All You Need Is Love

We had a very eventful Valentine's Day at the Tullman house. Tuesday is the day Andrew has to stay a little later at work, so I had a lot of time to plan the perfect evening for my hubby. First, I woke up and went to hot yoga in Albemarle. I hadn't practiced yoga in months and I have been eager to find a studio nearby. Thankfully, I didn't have to resort to driving all the way to Charlotte, because I found a hidden gem about 20 minutes away. Sitting in downtown Albemarle is an old house that has been renovated into a really special yoga studio.

There is one large room (which I am assuming was at one time the sitting room, or living room) with beautiful hard wood floors and a mural above an old fire place that reads "Be the change you want to see in the world" (one of my favorite quotes by Gandhi). A really amazing woman, Cindy, owns the studio and I was lucky enough to have her as my instructor. Overall, it was one of the best yoga experiences I have ever had. There were only two other women in the class with me and they immediately extended warmth and friendship. I cannot wait to go back! I might even branch out and try something other than hot yoga.

Now, back to my Valentine's Day planning for Andrew. I really wanted to make Andrew a very special meal, since I had been receiving gifts all week. The first present I received was my friend Edgar Allan Poe.


The second present I received was a set of silver, antique inspired, art nouveau make-up brushes that I have been swooning over for weeks.


These brushes are amazing. They are fairly heavy and have a lot of detail carved into the handle. It is kind of hard tell from the photo, but the top is a woman with her head leaning back, holding a ring of blooming flowers around her neck. Yesterday I used them for the first time and I loved the way my make-up looked and felt. This will be something really cool to pass down if I have a daughter.

As you can see, I really needed to step up my game after receiving these great gifts! Luckily, I did some research earlier in the week and knew ahead of time what I wanted to cook Andrew for our Valentine's Day dinner. I'll admit that I was a little ambitious and decided to go with heart shaped ravioli made from scratch. I had never made pasta at home before, but I found some easy to follow recipes and went for it. I only encountered one hiccup and that was trying to locate some semolina in and around Oakboro. I drove into Locust, back to Oakboro, over to Albemarle, and back to Locust. NO one had any semolina. So, I had to move to plan B: making the ravioli using basic all purpose flour. I found a recipe that called for a few cups of flour and some egg yolks. After working with the dough and adding more flour, some water, another egg...I finally found the right consistency and started to knead. I kneaded the dough for 10 minutes, then let it sit covered for 20. Thankfully it turned out perfect! I was able to roll out the dough until it was paper thin and used a cookie cutter to make the hearts. Here is a photo of my work in progress:



I was really happy with the turn out! For the filling I mix sauteed spinach, bread crumbs, Parmesan, grainy mustard, nut meg, a sprinkle of salt and pepper. The mixture could be molded into little balls, which made it easy to fill each heart. Then all I had to do was drop 3 at a time in big pot of boiling water for a few minutes. Here is the finished product:



For desert I decided to go with something a bit lighter. I found a delicious recipe for pears poached in honey and ginger and then drizzled with melted dark chocolate. Yum!



And of course no Valentine's Day is complete without a homemade card!



I think it's fair to say that our first Valentine's Day as a married couple was a huge success. I hope everyone was feeling the love yesterday!

*You can find the recipe for the ravioli filling here.
*You can find tips on making the dough without semolina here.
*And For an easy desert of poached pears check here.

The Sun is Shining

It is a beautiful morning! I am sitting by the window enjoying some coffee and watching lots of little birds come and go. Last night I was reminded that there are a few new items in the house that I have not showcased. One of which is a super awesome painting of a Matador that our friend Heather passed down to us. She originally bought it at a flea market for $3. It is easily one of our favorite pieces of art in the house.


I wanted to show off this piece, because it is a great example of adding amazing art on a budget. Some of the best places to search for affordable art are flea markets, thrift stores, and estate sales. You can always revamp "old" art by putting it in a new frame, or mounting it in an interesting way. The most important part is to find something that speaks to you. I also love the idea of giving the art a new life in your house. We are honored to have The Matador hanging in our bedroom.

Here are some other examples of recycled art hanging in our house. I have shown these before, but I wanted to reiterate that all of them were either found at Goodwill, or a flea market:




In total, all of these pieces probably cost $10. I love that each one has a unique story to tell and that we were able to give some eye-catching art a new home.

Last night I also realized that I never shared a very special Christmas gift I received from my mother-in-law. She is one of the best gift-givers and this holiday season was no different. She sent me a box of hand-blown glass dip pens and ink sealed with wax in glass bottles. Beautiful!

Along with the ink and pens, she sent me something called an Heirloom Diary. I had never heard of such a thing, but now I can't believe I went this long without one! Basically it is a diary to keep track of items passed down and their story. I already have an extensive collection of heirlooms, including my engagement ring. I cannot wait to write about all of my very important items and where they came from.




Such a cool gift idea!
For more information about the dip pens and ink check here.

Saturday Salutations!

It is a grey, dreary, cold day over here in Oakboro. So far Andrew and I have woken up, eaten a delicious brunch, gotten back in bed, made popcorn, and watched Downton Abbey. It is okay though, because I worked on multiple projects around the house yesterday and boy am I feeling it today! Since I seem to remain mostly in the sitting position this afternoon, I thought I would share photos from our recent day trip into Charlotte, as well as catch you up on my most recent accomplishments around the cottage.

Last Saturday Andrew and I hung out in the Noda neighborhood of Charlotte all day. Noda is most comparable to a small South Congress in Austin, or maybe a North St. Mary's in San Antonio. Lots of little shops, cool bars, thrift stores, and music venues. We started our day with brunch (per usual) and then took our time walking around and seeing the sights.

We discovered a lot of really interesting little shops, some that even doubled as art venues. One in particular featured a lot of imported goods from Latin American countries, as well as local handmade items. In the back room they even had a Dia de los Muertos inspired alter to honor lost loved ones. There were many beautiful photos, notes, and keepsakes.

In a third room we found some exhibits by local artists.

We also happened upon an awesome thrift store called The Rat's Nest and I found these gems to bring home with me:



I am not sure the exact year of the purse, but it is in great condition. All the beads are still very much intact and the inside has little wear and tear. It will be a perfect companion on nights out! As for my good friend Rod, I just couldn't resist. I have two very important people in my life that connect me to Rod. First, my mother, who always picks Maggie May as her karaoke song. Second, my friend Anna, who has the strongest love for this man I've ever witnessed. She too has this particular album and it makes me happy to look at it and think of her.
Andrew and I love hanging out in Noda and we will be back later this month to see Delbert McClinton!

Now onto some projects. Yesterday I spent the majority of my time working around the house. The first item on my list was to complete a privacy screen for our back deck. I wanted a way to make our outdoor space seem more intimate and I loved the idea of a "wooden wall" type structure. I found lots of random pieces of wood in our barn that I was able to salvage and my vision really started to come together. I arranged the pieces of wood on the ground and pulled some aside to act as braces for the top, middle, and bottom. I used a simple drill to screw each piece into the brace and before long it was quite secure. Here is a photo of my work half way through:

I really love how the different colors of wood came together. I am thinking about painting a mural on the bottom half to add a little more character. I think it will look really cool on our deck when all is said and done. I wanted to paint today, but it's too wet outside. I will post more photos when I make some progress.

After using the drill for the better half of the day, I moved onto assembling our new chaise lounge. It arrived while I was working outside and I couldn't wait to get it up and running. I also wanted to have the new living room set up arranged before Andrew got home from work to surprise him. Here is the finished product:

Many of you may have noticed that we moved our super groovy electric fireplace into the living room from the kitchen. I loved having it in the kitchen, since it does an amazing job warming the tile in the mornings. However, it didn't work after I changed up our little eating area:

Isn't it charming? It reminds me of a cute little sidewalk cafe. I love how it turned out and thankfully so does Andrew.

As you can see, yesterday was a busy day for me. I was happy to get my hands on some power tools, build something outside, and make cozy changes to our cottage. Not to mention, I got to display my newest treasures. I'm am happy!

Beaming in Baltimore

I just realized that I never shared photos from our New Year's Eve adventure in Baltimore! We had an amazing time visiting our friend Colbey for 6 days and enjoyed taking in the city for the first time. First of all, Baltimore is rich with all things Edgar Allen Poe, thus I fell fast and hard. Visiting his gravesite was number one on my list of things to do. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find bits and pieces of his life all over the city. It was so easy to feel connected to Poe and I was thrilled!

The first night we arrived, Colbey took us to the Annabel Lee Tavern for some cocktails and snacks. The bar was dark, narrow, artistic, and magical. Poe was all around me as I sipped my "Glen's Unrest," which consisted of gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and champagne.

The next morning we woke up and decided to walk around the city a bit, visit Poe's gravesite, and grab crab at the famous Lexington Market.







The Lexington Market was a very cool experience. There was food from all over the world, interesting people from all different walks of life, and an overall happy vibe in the air. Oh, and of course the crab was to die for.

That night we went out a bit and visited a bar called The Horse You Came In On. Once again I loved the look and feel of the dark, haunted bar. It is rumoured that this is where Poe stopped for one last drink before his mysterious death.

The next day we woke up and it was New Year's Eve! Colbey had some friends coming in to join us from D.C., so we mostly just hung out and got ready for the night. We made dinner reservations at a delicious tapas restaurant right across from Colbey's place and enjoyed a unique meal with good people.


After enjoying delicious food and drinks, we ventured out to a few more bars before making our way back to the apartment. It just so happens that the city of Baltimore sets off their fireworks over the water, RIGHT next to Colbey's building. We decided to hustle back to the apartment to find our spot on the rooftop deck. Champagne was flowing as we welcomed in 2012 and watched the spectacular show directly above our heads!

Needless to say, it was a New Year's Eve to remember! Great friends, in a great city, with my wonderful husband! I am one fortunate little lady. We spent the next two days recuperating and eating, before heading back to our North Carolina cottage. I look forward to many more visits to Baltimore!

Long Time, No See

Hello! After a long break, I am back! Sorry for the delay. Between New Year's Eve festivities and a trip home to Texas, I neglected my post responsibilities. But I am here again and eager to show off some new treasures. This past weekend Andrew and I went on a little date to Albemarle. We hit up a flea market and had dinner at our favorite spot, Off the Square. We had visited the flea market once before and were taken back by the amount of space and booths. It is a task to simply walk around one full time! Last time we were there I scooped up my blue vintage suitcase, so I knew that I would most likely find a few surprises to bring home. Andrew and I entered the market with an open mind and decided that we were going to be very conscious about our purchases. He even made me make a list before picking anything up! If we liked something, we added it to the list and then revisited it at the end of the tour. That way we could easily decipher between the objects we liked vs. LOVED. Sooo, here are the things that we LOVED and brought home with us:

First off, I found these super rad horse head bookends for $20:


So random and awesome, right?! They are made out of medium-weight porcelain and have a shiny, glorious finish. I found them tucked away on a shelf in one of the many booths. As soon as our eyes met, I knew they were coming home with me. I love all things odd and these two new family members make me very happy!

For whatever reason, I also fell in love with this squirrel/nut candy dish that I got for $1.50:

Obviously, the squirrel is supposed to be sitting on a nut...but doesn't it kinda look like a brain? Perhaps this makes me love it even more. Either way, I am digging the fact that it is actually quite tacky. I don't mind a bit of tackiness, as long as the piece is still well made and looks like it has a story to tell. I think this little squirrel on a nut will make a fine friend.

Andrew and I also seemed to like a lot of various trays this trip. Andrew found this really cool, rooster tray made out of tin:


We are going to hang it in our kitchen, maybe above the stove. Andrew also wins the "Most Awesome Find" award after he dug up this little gem last minute:

I don't remember the exact price we paid for this beautiful hand painted, wooden tray, but I know it was well under $10. Andrew loves collecting anything with a ship motif and he was psyched to bring home this piece of art.

I also found a little tray that spoke to my heart. I picked up this mint green, vintage tray:

This would look lovely on a desk holding some candles, or picture frames. Or it could be used on a side table to hold jewelry. I might even hang it on the wall for added decor. Either way, it is definitely sweet and I got to bring it home for $3.

Andrew and I are planning on keeping the trays for our own entertainment. But I am going to add the horse bookends and squirrel candy jar to my items to be sold. I am planning on adding more and more to my collection of all things weird and vintage in hopes of opening an Etsy page very soon. Stay tuned!