monday musings: let there be light!

This past weekend, I did a little DIY myself on a lampshade I found to be super blah. There was nothing wrong with it per se, but its monochromatic self just wasn't doing it for my space. I had to zhush it up. That before and after is to come later on in the week. Stay tuned.

In the spirit of lighting, we decided to go through all of our fellow bloggers homes, and choose our favorite light fixtures. I love that the blogging community opens their homes to one another for creative inspiration. Here is a round up of our favorite lighting. As a disclaimer, these are in no particular order. We love you all equally!

First in the list we have Megan over at Honey Were Home and her amazing custom closet. Isn't this closet enviable? To. Die. For. The light fixture has taken our breath away.

Love the industrial fixtures in Megan's kitchen. 

Next, we have Jamie over at i suwannee. Her gorgeous bedroom was featured in the first volume of High Gloss Magazine, and for good reason. Look at these lamps!

Here is Kirsten's master bedroom from 6th Street Design School. LOVE the cobalt curvy lamps. They add such punch to the space.

Here is our girl Laurel over at Abode Love. For those of you who know us, Laurel's home and blog are one of our favorites. Here is her living room, with 3 noteworthy light fixtures. Chandelier? Check. Adorable table lamp? Check. Another adorable table lamp? Check.

Her hubby's man room. Leave it to Laurel to make even a guy's space absolutely gorgeous. 

Here is Sara's gorgeous chandelier in her fabulous eat in kitchen over at August Fields. 

This is a shot of Caitlin's eclectic and gorgeous home in Dubai over at Caitlin Wilson Design. This is her home no more, but she just moved to Hong Kong, and we cannot wait to see how she transforms her space there. 

These lamps are absolutely precious. They are from Emily's oldest daughter's room over at Emily A. Clark. We are obsessed with the color. Perfect for a big girls room. 

These next images are from Nicole's chic Utah condo over at Me Oh My. This lamp is so gorgeous, we cannot even take it. Paired with the beautiful feminine wallpaper...we just cannot get enough. 

Next up, we have Joi's entryway over at Nuestra Vida Dulce. Love the chinese pattern on this lamp. Its the perfect addition to this classic space. 

Last, but certainly not least, we have Nichole over at Parlour. This light fixture is out of control. Truly. We have featured Nichole before on her DIY decoupage table, which is also visible in this picture. This light fixture, and prepare yourself for what I am about to say here...is made out of coffee filters. What?!?!? Truly. Nichole. You are amazing. 

We hope you all are enjoying your Monday. Make sure you remember to enter in our Mad Lucy giveaway, which ends on Friday. To come this week: Our DIY lamp shade transformation, as well as, a recipe to satisfy your Irish cravings. 

We're mad about a Mad Lucy discount!

Elizabeth over at Mad Lucy Paper has yet another gift for our readers! You can receive 30% off your entire order between now and Wednesday by entering the code HAPPYMADLUCY when you checkout! enjoy!

AND don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY to win 1 set of notecards {10 notecards and envelopes} your choice of design! The giveaway ends Friday, March 18th so get as many entries as you can!

Mad Lucy Paper Giveaway!

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon Mad Lucy Paper on Etsy. I immediately fell in love with her work, bright colors, precious prints, awesome prices! We had been longing to create business cards and notecards for S+S and I knew Elizabeth was just the girl to do it! She was AH-MAZING to work with, so fun and so quick! I sent her the {basic} design I had created for our cards and she polished it into something spectacular! Seriously, we couldn't be more thrilled! A box of treasures arrived on my porch yesterday evening, check out what was inside...

Perfectly packaged, could it be any cuter?!

Square cards with rounded edges, she gets us. Fun and funky. LOVE.

    

She has a fabulous selection of envelopes, I adore the aqua!

Have I mentioned we are LOVING it all?! Mad Lucy Paper rocks!!! And you know what's even more exciting... she decided to do a giveaway on S+S! She is giving away 1 set of notecards {10 cards and envelopes} your choice of design! Take a look at some of the gorgeousness she offers:

TO ENTER:

1. Become a follower of S+S {if you already are, fab!}, please visit Mad Lucy Paper and comment here to tell us which design you would choose if you won! 

2. For an additional entry, like Sadie + Stella on Facebook, come back and comment here letting us know.

3. For another additional entry, follow Sadie + Stella on Twitter, again, come back and comment here to let us know.

This giveaway ends Friday, March 18th.

S+S chow: pistachio crusted salmon

Calling all observers of Lent. As most of you all know, Lent started yesterday. So for the next 46 days, people will be giving up certain vices and also giving up eating meat. So S+S is here for your Lenten needs. This recipe is super simple and is also amazingly delicious. This is a recipe straight from the chefs at McCormick & Schmick's. We guarantee you will enjoy!

Pistachio Crusted Salmon
Ingredients
2 salmon filets (5 oz. each)
1/3 c. pistachios
1/8 tsp. cayenne 

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place pistachios, cayenne pepper and cilantro in a food processor.
Pulse several times to coarsely chop the nuts.
Pour mixture into a shallow bowl.
3. Mist salmon filets with olive oil spray, or brush lightly.
Press flesh side of salmon into nut mixture.
4. Spray oven safe pan with olive oil spray and place salmon in pan.
Bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily.


We suggest pairing this fish with asparagus. Take asparagus spears and cover them with olive oil, salt and pepper and stick them in an oven at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. Happy Lent!

2 Tbs. fresh cilantro

pepper

dabble magazine and the return of the juju hat

Doesn't that sound like the title of a best selling fiction novel? I sure think so. So, I hope you all have gotten the chance to look at the new home design online magazine, Dabble. If you haven't, I suggest you do so immediately. Such fun imagery, unique ideas and even a travel segment, Dabble Does. These two images I have listed below caught our eye because of the dramatic color scheme and ornate accessories. I cannot say that I would have ever thought I would be excited over hunter green walls, but I stand corrected. 

The item that is catching our eye the most though is the incomparable Juju hat, and I do not mean the hat of charm. Although, it may bring good luck with a name like that. What is not to love? The texture, the color, the shape. O. M. G. 

For those of you who do not know what the juju hat is, lets have a lesson in juju. The juju hat is found through Cameroon, and is worn by elite members of society, as well as Juju dancers in West Africa. The feathers are sewn into a tight raffia base and covered with wood and cloth material. The particular weave used is a unique method and the process is so painstaking and tedious, it takes people and days to complete the process. As of somewhat recent, these accessories have been hot in the design world. I saw my first one used on a Candice Olson room makeover, go figure. I have been in love ever since. 

 

Since we are in the Juju spirit...here are some other unique Juju's for you to adore. 

{table tonic}

{odi et amo}

{house and home}

{daily imprint}

We hope your day is full of good juju. 

va va voom vases: kate spade $25

Anyone who knows me, knows that I support Kate Spade entirely. She is in the class of my top 5 favorite designers of all time. I am into the hometown girl thing, and she happens to be from my hometown, Kansas City. So I was just surfing the net last night, a normal weekday night for me, and I found this amazing vase from Kate Spade for $25. I know. Let me repeat. Kate Spade. $25. I know those two things are not generally in the same sentence together. But for that price, I must have. Are you kidding me? Someone please pinch me and no it is not St. Patricks Day and it is not that I am not wearing green. This must find a place into my home.

Also notable at KS, this amazing, non budget friendly vase

{kate spade}

However, I present to you the budget friendly option. At none other than, Crate and Barrel. 

Vases are great accessories to add a pop of color, hold some flowers or even air for that matter. Air does need a pretty container to hold it. While we are on the topic of vases, lets explore some other punches of color for your abode. 

{crate and barrel}

{anthro}

{jonathan adler}

monday musings: kitchen love

Kitchens are the heart of the home so it is essential for them to be a warm, inviting and functional space. We cannot get enough of creamy greys and stainless steel in the kitchen. It looks so cozy and sleek and is timeless. Mixing up some s+s chow in these rooms would be heavenly! If we were to build our dream kitchen, it would include creamy colors, industrial elements, exposed reclaimed wood and clean simple utile containers. Here are some kitchens that we are dying over, for your viewing pleasure this morning. Just a warning, the beauty of these spaces that you are about to view, might be overload on a Monday morning. 

These lights...to die.

{Tracery Interiors}

Absolutely loving this plate wall. 

{Cote De Texas}

Maybe favorite kitchen of all time. Cannot get enough of the light fixture. 

{Tommy Smythe's Kitchen, House and Home}

Loving the exposed beams. So industrial. 

 

{August Fields}

Creamy grey, need I say more?

{Martha}

{urban grace interiors}

We have featured other portions of this space. Umm what good would a kitchen segment be without this? We are in love with this space for any segment!

 {Jeneration Interiors}

Love the chalkboard front to the refrigerators. So creative and functional.

 {decorpad}

Everything is gorgeous about this kitchen. Love the little splashes of color in this monochromatic scheme. 

 {urban grace Interiors}

Adorbs. 

{Coastal Living}

If you could have your dream kitchen, what would it look like? Would you go for the monochromatic scheme, or would you go for something a little more funky? 

S+S shop: World Market finds

On one of our weekly shopping trips we stumbled into World Market and oh, what treasures we discovered! Everywhere we turned we found something to adore. We have always been fans of World Market but this trip blew us away! Fabulous pieces, especially for those of us on a budget. Take a look at what we found... 

{please excuse the iphone pics}

Love the tufts and that grey fabric! Perfect for a  dining room, or a desk chair!

This desk and bookshelf scream Restoration Hardware to us. $229, what!?!  

Can't get enough of the industrial feel of this piece. The metal. The wheels. Swoon. There is a coffee table too. Double swoon. And the white milk glass accessories are more than welcome to make their way home to my house.

Fleur de lis glassware in yummy spring colors. 

 Favorite. Where, oh where could I put this in my house. Such a gorgeous shape and lovely fabric. Perfection.

Do you love our finds as much as we do? Do you have a favorite place to find fabulous pieces for less? Inquiring minds want to know!

S+S chow: goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pasta

We here at S+S are big fans of Martha, her recipes never disappoint. We both have a subscription to Martha's Everyday Food magazine and highly recommend it to anyone who loves to cook! This is a recipe I found in one of my Everyday Food's a few years ago and it is fantastic, so easy and so delicious. enjoy!

Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 12 ounces rigatoni, penne, or other short tubular pasta
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 5 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled, plus more for topping (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions. Add sun-dried tomatoes, and cook 3 minutes. Remove 2 cups pasta water; reserve. Drain and return pasta mixture to pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; reserve. Return skillet to medium heat; add oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. To pasta mixture in pot, add garlic mixture, reserved pasta water, cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Let stand until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Divide pasta among four shallow dishes; sprinkle with almonds and, if desired, additional cheese.

patterned walls for renters: vinyl decal style

I reveal to you, patterned walls for renters! Neither of us thought much of vinyl decals in the past, but recently we had an epiphany. Choosing a large shape and patterning just right, gives the illusion of wallpaper for us non-owners. 

I found these amazing decals on Etsy by Birdie Graphics. I chose the warm grey shade to give it a subtle hint. Although, I think the metallic would have looked phenomenal as well. 

From blah

to voila!

This was super easy. A little time consuming and we definitely had a date with the tape measure, but all is well. We are loving the finished product. All of you renters, what creative ways have you dressed up your white walls? We would love to hear from you!