Faux Carrera Marble- Yes You Heard Right!

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Happy Friday Loves! I apologize for my absence- but there’s lots going on over here at NL that I can’t wait to share with you all. Patience…

In the mean time, I MUST share with you this fabulous blog and some amazing DIY’s that will blow you away. I literally had to close my mouth, I was so excited. Gorgeous Shiny Things created a faux carrera marble that will make you reconsider dropping thousands for the real thing.

Formica counters? No problem. Seriously. Here’s a shot of the counter tops before paint got to them!

before shot

Looks like every outdated, renters kitchen out there!

And then….

faux tops

Hello lovely! You can’t even tell!

finished kitchen

The finished kitchen looks like a major renovation and all it required was a few cans of paint.

Hop on over to the blog to see how Danika actually made this happen- I’d like to think it’s as easy as she makes it look!

More faux marble you say? Why, of course dear!

Kristin Jackson from The Hunted Interior attempted the same look and well, the pictures speak for themselves.

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Note the gold striped fridge…out of duct tape.

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A closeup shot- love those brass pulls. Mixing highs and lows will make it that much more difficult to determine what was a splurge vs. a steal. It’s all in the details!

I see DIY wheels turning in your heads- it is a long holiday weekend, after all. What are your plans for the three day weekend? Do tell. Oh and P.S., because I am soooo bad at keeping secrets. NoMad Luxuries has a giveaway coming up. If you haven’t followed on Facebook or Twitter yet, I’ll be dropping hints and sharing more information about the giveaway there! I can’t say when or what, but you’ll just have to stay tuned and let the anticipation build. I promise it will be good…real good!

Xx

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Weekend Happenings

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Good Morning! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! What did you do? Do tell!

Petar and I went to the NRA show over the weekend. No, no… The National Restaurant Association show, that is. Some of it was boring, some of it was absolutely delicious like the truffled popcorn, caviar and gelatos. There were some really amazing displays- one I couldn’t get over. They sold micro veggies and flowers and well…look for yourself!

flowers sAVED

I literally wanted to eat their display…no joke

Our rug for the entry way finally came in and I’m smitten. It’s even better in person and the rusty orange is actually a salmon pink and well yeah, we love it. Big time. The console came in too and for the price it was a great purchase. It has clean lines and is sturdy and the dimensions worked out great.

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(No filter right there…)

Remember this guest bedroom/office space I imagined. Well, it’s starting to happen! We finally went yesterday to Ikea and picked up the office desk. We went with the shelving unit bottoms that are open so it doesn’t take up a lot of visual space but still has room to hold books and the sort. It was really a great buy and now we can have space to work together.

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office desk 800

 This room could definitely use some warm wood tones against the neutral color palette and the cool blue rug, so I thought a burlwood nightstand would be the perfect addition. Minus the hefty price tag from 1stdibs! It did serve as great inspiration however and I found a RIDICULOUS Craigslist find that blows me away.

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This is our new nightstand! I’m kidding, obviously. But I decided on this armoire for extra storage for guests and office things. It’s so art deco and those handles are exquisite. I would tell you how much I paid but you would probably find out where I live and steal it in the middle of the night. No joke…I feel a bit naughty- the price is that good. We’re picking it up this week and it fits perfectly in the space! So excited!

It’s finally coming along- I feel good about the progress. Tell me how your weekends were loves! Xx

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My Big Fat Greek Salad

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When summer rolls around I pretty much have a Mediterranean diet; fish, veggies, salads and pasta. These foods are light and don’t weigh you down in the heat, not to mention extremely healthy for you. I was raised on this food, spent summers in Greece eating this food. I even used to use olive oil for tanning…I know, I know. As an adult, I know this wasn’t one of my brightest moments but my point is, I’ve got some serious devotion to the EVOO!

With that being said, I eat a Greek salad almost every night with my dinner or as my dinner. The flavors work so well together and it lightens up any meal with its fresh and crisp veggies. So, I’ve decided to share my recipe with all of you today. Because summer is here and you’ll be thanking me in no time! Promise!

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       Ingredients:

  • 2-3 medium Tomatoes
  • 2 Cucumbers  (I like to use Persian cucumbers)
  • 1/2 Red Onion
  •                                                                1 whole Avocado
  • Half of a lemon
  • Feta cheese (approx 1/2 cup or to your liking)
  • EVOO (1/3 cup)
  •                                                             Salt and pepper to taste
  •      1Tbs Dill
  •                                                Red chili flakes and capers are optional

salad cutting

Start out by cutting your tomatoes and thinly slicing your cucumber. I like to mix different variations of tomatoes to make for a colorful salad. Finely chop your red onion and add it in as well.

add lemon

Cut and pit a whole avocado and slice into cubes, add to bowl. Squeeze half lemon over veggies, making sure not to let any of the seeds fall in!

seasonings

Add your olive oil. I like to give the salad a good bath- you don’t want it swimming in oil but you don’t want the veggies dry either. I would say a good 1/3 of a cup. This varies on the size of your salad as well. Now add your seasonings: Greek salt (I used Kalasi sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper. Chili flakes add a slight kick that’s oh, so good!

finished product

Time for the secret ingredient: FETA! There are so many versions out there. If you can, purchase imported feta. My favorite is Grekos Feta because of it’s creaminess and yogurt-like tartness. Finely chop your dill and add to the top!

mixed salad

Now, mix that baby up! Make sure that all of the ingredients are well-mixed so that you enjoy deliciousness in every bite. I add capers on top but Petar can’t stand it. If you’re a caper lover, then you won’t be disappointed. You can also add tuna (canned or tuna steaks) or any type of protein like eggs, chicken, etc. Get creative!

serveware

Serve your salad in a nice dish and add some global-inspired serve ware to make any meal a culinary escape!

Hope you enjoy!

Xx

Y

EntryWay Progress

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Hello Loves! Remember this post when I asked for your opinions about the entryway? Well, we finally made a decision. And the winner is….

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Ta-Da! There were a few factors on why we went this route. These colors just felt more like us and the size of this rug was perfect for the hallway. Obviously, the space won’t look EXACTLY like this but it will serve as my starting point.

We finally bought our rug yesterday from Esaelrugs. And let me tell ya! It was a steal!

rug resized

The rug we went with is a Sirjan style and was filed under the blue category. I would have expected this rug under the oranges, for example. So definitely look under all the color categories when looking for the right one. I like how the pink is subtle but plays enough of a role with the fiery orange and contrasts nicely with pops of blue and a dark navy/black base. These are one of a kind pieces, so if you are particularly head over heels for one, snatch it up before someone else does. Free shipping, a free rug pad and a pretty quick turn around is an extra bonus to the constant 50% off sale they have going on. Definitely well worth the hunt!

As far as our console is concerned, we got that too!

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It’s simple with clean lines. I like that the sides aren’t solid wood to give a more “open” look to the space. It’s a high-gloss MDF, which I tend to gravitate towards. I picked it up on Amazon for $149, the only color NOT on sale. They have black, this fabulous periwinkle, sky blue and an orange option for only $70. The bottom shelf is great because it can be used for the benches or additional storage and creates a small little (and organized) nook for all your belongings.

 It’s already shipped and I can’t wait to get it this week!

I’ll take pictures of when the pieces come in and how the progress is coming along. I have plans to do a simple DIY to our front door and paint it a high-gloss black and add molding. Shouldn’t be a pretty quick fix.

What projects are you working on or planning to start this summer? Have you finished any that you would like to share with me? Send those pics over!

Xx

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A Mother’s Day Brunch

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Good Morning NoMads! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and kissed your mamas. This mother’s day we weren’t able to celebrate together but plan on taking my mom out to a yummy dinner next weekend. I’ve learned not to sweat so much of when it’s celebrated, as long as it’s celebrated. Unfortunately, modern life doesn’t always go according to schedule. Not to mention, I call my mom about a 100x a day, so she’s celebrated all year ’round!

I wanted to share with all of you last year’s mother’s day brunch we hosted at our old apartment. It was such a perfect day; the weather was unseasonably warm and we enjoyed our patio to the max!

plate stetting

My bright spring table setting with my one of my favorite plate collections I bought YEARS ago at Crate and Barrel for a steal. Ikat-print napkins and and San Pellegrino!

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Fruit salad with blueberry scones and lemon curd…to die for!

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Inside we set up a bagel and lox station with the obvious. Red onion, chives, cream cheese, oh my!

food station

From top left: spinach, bacon and gouda quiche with homemade crust; a fresh spring salad with tomato, mozzarella and avocado and a light dressing and finally that delicious dessert again!

mama

My mom enjoying her special day! Fresh flower arrangement made by yours truly! Love the mix of green and blush pinks!

What did you all do for Mother’s day? Do share! If you’re interested in any of the recipes, feel free to email me at nomadluxuries@gmail.com,

Xx

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Second Bedroom/Home Office Inspiration

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Good Morning! I’ve been giving a lot of thought to our second bedroom and how to use the space to it’s full potential. We obviously need an office for the both of us, but we’d also like to be able to accommodate out-of-town guests. Petar’s younger brother is coming to stay with us this summer and will probably be needing a bed to sleep on. You think? So that news kicked my arse into gear and here I am conjuring up design ideas for bedroom #2!

I came across the brilliant Emily Henderson’s newly finished home office and was smitten. Seriously. How could you not want to work there on a daily basis and get those creative juices flowing? Which by the way, I completely agree with Emily that if companies put a teeny, tiny bit more effort in the aesthetics of the work place, a whole lotta people would be a whole lot more efficient and happy. Amen to that! Now only if we could get everyone else on board! Do I see a movement starting… Just sayin’!

Check out her fabulous space- I’m so head over heels. OH that rug!

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hanging plant

cacti

gold

And here’s my interpretation for our space to include both working and sleeping capabilities!

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I love adding green through foliage and absolutely adore fresh plants in the house. It makes things less “stuffy”. The burled wood nightstand went along perfectly with the bright blue rug and adding touches of wood and camel leather warm up the otherwise neutral room. You know I need me some global touches in every space so I added the maiz pillows for the day bed and a white leather Moroccan pouf as a foot rest. The cloud print allows for tons of day-dreaming and creativity. I’m excited to get started on this bad boy!

What do you think? Do you have a spare room you’ve created into a multi-functional space? If so, would love for you to share some ideas and photos!

Xx

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Wanderlust Wednesday

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Good Morning loves! Hopefully you’ve gotten used to my weekly guest posting over at Emerald Green Interiors! Scoot your little NoMad tush over there to check out this week’s Wanderlust Wednesday, which is of course somewhere exotic, colorful and chaotic. Any guesses? OK, ok…don’t guess. Go and read about it instead!

Xx

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Pillow Talk and Weekend Happenings

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Good Morning loves! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!! It was Orthodox Easter this weekend, so there was plenty of church going and a ton of feasting!

tsoureki again

{Our traditional Tsoureki bread that tastes similar to Challah. With a bright hot pink egg in the middle!}

We finally placed an order for our new sofa- we ended up going with the Z Gallerie Harrison Sofa. We especially loved how long it was (a whopping 98″) and how it was deep enough to lie down and cuddle. We chose the chenille-like fabric in Ivory and now… we wait. 6-10 weeks to be exact!

My good friend Pinterest, introduced me to the Etsy shop, WhitlockandCo that has just fabulous pillows for great prices. I’ve been swooning over their amazing prints and can’t wait to order me some! Pillows are seriously the easiest way to add color without commitment. It’s also a great way to change up your home based on the seasons.

Here are a few of my fave!

pillows galore

Do you have any favorite pillows donning on your sofa or bed? Have you ever used vintage fabrics and created pillows out of them?

Xx

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