0 Birthday Wishes
>> Thursday, August 30, 2012
Yesterday I turned 27, and it was the first time I really felt a birthday. At 16 I didn’t actually feel like I belonged behind the wheel even though I was dying to get there. At 18 I was nowhere near ready to face the real world as an adult. And 21 meant nothing as I still have a hard time looking a bartender in the eye when he asks to see my ID. This year was different. This year I felt 27.
So much has already happened in the first seven years of my twenties, and yesterday when I turned another year older, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Loving a life filled with the best family and friends that a 27 year old girl could ever dream of.
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3 Duct Tape Madness
>> Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Yesterday I was talking with my friend and co-worker, Jaime, who is the mother of two girls. Because I have no children of my own and am now officially on my last few hours in my mid-twenties, I am completely out of the loop as to what the “in” thing is on elementary school playgrounds. Jaime, however, has got the scoop and the scoop is duct tape. Duct tape wallets. Duct tape bracelets. Duct tape necklaces. Seriously? I would have been way cooler in my younger years is this DIY staple had been fashionable back in my days in the lunch line. Instead my friends and I were obsessing over toothbrush bracelets…if you understand what I am talking about, you are loving that I brought that little tidbit of nostalgia into your day. If you have no clue what I am talking about, you are probably highly confused and frankly a little grossed out.
Fortunately for me, duct tape is not only making a splash on the playground but with so many fun colors and prints nowadays, duct tape is not just for—well—ducts. Check out these two fab DIY projects that got duct tape in on the action…
Like this table with under glass stripes…
…and (drum roll please) diamond accent wall with white duct tape…
Amazing.
image sources: 1 | 2 | 3
0 Just Sold: Gabe’s Heights Home
>> Friday, August 24, 2012
Happy Friday and a big congratulations to Gabe on the sale of his home! This is such a cute house and just around the corner from all Heights shopping and dining. It’s no surprise that it flew off the market!
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2 Once again, not a food blog…
>> Thursday, August 23, 2012
…but I am incredibly Pinterest friendly, so I feel this post applies. If you are like me, you spend so much time drooling over Pinterest food boards that you can practically feel your appetite expanding and your waste band tightening—It’s amazing what can be cooked in a crockpot!
Every now and then I attempt to give the seemingly less time consuming (and less skill requiring) recipes a try. This DIYer has little time to slave away over a hot stove (see how I tied this clearly food related post back into the central theme of this blog? Nice.)
Let’s review the winners and the wieners from my experiences with Pinterest food boards, shall we?
Creamy garlic pasta: Holy moly, was this one a winner! If you like cream and you like garlic and you like pasta, then I have your next addiction…
Garlic & lemon chicken with potatoes and green beans: I could eat this every. single. day. You throw everything into one dish, toss it in the oven and an hour and a half later (or something like that) it’s time to chow down. It’s very lemony, which I love, but I may tone it down just a smidge next time.
Roasted carrots with paprika, chili, garlic & cinnamon: Technically, I didn’t make these. My sister did, but I ate them. That counts and they were delicious.
And now for the I-can’t-believe-I-even-made-a-special-trip-to-Kroger-for-these-ingredients wiener recipes…
Chicken fried rice: This one claimed to be “better than takeout” chicken fried rice. This girl didn’t think so. Bland as could be…but don’t think I still didn’t make a happy plate…and eat leftovers.
Easy salmon in a bag: It was easy alright (and now that I think about it neither the name nor the picture is very appetizing) but I think the suggested oven temp was too low because this salmon was as raw as the day it came out of the water when I pulled it out of the oven.
2 At Home in Arkansas: The Power of Paint
>> Wednesday, August 22, 2012
It’s time again for my monthly guest post for At Home in Arkansas magazine! The hot topic this go ‘round is the power of paint. Head on over to At Home’s blog for the full post complete with before and after pics showing just how far a little paint can go in bringing new life to a space…
| I’ve always been a big believer in the power of paint. It’s amazing what a few swipes of the paintbrush and a little elbow grease can accomplish. In fact, not only is it one of the easiest (or dare I say the easiest) way to revamp a space but also by far one of the most budget friendly. Let’s take a look at how a few simple coats of paint brought new life to these before and after projects… click here for full post |
Image source: The amazing before and after above was completed by the fantastic Megan at Homemade Ginger.
0 These are a few of my favorite things
>> Tuesday, August 21, 2012
I’ve scared the boyfriend more than once by singing line for line with Fraulein Maria in the Sound of Music, so I won’t subject you to such torture but I have been spending a lot of time playing with my new-to-me camera—thanks, Dad—and have found myself taking lots of pictures of random silly things around my house that hardly get any airtime on this blog.
I’m a big proponent of filling your home with items that mean something to you. Whether the sentiment is “I found it for $5 at a cute little junk store in South Carolina last summer” or “this came to America with my great-great-great-grandmother 200 years ago”, I love home decor with a story behind it.
Like this horseshoe that I found at a thrift store. I like to think this guy brought someone oodles of luck and now it’s my turn to have a little of what he is dishing up…
…or this bowl of my Granddad’s keys from an old ship…
…and this photo that my dad took when he and my mom were first married and gave to my grandparents as a gift…
…and this shell that I found during a much needed beach trip I took with my sister last year…
…or this wooden sign from my Gran’s house that I have perched in my guestroom until I one day have the lake house of my dreams…
0 First Day of School Flashback
>> Monday, August 20, 2012
Even though I’m long past my school-aged days, I still get butterflies when back to school time rolls back around each year. While the need to sharpen pencils and organized folders by class subject is long gone and no carpool is honking outside to pick me up for another day of pop quizzes and reading lists, the desire to keep on learning is still going strong. After all, that’s what do-it-yourself is all about.
In the DIY world, very few of us know exactly where to start when it comes to changing out a light fixture or revamping an old dresser, but with a little research (mainly in the form of Google) and a smidge of elbow grease, we learn something new and have the amazing “I did it!” feeling as our version of an A+. The proud feeling that comes from completing a project is what every DIY-er will tell you keeps them coming back for more. So to all the DIY-ers out there, keep on learning. Keep on creating. Keep on making every day the first day of school.
0 A Dresser for Doggie
>> Friday, August 17, 2012
Between the dog kennel (or canine condo as we refer to it around these parts), toys basket and food bowls, this little nook in my den has officially been taken over by June dog. Let’s also note that the precious little white canisters are chock full of dog treats.
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I love my little bug and she can have as much space as she wants—Let’s be honest. She rules the roost—but how fabulous would this setup be?!
Leashes and treats up top. Toys in the middle. Consolidating puppy gear in one centralized location. Genius.
0 No, you haven’t come to the wrong blog…
>> Thursday, August 16, 2012
This is not a foodie blog. I love food and I love blogging, but the two do not mix well in my world. Maybe it’s because I love food when other people cook it. It’s not that I can’t cook. I can follow a recipe and am no stranger to Pinterest food boards. It’s just that cooking is not my most favorite activity of choice…until I get a hankering for this concoction…
This pile of pesto-y pasta-y mushroom-y tomato-y goodness is the type of meal that hits me in the middle of a long work day or while I’m knee deep in a home project. I’ve never made it for anyone else, as I find it most appreciated by myself in PJs while watching Bravo and sipping on a glass of wine. I kind of feel like I’m having a dear diary moment telling you about this guilty pleasure of mine.
There is no recipe for this dish. It’s really just something I threw together one day and dream about when I’m feeling carb deprived, but I’ll break it down the best I can.
Ingredients
Pasta…I like whole wheat penne but whatever floats your boat is fine
Basil pesto…I use store bought but of course the thought of homemade is heaven
Mushrooms, sliced…I usually just use plain old white mushrooms but the baby bellas are good too.
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Olive oil
Sea salt
Feta cheese
Warning: there are absolutely zero measurements in this recipe—I kind of feel guilty even calling it a recipe.
Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and add mushroom and tomatoes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and stir them around for a bit until they look cooked (you know, mushrooms kind of squishy, tomatoes good and prune-y). While the mushrooms and tomatoes are dying a slow death, boil your water and cook your pasta. By the time the pasta is ready and drained the mushrooms and tomatoes will be ready.
In the pot you cooked the pasta, add pesto, mushrooms, tomatoes and feta to the drained pasta. Stir so that the pesto coats everything.
Eat.
Get seconds.
Thank me when you wake from your carb induced coma…and if you don’t like it, don’t let me know about it. This is my happy place.
0 Fall Favorites: 6 DIY Wreaths
>> Tuesday, August 14, 2012
I’ve been jonesing for a good dose of fall lately. Chilly weather, crunchy leaves, steamy drinks for sipping…
Time to feed the craving with a few perfectly precious (and super simple!) do-it-yourself fall wreaths from around the blog-o-sphere.
inspirational sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6
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