Labor Day Festivities

Hello!

We have a big family get together every year on Labor Day.  We don't host but if we did I would love to do something like this:

Our weekend will consist of toddlers toddling, swimming, wine drinking, lots of food eating, and hopefully a lot of quality family time!

What are your plans?

Sorry

Hi all!

Sorry for the radio silence but we were away celebrating the life of my grandpa.  We lost him last Friday and it has been a whirlwind of travel and tears ever since.

He is the last of my grandparents and I am so thankful M got to meet him.

RIP Grandpa we love you!

Dining Room Update

Hi all!

We finally got around to ordering and receiving the rug for our dining room.  I love it and it makes the room so much cozier.  It's amazing what 1 piece or addition to a room can do.  We still have a long way to go but I at least am not embarrassed of our dining room anymore!

Still on the To Do List are the following things:

I haven't had time to look for a centerpiece for the table yet but I don't mind the look of these Granny Smith's in a basket.  I feel like it is a nod to the country styling of the ladder back chairs and I like that it's simple and low as well as easy to remove when we have company.

Just for fun let's remember how far we have come.  Sadly our dining room sat like this for months and months....empty except for a few pieces of furniture:

And now the after:

Have you made any purchases lately that have made all the difference in a room?  I love it when that happens!

Splash of Color

Hi all!

I hope you had a great weekend!  Jacob, M and I had a great time hosting friends from church and relaxing.   When I opened Pinterest this morning I came across this image and wanted to share.  

here

If I needed new dining room chairs I would totally try this out.  Windsor chairs are a dime a dozen on Craigslist and it would be so easy to paint a few.

Boxwoods

Hi all!

I came across this picture and I had to share.  I love the idea of boxwoods in a basket.  I would clump a few of these together on our back deck.

here

Such a simple idea to add some texture and color to any space!

Fruit Smoothie

Hi all!

Happy Monday!  We had a great weekend with family and I'm heading into a fun week and relaxing weekend.  I have started back up with having a fruit smoothie for breakfast in an effort to get back in shape.  I thought I would share my recipe in case anyone needs a healthy, high protein breakfast idea.

I buy store brand yogurt because it has the lowest amount of sugar and highest amount of protein.  I usually use berries but you can use any kind of fruit and it is delicious!

Yum!

Company is Coming!

Hi all!

Anyone else have a ton of company all the time?  Since moving closer to home it seems like almost every weekend we are either traveling or we are having people to our house.  Have a baby and see how the grandparents flock ;)

Something I would like to work on is making our guest room a bit cozier with some small details.  I recently made over the room so it looks much better but a few small changes could make it better for our guests.  See our guest room and the progress here.

Anything I'm missing from my list that you like to have out for your guests?

Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to ScarletCarly!

Email me your address so I can put the gift card in the mail!

Kitchen Spruce Up

Hello!

We have a great nook in our kitchen that I have been meaning to makeover.  However, like many other things because it wasn't terrible I never got around to it.  Well, today was the day!  I stuck this plant on the ledge the day we closed on the house (ehem...1.5 years ago....) and it has been there ever since.  It loves the light so it has just gotten out of control.  My original plan for this sunny spot was herbs and I'm happy that I now have them!

Before:

After:

I love how the separate pots and overall how much cleaner it looks.  I have tried growing herbs outside and they just burned up so I'm hoping this will work out better.

I love it when you do something small and easy and yet it makes you so happy!

Pumpkin Seed Tilapia

Hi all!  

I'm here to share a recipe for tilapia that I love and make all the time.  I got the original recipe here and have since made a few tweaks to make it my own.

Ingredients:

3-4 tbl of pumpkin seeds, chopped

3-4 tbl of panko crumbs

1-2 tbl of parsley flakes

minced garlic

olive oil

4 tilapia fillets

Directions: 

1. Combine pumpkin seeds, panko crumbs, and parsley in a bowl and mix well

2. Lay out fillets and coat with olive oil and garlic (I use a good amt of both)

3. Top fish with pumpkin seed mixture

4. Bake at 400 for 15 min or until fish is cooked through

I sometimes sprinkle with fresh Parmesan and it is delicious!  Simple, easy, and healthy....my favorite!

Enter to win a HG gift card here

Yum!

Southern Living Idea House 2012

Hi all!  

Have you seen Southern Living's Idea House?  It's pretty amazing so I thought I would share.  Built in Georgia and designed by several top decorators it certainly is easy on the eyes.

I love the gingham living room.  What is cool is that they have paired with Ballard so you can buy several of the pieces featured.  Click here for the rest of the pictures and to find out how to shop the house.

Attic Room

Hello!

While browsing around for inspiration this morning I came across this image from Elle Decor and wanted to share.  I love the mix of frames and black and white photos.  The bed is exactly something I would pick out (in fact, it looks a lot like ours) and you know I'm a sucker for white bedding.  All in all the room is a touch country for my taste but I can definitely appreciate the look!

via

Don't forget to enter to win a $20 HomeGoods gift card here.

Have a nice day!

HomeGoods Giveaway!

Hi all!

In an effort to thank all my readers for the support the last 2 years I am giving away a HomeGoods gift card!  It occurred to me that I didn't celebrate my 2 years of blogging back in May so why not do it now?! 

One lucky winner will receive a $20 gift card

To Enter:

1. Become a Follower and leave a comment telling me what you would purchase at HomeGoods if you                 win!

2. For another entry Facebook, Blog, or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment telling me you did so

Giveaway will close on Thursday August 9th at 5:00AM


Good luck!