I have sometimes been called a magpie, thanks to my love of shiny objects... well, hopefully it's because of my love of shiny objects and not the many non-complimentary things being compared to a bird (i.e. bird brain, diseases, freakishly skinny legs, and a peckish eater).  But, I'll just choose to believe it is because I love shiny objects that the comparison is made.  Mercury glass is one of those perfect shiny things that has a real vintage feel, but still tons of drama. It reflects a lot of light and adds a lot of interest to a room, but it can also be expensive if you buy it from a store.  I had found a tutorial online, but had to make a few changes because as I practiced I found some things that made it look even better.

What you'll need:  

Pieces of Various Glass (you can find these around your house or at thrift stores or Hobby Lobby)
Soft Wiping Cloth (paper towel)
Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint (Don't try and get the cheaper silver leaf or chrome because it will just look drab and grey not shiny or reflective)
Vinegar Water Solution (50% water/ 50% vinegar)

Step 1:
Take your clean glass and spray the inside of the glass with a thin layer of the looking glass paint.  It should look like the vase in the picture above where it is transparent but slightly reflective.  Let that dry for about a minute and repeat.  Do about 5 layers, but trust your judgment.  The picture on the left below has 4 layers of paint, and the one on the right is after they are finished.

Step 2:
After letting your paint dry for 5 minutes, spray your vinegar solution on top of the spray paint and let sit for about 20 seconds. 

Step 3:
Take your soft wiping cloth and wipe upwards towards the top of vase.  Sometimes you have to wipe hard and sometimes you have to be careful not to wipe too much.  Just make sure you can get the look that you want.  

Step 4:
Do one or two more layers of the looking glass spray just to add a little bit of dimension.  Et Voila!  C'est fini.

I have been mercury glass-ing everything because it is so quick and easy to do, and I think it looks quite nice once it is finished.  I have some fabulous lamps in the works, I will share a picture with you soon!  Hope you have fun if you decide to do it yourself, and make things shiny my fellow magpies!

Back in the states, but still dreaming of my time in Paris.  I had the time of my life getting to walk around and pretend I was one of them.  I don't quite know why I love the French so much, but I do, so just accept it. I have had a great week of relaxing in Houston and helping my aunt slightly with her new house.  I truly am so excited when I put paint on the walls or rearrange furniture, as anyone could guess by how often I change up the placement of my own furniture.  It is crazy to me how much small changes completely alter a room.  This weekend will be filled with hopefully finishing the room and some other fun DIY projects and the Mad Men season finale.  What are you doing this weekend?

Some things:
Mad Men: questions that we are waiting on answers to
A magic face cream that I am newly addicted to
A great casual summer shoe for men
Cute baby pygmy hippo going for a swim... 
Design Milk + Milk Crate & new subscription that would make a great gift for someone you really like
For everyone who hates browsing on netflix, a better queue
Neon Wedding
These kids listen to a lot of Gotye
The perfect light italian summer dinner

I have been having a craving for using some fresh rhubarb lately... I guess it is summer that makes me crave it.  There is something about how tart and light it is that is refreshing from the dark chocolate-y desserts I enjoy during the winter months.  Don't get me wrong, I don't give up on the chocolate desserts during the summer, but I definitely do munch on fruity sweets much more.  I am drawn to the fruits that have that lip-puckering punch packed in them like rhubarb or passionfruit because you can pair them with a lot of surprising things, or just something syrupy sweet that other fruits can't handle.  I didn't want to do my strawberry rhubarb pie since I wasn't in my kitchen, so I looked around for interesting recipes and decided on one from Smitten Kitchen called Rhubarb Snack Cake.   It reminded me a lot of the boy bait I made but with a delicious crumble on top, it was also meant to be a bit thinner like a brownie I just put mine in a smaller pan because it is what I had, and I wanted it a bit thicker.  

This cake definitely did not disappoint me; the streusel on top added a perfect crunch.  I can picture myself having this many times in the future, over coffee with my grandparents, patio parties with my friends, out at the lake catching rays... ahh, summer is here alright, and my daydreaming is going on full throttle.

Let me know what you think?  What are your favorite summer desserts?  Anything you have been wanting to try?  

Now that summer is here, I will slip into various maxi dresses and stay there until labor day.   There is something about the movement and breeziness of them that just screams summer.  It is also so chic and  keeps me cool enough in this sticky Texas weather.  From the way they swirl and billow with the slightest breeze, to the way they show of the silhouette the body with every step, maxi dresses take you from bleak to chic in under five minutes.  What's your summer staple?

Here are a few of my favorites patio dresses to get you started for the season:

1. Parker- $286
2. Helmut Lang- $395
3. A.L.C.- $485
4. T-bags- $225
5. Saloni- $1205
6. Tibi- $675

One of the many reasons I am not looking forward to leaving Austin is because they are always moving forward to better ways of doing things.  Anyone who has ever visited me in Austin loves it and loves to go to it's grocery stores.  It is an experience to go to the original Whole Foods, which feels more like Disneyland than a grocery store, complete with the long lines.  Central Market is my preference because it seems to be the most serene.  Greenling is great when you can't be bothered to go to the grocery store yourself, and like to get all local ingredients.  I am most excited by this idea that In.gredients has come up with that gets rid of all the packaging waste and becomes the first zero waste grocery store in America.  Pretty Neat.  You can check out the video below to learn more. 

My only hope now is that it opens before I leave, and also that I don't get too addicted since I won't have one (yet) in DC.   What do you think about this idea?  

Illia Cardi/Thomas Pink Shirt/Gap Jeans/J. Crew Belt/ Lucky Penny Flats/ Vintage Bangle & Glasses

I am not normally one to do the monochromatic look, but in my efforts to look French (I saw many many over the top monochromatic looks in my first few days) I tried it.  It was not one of the outfits that I had planned when I was packing, but since I try to pack in color schemes for just such occasions it worked out.  It was a perfect outfit for the blustery day it turned out to be and walking around the Louvre.  My high bun disguised my dirty hair and my Jackie-O glasses hid my eyes as I checked out all the people who walked by.  I loved the light filled entry way in my Paris apartment and would transport the whole thing to DC and call it a day.  Better yet, let's move me and Beans and my job to Paris.  I am back in Texas now, and going to get back in the swing of things.  Sorry for the lack of updates, but I have many exciting things in the works for this month.  Get Ready!