The Crafty Cat: Flower Pot Make-Over

With summer here, the Panther was checking out her old flower pots and was bored with what she saw.  The pots are classical in design with nice detail, but they were just so rustic looking.  There is nothing wrong with rustic, but the Panther likes things a little glitzy... or gilded!

Here are the pots before.  As you can see, they have a great design, they are just boring.

The first thing the panther did was wash the pots down to get rid of residual dirt and dust, and then dry them well. 

Next, is to decide on a color.  You can go out and buy some craft paint, but  you don't have to.  Look around at house paint you may already have on hand.  The panther went through some old house paint she had in storage and found a lovely creamy oyster color and some black trim paint.  These were perfect classic colors for the pots.

Regular house paint works perfectly well.

She painted a nice thick coat of paint onto the pots.  Use as many coats as you think necessary to completely cover the pots, outside and in.

The base coat is on but the pots are still a little boring...

Allow the paint to dry thoroughly: several hours or over night.  When the paint is dry check the pots one more time to make sure they are evenly coated.

Now the fun part.  The panther loves all things gold and found it only appropriate to add a little gold to these once rustic pots.  The panther used gold sign paint because she had that on hand.  You could also use any metallic paint you find at a craft store, or a product called Rub n' Buff.

1 Shot gold sign painter's paint

The panther's goal in adding the gold metallic paint was not to gild the pot, but just to add a little shimmer and highlight the existing details.  She used the dry-brush method for this.

Simply dip the tip of your paint brush into the paint.  Then blot the paint off on paper towels until the brush is almost dry.

blotting off the gold paint

Take the dry brush and sweep it gently against the details in the pot to bring them to life.  Again, the goal here is not to completely cover the pot in the gold paint, but to emphasize the details.  If you just lightly brush and dab the paintbrush against the pot, it will high-light the high spots.

gently dab the dry brush over the high spots

You can add as much or as little high-lighting as you want.  Start light and build up to accomplish the look you want.

the Panther's new, elegant flower pots.

Happy crafting!

-The Panther









Friday Favorites: Summer Cocktails

Summer is here and the panther is craving something fresh and light with a little kick... Summer Cocktails!  The heavy red wines, coffee drinks and brown liquor cocktails, as wonderful as they are, will be retired until fall.  Now is the time for something fresh, fruity and fun.  Here are some of the panther's favorite summer cocktails and who makes them best around town.

The Paloma:  This is a lovely refreshing cocktail.  If you like margaritas, you'll probably like this one.  A Paloma is blanco tequila with grapefruit soda and a salted rim.  The fizz of the soda makes it so refreshing on a warm summer afternoon.
In our opinion Bunk Bar makes the best Paloma in town.  I do not know what type of grapefruit soda they use there but the flavor is divine!

Try a refreshing Paloma at Bunk Bar

http://bunkbar.com/

The Alberta:  This is a specialty cocktail created by the lovely bartenders at Binks on Alberta, and its flavor is the epitome of summer.  The Alberta consists of fresh basil (grown in the garden behind Binks), muddled with oranges, lemons, and limes, a slight splash of simple syrup, and vodka.  Not only is it so fresh and delicious, it is beautiful!  I like to order mine with tequila instead of vodka, but either way, it is delicious!

Mmmmm... The Alberta from Binks

http://www.binksbar.com/

Hot Monkey Greyhound:  We've blogged about Hot Monkey Vodka, by our friends at New Deal Distillery before.  We love the stuff!  It is a firey hot-pepper infused vodka and it is fabulous.  Try it with grapefruit juice for a greyhound like no other.  The spicy goodness of the vodka with the fresh, slightly sweet, slightly tart flavor of the grapefruit juice is an amazing combination.  I was introduced to this drink by the bartenders at rontoms and they know how to make it right!

Hot Monkey by Portland's own New Deal Distillery

http://newdealdistillery.com/

Have a spicy Hot Monkey Greyhound on the patio at rontoms!

http://www.rontoms.net/

Going Up?:  This is my all-time favorite cocktail.  I crave it!  I dream about it!  The Going Up? is a specialty cocktail made at the lovely Sapphire Hotel.  It consists of serrano pepper infused vodka, muddled with fresh cilantro, lime and sweet & sour with a salted rim.  The drink is sweet, spicy and savory.  The flavor is unbelievable.  I highly recommend this one.  I've tried to recreate it at home but nothing I've made has come close to the deliciousness that is the Going Up? at the Sapphire Hotel.

The FABULOUS "Going Up?" from the Sapphire Hotel

http://www.thesapphirehotel.com/

Enjoy the summer with one (or all) of these cocktails.
Bottoms up!

-The Panther

Summer Gazpacho

Summer is here and the panther is in the mood for something with a Latin flavor...
One of the most refreshing summer dishes is Gazpacho.  Gazpacho is a cold, tomato-based soup seasoned with citrus and garlic.  We found a great recipe from the cookbook, Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban.  The "three guys" are Jorge, Glenn, and Raul, and if you are familiar with their books, you know that they not only have amazing, easy to follow, delicious recipes, but they are also full of hilarious rhetoric and informative tips and fun facts.

                     Here is their recipe for "Gazpacho de Glenn y Jorge"

2 medium onions

1 green pepper, seeded

1 red pepper, seeded

2 medium cucumbers, peeled

5 cloves garlic

5 large ripe red tomatoes

1/2 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 loaf of Cuban or French bread

2 tablespoons vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste

For Garnish...

green pepper, seeded and diced

red pepper, seeded and diced

cucumber seeded (optional) and diced

red onion, diced

green and/or black olives

ripe avocado, cubed

fresh cilantro, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers

1 tablespoon lime juice

pinch of salt

1-2 drops water

Cut all the vegetables in small chunks. 

If you want to be fancy or just can't stand little pieces of tomato skin, by all means peel your tomatoes!  We haven't decided if we're basically lazy or just need the fiber, but we never peel our tomatoes for gazpacho.  (We guess that's why we're just three regular guys from Miami!)  You can also seed your cucumbers if you suffer from some sort of seed phobia.

Process all the vegetables in a blender in small batches with tomato juice and olive oil until you have a thick puree.  (Include tomato juice and tomatoes with every batch to provide plenty of liquid.)  For the last batch, soak bread in warm water and wring out excess water; add the bread and process thoroughly.  Add the vinegar and lime juice.  Season the puree with the salt, pepper, and cumin.  Adjust to taste.  Blend thoroughly in the blender.  Chill in refrigerator until very cold.

Just before serving, garnish with chilled diced red and green peppers, cucumber, onion, olives, avocado and some chopped cilantro.

For an added kick, puree the jalapenos, lime juice, salt, and water; add sparingly to each bowl just before serving, or serve at the table.

Gazpacho is cool, refreshing, zesty, and delicious!

The Three Guys from Miami

Pick up the book at Bellagio Interiors and try out this, as well as the other fabulous recipes.

Here's to just the beginning of summer recipes!

-The Panther



Color Inspiration: Cobalt Blue

I've never really been a blue person; at least that is what I've always thought.  If you were to ask me if I liked the color blue, I'd likely answer, "not particularly."  While sipping margaritas the other day, I changed my mind.  I was sitting with a friend at a Mexican restaurant and our margaritas were brought out in these lovely Mexican seeded-glass stems with cobalt rims.  The lime-green of the wonderful concoction inside looked perfect with the striking cobalt blue.  I was inspired.

Cobalt blue is a stunning color and such a great color for summer.  I usually associate blue with the drab color of medical waiting rooms or the cold icy blues of winter, but cobalt is electric, exciting, and fun.

I always think of Greece and their love of cobalt blue.  The blue doorways of Greek homes are stunning and cool against the crisp white stucco.

Just look at this vista of Greece and you can see where they get their inspiration.  The sea is cobalt!

Cobalt looks good on almost any skin tone.  I love this little cobalt blue satin dress Christina Applegate is wearing.  The color is amazing on her.

I, personally, probably wouldn't opt for an all-blue outfit, but I'd definitely wear these fun little flip-flops by Calvin Klein.  How cute would these be with a flowy white sun dress!

...And to complete the look, a blue orchid in your hair.

For a night out, I love this cobalt blue eye shadow and liner.  Stunning!

-The Panther









Daydreaming of Tulum...

With the official start of summer just mere days away, our minds turn to the sunny, warm, and  fascinating town of Tulum.  Nestled on the cliffs over the Caribbean Sea on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Tulum is paradise.  Ancient Mayan ruins guard the magnificent beaches.  Tulum has not yet been taken over by tourist and you can still get the most delicious, authentic Mexican food and cocktails here.  Paradise!

Sunny, warm daydreams to all of you.
-The Panther

Friday Favorites: Il Bere Wine Charms

Wine charms have been around for a while.  Basically a wine charm is some sort of marker to put on glasses when entertaining so people can identify their drink when they set it down.  We've seen all kinds over the years, but the panther just recently came across these wine charms by Il Bere and they are nothing short of fabulous!  They are elegant, sparkly, luxurious and just plain gorgeous!

Il Bere wine charms are made from vintage jewelry pieces.  Because they are created from vintage finds, no two sets are the same.  The stunning bejewelled pieces affix to your glass by a powerful little magnet.  This makes the charm quite versatile in that you can position the charm anywhere on the bowl of the glass or even on the foot. The magnet is powerful enough to work through clothing as well and the charms can be worn on a lapel, hat, or blouse without leaving pin holes.  A great idea is to allow your guests to keep their charm after your event.  They can wear this memento home and remember your event every time they put it on.

On the bowl of the wine glass

On the foot of a wine glass

We recently had a trunk show of Il Bere wine charms at our "Night of Inspired Entertaining" event and all the ladies loved these as much as we do.  They are wonderful to have for your next dinner party, or give them as a hostess gift the next time you are invited over.  Your hostess will love this gift!

Drop the magnetic back into your empty wine goblet

Place the jewelled charm against the glass to catch the magnetic back

Move the charm to the desired postion on the glass

You are ready to pour your wine now and enjoy!

These lovely charms are made in the northwest.  Stop by Bellagio Interiors to view all of the lovely pieces up close and get a demonstration on how these work.

Cheers!
-The Panther

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Dad's do so much for us and this Sunday, June 19th is the day when we honor them and show our appreciation for all they do.  We've collected some ideas for unique gifts that dads love.

For the Golf enthusiast:  A business card holder for his desk in a sophisticated golf motif.  It is a professional way to present his business cards and show his clients a little bit of his personality.

For the "King of the Grill": a barbecue cookbook or other cookbook that reflects his cooking style.

For the Dad with a boat:  A leather bound ship's log.  These gorgeous books can be personalized with your father's name or his boat's name in gold embossing.  The pages hold his notes on dates, ports, guests, weather conditions, and more.  Beautiful maps of the world's waterways are in the back.

For the Science enthusiast:  A beautifully preserved, framed insect.  Men love these!  They are wonderful tucked into the bookshelves of their office or den.

For the Wine enthusiast:  a leather-bound wine dossier.  This book can also have personalized embossing on the red leather cover.  Inside, dad can keep his notes on all wines he tries and even press the labels.

For the dad with sophisticated sense:  Havana candles by Archipelago.  This fragrance is an amazing blend of tobacco, woods, and bergamot.  The scent is masculine and appeals to men and women alike.  Your dad will love this fragrance!

For the dad with a sweet tooth:  Fleur De Sel dark Belgian chocolate bars by LeBelge Chocolatiers.  The combination of the sea salt with the dark artisan chocolate is heavenly... especially when paired with a glass of his favorite red wine.

For any Dad:  A great magnifying glass.  Magnifiers make a great addition to any office or den.  They are great placed across a stack of antique books, or sitting on a desk. 

Show your dad you appreciate him.  If these gifts do not appeal to you, stop in to Bellagio Interiors and we will help you select something perfect for your father.

-The Panther