A Scarecrow Keeps the Cats Away?

There had always been a couple cats lurking around in our backyard.  After we had the weeds removed, they were more noticeable, because they've been pawing at the mulch.  Kitty, my backyard is not your litter box!  In addition, cat's can carry toxoplasmosis which can be very harmful to fetuses.  So, I've been advised not to garden while pregnant.  What a bummer!  This set off an internet search on how to humanely chase the cats out of my yard.  Some sites recommend sprinkling cayenne pepper around.  Others recommend using powders that smell like cat predators in hopes that the scent would scare the cats away.  Also, apparently cats don't like prickly things under their feet so you can scatter pine cones on your mulch or even stick forks prong side up randomly in the mulch so it's not soft and inviting...sounds like a lot of work and it wouldn't be very attractive.  There were also two high tech solutions that I came across, both involving motion detective devices.  The first emits a high-pitched frequency repels cats when the device detects motion in the yard.  The other is called the Scarecrow motion activated sprinkler - when the attached motion sensor detects movement, it lets out a spray of water.  As anyone who watches children's cartoons knows, cats hate water. 

Contech Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler

There are hundreds of reviews for the sprinkler and the average is a 4.5 out of 5 stars, while the reviews for the frequency emitter are not nearly as high, so I opted for the sprinkler.  It arrived yesterday, so I'm excited to install it.  I just have to remember to turn it off before the gardener shows up on Saturday...he won't be a happy camper if he gets attacked by the scarecrow. 

Lemon Juice Cubes

We have so many lemons and so little time...enter our new electric citrus juicer which came highly recommended by my sister.  She uses it to make fresh squeezed orange juice for her weekly pancake parties.

Tribest Citrustar Electric Juicer

With this lovely kitchen gadget, I juiced nine lemons in nine minutes.  I didn't have to strain the juice or remove the pits and ended up with ten ice cubes.  I think next time, I'll measure out two tablespoons to each cube so that I can defrost the exact amount of juice that my recipes call for.  This juicer is a great time saver and now I'll be able to continue to make all kinds of lemony goodies even after the lemon harvest season ends.

Green & Black's Organic Chocolate

I like sweets, but I am kind of picky when it comes to the types of desserts and baked goods that I eat.  I love chocolate cake and brownies if not too sweet and without much frosting or fudge, but I don't really crave chocolate in its bar form very often.  That might all change now that I've had Green & Black's Organic Bittersweet chocolate containing hazelnuts and currants.  It's the perfect balance between not too sweet and not too bitter and as a bonus, it's organic.  Yum!

Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut and Currant

I think I'll try the espresso version and the baking chocolate soon.  =)

Friday Wishlist

I love baking, but making a decent looking pie is tricky for me.  I get so frustrated with the edges.  This Breville Pie Maker from Williams Sonoma looks like it makes perfectly pretty mini pies.  It definitely belongs on the holiday wishlist.  Mini apple pie a la mode anyone?

It's a Rainy Day

It's a rainy day here in San Francisco...

Felt cloud mobile by leptitpapillon.

Rainy day card by me.

Rain and boots flat note cards by me.

Umbrella by David David via Oh Joy!

Delicate sterling silver studs by JoannaRutter.

Friday Wishlist

Lovely...

Little

Radio

More Orla Kiely goodness.  This EVOKE Mio radio designed by Orla Kiely will be available in John Lewis in the UK in November and then at other selected retailers starting in March 2011.

So Pretty!

I saw this wedding guest book on the front page of etsy this morning.  There is something about the simple lines and color contrast that really make it stand out for me.  It's customizable and perfect for almost any style of wedding...well maybe not the super floral or old school styles...but I just love it!

White Sparrow Bindery

Gray Nails

During my last pedicure I wanted to try something new.  Red looks better with my skintone than light pink and I can't get anywhere near coral or orange-ish shades, so I usually stick with a nice red like Opi Chick Flick Cherry or a slightly brick-ish color like Opi Paint my Mojitoes.  I saw an interesting brownish grey color called You Don't Know Jacques and it came out nicely, but I then became obsessed with finding a grayer, less brown, nail polish.

You Don't Know Jacques

After extensive magazine and internet research, below four of the shades that look appealing. 

Concrete Jungle

YSL Tuxedo

Chanel Particuliere

China Glaze Recycle

The Chanel shade is a little on the brown side and the YSL shade might be a bit too dark for me, but you never know until you test them out.  =)

Friday Wishlist

I haven't had a bike since I was a kid in the suburbs of Loan Island.  While living in China, Philly, NYC and SF, I was a little worried about crazy drivers and mainly survived on public transportation for the most part.  I'm pretty sure that I can still ride one without doing serious damage to myself...I think...and I really like the retro style bikes out there in all the lovely shades, but bikes cost some serious dough these days.  Anyway, even though I don't have a bike (yet), I came across this beautiful bike shelf this week.

Bike Shelf by Chris Brigham

The bike shelf comes in ash and walnut wood.  I'm partial to walnut wood (shown above) these days.  It's definitely pricey at $300 per rack, but it fits into your home like a piece of furniture.  Also, they are all handmade by one guy so you know some extra love and care went into each piece.

Favorite Picks for New Parents

We're at the age where a lot of our friends have been having their first babies.  Apart from the cute little onesies that I like to pick up as gifts, there is one book that I have given to several new parents.

The Petit Cookbook by Lisa Barnes

We got a lot of positive feedback from the first couple we bought the book for and we liked the idea of organic food being made at home for the  kiddies.  Starting babies off with healthy eats should be a top priority for everyone.  One mom altered the mac and cheese recipe just a tad and it was the best mac and cheese we had ever eaten, so adults can enjoy it too!

Another great gift for newborns is the Mustela Newborn Gift Set.  The set contains hypoallergenic bath and moisturizer products for sensitive newborn skin.  It's important to give the little ones less to cry about.

Friday's Wishlist

Cherner chairs...whether you love them or hate them, you have to at least admit that the armchair is very  interesting looking. 

Design Within Reach

Velocity

Hive Modern

Different stores seem to be offering some discounts right now, but they are still a huge investment.

Alice in Wonderland

Mr. CP and I rented Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland the other night.  The reviews said the movie was mediocre, so we didn't expect much, but we ended up liking the movie quite a bit.  The costumes were wonderful and the characters were interesting.  Maybe we liked it because we didn't have any set ideas about the story as neither of us had never read the book or seen earlier movie versions.  Afterwards, I started to notice Alice references everywhere.  Curiouser and curiouser...

 {via guardian.co.uk}

Party flags by PinkCherryMama on Etsy.

 Paper cut Alice Quote by Mr. Yen

 Brushed Steel Pendant by Untamed Managerie

Plumen Bulbs

Wow.  Can a light bulb be sexy?  Because these are just about the sexiest light bulbs I've ever seen.

Plumen Compact Fluorescent Bulbs

And they're energy efficient too - Plumen claims that this bulb uses 80% less energy and lasts 8 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Friday Lottery List

I've been researching desk lamp options because I have my own desk now and Mr. CP has taken our existing lamp to his studio. So this Friday, my picks are a a couple fancy LED lamps:

Tizio LED Table Lamp at Room and Board

Brazo Table Lamp at Design Within Reach

LED lamps are pricey and for many of the models out there, you can't switch out the LED light in the same way you switch out a halogen bulb.  Once the LEDs are done, you might have to replace the whole lamp.  However, LED lights supposedly can last for over 10 years and are more environmentally friendly because they use less energy than more traditional lighting options, so some people argue that the investment is worth it.  They're also pretty cool to the touch, so no pesky fire hazards to worry about.

Room and Board

Today, we said goodbye to our Room and Board Encore couch.  They don't sell it in brown anymore, but this is what it looks like.

Encore Sofa

We bought this style, because the doorway to our old apartment was really narrow and this was the only sofa that would fit through the door.  The seats fold down to create a full size bed  and that is how we got it in through the door.  We figured it would be good for guests too.

After about a year, the middle of the sofa began to compress.  The foam in the seat provided less and less cushion and you could feel the metal bars through it.  Sad.  The situation got worse and worse, but we figured when we moved one day, we'd just put it in a guest room and use it there.  We finally moved after owning the couch for about 3 years and we took the sofa with us, but I decided to write to Room and Board to express our disappointment in the short life of the seat cushions.  We couldn't even really use the couch anymore due to the level of uncomfortableness. 

A design consultant responded to my email within 48 hours and told me to call the San Francisco store.  I spoke with Joe Darling, a design consultant in the store, and he asked me to send in photos of the couch.  After we did that, Joe explained to me that Room and Board would send drivers to pick up my couch and to check out the damage and that I would be given store credit to use towards the purchase of new Room and Board merchandise.  For each year that you own the couch, they deduct 10% of the purchase price from the credit.  Then, they check for any other damage or stain to decide if they should deduct more. 

The drivers came today to take our sofa away. The visit took less than 10 minutes and the drivers were very courteous and professional.  So, although Mr.CP and I were very disappointed with the quality of the couch we purchased, we are very appreciative of how Room and Board customer service handled the situation.

Perfect Paper Clips

Wow!  These are the most awesome paper clips that I have ever seen!

Circus Line Elephant Paper Clips

Duck Tails Paper Clips

Made by Midori in Japan, there are 30 paper clips in each box. I've seen turtles, squirrels, hippos, birds, whales and quite a few other animal types and all of them run around $7-8 per box.  That is definitely on the pricey side for paper clips, but they are supposedly extra strong and are intended to be kept and reused.  That's perfect for me, because I'm such a freak about cute stationary and office supplies...after I get it, I can't bear to use it up.

Modern Lace and Doilies

I am generally not a fan of doilies and lace.  I'm not sure whether it's just mental association with old, musty and grungy things in the attic or whether it is because it's simply too frilly for me.  There are exceptions though...

Two years ago, when I was on the hunt for a wedding dress, I saw the most beautiful deep v-neck mermaid wedding dress in a gallery of professional wedding photos.  I never did find out who made that dress, but it looked alot like this one by Jim Hjelm without the sash.

Lace V-Neck Wedding Dress by Jim Hjelm

I was certain it would cost more than I could pay though and our wedding theme was relatively casual, so lace seemed too dressy for it.

I thought of this exception to my anti-lace and doilies policy when I saw these cute drink parasols and bike basket this morning. 

The parasols are a fun DIY project.  Make them for your end of summer party!  You can download the free instructions here.

This "Granny-chic" bicycle basket is strengthened with a metal frame and comes with a set of hooks. It is also easily detachable and has a useful strap so it may be carried while shopping.