Dress up your wall!

Hey readers! (is anyone out there?)

Sorry for my long hiatus. Once again, grad school got the best of me (which is probably a good thing), but I'm back and ready to share some decorating ideas!

One of my favorite decorating ideas is the "wall montage."  Its a fun way to dress up a big boring wall with nick-knacks.  Its a way to combine old personal items, different aesthetics, and to express yourself!

Here are some beautiful ones that I found online:

When I moved into my new apartment in Nashville, I knew that I wanted to do a montage on one of my bedroom walls.  Our walls are stark white and painting would have been too much of a hassle, so the montage was a perfect way to give my wall a personality!

Here is the finished product to the right:
I started by looking through some of my old things at my parents house, which is where I found the "Madame" sign.  I bought it back in high school from Anthropologie when I was very into French design.  I also had an unfinished mirror that I purchased from Ikea.  Ikea has some really great decorating pieces that you can personalize by painting, so I used the same technique that I used on my sewing machine to give the plain square mirror some life!  I got the cross from an antique store, and it matched perfectly with the vintage style I was going for.  The three plates in the middle are from Homegoods and were $3-4 each.

Last, but not least, are my initials "KAR."  The initials are wooden letters I got from Michael's my freshman year in college (picture to the left).  They come unfinished, and I had originally painted them hot pink and lime green plaid to match my dorm room bedspread.  I used the same stripping materials I used for the sewing machine to remove the pink paint, which you can kind of still see.  Then painted the sides blue with acrylic paint and a small brush.  After I painted the sides and let them dry I found some old wallpaper in the attic. I traced the letters onto the wallpaper, cut it out and then applied it with hot glue!

Here's how the wall looks up against my bed!  I think it matches great!  My roommate helped me hang all of the items and we used the "handy level" iPhone app, free :-).

I was able to achieve a beautiful statement at a low price using old items, inexpensive new purchases, and crafted pieces.

Happy bargain decorating!

Kirsten

Flashback to gradeschool...Lunch packing 101

Every grad student knows we spend a lot of time on campus in the lab, library, or classroom either studying, sleeping, lounging, eating, whining about studying... One of the best ways I've found to save money is by bringing my meals to campus instead of going out every day. 

Depending on my schedule, I try to pack enough food that I will be satisfied and also have a snack in case class runs over.  The key, however, is to have a variety of packable foods so that you don't get bored with your lunchbox day in and out. When you begin your program, you will most likely get a tour of your facilities and be shown your student lounge.  Most lounges have a refrigerator and a microwave, so you can keep this in mind if you want to bring microwavable soup or a frozen meal!

Lilly Pulitzer lunch box

First, you have to get a good lunchbox that will be big enough for your meals and also insulate your food to the right temperature.  I carry a Lilly Pulitzer lunchbox (right) that I love because it's the perfect size and has a fun print.  I got it for about $20, and it has been well worth the investment.  You should also invest in a small icepack that you can put in with your food so it doesn't spoil (especially if you're packing a milk product, or leftovers that need to be refrigerated).  Its always good to remember to pack a napkin and also any utensils that you may need to eat your meal.

Here are two examples of lunch boxes that I've packed recently.  I like to mix it up and try to buy things that will pack easily in a lunch like individually bagged crackers, hummus, yogurt, durable fruit, sandwiches, cans of soda, etc.  You may want to invest in a set of Tupperware so that you don't have to go through plastic baggies everyday, but its up to you!

 The lunch on the left has an individual serving of hummus, pretzel chips that i put in a ziplock baggie, an orange, a can of DDP (my fave), yogurt (with a spoon), and a laughing cow cheese.  The lunch on the right has a salad with dressing on the side, crackers, and pretzel M&Ms (my guilty pleasure). Both lunches have enough to keep me satisfied for the day, give me a range of food groups, and are tasty!  The salad especially is one of my favorites to pack for lunch and the recipe is listed below.

Spinach and Peach Salad, complements of my mother!

• Baby spinach, I buy the grocery store bagged spinach and use about a cup
• Handful of blueberries
• 1/2 Peach diced
• Handful Macadamia nuts
• Poppyseed dressing

 Mix the first four ingredients together and put in a Tupperware.  Put about 2 tablespoons of dressing in a separate Tupperware.  Remember to pack a fork!  Very simple, really good, and healthy :-)

Here are some other great lunchbox options, all of which can be ordered online:

Vera Bradley lunch box, $12.99

Built lunch box, $17.15

L.L. Bean lunchbox, $15.95

Enjoy!
Kirsten

Essentials every girl should have in her kitchen!

When you're just learning how to cook and starting to adventure with new recipes, it seems like stocking your kitchen can be SO expensive; but here are some essentials you should always keep around.

1. Olive oil: The store brand is usually pretty inexpensive and will last you a while.  You can use olive oil to make sauces for pasta, coat chicken for the oven to keep it moist, or brush veggies before baking them in the oven.

2. Kosher Salt and a Pepper grinder: If you buy a box of Kosher salt from the grocery store, I guarantee you it will last at least 1 year.  I've had mine for two and use it to season pastas, meats, soups, and just about everything else (except for baked goods, use regular salt for that!).  A good pepper grinder is also invaluable!  Fresh pepper gives food a little extra spice to bring out the flavor.

3. Fresh garlic (and a garlic press):You can buy a pack of 3 garlic heads in the fresh fruit/veggie section for relatively cheap and it will last a while.  So many recipes call for garlic, and the real stuff makes the difference between a good dish and a great meal.  I bought my garlic press (below) from Ikea for $5 and love it.  It is metal and has a removable piece so it is sturdy and easy to clean.

4. Parmesan cheese: You can buy a good block of Parmesan at the grocery store for about $9.  It will keep in the fridge for months, and you can grate it as needed.  Parmesan can spice up soups, grilled veggies, pastas, grilled bread, etc. plus they add salt.  Once your block of cheese is done, you can add the rind to broths when making soup to give it a great flavor.

5. Milk and eggs: Not only is milk great for you (sorry...that's the PA student in me), but it works great to thicken sauces, mix in with scrambled eggs, as a complement to any sweet treat... Eggs are great to to have around when you have friends over for breakfast, or if you're craving breakfast for dinner :-), and they are in so many recipes.


Notable appliances I couldn't live without:
- George Forman: $15 at Target and perfect for grilling meats, making paninis, etc.
- Cheese grater: good for cheese, but also hard chocolates and any citrus rinds
- Blender: smoothies, mixing for soups, making tasty adult cocktails, need I say more?
- Silicone basting brush: use it to brush olive oil on chicken or veggies and it can go right in the dishwasher

A easy and delicious meal example using these simple ingredients:
Steak au Poivre

• 4 3/4 inch thick New York strip or sirloin steaks, patted dry
• Kosher salt
• 3 tbs coarsely ground black peppercorns (you can dial up the pepper grinder to grind them course, or if you don't have one you can crush them on a cutting board with the back of a knife)
• Olive oil
• 4 to 6 tbs butter, sliced into cubes 
• Red wine (may I suggest 2 Buck Chuck)

    Heat oven to 500 degrees.  Sprinkle steaks with salt on both sides and press the ground peppercorns into steaks on both sides.  Set the steaks in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough olive oil to make a light film.  When the oil is hot, add steaks and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes.  Flip the meat over and put the skillet in the oven.  Cook for about 3 minutes for a medium rare roast, but if they don't look done cook them a little longer.  Check doneness by cutting one open with a knife.     Remove any fat from the skillet with a spoon then put the skillet on the burner and heat to medium-high. Add the wine and reduce to about 1/4th a cup, then whisk in the butter one slice at a time until it is melted.
    Pour the sauce over each steak and mmmmm....My boyfriend still attests this is the best meal I've ever made him.


Asparagus

• Head of asparagus rinsed with ends snapped off
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• Parmesan cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and lay the asparagus out.  Brush olive oil over the asparagus, just a light brush, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with a little grated cheese.

Enjoy!!

Inspiration for Antique

As I said in my first post, my style is classic with elements of antique.  I think that old finds or refurbished pieces are beautiful and give any room a history.  When I was brainstorming with my mother about what I wanted to do with my new apartment in Nashville, she told me she had an old piece in our basement that I might want to refurbish.  Here it is below and to the right--an antique sewing machine probably from the 1920s or 1930s.  My mom bought it in the 80s from a friend at work and it has been carted around since.  It was in very bad shape and the sewing machine had, in fact, fallen out of the base of the wooden top; however, it has beautiful lines, sturdy iron legs, and probably a very exciting past!  I figured I could strip off the old finish and use it in my new room as a bedside table or accent piece.

I started by taking a trip to my local Home Depot.  I had never done a piece of furniture, or stepped foot in a hardware store for that matter, so I walked in like a deer in headlights; nonetheless, the men at Home Depot are very helpful (especially if you're wearing a smile!).  I was pointed in the right direction and told to purchase stripper, a pack of steel wool, stripper remover, a scraper for the edges and hard to reach places, and a good pair of gloves.  I will tell you from first hand experience, that the stripper burns if you get it on your skin, so be careful!  I took the piece apart so that it would be easier for me to finish each section.  After about 5 hours, I got the dark brown, caked on gloss off and had a fresh piece of wood (below)!

 I took the finish off this piece, the base, and both drawers of the machine...then took a day of rest before I headed back to Home Depot.  I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to finish the piece, but I new I wanted to give it an antique finish and I wanted it to be neutral enough to work in any room.  I chose to go with a white finish with a brown gloss.  First I had to sand all of the pieces, then prime them the pieces with Kilz, and finally let them dry over night.  Afterward, I painted each piece with "Polar Bear," and I made sure to cover any hinges with painters tape.

When the piece was painted, I used a "wet brush" and a "dry brush" technique to apply the gloss- which was named "Tobacco" color.  You first paint on the gloss with your wet brush and then spread it out with your dry brush.  This method gives the effect of streaking or very fine lines of brown atop your white.  I made an effort to put a little more gloss in the creases so that they would be darker when they dried.  The picture below shows the semi-finished product.

After the gloss dried for a day, I then applied a semi-glaze to seal in the paint and gloss and also to give the piece a little shine.  Below is the final product, now proudly displayed in my room!  I love how it looks so unique with the iron pedal which was used to push the needle up and down into the fabric.  The materials cost about $50 altogether, but I have leftover Kilz, paint, primer, gloss, and paintbrushes for my next project so the investment was well worth it.

Hello all!

Because I am new to the blogosphere, I thought I'd start with introducing myself :-). My name is Kirsten and I recently moved to Nashville, TN from Atlanta, GA for graduate school; hence "Living on Loans." My move inspired me to do a little designing for my new apartment, and it has opened my eyes "nesting." I've started this blog to share some of my favorite things, show how I've managed to live and thrive on a budget, and also attempted to find my own style!

Three fun facts:
1. I tend to favor classic styles with an antique edge
2. I live with a roommate and two cats: Asher and Gibbs
3. I love a good sale

I hope to share my inspiration, discoveries, recipes, and failures with you and look forward to hearing your feedback as well!

Kirsten