Home Sweet Home Alabama

Pretty Little Things

2012-02-19T18:53:00.000-06:00

I've been doing a little window shopping lately and these pretty things are ALL on my "want list." (hint, hint Hubs)...

Sources: Michael Kors, Banana Republic, Piperlime, Gap, and Old Navy

In the Kitchen with Jacob

2012-02-15T01:05:00.000-06:00

In consideration of Valentine's Day and keeping with the "romantic" theme of my Shrimp Fettuccini post, we've decided to share the recipe I prepared the night I proposed to Sady. It's another shrimp recipe and, to be perfectly honest, there's nothing romantic about it (at least not in my mind). But, somehow, the night unfolded the way it did and now we associate this recipe with that very significant event in our lives.

I'll set the scene very quickly. It was early January and we were at my parents house. My little sister had flown in from Dallas. She and my mother were planning her wedding. My best friend from high school was also in town. We all decided it would be fun to invite him to the house and I would cook for everyone.

Before I go any further, I want to clarify something because this is taking shape as a strange engagement story and it's only going to get stranger when I reveal the recipe. At this point, I still had not considered this to be the night that I propose marriage to Sady. Having cleared that up, without further ado...

Hot & Sour Shrimp

This recipe is involved, messy, and time consuming. I would recommend peeling the shrimp and preparing the batter ahead of time. That day, I multiplied this recipe several times (for reasons I'm not going to explain) and it took most of the day. Just like with the Shrimp Fettuccini, I began with fresh shrimp from the Gulf (pre-BP oil spill). And, just like with the Shrimp Fettuccini, it took a very, very long time to peel the shrimp. The directions do all of the cooking in a wok. I recommend, however, frying the shrimp in a pan (or a deep frier if you've got one). Otherwise, because of the wok's concave shape, you'll be frying shrimp all day. I'm also aware that most people in this country don't own woks. Don't worry, a pan will work just fine.

Let's begin. This is a two-step process. We start with the batter.

Ingredients and Preparation of Shrimp Batter

1/3 lb. shrimp
1 egg white
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tbsp. cooking wine or sherry
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Place the peeled shrimp in a large bowl. Put 1 tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. water on the shrimp and gently work the salt-water solution into the shrimp. Rinse the shrimp. Continue rinsing until the water is clear; drain. Add the wine and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt; mix. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. water and mix. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg white and mix. Add the cornstarch; mix. Add the oil; mix.

This is a good stopping point if you're preparing this ahead of time. Seal the bowl and place it in the refrigerator until you're ready to begin cooking.

Ingredients and Preparation of Hot & Sour Shrimp

1 c. cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
2 tbsp. chopped green onions
1/2 tbsp. ginger root, chopped
1/2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
1 tsp. hot chili paste (adjust or delete as you desire)
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

In a separate bowl, combine and mix the sugar, soy sauce, and white vinegar. Set aside.

Add the cornstarch to the shrimp and batter mixture in very small increments mixing continuously to avoid clumping. Heat the vegetable oil in the wok to medium heat. Deep fry the shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the outside is crispy; drain and remove. Remove the oil from the wok.

Reheat the wok then add 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic. Stir fry until ingredients are fragrant. Add the sugar, soy sauce, and white vinegar mixture. Bring to a boil then add the shrimp and sesame oil; mix. When the sauce thickens slightly and begins to coat the shrimp, remove and serve.

If you still have the energy for it, have a seat and eat.

Back to the engagement story...

My friend left after dinner. Soon after, my sister and parents went to see a band they were considering for my sister's wedding reception. That left Sady and I alone at my parents' house. I took a quick shower to remove the shrimp stench from my body and cornstarch from my hair. When I finished, I found Sady watching television while sitting on the hearth of the brick fireplace where a fire had been burning all night. I took a seat on the loveseat across from her. She looked over at me and asked me to come sit by her. On a whim, I dropped to one knee, apologized for not having a ring and for not first receiving her father's permission, and asked her to marry me.

And thus, ladies and gentlemen, we have the story of how hot & sour shrimp became the emblem of our marriage......

She said yes, by the way!

Home Office Update

2012-02-13T17:36:00.000-06:00

I am constantly changing my mind about what I want to do with a space. Plan I will, but once I actually start to decorate, I tweak things one by one. The home office was no exception. If you read this post, you would have seen that I planned to paint the office walls teal, hang green velvet curtains, and mount an oversized presidential portrait between the bookcases. Well my friends, that's not the case anymore. I We decided not to paint and to save money by using artwork and drapery that we already owned. We have some beautiful abstract canvases stored away in Montgomery, so I decided to pull one of those into the room to help update the French-Traditional furniture. Here's the space so far:

It's about 90% complete and looks way better in person. The Hubs did an AWESOME job hanging the curtains this weekend. Thank you, Jacob! We are lacking a rug at the moment, but I'm hoping to gank my sister's next time I'm over at her place. Also, I have Degas's "Two Dancer's In Green" that I plan on hanging next to the entry. I am also still hunting for a budget- friendly light fixture to purchase in the future, so the one we have now will just have to do.

I'll take more pictures of our progress when there is better natural lighting to work with. The weather's been pretty nasty today ; (

Designer Crush: Miles Redd

2012-02-08T17:24:00.001-06:00

So... I have not been too thrilled about the overall look of my living room. I love each thing individually, but when looking at the space as a whole, the word "blah" comes to mind. I think it's because the colors are more neutral and washed out than I would normally prefer. I decided that I need to spruce it up bit by adding punches of color into the mix - Miles Redd style. If you are into design in the least little bit, you are probably already familiar with the genius that is Miles Redd. I mean, the man is A-MAZ-ING!!! Here are some of my favorites of his:

via Gretchen Aubuchon Desgin

via Design Scouting

via Elle Decor

via House Beautiful

via House to Your Home

via Jorge Rosso Design Blog

via Material Girl Design Blog

via New York Social Diary

via Elle Decor

via SR Interiors

via StudioTen25

via The Decophile

Now that you've seen some of Redd's portfolio, I'd like to share with you my living/dining room in its (embarrassing) current state:

Yes, I took off all the pillows and made some minor tweaks since posting about it here. Instead, I am going to put some bright emerald silk dupioni pillows on the sofa and continue to use the teal one's pictured on the dining bench. However, I feel like I need to do more with the living area by adding a patterned fabric or something. I am still not 100% on everything and would really love some second opinions. Please!

Have a happy hump day!!

A New Culinary Series

2012-01-30T02:37:00.001-06:00

I was looking over my past posts and realized that I haven't done a cooking feature in a very long time. I love trying out new dishes and sharing my culinary success stories with others, so I decided I would start a new series: In the Kitchen with Jacob. You are probably thinking, "Great! But, who is Jacob?" Well my friends, Jacob is the proper name for my Hubs. I told you back in this post that he was a bada** guitar player, but what I didn't share was that he is also amazing in the kitchen. (Yes ladies, I consider myself very lucky! I got a man who will serenade me AND cook me dinner!!) Given that Jacob is a far more superior cook than me, I decided to let him author this series. So, I give you my husband Jacob...

For the inaugural post, I thought I would share with you therecipe that won me a wife. We had notbeen dating long when I asked her if I could cook for her. When she said yes, I decided to pull out whatwas possibly the best, and most involved recipes in my repertoire. I’ll share with you not only how I make it,but also a few subtle date night tricks that, until now, my wife never knew Iconsidered so carefully that night.

Fettuccine with Shrimp & Garlic

Ingredients

4 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; more for finishing

3 large cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, or large shrimphalved

½ tsp. grated orange zest

Salt

Pepper

½ cup dry white wine

14½ oz. can whole tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

8 oz. dried fettuccine or spaghetti

3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

How to Make

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for cooking thepasta. In a large skillet over low heat,combine the olive oil and garlic. Cookgently, stirring, until the garlic is just fragrant and beginning to turngolden, 2 to 4 minutes; don’t let it brown or crisp. Add the shrimp and zest; season with salt andpepper. Raise the heat to medium highand sear the shrimp quickly just until they turn bright pink, about 1 minute oneach side – they don’t need to be cooked through at this point. Add the wine and let it simmer for 1minute. Stir in the tomatoes and cookuntil heated through. Set aside oververy low heat if the pasta is not yet ready. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until just tender. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and thendrain the pasta. Add the pasta and halfof the reserved cooking liquid to the skillet. Gently simmer for a few minutes so the flavors meld and the pasta candrink up the sauce. Stir in the parsley,taste for salt and pepper, and serve warm with a drizzle of extra-virgin oliveoil.

I usually serve this with orange slices and garlic bread.

A Few Comments andTips

You don’t have to be a classically trained chef (as Icertainly am not) to know that the fresher the ingredients, the better thedish. I had a jar of chopped tomatoesthat my father grew and jarred himself. I also had access to fresh, whole shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico (thiswas before the BP oil spill). Everythingelse was gathered from the supermarket that afternoon. However, I’ve made this dish before withpackaged shrimp and canned tomatoes from the supermarket and the results didn’tmeet standards.

They say don’t cook with wine that you won’t drink. Because I was cooking on a budget in thosedays, I went with a pinot grigio from Yellow Tail. This is an Australian brand that typicallyonly costs about $12 per bottle. For us,it worked. You’ll only need half a cupfor cooking. The rest you can servechilled with your dinner…which brings me to my first date night tip. After half a cup of the wine is used forcooking, there’s not a lot left to share between you and your date. Once it’s gone, don’t open anotherbottle. You don’t want your date towonder if you have a drinking problem. At the same time, it’s good to show that you can stop after a glass ortwo. It may seem silly that I feel theneed to even comment on this, but for any guys that might be reading this,never forget that a woman will watch you and analyze everything little thingyou do. Then they’ll discuss it withtheir friends. Don’t think for a secondthat her friends won’t accuse you of trying to take advantage ofher!

I chose not to peel the shrimp before the date started. It takes a long time to peel and devein suchan amount. This gave me an excuse toextend the date a little longer. If it’sfresh, there will be no unpleasant odor. But even if it’s a problem, it will soon be replaced by the sweetfragrances of the wine and orange zest cooking in the pan.

ENJOY!

A Little Teaser

2012-01-23T16:17:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! I hope you have all had a wonderful new year so far. Mine has been great! I've had so many exciting things going on at my house and thought I'd share some of them with you:

1) As you know, the Hubs and I started our own law practice last month. It has been stressful and has taken a lot of hard work, but I can happily say that we finally have things rolling. And, thanks to Laurel-Dawn of Abode Love, we have now begun to heavily market ourselves. For those of you who are not familiar with her, she is an extremely talented graphic designer, blogger, and home-stylist with whom we had the pleasure of working. Here is a peek at the business logo she created for us:

Isn't it great?!? We couldn't be more pleased with the final product!

2) I have gotten more decorating done around the house!! For the last 2+ years, the Hubs and I have had a blah room to sleep in. So, when we moved this time, I made our bedroom a priority. We were given some beautiful pieces for Christmas and also purchased some items on our own.

First, my in-laws got this beautiful mirrored chest, which is identical to one I was using as a foyer table before.

Then, my brother and sister in-law bought us the Ikea Malm Dresser. I plan on adding some beautiful knobs to it like these or these in matte gold.

Finally, we ordered 6 panels of ivory drapes from IO Metro (which are back-ordered until March) and this beauty:

The chandy arrived last week, and we the Hubs spent the weekend trying to install it. I say the weekend because it was not an easy process. We had a remote controlled fan hanging over our bed before, so the wiring was a little more complex than anticipated. Here are some action shots:

There you have it! That was my January in a nutshell. Later, I will be sharing stuff from other parts of my house that are in major need of some design TLC. Stay tuned!

Wishing You and Yours

2011-12-25T16:12:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Google Images

It's Been a Long Time

2011-12-09T14:57:00.001-06:00

I have been so super busy and haven't had the time (or the Internet connection) to blog. We moved at the beginning of November and my husband and I have started our own law practice. I know I posted before about him hanging a shingle. Little did I know I'd be hanging it with him! We are slowly getting things going with that, but in the meantime, I've been decorating up a storm at our place. I don't have one room completely finished - though, I'm not sure I ever will! My decorating ADHD seems to always get the best of me (much to my husband's chagrin). Anyways, here is a sneak peak of our living room...

The couch and pillows were mine before the Hubs and I got married. We haven't ventured out to buy anything new yet, but that is honestly way down on the list to do. I posted about the trellis rug here. The ottoman was a Home Goods score that my mother bought for me as a birthday gift. Thanks, Mom! We are replacing the throw with a pretty teal one that is currently stored away. I thought it would help bring out the beautiful shades of blue in the DIY art gallery (I'll share more about that project later). And, as you can see, we don't have window treatments, so those will have to be purchased sometime in the near future.

I've obviously got some work left to do and will be posting my progress as I go along.

A Rainbow of Rooms

2011-10-24T19:19:00.004-05:00

I don't have much to say today. I'm exhausted, sick of packing, and have a toddler who refuses to nap. Gggrrrrrrrr! So, I thought you could enjoy this little rainbow...

Sources from top to bottom: House Beautiful, House Beautiful, unknown source, Domino, Elle Decor, Pinterest, Elle Decor, unknown source, Decor Pad, Better Homes and Garden, House Beautiful, Decorpad

Hubs's Home Office

2011-10-22T22:00:00.003-05:00

We are officially making the big move next weekend! Hubs just went into private practice (he's a lawyer too) and will open the doors to his firm on November 1. "Hanging a shingle", as they say, takes a lot of work and long, LONG hours, so I decided to turn our third bedroom into a home office for him. Here was the dilemma: I needed to create a masculine office out of my feminine french furniture that I used when I was practicing law full time. I also wanted to make sure that whatever I chose flowed well with our loft-style architecture. Here is my plan:

As you can see, my office furniture is a honey-colored wood. I mean it is VERY warm. I wanted to cool it off a bit by painting the walls a dark teal and adding green drapes. I also wanted to add some masculinity to the space, so I am hanging an over sized picture of Thomas Jefferson between the two bookcases. Finally, for a punch of color, I am going to add this rug from Anthro. We have to keep the super-modern silver fan for now, but hopefully one day we can change the fixture to something a little more appropriate.

Designer Crush: Beth McMillan

2011-10-18T00:42:00.002-05:00

I am starting a new "Designer Crush" series and thought, "who better to start with than a fellow Birmingham native?" I discovered Beth McMillan about a year ago and was extremely impressed with what she had done with her bungalow. Click on this link for a full story on her home redo.
Here are a few images that I am dying over:

She seamlessly mixed a variety of styles in her dining room. Isn't it gorgeous?!?

The chairs! Need I say more?

This sitting area is modern yet still cozy.

The mirrored screen is antiqued. Wowzers.

Lovin' this vignette. Axis bench, antique rug, French chairs...perfection!

The oversized gilt mirror is nicely juxtaposed with the modern chocolate walls of the dining room.

This is a small glimpse into the work of McMillan. I am definitly anxious to see more of it! In the meantime, I will continue to visit her website for the beautiful eye candy that is her lookbook!

* All images courtesy of myhomeideas.com

Four-Legged Furniture

2011-10-15T15:50:00.001-05:00

So, lately I have been super busy creating design boards for some clients and for our new condo. While I was searching around, I found some really coolways designers have enlivened furniture and thought I'd share:

(via 1st Dibs)

(via Oly Studio)

(via Polyvore)

(via Google)

I guess the last two don't really qualify as "four" or "legged" but they are my favorite ones of the five.
Anyways, I thought these were a great way to add character to a space!

Dresser DIY

2011-10-10T23:44:00.001-05:00

I deep-cleaned/staged my house this weekend because we are planning on moving within the month and desperately need this house to sell. While moving furniture around, I decided that I wanted to glam up a chest in our bedroom. My inspiration:

the Dorothy Draper dresser.

It's a classic and can be seen in many designers projects these days. Check these out:

David Jimenez

Melissa Warner via House Beautiful

Graham Moss via Decorpad

Scott Currie via Elle Decor

Sex and the City

It also looks gorgeous in colors besides black and gold. Like...

(source unknown)

Turquoise

Decorpad

Lavender

centsationalgirl.com

and white!

Which is my inspiration. I love the milky lacquer with the gold rings! In order to get this look, I plan on painting the dresser with this Benjamin Moore paint leftover from my daughter's nursery:

(courtesy of Little Green Notebook)

And maybe use these rings as the drawer pulls.

There are sooo many websites dedicated to projects like this. The most appropriate one for what I am wanting to do is a DIY by Nancy Marcus here. However, you can just do a google web or image search for "dorothy draper diy" and get a variety of results.

Have a happy work-week!

Things I Keep Eyeing

2011-10-08T16:56:00.001-05:00

I constantly look for inspiration and ideas for my dream home. Here are a few images I keep coming back to...

(Source Unknown)

(Atlanta Homes)

(Alice Lane)

(Lonny Magazine)

(Tia Zoldan)

(Source Unknown)

(Elle Decor)

(Lonny Magazine)

(Elle Decor)

(Lonny Magazine)

(Source Unknown)

What would you put in your dream home?

A Steal of a Deal

2011-10-07T22:31:00.001-05:00

I did a little shopping today. Check out this 5 x7 trellis rug I got for only $29 at Ross:

Pretty sweet deal, huh?

I'm Back

2011-10-03T22:26:00.001-05:00

I have been off the radar for almost two weeks now. It's been a little crazy at our home lately. Here's what's been going on:

1) September 25, 2009

< courtesy of google.com>

The Hubby surprised me by taking me out to the place we first met called The Exchange, which is a hotel/restaurant/bar in Montgomery.

When we were first introduced two years ago, the Hubs and I were sitting at a large table with about 12 other people and had each ordered an appetizer. Once the food came out, he offered me some of his fried green tomatoes, and well, the rest is history. So for our anniversary this year, he wanted to do the same thing. Unfortunately, the Exchange took fried green tomatoes off its bar menu and its restaurant was already closed by the time we got there. We still had a wonderful evening though!

2) Our Anniversary Weekend Turned Into a Day Trip to Atlanta, Ga

I had an itching to go to Atlanta, and the Hubs reluctantly obliged me. It ended up being a a fun trip, though. We went around to all the suburbs, including Duluth, which is where the Hubs lived when he was little. Once we arrived in Duluth, we discovered that the town was having its annual Fall Festival. Of course we had to go to it! And, I am SO glad that we did because not only did we buy 14 reference books for $14 (I know, I know! We are the biggest dorks ever!), but we also found a Slush Puppie vendor!!!!!!!

< courtesy of google.com>

Do you remember these? They are the best icee treats ever!

After the excitement of our watermelon slush and the fall festival, we went on a hunt for the Hubs's childhood home. Success! And then, he took me on a date to this Mexican restaurant he frequented while at GA Tech: Nuevo Laredo Cantina. They have the BEST food I have ever experienced - well the best Mexican food at least. Just look at the deliciousness...

3) Family Get-Togethers -- Enough said.

4) The Taste of the River Region

Last night, I worked a restaurant and beverage tasting event that the Montgomery Junior League sponsored. We got to try a variety of entrees, lots of sweet treats, and even some beer and liquor. It was a great time.

So, that's been the last 2 weeks for me in a nutshell.

Which One Did She Pick?

2011-09-21T12:50:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I showed you three different idea boards that I created for my friend, Ashley. Well, after some deliberation, she chose this one...

... However, we made some tweaks to the plan. She opted to do away with the zebra hide and instead do some small sheepskin throws on the seats of the slip-covered chairs. As for the host/hostess chairs, she wanted to keep them as is so that she would have more money to spend on the candelabra chandelier and the teal silk dupioni drapes. Finally, she wanted to add two lanterns to the table scape.

Ashley and I are both very excited to get started on her dining room, and will share pictures of our progress asap.

A Friend's Dining Room Project

2011-09-20T22:52:00.001-05:00

I am currently helping one of my life-long friends, Ashley, decorate her dining room. Like many people, "A" has furniture that she either inherited, married into, or that was given to her by her in-laws. Here is a picture:

As you can see, she has some absolutely gorgeous pieces. However, she really wanted to lighten the room up and make it a little more her. I asked her to email me some inspirational pictures and describe the overall look she was going for. She informed me that she had purchased a large, 3-piece bookcase and wanted the space to be a dining room/study. She also said she loved the idea of layering rugs, playing with different textures like animal furs, burlap, etc., and bringing in the colors aqua, robins egg blue, turquoise, and the like. Finally, Ashley had a tiny amount of some black and white striped fabric that she wanted to somehow incorporate into the mix.

Based on our conversations, I knew that her style was shabby chic with a modern edge and that I needed to incorporate those styles into a traditional dining room setting. So, these are what I came up with:

#1 -

#2-

#3-

Stay tuned to find out which one she picked!

A Few Fall Inspired Interiors

2011-09-18T00:17:00.001-05:00

Tonight, I watched the Alabama game at a friend's house on her back patio. She has the best setup for game day: two TVs, a large sitting area, a fire pit, three grills (if not more), even a refrigerator! It's awesome! Anyways, I noticed that it had gotten quite chilly outside. In fact, I had gotten so cold that we rode home with the heat on. When I stepped inside the house, I could smell the scent of my pumpkin candle in the air and thought, "Oh Fall! How happy I am to finally have you here."

With the Fall season in mind, I ran across some interiors that I thought would be appropriate to share with you. See if you can figure out what they have in common...

(All images courtesy of Ralph Lauren and google.com)

If you guessed animal print and plaid, you are exactly right! I love the juxtaposition of the mod with the rustic. It's very unexpected, but it totally works. For me, the animal print is glamorous and brings some energy to the space. The plaid, on the other hand, is toned down and cozies the room up a bit. I would definitely do this in a study or something. What do you think? Would you mix the two in your house?

Hope all of you in blog land are having a relaxing, fun-filled, (fill in the blank) weekend!

Dress Your Nest

2011-09-15T01:12:00.001-05:00

Are you wanting to decorate a room in your home but don't know where to start? Here's a tip: go to your closet. It is one of the best places to get inspiration for designing a space. Think about it. There is a reason you chose those particular pieces of clothing, pair of shoes, or handbags to dress yourself, whether it be because of their color, pattern, texture, etc. The same concept works for your home. Dress your nest the same way you would dress yourself.

Here's what I mean...

In the example above, both the model's jacket and the bench are structured and made of cognac leather, giving them a very masculine look. And in the second example, the chandelier is reminiscent of the model's hairpiece.

However, when dressing your nest, you don't always have to be so literal. You can also simply use furniture pieces and textiles that have the same feel as your clothes, such as that in the first image. While the model's pink dress is literally shown in the throw pillows, it is also portrayed by the overall femininity of the room.

So...as you can see, clothing and accessories can be interpreted through design in a variety of ways. Let me know if I can help you put together an outfit to dress your nest! An E-Design service is currently in the works (woo! hoo!), and I am dying to get started.

Have a Happy Thursday!

Go Green By Decorating

2011-09-14T00:27:00.001-05:00

It's always a great day when one of my catalogs comes in the mail. Today it was Pottery Barn. As I was flipping through it, I noticed this art gallery:

The designers had basically taken sheet music and other random pages from books and applied them to the wall. I thought it was so interesting and such a great way to recycle old books and newspapers! I showed the Hubby, and even he liked it. (Though, I knew he would because he is an avid music enthusiast. Seriously, he can play anything on the guitar.) But anyways, back to the sheet music...

Emily Hewett, author of A Well Dressed Home, did an entire wall this way using pages from romance novels. Wow!

<You can read more about Emily's project here.>

And, here is another image where the designer used newspaper clippings as wallpaper:

<photo courtesy of google.com>

I've also seen designers and artists recycling old books by printing vintage images onto their pages and then framing them like this:

I don't know about you, but I LOVES this! In fact, I loved it so much that I bought this little guy for my own home off of etsy.com. Can you believe he was only $8.00?!?

The seller had all kinds of prints to choose from, but this print includes everything I am attracted to in design: all things that are vintage, colorful, and/or found in nature. Ergo, I had to have it!

So, if you are needing to fill up a blank wall in your home, I hope these have given you some inspiration. Happy ~~Recycling~~ Decorating!!

September 11, 2001

2011-09-11T19:52:00.001-05:00

(photo courtesy of google.com)

I vividly remember where I was, what I was doing...every little detail of 9/11. I was a junior in high school and was ironically wearing red, white, and blue on that day. The first plane crashed while I was working as a teacher's assistant. Though, I didn't do much assisting that day- all I could do was stare at the television in disbelief. As I watched the second plane hit, I could hear gasps from the other classrooms, and a sense of fear overcame my body. People kept talking about "terrorists" and "war". I was extremely naive and had no idea what it meant to be at war or what it meant for our country to be attacked by terrorists. I just knew I was very afraid.

Then, I remember the days following. The concerts, the vigils, and all the American flags. They lined the streets, hung on every house, on overpasses, businesses, and on cars. They were everywhere. Along with sorrow, anger, and fear, that tragic day brought pride, generosity, courage, patriotism, empathy, and goodwill. It was a time that we were all proud to be Americans.

Here we are now at the ten-year anniversary. Today we mourn the lives that were lost. We honor the countless heroes in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and especially those on Flight 93 and in battlefields abroad. We celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden. Today we remember September 11, 2001 - a day we will never forget!

It's Football Season...

2011-09-08T18:12:00.001-05:00

...And that means its time for good food, good brews, and good times! Today's post will feature the Hubby's and my favorite tailgating recipes. It was so difficult to narrow it down, but here are our top five dishes in no particular order:

1) Texas Caviar -

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can black beans rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

3/4 cup fresh salsa or pico de gallo

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

Hot Sauce to taste

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a large glass or plastic mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Yields 6 servings.

2) Bacon-Hugged Lil Smokies

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package of lil smokies sausages

1 lb. bacon

3/4 cup brown sugar

Toothpicks

Directions:

Cut each bacon strip into thirds and wrap each third around a smokie. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Place two inches apart on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 325 degrees.

3) Spicy Sausage Cheese Dip, courtesy of my friend Heather Locklar

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) box of Velveeta

1 (10 oz.) can hot Rotel, undrained

1 (16 oz.) jar of mild chunky salsa

1 lb. mild sausage

1 lb. hot sausage

Directions:

Crumble and cook sausage until browned and drain. Then, mix the sausage and remaining ingredients in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Serve with tortilla chips. THANK YOU HEATHER!

4) Hot Ham Sammies

Ingredients:

1 12-count package of King Hawaiian Rolls

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp poppy seeds

2 tsp onion flakes

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 package Swiss cheese

12-16 oz. thinly sliced ham

Directions:

Slice the dinner rolls in half, and make a sandwich with the ham, cheese, and rolls. Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl, and drizzle the mixture over the sandwiches. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is gooey (usually 15 minutes). Yields a dozen sammies.

5) Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

1 bottle of hot sauce (such as Tobasco)

1 block of cream cheese

1 jar of Naturally Fresh Ranch Dressing or Bleu Cheese Dressing

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Frito Scoops

Directions:

Combine the chicken and hot sauce. Place in a casserole dish. Combine cream cheese and dressing, and pour over the chicken mixture. Top with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with Frito Scoops.

Hope you enjoy these yummy dishes as much as I do! Also, if anyone has a guacamole recipe, please send it my way. I haven't been able to find one I love quite yet.

Thanks and Happy Friday!

My Inaugural Post

2011-09-08T02:39:00.001-05:00

After much consideration, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and started my own blog. Boy, am I excited!! For years now, I have been saving magazines and pictures of different interiors, exteriors, color combinations, furniture pieces, recipes, tablescapes, (you name it) and have never shared them with anyone. So I thought this blog could be my outlet to do just that. With that said...

I stopped by the store today, and while I was there I picked up the latest issues of Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens. BHG really caught my eye because of the turquoise and gold color combination used on its cover. I have always thought those two colors make a brilliant duo! The turquoise brings in the fun while the gold adds a touch of sophistication. In fact, those are the colors currently used in my living room (photos of which are to come soon). In the meantime, check out these images:

This plate reminds of my grandmother's tableware - in a good way that is!

Isn't this rug fun?!?

Would LOVE to have this in an entryway!

Very glam!

Wowzers! I especially love the gold mirrored chest. Isn't it gorgeous?!?

The gold table settings are very formal while the turquoise chairs are not to be taken so seriously.

The two colors here create a very luxe bedroom space.

This is definitely a fun twist on a traditional living room.

The colors and patterns are so unexpected.

The tufted turquoise headboard is a show stopper, for sure!

Turquoise and gold damask wallpaper...yes, please!

What do you think? Do you have a favorite color combo? Do share!