I know this may sound terrible, but I am thrilled Thanksgiving is over! Don't get me wrong, I LOVED every minute of Thanksgiving, but when November 26th rolled around, it meant that I had full liberty to begin celebrating Christmas like I was Mrs. Clause herself.
And this year is my first year celebrating Christmas as 1) a married woman, 2) a homeowner and 3) a person with an actual budget (albeit small) to spend on Christmas decorations.
As of right now, I have exactly one Christmas decoration to my name, a teeny-tiny tree that I picked up from Target last year. It came prelit and I tied little ribbons all over it as my "ornaments." Talk about Christmas on a budget. Though I yearned for more decorations to put all over the apartment -- tinsel and garland, a big, real, tree, stockings, mistletoe, wreaths, an entire house to string Christmas lights on, pretty plates with silver snowflakes on them, nutcrackers, a giant blow up snowman and Santa figurines (okay, maybe I went too far there), etc. -- none of that was in the cards for me.
But this year, oh this year, things will be different. Though Mike and I have decided we're not going to go hog-wild (really, Mike decided that and I acquiesced), we are planning on reserving a night to cut down and put up a real tree, decorate it with ornaments, listen to the classic Christmas music, hang lights on the outside of the house and try out a few other decor items inside.
Let's all channel our Miles Redd
I'm back! Safe, sound and of course -- I'm quite a bit less blinding white than when I left. (My tan is a Christmas present to Mike.) It was a fabulous time on the beach and I'll be back later this week with lots of photos, but for today, I thought I would leave you with some pretty design inspiration from designer Miles Redd. I've been seeing him pop up all over the place recently, and I'm in love with how he uses bold colors and prints in his homes. He's not afraid to infuse a space with tons of color and combine unusual design elements, making a space glamorous yet cozy.
I wish I could be as brave as him in my house.
Check it out, do you like it? Or are you more of a neutrals-are-the-bomb type of person?
I wish I could be as brave as him in my house.
Check it out, do you like it? Or are you more of a neutrals-are-the-bomb type of person?
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| Via |
Trading snow for sun...
For the next five days, I'll be trading this:
for this:
And I'm going to try to go "unplugged." Bahhh! I may go insane, and I'm sure I'll be begging for the use of a laptop and wifi from everyone on the beach, but: I. Will. Survive.
Which means, no post for the next few days. How will you ever survive without me?
Back on Monday!
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| This may or may not be an accurate representation of our backyard right now. |
for this:
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| Booyah! |
And I'm going to try to go "unplugged." Bahhh! I may go insane, and I'm sure I'll be begging for the use of a laptop and wifi from everyone on the beach, but: I. Will. Survive.
Which means, no post for the next few days. How will you ever survive without me?
Back on Monday!
The current state of our house
I know I promised a house tour last week, but as usual, I'm still learning how to live up to my blogging promises. But a couple days off ain't too shabby in my book. I took the photos over the weekend, and decided I would leave everything as-is. Meaning, I didn't clean house for you. I figured if you weren't actually walking in the dirt, it didn't matter.
So please, put on your grace-goggles when viewing these pictures. A dirty house, plus an historic camera, plus an impatient photographer is not always the best combination.
So, with out further ado, I bring you Oakland Avenue! Dat, da, da!
So please, put on your grace-goggles when viewing these pictures. A dirty house, plus an historic camera, plus an impatient photographer is not always the best combination.
So, with out further ado, I bring you Oakland Avenue! Dat, da, da!
The front door (obviously). I told Mike that the house finally felt like home when I put that little cutie up. He didn't understand, but that's the way it is with most things in the house.
Here's the view to your right when you enter the house. We just painted in here and I'm head over heels in love with the new "Seaside Sand" color, which replaced the "Blush Rose" - aka: gag- color.
Here, I'm sitting on the couch taking the photo the other way. Mike and I are obsessed with orange and when we saw that chair we knew we would rather die than live without it.
Okay fine, that was just me.
But still.
I know Mike really wanted it in his heart.
See that door to the right, we're headed through there next.
Chicken Noodle Soup
A few weekends ago, I invited a few girls over to do one of the most fun things in the world -- painting. Okay, so maybe it wasn't so fun, but I did make a delicious soup to entice them all to come over anyway.
Remember a little while ago when I posted about my love for hearty, filling soups? Well, this was one of the soups I had on my "Must-try-now" lists, and goodness sakes, I'm glad I did. I scored a $5 rotisserie chicken from target that day and it made ALL the difference. This soup is flavorful, filling and fairly easy to make.
The girls all raved over it (I think a few of them were just in shock that I could make something edible) and they said I must post it here on the blog for the rest of you to make.
I do wish the photo did it better justice -- but with these days getting dark so fast, I hardly ever have a chance to do my food photography in the daylight. I even tried to add a little parsley sprig to the top like other food photographers, but I'm not sure it helped much. Ahh, well.
Chicken Noodle Soup
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 cups egg noodles
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large pot. Debone the chicken and separate the meat from the skin and bones. Set the meat aside and add the skin and bones to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for an hour.
Strain broth through a colander into a large bowl; reserve broth and discard skin and bones. Set the pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. When hot, saute the onions, carrots, and celery until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken, broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer.
Add the egg noodles and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, reserving some for garnish, and remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
To freeze: You can freeze with or without the noodles. To freeze with the noodles, cool the finished soup and transfer to quart-size freezer bags and reheat on the stovetop. To freeze without the noodles, cool the soup and transfer to quart-size freezer bags. Reheat the soup on the stove top, adding about 1/3 cup uncooked egg noodles per reheated serving. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride
Remember a little while ago when I posted about my love for hearty, filling soups? Well, this was one of the soups I had on my "Must-try-now" lists, and goodness sakes, I'm glad I did. I scored a $5 rotisserie chicken from target that day and it made ALL the difference. This soup is flavorful, filling and fairly easy to make.
The girls all raved over it (I think a few of them were just in shock that I could make something edible) and they said I must post it here on the blog for the rest of you to make.
I do wish the photo did it better justice -- but with these days getting dark so fast, I hardly ever have a chance to do my food photography in the daylight. I even tried to add a little parsley sprig to the top like other food photographers, but I'm not sure it helped much. Ahh, well.
Chicken Noodle Soup
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
3 cups egg noodles
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large pot. Debone the chicken and separate the meat from the skin and bones. Set the meat aside and add the skin and bones to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer for an hour.
Strain broth through a colander into a large bowl; reserve broth and discard skin and bones. Set the pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. When hot, saute the onions, carrots, and celery until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken, broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer.
Add the egg noodles and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, reserving some for garnish, and remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
To freeze: You can freeze with or without the noodles. To freeze with the noodles, cool the finished soup and transfer to quart-size freezer bags and reheat on the stovetop. To freeze without the noodles, cool the soup and transfer to quart-size freezer bags. Reheat the soup on the stove top, adding about 1/3 cup uncooked egg noodles per reheated serving. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve.
Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride
The coffee magic and a magical deal
Up until about five months ago, I was a coffee-holic. I loved coffee for it's warmth, comfort, smell, taste (but, to be honest, I was more of a latte/creamer girl) and just plain the "idea" of it.
I always feel like my conversations are somehow more meaningful and deep if I'm holding a mug of coffee in my hands. I feel like coffee instantly makes me smarter, more philosophical, more motivated and it makes anything I say more inspirational. I'm not sure how it works, but I do love the coffee magic.
Shortly before Mike and I got married, he started trying to convince me of my need to give up coffee. Mike never grew up in a "coffee-drinking home" and he appreciated that his parents were "purists." (Purists? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.) Added to the fact that the caffeine was keeping me up at night and that I had a terrible headache if I hadn't had my mug by 10 a.m., he wanted coffee out of my life.
I can't say I gave in to his idea easily, but on our honeymoon, I got pretty sick (another story, for another day) and due to the fact that I couldn't eat or drink, I was instantly cured of my addiction.
Well, "cured" might be too strong of a word.
I might be still addicted a little.
I always feel like my conversations are somehow more meaningful and deep if I'm holding a mug of coffee in my hands. I feel like coffee instantly makes me smarter, more philosophical, more motivated and it makes anything I say more inspirational. I'm not sure how it works, but I do love the coffee magic.
Shortly before Mike and I got married, he started trying to convince me of my need to give up coffee. Mike never grew up in a "coffee-drinking home" and he appreciated that his parents were "purists." (Purists? I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.) Added to the fact that the caffeine was keeping me up at night and that I had a terrible headache if I hadn't had my mug by 10 a.m., he wanted coffee out of my life.
I can't say I gave in to his idea easily, but on our honeymoon, I got pretty sick (another story, for another day) and due to the fact that I couldn't eat or drink, I was instantly cured of my addiction.
Well, "cured" might be too strong of a word.
I might be still addicted a little.
Anniversary Sign
Last week I posted the recipe for a cake we devoured at an anniversary party a few weeks ago. The cake was delicious in the mouth, and this sign is delicious on the eyes. Since we ended up bringing the anniversary party to the couple, I knew I wouldn't have much of a chance to do a lot of decorating. So I decided to bring something over that would make the place feel special and festive in one easy step.
A "Happy Anniversary" sign.
I figured if the sign is easy to hang in one easy step, it would be only a couple easy steps to put together, right?
As much as I want to say, "Right!" I promised I would share everything with you all, so I must answer with a major, "Wrong."
Well, let me take that back: That sentence is wrong for me.
You see, I do not do numbers. I don't work with them. Ever. Mike does all the math in our family. He pays the bills, tips the waitress, heck, he even runs the thermostat in our house, because I hate numbers so much.
A "Happy Anniversary" sign.
I figured if the sign is easy to hang in one easy step, it would be only a couple easy steps to put together, right?
As much as I want to say, "Right!" I promised I would share everything with you all, so I must answer with a major, "Wrong."
Well, let me take that back: That sentence is wrong for me.
You see, I do not do numbers. I don't work with them. Ever. Mike does all the math in our family. He pays the bills, tips the waitress, heck, he even runs the thermostat in our house, because I hate numbers so much.
A second home?
This space was featured on House of Turquoise a few days ago and I just had to repost it here. I'm head over heels in love with the pink, turquoise, black and white color scheme that's going on in this house and have you ever, ever, ever, ever seen a better bed in your life?
This suite was designed by The Cross Decor and Design, and is from Millennium Water Development, the same people who created the Olympic village for the athletes during the Winter 2010 Games in Vancouver. The company rennovated a building that had housed visiting athletes and now the units are selling as condos.
Mike, can we afford a second home?
This suite was designed by The Cross Decor and Design, and is from Millennium Water Development, the same people who created the Olympic village for the athletes during the Winter 2010 Games in Vancouver. The company rennovated a building that had housed visiting athletes and now the units are selling as condos.
Mike, can we afford a second home?
Say it with me now, "The Library"
Before we got married, I made Mike pinkie swear that he would let me have a library someday. I needed to be sure that before I said, "I do," he was one of the people who believe that an entire room should be dedicated entirely to books.
And he was true to his word. In our house right now, we have three bedrooms. Our master bedroom, the guest bedroom and "The Library."
Oh The Library. How fun it is to say, "Love, could you please bring me a cup of tea up to The Library?" Or how about, "I'm going to slip into The Library for a few hours, please do not disturb me."
Granted, our library is really just a regular room with a lone bookcase, an oversize chair and ottoman, and a beat up old writing desk -- but I will milk those words as much as I can. When people hear me say The Library, they always perk up a bit and wonder, "Does she really have a library in this place?"
Yes, I do. No it's not an office. No, it's not just "another room." No, it's not the room that looks like the equivalent of a junk-drawer. Quit calling it that.
It's The Library.
And he was true to his word. In our house right now, we have three bedrooms. Our master bedroom, the guest bedroom and "The Library."
Oh The Library. How fun it is to say, "Love, could you please bring me a cup of tea up to The Library?" Or how about, "I'm going to slip into The Library for a few hours, please do not disturb me."
Granted, our library is really just a regular room with a lone bookcase, an oversize chair and ottoman, and a beat up old writing desk -- but I will milk those words as much as I can. When people hear me say The Library, they always perk up a bit and wonder, "Does she really have a library in this place?"
Yes, I do. No it's not an office. No, it's not just "another room." No, it's not the room that looks like the equivalent of a junk-drawer. Quit calling it that.
It's The Library.
Three things that changed my life - Part II
Alright, I feel like I’ve given you enough time to process – on to the number two thing that has changed my life.
Warning: Stop reading this post now if you’re still reeling from the effects of the Ugg boots revelation. I know it was a big day for all of you, and today is going to be another big one. I don’t want to have any lawsuits on my hands for someone passing out from all the amazing products they're finding out about.
Still with me? Here we go.
I will guarantee that ALL of you are familiar with this next product, but not all of you are using it, and if you are, you may not even be using it to its full capability.
Here it comes.
Deep breath.
West Elm's Fab Freebie
I love West Elm. I had never heard of it until I moved to the cities but I am so glad I that I have and that it's a quick drive from our house. If Mike and I could afford to decorate Oakland Avenue in entirely West Elm, I would do so in a heartbeat.
But even if you don't have a West Elm in your neck of the woods, or you're like me and you can't afford everything in the store - you can still have these:
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| Via |
Triple Layer White Cake with Raspberry Filling and Buttercream Frosting
A few weeks ago I had the honor of helping plan a 30th anniversary party for a couple that is incredibly near and dear to my heart. I hinted at a couple things I was doing for it a few weeks ago, and I've finally had a chance to upload a few photos from the event.
Since, after all, it was an anniversary party, I knew we HAD to serve something similar to a wedding cake. So I trolled my online recipe blogs and combined three different recipes to come up with this baby:
It's a triple layer white cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting. I know it's a mouthful, but I always appreciate it when bakers are descriptive in their naming, so I know exactly what I'm eating. See mom, "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you." It's working!
Anyway, it's a delicious, delicious cake and you should make it next time you're celebrating anything. Here's the recipes and a few pics of the process. I had to call in my reinforcements, Melissa Bock and Heather Flickinger. They were there for moral support, comic relief, coaching and well, to do the work for me.
I love friends.
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 1/3 cup buttermilk
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. Combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and 1 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix on low speed briefly to blend; then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk until well blended. Pour one-third of the egg mixture into the cake batter at a time, folding it in completely after each addition. There will be 9 cups of batter; pour 3 cups batter into each pan.
4. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Recipe via: Smitten Kitchen
Swiss Buttercream
Since, after all, it was an anniversary party, I knew we HAD to serve something similar to a wedding cake. So I trolled my online recipe blogs and combined three different recipes to come up with this baby:
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| Photo obviously not taken by me. It was non other than my dear friend, Lindy Nelson. |
It's a triple layer white cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting. I know it's a mouthful, but I always appreciate it when bakers are descriptive in their naming, so I know exactly what I'm eating. See mom, "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you." It's working!
Anyway, it's a delicious, delicious cake and you should make it next time you're celebrating anything. Here's the recipes and a few pics of the process. I had to call in my reinforcements, Melissa Bock and Heather Flickinger. They were there for moral support, comic relief, coaching and well, to do the work for me.
I love friends.
Vanilla Buttermilk Cake (Makes one three-layer 9-inch round cake.)
3 3/4 cups cake flour2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 1/3 cup buttermilk
5 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
2. Combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and 1 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Mix on low speed briefly to blend; then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk until well blended. Pour one-third of the egg mixture into the cake batter at a time, folding it in completely after each addition. There will be 9 cups of batter; pour 3 cups batter into each pan.
4. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Turn the layers out onto wire racks by placing a rack on top of a pan, inverting it, and lifting off the pan. Peel off the paper liners and let cool completely. To make the layers easier to handle, wrap them on their boards completely in plastic, so they don’t dry out, and refrigerate them.
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| Here's the cake, all ready to be refrigerated. |
Raspberry Filling*
1 10-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1) Puree the raspberries in a food processor.
2) Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, removing the seeds.
3) Heat the puree in a small pot with the sugar and cornstarch until mixture boils, stirring constantly. As it boils, it should quickly thicken.
4) Let cool before spreading it thinly over three layers.
*Cannot find my source for this! I just scribbled it down on sheet of paper. If it's yours, feel free to claim it!
1 10-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1) Puree the raspberries in a food processor.
2) Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, removing the seeds.
3) Heat the puree in a small pot with the sugar and cornstarch until mixture boils, stirring constantly. As it boils, it should quickly thicken.
4) Let cool before spreading it thinly over three layers.
*Cannot find my source for this! I just scribbled it down on sheet of paper. If it's yours, feel free to claim it!
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| Mel, "pressing the puree through a fine-mesh strainer." |
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| Filling in, next up - frosting! |
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
26 tablespoons butter, softened (3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
26 tablespoons butter, softened (3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1) Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a big metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk occasionally until you can’t feel the sugar granules when you rub the mixture between your fingers.
2) Transfer mixture into the mixer and whip until it turns white and about doubles in size. (Here’s a tip: when you transfer to the mixer, make sure you wipe the condensation off the bottom of the bowl so that no water gets into the egg whites. This can keep them from whipping up properly.)
3) Add the vanilla.
4) Finally, add the butter a stick at a time and whip, whip, whip.
2) Transfer mixture into the mixer and whip until it turns white and about doubles in size. (Here’s a tip: when you transfer to the mixer, make sure you wipe the condensation off the bottom of the bowl so that no water gets into the egg whites. This can keep them from whipping up properly.)
3) Add the vanilla.
4) Finally, add the butter a stick at a time and whip, whip, whip.
Via: Smitten Kitchen
This baby is a little time consuming and seems like a lot of work, but it is WELL worth the effort.
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| Heather working her magic. |
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| It's ready! |
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| We did it! |
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| Just one more look at this beauty. |
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| Clearly another Lindy Nelson photo -- just wanted to give you all a peak at the inside. |
A little inspiration
Going into the weekend, I'll leave you with a little inspiration for your decorating muse. Mike and I are heavily immersed in home decorating right now -- well, I'm heavily immersed, Mike's maybe more "skimming the surface" of home decorating, but he indulges me.
*Sigh.* I have the perfect husband.
Anyway, I'm hoping to get some photos up of the house next week and conduct a little home tour for you all. There have been quite a few changes going on here at Oakland Avenue -- Mike and I started this homeowner stuff complete novices (I know, everybody does.) But really, we're the novices of novices. We started our house with two beds (one queen and one full), a ten million pound dresser, a pretty decent book shelf, a terribly old and ugly loveseat, and a writing desk I rescued from the dumpster. Yep, that’s right, six things. Count ‘em.
Try filling up a three bedroom house with that -- we looked like minimalists on crack.
We had both become pretty streamlined over the years, moving all our stuff from one apartment to the next, and we shamelessly relied on our roommates to provide the rest of the goods. Of course we had all the necessities, a few plates and cups, a spatula, bed sheets, my straightener (the most important of all – Must. Avoid. The. Lion. Mane.), but really, truly, honestly, we had hardly anything.
So. That means we had to pretty much start Oakland Avenue from scratch.
Next week, on the house tour, you’ll see that we’ve amassed quite a bit in a very, very short amount of time. Mike and I both know we’re not planning on moving for at least five years, so we’re packing it in and intentionally making friends with people who have strong backs for the day we do.
But enough about our house. Let’s look at this prettiness, shall we?
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Don't you just want to run, jump in all this fluffiness, then fall asleep? Oh, and after my nap, I'll just lightly spring up, slip into my wedding dress, choose one of my five pairs of white shoes to slide on, and prance right out to my beautiful backyard wedding.
Knowing me, I'd probably get my hair caught in that chandy, ruin my updo, step in a puddle of mud -- and I would definitely not look as light and delicate on my feet as I do when I'm visualizing it. Bah.
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Love, love, love this living room. I'm guessing that even though I'm 5'8" if I sat at the very back of that couch's seat, my legs wouldn't touch the ground. All you short girls out there, I want you to know: It's a little piece of Heaven just for me. Stay off.
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I'm envisioning a pretty stark room surrounding this little nook, then BAHBAM! COLOR! I absolutely go gaga for major unexpected pops of color in a room.
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Right after I get done talking about pops of color, I see this photo, and of course my motley design instincts love this too. And check out that vase of flowers -- its HUGE!
Yes, I like to state the obvious.
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| Bijou and Boheme |
"And over here we have serenity knoll."
How in the world does one think to bring large boulders into a room and stack them up? And what if one of them fell over? Wouldn't the boulder put a hole through your floor because it'd be so heavy when it fell? Even that smaller one on the top - it'd at least put a dent in the floor.
Ahhh well, I can't question the authority of the design masters. I may not know where in the world they come up with these ideas, how they create them, and even more so -- how they live with them on a daily basis, but I do know one thing -- I LOVE IT.
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| Bijou and Boheme |
This is the same room as the picture above, can you tell? More sweet pops of color with a generally neutral base. Plus I love all the windows and the wood beams on the ceiling.
The one redeeming window in my house
Mike and I just finished staining our windows. That includes filling nail holes, filling wall holes (don't ask), sanding till our arms fell off, putting our arms back on and priming around the window, actually staining the windows and then de-taping the windows.
Yeah, you thought the "fix-it weekends" were over. Well, the "weekend" part is, but the "fix-it" is not. And boy do I have a major beef with staining windows. I never knew it until today -- but, well -- I'll pick that bone later on this blog.
I'm coming for you windows.
I'm kinda loopy from all the stain fumes.
Anyway, I'm too tired to write a real post, so I'm just going to leave you with the one window that has redeemed itself in my book -- my kitchen window. It has required exactly zero work thus far and I will love it forever for that fact. Plus, it's been made much prettier with the addition of a few bud vases, don't you think?
Yep I took that photo. I can hardly believe it myself.
Annnd, I took the above photo too - which I completely believe. As I told Mike, "I did try it with the flash off, but then it was all dark and lame looking." Well, at least I got rid of the "dark" part. I do wish the photo did it justice - I promise the window is waaaay better in real life, especially when I'm watching Mike do the dishes. Then that window looks like pure gold.
Mmmm, pretty, pretty. I love this flower. Did you know I had these at my wedding?
Yeah, you wouldn't. They didn't look a thing like it.
There's another bone I need to pick.
I'm starting to need a lot of bones.
Yeah, you thought the "fix-it weekends" were over. Well, the "weekend" part is, but the "fix-it" is not. And boy do I have a major beef with staining windows. I never knew it until today -- but, well -- I'll pick that bone later on this blog.
I'm coming for you windows.
I'm kinda loopy from all the stain fumes.
Anyway, I'm too tired to write a real post, so I'm just going to leave you with the one window that has redeemed itself in my book -- my kitchen window. It has required exactly zero work thus far and I will love it forever for that fact. Plus, it's been made much prettier with the addition of a few bud vases, don't you think?
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Yeah, you wouldn't. They didn't look a thing like it.
There's another bone I need to pick.
I'm starting to need a lot of bones.
Chewy Molasses Cookies
I’m a chocolate chip kinda gal. Or I suppose you could call me a chocolate chunk kinda gal. Or even a chocolate chip mini kinda gal. I love anything that is chocolate and is chippy or chunky. I love the chippy, chunky, chocolateness, of chocolate chips (or chunks) and in my opinion, it's pretty much the only cookie worthy of my oven, not to mention my waistline.
Therefore, it went against everything I stand for when I made these Chewy Molasses Cookies. Actually, the technical name is "Paula’s Chewy Ginger Cookies," but well, I changed it.
Is that legal? I’m not sure, but I just felt like the name desperately needed the descriptor “molasses," I didn’t know what was so special about the ingredient ginger, and on top of it all I don’t know this Paula chick — so I changed it.
Hope that’s okay.
Is that legal? I’m not sure, but I just felt like the name desperately needed the descriptor “molasses," I didn’t know what was so special about the ingredient ginger, and on top of it all I don’t know this Paula chick — so I changed it.
Hope that’s okay.
Anyway, Paula was a genius because these are de-lic-ious. (Maybe I should keep her name in there…) They truly are the perfect cookie. They’re crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, smell like Christmas, taste wonderful (even without chocolate chippy-ness) and best of all, they’re tiny little guys, so you can eat 10 of them and not feel bad about it. Well, I probably shouldn't, but I love mind tricks.
Food Photography
When I started this blog, I promised you I would share all of my adventures in housewifedom, and one of the main things I’ve been working on are my cooking and baking skills. But to fully share my kitchen experiences with you, I have to have photos of what I’ve cooked or you my never believe that I made Lamb Cocotte Pascal* last night.
Every cooking blog I read has fabulous photos, and I figure if you all are anything like me, if the recipe doesn’t have a good looking photo (or worse, no photo), you won’t even try the recipe. And I don’t want that to happen here. I’m sure it’s shocking to many of you (probably the most to me), but some of the stuff I’ve made is actually pretty darn good.
I know!
Keep breathing.
The keyword is "some" in that sentence. It tends to easily slip by as people are reading. Make sure you don't let it.
The little rascal.
Keep breathing.
The keyword is "some" in that sentence. It tends to easily slip by as people are reading. Make sure you don't let it.
The little rascal.
Anyway, I thought I’d try my hand at a bit of food photography with our seven year old Canon Powershot. This baby probably belongs in a historic exhibit, but it's all I've got. It's a hardy lil’ point and shoot camera that I cannot believe has stood up to my natural (but not intentional!) tendency to seek-and-destroy-all-things-electronic. It’s probably not the right equipment for the job, but it'll suffice for now. (In the meantime, I’m entering every Pioneer Woman contest to win a camera. Competing against 39,854 people every time isn’t working out for me thus far, but hey, maybe I’ll get lucky.)
The farmhouse sink
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| Via: my ideal home |
Deep conversations
Conversation between Mike and I the other day:
Me: “Why do you love sports so much? I just don’t get it.”
Mike: “Because.”
Me: “But why?”
Mike: “Because I love them.”
Me: “Why?”
Mike: “Because I like them.”
Maternal Instincts
Nope, I'm not pregnant. But let's be honest, sometimes I want to be. Not for the kid part -- no, no -- not for that. But for the kid stuff part. You know those tiny little dresses, sweaters and shoes? Or how about those adorable drapes with a blue bird print or a white elephant lamp that would be just perfect for a kid's room?
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| Via: Solid Frog, Hay |
How cute is this rug? I'm loving it for a playroom or a game room. I have justified sharing this here because I figure all you readers out there who are already making babies might be interested in it. The one above is a little on the pricey side (okay, a lot on the pricey side), but I found this great knock-off on Etsy:
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| Via: Etsy |
What do you think? Kid room material?
Warning: Be prepared to possibly see more baby stuff on this blog - I'm human and female which means I have a natural instinct to gravitate to all thing cute, cuddly and baby-esque. Forgive me, Mike. I can't help it!
*Disclaimer: The Wiflers will not be held to this timeline; it's approximate. Mom's I know you might be breathing a sigh of relief right now, thinking it will be shorter, but hold it. We're on the three to five year plan, remember?
Lost your phone?
I lose my phone all the time. Well, I usually lose it in my purse, but it always feels much more lost than that. It drives Mike batty.
You women out there know how it is: You dig through your purse and can't find it. Then you start pulling everything out of your purse. Out comes the billfold, then the notebook, then pens, chapstick, umbrella, books, maybe a make-up bag (in my case it's an "emergency kit" -- containing ibuprofen, band aids, lotion, extra chapstick, hairties, bobby pins and anything else I might need for an an incredibly serious, all-out emergency). Next comes the gum, random scraps of paper, more hairties and the list goes on and on. And when you still can't find it in that Mary Poppins bag of yours, you move on to look around the house, retracing your steps from the last time you saw it and you still can't find it.
On top of it all, you're all alone, so someone's not around to save you all this trouble by calling it. Well, in comes this brilliant website. All you have to do is enter your phone number and it calls your phone for you. Then you realize that it actually was in your purse all along and you just missed it on the first go-around.
That is, unless, your phone is on silent or maybe on vibrate and it's next to something that's soft so it doesn't make a sound and you never hear it. Then well, just keep digging in that giant, ridiculously over-sized bag, I mean, purse, and I'm sure you'll find it someday.
Source: A Cup of Joe
You women out there know how it is: You dig through your purse and can't find it. Then you start pulling everything out of your purse. Out comes the billfold, then the notebook, then pens, chapstick, umbrella, books, maybe a make-up bag (in my case it's an "emergency kit" -- containing ibuprofen, band aids, lotion, extra chapstick, hairties, bobby pins and anything else I might need for an an incredibly serious, all-out emergency). Next comes the gum, random scraps of paper, more hairties and the list goes on and on. And when you still can't find it in that Mary Poppins bag of yours, you move on to look around the house, retracing your steps from the last time you saw it and you still can't find it.
On top of it all, you're all alone, so someone's not around to save you all this trouble by calling it. Well, in comes this brilliant website. All you have to do is enter your phone number and it calls your phone for you. Then you realize that it actually was in your purse all along and you just missed it on the first go-around.
That is, unless, your phone is on silent or maybe on vibrate and it's next to something that's soft so it doesn't make a sound and you never hear it. Then well, just keep digging in that giant, ridiculously over-sized bag, I mean, purse, and I'm sure you'll find it someday.
Source: A Cup of Joe
White, White, White!
I love white.
I also hate white.
I love white because it's simple, clean, crisp and well, perfect looking. It's lovely to look at, matches anything and gives me a calm, serene feeling when it's around.
I hate white for one reason, and one reason only - because it gets dirty SO easily. In fact, is it just me or do you feel like whenever you're around white things you are somehow dirtier? I feel like if I sit on a white chair, I have to spill my coffee all over it. Or if I'm wearing white pants I'm bound to sit on bird poop while plopping my behind on the park bench (which would serve me right since it's a no-no for me already - I don't need to be bringing attention to that well-blessed part of my body.) If I have a clean sheet of white paper in front of me, the side of my hand will have blue ink and I'll smudge that ink all over the once pretty paper. Or how about new white shoes? Yes, please - I'd like to walk straight through that mud puddle. Or how about that new white blouse that I paid full price for because I was going to die without it? Well, I'm going to be spending the rest of my life both trying to pay off that shirt and scrubbing out those stains from breakfast/lunch/dinner - okay fine! - all three meals, solely because it's a WHITE shirt and it is my destiny to spill on it.
As you can see, I'm an accident waiting to happen on white things.
Three things that changed my life - #1
Today, I’m going to begin a three-part series on the three things that changed my life.
One part for each thing. (Yup, my methods are extremely difficult to understand.) Now
I know many of you are expecting me to get very philosophical and deep, but I’m just
going to be up-front about it — I’m not going to.
Yes, these three things are shallow, materialistic and take zero brain power, but they
really have changed my life.
I’m not going to tell you all three at once. It will just be too much, you’ll be
overwhelmed at the life-changingness of them and won’t be able to handle it. Out of
mercy for you, my readers, I’ll give you one at a time, so you can let them simmer, sink
in and truly be in awe at how they can change your life too.
Okay, are you ready?
Numero uno — drumroll please!
Oh sheesh, how do I pick which one I present first? They’ve all changed my life the
same amount, just in completely different ways. Oh goodness. Okay, in no particular
order, today’s life changing thing is:
Dilemma!
So I have this cardigan. Shawl. Shrug? I don’t know what to call it.
It’s a GORGEOUS cardigan/shawl/shrug/thing that’s from Anne Taylor Loft (one of my
fav stores, for the record) and I love wearing it all day, every day. If I didn’t work five
days a week and need to be seen in different clothing in order to not seem unkempt,
unclean and well, crazy, I would wear it every day to work. Since I can’t, I just settle for
throwing it on after work and on the weekends. (Okay, okay, sometimes I even sneak it
on during the lunch hour.) I’m in love with it.
It’s made of super thick brown threads all kinda knitted together somehow. If you don’t
look carefully, you may mistake me for a very large bat when I’m wearing it because
the arm holes are, well, bat-like. You know the kind of arm holes that are really wide
making your arms look webbed to your waste – like bat wings? That’s what it looks like.
It’s a really good look for me.
But the problem is, while I’m so in love with it, my wonderful, loving husband is not
a fan. Apparently the wife-looking-like-a-bat-thing isn’t working for him. And do you
know what he calls it? My “rug.”
Yes, very flattering. I love wearing rugs around.
What do I do? My life’s two loves don’t like each other! Do I wear the cardigan/
shawl/shrug/thing and offend Mike or do I wear it anyway and hope it grows on him
someday?
*Disclaimer: I do love Mike more than the cardigan/shawl/shrug/thing and he’s never asked me to NOT
wear it, but of course I want him to like what I wear — hence the debate in my head.
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