thirty duo

my aging feet .. or does that sound weird?

2012-02-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

Hello all! How are ya doing? I turned 27 last Sunday, and we celebrated by watching football! Woohooo! Really, I ate lots of yummy food, which is what I love to do, year after year. There's something about the odd years that sounds so much older to me, probably with the exception of anything ending with a zero. I know that I'm not old, but I've certainly started acting older in the past few years. Every once in a while I prefer staying home and going to bed before midnight on a weekend; I'm no longer up until 4am. Then, there's my footwear. It's pretty much all completely parallel to the ground. That is, flat. (Did I make sense with my little analogy there, I'm not so sure.) As much as I love being comfy, I'd like to expand my shoe collection. Here are a few that stole my heart.

Which one is your fav? I love them all!

images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Aging

2012-02-04T12:07:00.001-05:00

Celebrating my birthday weekend!

Friday clean-up!

2012-01-27T14:49:00.001-05:00

Our junk drawer is getting a much needed makeover today! Happy weekend, everyone!

2011, by the month

2012-01-22T21:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, the time has come for me to see how this year stacks up compared to the last. I think it was pretty good ;)

January 2011 ... my mother's mother passed away, resulting in the largest family gathering in quite some time!

February 2011 ... I celebrated my 26th birthday with great friends!

... and then we went to Gatlinburg for a long weekend (I didn't take enough pics!)

March 2011 ... was a little slow! Duncan decided to show off his accomplishments

April 2011 ... we hosted a murder mystery dinner party

... and went to opening weekend for the Cincinnati Reds

May 2011 ... we attended my cousin's wedding in Cleveland

June 2011 ... I went on a family vaca to Florida

July 2011 ... I went country concerting in Pittsburgh

... and then we celebrated my college roommate's wedding!

August 2011 ... we went to Goettafest (if you don't know what Goetta is, think the best meat product ever! It's a Cinci thing)

... and we went to the My Morning Jacket concert

... and THEN we celebrated the wedding our friends Ashley and Eric. (oops - dress repeat)

September 2011 ... we went to Oktoberfest in downtown Cinci. I'm sure we were sober at this point. Don't you think?

October 2011 ... I went back to my alma mater with some of my besties

... we went to a Halloween hayride

... and celebrated my little sister's birthday

November 2011 ... we got engaged!

December 2011 ... Duncan celebrated his second birthday ;)

... and we celebrated the holidays with friends!

Here's to 2012!

Friday, Friday

2012-01-20T19:36:00.001-05:00

Happy weekend everyone! My week consisted of delic cookies, a new purse, a sleepy, needy puppy, and some wedding planning stress relief. Hope you've had a good week!

@ West Elm

2012-01-19T18:49:00.000-05:00

I'm loving West Elm's bathroom collection right now. So many beautiful stripes and patterns!

I totally love the white towels with the subtle woodgrain pattern. Beautiful! What's your fav? (psst: 20% off right now!)

images: West Elm

Happy Friday!

2012-01-13T19:25:00.001-05:00

Cheers! I'm in Margaritaville!

1.11.11

2012-01-11T18:09:00.000-05:00

Today has been a rather somber day, as it is the one-year anniversary of my Grandma's passing. I'm never spiritual or religious on this blog, but today, I'm going to be. Just a bit. To each their own, if you don't see eye to eye with my views, I certainly don't care. But please do not share your disagreement with my thoughts as this is a parade I've built in my head of her passing. Do not rain on it.

I will probably never forget the feeling when my dad called before work on that Tuesday morning when she had passed. I cried the heaviest of cries, regretting that I did not go visit her the week prior. Her future was uncertain, but it was looking up the few days before she died. I was grateful for her positivity, but also grateful I wouldn't have to get on a plane in the foreseeable future. I have developed this dreadful fear of flying, and she was living in Austin, Texas. I still regret not going to visit her in those last days, but was lucky to have seen her in November for Thanksgiving. Around the time of her death, I was reading a nightly prayer book and the message on January 12, the day after her passing, could not have left me feeling more reassured. Uneasy about her death, as well as my impending flight, I am so grateful for this message.

(This is a little lengthy, so bear with me.)

The Slavery of Our Fears

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

"Through death he might...free those who through fear of death had been subject to slavery all their life." Hebrews 2:14-15

"I know a woman who has refused to fly since 9/11 in spite of the fact that her children and grandchildren live on the other side of the continent. This seems to me a slavery to fear, particularly given that there are upwards of 30,000 flights in the U.S. each day and crashes are extremely rare. One is in much more danger driving to the airport than flying in an airplane.

It's easy for me to see her fear as silly - until I am alone with the dark at 3 a.m. and fear creeps into my bedroom like a thug to hold me hostage.

It is a struggle to break away from my fears at night or even during the day when I am sick or stressed or grieving. At those times, when all of life looks bleak and frightening, it is a slavery, and the only thing I have found that can loosen its bonds is prayer." - Aileen O'Donoghue

I have carried that, as well as a few cards she had sent me in the past, in my day planner. The last "card" I received from her was a red envelope. On the front it said "Allison - Very Much Love - Allison & Merry Christmas!" Inside were four photographs of myself. (She was getting a little eccentric at that time!) One is an extremely flattering close up of my young self with chicken pox. If you're lucky, maybe I'll share it one day ;)

It obviously meant something to her.

Playing Catch-Up

2012-01-07T10:45:00.001-05:00

Hello, here I am, the worst blogger ever. I'm actually blogging from my phone - Chris and I went the romantic route this Christmas and got each other new phones - so this is a test run. If it looks like poo then iPhone blogger no more. Anyway, I thought I'd do a "phone dump" of sorts to catch you up a bit...

La Tartine Gourmande

2011-12-15T19:18:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Is everyone surviving the holiday craziness? Between the holiday working, shopping, being merry, and planning our wedding, I am overwhelmed! Anyway, I found this blog last week and absolutely fell in love! The. most. gorgeous. photos. with recipes! Eeee! La Tartine Gourmande. Love it!

Banana bread recipe with coconut, vanilla, and rum (gluten free)

Roasted Root Vegetables with Coriander and Lemon Thyme Recipe

Millet with steamed spring greens and its lemon vinaigrette

Summer fruit papillotes with lavender ice cream

A Rustic Soup

Vitamin-boosted salad with black quinoa, fennel, avocado and grapefruit

Aren't those photographs absolutely beautiful? The best part is that she has a book coming out!

It will be released on February 7th. Two days after my birthday - maybe I should pre-order now. Happy Birthday to me!

images: La Tartine Gourmande

THIS POST CONTAINS BIG NEWS

2011-12-04T19:13:00.001-05:00

I started wrapping some Christmas gifts this lovely Sunday afternoon and thought you might be particularly interested in one package. It kind of explains my absence.

We're engaged! I've had so many little things I've wanted to post about, but haven't because I realized I still needed to make the announcement! We went out the night we got engaged (November 19) with friends and family. We took the typical "OMG, we're engaged" shots

Then, as the night went on, my sister and I took some much more uncommon, alcohol-induced shots. Whatever I'm doing in the first picture, is totally normal, right?

A few days later, I developed this forehead twitch/headache whenever someone asked me if we picked a date. Fo reals, people? Just this past weekend we were able to look at a couple venues. Get ready for the adventure blog peeps! I'm off to finish off some tomato basil soup!

Tasty Tuesdays : Butter Beans with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes

2011-11-15T18:40:00.001-05:00

Yum! This was delic. I'm still feeling quite under the weather (worse??) and made this for dinner yesterday. I feel blah and still loved this, so it must be a winner! In an effort to give myself some rest, I'm going to keep it short and sweet. We're going to my fav restaurant for my littlest sister's birthday dinner Thursday and I. MUST. FEEL. BETTER.

Butter Beans with Olives & Roasted Tomatoes

*slightly adapted from Fresh 365
serves 4

INGREDIENTS
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise (apx 2 c)

* I added 7-8 cloves whole garlic with skin in tact, then peeled before adding to salad *
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste *I didn't use pepper, and used sea salt*

*I added a sprinkling of Italian seasonings: dried basil, oregano, thyme*
1 shallot, sliced thin
2 15-oz cans butter beans, drained and rinsed *I used 2.5, as I already had one open in the fridge*
1 t fresh thyme leaves, plus additional for garnish *I used ground thyme because I forgot fresh at the store!*
2 c arugula *I used Romaine, which is what I had on hand*

dressing
1/2 c pitted kalamata olives, chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 t dijon mustard
1/2 t salt
1 T red wine vinegar
1/8 c olive oil

YOUR TASK
Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 T olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and Italian seasonings, then add unpeeled garlic. Transfer to oven and roast 1 hour. Allow to cool, and slice larger tomatoes into thin strips. (I didn't slice any of them.)

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 T olive oil, over medium heat. Add shallot, and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep brown and caramelized. Gently stir in butter beans, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme. Cook 8-10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally, allowing beans to form a crust.

In a small bowl, combine kalamata olives, lemon juice, mustard, salt, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Stir well.

Separate arugula/lettuce among 4 plates. Top with bean and tomato mixture, and olive dressing. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme, to taste.

Image from and recipe adapted from: Fresh 365

Beautiful cookbooks

2011-11-13T16:43:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! How are you doing? I'm feeling a little blah right now, and am spending a lazy Sunday lounging around the house. There's laundry to wash, crisp white sheets to go on the bed, and a healthy dinner to be made. Hopefully the cure to this cold I feel coming on! We've been around a lot of heartache this month. Some wonderful times with friends also, but still some things that weigh heavy on the heart. One of my favorite distractions last week was wandering around the bookstore! I found a lot of cookbooks that were so gorgeous that I had to share!

To start, Volt Ink, the cookbook by the Voltaggio Brothers:

Aren't those photos absolutely GORGEOUS?

Next is Recipes from an Italian Summer

Again, just beautiful.

Eleven Madison Park:

Ruhlman's Twenty. I really just loved the cover and spine of this book!

Finally, They Cook and Draw has a cookbook!

Whew! Don't you just love them? Any of these books would make a great coffee table book or Christmas gift! Don't you think?

images: The Washington Post, Cool Hunting, Amazon, Eater, Michael Ruhlman, Amazon

I need your opinion.

2011-11-02T20:19:00.002-04:00

I mean it!

White:

Natural:

or Sea Spray:

You may remember that we had a (now discontinued) Marimekko comforter from Crate and Barrel. That recently bit the dust and we need a replacement (C&B was pretty reasonable and good to work with.) I've had my eye on this Pintuck Duvet from West Elm for a while, so I think it's time! But I can't decide which color to get! I'll be purchasing it this weekend, so I need your opinion!

I like the white, it's so nice and crisp, but one typical pro to white is that you can bleach it. This, you can't. Our walls are a dusty gray blue, so I'm thinking the natural might not be the best compliment.. but is the Sea Spray too similar?

I do love the Steel Blue color, but I'll be honest, Duncan rules the roost and is now sleeping in our bed. I don't want to see his light hairs so easily!

What do you think? Have you ever had a white comforter?

images: West Elm

Halloween recipes

2011-10-26T21:20:00.001-04:00

Hi all! So, I'm going to make this short and sweet. I've been busy cleaning this mess of a house and now feel like I'm combating a cold. However, I did tell you that I would share if I found any good recipes, and I haven't found anything that's blown my socks off... But I did find a couple that are cute and deliciously unhealthy.

For something sweet, I'm going to make these yummy-looking cookies that have a lovely hint of festivity.

And for an app, I'm going to make some sort of a combo of these two dishes:

They're really quite similar, so it might be as easy as adding sour cream to the first one! Hopefully my concoction turns out!

images and recipes: The Faux Martha, Divine Dinner Party, and Skinny Taste

witchy woman

2011-10-19T18:45:00.000-04:00

... but not this Halloween! While my witch dress is my backup plan, all the stars are aligning this year and my lifelong dream of being Snow White is finally coming true (what? it's normal!) After seeing a Snow White makeup tutorial on Classy Cosmetics (love her, by the way!), I chatted away to my coworker, who happens to have access to a Snow White costume up for borrowing! Yahoooo! Stars. Aligned. If that didn't fall into my lap, I would've gone with my old witch dress and these awesome eyes.

I thought it might be fun, more for you than for me. For me, more embarrassing, but full disclosure here, folks. So. I thought it might be fun for you to see my past Halloweens. I don't have pics from all of them, unfortunately and nothing is extremely creative, but I do love the holiday and decking out like somebody else!

2010: Hamburger and Hamburglar

2009: Fred and Wilma

2008: Witch

... and Flapper

2006: Fairy*

2005: The original witch

So that's all I have! I've also recently been a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Cher (or some other non-specific '70s gal.) What are you planning to be this year? I need to find a Halloween themed app. If I find some good options, I'll share!

*OMG. Have I never mentioned this? In 2006 I dated Ryan Gosling from October 30-November 1. It was great.

Images: Lover of Makeup, and me

Tasty Tuesdays : Potato, Bacon, and Brussels Sprouts Hash

2011-10-18T21:25:00.000-04:00

This hash was DELICIOUS! Being a brussels sprouts lover, I indeed did love it. My relationship with this green veggie wasn't always so positive. I remember being young and having to clean my plate of them in a rather disgruntled state. I've since changed my tune and would be willing to bet this dish could make a brussels sprouts lover out of anyone.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ pounds Russet potatoes
5 slices Applewood Smoked Bacon, nearly frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Lots of freshly cracked pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup MSG free chicken broth
A few shakes of Tapatio Salsa Picante Hot Sauce, or hot sauce of choice
1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

YOUR TASK:
1. Scrub potatoes and stab all over with a fork. Place on a paper towel lined plate and microwave on high until pierced easily with a knife. Cool a bit, peel off skins and cut into large dice. Set aside.
2. Clean and peel outer leaves from Brussels sprouts. Cut off stems and cut into quarters. Set aside.
3. Cut nearly frozen bacon into small strips. (Bacon cuts easier frozen). Place bacon in a very large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Cook until crispy. Turn off heat and remove bacon from skillet with a slotted spoon and strain on paper towels. Leave bacon grease in the pan.
4. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Turn heat to medium high and add diced onion, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook until translucent and add Brussels sprouts. Cook until softened.
5. Clear a small area of the skillet and add minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds or just until fragrant then mix into the sprouts. Add potatoes and warm through. Add chicken broth and hot sauce and stir.
6. Let potato mixture brown and crisp with chicken broth, folding the mixture occasionally. This may take awhile. Hash will be done when there are some crispy parts, the broth is absorbed, and everything is heated through. Stir bacon and Parmesan cheese into hash, taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings if needed. I cooked until everything was caramelized a bit.

Enjoy!!

Recipe and photo: The Cooking Photographer

Be my bridesmaid? DIY

2011-10-10T21:53:00.003-04:00

There's a good chance you've seen this ADORABLE diy making its way around the web, but it was too cute not to share. Bethany of Rinse, Repeat made these "be my maid?" boxes to send her prospective bridesmaids. Being an attendant in a wedding can be quite a big deal (emotionally, monetarily, physically), so it's fitting to make the asking a big deal to!

Totes adorbs, no? (p.s. Am I allowed to say that without you wanting to punch me?)

images and genius idea: Rinse, Repeat

pucker up

2011-10-06T18:44:00.000-04:00

I don't often post about fashion and style, but I've been loving the look of lipstick lately. It has a way of pulling an entire look together.

via the daybook

via The Cinderella Project

via Pinterest (not credited)

via the daybook

via Glitter and Pearls

via Beauty First

Unfortunately, whenever I purchase lipstick or gloss, I end up being indifferent to it and just end up buying something else. Over and over again. Not great for the pocketbook! Anyone have any shades or brands that you love?

Tasty Tuesdays : Tortellini and Spinach Soup

2011-09-27T20:02:00.000-04:00

I'm going to make this one short and sweet. We loved this soup. I made it with homemade vegetable broth, so I'm interested to see how it compares when I use store-bought. Because I'd made the broth in a large batch ahead of time, this recipe really took no time at all.

Simple Tortellini & Spinach Soup

INGREDIENTS:
2 T olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 c vegetable broth
2 c water
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 c coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
2 bags frozen cheese tortellini (apx 25 oz)

YOUR TASK:

In a large pot, heat oil on medium-high and add garlic. Stir 2 minutes until golden brown. Add vegetable broth, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in parmesan cheese, basil, spinach and tortellini. Cook 5-8 minutes, until tortellini is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to individual serving bowls. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan cheese.

recipe and image: Fresh 365

Tasty Tuesdays : Morning Routine

2011-09-20T21:39:00.000-04:00

You might remember that I mentioned Linda Wagner in my last Tasty Tuesdays post. I would not do two food posts in a row about beverages unless I truly thought they could CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Okay, maybe not completely, but definitely lend a huge helping hand to the outlook on your day and your health. Every day, for the past 12 days (with the exception of one - I may have had one too many beers at Oktoberfest the night before and didn't make it to the grocery in the morning, let alone off the couch. Don't hate me, self. Don't hate me!) So every day I have started the morning with hot lemon ginger water.

I switched from my daily coffee to tea a year or two ago, so this wasn't a hard adjustment for me. I haven't had any caffeine for the past 12 days, as my hot drink in the morning is a hot lemon ginger water. Shall we call it HLGW? Oh, no, it doesn't exactly roll of the tongue? Okay, fine. So I ~~enjoy~~ gulp this while doing my makeup and hair in the morning.

Then, a mere thirty minutes later, I'm walking out the door with a smoothie for breakfast that keeps me full until lunch. I feel so much better about drinking a hearty helping of fruits and veggies versus some bread or a big doughy bagel. This green smoothie makes my day!

The only challenging part of the green smoothie has been preparing the fruits and veggies. I know you can buy prewashed spinach, but it did make the dirty dozen list, so I figure that while I'm at it, I might as well go all the way. I buy organic spinach bunches, dirt and all, to de-stem and wash a couple times a week. Hopefully it will become a habit before I know it! Now, if only I could wake up 15 minutes early to enjoy my nice cup o' HLGW.

Here, you are, both courtesy of my new fav, Linda Wagner:

Morning Digestif (aka HLGW)

Be sure to check out the link to see all of the health benefits of both lemon and ginger. It'll make you much more likely to go through with it!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 inch knob of ginger sliced thinly or grated

fresh lemon

Stevia to taste (I omit this, but the original recipe calls for it - I don't think it has any health benefits - just makes the drink sweeter)

YOUR TASK:

Pour boiling water over the ginger, let steep for about 5 mins then add lemon juice (and stevia, if desired) to taste.

Green Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

2 frozen bananas

1 cup frozen mango

1 cup fresh cut pineapple

2 handfuls of baby spinach

water

ice (if desired)

YOUR TASK

Add enough water to blend and enjoy, that’s it! Forget the dehydrating morning latte and get the glow with a Green Smoothie instead. This recipe tastes like a dream come true and will make about 32oz.

recipes and images: Linda Wagner

I'm Pinning!

2011-09-15T20:14:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I finally gave in to Pinterest. So addicting! For example, I just went to the site to copy the address for the link and found myself scrollling and scrollling and scrolllling. I cannot help it. It took me a while to get in to, as do a lot of trends. I see some trends and just think that I will wait for it to pass, like when everyone started wearing gauchos. Then I probably wore them a year longer than I should have.

Here, gauchos you can buy at Old Navy:

I thought I would wait and see if Pinterest was just a fad. Then I had a lovely wine, cheese and chocolate dinner with a dear, Pinterest-loving friend where I expressed my concerns about Pinterest. What if you want to rename a board and you can't?? What if you want to move an image from one board to another... and you CAN'T?? What if I can't get the "Pin It" icon on my toolbar?? Well, guess what. You can and I did. Everything worked out (it always does, doesn't it?) One flight of wine was enough to make me let go of these seriously troubling issues and just. join. already. So I did. Here. I'm going to try to get a link up here soon. (I'm not terribly tech-savvy, but you may notice that I did figure out how to make my posts wider! ~~Small~~ Large Victory!)

Here are some favorite things that I found only through Pinterest:

DIY Santa:

Paint Chip Coasters:

Wonderful art, but without artist credit (boo)

Super cute dog with a crate that NO ONE WILL STUB THEIR TOE ON! (ie:geniuses)

and lots and lots of promising recipes, for example, Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Happy Pinning to you!

Tasty Tuesdays : The Intensi-Toddy!

2011-09-13T18:33:00.000-04:00

Hello all! Sorry for my absence! (I know, you're all like, what absence? You haven't blogged regularly in forevs.) Anyway, I'm still sorry. Last week we went to Tennessee somewhat unexpectedly for Chris's grandfather's funeral. Right before that, I picked up a darn cold! The weather changed very quickly here. The weekend before I spent a decent amount of Sunday lounging around with the french doors and windows open, enjoying the chill and the breeze. Apparently my immune system did not take such delight in the sudden change. Well, it was certainly convenient that around the same time, I discovered Linda Wagner and her healthy ways. I stumbled upon (ie: read her blog for hours and dug this up beauty) this post featuring a cold-kicking hot toddy!

If you've never had a hot toddy, it's a must-try. I suppose that before, I never really thought too much about what was in it. I have ordered them on a night out occasionally, and little did I know, this is one bit of drinking (alcohol) that does a body good! I'll be honest though, they recommend to drink 4 cups a day and I don't know about you, but I would feel some side-effects of the rum, so 4 cups on a weekday was a no-go. We did have a night in on Friday with some chicken enchilada soup, homemade hot toddy's and Love, and Other Drugs, which was quite enjoyable - tissues and all. Anyway, I still haven't completely kicked my cold (maybe due in part to the fact that it's against my make-up to go to bed early,) but this sure did make me feel better!

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups of water

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

pinch of cayenne

2 ginger slices

2 Constant Comment tea bags

1/2 lemon, squeezed

3 oz. spiced rum

2 tbsp. honey

YOUR TASK:

In a medium pot, place water, spices and ginger together and mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and set aside. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Enjoy while hot!

images and recipe: Linda Wagner (originally from Joylicious)

Tasty Tuesdays : Triple Chocolate Cookies

2011-08-30T21:37:00.000-04:00

I took a half day off work last week to spend time with some college girlfriends. I drove about an hour east to join six ladies for Girls' Weekend at the Lake. It. was. heavenly. Water skiing on the lake, lounging on the dock, nighttime boat rides to star gaze. Corn on the cob, cheeseburgers, summer beer, guacamole, s'mores, taco dip, Texas caviar ... and triple chocolate cookies. To die for. And just perfect to grab on the way out the door to the dock. Your cookie will be gone by the time your feet hit the warm wood.

I discovered this recipe on a dangerously delicious blog, Cookies and Cups, and knew I would have to try it out. I couldn't find white chocolate bars when I made these, but I did have bars for the milk and semi-sweet chocolate. Definitely worth it - I'll search a little harder next time for chocolate bars, rather than chips.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup softened butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt

6 oz. chopped semi sweet chocolate

4 oz. chopped milk chocolate

4 oz chopped white chocolate

YOUR TASK:

1. Cream your butter and sugars together until fluffy.

2. Add in eggs plus yolk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until incorporated.

3. Turn speed to low and add your baking soda, salt and flour. Mix until just combined.

4. Fold in your chopped chocolate.

5. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours over overnight.

6. Preheat oven to 350°F

7. On a parchment lined baking sheet scoop dough by the rounded tablespoon, placing 2 inches apart.

8. Bake 9 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

9. Transfer to cooling rack.

Warning: If you make these cookies and eat one every time you go from the lake house to the dock, you will feel very compelled to wake up early to do pilates and some cardio!

images and recipe: Cookies and Cups

Kids' Rooms that aren't Cliche

2011-08-29T21:51:00.000-04:00

Especially love this rug and chair:

It's amazing what you can do with some throw pillows:

That sconce!

Colorful artwork against such a deep pink wall:

Love the trim on the ceiling:

Beautiful detailing on the bed:

Those prints are gorgeous:

Love the map on the wall:

COLORSSS!

images: Elle Decor and House Beautiful

It's National Dog Day!

2011-08-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

And how could I not post on this of all days?

To celebrate, some cute dogs:

Duncan is so egotistical. He really thinks is allll about him.

And now for some videos. These are actually all of soldiers with their pups. I'm sure you've seen at least one of these before. It's a triple tearjerker.

Now, everyone, go love on your dogs. And a soldier.

images: Cute Dog Pictures, and me, and YouTube.

Tasty Tuesdays : Two-Cheese Pasta

2011-08-16T18:42:00.000-04:00

Nom nom nom. Can you hear my stomach growling at the sound of the name? Oh, wait, I just made the sound of eating. It's actually gggrrrrr I'm hooongggrrreeee. Okay, anyway, I made this cheese linguine a couple weeks ago for a weeknight dinner. I was so glad it didn't take a long time. I've been known to over-extend and not get dinner on the table until 9 or 10 (once even 11, eek!) Chris will surely remember that dinner, as it was by far the worst meatloaf we've ever eaten.

Back to it. I found this Linguine with T wo-Cheese Sauce from Tracey's Culinary Adventures. Tracey originally found this recipe in Cooking Light.

Linguine with Two-Cheese Sauce
from Cooking Light, July 2011

INGREDIENTS
8 oz linguine
1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 oz shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

YOUR TASK
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the flour to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes (or until the mixture darkens slightly), whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk, 2 teaspoons of the basil, the salt, and the pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3-4 minutes, whisking frequently. Turn off the heat under the pot and add 1 1/2 oz of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the mascarpone cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Garnish with the remaining basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving.

Enjoy!

recipe and images: Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Pretty packaging : The Bitter Chocolatier

2011-08-15T19:31:00.000-04:00

I just discovered this packaging on the Dieline through their Student Spotlight. It is absolutely gorgeous, with clean fonts, die-cut labels and organic, natural materials. LOVE the humorous labels "My Girlfriend Dumped Me." and "My Entrance Exam Didn't Go Well."

Don't you love it and wish you could buy it? What a great hostess gift this would make!

Images: The Dieline

Tasty Tuesdays : Greek Dip!

2011-07-26T21:02:00.000-04:00

Hello all! I thought I might start sharing some of my fav recipes with you on a more regular basis. I will come across certain food blogs and get sucked in for hours. After all that time, I usually do end up making a dish or two. Anyway, this first one is an original recipe, as in, I got it from my momma and I don't know it's lineage.

GREEK DIP

You start out by chopping one avocado (sometimes I use two), two plum tomatoes, 1/2 small (3.8 oz.) jar of black olives and 1/2 c. red onion. DON'T CHOP YOUR FINGER! (slight hint, of course, I've never done this myself.)

Put all dat in a bowl.

Then, you whisk together 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp. olive oil.

Once that is combined, add it to the bowl o' veggies (aka, the tomato mixture - wait, if tomato is a fruit, is it the bowl o' fruit and veggies?) Stir/mix gently to combine. You don't want to make the avocado a mushy mess.

After that, you will want to mince some garlic. The recipe calls for one clove, but, really, I scoff at that. To me, one means three! But, maybe you and your guests don't agree - up to you! Chop some fresh herbs : 1 tbsp. fresh parsley and 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano.

Add the garlic and herbs to the dressed vegetables. Finally, add 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Yum! Is it lunchtime yet?

Here is the recipe in a more condensed version:

GREEK DIP

INGREDIENTS:

one avocado, chopped

two plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 of a 3.8 oz jar of black olives, chopped

1/2 c. red onion, chopped

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

YOUR TASK:

Combine chopped tomatoes, onions, olives, and avocado, in that order.

Whisk vinegar and olive oil until combined. Then add to the tomato mixture.

Add herbs, garlic, and feta to the tomato mixture.

Mix very gently to combine.

Enjoy!

Recipe: my momma

currently loving ... BOLD colors

2011-07-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

House and Home

House Beautiful

Sweet Home Style

Love the purple. Love the fireplace. Hate the wall decal.

Images: Sweet Home Style, House Beautiful, House and Home

a whale of a time

2011-07-20T21:37:00.000-04:00

I rarely post videos here, and certainly not ones that are over eight minutes long, but I just watched this, and may or may not have cried at about the six minute (24 second) mark. Too good not to share. I'm not exactly sure why, but I just love this. I hope you do too!

video: YouTube

Hi, I'm Allison, and I'm a Bravoholic

2011-07-14T20:42:00.001-04:00

I'll level with you. I really hope I hate this show. I would like an extra 40 minutes a week, not spent watching these "BravoLebrities." August 15 I'll know whether or not that time is truly mine. Sad, but true.

Until then, this show will be in my DVR, you know, because I'm a Bravoholic. Please excuse me while I watch the sneak peak.

images: Bravo

outdoor improvements

2011-07-12T21:22:00.000-04:00

We've been working a lot on improving the interior of our home, but every time I saw the outside, it was a little sad.

It was pretty devoid of color and needed a little pick-me up. I painted the front door and mailbox, and added some potted and hanging flowers. It made such a big difference!

I have a pretty black thumb, so for now, all of my planting will be in pots. Less damage done if I'm a neglectful gardener! I couldn't decide whether to also paint the storm door blue.

What do you think? I also have some herbs on the back porch. I painted the stand yellow and the pots blue last summer. The blue wore off, which I actually love. Nice and worn.

Thanks to my momma who spent an evening helping me! We still have much to do, but obvious changes like paint make a huge difference!

Pathetic

2011-07-11T20:58:00.001-04:00

I mean, really. WTF, self? Sad, sad showing. For one week in June, I was in Florida staring at this

and also at this:

It was beautiful and fun and soul-feeding. Other than that, I have no excuse for my absence. I'll pick it up!

We got a rug!

2011-05-31T20:04:00.001-04:00

I took a picture of it! See? The rug!

Things are definitely shaping up. We still have lots of table/bookcasey items to buy, but the progress feels good! Oh, and I got the second lamp, but still need a new side table where it can live.

at long last ... kitchen before and after

2011-05-30T19:43:00.002-04:00

Finally! Before and after photos for you of our kitchen. Our contractor came a couple weeks ago and installed shelving in the closet to create a pantry. It feels complete! It was too sunny to get great photos, but I thought this would be better than what I've been giving you lately: nothing!

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I hope everyone has enjoyed their Memorial weekend. I spent the second half of it doing this:

Still nursing it and hoping it doesn't stick around long! At least someone is very worn out from boarding. Less guilty feelings for me when I'm stuck on the couch!

change in seasons... maybe?

2011-05-03T20:47:00.001-04:00

Although you wouldn't know it, based on the 40-something degree weather around here, but summer swimsuit season is fast approaching. Some of us are trying to get in shape. Others can't grasp the concept of pilates and that if someone is "rolling like a ball", it's best not to walk behind them and lay down. Oh, others.

There's also been a bit of this going on around here.

I'll save you the suspense. It's me! I'm the painter! Duncan is not painter, instead he is professional hole-in-carpet chewer. Anyway, loving that spring green!

now vs. not

2011-04-28T21:15:00.001-04:00

Things I loved recently at HomeGoods and whether or not I bought them:

Not in my home:

NOW in my home!

You thought this whole thing was one big sham didn't you? No, no, my friends, I did buy ONE of those lamps. I thought I could put my lovely birthday lamp

Reminder, this is birthday lamp:

So, I thought that could go on the other side of the couch, but it really just wasn't working. The first lamp is much too large and in charge. Even though I bought it a few weeks ago, a little sister birdie told me that the other is still there. I may try to swipe that up tomorrow. It seems a little silly given that I don't have an end table for it, but when at HomeGoods, seize the goods! Even if you're putting the cart before the horse.

Okay, signing out, as I've reached my corny phrase quota for the day.

a hard goodbye

2011-04-27T22:16:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! I hope you're having a great week so far. Our newest update on the homefront isn't so grand. Our wonderful neighbors have headed south... and, of course, this means they took their pup, Duncan's best frenemy with them. They went for one last romp

(and I truly mean romp: –verb (used without object)

1. to play or frolic in a lively or boisterous manner.

2. to run or go rapidly and without effort, as in racing.

3. to win easily.)

Anyway, one last romp, not knowing what's about to hit them. So sad :(

Oh, right, he was TERRIBLY excited in the first photo. What a boy!

here comes peter cottontail

2011-04-22T18:06:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter weekend to you! To get us all in the spirit, I am sharing some pics of my own personal ~~Easter~~ Bunny, circa the '90s.

Sugar (yes, male white bunny named "Sugar") and my moody elementary school self:

Sugar and my dorky elementary school self (purple turtleneck, oversized white trucking company shirt and red pants) Awesome.

I had a pink leash for this poor Bunny, that is until my parents gave him away unbeknown to me. I've since forgiven. Can't you tell? (Love you mom!)

Seriously though, Happy Easter!

images: mine, and don't you dare use these for anything else ;), also wikipedia

so pretty ...

2011-04-20T18:22:00.000-04:00

in an office:

in a baby boy's room:

in a powder room:

in my room:

All by Wild Chairy

images: Wild Chairy

color within the lines

2011-04-06T20:51:00.000-04:00

Hello, gorgeous.

LOVING the idea of a nice pattern to make a space pop! I imagine these stencils from Royal Design Studio would be so much easier and a little less of a commitment than if you went with a wallpaper. Plus, you can completely select your own colors. Love.

images: Royal Design Studio

i got it from my mama

2011-04-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

I love family heirlooms and think they can truly complete a space. To me, a look layered with pieces rich with tradition and history make a house a home. When my grandmother passed, I inherited a few lovely items. As you can see (and might remember,) her absolute favorite color was yellow! It adds such sun-shiney happiness to our blue living area.

The pottery here belonged to her, the art is a gift from my talented mother to Chris.

I feel very lucky to have received one particular piece of art that she painted. I am so loving it in our home.

Feeling inspired by the family influence, I've begun to do a little bit of painting myself.

It doesn't quite work in our current space. It looks so measly in contrast to my grandma's gorgeous 4'x5.5' painting.

I'd love to make two large pieces, similar to this one, to flank our couch.. And replace the coffee table, add some end tables and new bookshelves. It's a process, people, it's a process.

In closing, isn't this exactly what will.i.am had in mind with his "I got it from my mama" lyrics? I think, yes. ..and if the girl real pretty, 9 times out of 10, she pretty like her mama.... Anyway, I don't compare to the two women who precede me, but I'm having fun playing around with it!

rugs galore

2011-03-29T19:23:00.001-04:00

Instead of narrowing down my rug options, I've expanded my selection. What a decisive way to go about things. I'm now thinking a muted or primarily grey rug might be best.

Jute Rug: (in gray)

Recycled Denim Jute Rug:

Gradiated-Stripe Rug:

Opinions?

images: RugsUSA.com, Rug Studio, West Elm

The Graduate

2011-03-29T18:18:00.001-04:00

After completing beginners obedience, earning "Best Handler" in intermediate and going on through advanced, Duncan is an Obedience School Graduate! Go Duncan! Go Duncan! No, no, come, Duncan! Duncan, come! .. oh, you still haven't quite figured that out? Ha! At least he's cute :)

I'm such a sucker; we're on week two of Agility Class. Channeling his inner DiCaprio, Duncan is the king of the world on the top of the A-Frame. Maybe sucker isn't the right word.. nerdy might be more fitting!

only for the rug -ged

2011-03-16T19:20:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! How are ya? It is so nice and sun-shiny here. I'm loving it and can't wait for our new french doors to be wide open every day! We are hoping to begin purchasing a few more items for our home soon and I'm thinking RUG! And coffee table.. but I think coffee table would be the Crossings Coffee Table: Whew, look at that decision making!

I have been obsessed with online rug shopping lately. Here is what I found that I love, but that won't work for us. They might work for you, though!

Hand-tufted World Classic Bluish-grey Wool Rug:

Hand Hooked Bliss Blue Gray Synthetic Rug:

Hand-hooked Bliss Off-white Floral Rug:

Here is what I found that could work for us:

Hand-tufted Spirit New Zealand Wool Rug:

Hand-hooked Bliss Off-white Floral Rug: (in a greens, not blues)

Hand-hooked Miff Wool Rug:

And, finally, here is what I found, that are most likely the finalists:

Dash and Albert's Diamond Light Blue and Ivory Indoor/Outdoor Rug:

We already have this rug by our back door and it cleans up beautifully! We have one small snag it in, but that isn't too bad considering the muddy, snowy shoes and paws that have been in and out. As an indoor/outdoor rug, I can just wash it off with soap and lots of water. The cons are that it is a safe bet and maybe too predictable, matchy-matchy because we already have one downstairs, and it isn't going to be very plush and comfy.

My next option is this beautiful Bogart Flat Weave Wool Rug from Garnet Hill in either Yellow or Light Blue.

I love the brightness and warmth that yellow would bring to the room, but I'm a little worried about it with our "green" couch. (Which has been described to me as more of a neutral, anyway). Here, I'll remind you:

I worry that yellow would not compliment the couch at all. But, I am going to be getting a large piece of yellow and white art that my grandma painted, which will be by our dining table. It would be so nice to tie that in. Hmm.

... and then there is the light blue version. This would probably be a good option. It wouldn't be sooo matchy with our D&A one, but would (hopefully!) add something in the same color family and would be a good mix of pattern. It ~~would~~ could go superbly with our couch and walls:

(Walls:)

... or, instead of going superbly it could be like, Holy Blue, Batman! Did you just regurgitate a Smurf? Haven't you seen the other colors on that wheel?

Light Blue Rug: Also, with this rug, I could still get the Garnet Hill Yellow Ottomans. Ottoman? Ottomans? Ottomen? .. Unlike if I went for the yellow version. Either Garnet Hill version would not be so muddy-paw friendly, but might be more comfortable.

Oy vey. What'cha think? Have I thoroughly confused you? You may need a minute to escape being in my head. (... or Chris's, for that matter. What a saint.) Anyway, help a sister out! (I would never say that in real life. Scratch that. I WISH I would never say that in real life) I'd love your opinion! And if you are serious about helping, you might want to revisit my dream pillow selection. You know, with your extra time.

images: Crate & Barrel, Overstock, Dash & Albert, Macy's, Valspar, Garnet Hill

good 'n' healthy

2011-03-15T22:20:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned before, I'm doing Whole Living's 28-day cleansing. I'm currently on week 4 and things have definitely been much easier since I last mentioned it. I've felt my absolute best during the second week, in part because I was getting lots of good sleep! So far we've found quite a few recipes that I'll make once the diet is complete. If you're looking for some good, healthy recipes, these are definitely worth checking out.

Almond Chicken Soup

Two Bean Vegetarian Chili

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Grilled Salmon with Spicy Honey-Basil Sauce

Creamy Kale Salad

Spiced Nuts and Seeds

Barley Fried Rice

Chipotle Avocado Sandwich

Linguine with Almonds

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs

There's lots to choose from and even more at Whole Living. Enjoy!

images: Whole Living

The Conran Shop

2011-03-04T16:49:00.001-05:00

Browsing the most recent issue of House Beautiful, I came across these beauties from The Conran Shop:

Then, I looked across the bedroom and saw our current garbage can, which looks a lot like this:

But it's even uglier. In my mind, it may as well be this:

Those colorful little cans looked so lovely in contrast.. and still do. I came across a few other items that really caught my eye.

And then, the grand finale ... this gorgeous Midas Golden Cutlery Set. Lately, I've been obsessed with the idea of a bronze or gold "silver" ware set and I love this! I especially like the shape of the spoons. Yes, please! Have a great weekend!

images: The Conran Shop, Lowe's (sorry, Lowe's. These have their place, and it isn't next to my bed)

Capital "C" is for Craving.

2011-02-27T15:56:00.001-05:00

So. I started my detox diet last Monday. And I am so craving EVERYTHING right now. I've definitely made a few delicious dishes on this diet, but, who am I kidding? I'm not a dieter. This is really the first time I've ever carried out a diet, as I've only tried once before.

In particular, I'd love to eat...

A Terry's Turf Club Burger with duck fat fries. If you're in the Cincinnati area and haven't yet been, you must! My favorite... standard burger with Burgundy Wine Mushroom Sauce, extra mushrooms (can't remember if I got portabella or shitake,) Gouda cheese and caramelized onions. YUM.

A jelly-filled donut, fine with me if it's by Emeril!

Accompanied by a Starbucks Caramel Brulee Latte ...

Chicken Pot Pie. I'd love to try this recipe by Sweet Paul ...

Followed by a Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cake (whaaat?)

And finally, a nice glass of red wine ...

And now, as they just aired a Share our Strength: end childhood hunger in America commercial on Food Network, I'm feeling a little guilty for this post. I have it pretty good, I know. Eat something delicious. Tell me about it. And help out a good cause if you can.

Images: Terry's Turf Club, Food Network, Starbucks, Sweet Paul, Sunday Suppers

shine on

2011-02-21T20:35:00.000-05:00

I was browsing Home Decorators Collection the other day and looky at what I found. The long lost twin of my birthday lamp. I assumed that it was a bit older (though I don't know how long they've carried this) because I bought it second-hand. I'm feeling pretty good about my purchase, as I paid around $70 and they sell it for $130. Now I know just where to go if she needs a friend!

Some other lovelies I spotted ...

Clara ...

Mimic ...

Raquel ...

Glover ...

... and finally, Roxie ... (yes, we're still talking about lamps. We didn't transport to a Gentleman's Club)

images: Home Decorators

loving (the roo)

2011-02-14T20:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you!

And being even more celebrated in our household, our one-year anniversary with Duncan (on 2-13)

Yay for Duncan. He has gone from this little 11 pound puppy to a big boy at 71 pounds. We're lucky to have such a good pup.

Valentine's image: Martha Stewart

attack of the processed food

2011-02-09T17:55:00.002-05:00

I have been trying to eat healthier recently, and amidst my serious stack of unread mags, I plucked out the most recent issue of Whole Living to see a detox challenge. Their 2011 action plan is a 28-day mind + body challenge. I've tried to detox in the past with no success.

But, I can do this one! First of all, I'm not getting any younger, and would love to feel better overall and about myself. Also, Whole Living supplies so many recipes! Last time I got lost in the same ingredients and meals, but I don't think that will be possible with the list and itinerary they provide. And if that isn't reason enough, this is what happened to our brand new cookie sheets after one use.

Pepperoni Pizza Rolls! That shiznit cannot be good for you! Shiznit? I don't know....

Anyway, more on that when I actually start THE PLAN. You see, we're going to Gatlinburg in the next couple weeks and I would much prefer to not feel guilty when I slip and have some chips & dip with a glass of wine while not meditating. I'm off to heat up some leftover carrot ginger soup. Happy healthy eating!

twenty-six

2011-02-08T21:52:00.001-05:00

I celebrated my twenty-sixth birthday this weekend with LOTS of delicious food. I was too busy devouring it to take any pics, but for you Cinci folk, here is where I went and my top recommendations:

Friday dinner with the fam: La Poste : Mussels and Clams, Mushroom Ravioli, and Cherry & White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Saturday brunch, post-massage, with my momma and sisters: Annabel's : Scramble Du Jour

Saturday dinner: Otto's : Crostini Sampler, Iceberg Wedge, and Sea Scallops

ALL DELIC!

In the midst of gorging, I stopped at a local consignment shop and gifted myself this little beauty. Not on my "shopping list," but I definitely couldn't leave it behind!

inspiring nook

2011-02-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

I'm in love. Seriously. How gorgeous is this?

Everything about it is just so right. My favorite part about this area has to be the use of one beautiful, awesome piece of art. Love. To see more of this beautiful home, check out the gallery on Apartment Therapy.

image: Apartment Therapy

Living Room Inspiration

2011-01-31T20:40:00.000-05:00

Before I let myself turn another page in the new issue of West Elm, I shall tell you what I'm thinking. Right now, our living room is so:

Our walls are Valspar's Magnet Dapple (it looks a little more blue)

and the ceiling is Silver Leaf

We have floor-length matte gray curtains that have a silver weave. Currently, our main pieces of furniture are

The Marin Bar:

And the Elliot couch and chair:

I will be receiving a beautiful painting that my late grandmother painted. It is BIG. Take this with a grain of salt, as I am terrible at estimations, but I would guess that it is 3 feet by 5 feet. (Which could be 2'x4' or 4'x6') Anyway, it is white and yellow and will be our main piece of art. Cue me, bringin' in some sunshiney yellow.

And here is what I'm thinking:

Pillows. Love.

The Crossings Coffee Table:

I have an older wooden two-tier table as my current nightstand. When I have replacements, I will paint the one I have, maybe disressed white or grey, and then, the icing on the cake would be two of these beauties in yellow:

I'm obsessed. Ready. Set. Save!

images: Valspar Paint, Crate and Barrel, Macy's, Pillows 1 and 2: CB2, Pillow 3: West Elm, Garnet Hill

no more mono - bedroom pillows

2011-01-24T20:45:00.001-05:00

I've got pillows on the mind.. like, spice up my room, add some color and pattern comfortable soft necessities. I'm thinking about a couple rooms in particular, our bedroom and the living room. Let's start with the bedroom. It has been largely a monochromatic color scheme, and I'm looking to add a little somethin-somethin. Right now, we have this bed,

light-medium gray-blue (nothing like being noncommital) walls, this comforter from Crate & Barrel, and, rather than, Merimekko overload, we have paired it with dusty blue sheets.

That's pretty much as far as we go in the color spectrum. I love our table lamps, which have a distorted clear glass base and solid white shade. So, here this is where I start thinking about these pillows from CB2

Love them! I'm a little worried that it could be horribly wrong, but.. I love them! So there's that, and the fact that they're on sale for $10 each... and I'm thinking they'll add a needed modern touch ... and, if nothing else matters, orange and blue are totally BFFs on the complimentary color wheel.

So, if you give a girl new pillows, she's going to want new curtains...we know how that goes. If the pillows are the perfection I'm hoping for, I'd add some orange curtains.

From Urban Outfitters, these are my first pick. Unfortunately, they've received some bad reviews, one in particular stating that this color is more of a peach. How much do you trust reviews?

From Target, but I fear they may be a little too dark. I'd much prefer to see them in person. What do you think?

images: Crate & Barrel, CB2, Urban Outfitters, Target

June Boisseau

2011-01-20T21:05:00.001-05:00

My dear grandmother, June Boisseau, passed away last Tuesday: 1/11/11 at 1 am.

It was somewhat expected, yet, of course, very sad.

I had time last week to grieve and begin healing with my family in Texas. Everyone made an effort to wear yellow to her services to honor her favorite color. It was a very beautiful funeral.

I'm looking forward to springtime, when we will lay her to rest. She will be very, very missed.

(Thanks, everyone, for your understanding. It would have been an elephant in the... blog if I didn't address this.)

balloon image: flickr

eat your greens

2011-01-10T21:22:00.001-05:00

I've been cooking up a storm lately! This weekend I made Moroccan brisket, stewed prunes, Papa Bear oatmeal (with stewed prunes instead of raisins) and mint chocolate pie.... but tonight. Tonight I made brussel sprouts. And they rocked! Seriously. I kept "snacking" on the leftovers while I put the dishes away. And this is coming from someone who hated them as a kid. I remembered the recipe while at the store, and, as I'm smart phone-less, bought the ingredients from memory. Even though there are only 3, I still missed one. I forgot about the almonds, but I had a can of Blue Diamond Smokehouse flavor at home. I think it may have added to the flavor. Delicous!

Sweet Paul is redeeming himself from the leek debacle. Now I'm off to eat some leftover mint pie and snuggle up to the Bachelor!

image and recipe: Sweet Paul

Ginger Chicken Soup

2011-01-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a little (a lot) blah so far this week. I believe all of the deliciously cheesy and creamy dishes followed by an array of decadent desserts that I indulged in during the holidays might have a little (a lot) to do with it. Besides that, about 60% of my meals in the past week have been lasagna, which can't be helping matters. Luckily, our freezer currently has about 8 containers of soup just waiting to come out. I made Real Simple's ginger chicken soup in December and it sure is coming in handy now! So delicious and definitely another chicken soup to add to my repertoire. Just as yummy, but the ginger distinguishes this dish from the other chicken soup I've told you about.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

2 32-ounce containers low-sodium chicken broth

2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 2- to 1 1/2- pound rotisserie chicken

1/2 cup frozen peas

4 scallions, sliced

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the broth. Stir in the parsnips, carrots, celery, turnip, and ½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, using a fork or your fingers, shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones.
Add the chicken, peas, and scallions to the saucepan and cook until heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with the biscuits, if using.

Bon Appetit!

recipe: Real Simple

2010, by the month

2011-01-02T22:59:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! I spent the day setting up a wonderful Christmas gift, my new computer!

... and am so excited to be blogging from it. My old computer gave me a good 7 years, but I am so excited to be looking at this pretty new screen and moving along so FAST! What better way to do a 2010 recap?

January 2010 .. Let the cohabitation begin!

February 2010 .. I turn a quarter of a century and then the cuddliest little bundle moves in!

March 2010 .. Duncan has his first bath! We had a couple slow months in there. Cut me some slack.

May 2010 .. We join friends in Louisville for the Derby

June 2010 .. Unwelcome rodents make their appearance, planting the seed of renovation

July 2010 .. I was honored to be an attendant in my good friend, Kristy's wedding

August 2010 .. Chris and I vacation in Savannah and Charleston

September 2010 .. Two days after hosting a baby shower, kitchen renovation begins!

October 2010 .. We take a long weekend with friends in Gatlinburg

and also in October 2010, I had the honor of participating in my friends Cara and Chris's wedding

November 2010 .. We celebrate my friends, Laney and Bryan's wedding

November 2010 .. we got to spend Thanksgiving with my grandma, who was in town from Texas

December 2010 .. Duncan (and his siblings, of course) turned one on December 5

December 2010 .. we celebrate our first Christmas in the house together. Beginning new traditions and spending time with loved ones!

Looking forward to reaching milestones and creating new memories month-by-month in 2011. Happy New Year!

images: mostly me, and one from apple.com http://www.apple.com/

thanksgiving...

2010-12-08T20:54:00.001-05:00

wears even the best of us out.

paloma's nest

2010-12-07T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hello all! How are ya? I (once again) came across Paloma's Nest today and thought, by golly, I should introduce you! She is always being featured around the blog world, but perhaps you haven't yet heard of her. She is very well known for creating the original ring bearer bowl.

I love ee cummings "i carry your heart" I'm so smitten by this bowl, but I think I would probably customize it and include a whole ... verse?? Letting my lack of poetry knowledge shine through, here.

And, on a more seasonally-appropriate note, she also has beautiful ornaments.

Gorgeous, no? I can't wait to finally order from Paloma's Nest!

images: Paloma's Nest

my how things change : reno : week 8

2010-11-30T20:49:00.001-05:00

Well. Week eight was a while ago, but here is what happened:
Backsplash!

Hood! Hardware!

While the kitchen is not yet 100% complete, I have had time to 100% fall in love with it. I'm not going to be all fluffy and lie to you, my blog-reading BFF. Of course, there are some things I would like to have done in hindsight, but still, it. is. awe. some.

I'm feeling pretty darn lucky right now, lounging comfortably on our new couch, Christmas lights glimmering on our tree to the right and adorning our exterior on the left, glass of red wine in hand and falling in love with Beyonce (yeah, that's right) to her live "I Am ... World Tour" in the background. Drinking it all in before Holiday-Mania is in full swing.

Bummer

2010-11-15T21:08:00.002-05:00

Hello all! I'm currently out of town and I didn't bring my camera cord. I'm definitely behind and again confusing myself about the status of my kitchen as compared to my last update. Anyway, I haven't quite had a full day at home with enough dinner time to cook the bourguignon so I made the potato, leek, and watercress soup. It was so delicious. I fed a crowded house with all smiles. The only downside being that I broke two blenders. Not one, but two. This soup cost me $150 in appliances. Soup gets an A+ though.. worth it? Maybe. Note to self (and you, of course): Next time cut the leeks smaller!

sweet Sweet Paul

2010-11-03T19:33:00.001-04:00

We've been lucky enough to have some wonderful lovers make us homemade soups and stews and chilis and roasts during this renovation, but I can't kick the need to cook! To chop. To mince. To smell sweet smells all coming together. I've been printing and copying and saving and drooling over so many recipes recently.

I'm craving some seasonal cinnamon-pumpkin muffins after a good soup that spent a Sunday a' simmerin' ... and then I met Sweet Paul.

Met through this wide web, of course, and I've only "met" him. I'm sure he has no idea about me. The Sweet Paul (e) Magazine is just divine. Such beautiful food images and design and the best-sounding recipes. Anyway, I think I've found IT. The one dish worthy enough of being my first homemade meal in our new kitchen, with vegetables chopped on our new counters, lit by our new pendant lamps and sitting on our new wonderful five burner stove for hours under our new hood.

Beef Bourguignon. It looks so seasonally delicious and I'm not intimidated by any of the ingredients! Coming in at a close second, third and fourth, which simply means, to be made at a later time:

You must check out the Sweet Paul mag. I'll let you know how the Bourguignon turns out!

images: Sweet Paul

my how things change : reno : week 7

2010-11-02T20:52:00.003-04:00

I've gotten so behind on my posts that I'm even confusing myself. So, here it is: Reno, Week 7. I (clear of throat. Literally; I just cleared my throat) intended to post at the end of each week. Week seven was actually October 25-29. I'm a few days behind on this one, but, oh, week seven was an exciting one!

Our faucet is working, we moved the food to the beautiful and beautifully CLEAN new fridge, our pendant lighting was installed (four total, you can see one peeking in the top-right corner), our trim is being completed, our hardwood stairs leading to the basement look beautiful. Sighh... it's all coming together!

And. We. Are. LOVING. It. I truly do not think I could be happier. I am never going to want to leave this kitchen, which should delight Chris, really. Homemade food all the time? Sign me up! Especially after what feels like the take-out tour of Cincinnati. And, yes, my pants are indeed fiting tighter. I think it was week six that did me in.

Every time I go through the zipped-up tarp that separates this beautiful new kitchen world from our increasingly messy living space to open up that big, pristine fridge to get the Brita (yes, we opted not to get the outer fridge water spout contraption) I breathe such a sigh of relief. I am one grateful girl. How many people get to design and then utilize and live in and love their dream kitchen? Not many.

All the while this little guy is still holding down the fort.

Which, as evidenced by the shredded curling iron and dvd player cords that we came home to, can be a rather boring job. Everything seems a little too safe here, might as well add some adventure to the day!

I guess he isn't quite ready to be left out of his kennel, but does something expensive have to be ruined every time we think he is? It'll be a while before I have an answer to that question!

Coming up in week 8: backsplash and cabinet hardware! You won't want to miss it!

my how things change : reno : week 6

2010-10-28T14:11:00.001-04:00

Our kitchen! It has countertops!

my how things change : reno : week 5

2010-10-19T20:08:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone had a nice weekend! I've definitely been a bit absent recently. I was in my good friends' wedding this past weekend, which was an absolute blast. Last week I was busy preparing and am now recuperating. Things in the kitchen are coming along nicely! They're finishing up the cabinet installation and will be placing the countertop this Saturday. There is now light at the end of the tunnel! WooHoo. I can't wait for us to be done washing dishes in the bathroom sink and tub, and making all meals in the microwave.

The final dining/family room color will be a darker blue, more similar to what you see on the wall to the left rather than straight ahead. Hope you have a great start to your week!

my how things change : reno : week 4

2010-10-13T16:50:00.001-04:00

Why not skip from week one straight to week four? We're currently in week FIVE, people. It's not total laziness. My camera broke, as you might recall. My super-lovely boyfriend gave me a new one, so now I can share some pics. I'll give you a bit of an update on all aspects. From weeks two to four: They did a lot of work on the plumbing and electric, which doesn't make things look too different, as you can imagine. Then they started and completed the drywall process, which, as you can imagine, DOES make things look much different.

And then they painted the kitchen - yay! This goes to say that we did select all of our paint colors. I'm pretty pleased with the green we selected for the kitchen. It's Valspar's Betsy Ross House Moss (6005-3C)

Mmhmm, drink it in...

Lately I've been (and have been trying to) take some deep breaths and notice the huge differences that have already been made. Opening up the french doors to let in some fresh air and sunshine has been so wonderful. The flow from the house to the deck is so much more natural.

We also selected and purchased a new couch and chair from Macy's "Elliot Collection."

We ordered it in advance, all worried that they were going to want to deliver when it still looks like some sort of semi-organized tornado came through. They said, no, no we won't and now it turns out that its on back order anyway. You like?

They'll begin tiling the basement tomorrow. Chris selected a darker green for the majority of the basement and we picked the two browns on the right for the basement bathroom.

Anyway, things are going just swimmingly. We've dubbed Duncan the Foreman of the Job. He thought he'd better check in with you, and who am I to say no?

images: moi and Macy's

changing seasons

2010-10-05T08:00:00.003-04:00

Fall is here! And it actually feels like it! I'm so excited for this season. I love the comfort of good soups and stews, cuddling under blankets, hot seasonal drinks, and yes, even football! Duncan LOVED leaves when he was just a brand new puppy and hasn't yet seen the autumn leaves, so I'm excited to see if he likes jumping around in piles (wait, doesn't someone have to rake for their to be piles?) ... jumping around in the scattered leaves.

Everything is coming along swimmingly with the renovation. The drywall is just being finished, and we have ordered a couch that will be ready on time! So glad we won't have a new finished family room without furniture. Our current obstacle is our pendant lighting. After we fell in love with and selected the fixtures, we were told that they were discontinued. One of our friends and former neighbor now works in lighting. Cross your fingers that he can get them for us!
image: Annie Schlechter