Questions...Answered

Hi everyone! I have been tagged in a blog game by the hysterical Katie and I am looking forward to playing.

1.What’s your staple meal (ie. what meal do you cook most often when you can’t be bothered to be adventurous)?

I love to make chicken pockets. Have some pre-cooked chicken on hand, toss in some cream cheese, herbs, onion, etc. and wrap it in crescent rolls and BAKE! YUM!


2. What do you want to be when you grow up?

I would love to be an administrator at a private school. Currently, I am a teacher and would love to move up the chain at some point. I would also love to be a mommy someday...but that is (fingers crossed) not on the horizon at this point.

3. What book are you reading at the moment (if any)?

I am reading The Wives of Henry Oades and I would HIGHLY recommend it. It is a story of a woman and her children who are taken into captivity and over six years her husband learns to move on and marries someone else. One day, she shows up on his doorstep and the rest... is up to you to find out :).

4. How do you relax?

I love to be on the computer or reading a book. Either way I am reading and enjoying myself quietly.

5. What color are the interior walls of your home?

Mostly green and where there isn't green they are tan.

6. What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Definitely dessert or dinner out. We rarely eat out and on top of that we rarely eat dessert out but I think that can be such a fun alternative (and cheaper!).

7.What time is bedtime and getting up time?

I get into bed during the summer around 10, during the year around 9 (sad, I know). I normally read for an hour either way, watch TV, and snuggle with the hubby.

8. How long do you spend reading blogs (per day or per week)?

I probably spend 30 minutes a day reading blogs.

Okay, it's time for me to tag people and I would love to hear from Beth @ Design-a- Peele and Lori @ Everyday Blessings.

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Bad Mommy?

Clyde is big into chewing just about anything he can sink his teeth into, especially if I have made a stink over him doing so. When I told the vet this she suggested these C.E.T. chewies. They are fully digestable and they work on them for a while and it wears them out.

Well, needless to say, Clyde LOVES them. Danny and I actually wonder if this is the same thing as putting your child in front of the television?

I felt kind of bad...but not really.



Because then we snuggled...



And pal-ed around



Anybody else like these for their dog?

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Nutella Love

I made the most incredible treat the other day. I mean, when your husband is out of town, there is no need to be modest, right?! I made nutella crescents.

First, I started with a roll of crescents (the refrigerated type) and slivered almonds. If you don't know what nutella is, GO GET SOME! That's all I need to say about that.



You spread on the nutella and then sprinkle the slivered almonds over top. Protein is the key word here.



Then you roll them up and sprinkle sugar on them, as if they need it.

Remember, this is a "treat" so no judgements needed.



You watch them bake because you can't possibly wait any longer.



Then you admire while they cool (slightly). You don't want them to cool entirely, I promise.



Finally, arrange them on a sweet plate for you to enjoy. And, remember, there is protein in there.




Then, take a nice long nap, because you'll need it after all those rolls...and protein.

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No Red=Back to Square One

OK, so we are back to square one, but on a roll. Danny requested NO RED in the office so I said fine. He knows how much I love red, but has outlawed it for the bedrooms and the office. That is fine as I still kept my green in the color pallet (my 2nd favorite house color).

We are sticking with this desk from Ballard Design



I picked this fabric for a shade for the window over the couch and a green ticking stripe (don't have a swatch to show) for the pillows and to cover the ikea table so that my cat's litter box is hidden.



We bought this couch from a consignment store (it was brand new!).



And I threw in this ottoman from the guest room as a table in front of the couch.



What do you think?

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A Tale of Two Years...

We celebrate 2 years of marriage tomorrow (Monday, June 21st) and I couldn't imagine having gone through the last two years with anyone else. We started out living in Sarasota with great jobs. Danny lost his early Spring and soon we were both back to square one. Thankfully, with lots of family support, we got back on our feet in Tampa (with jobs, YEAH!). We bought our first home and have an incredible time living here and meeting new people. We love our jobs and most importantly, each other.


We got married in Orlando, FL and honeymooned in St. Lucia. I would do it all over in a minute!

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Den Mood Board

I have been working hard to get together some new furnishings for our den! I love that I get to start from scratch with furniture and fabrics.

It all started with a place to store the computer. I love this desk because it can close up and look like a piece of furniture and hide the mess when you want it to. We would like to mount a TV over it at some point.



Then, I decided I would take the trunk I already own out of the guest room and put it in the den as an ottoman. I want to make the top more finished and comfortable for propped feet, so I am going to use foam and fabric to cover the top only and leave the bottom rattan.





I am thinking about using a red with gold dots fabric like this one, just not as dark.




I love this couch. It is microfiber and a pretty sage. I do not like the pillows...




So...I will recover in this pretty fabric.




This IKEA table is adorably red and at $8 would be AWESOME as a side table to add color. I also intend on hiding the cat pan underneath it with fabric skirt :)




This is where all my fabric choices stemmed from. I love this plaid...I am a sucker for all plaid but this just stole the show. I want these to frame the couch.



What do you think??

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Guest Room Curtains...Finished!

One of my goals this week was getting curtains for the guest room and "mistreating" them...like the Nester.

I found GREAT fabric at Hancock Fabric store for $8 a yard and it matched perfectly.

First, instead of sewing, I pinned the hems so that I would know where to iron. I bought the "no sew" tape that you put inside the hem and iron over. I know, I could have sewn, but I just didn't want to (nor do I really know how).



After I had all the hems done, I hung the curtains using curtain rings that have little clips on the end. I simply folded over the fabric at the top (towards the back) to create a bubbly spot at the top. I started at the two corners and then did the middle and the spots in between. If that makes any sense...you must have a very high IQ.



Finally, I hung them up, stood back, ignored the imperfections, and SMILED! They are perfect, for me! And at half the price of store-bought curtains, I am far happier.

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Home Inspiration

I love looking through Southern Living magazine for ideas for my home. Some of the images below are my style: lots of reds and greens and ivorys.

I like how simple this first one is and of course the colors are gorgeous. And that window lets in so much natural light.



What great inspiration for a built-in bookcase.



I am not a yellow person, but I like that the red and green that are intertwined in this room.



This is my favorite and probably the closest to my home and the colors and design.



I need to start looking at offices because we are about to transform our 3rd bedroom (since there are no babies on the way for a WHILE) into a den/office. I want a desk and a loveseat and lots of color...wish me luck!

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Cooling Off in a Sweet Way

What is that you are looking at? Simple answer: the most incredible ice cream you will ever try. Almond supreme.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup slivered slmonds
4 tbsp. butter
pinch salt
1 & 1/2 c whole milk
1 & 1/8 c sugar
3 c heavy cream
2 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla extract

Take first three ingredients and put them in a pan to toast the almonds. Then, strain the butter out and put the almonds in the fridge to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the milk and sugar until frothy and the sugar is dissolved (1-2 minutes). Stir in heavy cream and extracts.

Throw it into a THOROUGHLY FREEZED (at least 24 hours) ice cream maker bowl and let the ice cream maker do it's thing for about 20 minutes. The last 5 minutes, throw in the almonds so they are thoroughly mixed.

Put it into a freezer-safe container and enjoy in about 2 hours!

Such a great treat for a hot summer day.

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Doodle Bugs

I ordered some CUTE stickers this past week from Doodle Bugs Paper. Kacey was easy to work with and my design came within the week!

I purchased some stickers for my classroom to place on special books or materials I lend out.



I purchased these for when I make meals for others. You can just stick it on the top of the foil or packaging you use. I thought they were so cute with the bowls all stacked up.



Take a look at what she has--there are some seriously cute things over there!

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Show Us Your LIfe-China Patterns

I love dishes and setting the table, even when no one is coming for dinner :). I have three sets of dishes, one that I am working on building and a full set of the other two.

I have a full set of this Wedgewood Strawberry and Vine. My mom and I have always loved this pattern and it went on HUGE sale at Tuesday Morning last year and we bought all we could.



This is our everyday pattern, Casafina Casa Stone Meridian. I love the different textiles: woven, dotted, and pretty flowers on the plates and bowls so that you can mix and match.



Finally, this is the pattern I am trying to grow. It is Vietri and absolutely beautiful! I love that the green leafy plates can go with all my white dishes, and they can be used for all the holidays, spring to winter.




Here is a pic of it on our table now--although not the best table setting, you can get an idea for it.



Hoe you all have a wonderful weekend!

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Clyde's Schedule

I had to put Clyde on a schedule so that we could conquer potty training and also so that he would get his sleep during the day. Did you know puppies need 18 hours a day!?

Here is what a typical summer day looks like for us. Of course, I say summer because come fall we are going to need to be much quicker in the mornings so that I can get to school on time!

6:00- Danny gets up and takes Clyde out to potty, puts him back in crate so that I can continue to sleep.

7:45-8:00- I wake up and take Clyde back out to potty.

8:00- Clyde eats breakfast.

8:10- Clyde goes outside to potty.

8:15- Walk for 15 minutes in the neighborhood.

8:30- Play time.



9:00- Rest time.

10:30- Wake up and go outside to potty.

10:40-12:00- Play and rest. I also run errands during this time while he is in his crate.

12:00- Lunch time.

12:15- Outside to potty.

12:30-Play time.

1:15- Rest time. I run errands during this time as well while his crated.



3:00- Wake up, outside to potty.

3:15- Play time.

4:00- Rest time.

6:00- Daddy is home! Dinner time.

6:15- Outside to potty.

6:30- Play with daddy while mom gets things done around the house.

7:30- Walk for 15 minutes.

7:45- Play.

8:30- Wind down and sleep in couch with mom/dad.

9:00- Bed time!

The best part of this schedule is that it is structured so that he does not have a chance to pee/poo in the house.

Sidenote, do not, I repeat, do not, go outside barefoot in grass that needs to be cut if you are afraid of snakes. I had quite the scare this morning!

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Choices in Curtains

We are busy getting Clyde on a schedule that will work for all of us has been quite a feat! We are learning and he is adapting...but boy would I like to get all my errands done at once instead of scattered throughout the day.

Anyway, one of my goals this summer is to get fabric to make curtains for my guest room. The room has really pretty features, but everything is kind of blending in right now. I want the curtains to really pop without taking away from the bedding. Let me know which fabric below you think looks best, or if you have other color options!

Here is the best picture I could get of the room. We will probably have to move the picture on the right so that curtains can go on either side of the window. I would like long drapes so that the bed can be "framed" in a way.




Should I go with a bold pattern?





Or, should I go with a sheer ivory to keep it light and airy? Decisions, decisions...

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Hydrangea and Clyde

It has been a busy week around here! Clyde is getting on a schedule and I feel like half the time I am chasing him around and half the time I am watching him sleep. I am getting used to it, but it's exhausting!

Here are some pictures from our week.


I put some of my pretty hydrangea's in a pitcher on the kitchen table this week. I love how they look. I know we all are excited about our blooming flowers!



One night he fell asleep right on his toy!



Have a great weekend. I will be attending an engagement party, so pictures are to follow!

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