What Not

Bellwether just got word that a piece of furniture of ours will be featured in Design*sponges before and after. In honor of our extreme excitement (we have been talking of submitting for some time). We are posting our own little "before and after"...




Allysonbakerdesigns.blogspot.com


BEFORE


AFTER...


Time.com



myhomeideas.com



Daisyjanie.com


BEFORE



AFTER...





Apartmenttherapy.com

Snow day blues

As the tulips are pushing their way to the surface this spring, the snow begins to fall. Wisconsin tends to have cruel sense of humor when it comes to weather. Instead of dwelling on the fact you will need to pull out your winter jacket again....embrace it:) Embrace the blues that is....here is a few examples:

Enjoy...leslie:)

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Baby on the Brain

Two very important people in my life are pregnant right now!!!! Coming up with unique baby room ideas is sometimes limiting on what is available for bedding. Some tips and facts to keep in mind:

1)The first color your baby sees is red, girls see a more purple shade of red, and boys see a cherry fire engine red...no wonder men buy bright red cars! Its something genders will be drawn to through out their lives.

2) Yellow love it...but don't necessarily paint your babies entire room bright yellow, it is a color that creates anxiety and could effect your child's sleep. You are going to need as much of that as possible:) Use it as an accent or in smaller doses.

3) Nature is a great place to draw inspiration for children, the whimsy and timelessness is a good starting point.

4) Create a room that can be transitional in the first years of their life you don't want to have to change the decor right away.

This is a great neutral bedding set if you don't know what you are having. The colors are bright and fun! by Dwell.

I really love the idea behind this room and the ceiling , things I would modify: make the black wall chalk board paint, add a chandelier and some window treatments.

This is a great vintage inspired eclectic room, very close to my own heart:) The mixing and matching of patterns add a fun playful vibe to the room, with some retro flair.




The Haley Collection from Potterybarn Kids...girly, sophisticated, elegance. The owls are my favorite part:)

Boys will be boys...stripes are a smart look for them.

Inhabitots created this beautiful nature inspired birch bedding set....made from organic cotton. Love

Love the bright vibrant color! And the outlining of the pictures frames.

$79.99
DwellStudio® for Target® Dot Fun Crib Set
Anoter trasitional option.

$149.99
Bananafish Vintage Rose 4 pc Crib Bedding Set - Pink
A fun irly option:)

$84.99
">DwellStudio® for Target® Hippo Crib Set
My favorite boys beddin set sooooo cute!!!!

Leslie

The end of light bulbs... as we know them.

Edison did not invent the incandescent bulb--Humphry Davy had a crude version in 1809--but he did make it practical and commercially successful. There have been improvements since his time--the filament is no longer carbon; the bulb contains inert gas instead of an imperfect vacuum--but the design hasn't changed much in a century.


(Thomas A. Edison--National Park Service)

Light bulbs are great--they're reliable, cheap, and bright--but they get hot, burn out, and they drink energy. Flourescent light is more efficient, but its glow isn't exactly romantic.






The revival of the classic filament bulb has been very apparent over the last couple of years. Although they may not be the greenest option or the most economical they sure are the most romantic, cozy nostalgic little treats you could ask for.
If you’re interested, Rejuvenation has a whole host of reproduction bulbs, from 1920′s style handpainted gold globes to the classic tungsten or carbon filament bulbs. And, for those looking for a greener option, Plumen makes a gorgeous bulb, suitable for exposed bulb fixtures or cages.

Press Press Press!

This month our very own Christa Vogt served on the panel of judges, for the fifth annual great Spaces great Places in Fox Cities Magazine...check out the issue for the winners.



In Minnesota Monthly the lovely ladies from Primp, were featured in the issue! Check out the photos and do not forget to take the virtual tour to check out our design work.

Every year I host Thanksgiving dinner for my family. This will be the first year at the farm and I am planing on having a true farm living table. Complete with heirloom table clothes, mismatched china and fancy kerchiefs as napkins. Lets hope I don't burn the sticky toffee pudding this year. Cheers and give thanks for the small things.




"If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice."

-Meister Eckhart








English Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pitted dates
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
TOFFEE SAUCE:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch round or square baking dish. Sift the flour and baking powder onto a sheet of waxed paper. Chop the dates fine. Place in a small bowl and add the boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a bowl of electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the date mixture to the batter and fold until blended with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until pudding is set and firm on top, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven to a wire rack. Toffee Sauce: Combine the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small heavy saucepan; heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil gently over medium low heat until mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Preheat broiler. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the sauce over the pudding. Spread evenly on top. Place pudding under the broiler until the topping is bubbly, about 1 minute. Serve immediately spooned into dessert bowls. Drizzle with toffee sauce and top with a spoonful of whipped cream

Warmth and beauty

The wood fireplace goes back thousands of years. In the late 17th century the architectural, constructural developments shapped the fireplaces to what it is known today.



My husband and I live in a 100 year old (very cold) farm house. Heating it has been a chore. We have a furnace that heats most of the house, over the years there have been several additions made to the home... sans heating ducts. We started out with a freestanding gas stove, it was too small. then we went to wood, my husband loves to chop wood, so he thought. That was too much work, too dirty and took to long to warm up. Now we are looking into a larger gas stove... heat at the click of a button, love! Or geothermal heating, which is an investment but good for the earth and worth the money when you see the return in a few years.