Creative Instinct

Eat some CAKE

2011-07-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some cakes I have made over the past year. Some are better than others .. =) I have just finished a Wilton Cake Decorating class and it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot. I am going to take a fondant and gum paste class in October to continue adding to my skills.

Easter Bunny Cake

Master's cake I make for Drew every year

4 Layer rainbow cake made for my good friend Laura

Birthday Cake made for my Grandparents

Hamburger Cake made for my dad on Father's Day

4th of July Cake

I'm B-A-C-K!

2011-05-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I even know how to do a blog post anymore!

Updates:

- I finished my first year of teaching and I think it was very successful and I grew a lot!

- Our house is on the market. If you want to see it..

- This summer I will be working on a website that will encompass advertising my freelance design work, (which includes decorating, space planning, and organization) as well as invitation design and my cake decorating ability! (I will be taking a cake decorating class the month of June to refine my skills) I am very excited about adding those things to my list of things I can do. So get ready!

- I'll leave you with a before and after shot. These are prints my mother-in-law purchased at an antique store and decided she didn't have a place for them. So I used them!

Before:

After:

Stylish Blogger Award

2010-07-29T06:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to one of my BFF's Laura for nominating me for this very prestigious award. She has a fabulous blog and it is hilarious. So check it out!

So I have to tell you all 5 things about myself and then nominate another blog for the award. So check ME out.

1. I believe I have a small case of OCD. Most of my friends and my hub can vouch for that. Everything must be clean, straight, and I sanitize my hands quite frequently.

2. I love MEXICAN FOOD. Anytime we go out to eat we usually hit up a Mexican Restaurant. Here are some of our favorites: Sol Y Luna, Superior Grill, Cocina Superior, Chuy's, and El Poblano.

3. I totally wish I had my own show on The Food Network. I watch it all the time. Giada at Home, Cooking with Paula Dean, At home with the Neeley's, and Barefoot Contessa are a few of my favs. Sometimes I also wish I starred in "The Real Housewives of Alabama."

4. I am obsessed with Dance/Electronic music. Now that I am driving the vehicle that has siruis radio, you can always find my radio tuned to BPM!

5. A part of me would love to move to a HUGE city for a year or two in my young adult years (before children) like NYC or Chicago. A part of me would also love to live on a lot of land like on a farm or something. Just to experience it!

Ok so now that you know a few, very RANDOM things about me. I would like to nominate my friend Josie for this award, check out her blog. She has great ideas and wonderful recipes!

Recipe Friday: Salmon and Veggie Packets

2010-07-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tried this last night and it was DELISH. It's easy, but takes a little time. It is from one of my Weight Watchers cookbooks.

Salmon and Vegetable Packets

4 Carrots, cut into matchstick strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into very thin strips
1 leek (white and green parts only) cleaned and thinly sliced
2 (5 oz.) Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into match stick strips
4 (1/4 lb) skinless salmon fillets
1/2 Cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth, heated
4 Tablespoons dry white wine
4 teasponns olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 lemon slices

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine the carrots, bell pepper, leek, and potatoes in a streamer basket, place in a saucepan filled with 1 inch of boiling water. Cover tightly and steam until the vegetables are crisp and tender, about 2 minutes. Remove the steamer basket from the saucepan.
3. Tear off 4 (16 inch) squares of foil. Place 1/8th of vegetable mixture in the center of each foil square. Top each mound of vegetables with a salmon fillet, then cover with the remaining vegetable mixture. Spoon 2 Tablespoons of the hot broth over each portion; drizzle with 1 Tablespoon of the wine and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Sprinkle each with the basil, ginger, salt, and pepper; top with a lemon slice.
4. To close the packets, bring the 2 opposite long sides of the foil up to meet in the center; fold the edges over twice to make a tight seal. Double fold the open sides to seal the packets. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake just until the salmon is opaque in the center. About 15 minutes. To serve, carefully open the packets, avoiding the steam that is released; slide the fish and vegetables onto plates. Serve drizzled with any juices.

I did not use leeks and I don't have a steamer basket. I just steamed the veggies in a sauce pan with an inch of water, covered. Helpful hint: I lay out everything, ready, so that it makes it a lot easier and faster to put together.

Everyone have a GREAT weekend!

Before:

After:

Before & After : Bench and Train

2010-07-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

Before, Master Bedroom Bench hardware:

(I drilled too many holes, messed up, tried to glue, it was a disaster.)

After:

(So 1 year later I decided to fix it. I scraped, sanded, and repainted before putting the new hardware on)

At Home: $8

Before:

(I found this train at a garage sale and thought it was SO cute.)

After:

(I thought it would be cute and more personalized to paint it for our nephew's birthday, which isn't until November... Hey, I am on top of things)

Before and After: Landing.

2010-07-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

New Lamp from Pier One = $50

Zebra Fabric = $40

Not the best re-upholstering job = $50

All in 24 hours time!

Recipe Friday, snacks.

2010-07-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever. I haven't really had anything to post about and no exciting ideas! But I would like to share 2 really easy, completely opposite, yummy snack recipes.

#1 Fresh Salsa compliments of Ms. Paula Dean (She calls it Salsa on the fly!)

3 Large ripe tomatoes diced

1 small onion, chopped (yellow or white, I use yellow)

1 small green bell pepper (seeds and veins removed) minced

1/2 Cup chopped green chilies, with juice (4 oz. can)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

salt

And when I saw her make this on TV she added 1 avocado, diced

It is delish. I serve it with tortilla chips or on top of some tacos. You have to know it is good since I recommend it because I am a salsa, pico de gallo connoisseur.

#2 Sweet Grapes

1 bag of green grapes

Wash in bowl , drain the grapes but make sure they are still wet, do not dry them off.

Pour 1 packet of Sugar-Free Fat-Free strawberry jello powder over the grapes and toss.

They look like they have red powder on them. They are so good and a really healthy, sweet, easy snack. It would be perfect for a Halloween Party too because they kind of look like eye balls! HA

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. Stay cool!

Recipe for Dinner

2010-06-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

Haven't had anything to post about this week but I do have a new favorite dish and I'll give you the recipe!

The chicken recipe can be found here: Quick Chicken Piccata

It's delicious and very easy.

I serve it with my mom's recipe of baked carrots.

Baked Carrots

1/2 Cup sugar

1/3 Cup butter

1 package baby carrots

1 tsp. salt

1/3 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 Cup boiling water

Place carrots in a greased casserole. Cream the butter, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add water and blend well. Pour over carrots. Cover with foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

To top off the meal serve with a green salad and rice or new potatoes. It's delicious. Enjoy the HOT weekend!

Recipe Friday - Apple Cake

2010-06-18T05:39:00.000-07:00

This recipe is delicious! I made it for D$'s parents birthday last weekend. Try it for your dad's this Father's Day! This is my grandmother, Nanny's recipe.

Country Apple Cake

2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup chopped walnuts
3 Cups chopped, peeled apples

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2 baking pan, bundt pan, or 2 loaf pans.

In a large bowl beat eggs, oil, and vanilla until well blended. Beat in flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Batter will be very thick when completely mixed. Stir in nuts and apples. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake about 35 minutes (took mine about 40) or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or cold. Sprinkle confectioners sugar or cool whip or vanilla ice cream.

I served mine with caramel ice cream and it was delish! Has a really good flavor! Very easy and quick recipe and it tastes oh so good. Hope everyone enjoys their Father's Day!

Praise! New Slipcovers!

2010-06-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

Before:

From day 1, I have hated these beasts. I tucked and tucked every day, they were hard and stiff, just all around horrid.

After:

Thanks to my good friend Kerra! She had one on her sofa and I thought it looked and felt great. So I ordered some myself from JCPenny.com. Not only do they look sleeker, they are SO soft, and 2 separate pieces, so not as much tuck, tucking! The old beasts are on the credenza in this pic. If anyone wants them let me know! (not that anyone would after my complaints!)

Organizing and great deals.

2010-06-15T06:05:00.000-07:00

I think I have a problem. Everything HAS to have a place. Yesterday morning I got the bee in my bonnet to organize the laundry room and underneath all the kitchen cabinets. Keep in mind, I organize the laundry room like once a month. It is my MAIN storage area for extra kitchen things I don't have room for, laundry supplies, my pool bags and towels, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. It's such a small room and A LOT of stuff is in there. Plus it is oddly shaped so if I put stuff in there I have to angle myself to put the wash in. Anywho. So I went to Target and bought 2 plastic drawer things, 1 to go in between the washer and one to fit in the odd space (but not cover the air vent! so it has rollers)

I went to the Dollar Tree (one of my very favorite stores) and bought all this.

3 red stackable baskets (for candle storage and 1 for my food storage container lids)

2 blue baskets with handles (for cleaning supplies)

4 clear containers with white tops (for my nail polish, kitchen napkins, and I think I have 1 left over)

4 large white containers (for cleaning supplies, storage in laundry room, storage for extra toiletries in linen closet)

all for $14.70

Seriously, why go anywhere else to get these things!? They are so cheap! And they have drawer organizers too, which is very helpful in a desk or kitchen.

This is in between the washer and dryer, have dryer sheets, stain stick, etc in top drawer and powder room/nice kitchen hand towels in the bottom 2 drawers.

It looks kinda messy, but it is nice to have something to stack things on! First drawer, random bags for dry cleaning, toting things places, etc. Second drawer, ribbon, bows, gift tags. Third drawer, beach towels. Fourth drawer, gift bags.

Yes, I have to stand on the washer or dryer to get to any of this.. But I have to put this stuff somewhere!!

Great deals. I really have been wanting some Martini Glasses. So Sunday afternoon D$ brought me to Pier 1. I got 8 of these stemless Martini glasses for $2 a piece. These little white serving bowls were like a buck!! SO I got all of this for:

like $22!

They had a lot of glassware and serving pieces on MAJOR sale.

Go get you some!

I also realized I could serve dessert in these glasses too, I think it would be pretty!

Diet Coke Cake.

2010-06-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

This is almost a re-post. Thanks to my good friend Lauren who wrote the Recipe-Friday post last Friday! I just have to say, I've made yellow cupcakes with Sprite Zero and chocolate icing. Yellow cake with chocolate icing is Drew's favorite. I also made Devil's food cake (with 50% less sugar, made with Splenda) and diet coke. This one was my favorite. It was so moist and delish! I topped it with cool whip and kept it in the fridge at my friend Jessica's suggestion. Then for our girls supper club Wednesday night I made triple chocolate fudge cake with diet coke and cool whip. It seemed to be a hit! There were only 2 pieces left over! If you haven't tried it already, I HIGHLY recommend it. Saves so many calories and there is NO difference in taste! All you have to do is make it like the back of the box but leave out the eggs, oil, and water and replace them with a diet canned beverage!

Saturday morning I am making my Italian grandmother's (Nanny) Apple cake for D$'s parents birthday. I even cut out a stencil that says HAPPY BIRTHDAY for me to use when I sprinkle my powdered sugar on. I'm out of control. I'm sure it is delicious and maybe next Friday I will share that recipe and a pic or 2! Have a fabulous weekend!

Numbers

2010-06-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

I found these cute numbers at this store called Wrapsody in Patton Creek. I got these for $2 a piece. Obviously, it is our house number. I can't decide how I want to incorporate them. Hang them over a door? Try and make a wreath and hang them from that for the front door? I don't know, does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, found this cute hand towel and paid way too much for it...

Good work reaps rewards.

2010-06-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

Sweet D$ was nice enough to stay 2.5 hours after a huge church service on Sunday. Unfortunately, I could only wait on him for an hour (I had a migraine and felt HORRIBLE). When he was done he told me he had some presents for me. I was like what? I thought in my head, I've been waiting on you for forever and you stopped and got something? haha. Well I walked outside and he had these beauties.

Pretty azaleas and ferns. Not sure how to care for them, so anyone who knows, please inform me!! I put the azaleas in a pot and watered them all, but that is it. Our front porch is starting to look like I am a crazy plant lady, luckily not a crazy cat lady. I'd like to move some to the back porch with the cute new table and chairs, but I don't know what can be in the sun constantly. Any help would be much appreciated!!

Organization.

2010-06-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been in a nesting phase minus the pregnant thing. I have organized every room, every closet, every under the counter space, ETC. I'm posting some pictures to show up I organize, mostly by category.

This is the pantry.

I organized the cans with cans, all the baking mixes, etc. I put the things I use daily in arms reach. I put the things I don't use very often in the back or up top.

These are great. I picked them up at Target yesterday. I put all of our zone and south beach and granola bars in 1 box, instead of having 6 boxes strung all over the pantry. I also have misc. snack foods in the bottom one.

Fridge. Drinks up top; dairy on next shelf, like yogurt, butter, etc. ; drinks; and meat on the bottom shelf.

Condiments on first 2 shelves on the door; salad dressing and marinades; then things I don't use often on the bottom!

The time it takes to organize is SO worth it. Yesterday I spent an hour on the pantry, fridge, and the cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. I recommend organizing every couple of months. That way, there is NO way it can get completely out of control and you can also weed things out due to expiration dates. Hope this will inspire someone to get organized!

Recipe Friday - Guest Post!

2010-06-04T05:51:00.000-07:00

Sarah has been begging me to tell her the recipe for this cake and still doesn’t quite get how it works. But it seriously is as simple as a boxed cake mix and one 12 oz can of a diet soda. That’s it!

The famous Diet Coke cake is a well-loved recipe for dieters. Almost any diet soda will work. Lemon lime or cream sodas work great for yellow and white cakes. Cola, cherry cola and root beer are excellent for chocolate cakes! These cakes come out exceptionally moist and sticky, but delicious!

Directions

· Obtain your cake mix and diet soda. Use a traditional cake mix that requires eggs, oil, etc. on the box - pudding cake mixes, brownie mixes, and angel food mixes generally do not work. Choose a 'light' colored soda for white and yellow cake, and a 'dark' soda for chocolate or devil's food cake.

· Combine the box of cake mix with the can of diet soda in a medium mixing bowl. If desired, add sprinkles or miniature chocolate candies to make confetti cake - yum! You can color a light colored cake with a bit of colored sugar or food coloring as well. Mix well to make your cake batter.

(* the batter will be runny and clumpy, use a fork to break up the clumps as best as possible )

· You may now follow the baking directions on the box - this will make two layers, or twenty-four cupcakes.

Otherwise, use the following baking guidelines:
24 cupcakes: 18-21 minutes at 350 degrees
2 9-inch layers: 28-31 minutes at 350 degrees
2 8-inch layers: 33-36 minutes at 350 degrees
1 13x9 pan: 32-35 minutes at 350 degrees

Make sure to switch the positions of the pans in the oven, halfway through baking!

· Allow to cool in pans for about a half hour before you frost or try to eat your cake. You can enjoy this cake as is - it's far more moist than normal cake. Topping ideas: fat-free whipped topping, strawberry or fruit preserves, honey, marshmallow fluff

I haven’t taken many pictures of my “creations” however, here’s a half-eatened final project, and my try at mixing batters!

Any questions – email me at calvela@gmail.com.

Once you give this recipe a shot, you’ll never go back to using eggs, and oil.

Don’t be scared folks. It’s simple, quick, and absolutely, fantastically, delicious!

Sarah, thanks for having me guest blog and be able to share this simple, sweet treat!

New Pretties.

2010-06-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

World Market has a lot of cute stuff right now. When I went to look for out door tables, I got a little bit of EVERYTHING else instead of a table. Like these lovely place mats. I love the pattern and the colors are perfect. They easily lay flat as well. They were $3.99 a piece.

When my parents were here this past weekend we went to our "favorite." The old Ethan Allan store on 31, "Interiors and Antiques." I believe that is what it is called. I found these awesome vases. I was looking for some sort of contraption to put my dried bridal bouquet in. These vases were less than $10 a piece! I was shocked. They are thick glass too. So right now I have my bridesmaids bouquet from Kerra's wedding in one.

And my bouquet. Unfortunately, it was not dried hanging up, it was laying flat. My mom couldn't do it because there was an emergency trip my family had to take the day after our wedding. But, my favorite way to dry flowers is so easy! Use a wire hanger and some clothes pins. Take the bouquet or flowers and clip the stems to the hanger and hang them somewhere out of the way to dry, like the garage or laundry room.

Here is my bouquet on top of our china cabinet.

And I finally found a table to go with the cute chairs. I found it at Ross for $29.99!! It was the cheapest I found, exactly what I was looking for, and the wood matches perfectly.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday, over halfway through the week!

BEAUTIFUL wedding.

2010-06-01T06:09:00.000-07:00

I was very privileged to be a part of a wonderful friend's wedding this past weekend. All of the events were beautiful and so much fun. I loved spending time with great friends I don't get to see very often and having my parents in town. Everything was perfect, here are some pictures.

Beautiful centerpieces at the Bridesmaids Brunch.

Myself with the blushing bride!

Wedding day after hair and makeup.

FABULOUS bridesmaids bouquets.

With monogrammed ribbon!

Happy, Newlywed Couple!

Thanks to the hubs always coming to support me at all the weddings!

So happy for you Kerra and Chris! I wish you nothing but the best in all the years to come! =)

Easy Summer Dinner

2010-05-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

Marinated Veggies

Chop up your favorite veggies. I use 1 cucumber, 1 onion, 1 green bell pepper, and 1 tomato.
I put them in a container that has a top. Pour over some Italian salad dressing, enough to coat. Also a couple of Tablespoons of white or apple cider vinegar. Let them sit in the fridge a couple of hours and you have an incredibly easy, healthy, yummy side of veggies!

Tilapia

I buy the bag of frozen Tilapia at Target. There are 6 individually wrapped tilapia fillets. Follow the directions to thaw (or you could use fresh). Pam the bottom of a pyrex, heat the oven as directed. Place the fish in the pyrex, salt and pepper the fillets. In a small bowl chop up some whole wheat bread crumbs, put a Tablespoon of dijion mustard and a few drops of lemon juice. Put the mixture on top of the tilapia and bake as directed. I believe it is 12-14 minutes. The mixture gets a little crispy and gives the fish a lot of flavor.

Rice

I recently have been making the Uncle Ben's 90 second packages. They are great, so quick, and always turn out great! So choose whatever flavor you like!

Enjoy your weekend. We have an exciting weekend planned for all of Kerra and Chris's wedding festivities! YAY!

Subtle Changes.

2010-05-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

Preparing to spray paint. I wanted to take the 2 more "wild colored" crosses and paint them white to make the cross wall a little more neutral. The flower topiaries came from my grandmother a few years ago. Originally the bottoms were blue and for my apartment I painted them green, flowers remained light pink. So I sprayed all of these things white.

Before:

After:

(For now, I have them in the guest room, haven't quite figured out where I am going to put them)

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

(This was red before.)

I like the way it turned out. Looks softer.

Fresh Look.

2010-05-24T05:52:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend. Hope you did too! We went to the beach Thursday and spent a long weekend with my family. It was wonderful, but too short! Hopefully I will get in more posts this week than I have been.

Do you ever get tired of what you look at every day? I have been on this crazy organizing, cleaning, changing kick. I have organized every nook and craney, every closet, every basket, etc. I also have been thinking about "our next future house" and how I think I want to do every thing in neutrals and whites. Fresh and clean feeling and no CLUTTER. So I have been putting some things away and changing things around. I changed the pillows on the sofa to some others I had around the house.

Before:

After:

I know the slip covers are horrid... But I am holding on to the dream of fabulous new sofa's in a fabulous new house! I'd rather save for that and it work with that house instead of now.

Have a great Monday!

Shopping for an outdoor side table.

2010-05-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to find an outdoor side table to go in between our new outdoor chairs. Not really sure what look I am going for, but something clean and simple. Here are a few I found shopping online.

I think this is my favorite. But I would have to paint it, the wicker does not match the wood of the chairs. Unfortunately, I'd rather not buy something new then have to work on it.. It is from Target and it is $ 79.

Love this one! So retro. Bad colors though: green, red, yellow, blue. It is from Walmart and it is $ 35.

This is from Overstock.com I like the sunburst pattern. It is $88.

I like the fact that this one is large enough to eat on. The color looks like it would match perfectly. It's from World Market and it is $ 69. It just might be the one!

I need to check out Home Goods again. Thought about going to Hobby Lobby, but it might all be too frilly and iron-ish. Any thoughts of where else I could look? Anyone seen anything recently?

Hire ME.

2010-05-18T06:25:00.000-07:00

The job search is frustrating. All of my life I have wanted to try working on my own, having my own clients, etc. So I figured, grab the bull by the horns. So if anyone needs help SPACE PLANNING, DECORATING, ORGANIZING, STAGING, RE-FINISHING FURNITURE... call me. I have had 1 client and have another lined up for the summer. Hope my dream comes to fruition!

If you know anyone that has mentioned needing some help and advice, I would really appreciate you forwarding my information a long.

Thank you!

Greenery

2010-05-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

Phew, it's been a whirlwind. But, I wanted to post my new plants. This is our back porch before.

The mat had gotten mildewed from the rain, so I had to replace it, something where D$ could scrape his feet!

After:

I bought the mat and the 2 pots for $22 at Old Time Pottery. The grassy plants where $9 a piece.

This lower picture was taken a week or so after the first picture, so the plants have grown a little.

Here are the new chairs. I love them, they were $40 a piece at Home Goods. Now I just need to find a small table to go in between the chairs and cover up that weird white spot.

My bromeliad died.. So I replaced it with this callalily. It has grown SO much in less than two weeks. I water it every other day. The pot I put it in was a bit pricey, but I thought it looked perfect with it and it's the perfect size. =)

This sucker has to be watered daily. I thought I killed it after having it for 2 days, turns out it just needs watering constantly, and the shade!

Hope everyone had a great weekend and that you are headed towards a fabulous week!

Crazy!

2010-05-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

May is a CRAZY month. 4 Weddings in less than 3 weeks and a beach trip that hopefully the oil spill won't ruin! So forgive me if I don't post every day, hopefully I can get 1 post a week!

I have redone the back porch/tiny plot of land. Every time anyone comes over instead of going to the cutely decorated front porch that is an actually front porch, everyone goes to the back! There were no chairs, no greenery, no nothin! So now we have cute chairs, plants, new door mat. Now I just have to find a little table to put in between the chairs. I'll post pics soon. I haven't been able to take any due to the rain yesterday.

My cake that I made for mother's day was delish if I can say so myself. That is a really good icing recipe. I saw a tip that Ina Garten (from Food Network's Barefoot Contessa) uses on her cakes. She takes a cup of hot water and dips her icing knife and flicks the excess water off and smoothes the icing. Wish I had known that trick before! But I am sure I will use it again!

Here is a pic from our friend's 80's skating party from this past weekend of D$ and myself. We had a ridiculously busy weekend and that was only the beginning for May!

Hope everyone is having a great week and hopefully I can get another post in on here soon!

Strawberry Icing

2010-05-07T05:53:00.000-07:00

All of D$'s family is coming over tonight after dinner out to celebrate mother's day. Unfortunately, I don't get the opportunity to see my sweet mom for mother's day, but I am trying to make the best of it! SO I have a PINK theme!! All the gifts are wrapped in pink, flowers are pink, cake is pink, pink napkins. I may have gone overboard, but I am trying to do something nice! I went to the grocery yesterday in a panic because that is when I found out I was having everyone over TONIGHT... I didn't feel like putting myself through making a home made cake, so I was going to buy a box of strawberry cake mix and make home made strawberry icing. Well this is the 2nd time I have been to Publix and they didn't have that cake mix! So I bought white cake and put a little pink food coloring in the mix. I am making this yummy sounding icing for the cake. Hope it is as delish as it sounds!

Hope every mother had a wonderful Mother's Day!

I love you mom, wish I could be with you!

In Style.

2010-05-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

I'm glad to know our home is "in style." I have recently found some pictures from different blogs and websites that match my style or actually pieces of furniture in our house!

Their's

(Design Sponge)

Mine

Their's

(I've had this picture a long time and I don't know where it is from, sorry!)

Mine

The stools were found on Overstock.com and our bed is from Three Sheets.

Supper can be SUPER easy and SUPER creative!

2010-05-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

Last night we had some of Drew's family over. I made the super easy pizza's that I blogged about Friday, you can find the recipe right here. I also made the fruit pizza that I blogged about here. It was pretty yummy and SO easy! Fun idea for a party of a few friends coming for dinner because everyone can make their own pizza!

I put each different topping in a little tea cup. Pepperoni, sliced ham, pineapple, green pepper, onion, olives, sun dried tomatoes, and I put the sauce and cheese in bowls.

Here is the fruit pizza. I put it on my huge cake plate and I thought it looked really pretty and it is SO easy!

Here was the table scape. Just used my every day dishes with some monogrammed napkins I received as a shower gift. I had to take a picture of the beautiful roses I found at Publix as well!

It was a fun night and I didn't have a whole lot to clean up, which is always a plus!

New Sideboard

2010-05-03T06:10:00.000-07:00

I am thrilled. I have wanted this piece of furniture since December. I have had my eye on it at the Antiques and Interiors Market it in the old Ethan Allen building. I didn't want to spend the money and I felt like we didn't have the room, but Drew has been trying to convince me to get it. So I went Friday, talked them down on the price a little and they delivered it that day! The only place that it would really go is in the dining room, eventually I would like to have it in a foyer of a different house... But the storage is FABULOUS. Everything is much more organized and now I can put my hands on what I need when I need it instead of searching everywhere.

Recognize?

Yes that is 1/2 the reason I wanted this piece so bad...

Easy Personal Pizza Recipe

2010-04-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

D$'s new favorite thing is this little personal pizza I will make him for dinner every now and then. And it's healthy!!

I take a pizza pan and put a whole wheat tortilla on it and bake it for about 3 or 4 minutes at 350 degrees.

Choose your favorite pizza or marinara sauce and spread it on the tortilla after it has baked some.

D$ likes pineapple and ham on his, I used sun dried tomatoes, onion, and broccoli for mine. Use your favorite toppings.

Then top with mozzarella cheese and bake 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are a little brown.

Serve with a salad and you have an easy, healthy, tasty dinner!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friends.

2010-04-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

So last night I am getting ready for bed and my dad sends me a text. He is getting used to his new iPhone so I couldn't really make out what it said. But right the text I couldn't understand, he sent me this picture:

And then I realized it said "I am on the Friends set."

Of course I started FLIPPING OUT. If you know me at all you know that my obsession with "Friends" runs quite deep... I have watched every episode on TV a gazillion times and I can't even count how many times I've gone through the 10 seasons on DVD. D$ and I don't even have cable in our bed room because every night before we go to sleep we watch at least 2 episodes on DVD. I know I sound like a freak.. But I'm not I just love the show and all the characters, especially Monica! Here are the rest of the pics.

Dukes of Hazard

Gran Torino

Harry Potter

My dad is in California receiving an award this week and went on a tour of Warner Brother's Studio. So D$ and I decided last night that we were going to go in the fall for our 1 year anniversary. HOLLA!

Change.

2010-04-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

I love my pretty table cloth and yellow place mats but I wanted to change it up. Couldn't figure out how without just taking it off and using different place mats. Well when some ketchup made it on the table cloth last night, I knew I had to do it!

So my lovely friend Allie gave me these wonderful, thick, pretty place mats for one of my showers. Perfect for spring and summer! I like the geometric pattern with my vintage vases with my few flowers that were left living. Clean and crisp.

If you don't know me, I am a fan of The Food Network. I love Ina Garten on Barefoot Contessa. Well the other day she made these incredible looking cookies. She said she has always searched for making the BEST oatmeal raisin cookies. I got the recipe online here. I made them yesterday to give to some of our family! They make a ton and they are delicious!

Research.

2010-04-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

I finally found some shelves that look similar to mine. I have been looking since I got the shelf. They are really fun!

Interesting huh? I'm glad I spent the time to get back to the wood!

Success! Beginning to End.

2010-04-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

On the book stand/shelf. PRAISE. It's done, over, and I love it.

If you have been following this is the bookshelf that I wanted to strip and re-stain. This color just doesn't really compliment the retro style of this piece of furniture!

Before:

I thought that the paint would be fairly fresh considering the section of the antique store I found it in. Everything was shabby chic and painted this blue or white, so I assumed it would be somewhat easy to remove. Well I was SO WRONG. I started using my power sander thinking it would take about an hour to just sand all the paint off. Well I was SO WRONG. I ended up going to the hardware store and got some STRONG paint stripper. So total time of sanding and stripping = 10 hours. I also burned several inches of my skin due to the harsh chemicals.

This is when I gave up:

So D-Money found a place in the phone book that stripped furniture. (Because he was probably tired of hearing me fret about trying to get the paint off!) Bare Woods in Cahaba Heights across the street from Miss Myra's Bar-B-Q and Flip Flops and What Nots. They were SO kind and helpful. When they called me to let me know it was ready they said they understood why I gave up. That it gave them a hard time too! So it made me feel so much better that I didn't spend much more time sanding and stripping. You see, it would have been pretty dang easy if I could have removed any of the shelves so that I could work on each piece individually. WELL, every piece is fixed. It cost only $5 less to have it professionally stripped as the piece of furniture cost... I should have just gone their in the first place. Glad to know it is there!

After I picked up from Bare Woods:

Good job guys. 98% gone.

I wanted this shelf to match my retro credenza and night stand so I chose an "American Walnut" stain. It really worked well. I put 3 coats of stain on and 2 coats of semi-gloss polyurethane.

End product:

Funny because that is the best picture I have of it finished and it is in the garage and I still have painters tape on the feet.

I'm pretty pleased if I can say so myself. I didn't think I could get through it a week ago. Hope you enjoyed the journey, I will just enjoy the outcome!!

Sweeties.

2010-04-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

Book stand update: All I have to say is that I better love this thing... After I bought all the things to strip and sand the shelf, I had to get it professionally stripped/dipped after I spent about 10 hours trying to do it myself. That cost $45. I picked it up yesterday and they did a pretty good job. Got probably 98% of the paint off. I went to Home Depot and bought some American Walnut stain, spent 3 hours staining yesterday. Polyurethaned it once last night, I'll put another coat on this morning and I can bring it inside Saturday! YAY. It's a little darker than I wanted but I kept going over it and over it because there were some weird spots...

ANYWAY some sweets for the weekend whether you are look for a dessert or a breakfast extra!

Peach Honey Spread

In a bowl,
Add 1 sliced peach
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mash with a form until the mixture is the consistency of chunky applesauce. Serve as a topping for pancakes or French toast, or serve it over roast chicken or pork. YUM

Frozen Ice Cream Dessert

1 pound packaged oreo cookies
1/2 Cup melted butter

Mix and put in bottom of 9 x 13 inch dish and chill.

Filling:
1 large can of carnation milk
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup butter
2 squares melted semi-sweet chocolate

Put ingredients in sauce pan, cook and boil 10-15 minutes until thick (watch the mixture, so it doesn't burn)

Put 1/2 gallon softened ice cream on the crumbs in dish and freeze. Put cooled chocolate mixture over ice cream. When frozen put 2 cups whipped cream over top and sprinkle with chocolate or nuts!

Hope everyone has a sweet, wonderful, safe weekend!

Good buy and some pretties.

2010-04-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

I really needed some rugs for inside by all 3 doors that lead outside. I knew I needed ones with rubber backing and for the rug to be rough enough to brush shoes off. I checked out Old Time Pottery because since I needed to somewhat buy in bulk and they have such cheap prices. I'm GLAD I did! I have never seen an indoor, outdoor, and bathroom rug selection in my life quite like theirs! They had some great ones and of course some tacky, cheap looking ones. I bought 3 bound, mountain grass, rubber backed rugs for $11.99 a piece! I was thrilled. They had different colored boarders as well like black, red, taupe, and brown like mine.

I saw D-Money's aunt today and she asked if I wanted some butter beans from their veggie garden. Of course I did and while I was there she asked if I wanted any of her flowers from their front yard! Like I didn't already have enough around the house, now I have more beautiful flowers!

Lovely, pink Azeleas.

And my all time favorite... Hydrangeas! Lucky me, she told me if I ever wanted more to come over and clip them, no call needed!

My book stand is ready to be picked up! The guy said he completely knew why I gave up. Said it was a lot of work to get the paint off. I am picking it up this afternoon and plan on starting to stain it this afternoon or tomorrow. I'll post pics next week, I hope I'm done by then!

3. Random's

2010-04-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

1. Drew came home from lunch and surprised me with 3 of my favorite things. A HUGE bouquet of flowers (see below, there were so many, they are all over the house!) my favorite bottle of wine; and my guilty pleasure, peanut butter m & m's.

On my dresser, had so many flowers I had to get creative and just used a water glass.

I love putting flowers in my green tea pot!

Dining table centerpiece.

2. Just discovered 4 YUMMY flavors of Yoplait light. Not the BIGGEST fan of yogurt because it seems sour. But these are sweet and lo cal!

Raspberry Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Strawberry Shortcake

Random, but I like to share info!

3. I have been spring cleaning... Organizing, cleaning, everything! So I thought, why not clean the front porch.. BIG mistake. I was getting pollen EVERYWHERE. Couldn't stop coughing. I tried blowing off the window ledges, used windex on the table, dusted off everything I could until I had to come inside. Everything looks smeared. Had to change my clothes. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO CLEAN POLLEN OFF OUTSIDE!? Should I just wait? But how long? Let me know, please!

Book stand update

2010-04-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

I couldn't stomach sanding and stripping it anymore... Ended up having to take it somewhere to get it stripped. It is going to cost just as much as the actual piece of furniture! Hopefully it will be worth it. They said if they can get the paint off I can have it back in a couple of days.

This is the stain I am going to go for, I decided. If it comes down to it that the paint can't be removed, I don't know what I'll do! I have my heart set on staining!

Recipe Friday

2010-04-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share 2 wonderful, yummy, sweet recipes that my Mimi shared with me when I started compiling family recipes 2 years ago.

Strawberry Cake

1 Package white cake mix
3 oz. package strawberry jello
2 Tablespoons flour
4 eggs

Beat ingredients together for 2 minutes

Add 1/2 box (1/2 Cup) frozen strawberries. Beat 1 more minute.
Add 3/4 Cup oil. Beat 1 more minute.

Divide mix into 2- 9" pans.

Bake 35-40 Minutes at 350 degrees.

Icing

1/2 Cup butter
1 box confectioners sugar
1/2 box frozen strawberries
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Hospitality Pie

1- 8 oz. cream cheese
1- can Eagle Brand
1- 6 oz. cool whip
1 stick butter
1 Cup pecans
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
1- 7 oz. package coconut

Spray dish with Pam. Brown coconut and nuts in butter, stirring until brown.
Soften cream cheese and eagle brand a cool whip. Add 1/2 of coconut mixture to this. Layer 1/2 cream cheese mix to casserole, pour caramel topping on it. Then remaining cream cheese mix.

Sprinkle remaining toasted coconut and nuts on top. Freeze.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! We have a busy one! Golf tournament, bridal shower, wedding, and a Sunday school party!

Brownie Bottles

2010-04-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

Last night and tonight I am bringing dinner to families that just had babies. So yesterday morning I thought I would try and make a creative dessert for both families. I started with brownie mix. I added an extra egg to both batters to make it "cakier" and easier to cut.

I let them cool, then flipped them out on parchment paper. Cut with my new cookie cutter that is in the shape of a baby bottle.

I made my home made buttercream vanilla icing and iced them.

Then put some blue food coloring in the remainder of the icing. To put the babies monograms on the bottles!

Not my cleanest baking job or best looking. But it is the thought that counts right?

Update on my book shelf: It's a disaster. Sanded for about an hour yesterday and scrubbed with more chemicals. It's looking better but I don't have much HOPE!

PROGRESS (If you can call it that)

2010-04-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

This is after an hour of power sanding realizing that it wasn't working... I went and bought paint stripper, gloves, mask, etc. Worked on it for close to 5 hours... And this is it!? I have had D-Money help me. We scraped after spraying the stripper on SEVERAL times. Then used water and steel wool. I PRAY that tomorrow I can finish getting the paint off and Thursday start staining. Trying to remain positive. But if I can give you any advice... PAY whatever it takes to get it professionally done!!

Book(something)

2010-04-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

Not really sure what to call this:

But I am going to start sanding it tomorrow. At some point this week, strip the paint and re-stain or paint it. I know it had to been painted/"antiqued" recently because of the section of the store I bought it in. (Everything was painted white or this blue color). So hopefully it won't require too much elbow grease.

I hope that soon the finish will look similar to these book shelves:

To stain or not to stain?

Very similar, huh? I must like it!

Paint Black?

Paint green, to match my "Keep Calm and Carry on" poster?

Def. not painting it white...

I guess it depends on what the wood looks like and how good of shape it is in before I can determine whether to stain or paint. All I know is that the blue has GOT to go. Been meaning to do it since I got the piece. Now that I will be in town the next 2 consecutive weeks, I think I can finally start it!

As I was researching, found this FABULOUS book shelf. I'm LOVING it.

Praying this project doesn't end like this:

Catch up

2010-04-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

Today I am playing the catch up game. Drew left for the Master's Wednesday night and I left for the beach Thursday afternoon. We both had a great time on our separate trips.

While Drew was gone and before I left I made him a few things before he came back. He was thrilled about going to the Master's first of all... So I tried to make it a little extra special. I'm convinced it was his first trip of MANY.

Anyway, his favorite cake is yellow cake with chocolate icing. Even his groom's cake was yellow cake with chocolate icing! See below.

Obviously my cake isn't as beautiful as this one, but he loved it!

Normal yellow cake with chocolate icing:

Drew's dream yellow cake with chocolate icing:

I also made him a batch of Arnold Palmer for him to enjoy while I was gone, although I make him some every week... Also sent some glorified chex mix and home made chocolate chip cookies for he and his friends he went with to enjoy.

This is a birthday cake I made for my grandparents Easter Weekend. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, it was gone in 1.5 days!

I love to bake and to put a special twist on everything. Ever need a cake or cookies for something, let me know!

Recipe Thursday!

2010-04-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

I am leaving for the beach this afternoon so I won't be blogging any recipes tomorrow! A few of us girls are going down to celebrate Kerra's bachelorette party! Fun fun. So while I am basking in the sun here are some refreshing recipes for this warm weather!

Tossed Salad with Apples and Cashews

Dressing: 3/4 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/3 Cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. chopped onion
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup Veg. oil
1.5 tsp. poppy seeds

Salad: 1 small head lettuce
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 LARGE granny smith apples, sliced very thin
1/2 pound swiss cheese, grated
1 (9-1/4 ounce) tin cashews
dried cranberries

Heat the sugar, mustard, salt, vinegar, and onion until the sugar is dissolved. Do not boil. Add the water, oil, and poppy seeds. Chill slightly. Toss together lettuce, spinach, apples, cheese, and cashews. Serve with dressing on the side.

Serves 6-8

Cranberry Salad (my lovely Mimi's recipe)

1 package raspberry jello
1 Cup hot water
1/2 Cup cold water
------------------------------------
COOL.

Add 2 cups cranberries-chopped in blender
1 orange
1 Cup sugar
nuts

Place in serving dish and refrigerate several hours.

Hope everyone has a fabulous and safe weekend!!!

Planter Project

2010-04-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

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The planter is from Old Time Pottery. I bought it for $8.99. I had some left over spray paint that I used on the chairs.

I went to Home Depot today to buy some flowers/plants. I prepped by laying out a trash bag, potting soil, and all the plants.

From the outside of the planter in: Creeping Jenny- Outside. Pink Impatiens- Next. Coleus in the middle. I spent about $20. Someone helped me, BIG time, because I don't know what works with shade, etc. She told me once it got REALLY hot to water them every other day.

The white square pot is from Tuesday Morning. I bought it off the clearance rack for $3.99. I bought 2 containers of sweet mint. I LOVE MINT. It smells so great and I have already used some in my tea today.

I rinsed off a popsicle stick and with a sharpie wrote MINT on the clean end. Then stuck it in the soil of my mint pot. VOILA!

Tuesday Morning

2010-04-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday morning I am going to Tuesday Morning! Once I drink some coffee and awake my senses, I am on a mission. They have some GREAT deals today and I think for the rest of this week. It starts at 8 am today. Here is a link showing some of their new items and their great prices! I am going to try and find a few outdoor accessories to spruce up our front porch. Maybe a few birthday/mother's day gifts, etc.

Found a great, inexpensive planter yesterday! Went to Old Time Pottery. It was green and $8.99. So far, I've painted it. Going to get soil, flowers, and herbs today! Trying to do some research to see what would be best and easiest to plant. I'll post the before and after tomorrow!

These are some of the CUTE things at Tuesday Morning.

Planters with Flowers

2010-04-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

I really want to get a planter and put flowers or herbs in it. It would sit on the ledge right outside on our front porch. I think a long, rectangular one would look great because the space is slim and long.
Something like these:

I need suggestions on what flowers to use or herbs. It is in the shade but gets some sun light. If anyone has experience with growing flowers outside let me know what has and hasn't worked for you!!

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-01T04:52:00.000-07:00

This is sort of recipe Friday on a Thursday. Busy weekend a head yet again! When I was younger my mom would always make us an Easter Bunny cake. When I got older I would help her. But in the spirit of the holiday I thought I would post a few pictures of what they look like! Just make a regular cake mix in 2 - 9" round pans. Then cut like this, once they are cooled.

Ice with white or brown icing, whichever color bunny you like best! Cover the icing with coconut and decorate! We used to dye coconut green for "grass" around the bunny.

(Picture from "Everyday Celebrating")

(Picture from "Sisterly Savings")

Hope everyone has a wonderful, happy, blessed Easter! Remember why we celebrate. God bless!

Pillows I'd take if given to me.

2010-03-31T05:26:00.000-07:00

Only because Sunday is Easter!

(Ballard Designs)

Springy!

(Pottery Barn)

I love how clean it looks and that it has texture.

(Pottery Barn)

My favorite. The green and gray one.

(West Elm)

Lovely, bright, and clean.

(Pillow Decor)

New Book Shelf!

2010-03-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

I found this little jewel at the Antiques and Consignment store in the old Ethan Allen on 31. Also found out anything over $50 they will take 10% off IF you ask.

I can't figure out, nor have I really given it thought what I am going to do to it. Refinish? Paint?

Better view. Any suggestions of how to finish it off? Please share!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday! Supposed to be a beautiful week.

Spring has Sprung recipes!

2010-03-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Since the weather is getting warmer and more beautiful, I thought I would share some light, fresh, springy-ish recipes. Hope everyone has a lovely, wonderful weekend! We have an exciting, fun weekend ahead!

Lemon-Lime Fruit Dip

Mix together 1/2 Cup low-fat lemon yogurt, 1 tsp. fresh lime juice and 1 tsp. lime zest. Serve with pineapple chunks, strawberries, diced kiwi, sliced, bananas, and grapes.

Marinated Vegetable Salad

16 oz. can tiny peas
12 oz. shoepeg corn
16 oz. French style green beans
1 medium onion
3/4 Cup chopped celery
small jar pimentos, chopped

Drain veggies and combine with onion, celery, and pimento.

Dressing:
1/2 Cup salad oil
1/2 Cup red wine vinegar
3/4 Cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Boil dressing and pour over veggies. Make the day before serving.

Pineapple Coconut Pie

1 unbaked pie crust
2 eggs
1 Cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/3 Cup butter
1 small can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 can coconut

Mix ingredients before putting in pie shell.
Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees.

Fruit Pizza

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese
1/3 Cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Any combination of fruit- strawberries, bananas, pineapple, cherries, blueberries.

1. Spread cookie dough on pizza pan. Bake 12 minute at 375 degrees or until done. Cool.
2. Blend softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread over crust.
3. Arrange any combo of fruit over cheese layer.
4. Glaze fruit that would turn brown. Chill.

A few of my favorite things, some new.

2010-03-24T05:45:00.000-07:00

This is a tea pot I received as a wedding gift, but just thought it would be super cute with some fresh flowers in it sitting on the counter.

I have had the one on the right, but just bought the one on the left at Old Time Pottery. Put them together and it is a new creation! Looks the same on the other side of the mantle!

I love this little guy. I bought him at Ross for $3.99. I need to get a votive that sits in side and then he can be all lit up!

I have tried TONS of lotions, my skin has been so dry. This honestly works SO well. My skin feels great and moisturized! And it is cheap! Read more here.

These are yummy and lo-cal. Coupon here

Share your favorite things at the moment with me! Hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

Bedroom Chair or (Landing Chair)

2010-03-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

This is the chair I bought at the Antiques and Consignment store in the old Ethan Allen. The tag on it said "retro bedroom chair". It is REALLY comfortable and I think it has lots of potential. I just haven't been able to see the potential yet.

The table is one of three nesting tables, the large one is used as the end table down stairs, the medium one and this small one were in "the man cave". So I stole this one and put it there, permanently, or as a substitute! I don't think it looks bad. I have looked for an antique small side table and haven't had much luck.

I haven't found a fabric that I am obsessed with yet. I think I need to find the fabric before I decide if I am going to paint the wood.

Should I choose a solid, textured fabric and paint the chair a color? Or should I choose a large, small, print fabric and paint the wood a neutral color? HELP!

If you have an opinion, I would love to hear it! I want this to be a stand out chair!

Beverage Recipes

2010-03-18T12:50:00.001-07:00

Tis the season for weddings and all kinds of showers! So I thought I would share a few beverage recipes perfect for any kind of event. (Especially girly ones!)

White Sangria

1 (750 mili liter) bottle dry white wine
1 Cup thawed orange juice concentrate
1/2 Cup thawed lemonade concentrate
1/3 Cup thawed limeade concentrate
1 navel orange, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
3 Cups club soda, chilled

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Stir in half of fruit slices. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Stir in club soda just before serving. Serve over ice with remaining fruit slices.

Makes 2 Quarts.

Tea Punch (I got this recipe from my Aunt, it is delicious!)

1 quart water
3/4 to 1 Cup sugar
12 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate (thawed and undiluted)
9.5 Cups water
7 regular size tea bags
1- 6 oz. can orange juice concentrate (thawed and undiluted)

Bring 1 quart water to boil. Remove from heat, add tea bags. Steep 5 minutes. Remove bags. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate and serve over ice.

Makes 1 gallon.

Punch

1 frozen 6 oz. limeade
1 frozen 6 oz. lemonade
1 frozen 6 oz. orange juice
1 (2 quart) cranberry cocktail juice
1 large can pineapple juice
2 Cups cold water
1 large ginger ale, chilled
1 large bottle soda water

Combine ingredients!

Serves 30.

Have a happy, safe weekend! It's gonna be warm! =)

Free Lance Job

2010-03-18T05:24:00.000-07:00

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I was lucky enough last week to work on a free lance job. I organized and decorated a laundry room/ home office space. It was SO much fun and I hope I can continue to do this for other people as well.

I organized papers, medicine, pictures, binders, folders, cleaning supplies, etc. I shopped for baskets, organizational tools, and decorative items. I LOVE to organize for other people, not so much myself, although I stay pretty organized. Enjoy the slide show of before and after shots!

Yummy recipe to come tomorrow!

New Blog!

2010-03-17T06:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Josie has started a new blog. She says that I actually inspired her! Must not take much for you Josie! Just kidding. Thanks for the compliment.

Josie and I go WAY back. I think we have known each other since 7th or 8th grade. We went to Camp McDowell together every summer. SO FUN, I miss it every day!

Anyway, here is some info on her and the link to her blog! Check her out, she has a great start!

Josie McLemore is a former advertising copywriter and now Communications Director for all 15 Montgomery YMCA locations, but secretly dreams of one day becoming a pastry chef. She blogs in her spare time about anything but work and enjoys testing out new recipes and craft projects. Follow her misadventures, experiments, and attempts to flex her creative muscles while satisfying her ever present sweet tooth.

Sunny Side Up:

http://josiemclemore.blogspot.com

This is a picture of a yummy cake she made (recipe provided on her blog), "Peanut Butter Cup Cake"

In need of change...

2010-03-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Cheap change. Wanted to dress up our table on a budget. We have our first supper club supper this Friday night. Of course I offered to have it at our house, how unusual! But I wanted something springy to spice up the dining area from SO much brown.

Table cloth - Target - $16.99

Place Mats - Target - less than $2 a piece (I bought 8)

Flowers - Publix $9.99

It's gonna look really cute with all my dinnerware out! While I was ironing the table cloth tonight I decided when I got tired of it being on the table I was going to use it as fabric for 2 of the pillows in the den. We shall see! Hopefully I can learn how to sew.

Recipe Friday - Weekend Breakfasts

2010-03-12T05:51:00.000-08:00

In honor of the weekend I thought I would include 2 yummy recipes I have that I have never used! Ha, I would like to try them sometime soon though when I have some house guests. Perfect breakfast foods that would be great on a Saturday or Sunday morning! Enjoy!

Orange Breakfast Bread

3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup pecans, chopped
1 Tbsp. orange zest
2 (12 oz) cans refrigerated biscuits
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cut into 20 squares
1/2 Cup butter, melted

Combine the first 3 ingredients and set aside. Separate each biscuit in half. Place cream cheese square between biscuit halves and pinch sides together to seal. Dip in butter and dredge in sugar mixture. Stand biscuits on edge in greased bundt pan Drizzle with remaining butter and sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until golden. Immediately glaze.

Glaze: 1 Cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. orange juice

Combine and drizzle over warm biscuits. Serves 12-16

Baked French Toast

1 (9 oz) loaf of French of sourdough bread
3 eggs
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 Cups milk
1 Cup fresh or frozen raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries
1/4 Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup flour
6 Tbsp. brown sugar

Cut bread in 1-inch slices. Place in bottom of well greased 9 x 13 pan. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and milk; pour over bread. Cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Before baking in the morning, turn bread over making sure all is coated. Sprinkle on fruit. Cut butter into flour and brown sugar until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake uncovered. Cut into squares.

Oven temperature: 375 degrees
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 8

Have a blessed weekend!

Need HELP with T-Shirt Quilt!

2010-03-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

I was talking to one of my best friends Coral yesterday and she has a break coming up and she decided she was going to try and make a t-shirt quilt. She and I have WAY too many T-shirts from highschool and college that we don't wear. They take up so much drawer space at my house so I wanted to try and create a quilt too. That way when I feel the need to reminisce I can cover up with a blanket instead of deciding what shirt to wear!

That brings me to the question: has anyone ever does this before or know how to? I googled it and there were too many options. I really would like the easy way out!

Let me know!

"The Art of Correspondence, Thank-you Letters"

2010-03-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

This is a wonderful, informative lesson from one of my very best friends Nicole Gum. She shares my appreciation for etiquette, we have even talked about writing our very own etiquette book one day, together! That would be SO fun. Here is a little bit about Nicole:

Nicole Gum currently resides in Washington, D.C. She graduated in May 2008 from Tulane University with a degree in Psychology. She is employed by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as an Advertising Specialist for their publication. She enjoys traveling, reading, and watching Mad Men in her free time. While she loves the exciting lifestyle of a big city- she hopes to return back to the South soon for Graduate School and to be closer to her wonderful family and friends.

The Art of Correspondence

Thank-you Letters

I am delighted to be a contributing writer to The Creative Instinct Blog (which I follow devotedly). Let me begin with saying that I am a firm believer in expressing gratitude through the traditional form of letters. Now in contemporary times, I understand that e-mail is popular, but readers please never underestimate the value of a hand-written letter. I enjoy Crane and Co. Stationery which is sold at most stationery retailers. (http://www.crane.com/navHome.aspx).

Most Important Message: Regardless of the present; every gift deserves a proper thank-you.

Here are some tips for writing an appropriate thank-you letter:

1.) Address the recipient of the card and wish them well.

2.) Thank them for the gift directly (ex. the toaster, the sweater, the gift certificate).

3.) Explain in brief detail how much you enjoy using/wearing/spending that certain item. Use colorful adjectives!

4.) Make the note personal by adding your own essence to it while addressing the recipient. It is always good to bring up the possibility of seeing them again soon at a future date.

5.) Finally, at the end of the thank-you letter reiterate their kindness and their generosity.

Remember also to write thank-you notes timely. Never wait longer than 2-4 weeks before mailing them out. It might seem like a small gesture, but illustrating your appreciation in words is not only polite but also imperative.

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention. ~Oscar Wilde
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My 2 favorite etiquette books are :

Check them out! Or ask me! They both are very close to me. Hope you enjoyed Nicole's post. When in doubt, ALWAYS write a thank you note! If someone has you for dinner, sends you a little gift, anything. Anyone's thoughtfulness to get something for you or do something for you ALWAYS deserves appreciation and writing a thank you note doesn't take long. Just follow Nicole's steps!

Guest Post!

2010-03-09T06:25:00.000-08:00

Guest post to come tomorrow morning! I'm so excited to have my first guest blogger! One of my very best friends Nicole will write about etiquette and thank you notes (one of my favorite things in the world). We both feel strongly about this subject because of the way we were brought up. Tune in tomorrow for a WONDERFUL, informative post!

Dishwasher

2010-03-07T13:57:00.001-08:00

I was told I was getting older because I was THAT excited about getting a new dishwasher. This dishwasher is FABULOUS! It was delivered and installed on Friday. Surprisingly, it has only run once this weekend, now I'm not scared to dirty up dishes!

Old one to the left. Not a great shot, this was before house was painted, etc, But you get the point.

The new one! Sleek. The buttons are on the top panel, they are not seen from the front.

Inside.

I would recommend it to anyone, SO FAR!

Recipe Friday - Cake Icing

2010-03-04T15:20:00.001-08:00

Shout out to my #1 blog follower, LAURA. Saturday is her birthday so in honor of her I am going to share some cake frosting recipes I have! Happy Birthday LO!

We are receiving a new dishwasher today! I am super pumped. I will show before and after pics and share the wonders of this new one next week.

(Update on my grandmother: she has to have a tumor biopsied in a week and a half, we will know more then. )

Now onto the icing:

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3 Cups Confectioners' Sugar
1 Cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tablespoons whipping cream

In a standing mixer, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

(I don't have a standing mixer yet, so I use my regular beaters. I just place the bowl in the sink and make it 1/2 at a time so it doesn't go everywhere!)

Chocolate Frosting

6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 to 1/2 Cup cocoa powder
2 2/3 Cups powdered sugar
1/3 Cup Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream butter, add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk. Beat to spreading consistency, adding more milk if needed. Blend in vanilla.

These are super easy and it is SO worth it. I usually make box cake then make my own icing and it really adds a nice touch over canned icing! Hope everyone has a great weekend.

My Mimi

2010-03-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

If you all have a chance today to say a little prayer for my Mimi. She has been through more than any person should ever have to go through in 1 life. Cancer more than once, over 30 surgeries, many falls, the loss of many loved ones, etc. Today she goes to the doctor to see if her cancer has grown again. If it has she will have to go back on IV chemo, which she probably won't be able to handle again. Please pray that it hasn't grown and she can stay on the pill form of chemo she is on now. I wish I had all day to tell you about how wonderful my grandmother is and how inspiring and Godly of a woman she is. She is an inspiration. In October, I helped her and my step-grandfather move into assisted living and I know she wants to be home SO bad. I so wish they had the strength to live by themselves, but thankful they have people around when they need them.

(This picture was taken at our rehearsal dinner, I gave her a handkerchief that said:

"Mimi, may your tears be tears of JOY today. Love Sarah, 11.14.09"

Her name is Joy, and she truly is a Joy!)

So again, my family would appreciate you lifting her up in prayer!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day. I am going home for the night and will post a yummy recipe on Friday!

Sitting on the front porch

2010-03-01T13:56:00.001-08:00

With spring just around the corner I want to make it a habit to sit outside everyday. We have a small, but nice front porch with people walking by all the time! Here are some pictures.

View from the street

Drew had this table in the house B.S. (before Sarah) It has been painted with weather proof paint.

Lovely, turquoise chairs!

You can see the chairs to the right, this is what the chairs looked like before I mad them wild at my old apartment.

I bought 2 cans of Rust-Olem paint, it worked great. Purchased the seat cushions as a pair at "Home Goods" for less than $25. The chairs are really comfy.

The wire table I found at an antique store in Huntsville. One day I'd like to get a piece of metal for the top or a thick piece of glass. There is a platter on top for now!

I love our precious door mat, great wedding gift!

Really looking forward to Spring, Summer, and drinks on the front porch!

Shrimp and Grits

2010-02-25T06:16:00.001-08:00

So far my famous dinner is "Shrimp and Grits". It is fairly simple, so I will share how I do it.

I buy a bag of the small sized shrimp that is cooked and deveined at Target. It is in the refrigerated meat section.

While the grits are cooking I saute on low heat the shrimp in a little minced garlic and lime juice. (Both store bought and prepared, you know the little jar of minced garlic, and the little lime juice thing). I usually just let it sit and stir it every few minutes, just so that it heats up so that it isn't cold, and the garlic and lime give it a little flavor.

Cheese Grits

1 cup grits
1 tsp. salt
5 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cup sharp cheese, grated
1 stick butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Lea & Perrin

Mix the grits, salt, and water. Cook over slow heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add cheese and butter, stir in well beaten eggs. Add seasonings and Lea & Perrin. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. (I sometimes cook it longer until it is firm) It may be prepared a day ahead and baked at the last minute. Serves 6-8.

Serve with chopped up bacon, chopped tomatoes, and extra cheese.

This has been a crowd pleaser! The grits recipe was my grandmothers.

Enjoy the weekend!!

Pretty Birthday Present

2010-02-25T06:12:00.000-08:00

My friend Brittany and I found these cute little vases in an old time pharmacy in Crestline Village. They had the neatest stuff. I love old "original" pharmacies where they actually have giftie stuff too, besides the usual drugs, etc.

I have 2 birthday parties this week, so I bought 2 of these.

Put one of those pretty orange gerber daises (in the back ground) in one for Kerra last night.

This one is for my other friend Brittany. (hopefully she won't see this before tomorrow night!)

Tie it with some coordinating tulle and you are ready to go! I think it is a precious birthday gift if I must say so myself!

Cross Collection

2010-02-23T15:10:00.001-08:00

I love crosses. 2 reasons. The obvious one: Jesus. The second: because they are so cool looking! So many options everywhere you go. I think crosses are something you can collect your entire life and they make great gifts for friends too.

This is in the first landing of our stairs, you see it from downstairs and as you are coming DOWN the stairs from upstairs.

The majority of them are from Hobby Lobby that I bought when their home accents are 50% off. My newest edition the orange and blue was from an antique store downtown. The wooden, branch cross is from At Home.

A few of my favorites:

Very easy way to turn a blank wall into a very unique masterpiece, inexpensively!

Options!

2010-02-23T05:59:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a glorious weekend! Two of my very good friends came to stay with me on Friday night and they were both lovely enough to give me a little gift for hosting their stay. Shout out to Sallianne and Meredith!

Sal gave me this cute tin candle holder with an unscented candle. She said it is for outside and it WOULD look perfect on my front porch. But, until this weather is warm consistently and I can sit outside every evening, I'll keep it inside. Also because I think it is so pretty, I want to enjoy it!

With the candle. I am sure it will look really pretty one spring night with the candle flickering... But until then...

Found a vase that is a little taller than the holder, so I can get it in and out. Filled it with water and set the vase down in it.

Then filled it with my beautiful gerber daises that I bought from Whole Foods before my guests came.

So until it is warm, this is the centerpiece of the dinner table! Love it! Thanks Sal.

(And thanks Mere for the yummy smelling candle, I'm burning it all the time!)

Yummy Home-Made Chocolate Chip and M&M cookies

2010-02-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

(Just baked these this morning for my house guests coming this evening!)

1 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup of your favorite kind of m&m's (or 2 cups chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Add to the batter as well as the salt. Stir in the flour, chocolate chips, and m&m's. Place large spoonfuls onto un-greased pans. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are browned.

This makes 4 dozen

If they are too hard in a day or two after baking them, pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds and they will be soft like you just took them out of the oven! They are so yummy.

Have a great weekend!

Things in Things

2010-02-17T06:45:00.000-08:00

I just realized how many baskets or things I have holding things.

But I do think it is a good idea having a designated place for certain things so that the house doesn't get cluttered and you know where those things are if you have to look for them!

This is a basket I have on the credenza for mail and Drew's magazines or things we need to go through.

When Drew bid on this Gucci golf bag on ebay a long time ago, he knew there would be some use for it right? The umbrella holder by the door!

I bought this basket for $12 at Old Time Pottery and I have it in the first landing of the stairs. If I don't have time to run upstairs or I just don't want to, I put it in the basket and take it up and unload when I want.

THE BEST. My utensil crock. I can't imagine life without it or how all this stuff would fit in a drawer! So easy to grab anything I need when I'm at the stove.

I just recently received this footed compote in my every day china. I think it is beautiful. It is the perfect size to store fruit and veggies.

Besides my Juliska everyday we registered for, my grandmother gave me all of her everyday china a couple of years ago. This is a serving piece from it. I love that it is white so I can mix pieces with my new. This is Drew's Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine candy. I don't touch it!

This big bowl sits on top of the fridge with all the bread.

I really don't like clutter and I live to be organized. So these pieces help make my life simple!

Flower Obsession...

2010-02-15T16:14:00.001-08:00

I never really thought I was a big fan of flowers... I received them at every performance since I was 3, maybe I just didn't take them all in for what they were worth. I DO NOW! I love them. They brighten my day. I end up changing the water, trim, and re-arrange the ones in our house, daily. Like grooming a pet, I suppose. I am just now looking through a lot of our wedding photo's and thought I would post some of my favorites of the flower arrangements.

Wreath on the gate in front of the church.

Roses, spider mums, hydrangeas, and those little green berries I love!

Can't seem them very well.. I couldn't find a close up of the altar flowers.

Hydrangeas marking the family pews.

My bouquet

Gardenias (3rd generation for a gardenia wedding bouquet!), roses, stephanotis

Bridesmaids bouquet

Spider mums, roses, berries, artichokes

Bouquets

I am obsessed...

Reception centerpiece

For the wedding ceremony, we just had ivory and green flowers because the church is so colorful and beautiful, I didn't want to take away from that with flowers. For the reception we had some pinks and peaches added to the green and ivory mix.

Used the bridesmaids bouquets for some of the centerpieces at the reception.

Those were my favorites. We had the BEST florists, best in Huntsville. They were wonderful to work with and SO helpful. Not sure if they would want me to advertise them on my blog, so if you want their info, leave me a comment with your e-mail address! Now if only I could plant them and have them survive. For now, I just purchase.

A spot for now.

2010-02-15T06:16:00.000-08:00

This is where I am trying out the sun burst clock. At the top of the stairs in the landing across from my desk area. I couldn't find an appropriate spot to hang it on the wall so, propping it for now will have to do! I will also find a different spot for that chair once I have the "bedroom" chair recovered. And once I find the fabric for it! ha

Still have to find the correct battery size so it will work!

Hope everyone had a magical Valentines day! We had a good one.

Recipe Friday

2010-02-11T18:27:00.001-08:00

Warm and EASY! 1 side 1 dessert.

Corn Casserole

1 stick butter
1 egg
1 can cream style corn
1 small box cornbread mix
1 small sour cream

Melt butter and mix all ingredients well. Pour into small baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

(I made this for my family last night and it is a new favorite!)

Easy Fudge Pie

1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 regular frozen pie crust

Mix together first 3 ingredients. Add in the 3 dry ingredients. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Cook until almost set, 30-33 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and allow pie to cool. Top with whipped cream or ice cream.

(I make this pie ALL the time in a pinch, when I need a dessert, it is SO easy and SO yummy)

Happy weekend and Valentines Day!! I'm going to Black Eyed Peas on Saturday night with some besties and to my favorite place for dinner on Valentines Day!

Obsession..

2010-02-11T05:41:00.000-08:00

SO my parents came yesterday! We had a quick lunch and only got to go to ONE store.. Then we went car looking for my mom. So that took the rest of the day. Luckily they will be here a little longer today and we are going to hit the old Ethan Allen store and Home Goods.

Found these jewels at the Consignment/Antique store on Rocky Ridge behind the old Starbucks. The name has completely left me for the moment. It is 1960's Danish sofa and 2 chairs. For $475 with %20 off. If you are interested let me know and I can give you directions. It is a steal of a deal for me. Probably because I want it so badly... I have no where to put it. I would OBVIOUSLY recover the cushions, but if you like the fabric... you are in luck! Each piece is in PERFECT condition, even the straps under the cushions. Some one took perfect care of these puppies.. As I would. =(

This is actually very similar to the Danish bedroom chair I bought recently that I have been meaning to re-do for a month or so...

Maybe we will find something else spectacular today!

Hope everyone has a great Thursday and I'll put up a yummy recipe tomorrow (or 2)!

Dinner food? Sides? or DESSERT? Someone tell me what they would rather me put up!

Cheapest Nightstand EVER!

2010-02-10T06:03:00.000-08:00

Good morning! After D and I got engaged of course I went CRAZY trying to do the house. Well one of the last things I needed was my own nightstand. I had redone Drew's to match his dresser and to match the one I bought for myself. I looked EVERYwhere for a night stand. Then my mom had a bright idea to buy one of these little round stick tables, skirt it, and have a piece of glass cut for the top. Well one time I was at home with my parents and I ran to a garage sale (this was after I had given up on the nightstand for a while). I found this table... for $1!!!!

This is the table skirted. The green is the same fabric as the chair I recovered for our bedroom and the topper is the same fabric as our duvet. Less than $30 of fabric.

Finished product.

Table: $1

Fabric: $30

Glass: $10

So a $41 custom made night stand! I like it. I just wish it had a drawer.. So I have to stick some things under the skirt! Have a great Wednesday!

Fabulous Find

2010-02-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

This was what I bought at "On a Shoestring" on Sunday. My sister-in-law told me that this was there a couple weeks ago. So I went and looked for myself and couldn't find it. I had Laura and the owner looking for it everywhere. Then talked to Shelley and she told me exactly where it was. I figured whenever I had time I would go back if it was still there it was meant to be! And it was!

If anyone knows me they know my obsessiveness with sun-bursts. This one is from the 1960's and if I could actually get the right size battery, Drew thinks it will work again. Going to re-try tonight and hang it up! I believe I am going to put it above the book shelf by my desk in the landing.

Powder Room

2010-02-07T16:26:00.001-08:00

It's been a strange weekend. But we have a good week coming up. My sweet doggie of almost 16 years was put to rest on Friday morning. My whole family is having a hard time coping with the loss, he was part of the family! But tonight we are having Drew's cousin Mark and his wife Michelle over for dinner before they leave for Brazil for 4 years! We will miss them dearly. My parents are coming to be with me Wednesday and they are spending the night. We are going antiquing so I can post if I find anything good! Speaking of finding something good, went to "On a Shoestring" again this afternoon with Drew and got something AWESOME! I will post on it tomorrow. Then Saturday one of my very best friends, Coral is coming to stay with us and she, Laura, and I are going to the BLACK EYED PEAS! Can't wait. Anyway, so start of a new, fresh, clean week.

Speaking of clean and fresh this is our powder room. This is the only wall with the damask wall paper. The rest of the walls are painted a light, light creme, the color of the pattern. I notice now more than ever how crooked and badly spaced my frames are... Must get on that soon. The frames were %50 off at Hobby Lobby, that is THE ONLY time to buy picture frames, they have such good deals! The frames came matted with the white mattes and the inside is just damask patterned craft paper that I cut to fit. Can you believe that the toilet is creme and the pedestal sink is white!? ugh.

This mirror is from Home Goods. I think it was less than $30. They have an awesome selection of mirrors. You can see the miniature window (kind of) in the mirror. I couldn't maneuver well enough to get a shot of the window (it is a powder room). I have a long, geometric patterned, white window treatment that drags the ground. I have a mate for it and I have thought about one day hanging them on the 4 tall windows in our stair well. But for now, it stays.

I have had this shelf since I was a little girl. The room needed a little something else in it and so I stuffed this in there. Right now it is too cluttered for me, but I like everything that's on there! Any suggestions on what to do with the shelves?

Hope everyone has a great Monday. I will post my cool, antique item tomorrow!!

Recipe Friday

2010-02-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

I have 2 REALLY simple soup/chili recipes that take less than 45 minutes a piece from start to finish. Before it starts to get warm I thought I would post these! They both are really yummy and they both have become 2 of my staple recipes to go to for an easy dinner.

Taco Soup (from my mom)
serves 8-10

1 1/2 lbs ground chuck-browned
1 (16 oz) can whole kernal corn
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans (so not rinse)
1 (16 oz) kidney beans
1 (10 oz) can Ro-tel tomatoes
2 (16 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2 cups water
2 beef bouillion cubes
1 (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz) package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

Mix all ingredients in large stock pot. Heat to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with cheese, nachos, sour cream, and salsa.

I have used ground chuck and ground turkey for this. Both are good!

White Chili (from Drew's mom)
serves 4-6

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 (4 oz) chopped green chilis
3 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (16 oz) can great northern beans (drain & rinse)
1 (14.5) oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped chicken breast

Cook onion in oil until soft. Add chilis, flour, and cumin, cook and stir about 3 minutes. Add this mixture, chicken broth, and beans to pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes. Add chicken, cook until hot.

These recipes are SO EASY! I try and get all Publix or Target brand cans and I really do save some money. Also I didn't know what great northern beans were, but I used Navy beans in the white chili. I do NOT like to cook chicken, I always over cook it so it isn't raw and then it turns out to be tough and chewy like bubble gum. So I use a rotisserie chicken for the white chili, it is SO easy to use and you have left over for another meal! Enjoy! Happy Weekend!

(I didn't put pictures up because soups and chilis don't look all that appetizing on film..)

New Stools!

2010-02-04T05:25:00.000-08:00

Our stools came yesterday! From Overstock.com. They are the perfect height and the silver helps make all the dark in the "dining" and kitchen area not seem so dark..

This isn't where they sit, but the light was better to take the picture here. They are finally the right height for the table and the counter! I kept the saddle stools for future houses.

Antique Finds/All in the family.

2010-02-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Laura and I went to "On a shoestring" in Bluff Park and my favorite "Antiques & Consignments" in the old Ethan Allen building on 31. Here is what I bought! I spent less than $20.

I found this at the first stop. My mom has a vase similar to this and I just really think colored glass is different and fun. I have cleaned it up a little (found a lovely dead wasp in it) now it is ready to go through the dishwasher. I found it in the caboose at "On a shoestring," where everything is 50% off, so this was $2.50.

I'm keeping it all in the family I suppose! This is an old trivet, my grandmother has a painting with this little prayer and I always loved it. Laura bought one similar but it has bright umbrellas on it, it is super cute.

This was my favorite find of the day. It an original rendering of a glass company here in Birmingham. It doesn't have the date on it, but it is in the original frame. My sister-in-law reminded me yesterday that Drew's grandparents on his mothers side owned and ran a glass company in Georgia. So each piece I got yesterday has a significance with a family member!

I love the muted colors and the old cars.

Got to LOVE the architectural handwriting, no CAD back then!

In door green thumb

2010-02-02T05:54:00.000-08:00

In the last couple of weeks I have collected some plants and flowers. My mother has so many plants around their house and I want to be like that! Some how I can't keep them alive very long, so I am crossing my fingers this time. They are good for you too!

These are two types of cacti. They probably are not to be planted together.. But I thought it would be really cute in one of my grandmothers antique cups by the sink. They are to have medium-high light and not much water. They are the not prickily kind of cacti.

Sorry for the bluriness. I need to work on spending time taking my pictures. This is a bromeliad. I got it from Collier's Nursery on Old Rocky Ridge. They were SO helpful. I told them I wanted a plant, easy maintenance, and that didn't need much light (because we don't get much light downstairs). I also already had the pot, from Old Time Pottery, so they helped me get a plant that made all these requirements! This is it! I love the orange bloom. They said to let it fully dry out before watering it again. So I am patiently waiting... I don't want this one to die. The lady who helped me said that in about 6 months the bloom would die, but that another would sprout shortly after, in a different place.

For the last few weeks when I make my weekly Publix trip, I grab a bouquet of flowers. One of the $3.99 or $4.99 ones. I have had these daiseys almost 2 weeks. They came in a larger bouquet and these are the ones that have continued to last. I change the water out every few days and trim them.

Drew came home last night with a beautiful pink and green bouquet for me last night. He had to go to Target to pick up a prescription and we had been there the day before and he remembered that I had commented on this bouquet. I had a few of the flowers from my bouquet at Publix. I kept the green ones from that bouquet and added the ones he brought me last night. I LOVE greenery too, all the extra makes for a beautiful centerpiece!

Here are a few left over in a little bud vase in the powder room. All I do is spend max $4.99 a week and they spruce up my week and home!

Cook Books

2010-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:00

I received A LOT of cook books as a wedding or shower gift and I am so grateful! I put many of them to good use each week. I found the little retro stand at an antique store in Huntsville. It was black, but my dad insisted paining it glossy black. I am glad he insisted. It is the perfect size, holds all my cook books and doesn't get in the way! Holler at me if you ever need a recipe!

Easy treat for the WEEKEND!

2010-01-29T06:07:00.000-08:00

NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar

1 Cup peanut butter

1 Cup milk

1 (16 oz.) package whipped topping

2 (9 in.) prepared graham cracker crust

1. Beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

2. Spoon into two pie shells, cover, freeze until firm.

I made this for my company last night. I think it turned out really yummy. I also used everything fat free or low fat (except for the powdered sugar, obviously). It still tasted and turned out great. You could use an oreo crust or your favorite pie crust as long as it is prepared and ready to go since you don't bake this pie. I melted a little Nutella and drizzled it on top and crushed reeses and sprinkled them around. Still have one left over!

Have a SWEET weekend!

Where I spend the most of my time!

2010-01-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

Dining area. The china cabinet is an antique that my parents have had forever. They gave it to us as a wedding present as well as our wedding! It is STUFFED to the max with all of our fine china, 20 place settings and all! Drew's mom chose the table and chairs before Drew moved into the house a few years ago. It is counter height. The log candles are from Nadeau in Homewood, love that store. It is so inexpensive and they have some really neat pieces of furniture.

I bought the majority of these frames from Hobby Lobby in their 90% off section. They had nicks or something, but spray painted them all the same. I've thought about putting pictures in them, like a collage or something, but I really like the simplicity of it. The light fixture was from I.O. Metro and I paid WAY too much for it. But I do love a drum shade.

The barstools I bought for my apartment. They are the wrong height here and just last night ordered some new bar stools. They are FABULOUS! They will be here just before Valentine's Day. Happy Valentines Day to me! Everything is pretty much standard in this kitchen. Besides the back splash. I put that up, it is from Home Depot. I really think it spruces up the kitchen, in a very inexpensive way! Less than $300 for the whole kitchen. I have to keep my big every day china service pieces on the top of the cabinets because they are too big or there's not enough room in the cabinets!

I keep this on the counter. It is an old mirror, I use it as a tray. With my Southern Living green polka dotted vase and mini pears, and the art deco milk vases I found at J & J Junk for $0.75 a piece.

There is our kitchen! My favorite part: the 50's/60's canisters I found a year ago.

(Picture taken at my apartment, hence the ALL white)

Be our Guest!

2010-01-27T05:47:00.000-08:00

Come stay with us! We already have 2 weekends booked in February!

This is the main guest room. I call it the "beach room." Drew's "man room" is the other guest room.

The walls are "Seascape" by Sherwin Williams. When my parents re-did my room at home when I was in college, the white wicker furniture from 6th grade was saved for me. This is what I used in my apartment and instead of buying a new bed room suite, I used this! I know it isn't the most trendy right now, but I think I made it work! The tan duvet with the white stripe was Drew's old duvet. He never used the shams, so they are as good as new! Drew's mom monogrammed them. I bought the white duvet for around $30 at overstock.com (I'm telling you, it is a great website). The little pillow is the same fabric as the window treatment. I ordered it from my old job, it is a Robert Allen Home damask. Already had the white Euro pillows and bedskirt. The iron piece is from Hobby Lobby. I have considered painting it white. I can't decide, thoughts? The lamp is from Home Goods and I put some sea shells in the base of it.

The mirror was an old, brassy, gold that my parents used long, long ago. I painted it with some primer to make it look shabby chic. There's a rocking chair, the desk faces the window. The room gets a lot of light so the room is really cheery considering the wall color and all the white!

I have a white tray from Target on top of the dresser with one of my monogrammed candles and a couple of vases. Drew had three mirrors that were never used. I hung two of them and realized, I needed something else! There was a shelf that used to be hung in the kitchen, so I added that a few other knick knacks.

Entrance to the guest bath room.

The little piece of wall art is a little sea shell window display from Old Time Pottery, another one of my fav stores.

Drew used this shower curtain in our bathroom, before me. It goes perfectly with the duvet, so I just had a stripped pattern strip added to the top. It was the coordinate with the Robert Allen damask fabric used in the guest room. I had left overs from both, so I wrapped two small canvases, as you can see above the toilet.

THIS is this basket, tin, thingy I found at a garage sale for $0.50. Recently I saw three of them in an antique store for $36 a piece! I couldn't believe it. I had some tall sticks in a vase at my apartment, so i trimmed them down and placed them here. It is almost like you are outside when you are in the bathroom, because the vent is right above this and they blow in the wind!

One day, I will post about the other guest room "The Man Room." It needs a little organizing and cleaning before I can take pictures! Have a great Wednesday!

Where I won't be sitting this weekend!

2010-01-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I have so been look forward to the weekend. This is where I won't be spending any time.. This is my "office/desk" area. It is at the top of the stairs in the landing beside our bedroom.

I treasure the antique Herman Miller chairs I found at an antique shop here in Birmingham. One of the more expensive purchases for this home.. What can I say?

The clear boxes are actually stackable shoe boxes, but great for organizing my office supplies and different cords! My hanging file next to it is for all of my stationary, always writing letters! Great southern tradition. Received the acrylic monogram trash can at my monogram shower in August. I like it too much to actually put trash in it. =)

The white shelves and brackets were from Lowe's, very inexpensive. They support a lot as you can see! Great to display more picture frames and my little knick knacks. I bought 4 cork tiles at CVS for like $3 and put them underneath the shelf. The desk lamp is from HomeGoods, they have the BEST lamps and light fixtures. The desk is from overstock.com. SUCH a great website and the fact that it shipped for $2.95! Anything from overstock.com ships for that price! The desk was under $200 and Drew put it together with ease. I love it.

Close up of another wall cluster! (more to come!) As some of you know, I have a deep obsession with Frank Lloyd Wright. Drew agreed before we got married that if we ever built a house it would be Frank Lloyd Wright inspired. As long as he had a putting green and some kind of hitting something.. Bought the Fallingwater poster and the 2 watercolors at his home and studio in Chicago senior year. The sketch in the bottom left hand corner is from a book and it is of a lovely flat roofed house, that hopefully ours will look like one day! Drawings in the middle on top are from my thesis. The long one on the bottom was a sketch I did at my internship at Fuqua & Partners Architects in Huntsville.

To the side I have a mission style book case with all my old design books and many others. I don't want to show it yet, because I have recently purchased a chair to go in the landing. I am in the process of finding fabric (today, actually) and I will re-finish the wood as well. It will come in another post!

Hope everyone has a fabulous, safe weekend!

Melange Downstairs.

2010-01-21T06:27:00.000-08:00

This is downstairs. View from the stairs. We have a major MIXTURE of things. Things we both have accumulated over the years.

I LOATHE the slip covered sofas. Drew loved these sofas growing up, so when he moved into this house almost 3 years ago, they came too. They are a dark green, and would not go with my Sherwin Williams "sleepy blue" walls. So every day and every night I re-tuck the slip covers... We have agreed that the sectional or sofa's are our first purchase when we buy a new house. We will start looking in about a year or a year and a half.

Better view of my beloved coffee table. My most recent roommates Laura and Kerra know how important this sucker is to me. Yes, I did find it at the Goodwill in Huntsville for $15 dollars. Took me an afternoon to re-stain and fix it up, but I LOVE IT. You can tell it was hand made, I've never seen anything like it. But it is the Danish style I LOVE!

All of the pillows came from Home Goods, one of my favorite stores. Also my 1960's "House & Garden" magazines on the coffee table, love looking through them! The quilt on he back of the sofa.. Drew's grandmother quilts and for each grandson that moves out on their own receives one. For the longest time it just stayed in the closet until someone got chilly.. But I really enjoy the color it adds to the room, it also reminds me of Monica's apartment on "Friends" with her different quilts on the back of her sofa! The shag rug is from Home Depot or Lowe's, don't remember. It was a great buy and I am very pleased with the way it holds up.

This credenza is so many things in 1! I love it, my find from Salvation Army! Another Danish style piece of furniture. Soon after Drew and I got engaged I was searching for finds all the time. Laura and I decided to go in Salvation Army and it was love at first sight. It is a little knicked up, but I worked on it. Drew and his cousin went to go pick it up a few days after I found it, said it was the heaviest piece of furniture they have ever had to move! OOPS! It creates a lot of storage space, which is good since between the two of us we have SO MUCH STUFF. I prefer not having clutter on it, so it doesn't chop the room up. I love how the space is open and I want to continue to keep it that way. The basket is for mail, magazines, and newspapers. I try to go through it once a week so it doesn't pile up too high!

Those two little nooks would be PERFECT for built in book shelves. I work with what I have. The green cane chair on the right has been a favorite of mine since I can remember. My grandmother purchased it in 1964. She gave it to me this October, I was THRILLED. So I put green touches in the space so it would all flow. I brought Drew to the new "Antiques and Consignment Furniture" in the old Ethan Allen building on 31 a couple of weeks ago to look at a particular chair.. what do you know I found a chair ALMOST identical to this chair. We bought it, its in the nook to the right. I couldn't believe it. So when we purchase our new sofa in our new house, I will have them both recovered the same!

Closer look at the chair. Tall lamp we ordered from Target. The oval mirrors are from Home Goods. I bought the side tables at Hobby Lobby before I moved into my apartment after college, they were bronze, black, silver, and gold. I painted them black so they would blend in better for this house.

New chair!

I always told Drew I would marry him for this sunburst. His mother and I found it when he moved into this house. We found it at a consignment shop, but I think it was originally from Pier 1. I was confused by this cart at first, but now I love it. This little area is one of my favorites in the house. The lamp is from Home Goods. This is a place to display some pictures, my Frank Lloyd Wright book collection, etiquette book collection, and photo albums. Some people say that your personal pictures and things should be in the part of the house where no really goes.. I totally disagree! I want everyone to see my family and friends and the things that are important to me! I also enjoy my "Keep Calm and Carry on" poster. I ordered it from etsy, the girl I ordered it from was WONDERFUL! She got the color I tried to describe through e-mail perfect. One day i would like a chunkier frame for it.

Closer look.

This is our living area! I enjoy it. Also, about the wall color. "Sleepy Blue" from Sherwin Williams. I LOVE this color, every wall in the house was vanilla as well as the ceiling. But this has house good, white, chunky, moulding, so I wanted a good contrast. I chose this color for all of down stairs (I didn't want to chop it up from room to room when it is all one large space). It also goes up the stairs and into the hall way upstairs, again so it didn't chop up the space and it all flowed. The painters said that they thought best to just paint one room with this color because they thought it wouldn't all look good blue. I was like.. "Ok.. I am the designer right?" I didn't really say that but I should have! So they called me after they painted one part, to look at it. I told them to keep going I loved it! When they were done painting the house, they agreed that the color was perfect and that it really made the moulding pop. It seems clean, fresh, and light! All ceilings were painted white as well. Good color, I think it is a good, neutral color. Neutrals don't just have to be vanilla!

MasterBath

2010-01-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

This is our master bath. Also painted "Amazing Gray" by Sherwin Williams. The piece of "art" over the toilet is an original by MOI! I bought a couple of yards of this natural looking fabric, some greek key stamps, and the little .97 cent paints, everything from Hobby Lobby. Got bored one night in my apartment back in August and just went wild. Then wrapped the fabric around the wood frames that you pop together, also very inexpensive.

I have a problem with clustering things that are a like. But I like my little "S" collection. 2 are from Hobby Lobby and 1 was from Urban Outfitters that I painted silver. I try to keep the vanity clean without clutter. So i have q-tips, cotton rounds, and flossers in the little glass containers I got at Target.

We bought a curved shower curtain. The tub is rounded like a jacuzzi tub so we thought it would create a more open shower experience. Drew HAD to have the expensive, rain, waterpik shower head and it is huge so the more room the better. I bought a crinkle, cream shower curtain at Bed Bath and Beyond. Had the 2'x2' sample of the Duralee fabric used on the pillows in the bedroom left over, so I had it sewn in the middle to pull it all together. You can't see, but I have 2 green Shaw bath shaggy bath mats, one by the tub and one under the sink/vanity.

1st post of many on our home!

2010-01-20T07:49:00.001-08:00

If only I had pictures of all of these rooms before. To be honest.. I feel as though this has been the only miracle I have been a part of. The transformation of a messy, dark, bachelor pad to our home! Nothing against my wonderful husband. Just now he has an Interior Designer, organization freak, and obsessed with cleaning wife.

I'll start upstairs and work my way downstairs. This is the master bedroom. This is what you see when you walk in. Art work by myself and my lovely friend Laura. The chair was $10 dollars at Salvation Army. Drew's mother bought it when he moved in and we recovered it. The same fabric is on my nightstand.

These pictures are a little backwards.. This is my dresser. The baby dresser featured in the post before this, revamped and made for me! I found the oval frame 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby and put a wall covering sample in. The bird jewelry holder I found at TJ Maxx for around $13-$14. Saw it in a catalog recently for $40! The mirror propped against the wall used to be gold and it has been rub'n'buffed silver, used to be in the dining room.
These are the dressers. Painted gray and new hardware. The hardware was the most expensive part of the transformation. The horizontal dresser was in his old room, it matches the night stand. They were just an ugly wood with lovely brass hardware...
New bed! Christmas present. It was from Three Sheets in Homewood, love that store. Drew's mom sewed everything from the duvet, pillows, curtains, everything. The mirrors were from Hobby Lobby, they are called craft mirrors or something. I hot glued wire to the back so that I could hang them in a cluster. The bench at the end of the bed was a TV console, long ago. Painted, new hardware and a custom made cushion.
I love our room. I also love mixing furniture, re-furbishing, etc. The paint color on the walls is "Amazing Gray" by Sherwin Williams. I think it is light and airy without being all white, which I used to want.. I am very pleased with how it all turned out!

Dressers

2009-08-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's been so long! I am going to do updates more often with things I've done for Drew's and my house! It is the first project I have seen come to complete fruition! It is very exciting. The house Drew has lived in has evolved! Here was one of my first projects. We decided to keep Drew's existing bedroom furniture. I painted it all and got new hardware.

I found this dresser at salvation army for $50.

BEFORE

My guess is that it was from the 1950's due to the decals. Obviously it was a baby dresser. Behind the left door is 4 drawers and behind the right is a little hanger that pulls out to hang baby clothes. Considering I won't be able to use that, I will probably stack sets of sheets in that part. It really was a well made piece of furniture, in very good shape. I sanded the decals down and to make the surface not so glossy so that the new paint would stick.

AFTER

I paid close to $50 for the awesome mirrored, square hardware. I love the way it turned out. I had glass cut for it because we are going to set a TV on top.

So for around $100 (not including the paint) I have a new, retro dresser!

This is Drew's dresser, it had brass hardware and was just a plain wood looking thing. Not a great shot, but you get the picture!

Recent Art

2009-02-18T08:25:00.001-08:00

Last night Kerra, Drew and I went to My Monet. Drew's first time, my second time, and Kerra has just been A LOT. The painting was to be of these here bottles! It was SO HARD. I have taken many a painting class growing up and in college and never have I had such difficulty painting! This is a close up of how mine turned out... Any takers?

Drew was happy to be there.. I promise, he had fun.. It was his idea. I think his is good! Batman symbol, smiley face, and all!

Kerra was really excited about hers! It does look very good.

Last, but not least. Not good photography.. Drew commissioned me to paint this for him. He has liked something similar for a long time on some paint ball video. So I tried my best to not completely recreate it but something like it! Not my taste, but he loves it. I want to think of a really cool name for it...

Drew's Valentine Present.

2009-02-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

Drew has been wanting a painting of mine. He wanted the flower one and I told him that he really didn't... SOOOOO last weekend I painted ALL WEEKEND. This was his early Valentine present. I hung it up in his dining room while he was on a business trip and it was a surprise when he got home. He loves London, so I thought I would do a cityscape of London and then something abstract. In all, it is 3 canvases. The bottom one is a 24x48 and on top 24x30 and 24x18. He loves it! A little bit of me and a little bit of him.

My Monet

2009-01-28T08:28:00.001-08:00

So, last night I went to "My Monet, paint your own masterpiece." I went with my roommate and another friend. My roommate's brother and girlfriend started this. It is just like Sips N' Strokes, but I hear, much better. It is in the Matt Jones Gallery in Lakeview (coolest gallery by the way). Their brochure quotes "No experience necessary. We supply the artist, materials, and instructions. At the end of the night, you leave with your very own masterpiece." It is every Tuesday and Thursday night from 7-9 and it is $35 a head. We had a lot of fun!

Here is my very own Masterpiece. I did it a little different than the original! In the photo above the 3rd little picture from the left was what we went from. I had fun and I can't wait to do it again!