CasaSugar

Are You Picnicking This Labor Day Weekend?

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:41 -0700

While Labor Day is often too chilly for a swimming party, a picnic is usually a surefire bet. Whether you head to your backyard or a local park, it's hard to go wrong when you've got your wicker basket filled with goodies.

Source: Flickr User Mykl Roventine

Do You Have a Picnic Basket?

CasaSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:00:22 -0700

One of the true pleasures of warm weather is eating outside. I love picnicking on a blanket with a bottle of wine and some delicious picnic goodies. My old picnic basket had seen better days, so I was happy to pick up this lovely Vermont-made picnic basket at a flea market over the weekend. Do you have a picnic basket at your home?

Nice and New: Picnic Trunk with Table

CasaSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:15:00 -0700

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the Summer weather is picnic-ing with friends and good grub. But, sometimes picnics can be so orchestrated — "Meet at the north west corner of the park. Bring X,Y, and Z drinks. Oh! And don't forget your frisbee. I don't have a blanket, do you? Should we invite so and so?" — that it gets me down. I always envision the perfect picnic in my mind, and coordinating all the ideal details complicates things and stresses me out. So, it's crucial to have a picnic basket ready to go, so I can have a hassle-free picnic on the fly. The Design Within Reach Picnic Trunk with Table ($200) qualifies as that key ingredient and more; it has all the fixin's (two wine glasses, two melamine plates, cutlery, a corkscrew, two cotton napkins and salt and pepper shakers) and it has an extendable table on which I can serve up my feast. And, its durable canvas fabric and hefty strap will stand the test of time, making it perfect for habitual picnic-ers like me.

What Are Your No-Fail Holiday Gift Ideas?

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:00:09 -0800

Recently, I asked my Twitter followers and Facebook fans to share with me their no-fail gift ideas. Check out some of the brilliant suggestions they came up with!

dluxelist suggests, "Candles, scarves, lip gloss sets and when all else fails . . . Giftcards."
OurDesignedLife tweets,"My all time no fail gift, a homemade box of baked goodies."
Rebekah Rawlins Rocheleau writes, "Love to make themed gift baskets for the person or couple! Try consistent/complimentary colors with ornaments, baked goods, wine and glasses, a frame, or something sentimental. I also try to do something practical for the baskets, like picnic baskets, or monogram them."
Sequoia Brooks points out, "You can never go wrong with a spa package!"

Want to see what I'm up to on social networking sites? Follow me on Twitter or become my fan on Facebook!

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:00:27 -0700

A Cape Town stylist has a knack for interiors.- Desire to Inspire
See how IKEA bathroom shelves were used as window boxes.- AT:LA
Learn to make an oilcloth picnic basket liner.- Craftzine
Prepare to salivate over these beauties from B&B Italia.- Design Milk
A light lunch for four is a feast for the eyes.- Eddie Ross
Tour this vintage industrial West Hollywood loft.- Remodelista
Check out a space-saving, tiered veggie garden in the works.- Peacock Feathers
Enjoy more Summer house inspiration.- Poppytalk

DIY: Oilcoth Placemats

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:00:52 -0700

Since the grass is green, the weather warm, and I recently broke out my bikini, Spring picnics in the park are constantly on my mind these days. PartySugar has me covered with a delicious Spring picnic menu to fill my belly between rounds of Frisbee and catch, and I came across a wonderful DIY for cheerful placemats to go along with her all-American apple pie bar and fried chicken recipes. The no-sew DIY is just too cute to resist, and easy as apple pie bars, so I had to share.

Supplies:

Oilcloth (15-x-12 inches per placemat)
Grosgrain ribbon (18 inches per placemat)
Scissors
Craft knife
Pinking shears

To learn the steps, read more.

Here's how, from Make Grow Gather:

Cut the oil cloth to 15-x-12-inch rectangles (or whatever size you'd like).
Cut the grosgrain to 18-inch lengths per rectangle.
Trim the edges of the placemats with the pinking shears.
Halfway down either the left or right edge of each placemat, make a small incision with the craft knife (about the width of your ribbon).
Thread the ribbon through the incision that you just made.
With the placemat pattern side down, lay down your napkin and silverware (or plasticware) on top of it, and roll them up.
Then, wrap the ribbon around the roll a few times and tie a bow. Toss them in a your picnic basket and you're good to go!

Source

Get the Look: Colorful and Portable Rooftop Décor Part II

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:00:57 -0700

I recently showed you some lighting and furniture that will help you to get the look of a colorful and portable rooftop environment. Well, a functional and comfortable rooftop can't be achieved without accessories and textiles, too. To hear about them, read more.

Rooftop Accessories: Pick up a picnic basket to bring up your food and tableware from the kitchen. Get a galvanized tub, bucket, or basket of some sort, and fill it with your entertainment - be it roll-up checkers, dominoes, horseshoes, or a 30 of beer. A flyswatter isn't a bad thing to have around, and if your rooftop has a fence or boundary, a lawn bowling set is a fun accessory as well.

Outdoor Textiles: Create a focal point with a bamboo or all-weather outdoor floor mat. Mix floor cushions and pillows in stripes, florals, and plain colors to give your rooftop a relaxed, cozy feel. Pick up a cushion storage bag to put them in when you head indoors. Be sure you've got some throws for when the temperature drops; if it's got a handle or rolls up easily, that's best.

How-To: Honeymoon at Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0700

Whether you're post-poning your honeymoon until you can take time off of work, or you simply can't afford to get away, honeymooning at home is an option to consider. Don't yawn just yet! There are a lot creative things you can do to spice up the time after your wedding — and I don't mean buying new lingerie.Here are a few to get you thinking outside of the box (or bed). Feel free to add your own suggestions, laugh, applaud, or tell me I'm totally wacko.

Rearrange your furniture. Move things around in your bedroom, kitchen, living room, and other high traffic rooms in your home. If you have a guest bedroom, consider staying there for the week. When you return home after your wedding, it'll feel like a whole new world!
Hide all of your paperwork and lock your office door. Disconnect your cable and Internet. Don't let yourself get into your normal routine of watching prime time TV or glossing over your utility bills.
Treat your house like a resort hotel. Pick up a fresh new set of towels, and maybe even crisp white matching bathrobes. Set flowers everywhere. Hire a maid to clean everyday. Put travel bottles of shampoo and toiletries in your bathroom, and peanuts and chocolate bars in your refrigerator. Order "room service" from a restaurant.
Pack a vacation suitcase and only wear the clothes in it during your "honeymoon." Don't open your closet door or even worry about what you're wearing. Your husband loves you as is!

To hear some others, read more.

I came across some other ideas for honeymooning at home at Creative Honeymoon Ideas. Here are a few of my favorites:

"Be a tourist. Contact your city's tourism office (look in the phonebook under tourism, visitor's bureau, or convention and visitor's bureau) and request the packet of information they send to tourists - you'll probably be surprised at what you've been missing."
"Go back to the place where you went on your first date and tell the manager you’ve just gotten married. Maybe you’ll get a free dessert out of the meal. Take pictures."
"If you are planning a getaway vacation in the next few months - or sometime in your blissful future - you could do a practice run now. Imagine both of you want to go to Paris. Do a Parisian practice picnic: pack a basket of French wine, cheese, a baguette, and fruit. Go to the local river and call it the Seine River (which winds through Paris). Bring your French dictionary and try to hold a conversation in French (or at least learn the names of your surroundings in French!). You could modify this for any destination."
Decorate your house "in the style of wherever you would have gone if you had the time or money. For a Caribbean island theme, for example, you could decorate with sea shells, pictures of the ocean, tropical fruit, and a CD of ocean waves or island music. The Internet makes it possible to find items from your dream destination."
"Rediscover your inner child. Play games like Twister and hide-and-go-seek. Make an ice cream soda and share it. Eat popcorn at 9am. Rent a tank of helium and fill a room with balloons. Make a fort out of blankets under the table."
"Go camping right in your own living room or backyard - set up a tent, get a fire going in the fireplace, make s'mores and tell scary stories."