Tantalizing Color

The Macomb Street sweater was featured today in in this spectacular Treasury curated by Madrigal Embroidery.  I love all of those bright, bold colors.  I think the purple pumps and lime green bowl are particularly fabulous! 

Madrigal Embroidery offers amazing "hand-embellished" jewelry and accessories, many in the same bright colors you see in the Treasury.  Her cuff bracelets are especially cool.  And, she's a girl after my own heart, as she gives a portion of her profits to a pet rescue group in San Francisco.  Swing by her Etsy shop here.

Awesome Zucchini Bread

I got a ton of zucchini at the farmer's market and decided to turn some of it into zucchini bread. I found this Paula Deen recipe.  I don't have a lot of experience with her recipes, but it looked pretty good so I decided to give it a try.

The only change I made was to use pecans instead of walnuts.  WOW!  It was just amazing--addictive, actually.  I particularly like it for breakfast toasted with a smear of cream cheese.  And, it was super easy and freezes beautifully.  Ironically, I like zucchini (served unfried and without marinara sauce) only ok, but I love, love, love this zucchini bread.

I did make it a second time substituting apple sauce for half of the oil.  It still tasted pretty good, but it didn't have the crispy, crunchy top, so I wouldn't do that again. 

This is a great way to use up some of that farmer's market bounty.

(Photo courtesy of the Food Network.)

A Little Bit of Magic

I spent this weekend at one of my favorite places on Earth--the Bedford Springs Resort  & Spa.  Tucked in the Laurel Highlands of South Central Pennsylvania, the resort has always seemed to be a little bit magical to me.

The resort dates to the beginning of the 19th century, when Bedford Springs was still the frontier.  Travelers would brave what was then the Wild West to visit this luxury resort and experience the mineral springs, which were hailed as "healing waters."  Numerous presidents and dignitaries stayed there, and President James Buchanan even called it his "summer White House."

By the late 20th century, the resort had closed and fallen into disrepair.  But a coalition of historians, architects, and builders undertook a meticulous renovation, restoring the resort to it's former glory (and beyond, with all of the modern conveniences one would expect at a top resort).

Today, Bedford Springs is just amazing.  There are gorgeous grounds and colorful gardens, hiking trails, a beautiful outdoor pool, big porches, a heavenly spa, and comfortable rooms.  And, perhaps best of all, there's a cozy fire pit where you can make s'mores at night!  One thing that I really like is that there are so many places to sit and read, think, dream, talk, or just take it all in.

There are also tons of historical pictures all over the resort, so you get a real feel for how it might have been to be a guest at the resort 150 years ago (petticoats and all!).  You can almost feel the ghosts of people who have stayed there walking and laughing in the halls.

The only bad thing about the weekend was that it had to end!  I'm counting the days until I can go back!!

Nacarat A Tat Tat Treasury!

How gorgeous is this red and yellow Treasury, curated by Alyssa Kimberley?!  The oranges and reds are just stunning.  So rich and vibrant.  Each featured item is prettier than the next, but I particularly like those bangles from 3FUN.

Alyssa Kimberley has some beautiful handmade papers in her Etsy shop, so please check it out. 

Singing in the Rain

Last night, I was on my way home from work, absorbed in my own thoughts, when all of a sudden I heard the sounds of Broadway ringing through the air.  Specifically, I heard someone singing "Defying Gravity" from "Wicked," which is one of my favorite songs.  Intrigued, I stopped to investigate and found out that it was courtesy of the Navy Band, which performs every Tuesday at the Navy Memorial.

I was familiar with the Navy Band's Summer Concert Series, but I always assumed that the concerts featured more traditional "band" music.  But last night seemed to feature Broadway numbers exclusively.  Being the Broadway junkie that I am, I was loving it!  They also did a very elaborate medley of Four Seasons songs from the musical "Jersey Boys," which had everyone singing along.

I was having so much fun and was prepared to abandon my walk home altogether to stay for the rest of the concert, but then it started to rain, and they called the show early.  I didn't think it was raining hard enough to cut it short, but I guess it wasn't very pleasant for the performers.

In the limited time I was there, I realized that the concerts are a delightful way to enjoy a summer evening. I hope to get to another one soon!

(photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy Band)

Water Street Sweater

I'm sure the colors in this sweater give away why I chose to name the sweater Water Street.  I started this sweater a while back but was short just a tiny bit of the darker blue yarn--only to find out that it was back-ordered.  Argh!!  Frustrating!  I was worried that I was going to have to frog the whole sweater or find some way to change the color of the cuffs and neckline.  So when the yarn finally came in, I was excited to be able to finish the sweater.  And I'm so pleased with how it turned out. Those blue swirly buttons are just perfect.

I really love how good the sweater looks in the pictures.  The bright blue against the yellow house is so vibrant!

Water Street runs parallel to the Potomac River in Georgetown and leads directly to the Capital Crescent Trail, a trail that runs from Georgetown to Bethesda, Maryland.  Back when I was training for the marathon, I ran along Water Street A LOT.

Blueberry Peach Pie

For me, this pie IS summer.  I don't know where the recipe came from--my mom has been making it forever--but it is one of my all-time favorite summer treats.  The almond pie crust and the sweet peaches and blueberries, combined with whipped cream . . . SO GOOD!  Plus, I just love how rustic and unpretentious it looks.  Let me know if you try it!

Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3-4 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients.  Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Filling:

1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon gelatin
4 cups fresh peaches
3/4 cup blueberries

Combine first three ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Add lemon gelatin, stirring until dissolved.  Cool.  Pour over fruit and toss gently. 

Pour fruit and gelatin mixture into pie crust.  Chill at least one hour until set.  Serve with whipped cream.

Vintage Frocks of Fancy

For this next edition of Who Hearts Yellow House Knits?,  I thought I would spotlight Vintage Frocks of Fancy and the gorgeous vintage dresses for sale in this shop.  I think I like this shop so much because it allows me to channel my inner Grace Kelly or Jackie Kennedy or Betty Draper.  The dresses speak to a time when people were more elegant, dinner meant dressing up, and we socialized in person rather than via text message.

I'm fascinated by these dresses because, as with old houses, I can't help but wonder about their story.  Who wore them and where did they go?  I imagine lives much more glamorous than mine!

Vintage Frocks of Fancy's Etsy  shop is arranged by decade, which allows buyers and window shoppers to see how fashions have changed over the years.  Dresses include more formal gowns and casual day dresses.

Be sure to read the clever item descriptions, which provide a glimpse into the lives of the women who may have worn these dresses.  

Featured on Remodelaholic

My living and dining room makeover were featured on Remodelaholic today!  I'm so excited.  I always ogle at the beautiful renovations highlighted on this awesome blog, so I'm so flattered for my house be included among the featured renovations.  (And, of course, I'm so grateful for all of the generous and wonderful comments I've recieved here on Inside the Yellow House!) 

Please check it out, as well as all of the other good stuff.  In particular, Remodelaholic has a ton of great tutorials, so you CAN try it at home!

Prospect Street Sweater

I just listed a new sweater in my Etsy shop.  I've been wanting to make this sweater forever, but I have (happily) been busy with a couple of special orders.  Plus, that lime green yarn is so popular that I couldn't keep enough around to make any real progress.  So I started the sweater a while back, but it languished for months.

I'm glad I finally got to finish the sweater because I'm delighted with how it turned out.  The four buttons were custom made for this sweater, and the greens match perfectly.  

Prospect Street is one of the most historic streets in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C.  In the early 1800s, wealthy shipowners, merchants, and land speculators built mansions overlooking the harbor.  Today, it's a major business and residential corridor.  

Catalog Living

Have you seen this website?  It's called Catalog Living and describes itself as "a look into the exciting lives of the people who live in your catalogs."  It totally cracks me up, especially since I love catalogs but have often wondered about some of the photographs.  I look forward to finding out what Elaine and Gary are up to every day.  They lead very glamorous lives!

July Special Offer

This weekend only, save 25% on on all in-stock sweaters.  Custom orders receive free shipping. 

Mention coupon code ITHY-JUL in your convo or email (yellowhouseknits@gmail.com) to take advantage of this offer. Orders/emails must be received by midnight EDT on July 11.

Have fun!

Little Sweaters and Apple Cozies Treasury

The Jocelyn Street sweater was featured yesterday in this fun Treasury from Deme Designs.  I just love all of those adorable little sweaters.  And I never knew how popular apple cozies are! 

Deme Designs's Etsy shop offers an array of lovely knitted items, including some fabulous crocheted beach hats, complete with sand, starfish, and other sea life.  Be sure to take a look!

Inside the Yellow House Living Room

After I regaled you with before-and-after pictures of the front and back of my house, a couple of people kindly asked to see the inside as well.  So, here's the first installment: the living room and dining room.

The house was built in either 1878 or 1880, depending on which records you reference, and, frankly, it hadn't had a lot of maintenance since then.  It was in pretty bad shape.  Interestingly, it was built without a kitchen or bathroom (more on that in subsequent editions), which just fascinates me.

I often say that work on my house will never be finished because I'm constantly thinking about the next project.  But here's where things are right now.  I'm so happy with the way the renovations turned out.  

But first: the "before" pictures.  I wish this blog had Smell-O-Vision, so you could fully appreciate the overpowering smell of stale cat urine that had completely permeated that gorgeous brown carpet.

When I bought the house, the living room and dining room were two separate rooms, separated by a pocket door.   I hated to get rid of the pocket door, but I ultimately decided that the first floor would feel so much bigger if the two rooms were combined.  

There was also a little tiny entryway that led into a very narrow hallway and up the enclosed staircase.  The result was that the house felt really cramped.  Those curtains don't do much for the house either.  

And, here's how it looks today!  A little different?

When we ripped up that brown carpet, we found 1950s "parquet" linoleum.  And beneath that, the original heart pine floors, which were perfectly preserved by all that linoleum.  And white paint is obviously my best friend.  I think the white walls are a great canvas for all of the other color.  

Most of the furniture has been repurposed, repainted, and reupholstered from the pieces' former lives.  The dining room set and coffee table were my grandparents' and were originally painted sort of an antique gold.  I think my grandparents would be surprised to see how they look now, but I know they would just love that I get so much pleasure from their treasures.

The house had four fireplaces when it was built, and the mantel currently in the living room was originally in the dining room.  When I decided to get rid of three of the fireplaces due to lack of space, I kept this mantel, which I liked better.  The mirror above the fireplace used to be a church window.  I found the frame at a flea market and added the mullions, mirror, and--of course, a lot of white paint.

The portraits of Mr. Bullet were taken a few years back by a professional photographer in Alexandria who specializes in pet portraits.  I couldn't pick just one.  (Yes, I am that dog owner.)  Notice that the staircase is no longer enclosed.  Taking down that wall was apparently a big endeavor, but it was so worth it.

Pink and yellow and black and white are my two favorite color combinations.  I love that I was able to incorporate both in the house.  But I swear I loved that sour apple green color long before it became as trendy as it is today.  The buffet was also a flea market find, transformed with some paint and drawer pulls mounted flush against the surface. 

The built-in bookshelves really complete the room (and provide a lot of much-needed storage).  The contractor thought they would be too much and wanted to limit them to the living room end of the room, but I'm so glad I insisted on the whole wall.  The room looks so much bigger than it ever did before the renovations.  

So that's the living room.  Literally, each night when I come home, I think how much I just love it.  If you happen to be in D.C., some see it in person!

Linking to: 

Make It Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints On The Fridge

Strut Yourself Thursday@ Somewhat Simple

Remodelaholic Friday @ Remodelaholic

Home And Family Friday @ Home Is Where My Story Begins

Favorite Things Friday @ A Few Of My Favorite Things

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps On The Porch

Dish Towel Robe

I'm frequently impressed by the creativity I see exhibited out in the blogosphere and often a tad jealous of everyone else's craftiness.  But every now and then I stumble onto something that really blows me away.  They may not be the most complicated projects (sometimes they are quite complicated), but more often than not, they're just so clever.  And generally (but probably not surprisingly), they usually involve bright colors.

Care's little robe, made of two terry dish towels from the Dollar Store, is one of those projects.  When I saw it on her blog, Obsessively Stitching, I was simply wowed.  Actually, my first thought was that it's just adorable, and my second thought was, "How did she ever come up with that idea???"  I'm still pondering the second.

I think the robe would make a darling pool or beach cover-up as well.  Care has 12-step tutorial on her blog, and it looks simple enough that I'm tempted to lug out my old sewing machine myself!

Happy Fourth of July!

The Fourth of July is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays, probably because I've developed a Fourth of July routine that includes some of my favorite events.

First, I ran the Autism Speaks 5K in Potomac, Maryland.  I've run this race every year for the past five years, and I've watched it grow from a small, community race to a real event.  The course runs through a Potomac neighborhood and, while lovely, is really hilly.  Which means that it kicks my butt every year.  But it's all worth it because the race raises money for a great cause.  And they always have pizza at the finish line.  (Nothing like a slice of pizza at 9am after running three miles!).

After the race, I rushed home to make it in time for the Capitol Hill parade.  The parade is, hands down, my favorite Hill event.  It is not a sophisticated affair (more like festive chaos), but everyone comes out to see the parade and celebrate the holiday.

The Marine Corps band is the most polished part of the parade.  But in my opinion, cheering as the local boys' basketball team does its thing and collecting candy from the Girls Scouts is just as much fun.   To me, the parade epitomizes the community and neighborhood spirit that I love about the Hill.

The parade is not Mr. Bullet's favorite event.  I think the heat and noise and crowds are a little too much for him, but he tolerates it.  And he puts with the American flag and parade beads I make him wear at least through the end of the parade.

Later in the evening, Mr. Bullet and I walked to the Library of Congress to watch the fireworks.  It's a great place to see the fireworks without having to brave the crowds and security checks on the Mall.  I think they were better than ever this year!

Hope you had a happy Fourth as well!

One Month Down: 35 Before 36 Update

I've been in California for work for the past few days, so I'm a little late in posting the June update to my 35 Before 36 list.  I'd say I'm off to a decent start, though I haven't crossed anything off yet.

35 Before 36 Update

1. Read 12 books.  1/12 complete.  Read in June: "Moon Shell Beach" by Nancy Thayer. 

2. Go to New York City for a Broadway weekend.

3. Start saving regularly—even if modestly—for the addition to my house.  On track; savings account set up and first deposit made.  

4. Clean out my closet and give a lot to Goodwill.

5. Finish my state streets project.

6. Donate to: Washington Humane Society, Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, and my various alma maters: Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Michigan Law School, the University of Michigan School of Public Health

7. Go to the U.S. Botanic Garden.

8. Get a massage and/or a facial each month.  1/12 complete.

9. Purge and replenish my underwear drawer.

10. See 12 movies in the theater.

11. Spend a weekend the Omni Bedford Springs (my favorite).  Reservation made for July!

12. Keep an inventory of food in the freezer.  On track.

13. Run three half marathons.

14. Try yoga again.

15. Start to research the history of my house.

16. Reorganize my pantry.

17. Buy a nice piece of jewelry (pearls?).

18. Try 12 new (to me), local restaurants.

19. Improve my bread-baking skills.

20. Take Bullet on a weekend trip.

21. Get a new camera. 

22. Take more pictures.

23. Pay off my car.

24. Master real push-ups.

25. Make at least two meals per month to freeze for later.  On track.

26. Organize my knitting and needlepoint supplies.

27. Send more postcards when I travel with notes telling people I’m thinking of them.

28. Make a star tree-topper for my Christmas tree.

29. Have a party.

30. Go to the renovated National Museum of American History.

31. Go to the beach.

32. Buy fresh flowers more often.

33. Paint my old patio furniture (or have it painted).

34. Take a crafting class.

35. Walk home from work at least once a week, weather permitting.  So far so good.

Pink & Green Sweater for Pink & Green Thursday

I finished this custom-order sweater last weekend, but I saved it for Trish's Pink & Green Thursday over at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover.

 

I just adore this sweater.  Pink is my favorite color, and I love the white and [insert favorite bright color] striped sweater pattern. Most of all, I think the green buttons are so fantastic and unexpected.  The customer and I went back and forth, back and forth between green and turquoise buttons and ultimately settled on the green, which was the right call (the turquoise would have been fun but not quite as bold). 

 

I really hope the customer sends me a picture of her daughter wearing the sweater!  Happy Pink & Green Thursday. 

Baby Blue Love

The (recently renamed!) Garfield Street sweater was featured today in a beautiful Treasury curated by Whimsy Quilts.  I've blogged before about the dearth of fashionable clothes for boys, so I enjoyed seeing so many little ones dressed in blue.

Be sure to check out Whimsy Quilts' Etsy shop.  Desiree and Cristi have some truly lovely quilts in vibrant colors and funky patterns.