it's so you

Have ya'll seen these ads from Crate & Barrel? I wonder what  my "it's so you" ad would look like...I love the third one.

all shiny and new

My campaigner has sat virtually untouched in our office since coming home. But after noticing how dingy the brass was, we decided to get to work.

The goods

 The one on top has been cleaned...what a difference!

Good as new!

top two tuesday - things i wants to accomplish.

1. Be more active. 
Carrying the groceries from the car to the house and taking the stairs at work no longer cut it. I need something to validate my trash tv watching. I've never been a runner, but I've heard great things about the iPhone app. I think having tangible goals and guidelines will really help me stay on track. I'll keep you posted :)

2. Refinish this chair.

I've never re-upholstered something this size. I've been bookmarking good links for months now. Preston's family has a re-upholstering shop in SC, so he claims it's in his blood. This chair was given to us for free, so I'm not super concerned about ruining some fab piece. I must conquer this chair. I'm thinking orange with a bold stripe to give our office a little pop...should pair well with my black desk.

Now that I'm really putting these out there, I really have to stick to it :)

back in action!

Preston and I got back last night from our week at the beach in South Carolina. More on that later, since I haven't had time to upload any pics, but we had a great time. I love Charleston and the beach we were at was perfect for relaxing and lots and lots of reading. Stay tuned for extra details.

We left last Monday, but I was overwhelmed with travel preparations to post July 30th's favorites. And I haven't completely caught up on my reader from last week...but I'm going to go ahead and post links that have recently caught my interest. No time for pics and quips, I've got laundry to do and DVR to catch up on :)

• Perfectly chic summer hair-do from Happiness is...
• I've already emailed Lindsey to find out where she purchased this Okie Grown print
• Chalkboards in the kitchen from High Street Market
• Chalkboard decals for your chalkboards in the kitchen also from HSM
• White or a pop of color in furniture..I share this current dilemma with Starfish and Sundresses
• Hair crushes of L&L. Have you seen Hermione's new pixie cut?! (OK - 1 quip. Anne Hathaway has THE.BEST. hair. Love her.)
• 30 days of blogging from my friend Meggi. I love this idea..I may take on the challenge
• Homemade trellis stencil
• Painted wood floor DIY by High Heeled in the Front Door
• Donut muffins posted by For the Love...sharing the love via Pioneer Woman
• Dirty Risotto via Giada
• Hoisin Chicken
• Creamy Chicken Toquitos from PH&HH

Happy Monday!

Did anyone watch The Bachelor Pad??? I chronologically catch up on DVR so it will have to wait... any thoughts??

friday faves

Favorite Recipes

Preston and I have a house guest this weekend and I'm super excited to have someone else to cook for! This South Carolina boy can eat...even more than MY South Carolina boy. And that's a lot. Anyway..I think we're planning on grilling something tonight. I can't wait to share this desert surprise.

Ice Cream Sandwich Casserole 
from Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour

Ingredients
24 ice cream sandwiches
toffee chips
1 tub whipped cream
hot fudge topping (melted)
caramel topping (melted)
Heath/Skor/Symphony bars (to crumble on top)

Unwrap 12 bars and layer on the bottom of a 9/13 baking dish. Cut them if needed to make them fit. Melt the jar of hot fudge and spread a layer on top. Then spread on a layer of caramel. Then Whipped cream and toffee chips..(Is your mouth watering yet?!) Repeat layers - bars, chocolate, caramel, whipped cream and then crumble bars on top. YUM!

Kara posted some great recipes this week. Here's another I'm adding to my book as a go-to, easy pasta salad. And I love any excuse to use my herbs :)

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad
from Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour

Ingredients
1 box bow tie pasta
3/4 evoo
fresh Basil cut into strips
fresh garlic, pressed (Kara used 5 cloves)
grape tomatoes
feta or fresh mozzarella cut into bite size pieces

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Cook pasta and cut basil into thin strips. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add feta, basil, garlic and grape tomatoes. Pour in olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. 

Favorite How-To

I'm still trying to muster up the courage and time to reupholster this old chair. Jenny from LGN posted a helpful chart estimating the amount of fabric needed. I plan on putting it to good use.

Favorite Inspiration

My grandma has a set of 4 roller chairs waiting for me to rescue. But I'm just not quite sure what to do with them yet. I'd love to turn them into some kind of rolling bench... with a fabulous fabric of course.

sources: 1, 2                                                                    

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

friday faves

One of my favorite blogs, Lavender & Lillies posts her favorites weekly. I thought I would share some of my favorite links and finds from the week.

Favorite DIY I want to copy

Tart House: DIY Door Desk

As soon as we get our office cleared enough to walk into, we will be building this desk. I don't like the white, though. Do you think you can paint those cheap doors?? And I'm not a fan of those legs, but I've seen others use shelves on both sides. Or even more square looking legs to make it look more like a Parson's desk. Total cost of desk: $96

source

Favorite New Blog

ihategreenbeans. Ladies, she knows her Bachelorette and she is HILARIOUS. You know all those snidy, Bethenny-ish comments you think in your head while watching? She BLOGS them. I LOL'd at her commentary of this week's episode.

"Ali: “I totally gave Robert-o the first impression rose and have hardly seen him. Sure I giggle like a school girl when he is near, but who wouldn’t? Have you seen him salsa? Have you seen him throw a knuckle ball? Have you seen his smile? The worst thing that could happen is that I built him up to be this great guy and then he’s not. Or maybe the worst thing is that they are making me wear this Flashdance off-the-shoulder shirt thingy. What am I? A welder? No. I am a career woman. A jobless career woman. And don’t forget I’m super afraid of flying. Hey look! A helicopter!”"

source

Lincee also posted this which makes me love her even more.

Favorite Rooms

Habitually Chic posted some drool worthy rooms. Bring on the books. Love it.

Favorite thing I want to Buy

I try really, really hard to not spend the big bucks on clothing items. I'm not an expensive jeans buyer (unless it's a deal), I'm ok with Target sandals, and I hate spending triple digits on swim suits. (Or close to it) I actually threw one in the trash the other day. I needed to let go..it was yellow. I'm not sure what I was on the day I thought it was ok to go fishing in a white bathing suit. (Lesson learned) Anyway..I'm really wanting a good one for the beach in August and I think this may be the one. Halter? Navy? UNDERWIRES? SOLD.

J.Crew

Favorite Eye Candy of the Week

No words are needed.

Vanity Fair

(This does not indicate in any way that I am Team Edward.)

Hope you have a great weekend!

clever title here

Last week has been super busy, so on the few nights I have come home, I’ve done nothing. I’ve attempted to read my book with the longest chapters ever..we’ve barely done any cooking. The one night I did cook, I seriously thought I was going to have to scramble for take out the meal looked so disgusting. I didn’t tell Preston I thought it was ruined/looks like the grossest thing ever so when it was ready, he gobbled it up. He ate it the next night too. It was the worst cooking experience. (It was orange chicken drumsticks, btw) I think it was the bloody drumsticks that made me want to barf every time I checked it in the oven. Ick. I also attempted to make monkey bread yesterday (the recipe below looks a lot easier than the one I used). I’ve never made the bread before but it looked yummy. Well, I failed at that too. They look like monkey turds. Huge ones. I didn’t get the whole folding, layering part. I need Pioneer Woman style recipes with pictures please. I did my normal cleaning laundry routine yesterday while P was fishing. I spilled the entire pitched of tea in the kitchen. It was a b**ch to clean. Pain in the butt. I swear.. You think I would’ve learned how, after failing to completely get up the spilled vodka at my parents house 10 years ago. (That’ll give any house party away.) I couldn’t get the sticky stuff up! I mopped twice with lysol and water. And then 6 hours later went over it about four more times with just water. My efforts at home have been less than successful to say the least.

I did finally finish my dresser. I also decided to spray paint the brass pulls flat black. Much better.

I loved the look of the pulls of this dresser. I think I achieved the same effect. Sorry for the crooked pictures.


I ended up distressing ours a little bit..a little on purpose, and a little due to me banging a few walls carrying it through the house.
I hung up a sheet from the set I’m using in our guest room to hide the washer and dryer. Those clip on curtain hooks are genius!


The previous owner left that wall hook. I spray painted it black to match the rod and furniture in the room. I’m planning on adding a few pops of red to go with the black and pale turquoise. I like the drapy length of the sheet so I don’t think I’ll hem it. It also leaves the option to use it as a sheet again in the future.

Preston’s cooking dinner tonight (thank God, right). Yummy.

I still can’t stop watching “Pretty Wild”. Isn’t that terrible? I actually watched it before work the other day. I never do that..I did clear the DVR yesterday morning and I think “Glee” has been so good lately. The performance of “Like a Prayer” at the end of last week’s episode seriously gave me goose bumps. Those kids are so talented! See the performance here. I also thought Sue’s “Vogue” was so fun!



Monkey Bread

Ingredients

3 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough

1 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube/Bundt® pan.

Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the biscuit pieces as you go along.

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Hope everyone had a  beautiful, productive spring weekend!

loose ends – furniture, new legs and a book

It has been raining since I left work Friday night but Preston and I have definitely taken advantage of the perfect indoor weather! I finished up his nightstand.

From this:

To this:

  He loves. Said it looks brand new :) Yesterday I went to a few antique stores with my mom. We ended up spending most of our time at the second stop because the guy had to pull out the antique jewelry. We had a lot of fun trying on rings (that my fingers were too fat for!) After my $9 successful trip to the Salvation Army last week, my eyes were hurting from normal antique prices. I was in owl heaven though.

 

 

 

 

Back to my price tag shock- I found a few tables I really loved. But I honestly feel like I could find the same kind of love on Craig’s List for a lot lower price. And if a little refinishing is needed, I’m ok with that. So, I came home empty handed. (No owls at.all. That place had $50 owls?! Not my kind of owl.)

Aforementioned tables:

I also found a metal dresser that would be really special for a possible island or extra storage in our kitchen.

Have you ever seen a metal dresser?! It was really neat. White with pale yellow stripes. I’m not sure if it would go but it was cool. It really inspired me to find my own metal dresser to redo :)

   My legs came in Friday! They are just as amazing in person as they are in the pictures and they got here super quick! My mom had found some wood restore stuff and I thought I would try it on the piece before succumbing to restraining. Let me tell ya, it was magic. Scratch 3 isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot better.

Scratch 1 Before the magic 

Scratch 1 After the magic

Scratch 2 Before the magic 

Scratch 2 After the magic

Scratch 3 Before the magic

Scratch 3 After the magic 

After the restorer and two trips to Lowe’s for the right screws, Preston was eager finish ‘er up.

 

LOVE THEM. I’m still working on rigging the wires, but the tv is temporary so I’m not sure what we’ll end up doing with the cable box. Nonetheless, the legs are perfect. Just what we were looking for!

I know you can’t really see in the mirror, but I’m wearing this Gap sweater I was lusting over a few weeks ago. My mom knows me so well, she picked it out for me last week. I also got these jeans half off at JCPenney’s and am in love. They do stretch a little. I could’ve gone down a size probably, but the length and fit is perfect. (OMG self pant portraits are awkward, check back later and this picture may be gone.)

This morning P and I were up and finished painting the kitchen before lunch time. I won’t bore you with more “did they really change the color” pictures. But it looks just great :)

Thursday I finished “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. I’m a pretty quick reader, but I finished that book in a week! It was SO.GOOD. The dog narrates the story of his life with his owner. It’s so good..and yes-it is like every other story with a dog, so be prepared. (If you’re not catchin’ what I’m throwin, shoot me an e-mail and I’ll fill ya in!) The owner, Denny, goes through some tough stuff like losing his wife and almost losing his daughter. It’s an easy quick read. Short chapters (<—love that). Either way, I highly recommend this book. The story’s uplifting, thoughtful and poignant throughout. I’m not sure what I’m going to read next. I think something girly and light. After “The Help” and this guy, my heartstrings are sore. Has anyone read “Chasing Harry Winston”? I’ve read all the Jennifer Weiner’s and Emily Griffin’s so I’m looking for a new chick lit author.

Well, I had this blue sample left when I thought we were doing the office blue. I put some up in the dining room, but I think it’s going to be too dark. I can’t decide. I’ll keep ya posted :) (See inspiration pics here.)Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, wet or dry!