Saturday, November 30, 2013

Liz Caan Design

My husband gives me a hard time because he says my favorite thing to do when I read magazines is to rip the pages out.  He's right, I do.  I just love looking back through images that give me inspiration.  Lord knows, at over 10K "pins", I do love digital inspiration but there is something so much more tangible about flipping through the colorful pages of design magazines.  And colorful this image was that caught my eye:


I love everything ab out this space designed by Liz Caan...mix of old and new, the colors, the brightness, the hints of gold, the pattern mix, art mix, lamps...you name it, I love it!

Her spaces are bold, fearless and full of bright colors.  Most spaces have an overtly feminine feel which is something I feel like my house is lacking now.  Here are some of my other favorite spaces designed by Liz Caan:













Friday, November 29, 2013

On My Christmas Wishlist

Today is Black Friday.  I don't do shopping on Black Friday cause I'm usually finishing up my shopping at this point.  Plus, me and crowds don't mix so well.  In honor of Black Friday, I'm sharing a few things on my Christmas wishlist.

I know, Christmas is about giving, not receiving.  And I truly believe that.  I much prefer giving gifts to getting them.  I love to shop for others and find the perfect gift.  And then I love to wrap them.

But, let's be honest, I'd definitely be a little sad if I didn't have anything to unwrap on Christmas.  My husband keeps asking me what I want for Christmas.  He has asked for me to set up a Pinterest page with some ideas for him.  So, because I'm such a good wife, I complied.  :)

 bag, Anthropologie

 earrings, Anthropologie

 ring, Banana Republic

 flats, Kate Spade

 necklaces, Etsy

 print, Lulie Wallace

 monogrammed jewelery box, C Wonder

 necklace, Stella and Dot

flats, Tory Burch

What are you wishing for?

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Make Your Own Mulling Spices

I adore hot apple cider in the fall and winter time.  I much prefer it savory than with caramel and whipped cream added to it like they do at a lot of coffee shops.  It is simple to do at home.  You can just apple cider from the store and then you can either purchase your own mulling spices or - - since here we are on Thanksgiving Day without any of the store bought kind - - you can easily put together your own.


What You'll Need:
6-8 cups apple cider
3 cinnamon sticks
zest of one orange
1 Tbsp cloves
Allspice 
tea ball

What You'll Do:
Heat cider in a large pot over the stove.  Add cloves and orange zest and halved cinnamon sticks to the tea ball.

Submerge in the cider.  Add a couple of extra cinnamon sticks and a little ground Allspice for good measure.


Serve piping hot!


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Setting the Thanksgiving Table

Setting a beautiful table is something that I would like to improve on.  Thanksgiving is the perfect time to work on setting a beautiful tablescape for your guests since there aren't a lot of other decorations to compete with it (unless you have already started decorating for Christmas).  

This year we are bucking the traditional turkey and are heading out to eat with some friends for an Indian meal.  I am excited about it but will miss all of the leftovers!

In honor of tomorrow's holiday, here are some beautiful tablescapes that might just inspire you!  They certainly do me.










Links to all images here.

Gobble, gobble.  Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Green Room Eco - Chic and Green Stationary Products

My neighbor wrote me a thank you note from her daughter's birthday the other day and I loved the design of it.  It was made by Green Room Eco.  The card stock was made from 80% recycled paper and printed on with soy based ink.  Okay, great, so it is environmentally friendly which is very important.  Unfortunately, sometimes that doesn't always translate to chic and cute....except this card did!  So, I checked out their other products - many of which are now sold by Target!










So, if you want to be cute and green, this may be the line of paper products for you!

See all products here.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Skillet Chili Mac

Unfortunately this recipe was another one where I thought I had the memory card in my camera and took all sorts of great pics only to find out that my memory card was sitting in my computer.  I did snap one with my phone but that's all I got.


I do recommend this recipe though - it was perfect for a winter's evening and had great flavor!

What You'll Need:
1 large onion diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can kidney beans
1 pound lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles
1 jalapeno, chopped (remove seeds if you like less heat)
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin
handful of fresh chopped green onions
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups of medium sized pasta (I used shells)
2 cups of water
1 diced bell pepper (can use any color)

What You'll Do:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sautee onion and bell pepper until tender.  Add ground beef and garlic and cook until meat is browned.  Drain the excess fat.  Stir in chili powder, cumin and season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomato sauce, green chilis and diced tomatoes.  Stir together.  Then add the water, kidney beans and pasta and 1 cup of the cheese.  Mix together, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Add remaining cup of cheese and top with green onions.  Serve immediately and top with any of your other favorite chili toppings.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Personalized Holiday Card Round Up

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week!  Being the Christmas-psycho that I am, I ordered my Christmas cards a few weeks ago but that still hasn't stopped me from looking at lots of other fun options!

If you haven't ordered yours yet, you should check out Etsy for some great options that you can personalize. Here is a round up of some of my favorites that I've come across lately:



















Merry Merry!