Round Dining

I love the concept of this table.  I definitely want a round table in my dining room...haven't narrowed it down to one yet.

via Pier1

via westelm

Coastal Trend

As I continue to search for furniture (and I am not having much luck)...I have noticed the coastal trend everywhere.

 via neimanmarcus.com

via neimanmarcus.com

via neimanmarcus.com

via neimanmarcus.com

via www.horchow.com

Not sure I could pull it off in my home, but it is pretty cute.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I saw the most creative... cutest thing on the HomeGoods blog.

Love the bright spring colors and eggs...this totally encompasses everything spring means to me.

I keep a collection of all of my favorite finds around the web on Pinterest ...follow me!!

Painting the basement

So one of the first things that I did when I moved in was painting.  I painted my bedroom, the hallway, and the basement.

I love how the basement turned out..... My favorite part is the fireplace accent wall...

Dining Room Rug

I just ordered this rug for my dining room floor to go on my dark hardwood floors.

Can't wait for it to get here.

How ya hanging...2

So I am still working on my closet and I found some great skirt hangers at Target.

 I think things are coming along great.

How ya hanging...

So now that I have moved...I am obsessed with staying neat and organized.

One of my major focuses has been my closet.....

I am loving my new pants hangers.

This looks delicious....

I have been obsessed with adding fruit to water to add a little flavor...and then I saw this.....

Another great idea.....Fruit taste great in water.  

Can't wait to try this!

Water with Lime slices

My new favorite drink...water with lime slices!

I tried this one week when I was at training for work.  The hotel put out pitchers of water with lime slices.  I loved it!



A great addition is blackberries or raspberries...so pretty (and let's not forget tasty) .

Another plus is that there are some great health benefits to adding lime (or lemon) to your drinking water...http://www.livestrong.com/article/265708-what-are-the-benefits-of-lime-or-lemon-juice-in-water/

Planning a Tea Party - My Table Setting

Here is a glimpse of how the tables looked at the tea party.

There were white table cloths with a silver lining, white chair covers, white cloth napkins and of course....tea cups and saucers.

I found these great white folding chair covers.

Planning a Tea Party - Flowers

A tea party must have...fresh flowers.

I bought flowers that matched the colors of the tea party and placed them in a simple vase.

Planning a Tea Party -DIY Cupcake Tray

If you have a color scheme or theme for a party a great thing to do is make a cupcake tray that stays in line with the theme.

The colors for the tea party are white and blue. I could not find a cupcake tray that I like so I went to Party City and bought a paper cupcake tray.

After putting it together, I added some ribbon to the three layers....and voila...

Planning a Tea Party - Party Favors

So I am planning a Tea Party for my mother's birthday.

I did a lot of time researching tea etiquette, decorations, types of tea, brewing tea, and food....(more on all of that later)

The first thing I tackled was...Party Favors!!

Since the tea is being hosted for my mother and her girlfriends, I put together favor bags that catered to women pampering and accessories.

So everything would fit, I got some gift bags from Target and got some pretty tissue paper.

Here is what I included:

• Wallet size calendar card
• Animal print coin purse
• Bath and Body Works anti-bacterial pocket size hand sanitizer
• Nail Polish
• Chocolate Candy
• Notepad and Pen
• Some chocolate chip cookies
• ..and of course some tea to try at home!

Happy Cleaning

I just saw the cutest dish brush at Pier 1... definitely makes the gloom of having to do the dishes a little brighter

My New Dish - Bacon Wrapped Scallops

This year I decided to have a seafood feast at home for New Year's Eve.  I love seafood and as I looked through the selection of seafood available at the Wharf in DC, I for some reason was drawn to the scallops.

Every once in a while I would order scallops if I am out to dinner, so I thought I could give cooking them a try....especially since I am trying to build up my cooking resume.

So, I got a pound of scallops (along with some shrimp and crab legs) and headed home.  I found several recipes online for making Bacon Wrapped Scallops...so I made up my own rendition that combined a couple of recipes I found online.

So here is what I did:

• Rinse of the scallops in cold water and dried them off.
• Cut a slice of bacon in half (use the thinnest cut of bacon you can find)
• Wrap the bacon around the scallop and secure it with a toothpick
• Sprinkle pepper over each piece
• Broil for 10-20 minutes
• All Done!!

I had to leave my scallops in the oven for 20 minutes because the piece of bacon that I used was a little thick. The thinner the bacon, the less time you have to leave them in the over, the more tender the scallops will be.

Some recipes suggested cooking the bacon some before wrapping the scallops....that is another great way to reduce the amount of time the scallops are in the over.

I am looking forward to making this as an appetizer...maybe for a dinner party

What new dish did you try a new dish for the holidays?

Packing My First Night Box

When preparing to move it is important to remember to pack a first night box....or if you plan to take your time unpacking (like me) a first month box.

This box will make it easy for you to access the essentials of everyday living and should be separate from other boxes.

I have mine (which turned into more than one box) all packed.....

So here are a couple of ideas of items to add to your "First Night Box" checklist:

• Cleaning supplies
• Toiletries
• Change of clothes
• Flashlight and light-bulbs
• Paper towels 
• Telephone
• Trash Bags
• Dry food and snacks
• Pet food and necessities
• Bath mat, shower curtain, and towels
• Water or filter system
• Basic tools (ex. screwdriver)
• Blankets and linen
• Paper Shades

It is great to have this box prepared not only to get you through the first night, but to have supplies to last a couple days as you unpack so that you can unpack with ease and avoid having to run to the store for things.

A Place for Everything

As I prepare to move, I have been focusing on ensuring that I start off on a good note...that means making sure everything I bring in the new house has a place...neat and organized.

I have been searching for and purchasing items that I hope will keep order.

So far I have been focusing on the master bedroom, which means organizing my shoes, accessories, and cosmetics.

I took a trip to The Container Store.  So in love with this store!!.... it was hard to focus on why I was there:  Shoe Containers!

 My next concern was my cosmetics and other small things like my nail polish.  I purchased some cute sturdy baskets to separate these items.

I already have a lot of papers that I must organize...and I didn't want to carry the madness to a new place...so I organized the papers into accordion folders.

Still a long way to go, but I am getting there.

What ways do you stay organized in your home?

My New Dish - Corn Casserole

Within the next month I will be closing on a home with a great kitchen.  That made me realize that I needed to learn how to cook more than 4 things.

Since me and a couple of co-workers had planned a pre-Thanksgiving feast, I thought that was the perfect time to try a new dish.

So I found a great recipe for corn casserole...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-casserole-recipe/index.html


I love the dish so much, I making it for my family for Christmas dinner.

Not only was it super yummy, but it was very easy to make and super affordable....I think I spent $5 making this dish.

After such a great success with my first new dish...I am even more excited about trying new dishes in my new kitchen.