Loveyoubye! Mags

Snacks for Summer: Pineapple Salsa and White Bean Dip Recipe

/ food, RBD kitchen table / 2 Comments

When summer starts to get in full swing, life gets pretty schweaty and the last thing you want to do is turn on a burner in your kitchen. That’s why summer is the best time of year to get crazy with dips, spreads, salsas and relishes. Cold hard flavor bringin’ the heat.

Here are two favs on steady rotation for parties, BBQ’s or just dinnertime on the deck.

Pineapple Salsa with Blue Corn Chips

In a medium bowl, toss together the following ingredients:

½ pineapple, diced
½ white onion, minced
1 jalepeño pepper, minced (for a mild salsa, remove the seeds and ribs and use ½ pepper)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or to taste)
juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Serve with blue corn chips. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Garlicky Herbed White Bean Dip with Flatbreads

In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process until smooth:

1 15 oz. can of white beans (I use cannellini but you can use any white bean)
1 garlic clove
¼ cup olive oil
juice of ½ lemon
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)*
pinch of salt
1-2 tablespoons of fresh herbs (I used dill, mint and parsley for a mediterranean flavor)**

Serve drizzled with olive oil alongside store-bought flatbreads, pita triangles, crackers or crudite.

*You can swap out the cayenne pepper with other spices to change up the flavor. Try cumin for a dip closer to hummus or paprika for a smoky taste.

**Likewise, you can use other combinations of fresh herbs for a variation on the flavor. Rosemary is delicious with the lemon juice and rustic bread. Or try basil and red pepper flakes for an Italian spin.

¡Bona Salut! Loveyoubye, Mags

Friday Links

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Tomorrow is the first day of summer! I totes thought it already was summer, but I’m up for an excuse to celebrate. So I plan to celebrate by eating tons of hot dogs (Chicago Style, pshaw!) and watching FIFA World Cup soccer. Most likely in our dark, dank neighborhood pub that’s about as summery as a turtleneck but has a great crowd and incredible nachos. Just kidding…no wait, totally serious. I’m also going to be doing some stuff in the yard and crossing my fingers that I don’t bump into our two summer squatters – the ground hog under the shed and the possum under the deck. So nice of them to join us. I’m also going make my own iced coffee and put together some summery snacks to share with you all next week.

Heck yeah for summer! Here are this week’s links:

First, let’s get this straight…How to Make a Proper Chicago-Style Hot Dog
I’m getting kind of obsessed with making a trunk + trunk stand work as a solution for that stubborn spot at the end of our bed.
Ummm…my favorite Twitter follow of this week, Migaloo the White Humpback Whale is INCREDIBLE and Herman Melville is jumping up and down peeing his pants in his grave.
I’m going to be RIL BUSY designing my own textiles and having them printed onto leggings, backpacks and crew necks this summer.
I really like this DIY project from Design*Sponge this week – it’s beautiful and practical but also acknowledges that track lighting can exist in good taste. We have track lighting (without pendants) in our kitchen because it’s the best solution for directional light, which is incredibly important in a cook’s kitchen. It’s not high design, but it’s cost effective, unobtrusive and functional and really…designers who ignore function are just douchey.

Loveyoubye! Mags

June Desktop Wallpaper Freebie

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Here’s another free desktop wallpaper, with love from yours truly.

I’m going to start posting these wallpaper freebies on a monthly basis because it’s only fair – if we have to be stuck in front of a computer, we may as well have something fun to look at.

June’s desktop is all about summer – in 3 of my favorite flavors. Are you a beach person? Maybe you like to chill out on a lake in the woods. Or maybe it’s all about hot time summer in the city. Whatever floats your ice cream. This one is inspired by the Fresh Prince’s new definition of Summer Madness.

Feel free to download these files for personal use. To make it your desktop wallpaper, right click on the image and choose “Set Image As Background” or “Use Image as Desktop Picture” from the drop-down menu. If you’re using Google Chrome, go here for instructions.

Loveyoubye! Maggie

FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME

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The Raised by Design Etsy Shop is officially open for biz! Peep it here or by clicking ‘SHOP’ at the top of this page. Favorite the shop for updates, or follow me on your choice of social media time wasters – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

I’m super excited about crossing this 10-year-old item off of my to-do list. Buying and selling vintage wares is in my blood. I was raised (reluctantly) accompanying my mom to garage sales, estate sales, thrift shops and flea markets as a kid in Chicago. When I got to college I found myself dragging my roommates to second-hand sales and force feeding them my quirky decorating style in its awkward stage. And now that I have my very own grown up home, I find the most joy in filling it with family heirlooms and my most precious vintage finds – items I’ve carefully packed and moved around the country from rental to rental.

As I mention on my shop page, the connection between new and old is really important to me. As a student of history and interior design, the roots of a design – how it was raised – are what makes it interesting to me. Everything in the shop has firmly anchored today’s design trends and will play well with the new things in your home.

I’ve only stocked the shop with one tenth of the wares that I have in stock and will be adding new items daily – hourly – all the time. Tell your friends and fill your homes with COOL VINTAGE SHIT!

In the time it’s taken me to connect the shop to the blog and make this announcement, I’ve already sold one of my favorite items – the Made in Japan French Bulldog Figurine. So my Etsy cherry has been popped (so gross, I know)!

I’m so amped up on Etsy that I’m offering a shop-wide discount through this Sunday, 6/22. Use the coupon code “CHERRY” at checkout to receive 10% off your order.

Happy shopping! Loveyoubye, Mags

In Like With: Couches for Small Spaces

/ In Like With, lil' spot / 5 Comments

Welcome to Planet Couch. Also known as our living space, which houses our humongous hand-me-down island of lounge space. This couch, a joint bromance purchase between James and his old roommate, was traded straight-up for an Xbox when they parted ways. It’s from Bob’s Discount Furniture and it’s been going strong for over 8 years now. It’s not all that sexy, I know. But it’s ridiculously comfortable, it’s big enough for someone 7′ tall to sleep on and it’s neutral, making it easy to decorate around. Aside from a few minor gripes, I actually love it, proving that places like Bob’s aren’t kryptonite to people with (reasonable) taste.

But someday, we will replace it. And here’s why: it’s really just too big for our space and the way we like to use it. We use our living space both for entertaining and winding down at the end of the day. So we need something that hits that sweet spot between cocktail and cozy. Too soft and you can’t tell a hilarious story while balancing a plate of food on your lap. Too rigid and you want to cry before the opening credits of the latest ridiculously long movie.

Our olive green guy measures in at 100″ x 40″ x 36″, which in Sofa Land is like a submarine-sized piece. It’s too huge for our 12′ x 14′ multitasking living space. If we traded it for a smaller couch (or love seat) we would be able to comfortably fit a cocktail table and two arm chairs.

Right now we can only fit one arm chair, and while our megasauraus-sofa is big enough for four butts, we rarely have three folks take a seat there. People like to sit across from one another or at an angle – not shoulder to shoulder. Breaking up the seating options around the room, even if the number of butts you can accommodate is the same, is actually a much better arrangement for entertaining.

But remember, we can’t sacrifice comfort, since husband and I get pretty lazy after 9pm. So buh-bye to settees, camelbacks, tuxedos and daybeds. It was nice knowing your beautiful scrolling arms, cocoon-like walls and cabriole legs.

Here’s my couch-crushing criteria:

Medium-tone upholstery (in blues, greens or grays) that holds up to life and hides the stubborn cat hair that my vacuum sucks at sucking up.
Relatively high arms so that I can curl up in the corner with my coffee and not fall on the floor.
Less than 85″ inches in total length and 40″ of total depth.
Nothing so low to the ground that tall folks and Baby Boomers curse as they’re standing up.
Comfortable enough to accommodate hours of binge-watching Orange Is The New Black.
Extra points for sofa beds or secret storage.

And here are some picks I’ve pinned for consideration:

This moody guy get extra points for a secret storage drawer…what would you put in there? Oxford Storage Sofa in Ink from Room & Board – $1,999.00
A tribal patterned pillow would liven the joint up fast. Jacinto Rectangle Pillow from Anthropologie – $29.95
A blue beauty with rich velvet upholstery and nailhead trim…think I can commit? Charlotte Sofa in Indigo from One Kings Lane – $1,999.00
I like the single cushion and relaxed feel of this pick but it comes with a high price point and only one upholstery option. Graydon Sofa in Riva Dune from Jayson Home – $3,695.00
This is my current favorite with a punchy upholstery option, nice lines and a pull-out! Whammy! Paidge Sleeper Sofa in Blue Lagoon from West Elm – $1,549.00
I’ll take one of these cute atomic/tribal throw pillows just in case. Endless Summer Peach & Gray Tribal Pillow from Zazzle – $28.95
This color is so now I can hardly look away. But I think it skews a little too feminine and I like things to be more David Bowie, less Katy Perry. Club Spray Sofa from CB2 – $1,199.00

Do you think we have a winner here?

Loveyoubye! Maggie

Coming Soon! RBD Etsy Shop

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This week I’m working my hot cross buns off to get my Etsy Shop open so I’ll be slacking on blog posts, mkay?

Hope to make an official announcement next week so check up on me!

Loveyoubye, Maggie

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What are you guys up to this weekend? Obviously, I have some yard work to do. I’m also in a cleaning out mood lately, and when those strike you have to take advantage. So I’m thinking I’ll tackle my closet and maaaaybe the mother-load-of-junk in the basement. Here are some doings from this week:

With her powerhouse swing, powerful self-image attitude and cute victory dance, I’m totes on Team Taylor! (plus, she’s a Chicagoan!)
I’m happy to see this post about orange. I like orange. I like SF Girl by Bay.
I’m a big (creepy) fan of Chef Dan Barber. Stone Barns is our neighbor just up the road and his signed menu from my birthday dinner at Blue Hill a few years back (which was tremendous, as promised) is hanging in my teensy kitchen. I will definitely be adding his new book to my summer reading list. Cuz I’m all on his nuts like the rest of the foodie bandwagon.
Did you guys see Google’s message to grads? It made me misty. I’m an easy target, but I miss school days. #earlyonsetmidlifecrisis
This apartment tour in DC reminds me of how badly I want to trade in my (Craigslisted) IKEA Bjursta table for the Eero Saarinen tulip table I’ve been eyeing for years, which would also mean trading in our big holiday dinners for cocktail parties…but is that such a bad trade? I don’t have 2 G’s lying around right now so I can think about it…
Also, the very serious science of shaking your booty.

Happy Weekend! Loveyoubye! Mags

Backyard Work /// Before + After Porn

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I wrote a couple weeks back about our back yard and the progress we’ve made since we moved in 4 years ago. The other day it was overcast and rainy, so I grabbed my camera and took some snaps of what it looks like back there these days. *Here’s a tip I picked up: An overcast day is actually one of the best times to photograph landscapes. In full sun, plants lose dimension and photos will turn out flat and washed out. Aim for overcast or partly cloudy days and choose early morning or twilight hours if you can.

That big river birch is our favorite tree ever; it screens the 3-flat behind us for 3 seasons and provides some much needed shade to our full-sun yard. Can you believe it’s only 3 years old this year and already popping out of my frame?

We’re also pretty proud of this eastern hemlock we planted the same year. It kinda looks like The Sorting Hat. But it’s hosted 2 robins’ nests in a row so I would say it’s WINNING!

I know you’re wondering WTF that piece of wood is about. It’s just a piece of weathered wood. I like to keep things a little trish-trash around here.

And don’t judge me because our fire pit needs a bikini wax. I have to pull up all of those rocks one by one and put down a proper weed barrier. Because it’s pretty much all weeds back here.

We’re not planning any major projects in the yard this season, after a couple years of some hardcore home improvement back there we are ready to just enjoy it. Wait, enjoy it? I mean let out a loud ass groan as we realize that it needs mowing…again.

This is us: Did you water the new grass this morning? Something dug up the seedling I planted yesterday and left a swath of dirt spread all over the deck. Nice. Is that fuckin’ raccoon back again? No? Maybe it was the skunk I saw the other night. Yeah, or the ground hog? IDK. Did you check for ticks in the shower? I think we should put a container of beer out to drown the slugs. I heard that shit works. Oh look, time to mow again.

We tried to plant fresh grass seed where our monstrous driveway once lived. It looks like a Chia pet on Day 3 or a botched Rogaine application. Think we need to reseed.

Now you see why we call it Lil’ Spot, right?! Our little suburban cabin. On a more serious design note, I would eventually like to get 2 big planters for either corner of the deck instead of a bunch of little pots. I think it will look cleaner and help anchor the asymmetric layout (lattice on one side, trees on the other). But did you know those shits are like $200 a piece? I feel a DIY comin’ on!

In the meantime, I planted some of my mom’s vintage pails and pots with herbs so I can grab them in the middle of cooking dinner. Working towards always having fresh herbs on hand…remember?

After I’m done griping about weeding and run-ins with nocturnal rodents or these bad boys, I try to remember that the payoff is major: a sunny semi-private place to sit and have coffee and read the ~~paper~~ iPad in the morning. It’s great to wake up to birds chirping in the trees that I planted. And it’s the best ever to have friends over to make pizzas on the grill and laugh so loud it wakes up our neighbors’ kids.

Our friends in the city always say the only reason they would move to the ‘burbs is so they can have a back yard. I get that. The only reason I would move to the city is so I can have a shorter commute and decent thai food.

If I had any sage advice for soon-to-be-suburbanites it’s this: this shit doesn’t just pop up like a blow-up castle. It takes a lot of sweaty, slimy, put-your-back-into-it work. At least for any homeowner who refuses to hire a landscaper, like me. It builds character. It ruins your shoes. It takes time out of your weekend. It’s a losing battle against weeds and pests. But yeah, it’s so totally worth it.

Here is the promised Before + After Porn:

Before + After - Backyard Redo

Loveyoubye! Maggie

Wrapping Up

/ family, projects, small luxuries / 3 Comments

Today I’m wrapping up some DIY gem magnets I made to add to the goodie bag at my Mom, Charlotte’s Vermont Getaway next weekend. I’m honored to be contributing something as a sponsor – there are some ridiculously talented ladies in her circle. I hope they like them!

I’m also wrapping up from our weekend with family at the beach in Old Lyme, CT. It’s one of my favorite places to be – the beach. I love everything about being near water. Especially the breezy New England beach on the Sound up at Old Lyme. It’s the best of both worlds – the coast and the country smooshed together in a kind of heaven that seems like it was made just for me.

This weekend had all the bells and whistles: kayaking, birding, reading, puzzling, fried clams, bonfires, sunset cocktails, painting, morning walks, pockets of shells and rocks, hot dogs, playoff hockey and long meals with loud laughs. I always wonder if life were like this all the time, would I love it this much?

Loveyoubye! Maggie

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