Bookshelf Wallpaper DIY

When Chris and I first moved into our 1920s apartment, it took us a bit of time to find the perfect bookshelf for our living room. We ended up purchasing our black and white simple shelving unit from Ikea, and I was very happy with it until recently. I started to feel like it was just blending in with the white wall behind it, and I knew I had to do something to make it stand out, but painting it was out of the question because I am TERRIBLE at painting anything. So, I decided to pick up some pretty paper and glue it on. And... it worked! It's SO easy and such a genius idea, because it's cheap, doesn't take that long to do, and adds SO much in such a small way! I had thought about adding colored paper to all of the walls behind each shelf, but decided against it at the last minute. I'm so glad that I did because that would have been way too overwhelming.

This is how it used to look:

The Look //
Go to one of your favorite stationary stores that carries fun wrapping paper (I went to Paper Source for mine, and I purchased the fine paper, which I was told would hold up better than the regular paper wrapping paper), and pick out your paper! Next, be sure to pick up a bottle of modge podge and a foam brush to apply the glue with. Make sure to pick the right kind of glue! I chose matte because I didn't think that a shiny look would be good but to each your own!

The Steps //
First, you will want to take your paper and cut it to the length of the area you're trying to cover. Once you do that, you will take your modge podge and brush the glue all over the area that you are going to adhere the paper to. Next, lay the paper down as flat as you can, smooth the paper out so that there are no bubbles, and then go over the paper with more modge podge and voila!

Thanks so much to Paper Source for providing me the cutest paper, and for always giving me great inspiration! You can find all necessary supplies at Paper Source, so yay for a one-stop-shop and a three step process!

And here's a photo of Ringo being cute as usual.. Oh! If you have a cat, be aware that they might get curious about the new addition to your furniture and he might try to scratch it off when you're not home (that's how I figured out how easy it is to remove the paper if you choose to switch up the print)

Peach + Raspberry Tart

Even though the summer is officially over, I felt the need to soak up the last of those fuzzy fruits I love so much: peaches. I learned this recipe from my boss, who is an incredible cook and I've been fortunate to learn so many recipes from her, with this being my favorite. It's simple and rustic, which I love because I'm definitely not good at fancy desserts, and it doesn't require too many ingredients or too much time! And, of course, you can substitute the fruit and jam for other ones, so it's easily adaptable. I love the peach & raspberry combo personally.

 Ingredients / /
- One package of frozen pastry puff dough (I like the DuFour brand, but I'm sure any other kind will do)
- Six peaches (depending), sliced thin, lengthwise
- Butter (to coat your baking dish with before you fill it)
- Raspberry Jam
- One egg, beaten, and brushed on the puff pastry around the edges before baking
- A couple pats of butter to place on the tart before it goes in the oven (I say a few tablespoons or one tablespoon divided into two pieces)

Optional / /
- Brown sugar to sprinkle on your peaches and a squeeze of lemon before the jam goes on top

 Step One:
- Before you do anything, you should preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit and take your puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw a little

Step Two:
- Slice up your peaches thin and place them in a bowl, put to the side

Step Three:
- Start prepping your puff pastry dough. This part is the most challenging! The puff pastry that I buy is very tricky to disassemble in one piece because it's folded into a square divided by thin pieces of wax paper. If yours is like mine and it breaks, you can always press it back together in your dish. Notice I have no photo of this step.. it was not a pretty sight!

Step Four:
- Butter your dish with the stick of butter that you took out of the fridge. Don't forget to rub the butter all along the sides as well as the bottom as you don't want anything to stick!

Step Five:
- Place the puff pastry down gently into your baking dish, pressing down so that it is in an even layer. If your edges are super long, just let them fold up and out of your baking dish (that always happens with mine)

Step Six:
- Place the peach slices next to each other and keep placing them down until there is no room left. I like to place them facing the same direction because it looks pretty that way, but you can do it however you want! Don't leave any space. The more slices, the better!

Step Seven:
- Spoon dollops of jam over your peaches. Before doing this, you can sprinkle some brown sugar all over and a squeeze of lemon to help them stay moist and get a little extra sugary in the baking process :)

Step Eight:
- Take the egg, scramble it up in a bowl, and using a pastry brush (or your fingers, that works too!), brush the outside of your puff pastry dough not missing an inch. This step helps your puff pastry to get golden brown while baking.

Step Nine:
- Place your tart in the oven. You should keep it at 375 and time it for 30-35 minutes depending on your oven. It can vary!

Step Ten:
- The tart is usually done when the peaches are bubbling and the crust is a golden brown. Take it out and let it cool.

And then enjoy! You can take a scoop of your favorite ice cream (I like vanilla), and eat it with that, or maybe even with some whipped cream, or just eat it by itself. It's one of my favorite desserts and I hope you all like it!

We're back! So long, summer...

Wow, can you believe that summer is already over? I sure can't. I bet you've been wondering where I've been. I had a lovely summer, working by the beaches in Malibu for two months. It was fun, I got a lot of sun (way too much for my liking), took a 24 hour trip to Las Vegas for an Elvis festival, took countless trips to Palm Springs (my new favorite getaway), and now I'm back in full swing here at home in the city. I have a lot of great posts to share coming up this month, including new recipes, a small porch makeover, wishlists, giveaways, and more, so stay tuned!    xo

Psst... the photo above was taken the day that I got to see Paul McCartney in concert at Dodger Stadium in August. It was unreal. Truly a bucket list moment for me. This was pre-concert when my hair was teased and I'd just purchased this dress from one of my new favorite stores downtown - Flamingo Vintage

// Check out the latest issue of Rosieteapot which I was lucky enough to be featured in this month! Rosie is so talented, and I love how she managed to squeeze in a couple of shots of Ringo's face around the whole magazine. So much love for this girl! My article can be found on page 62 // link: Rosieteapot