St Patrick's Day Wreath

As I mentioned last month, my goal is to make a wreath for my front door for every holiday and maybe every month. Last month I made a Valentine's day wreath, and last week I made my St Patrick's Day/March wreath.

I bought 2 bunches of flowers at JoAnn's, and then also purchased a little four-leaf clover ornament and a green plaid bow to top it off. I just removed the flowers and the little pink sock monkey from last month from my grapevine wreath and added in the new flowers and wired in the bow and clover. I believe it took all of 10 mins to make this. I could always move the clover after St Patrick's Day, but I might just leave it up there like I did with my pink sock monkey.

Valentine's Day Wreath

Over the weekend my Mom made a Valentine's Day wreath. She sent me a text message with a picture of her wreath, and when I saw it, I had to immediatly make one.

This was so easy, and not very expensive. I got all of the supplies at Walmart, for a little more than $10.

Grapevine wreath -- $3.50
Peony bunch -- $5
Sock-monkey -- $3

I just cut the flowers off the bunch, with about 4" of stem, and stuck them in the grapevine wreath. I then wired on the sock-monkey. I know the sock-monkey is kind of silly, but I love sock-monkeys, so I just had to add it in there. My Mom put this in her's and we were thinking we might just remove the sock-monkey after the holiday, and we can then use the wreath for spring. We will just add a bow or more flowers.

This took me no more than 10 mins to make, and the best thing is, I can remove all the items, and update the grapevine wreath for the next holiday.

My Mom has a wreath for almost every holiday, and I think I might follow in her footsteps. I already have ideas for St Patrick's Day!

Christmas Parade of Homes

Welcome to my home!

Since I live only with my pup Abby, and because we are both girls, I have choosen to have pink holiday decorations. I figure I might as well enjoy the girly decorations while I can, right! I also have a pretty small living room, and although I do have a really nice 6 ft christmas tree, I have opted to keep it in storage and pull out this cute little tree year after year.

A few years ago I came across this cute little tree at Pier 1, and knew it would be just right for my small apartment. They also had a ton of cute pink ornaments and other holiday decorations that matched perfectly. I scooped them all up right on the spot, and have been using them for about 4 or 5 years now. The little santa box was from my Grandma last year, and the other little ornament was from our trip to Hilton Head this year. It is a lighthouse.

More pink decorations from Pier 1. The stocking holders are actually from Target. The christmas picture on the little stove was from my niece and nephew from 2 years ago. I actually keep it out year round because they are so cute! The little Brutus Buckey guy at the bottom right was a gift from my mom a few years ago. She has a friend from church who paints these cute little critters and things on sidewalk pavers.

This little display is in my kitchen. I just love it when there are displays of a bunch of glass containers of candy in the kitchen, so this is my little take on that. I am using candy cane Hershey's kisses (which are amazing...my boyfriend and I can't stop eating them!!). The plate is from Target, and I think it is so cute I might keep it out through the rest of winter. The candle is Spice from Bath and Body Works, and is one of my many holiday candles.

This is a little candle display on my coffee table. At the bottom of the hurricane vase are little glass beads and silver bells that I got from Pier 1. The platter I got from Target a few years ago. I just added a candle, and a little ribbon, and instant centerpiece!

And this is the centerpiece on my dining room table. I just loved this table runner from Pier 1 and totally had to get it! It has little jingle bells on each end. The platter and stand is from Southern Living at Home, and I just added some ribbon. The christmas cactus I picked up at Lowes and just loved the hot pink flowers.

I hope you enjoyed all of my holiday decorations. Thanks for visiting!!

Show Us Your Life -- Kitchen

This week on Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life we are sharing our Kitchens. Kitchens are one of my favorite parts of a home. Also, one of my favorite things to shop for are kitchen gadgets and stuff. Last night my boyfriend and I went into Crate and Barrel, and spent some time going through all of the fun kitchen gadgets and mixes and stuff. I am really starting to love to cook, so my kitchen gadgets are starting to really get a good use, so I can justify all of my shopping now (ha!).

So here is my kitchen. It is very small, and someday I would love to have a big open kitchen with an island my family can sit around. I do love how bright and cheery it is.

This is the view into my kitchen from the dining room (which I shared last week). The baby gate is not for a baby/child, but to keep my pup out of the kitchen. She likes to get into the fridge, and also the trash (which I keep under the sink). It's not totally fool proof, she does sometimes managed to get in there, but it does help for the most part.

My color scheme as you can tell is bright colors of green, yellow and orange. My wall color is a med brown, and my main living areas (living room, dining room, kitchen, hallway) are painted this color.

I love aprons, and have started collecting them (my big collection of 2!). The pink one is from Williams Sonoma, and the blue/brown is one that I made a few months ago.

Here is the view into the kitchen from the living room. I love having plants all round my home, and these 2 little flower pots (from Crate & Barrel) were just so bright and fun, I had to add them to my breakfast bar. The plant on the far right is my basil plant. I had it outside, but it started to cool off overnight, so I finally brought it inside. The little pumpkin is from Bath & Body Works from a few years ago, and it used to have a little candle in it.

My couch actually backs up to my breakfast bar, so I really don't get to use it much for that purpose. My girlfriends and I have had some fun times standing around the breakfast bar, chatting, eating appetizers and drinking wine while I am preparing dinner.

The platter in the corner is also from Crate & Barrel. I love to show off seasonal platters on that stand in the corner. The baskets on top of the cabinet are Longaberger baskets. The Longaberger plant is not too far from where I live, and actually a lot of people from my hometown actually work there, so it's probably a much bigger deal around here than in other places. Most of these baskets I actually got as gifts. I am not a big collector, but I do like to display the ones I have.

This is a view of the other side of the kitchen. The fruit stand is also from Crate & Barrel (love that store) and the wine rack is something I got from my Grandma. She was going to sell it at our family garage sale, and it didn't sell, so I ended up with it. Some of the wines are from my trip to the Biltmore Estate.

The little cleaning caddy is also a favorite of mine. I got it at Target, and it holds Lavendar scented hand soap, dish soap and counter spray. Makes my kitchen smell sooo good!! The binders in the corner holds all of the recipes I have printed from online. The spice rack was made by my Grandfather for my first apartment, many years ago. I just love it!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen! Hope you are having a great weekend!

Show Us Your Life -- Dining Rooms

This week's topic for Show Us Your Life over at Kelly's Korner is Dining Rooms. My dining room is pretty small, and I honestly don't use it often for the purpose of "dining." Sometimes when my boyfriend comes over and I cook dinner, we will eat at the table, but this is mostly to keep the dog from bothering my boyfriend. I typically eat on the couch while watching tv. For the most part, I use my dining room table when I use my computer for work (I like to spread my papers all over the table and floor), and for when I use my sewing machine.

This is looking into the dining room from the living room. You can't really see the print I have hanging, but it is a really cute watercolor print that I got from Garden Ridge about 12 years ago or so. I have loved it ever since. Also, that little stool on the left is actually an ironing board/stool that my Grandfather made for me. I have never used it as an ironing board, but when I used to have a home phone on that wall (now only use cell phone), I used to sit on that stool and talk on the phone. I also have a message board/chalkboard on the wall next to the stool that I use to display pictures, and other little messages.

I have had this baker's rack since my first apartment. I actually have had the dining room table and chairs since my first apartment also. The baker's rack holds my cookbook collection, some baskets with odds and ends, and on the lower shelf is the dog's basket with toys and my shredder. The platter is the one I got in Savannah. I like to switch out my platters every so often, but I loved this one so much I have had it on display since my vacation in May!


Here is a closer view of the table. I got this cute fall table runner from Pier 1 last weekend. The iron pumpkins were from Pier 1 and I have had them for about 10 years or so. I made the curtains about 10 years ago or so also. It was one of my first sewing projects, and the fabric is a sage green toile. I just love toile!

Thanks for stopping by to see my home!

Show Us Your Life -- Master Bedrooms

This week over at Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life, we are sharing our Master Bedrooms.

This is the view walking into my bedroom, and this is pretty much where Abby hangs out for most of the day. I typically have a blanket that I put on the bed for her to lay on. It helps to keep the hair off of my bedspread and keeps me from having to wash it all the time. I typically end up replacing my bedspread about once a year, and this one I got at Target. I loved this purple color, and love the color combination of purple and green together. Also, as you can see, the little chest is Abby's little step up into the bed.

Here is another view of the bed, and yes Abby hasn't moved one bit!

This is my dresser and little sitting area. A lot of times I sit in this chair if I am talking on the phone, or sometimes to put my gym shoes on. Abby sometimes likes to sit in this chair and look out the window. I think it's kind of funny to see her sitting there, just hanging out.

This is a view of the door and the view into the little hallway that leads to the master bathroom. The little hallway has closets on either side of it. It kind of reminds me of the hallway closet Carrie had in SATC (although hers was much bigger!). Makes me feel like I am channeling her sometimes.

Stop by later this weekend for an update on my 30 Day Clothes Challenge. I am still going strong, so I'll be post this week's outfits soon!

Show Us Your Life -- Living Rooms

I am so excited that Kelly's Korner's Show Us Your Life is back. I totally didn't realize this until today, or else I would have participated sooner. This week we are showing our living rooms. I posted pics of my living room a while back, but wanted to share what it looks like as of this very moment (well after a little bit of straightening up...ha!).

I live in an apartment, so it's pretty small compared to a lot of living rooms on here, but it is a pretty decent sized living room for apartments.

This is the love seat, coffee table and entertainment center (which my boyfriend thinks is huge, but I love being able to display the things I love). Wish I had a slightly bigger tv, but I will someday! The lamps I got at Pier 1. I think they add a little modern to my traditional style with their silver curvy bases. Plus I loved the red lamp shades...which is why I bought them.

This is the sofa, and a peak into the kitchen (which I assume will be another week). I got the pillows at Marshalls. They are down-filled pillows, and I got them both for $20 total! You can also see the beginnings of my photo collage on the wall. I just started that project this weekend. I am not sure what other photos I will include, but so far at the top are handprints of my niece and nephew, photos of my 2 nieces and 1 nephew, and then a pic of my boyfriend and I and a pic of my pup Abby.

This is my fireplace wall. I just loving having a fireplace, but I have never used it! I just like decorating a mantal. The little mini-stove is an electric heater. I do use that a lot in the winter, but I am not sure how to build a fire, and my boyfriend and dad don't want me trying, so it just looks pretty!

This is a DVD cabinet that my Grandfather built for me when I had my first home. As you can see, it's pretty filled up! I love having pictures of my family around. The pic on the left is of me and my boyfriend and the one on the right is of my entire family (including Grandparents!). This was taken at my niece's baptism at the church. I am so grateful that we could all get together for a picture.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed my home. I haven't had a chance to decorate for Fall yet, so I'll have to post an update once I get around to that (hopefully before Fall is over!)

New Kitchen Things, Home Goods Finds & Molten Lava Cakes

A few weeks ago, I came across this cute sugar and creamer set at Anthropology and just had to pick it up.

I then found this cute crock to hold all of my kitchen tools at Home Goods and thought it kind of matched. It actually was a canister and came with a lid, but there was only one, so I figured I would use it to hold my tools. This picture also shows my new Paula Deen salt box I got this week in the mail.

I also found at Home Goods these cute little ramekins that sort of matched as well and I had to make these fun individual Molten Lava Cakes. Boy let me tell you, they were delish.

I love when things sort of match, and you can mix and match things. I think I have a new theme going on in my kitchen, so I'll have to find other things to match. I would like to find some cute white place-settings and a platter in this same theme, so I'll be on the lookout for that next. Of course, who knows what I might come across next. I love a shopping challenge though!

Recipe for Molten Lava Cakes

Look at that ooey gooey goodness!

Recipe from Down Home with the Neely's

**Please note I cut this recipe in half because my ramekins were smaller and this gave me 6 individual cakes (which is more than I really needed anyway), but just so you know you can cut it in half if you don't want as many cakes..

Ingredients

-- 2 sticks butter, unsalted, plus more for ramekins

-- 4 teaspoons sugar
-- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-- Pinch cayenne
-- Pinch nutmeg
-- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
-- 1 cup all-purpose flour
-- 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
-- 6 large eggs
-- 6 large egg yolks
-- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter 8 (6-ounce) ramekins and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

In a saucepan combine butter, cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, and chocolate over low heat until melted and smooth; stir frequently. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, eggs and yolks, vanilla extract and almond extract until creamy. Add melted chocolate to the batter and whisk together.

Pour into prepared ramekins.

Bake cakes until the top is stiff and cracked and the edges are dark, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a small paring knife then invert onto plates while warm.

Pink Saturday 7/24/10 (Pink Kitchen Tools)

The other day I was reading the May/June issue of Cooking with Paula Deen (I'm a little behind on my magazine reading) and there was an article that had a bunch of fun pink kitchen tools. I have a pink spatula from Williams Sonoma, but didn't realize all of the other fun pink kitchen tools and gadgets out there. Here are some of my favorites that I would love to have:

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Too bad I already have a red KitchenAid mixer, or else I would totally buy this pink one!

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I am in the need of a new blender, so who knows, maybe I'll have to get this one!

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I do have this pink apron and a pink oven mit from William's Sonoma, which goes great with my spatula!

And for more Pink Saturday, check out Beverly's blog.

And check out this Pink Saturday participant, The Tablescaper. I just love her pink and green tablescape.

Savannah Style and Coffee Table Decorating

I love love love Paula Deen, and I also love Savannah, so when I found out about Paula Deen's new book Savannah Style, I immediatly ordered it from amazon.com.

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The book is full of beautiful pictures of her home, as well as other beautiful homes around Savannah. I think my favorite section was the section on gardens. Oh what I would give to be able to get lost in some of those lovely gardens. I will be in Savannah in a few weeks on vacation, so hopefully I'll run into some of them!

In addition to getting lost in the style of Savannah, I also worked on my coffee table centerpiece this weekend. Last week I made a post about working on a display for my coffee table. I had asked for some comments/ideas, and this is what I have come up with (for now) =)

I kept the white tray because I thought it would be fun for spring/summer. I also hadn't used it in a while, so I thought it would be a nice change. Using inspiration from the Savannah Style book, I came up with a fun flower arrangement using some peony's that I had from a long time ago, and I added some hydrangeas and some other greenery to fill it in. This vase is from my crystal collection, which I love!!

I also included this fun purple flower plate that I found at Target a few weeks ago. At the time I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I figured I would find something. I added a B&BW's candle, and ta-da!

Thanks everyone for your comments, and I am sure in a few weeks I'll change it up again!

Pink Saturday -- 4/10/10

For this week's Pink Saturday, I wanted to focus on decorating. And I need your help!

I have been looking for centerpiece/decorations for my dining room table and my living room coffee table for some time now, and can't seem to figure out what I want to do.

This is a fun pink/purple orchid (faux, because I would probably kill a real one in a matter of days) I found for my dining room table, but I am not sure I am 100% happy with it. I left the tag on it, so let's see if it makes it through the weekend. I have paired it with a cute green table runner (with cute butterflies and fireflies) and my crystal candle holders with sage green candles.

At first I was looking to either buy or make a topiary, but I already have 2 in my house, so I was trying to find something a little different, and I think orchids are very pretty.

I have 2 options so far for my coffee table.

This has been on my coffee table for a couple of years now. The base is from Southern Living at Home, and I filled with some ivy and then the glass hurricane is from Pier 1. I like it, but I am just kind of bored with it since I have been looking at it every day for a few years (I just keep changing out the candle and the ivy depending on the season).

I had this on my coffee table about 6 years ago. The tray is also from Southern Living at Home, and I weaved some ivy in the little holes on the side of the tray. It's a little big for my coffee table, and I can't seem to figure out what I want to put in the tray. Right now I have one of my crystal vases (matches my candle holders) and a Southern Living at Home planter with a candle. I like the tray, but am not 100% happy with what's in it. (I also think I need to straighten out that ivy...it's the same ivy I had from way back when I used this tray...ha!)

I am open to ideas that can either improve my options or even some new options as well. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy Pink Saturday. To find out more about Pink Saturday, check out Beverly's blog.

The Pink Saturday participant that I visited this week was Mary Beth at live. laugh. make something. I just loved her "Peep Show" post from last week! Check out her blog.

Pink Saturday -- 3/27/10

For this week's Pink Saturday, I wanted to share one of my favorite pieces of furniture. This is actually my childhood bed. I can't remember exactly, but I think that I got this bed when I was in grade school. I was so excited because it was pink, and as I got older I thought it was cool because it reminded me of a couch. I always had a bunch of pillows and pretended that my room was a cool hangout spot as opposed to a bedroom.

My mom finally allowed me to take the bed with me once I had a bigger place (with an extra bedroom) and when she finally decided to turn my bedroom at home into an office. I was excited to have the bed because, well it was my childhood bed, and I always wanted to have my daughter grow up with this bed. It currently is in my guest bedroom and is great because it has a trundle bed under it, so you can sleep 2 people in my guest room.

I painted my guest room a blue/purple color, and sewed the curtains from a fun fabric I found at JoAnns. I would like to make some fun pillows, but of course that is on my long list of things I am hoping to accomplish =)

I hope everyone is having a great Pink Saturday. Please visit Beverly's blog for more information on Pink Saturday.

And the Pink Saturday participant blog that I visited this week is Le Chateau des fleurs. I love all of her little parties she throws for her 3 kids, especially the Alice in Wonderland party.

Spring Pillows

I have been trying to incorporate spring into my home by adding some fun colorful items to a different room each week. Last week I bought some really fun things from Crate & Barrel for my kitchen.


This week I found some really fun floral pillows at Home Goods for my living room.

I haven't been to Home Goods in a while, and I was shocked at all the cute stuff and very reasonable prices. I got both of these pillows for $19.99!! And they have feathers as the filling. They were reg $40.00.

At first I was a little worried they wouldn't match my living room (I have red curtains with gold threads in them, and red lampshades (see here). But when I got them home, they were perfect. Just love them.

I would really like to find a fun centerpiece for my coffee table, but so far I have been striking out. I am not sure really what I want, but I am sure I'll know when I come across it. So I guess I'll keep doing what I love....shopping!!

Spring Shopping & a Little Decorating

So after such a long and rough week at work last week, I needed a little retail therapy this weekend. I went over to Easton Town Center, which is a very nice outdoor shopping plaza, and visited some of my favorite stores. It was sprinkling a little that day, but it didn't stop me, or many others I found, from shopping!

I first hit Crate & Barrel and told my boyfriend that I wanted to move into that store. They have amazing things, and everywhere I looked, I found things that I just wanted to take home with me. I actually bought a few things to add some fun spring color to my kitchen.

I went to a wedding shower last weekend, and feel in love with this platter. I collect platters, and like to display them on my kitchen counter. I switch them up depending on the holiday/season. I also picked up this fun kitchen towel and a really cute butterfly cookie cutter. Not only do I love to make cut-out cookies, but butterflies are my FAVORITE! And of course, since it was hot pink, I knew I just had to pick it up. The candle (Island Nectar) I actually picked up at Bath & Body Works last weekend, and it smells awesome!

I also picked up this fun flower pot (at Crate & Barrel) for the little palm tree that I received at the wedding shower last weekend. They gave away really cute gift bags with sea themed cookie cutters, a Cheryl & Co iced sugar cookie and this little palm tree. I also ordered this fun citrus stand from Crate & Barrel's website for only $12.95! What a steal and it really helped to brighten up my kitchen!

I also hit up Ann Taylor Loft for their 30% off sale. I picked up this cardigan

And 2 of these t-shirts (one in lime green and one in light pink) to wear under the cardigan. I have some really cute jewelry that I am going to wear to help dress it up!

I then ended my evening by attending a Lia Sophia jewelry party at one of my friend's houses. I love Lia Sophia jewelry, and have a ton of it. I keep meaning to do a post about my favorite pieces, so maybe I'll have to do that soon.

Today I spent the day cleaning and decorating, catching up on my shows, and even went to the gym for a little bit. Overall it was a great weekend, but it really did go by way to fast. Hope everyone had a great weekend as well!

Bringing Spring Home

As I mentioned yesterday, I went to a bridal shower on Saturday afternoon, and fell in love with everything from Crate & Barrel and from the Martha Stewart line at Macys.

Right now there are so many cute spring items for the home in bright yellows, oranges, limes and even pinks! Some of the things that I would love to buy for my home include:

Crate & Barrel:

Two-tier citrus server -- I actually ordered this online yesterday =)

Sorrento Dinner Plates

Fiore Platter -- I might have to get this over the weekend

Botanical Lemon Print Dishtowl

My Mom and I also went to Walmart to pickup a few houseware items, and I came across these cute items from Better Homes & Gardens for Walmart:

Citrus Blossoms Dinnerware

Citrus Blossoms Comforter Set

Posies & Plaid Comforter Set

Such fun stuff! I am sure I will come across even more as I attempt to bring Spring into my home!