New Bedding!

Remember the day Missoni broke the internet, caused catfights in Target stores, and got all their inventory wiped out in about 4 hours? Yeah, that day.

It was was weird, because I had somehow gotten wind of some of the stuff they were going to have and I liked so much of it - I never get excited about these kinds of things or really even pay attention, to be honest. I even made a post about it here.

I had no idea everyone else in the world was counting down the days for it to arrive, too, and that there was going to be so much hysteria. Well, needless to say, it's near impossible to find much of anything left of it in Target, all these weeks later. But last week, I spied this duvet set.



At the time, it never crossed my mind to buy it, only that I liked it and that it would probably be gone in a flash.

For some reason though, I couldn't get it out of my head. I loved it. All the colors, specifically that cantaloupe color that is in it (I'm feeling a real affinity for that color and also deep peacock these days). I especially like that the pattern is so small that it reads more "stripey" than "chevron". My lord, I am sick of the chevron madness. I don't even like the word. But by George, I wanted that duvet set. I made up my mind that even though I didn't really NEED it, if it was still there this past weekend, it was supposed to be mine. And it was. So now I have it.

I don't know where we're going to put it, to be honest. We may save it for the next house, or I may feel like redecorating one of the bedrooms come spring. All I know is I love it, and I am glad I made the decision to make it mine!

I forgot how to shop!

I am desperately in ned of some new shoes and clothes for fall/winter. Mostly work stuff, but a few casual things, too.

Yesterday I was out running errands and decided to stop at TJ Maxx and see what they had. I am a huge fan of stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and even Ross, because not only do they have clothes, they have EVERYTHING. And it's kind of nice to find other little treasures to slip in my cart...

I must have spent two hours browsing and trying stuff on, but I bought no clothes. I have learned it's no fun to try things on when you're not having a "skinny" day. Those dressing room lights are brutal! I did buy two things, though... A 3 pack of Juicy Couture rollerball perfumes for $19..99 (quite the steal because one of them is $20 at Sephora!), and a set of coasters that make me smile and are metal - hopefully that makes them Pablo-proof!

I am heading back to the gym this week, so hopefully next time I go shopping I will feel a little more confident in the fitting room! A couple of pounds snuck back up on me, and even though it's only 3 or 4 (depending on the day), it really does make a difference in how you feel about yourself and how you perceive yourself to look. I'm really excited for fall stuff... And I'm also really excited about Essie's fall colors. I think they are the best yet! There are about 4 of them I have my eye on...

Aren't they gorgeous??

Also, I am super pumped for Target's Missoni line coming out on the 12th or 13th of September (I've read both dates, not sure which). I never get excited about stuff like this, but I must have these flats!!

I love them TOO much.

I also wouldn't mind this luggage

(and a vacation to go with it),

this bicycle,

or this outdoor furniture set:

I'm not going to lie, I really, really, REALLY want that outdoor firniture set. However, unless I snag it on clearance for a deep, deep discount, it's probably not going to happen. But I am getting those shoes, darn it!

Ohio Part 2: Thursday (IKEA, Mexican food, unexpected vintage goodies) PHOTO HEAVY!

The IKEA in Canton, Michigan is only about an hour away from my mom's house, and since the nearest ones to Nashville are at least 4 hours away in each direction (Cincy or Atlanta), we HAD to go!

My favorite part (besides the meatballs) is the Marketplace on the bottom floor where all the 'stuff' is. A couple of times of wandering the 'rooms' for me is enough, get me to the Marketplace! But mom and Josh like to wander the upstairs part (don't get me wrong, it's fun and I find things up there that I want to buy when I get downstairs, but it takes too long and I always feel like I get rushed through at the end). Josh and I took a TON of pictures on our phones for future reference (read: next house).



Stuff that caught our eye?

I dream of having a butler's pantry. Just like this.




One of the things that let me know the Bipster was the one for me (and I say this with tongue firmly in cheek) is that we both find anything other than white kitchen cabinets completely unacceptable (though I will say I have seen some black and grey ones done well). We browse houses online all the time for inspration and usually we find houses that are perfect - until we get to the kitchen. Even though he likes "manly" dark wood when it comes to some furnishings, show him dark wood cabinets and the first two words out of his mouth are "No yike!" (for those of you that don't speak our language, that means "I do not like that in the least. Please remove it from my line of sight.")

Needless to say, we looooooved this kitchen.









While I'm not sold on the cabinet hardware or faucet (or the black oven with the stainless fridge), I adore the beadboard-looking cabinets, the butcherblock countertop (definitely something we want), the sink, and the way the dishwasher is integrated into the cabinets (it's right next to the fridge, if you can't spot it).

I want this light somewhere....







I also love how they took this tiny room (maybe 7x7) and made it a lovely nursery... the things they come up with for small spaces is genius! They fit in a crib, nursing chair, wardrobe (not pictured) and changing table. It's all about buying things to scale and maximizing what you have to work with - for instance, I think the hanging baskets (presumably for laundry? Or toy storage?) is a great idea and I may have to implement it somewhere in my life. I love older homes (let's face it, I refuse to live in anything built later than the 50's), and most of those types of homes tend to have small rooms, which I really love, so I appreciate getting so many ideas for working with small spaces!











Their children's stuff never fails to put my ovaries in overdrive. This kitchen set is perfect for our future Everly and/or Huston.








We had a delicious lunch...







Then, it was time to hit the Marketplace! Oh, lordy, I was excited - until I looked at my phone to check the time. We had to be at my dad's in about 2.5 hours and in that time we had to finish our shopping, drive back to Toledo and drop my mom off and then drive to the town my dad lives in. Despite my begging not to be too rushed, I was. My dreams of lingering over the dishes, plants and picture frames were dashed.

I ended up with these coasters (we're big on coasters):

 

The napkins on the right:



 

Two of these (red):

 

 

A pitcher for Josh's Sweet Tea addiction:

 

Two new mouse toys for Julio since they are his favorite and Pablo ripped the tails off of the other ones:

 

And two dishtowels. Our grand total? $19.

Yes, NINETEEN DOLLARS. How do you go to IKEA and only spend $19???

On our way back to Toledo, I realized I forgot to purchase two very important things... A couple of these (which would look great on the empty wall in our bedroom - a place for photos, one of our wedding invites, a wedding announcement, memorabilia....)

 

 

 

And these (less expensive than anywhere else we've looked) bottles for our Limoncello making and giving this Christmas!

 

 

Also, I've been wanting this print for our library for as long as I can remember.

 

When we passed it I even said to Josh "I really want to frame that and put it in the library." Yet I walked by it. Why? Am I just so unaccustomed to shopping these days that picking something up doesn't cross my mind anymore?

Anyway, we made it to my dad's in time to visit and eat at the only Mexican place in my little hometown of Genoa - Ernesto's!

 

Though I was warned that they had been hearing it wasn't as good as it used to be, my chicken and bean burrito con queso was every bit as good as I remembered.

Then we went back to my dad's house (it's over 100 years old - he stripped it down to nothing, added on to it, and found an attic and barn full of stuff in the process). As were were wandering through his barn, I spotted this vintage vase

 

 and asked him what kind it was (as in, the maker/manufacturer). He dumped out all the screws that were in it and said "Oh, this screw-holder? You can have it." Later, I looked it up on eBay - vases by this manufacturuer were going for $150-$200! I had to call him when I found out and tell him and say "Thanks for the screw-holder!" I love it and it's perfect for our house.

He also gave me a TON of other vintage stuff... Like these chenille decorated towels STILL IN THE PACKAGE!! Saving these for if I ever have a baby girl.

 

And this vintage Avon VW Bus cologne!

 

Nearly everything he gave me was unopened -vintage stationery, perfume bottles, etc. I hope to have an antique vanity when we get a bigger house, and I would love to put those bottles and such on it for display. Josh says I should sell it all on eBay, but what does he know? ;)

Anyway, that was our Thursday! Whew! Long post!

Late weigh-in (week 15) and current obsessions.

Weight is the same as last week. I am grateful that I am only 7-8 lbs away from goal. Might be able to get it all off by summer, who knows?

I have been too busy reading http://www.websleuths.com/ to update this thing, because I am currently obsessed with the Holly Bobo case, and finding every new bit of news I can on it (although law enforcement is very tight lipped). I hope she is found soon.

Other obsessions at the moment? Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook:

I will be the first to admit I didn't really warm up to her until she became a mother (what is it about motherhood that makes otherwise unlikable celebrities seem human?), and even then I could really take her or leave her. She seemed rather cold and anemic to me and "Macrobiotic diet" seemed like a fancy phrase for "anorexia". Plus the Bipster is pretty much in love with her and she's been all over the TV for months now - I was suffering severe Gwyneth burnout... until I got my hands on this book. I challenge you to not love her a little bit after looking at all these mouthwatering and EASY recipes (I'm dying to try the slow-roasted tomatoes), and reading about how she feels her macrobiotic diet was her way of trying to heal her cancer-sticken father "by proxy." That melted even my ice-cold heart.

And these two photos of her are just stunning:

If all I have just said about her has somewhat thawed your cold heart a little, too, and now you're thinking about renting "Country Strong", I feel it my duty to warn you that it is a very depressing movie that may stick with you for weeks and keep you from ever looking at Tim McGraw the same way again. But still, rent it, because I cannot carry the heavy emotional load of that movie alone. Really. It scarred me, but I'm really sensitive.



My last obsession (for now) is Thai spring rolls from Lean Cuisine:

Seriously, try them!

Ok, I am off - busy weekend ahead. I am hosting two back-to-back Easter brunches this weekend, and although this is the kind of stuff I usually thrive on, I am way out of practice. Time to get back on the entertaining horse, with the months of warm weather that are coming...

An attitude of gratitude

I was just about to write down some things that I was thankful for in a journal, but then I thought, why not share? From the major to the mundane, here are a few of the things I am giving thanks for today.

1. My husband... He's the best thing that has ever happened to me. To have someone fall in love with you when you are at your worst self... to know he saw the spark of the real me and who I truly was at a time I didn't feel like I deserved anything good ever again. Miracles are real. He makes me want to be my best self, because he deserves nothing less than the best wife and partner I can be.

2. My true friends. I got so very lucky with the people I choose to call my nearest and dearests.

3. My job - especially at a time when so many people are looking for one. Knowing I get to work with some of the greatest people (and cooks!) in the world is a pretty convincing reason to get out of bed every morning when the alarm goes off.

4. My family. In-laws especially. I married into such a wonderful bunch of loving, funny, caring people. I give special thanks for this because I know what it's like on the flip side. I'm beyond blessed by these people.

5. Josh's friends - wow, he knows how to pick 'em! To be accepted by them so readily and embraced by their friendship and love is pretty special indeed.

6. My home - starting from nothing (my credit score was 0 after my divorce as I had nothing in my name and had had no "forward moving credit" {credit cards, car payments, etc} for 3+ years) was such a challenge. It took longer than I wanted for everything to go through with my house, but I did it, and I did it myself! It's not going to be our forever home, but in the meantime we love it so much. It is a happy place that people (seem to) enjoy coming to. Everyone seems relaxed and happy there, and really what more could we want? The dogs have a great yard, the house has tons of character, it's clean, conducive to our lives, and the colors we've picked are soothing. I'm happiest on Sundays when the house is freshly scrubbed, our fridge is full of groceries, and I get to sit on my comfy, lovely couch and just bask in being 'home'.

7. It's Friday! And I get more time with friends and fam tonight (not sure how long I can hang, as I feel like crap, but so happy to see everyone anyway).

8. We can pay our bills, afford to eat healthy, afford to let my husband go to school full time without having to work, and still have a healthy savings account. This is the result of a lot of sacrifice and little-to-no frivolous spending. It's hard, and sometimes it really ticks me off,  but I know we're doing things in a good and smart way, and are so much better off than a lot of people our age. I'm thankful for my husband's financial wisdom, even if sometimes it drives me nuts.

9. I get to go to the mall this weekend to return the things that didn't work out that I bought last weekend. Not only do I get to use the store credit I will receive to get a few other cool things, but I just remembered I have a $50 gift card from xmas I never got around to using! Would love a couple of cute summer dresses!

10. Spring is right around the corner. Dandelions in the yard, daffodils popping up on the side of the interstate to cheer me on during my commute... life is good. Especially when wonderful weather is getting closer and closer to being an every day occurance.

11. The serenity prayer. Most people associate it with AA, but I think we could all use it and apply it to our lives:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.

I pray it every morning and every night, several times in row. Sometimes, I am praying it, hoping for the courage to change something I can, but then the "wisdom to know the difference" thing kicks in and I realize that it's actually beyond my control. A lot of things are. However, this prayer has changed the way I think about and approach 'problems' in my life.

12. Forgiveness. Now, don't get me wrong here. I don't go to church, I consider myself much more spiritual than religious, and I'm not going to preach at you ever. But I am grateful that God forgives. I am grateful that there are people who choose to forgive and love rather than hold a grudge and hate and judge. I am grateful that little by little, I learn to forgive myself. If I had just kept listening to God instead of other people, I might have gotten to this point sooner. :)

13. My health. Granted I feel like crap right now, and my husband just got diagnosed with shingles yesterday, but overall we are healthy people. I couldn't say that about myself 3 months ago, even, because I didn't take care of myself. But now I do and I'm never going to stop.

14. My life - the imperfections make it perfect. Perfection would be so boring.

all images via "we heart it"

A few of my favorite things.

Every week when I go grocery shopping, I look at the cocoa-roasted almonds, think about how good they would be and how much I want them, and then move on because I can't bear the thought of spending $5 on nuts. And the weird thing is, I really don't even like nuts. Don't even think about putting them in my salads, food, cookies, brownies, etc. But I told ya, I've been craving protein like crazy... beans, nuts, peanut butter... I think about protein more than anything else these days. Isn't that bizarre?

Anyway, Sunday I finally broke down and bought myself some dang nuts.



They taste even better than I could have dreamed.

I got these, too. Yum!!!


Moral of the story? Nuts are worth $5. But please don't mix them in my other food.

Also, I've been on a quest for the perfect oatmeal/breakfast. One that keeps me full and satisfied and doesn't make me want to shove hamburgers and fries in my face by lunchtime. I've tried a few different kinds of things, and I think I've stumbled upon the answer.



Normally, I don't like any of Kashi's products. It tastes like sticks and gravel to me. But this stuff is just incredible. I stir in a little extra honey and cinnamon, top with half a banana and just a bit of peanut butter and I have the perfect breakfast. Protein, whole grains AND fruits! And I am more than full until lunch time.



If you like oatmeal/hot cereal, try it!

Another thing I am obsessed with (the idea of) right now and reading a lot about is nutritional yeast. Supposedly it has a flavor similar to parmesan, is a complete protein and super high in B vitamins. I ordered some yesterday and can't wait to start putting it on my veggies. I hope I love it!

Totally Digging....

...Weck Canning Jars.

http://www.weckcanning.com/

It's a little too late this year, but next year maybe I can use some of these fabulously sexy jars for my canning and holiday gift-giving.

First two photos courtesy of Google Image, last photo from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, November issue

More Halloween Decor! (and a couple of other things)

Last night we finally got around to doing a little more Halloween decorating. We're having a little shinding before the end of the month - nothing big, just an excuse for me to dress up and make cocktails and finger foods.

Every year I vow to have my Halloween decorating done by October 1st. Every year, I fail. And the end result never lives up to what I picture in my mind. Luckily, the holiday comes around every year, and someday I will get it perfect.

These fun little guys sit on the porch swing. I worry that the neighborhood hoodlums will swipe them, but I hope not. They look so cute.



Buffet/Credenza/Sideboard/Whateveryouwanttocallit in dining room. Little pumpkins reside in my mini-greenhouse, and a Day of the Dead-ish bride and groom candleholder (a wedding gift from coworkers - we love it!) flank my potted plant. Above it is a mirror Josh's dad made, we added some cobwebs and a plastic spider.



Dining room:



A little more detail:



The hutch (our poor dining table and chairs need painted so badly... I have literally been putting it off for YEARS):



Part of the living room:



The pictures above the chairs are those holographic type things from Target. They look like regular old portraits from one angle and then look creepy from another angle. Here's a close-up of one.



They were six bucks. I couldn't resist.

Little skull light in living room:


In other news, I am sick to death of the wicker trunk and lamp in the living room. Since I moved the cabinet that used to be in our room into the spare room, I have decided that this little buffet


(which was originally going to go in the spare room) referenced in a post from a week or so ago, is going to get a coat of cheery yellow paint and replace the trunk in the living room. We'll also get a new lamp (or at least a new shade!) to go on it. I am torn on whether or not to get new knobs for it or just paint the existing ones? I have a three day weekend coming up, I hope I can tackle this project then! I just love fun furniture pieces that double as storage.

And on a completely unrelated note, I love the "Post" app from iPhone. It has all these cute backgrounds and such that you can use for notes, texts, emails, invites, etc. Here is one:



They are just so darn cute!