When we first moved into our house, my husband and I had toyed with the idea of turning our fridge into a chalkboard fridge.  What could be cooler than writing up your to-do list, drawing random pictures, and leaving each other sweet messages on one of the more frequently used appliances, yes we like to eat.  But because of our basement renovation, anything fun like that had to be put to the backburner.  Well guess what??  Our basement is DONE as of this week, so those things that used to be at the bottom of our list can make their way on up, woohoo!   And what perfect timing that Emily from Sassy Smolak just had a post this week about her DIY chalkboard fridge, which by the way, looks TOTALLY cool!  So I decided to search high and low on the web for some more chalkboard inspirations, and this, my friends is what I found… Enjoy!

{1} brought to you by the amazing sassy smolak, learn how to make your own chalkboard fridge
{2} seen on 74 lime lane, draw your own interpretation of the world with this chalkboard globe
{3} seen on isabella & max rooms, light up a room with a chalkboard lamp
{4} thanks melissabxoxo for sharing this chalkboard calendar, perfect for the type A’s!
{5} label bins, tins, and buckets with chalkboard paint, great idea not your average ordinary!
{6} seen on in honor of design, decorate your office space with some chalkboard wall decals
{7} seen on creature comforts, dress up your packaging with chalkboard gift tags
{8} seen on apothecary fox, record your grocery to-do list on this chalkboard tote!
{9} seen on poppytalk, decorate your room full of chalkboard
{10} seen on happiness is… chalkboards are a perfect prop for engagement photos

P.S.  Sorry if I haven’t checked out your blogs lately, it’s been a long week and an especially long yesterday…  Long story short, flight was delayed going from Detroit to Chicago, now staying overnight and blogging from my hotel room (that’s how much I love you), and finally heading back home tomorrow!  So excited for the weekend, all I’m going to be doing is RELAXING.  Then it’s off to Orlando on Monday I go… can’t wait to meet up with Sonja from SoNgDesigns!

P.P.S. Today is the last day to get 20% off of anything in Carol Hannah’s etsy shop!  Yes, she’s the designer from last season’s Project Runway.  Just mention “Sandy a la Mode” and this blog post in the “Message to Seller”.  I really hope that someone can take advantage of this awesome discount, her dresses are AMAZING!

P.P.P.S. Don’t forget to enter the We Heart Paper custom letterpress GIVEAWAYS (yes two) on here and Janie Hearts!  You have until Monday!   Hope your weekend is FABULOUS!

Today’s GIVEAWAY is brought to you by my ever so talented friend, Janie. Remember the first giveaway I EVER had on my blog?? Well, it was from her jewelry shop, Janie Liu. Not only does she make jewelry, but she makes letterpress stationery as well! It seriously amazes me how so much creativity can come from one person, can you please channel some of it to me, Janie? I’ve also convinced her to sign up for twitter and keep up her blog more regularly!

Here is just a small sampling of some of my favorite pretty papers from her shop:

Aren’t they all so cute, whimsical, fun, beautiful, elegant… I could really go on… sweet, adorable and neat? I could really go on, OK you get the picture. Now for the giveaway details!

{GIVEAWAY}

One winner will receive a set of 25 Critter Personalized Stationery Letterpress Cards, a $55 value!

***

THE PARTICULARS:

— {quantity} —
25 flat cards, coordinating envelopes

— {size} —
A2 – 4.25 x 5.5

— {color} —
one color of your choice

— {design —
one critter of your choice

— {paper} —
110lb, 100% cotton [tree free]

— {packaging} —
lovingly packaged and protected with a cellophane sleeve

— {other details} —
*OTHER FONT CHOICES AVAILABLE*

{To Enter}

1. (Mandatory entry) Leave a comment on this post with an answer to this question: What is your favorite animal and why?

2. (For an additional entry) Twitter about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet or your twitter name. If you Twitter, please use @sandyalamode and @janiehearts in your tweet so I can track them. And to make things extra easy, feel free to use this tweet:

I just entered @sandyalamode’s #GIVEAWAY for critter personalized stationery letterpress cards made by @janiehearts! http://bit.ly/aKcCSN

3. (For an additional entry) Blog about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with a link to your blog post.

4. (For an additional entry) Janie is currently in the middle of her weekly summer giveaways on her own blog! She posts a new giveaway every Wednesday and this week happens to be week 4 of 9! So make sure to check out her blog for another giveaway going on RIGHT NOW! And just for kicks, if you enter her week 4 giveaway, come back here and leave another comment to let me know because that will gain you another entry into this giveaway too!

Giveaway ends on Monday, August 2, 2010 at 11:59PM EST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be announced on this blog on Tuesday, August 3, 2010. Thank you SO much Janie and good luck everyone!

Entries for this giveaway have been closed.

So I’m going to take my stab at being a food critic today.  I mean, doesn’t that sound like the best job, ever?  You get paid to eat and write about food, holla!  I’m sure you know that one of the things Philly is known for is their cheesesteaks, and that there has been a long time rivalry between Pat’s and Geno’s.  They are two restaurants, well, more like stationery stands that happen to be caddy corner from each other.  Some may think it’s competition, but in some ways I think they help each other out, because if you’re a tourist like me, you’ve got to try both to see which one you like better!  And that, my friends, is just what Marvin, my friend Amy and I did.

Comparisons based on
Philly Cheesesteak wit (Cheese) Whiz and Onions, $8.50

Restaurant #1: Pat’s King of Steaks, founded by Pat and Henry Olivieri in 1930s

First Impresssion:

Planted in a white building with neon Pepsi Pat’s King of Steaks signs, Pat’s definitely has an understated vibe.  Outdoor seating by means of red park tables and benches are scattered beneath the awning.

Signage:

One of their main signs is this one, which I think is a rather clever statement.  Of course, we had to take the obligatory photo in front of it!  Also, hung up were faded photos of celebrities that had visited this joint.

Food:

Flavorful sliced steak, oozing with cheese, sprinkled with barely noticeable grilled onions and encompassed in a crusty bread, the whiz really stood out (borderline overwhelming) on this steak sandwich.  It is a bit of a messy bite, but definitely flavorful and delicious.

Restaurant #2: Geno’s, founded by Joey Vento in 1966

First Impression:

Pretty much on the opposite end of the spectrum,  Geno’s has bright gaudy Vegas style signs that you cannot miss.  The outdoor seating is similar to Pat’s, but it’s orange in color.

Signage:

Bumper sticker like signs that show off their patriotism (some of which are may be considered racist), police patches, and pictures of celebrities that have frequented the joint bombard the decor.

Food:

Bland meat, watery wimpy cheese whiz, and raw onions filled the tasty bread.  Pretty much all I could taste was bread and onions.

And the winner is…

Pat’s King of Steaks

OH baby, I’m linking up this cheesy goodness to…

The reviews in this post are all a matter of personal opinion, if you are in the Philly area, you should definitely check out both to see what you think!   I’ve also heard of another place called Jim’s and one called Ishkabibble’s and some claim those are even better.  Next time I’m in that hood, I’ll definitely check those out! 

And for those who have had cheesesteaks in Philly, what do you think?? Which one is your fave?

So remember a few weeks back when I said I had a big BIRTHDAY SURPRISE for my husband?  Well, it was my brother, sister-in-law and nephew coming to visit us and guess what??  I totally pulled the surprise off b/c he had no idea (I’m traditionally a really bad surprise keeper).  So here are some pictures from the weekend taken by my sister- in-law, Jenny (I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, she needs to go PRO).

All of the commentary below is from my 18 month old nephew’s view. 

Day 1

“SURPRISE!!!  Oh hey, what up Uncle Marvin?  What took you so long to get home?  I’ve already gone through all of your pots, pans, remote controls, balls, etc…  OK OK, I’ll give you a hug now that you recognize who I am finally!”

“So I’ve met a lot of people, but where’s my food?”

“This is the dessert I’ve been looking for all night – it was made by Aunt Sandy, piped by my Dada, written by my Mama, and made for Uncle Marvin and Sam!  Don’t worry all, Sandy will post up the recipe for this delicious lemon layer cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting shortly.”

“Oops, I forgot to bring a present, I guess I’ll just type out the card right now.”

Day 2

“Good morning all!  I’ll have a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream please.  Uncle Marvin and Aunt Sandy are taking quite awhile with that menu there… I already know I want pancakes and waffles please!”

“Whoa, it’s a huge barn on a farm, I’ve never seen anything like it.  Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in California anymore, we must be in Kansas!!”

“Ohhhh look at those cute baby goats.”

“Hey wait, that’s my afternoon snack!”

“It’s OK, I’m totally cuter than those goats, am I right?”

“So cute that everyone just wants to give me kissies.”

“And take pictures with me.”

“And my reward for being such a cutie, was a whole bunch of smoothies, YUM!”

“Yea, they are pretty cute too.”

“But I mean look at me, how can you say no to this face?”

“I guess Mama and Dada say no to me sometimes, but I can usually get my way if I give them some more kisses!”

“I totally bribed them to stay out way past my bedtime and eat sweet potato fries in a shopping cart… and burgers and more shakes too!”

Day 3

“Whoa is that a tornado??? I mean we are in Kansas after all, or wait, are we in Missouri, can’t really keep them straight…”

“Oh well, I’ll just concentrate on drinking my 18 month old birthday juice.  Don’t worry folks, it wasn’t a tornado, just a crazy storm.”

“Whee, Aunt Sandy took me out to play in the rain!  After all, I don’t see much of that back in California.”

“Whew, playing in the rain is quite tiring… I’ll just lounge with Uncle Marvin for awhile.”

“Actually, let’s go play with animals and eat KC BBQ instead!”

“Oh, I guess it’s time for my Mama and Dada to head back home.  I’m gonna stay with Uncle Marvin and Aunt Sandy in Kansas City.” 

“Kidding, I went home with Mama and Dada.  But what a fun weekend I had in Kansas City, I was able to cross off Missouri and Kansas on my States to visit list too!  Can’t wait to see those farm animals again soon, oh and Uncle Marvin and Aunt Sandy too!”

My favorite thing about summer is the fact that I can wear dresses every day without being cold!  Well, I don’t have THAT many dresses (I wish) but at least the possibility is there.  I just love wearing a nice flowy dress, paired with fun sandals, and a cabachon hairpin or headband in my hair.  Since we are pretty much in the middle of the hot hot heat, I decided to scour the web for some perfect summer dresses + why I like them!  Oh how I wish I could have them all…

1 posy print contrast dress | forever 21 | $22.80
(i’m a huge fan of contrast dresses)

2 vintage 80s purple white polka dot slouch top mini dress | twitch vintage | auction
(love the vintage style of this dress)

3 all for the love of you daisy dress | shopruche | $46.99
(it’s yellow and grey… need i say more??)

4 save the date party dress | one crafty fox | $130.00
(LOVE the print and colors of this one)

5 cream and sugar dress | spotted moth | $46.99
(so very sweet and romantic)

6 take a bow satin amelia dress | kate spade | $395
(perfect date night dress)

7 bring and braai dress | modcloth | $49.99
(the print, the bow, the colors, so lovely!)

8 gadsden street dress | carol hannah | $235
(yes, she’s the one from project runway and she totally has a BEAUTIFUL wedding collection as well)

9 floral tie waist maxi dress | asos | $60.64
(maxi dresses are just pure awesome)

We’ll I’ll be heading out to Chicago for the weekend where I’ll be going wedding dress shopping with my friend Ning-Ju and having lunch with Ilene from Much Love Illy!  (By the way, she just did a post on dresses with pockets, LOVE!)  It’ll be my third blogger meet-up ever, so excited!    Then it’s back to Ohio for business once again next week.  Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

And as a special offer to my readers, Carol Hannah is offering 20% off her shop (not valid on wedding collection) through July 30, 2010!  Just mention Sandy a la Mode in the “Message to Seller” at checkout!  Thanks so much Carol Hannah, loved you on Project Runway!!

What’s your favorite thing to wear in the summer?