Author: Staci

Staci blogs about travel at TheVoyageer.com.

December & January in Review

I had started out pretty well with doing month-in-review posts, last October and November, but it looks like I spaced out on December! Whoops! No time like the present to lump it in with January for an extra-special double dose roundup.

December

Waaaaay back in December, I posted a bit about the time Doug and I took a Szechuan cooking class at Sur La Table, and then shared a bit about Christmas decorating at home and over at the Hotel Del Coronado:

Myfriendstaci.com Christmas decor- wide shot

Lights and skating at Coronado

Then I clued you all in on my other, part-time gig, helping authors DIY! I shared the sad fate of our natural-fiber rug, and then did a little reflection of 2012 (a recap within a recap… is this the Inception of blog posts?)

January

Whew! We made it to 2013! I started the year out by coveting some of the furniture in the TOO line–Blu Dot’s collaboration with Target–still crushing on those chartreuse dining chairs by the way!

I foreshadowed a little bit by sharing my bedroom, about to change, then promptly shared our newest DIY… a OSB (plywood) headboard! We are still loving the headboard and thinking of art options to hang above it.

Bedroom

DIY Plywood Headboard

Mid January I hit a milestone–my 500th post. Thanks again to all that commented for your encouragement! 

Inspired by repeated search engine inquiries, I made an inspiration board based on Barney Stinson’s apartment from How I Met Your Mother. I also did my fair share of popping into a bunch of places around San Diego– Balboa Park, The Mission, and Dark Horse Coffee Roasters! Consider me your virtual travel guide.

Japanese Friendship Garden

Mission French Toast

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

And there you have it! The past two months in one blog post! Phew! I’m exhausted just reading this–hope you made it all the way down here to the end! I love doing these review posts because it really encourages me and helps keep up momentum. Thanks for reading.

Take a Tour: Dark Horse

Last Monday, Angela and I decided to explore my old stomping grounds of Adams Avenue. My first apartment in San Diego was on Adams and it would be a nice neighborhood to move back to someday. Since I left, there have been a lot of great changes on Adams including restaurants and shops, the newest of which we stumbled upon–Dark Horse Coffee Roasters. They’ve only been open for two weeks!

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

The owner, Daniel, is congenial and very easy to talk to. Any feelings of intimidation that I normally have when visiting a hip new establishment vanished–I could tell he is dedicated to his quality coffee and the success of his store.

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

The most fabulous thing, to me, is that he DIYed the whole interior of the store himself. Being a design geek, I ate it all up. The wood-paneled wall, the coffee bar facing the window–the counter, everything was DIY. He was eager to share his secrets as well–he explained how he made the wood-paneled wall in a way that even a novice DIYer could feel confident replicating. The chalkboard paint trend was represented in a tasteful, limited, and totally functional way. And how awesome is his accent color of mint green on the counter? It totally keeps the place looking fresh, balancing out the earthy wood tones!

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

The narrow bar facing the window was a great way to maximize the limited square footage. In the space that would have accommodated just another 2-person round table, he managed to fit room for 4 seats–or a casual place to lean while waiting to order.

The branding was not only consistent but cost-effective. He has a few different rubber stamp designs, which he used to decorate the bar, the trim, bags, and even cups. By buying plain wares and customizing them himself, not only is a handcrafted feel created, but money is also saved. Think of the other businesses who can take a cue from this method!

Dark Horse Coffee Roasters

You won’t find espresso offerings here–just craft coffee–but Daniel was friendly enough to explain the difference between a pour-over and a French press. I had a French press and Doug had a pour over–the flavor of both options was out of this world. Monday, I literally had the flavor in my mouth all day–the best cup of coffee I have ever had! I couldn’t wait to pop back in Wednesday to take these photos and get another cup!

If you’d like to go, the address is 3260 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA. For more info, follow Dark Horse on facebook!

Check out some of my other tours by clicking here! 

2-Second Tip: Frame Your Art

There comes a time in a person’s life when sticky-tack may no longer be the best option to hang art.

Don’t be afraid of putting holes in the wall! You can still hang your beloved posters, but putting them in frames dresses them up a bit. Hang them in an orderly fashion and your place will look more “grown up” in no time.

For example: We still love Led Zeppelin, but are no longer living in dorm rooms.

Framed Poster

Another tip: If you really are prohibited from putting holes in the wall, use 3M command strips to hold a frame, instead of a nail. Each package notes the load they can hold–from 2lbs to 8lbs and beyond.

This project took all of about ten minutes. :)

Make sure to check out some more 2-second tips for beautifying your space.