Blonder Ambitions

Category: Design

  • HOW TO – TABLE & CHAIRS BEFORE & AFTER

    HOW TO – TABLE & CHAIRS BEFORE & AFTER

    I am a firm believer in seeing the best in people. And furniture.  I took a look at my late grandmother’s rusted chairs and a reclaimed wrought iron coffee table and decided that they weren’t quite my style… yet.  Some high gloss cotton candy pink spray paint, chic fabric, and a little creativity helped get me a few pieces of furniture that I utterly adore.

    1. The chair in its beginning state. Sad, I know. But so much potential! 2. The chair after being sanded, wiped down, and painted with a coat of primer. 3. The necessary tools. 4. Spray painting in action. 5. The beginning of quite a lovely little chair. 6. The fabric waiting to be adhered {with a staple gun} to the cushion. 7. Close up. 8. The adorable fabric. 9. Voila! The finished product.


    1. A very cool, but not quite “me” coffee table. 2. Giving the table one of its three coats of high gloss spray paint. 3. Yummy. 4. Beveled glass panels cleaned and replaced and a fresh vase of flowers. 5/6. Detail shots of my new {old} coffee table. I’m in love.

  • CURRENT OBSESSION – PINK KITCHENS

    CURRENT OBSESSION – PINK KITCHENS

    My obsession with pink… or all things related to food, cooking, or baking… is not surprising.  I thought: “Why not combine these obsessions?”… and I started to daydream about my ideal kitchen.  Here are some of my dream kitchen items…

    1. Big Chill Fridge in Pink Lemonade $2695
    2. KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer in Komen Pink $350
    3. Big Chill Stove in Pink Lemonade $4295
    4. KitchenAid Silicone Spoon Spatula in Komen Pink $15
    5. KitchenAid Measuring Tool Set in Komen Pink $15
    6. Calypso Basic Utensils $15
    7. Big Chill Dishwasher in Pink Lemonade $1695
    8. KitchenAid Set of 3 Mixing Bowls $25
    9. Cuisinart SpartPower Blender $130
    10. Cuisinart Coffeemaker $110
    11. Calypso 3-Piece Stockpot Set with Glass Lids $47
    12. Vintage Style Canister Set $27
    13. Calypso Basics Roaster Pan with Rack $30

  • HOW TO – MAKE YOUR OWN CARDS

    HOW TO – MAKE YOUR OWN CARDS

    I am a complete sucker when it comes to all things personalized.  I am also an utterly complete sucker for greeting cards.  Beyond this, I am an utterly completely ridiculous sucker for receiving a personalized (ie homemade) greeting card for no reason at all.  Those that know me know my obsession with one-of-a-kind gifts… accompany the gift with one of these one-of-a-kind-made-by-fabulous-little-you cards.


    1. Layout all of your supplies.  I love to use things I already have. Some leftover paper from Valentine’s Day (seen here), linen paper used to make the menus for my sister’s surprise birthday party (seen here), stamps used to make place cards (seen here), and pearl details that were remnants from a wedding that I had designed (seen here).
    2. Get a great tool with which to cut straight edges. I swear by my Martha Stewart Simple Paper Trimmer (buy it here).
    3. Use your paper cutting handy dandy tool to trim your main paper (the card’s base) to the size that you want.
    4. Fold your base paper in half.
    5. Cut your secondary paper (use something flashy… you know you want to) to be a bit smaller than the folded portion of the front of your card.
    6. Adhere the secondary paper to the base paper using double stick tape (if you don’t already own some… buy some. now.).  Cut your third piece of paper to a slightly smaller size than your secondary paper.  I used linen paper (you know, the fancy resume kind)… I love the texture. So posh.
    7. Time for some stamping. Lay out the stamps on your paper before inking as a guide.  Don’t worry if you don’t stamp in a completely straight, perfectly spaced line. The charm is in the imperfections.
    8. See? Imperfect, but still darling.
    9. Add some of your own (charmingly imperfect) handwriting and a little embellishment if you feel like it. I did.
    10. Double stick tape (ah, yes. again.) your third piece of paper to your secondary, glitzy paper. There you have it. An adorable, made-by-you card.
    11. See again? Imperfections… crooked handwriting. Not every corner in place. Everything slightly off-center. That’s the best part.
    12. Line the inside with more luxe linen paper. With such an adorable card just keep the message short and sweet. It’s more than enough.
    13. Add a little more personalization on the back. You’re so crafty. And chic. And adorable. And perfect. That’s what the person that you give the card to will think. So, take a little time… let someone know they’re worth it to you.

  • HOW TO – ARRANGE FLOWERS

    HOW TO – ARRANGE FLOWERS

    There is nothing like having a fresh bunch of flowers in your home. On your desk. On a table. Anywhere.  Everywhere.  However, you don’t want those flowers to appear as if they have been haphazardly thrown into a vase.  Each and every flower should look like it is exactly where it is intended to be.  Here’s how…

    {You should have two pairs of cutting tools… One standard pair of scissors [make sure they are sharp!] and a smaller [very sharp!] pair of pruning shears.  Also, have a vase waiting filled 1/3 full of water}

    {Purchase flowers in a single hue… White is always fresh and looks classic.  Arranging buds in a single color takes less precision than a multi-colored arrangement… less room for error!}

    {Lay your flowers out on a clean and open surface and use your standard scissors to remove any wrapping and binding from the flowers}

    {Use your pruning shears [careful! they’re verrrry sharp!] to remove all leaves and thorns from flowers.  This results in a crisp looking flower arrangement.  Also, you never want leaves below the water level because they soak up too much water and then it doesn’t get to the bud}

    {Keep a bucket to catch all discarded greenery so you can dispose of it responsibly. Green waste! Compost!}

    {Cut all stems at a 45° angle… they soak up the water better that way. Also, cut the stem at a length where the head of the flower rests on the top of the vase}

    {Arrange the largest buds first.  They take up the most space and it’s easier to see where you can highlight your smaller [and usually more expensive!] buds}

    {Next… take your smaller flowers and fill in the gaps until the flower heads are tightly bunched}

    {Voila! A completed arrangement… Aren’t the ranunculus to die for?}

  • FABULOUS EVENT – A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY BRUNCH FOR MY SISTER

    FABULOUS EVENT – A SURPRISE BIRTHDAY BRUNCH FOR MY SISTER

    So, if you don’t know by now… I run a design house in Santa Barbara (see it here or here).  One of the things I LOVE. Love. love. is event design.  My little sister (and my best friend in the whole wide world) was turning 24… I thought a surprise brunch in her favorite color {green} at her favorite restaurant (Blush of Santa Barbara) was in order.  I whipped up a theme, stuck with the color scheme, did a little graphic design on some menus, and scoured the local Farmer’s Market so that I could put together the flower arrangements {my how-to on arranging flowers is here!}.  A party isn’t truly a party without some ridiculously fabulous people… we’re blessed with the most fabulous friends that life has to offer.  Needless to say, with the genuine surprise on my sister’s face as she walked in (whew! she had no idea!), the wonderful guests in attendance, and the bottomless mimosas (no better way to pass a Sunday afternoon)… the party was quite a hit.

  • HOW TO – MAKEOVER A BROWN PAPER BAG

    I always seek originality when giving a gift.  A gift, even the wrapping, should feel personalized.  This is especially true on Valentine’s Day… a day when the whole point is to show someone that you took a little extra time to show them you love them.   I decided to hit up the local craft store and buy some glittery paper, some V-Day style glittery hearts, and some brown paper bags.  Then I let my imagination run wild.  The result is an eye-catching and completely unique gift bag.  No need for a gift card… The bag is sentiment enough.