{ Snowy Day Craft }

One of the biggest surprise hits of my designer room at the Philadelphia Home Show
was the monogrammed cork "M" I made for a desk accessory.
I was totally surprised at how many comments it got.
It was a last minute project I came up with when I realized I needed a few accessories for the desk.

Since it was such a hit, I thought I'd show you how to make your own.
Step one: gather all you girlfriends and drink a few bottles of wine.

Step two: print our a large letter on the printer.

 Step: Three: Use the paper letter as a guide and hot glue all your corks together.
(I mapped mine out on top of the print out first before I started gluing to make sure I had enough corks.)

I know you really didn't need a tutorial to figure this out, but I gave you another reason to have another glass of wine tonight.

HGTV’s Elbow Room

Wow, has it really been almost two months since I’ve written a blog?!?!?!  I guess it has.  There has been so much going on and it’s been so hard keeping up with my blog. 

The main thing that is taking up all of my time is the new HGTV show that I am working on!!  We started filming at the beginning of December and have been going non-stop.  HGTV finally put out a press release this week so I can actually talk about it.  The new show is called Elbow Room and is set to premier on HGTV in May.  Chip Wade, previously a contractor on Curb Appeal: The Block, is the new Host and Designer on the show.  I’m assisting Chip as Design Coordinator.  My main responsibility is styling the renovated homes.  A lot of my work is behind the scenes but I get some camera time too.  It’s all very exciting. 

Here’s a description of the show from an article on Bizjournals.com...

We have filmed 5 episodes so far and have 8 more to go.  It has been so much fun getting a behind the scenes look into how an HGTV show is created.  My mom came down to visit and described it so perfectly.  She said “it’s like a Nascar race…when you watch a race on tv you know that the cars are going fast and you know it’s really loud.  But, watching it on TV is nothing compared to being at the real race and seeing the cars in action.”  At any moment there could be 30 people on the set going a million miles an hour and each doing a different task.  When the cameras start rolling though, the only ones in the scene are Chip and the homeowners.  It’s really fascinating.  I’m so lucky to be a part of it all.

I’ll make sure to post updates about the show as I have them.  I’m looking forward to the show’s premier in May of this year.  Thanks to all my readers for sticking around during my lack of blogging.  You guys are the best!  xoxo, Cristi

LiveJournal Tags: HGTV,Elbow Room,Chip Wade

{ Giveaway and a Recipe }

I rarely post recipes, but, it's a rainy Friday, and these new glasses seem to be screaming for a mixed drink.

Recently I was luck enough to receive a set of 6 Tortoiseshell gorgeous glasses from a company called
Novica. The glasses are so beautiful, I had to put them straight to work!
So, here's my recipe...it's the perfect drink for a rainy Friday Happy Hour with your girlfriends.
1 shot vodka  

1 cup tomato juice/V8
1/4 cup clamato juice
2 splashes of hot sauce
1 splash worcestershire sauce
1 squeeze of lemon
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
1 stalk celery
Like them? What a set for yourself?

If you'd like to shop the NOVICA website I have a $50. gift card to giveaway.
Simply leave a comment here and I'll pick a winner at the end of the weekend.

*Novica, in association with National Geographic, works directly with thousands of master artisans in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, helping bring their beautiful creations, and their stories, to collectors worldwide.


The glasses are hand blown with a tortoiseshell appearance.  Designed by Javier and Efren in Mexico. Each glass is hand shaped, resulting in each being slightly different from the other.
Novica also carries a great selection of handmade fabrics, accessories, and jewelry.