CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Open House: What Piece of Furniture Means the Most?

casasugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:30:00 -0700

At my house, I like to trace my personal history through my furniture. There's the table that was made by a friend, the toy box my grandfather carved when I was a little girl, the chair I found on the side of my street after dinner with a friend. Everyone has some small or big piece of furniture in their home that holds a secret history. What's your favorite? Tell me by commenting below.

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Casa Query: Flea Marketing This Weekend?

casasugar — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:01:57 -0700

I love a good flea market. Recently, I've been scouring flea markets for blue canning jars and antique planting containers. My favorite part of flea markets, though, is their sense of possibility. You never know what you're going to find. So tell me, are you heading to any flea markets this weekend? If you've recently shopped at one, what did you find? Tell me by commenting below!
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Casa Query: What Was Your Best Wedding Crash Pad?

casasugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:00:06 -0700

Years ago, I got to attend a wedding with my family at a beautiful ski chalet. The bride and groom had rented out the entire chalet for their wedding, and put up their guests in the lodge and the surrounding log cabins that dotted the ski slope. Recently, I also heard about another wedding where guests were put up at a summer camp! For my wedding, my fiancé and I are reserving a number of lake cabins for our friends to share, and have also given guests the options of hotels, camping, or staying on my family's farm. It seems as if staying in an unusual spot definitely heightens the entire wedding experience.

So tell me, what was the coolest place you stayed at for a wedding? Was it a quaint B&B? Maybe a relaxing beach cabana? Did you simply find a hotel that was funky in all the right ways? Tell me by commenting below!
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Casa Query: Do You Leave the Windows Open?

casasugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:15:28 -0700

I love to leave my windows and doors wide open, so I can enjoy the breeze when I'm indoors and out. That is, if lovely Spring or Summer weather is in full effect, and it's not frostbite-temperature time. But, I recently had some house guests who did not share my sentiment, and I realized the house can feel a bit claustrophobic when it's sealed completely shut! It's also nice just to have air circulation, which I suppose otherwise you can just get with a fan.
Tell me, do you leave your windows and doors open? Or, do you live behind closed doors?
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Casa Query: Have You Lived With a Leather Couch?

casasugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 12:30:21 -0700

There are some leather couches that are simply stunning and there are others that should stay in the frat house. I once lived in a house right out of college that had two separate leather couches (which were owned by two rather frat-like dudes). Those were definitely not crave worthy, and I have a feeling that some of you ladies have had to live with men who refused to give up their "cool" leather couches.

So tell me, have you had to live with a leather couch that didn't strike your fancy? Have you ever had a boyfriend or brother who was fixated on an ugly leather monstrosity? Tell me about it by leaving a comment below!
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Casa Query: What's Your View?

casasugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:30:21 -0700

In E.M. Forster's A Room with a View, on holiday in Italy, Miss Honeychurch and Miss Bartlett are vexed to find out that their views are not quite they were hoping for, and then an elderly man and his son offer to trade rooms, presenting them with perfect views. This encounter proves to be important to the plot. In cities like New York, a perfect view can mean a difference of millions of dollars in real estate prices. Tell me, what's your view? Unless, the back of your home is a concrete wall, you're bound to have more than one — which do you prefer? Show me what you're looking at these days by posting a photo in the Su Casa group, and give me the scoop by commenting below!

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Casa Query: How Are You Spending Mother's Day?

casasugar — Sun, 11 May 2008 08:30:53 -0700

For all of you mommies out there, Happy Mother's Day! My mom's across the country, so I won't be able to spend the day with her (though I did order her a beautiful flowering shrub from her favorite local nursery). Are you spending the day with your mom? Or are you a mom who's getting attention lavished on her? Tell me your plans by commenting below!
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Open House: How Do You Ready Your Closets For Spring?

casasugar — Sat, 03 May 2008 08:18:55 -0700

Spring is finally here. That means, among some other Spring projects, it's time to examine what's in your closet and shed some layers. So for this Open House, I want you to tell me all about your plans, if any, to update your closets for the change of season. Do you box and store your Winter wardrobe to make room for your lighter apparel? Do you leave all of your clothes in your closet year-round? Do you store your ski gear and bring out the surfboards as the snow melts and ocean temperatures rise? Do you haul your snow tires to the attic? Do you move your wool blankets to the back of your linen closet? Do you keep your out-of-season items in a cedar closet? Do you toss receipts that are so last season? Do you pull out your melamine picnic plates? Do you shed the junk you've collected (and hoarded) during the year? Will you be making a trip to the Container Store to stock up storage boxes? Or, is the idea of "Spring cleaning" your closet of no interest you? Fill me in on your plans by commenting below.
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Casa Query: What's Your Favorite Outdoor Spot?

casasugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:30:15 -0700

The beautiful Spring weather recently here in San Francisco has had me aching to be outdoors all day long. Be it unwinding with a glass (or two) of wine on my back porch, working in my garden, socializing on a friend's city rooftop, or playing with my dog in the backyard, when the sun is shining, I can't bear to be indoors. I know that not everyone has the pleasure of having rooftop or balcony access, but even enjoying a small patch of grass in your front yard is better than sitting inside on a beautiful day!
What's your favorite spot at home (or a friend's home) to be outdoors? Do you live in your front porch rocker? Read on your fire escape? Dip in your pool? Absorb the sunlight on your rooftop? Give me the lowdown in the comments below!
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Casa Query: What Antiques Do You Own?

casasugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:00:06 -0700

While integrating Ikea products into your home may be easy and affordable, they're not the most durable products you can buy, in terms of both style and quality. If you're lucky, you have a mix of high-quality new pieces as well as antiques to balance out and give a more grown-up look to your less expensive pieces. Although some antiques, especially if you've inherited them, may not be the pieces you swoon over while flipping through your favorite shelter magazine, they're often classics and quite resilient, since they've held up for so long already.

Antiques can be some of the most unique furnishings you own as well. As much as I love me a West Elm coffee table, I know all of my friends have seen it in the monthly mail-order catalog that shows up at their homes like clockwork. So tell me, what antiques do you own?
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Casa Query: Do You Put Statuary in Your Garden?

casasugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:00:30 -0700

I used to swear up and down that I would never put cute little statues of gnomes or other imaginary creatures in my garden beds. It just seemed too kitschy to me. But then, after only one season of gardening, I gave in. There was a plastic dinosaur in my strawberry patch, a buddha head in my rose bushes, and this adorable wooden koi fish in my vegetables. So what happened? Well, no one can accuse my garden design of being spare and modern. I guess in the end, I'm just a sucker for cute imaginary creatures. Oh well.

How about you? Do you put statuary in your garden? Tell me all about it in the comments.

Casa Query: What's Your Cleaning Schedule?

casasugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:00:19 -0700

Since it's So Fresh and So Clean month, I thought it'd be a good time to get the lowdown on your cleaning rituals. Aside from when you, perhaps, spill red wine on the carpet, do have a regular cleaning routine? Do you have a chore chart with your housemates? Do you tidy up before your maid comes once a week? Do you mop the floors and scrub the shower down once a week but sweep daily? Do you only clean when things look visibly dirty? Or, do you leave the responsibility up to someone else altogether? Fill me in on your habits of cleaning house by commenting below.
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Casa Query: What's in Your Junk Drawer?

casasugar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:15:40 -0800

In nearly every home, a junk drawer is growing, luring refugee "stuff" to find solace there. It's unavoidable really; there are always some odds and ends with no place to go, and the junk drawer is the only haven for them. The trick is clear that junk drawer out frequently, and organize what's left into categories and containers. Regardless of whether it's organized, I know you have one. Admit it. So tell me, what's in your junk drawer?
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Casa Query: What's Your Medicine Cabinet Philosophy?

casasugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:00:21 -0800

Unless you're incredibly polite and believe that curiosity really did kill a cat, you've probably peeked into someone else's bathroom cabinet. I know that I have — in fact, I'm pretty sure I did it on my second date with my now-fiancé. Since I've moved in, the medicine cabinet's gotten a little more loaded. Now it holds everything from his shaving gel to my Aveda moisturizer. There is, of course, a lot of other stuff crammed in there: dental floss, toothpaste, a lone earring, cologne and perfume . . . the list goes on. All of the products or medical supplies that we don't want potentially nosy guests to snoop on, however, we put in another drawer, which is less accessible. How about you? Do you just cram it all in your medicine cabinet, or do you pick and choose what goes above the sink?

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Casa Query: Where is Your Favorite Spot to Unwind?

casasugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:15:49 -0800

There's nothing that pleases me more on weekday evenings at six o'clock than to kick my shoes off, burrow into one particular corner of my couch, and exhale. Some of my friends can't be peeled from their favorite armchairs when it's time to unwind, others delight in soaking in a bubble bath until their skin wrinkles, and others go for a sunset view and a glass of wine on their porch. What about you? Where do you take a load off at home after a long day?
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Casa Query: What Says Romance?

casasugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:30:15 -0800

Here's a confession: I don't do romance. Not in any traditional way, at least. If Mr. CasaSugar sprinkled rose petals on the bed as part of some romantic effort, I'd probably laugh him right out of the house. Still, there are some things that make me swoon. And maybe I'm the antiromantic romantic, but one of the most lovely and romantic things that my guy recently did was clean out the garage (an all-day affair, let me tell you).

I'm not a complete killjoy though. There are other, more traditional places where I find romance in my home. One of these is finding the space and time for a quiet moment alone to watch the birds on the deck. Another is stopping to take in the scent of jasmine from the front steps. And of course, nothing says romance at home quite like the look and scent of freshly cut flowers.
Where do you find romance in your home? Tell me by leaving a comment below.
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Casa Query: Do You Still Craft Valentine's Cards?

casasugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:30:50 -0800

This week I'll be cutting, crafting, and mod-podging my way towards finishing some Valentine's cards for my family (and maybe, just maybe, for my special valentine, too).

Making valentines may seem a little middle school to some, but my grandmothers and siblings really appreciate a handmade card on Feb. 14. What about you? Do you still craft Valentine's cards for anyone?
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Casa Query: Where Is Your Designated Messy Zone?

casasugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:30:44 -0800

In an interview with Martha Stewart in a back issue of Domino, she was asked if she had a designated messy zone in her home. Her response: a decided no, sans any explanation. It's understandable that answering affirmatively might tarnish the homemaking queen bee's image, and I'm sure she has plenty of help keeping her abode spic and span. But a little mess here and there is nothing to be bashful about; it makes us all seem more human. And I'm not just saying that to excuse the pile of shoes and purses next to my front door. Tell me: Do you have a designated messy zone? And if so, where is it?

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Casa Query: What Ikea Products Do You Own?

casasugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:30:39 -0800

Earlier today I brought you a post about integrating Ikea finds into your home decorating scheme. I own a fair number of Ikea products myself, from a bathroom shelf I use for jewelry to a cookbook bookshelf to a rocking chair. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Most of our kitchen storage containers are from Ikea, there are some pretty yellow glass votives from the big box store . . . and the list goes on! My favorite Ikea find, though, is probably the rocking chair, which was classed up with a Bemz cover.

What Ikea furniture do you have in your house?

Casa Query: What Do You Think About Shelter Magazines?

casasugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:00:05 -0800

Casa's local paper, the SF Chronicle, just reported on the recent pruning of the once-flourishing shelter magazine market. With the losses of House and Garden and Blueprint, some readers are definitely in mourning (if the numerous comments on our posts were any indication). The Chronicle article points out several possible factors for the folding of the mags, including the housing crisis and the rising preference for DIY design. What I want to know is what you think of the loss of several shelter mags? Do you care? What magazines do you think are next to go? And which ones do you hope will continue to show up on the rack at your favorite bookstore?

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Casa Query: What Is Your Most Coveted Living Room Furniture Upgrade?

casasugar — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:01:36 -0800

I've slowly been refurnishing and rearranging the living room, and while there are many things I'd still like to do, I'm most obsessed with getting rid of the oversized, clunky coffee table and replacing it with a more streamlined, modern piece. What's your most coveted living room furniture upgrade?

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Casa Query: What's One Thing You'd Change?

casasugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:15:54 -0800

In general, I love my bathroom. It has adequate storage, a cute tiny-tile vintage white-and-blue floor, and a big, deep tub. (Oh, and a superefficient dual flush toilet.)

But if I could make one change to my bathroom, I'd trade out our big, deep tub for a more elegant and aesthetically lovely claw-foot tub. We had one when I was a little girl, and what can I say? I've never gotten over my romantic attachment to them. Maybe I'd even paint stripes on it.

What would you do to change your bathroom for the better?

Casa Query: What's Left on Your Wish List?

casasugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 05:45:13 -0800

Now that the holidays are over, it's time to assess what's left on your wish list. If you're lucky, or just easily satiated, Santa brought you all the home furnishings you itemized this year. If not, you'll have to pony up and buy yourself some gifts, or just learn to live without those coveted home items until next year. As usual, my wish list was pretty darn long, and while I received some beautiful homewares, I still have a few items left on my list. Take a look at those items for my casa that I'm still craving, and after you do, fill me in on what you're still looking for by commenting below.

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Casa Query: Do You Still Hang Stockings?

casasugar — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 09:56:43 -0800

Since you're the reason I write every day, I want to know all about you. Well, not everything — but particularly those things that relate to CasaSugar. With the new feature Casa Query, I'll ask you to tell me about yourselves, your homes, your decorating habits, and other Casa-related topics.

Well, 'tis the night before Christmas, and I want to know if you still hang stockings at your house.

If you do, does Santa fill them, or do only the kids get visits from Santa for their stockings? Finally, where do you hang them? Stairs? Mantel? Let me know by commenting below!
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Casa Query: What's on Your Night Stand?

casasugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:00:08 -0800

Since you're the reason I write everyday, I want to know all about you. Well, not everything — but particularly those things that relate to CasaSugar. With the new feature "Casa Query," I'll ask you to tell me about yourselves, your homes, your decorating habits, and other Casa-related topics.

To begin, I want to know what's on your night stand. My night stand is topped with a good reading lamp, a stack of shelter magazines, yesterday's jewelry, and a pen and notepad to jot down those last-minute-before-sleep to-do thoughts. What about you?
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