Valentine’s Day Mantel

Ah yes, another holiday is another reason for my to switch up my mantel. As I may have mentioned, I am not typically drawn to pink. Sometimes I adore pink like on babies or my sweet friend Kelly who adores pink and wears it so well but mostly I like earthy colors. Except that one blue. You know, the one that seems to be everywhere as of late. A bit of a light turquoise/robins egg/grayish blue. It’s somewhere in that color pallet and I <3 that color. My obsession with blue is not what this post is about though so let me move on …

Home Stories of A to Z is doing a fun lil’ Valentine’s linky party. I love linky parties! My color pallets was cream, red and black. I saw this fun art piece at Homegoods and just had to have it. The best part? My friends come over and act like they are taking an eye test. It’s quite comical watching them cover an eye and read the letters. They think they are pretty funny icon wink Valentines Day Mantel

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I also added a fun chalkboard {thanks to a thrift store frame that I turned into a chalkboard for under $2}

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And one of my favorite parts? The pennants I added using some jute, burlap ribbon and then I cut out some black hearts to tie it all together.

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So there you have it ~ My Valentine’s mantel.

Master Bedroom Closet

I am in this mode of organizing, purging and with that goes a little redecorating. I had to share my latest “project”. First off let me just say that I am very lucky to have a giant master bedroom closet. It is mine all mine as we have a more average size one across from it that my hubby uses. When we first moved in, we made this space my craft space but with wee ones needing me so often, it barely got used. I also did not like that it did not have any natural light. That being said, I have since transitioned my craft space to another room and more often then not, I am at my kitchen island cause it just works as far as being central to the kids, hubby and dogs!

Originally we painted this space a pale pink cause in a house of boys, I wanted something more girly. Funny thing is, I am not really a pink kinda girl. So I spent the morning at Sherwin Williams looking at paint swatches. I am in love with the blueish green colors as of late. Subtle, relaxing and happy. I want this color in my space. I will also be incorporating this color into my upcoming master bedroom redo {yes, really .. I just can’t seem to stop the madness!!} I came home with a sample color {It’s called Kensington Green} which I be trying today. I plan to add brown baskets of various types and I will also be making a jewelry holder using an old frame and some funky radiator metal. Seriously, I am so excited about this project!! I have been feeling a little blah lately. Maybe this space will make me want to get pretty. Or I might need some new clothes to add to my new closet ;)

Here are some before pics, warning – It’s pretty scary in there!! I am usually pretty neat and organized but I have been over this space which caused me to give up on it a bit. Notice the framed Star Wars picture, old frames, etc. Lots of things get stuck in my closet when I am in limbo as to what I really want to do with them.

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I am actually quite embarrassed by this mess. Yikes!! Wish me luck! My plan is to have this space all done by Friday. Fingers crossed {and a lot of hard work}. I will of course be doing a reveal when it is all done icon smile Master Bedroom Closet I will also be having a glass bottle of wine. Do you have a space in your home that is screaming for some attention? I’d love to hear about it, I might even have a suggestion or two on how to tackle your space.

Valentine’s Day Fun

Hello there, I am suffering from a ’9 year old party of 6 sleep over hangover’. Was that run on or what? What it means is that I am a little loopy and tired today. I did get a little cat nap in and now my boys — hubby included — are at the neighbors watching the Niner game. I don’t do sports so it was the perfect excuse to get a break. So here I sit, listening to the rain outside, enjoying a crackling fire and eating some clam chowder and crusty bread {thanks to my hubs for the store run}. Since I have Valentine’s on the mind, I thought I’d share some fun finds with you.

I love this cheery mantel over at Landee See Landee Do.

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I do love me some burlap and this ‘love’ pillow over on Etsy is just so fun! I might have to try this whole stencil on a pillow thing. It seems to be quite the trend.

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Another sweet Etsy find. I love burlap and pennants so how perfect!! The background is also quite perfectly romantic don’t you think?

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This cute little combo is popping up all over Pinterest. I sign everything with xo so I love it extra icon smile Valentines Day Fun

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So Craftalicious did a fun wreath using strips of fabric. I did something similiar for Christmas. It’s such a great way to use scraps of fabric.

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This fabulous idea came from Whipperberry. I love it so much that I already plan to do it for my boys classmates for Valentine’s Day gifts. I picked up the heart baking cups at Michaels {using a 40% off coupon of course!} and I found the stamper on-line. It’s such a sweet and crafty idea.

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This sweet little necklace that I saw on Pinterest is so simple yet sweet.

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Of course the options for Valentine’s Day crafts, decor and goodies is endless. I could sit and share all night but I will leave you with just a little bit of sweetness for now. I am still working on my Valentine’s Day mantel. I will be sharing that with all of you soon. Until then, Be Love.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

Pinterest strikes once again. This time in the form of a lemon blueberry loaf that I HAD TO HAVE. So I did. It was a delish little treat that I would definitely make again. Between the yogurt in the cake and the tangy sweet lemony syrup that was poured on after, it was super moist. I loved the combo of the blueberries and lemon. Also, if you have a Nugget Market near you, blueberries are on sale this week. Yippee! I am always happy to cook on a dime {OK, more like $5.00 for a big thing of berries but you get the point}.

I found this recipe on Sweet Pea’s Kitchen via Pinterest but it looks like it was originally adapted by Ina Garten.

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Photo Source

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt  Loaf

For the Loaf:
  • 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
    2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

 

  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup sugar
For the Lemon Glaze:
  • 1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
  5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
  6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
  7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yields: 1-9×5 loaf

 

 

Shine

My previous post on the  New Year shared the idea of picking a word to focus on for 2012. I had heard this idea from a friend and also some savvy blogger peeps. Well The Lettered Cottage is hosting a linky party discussing just that — the word!! I have actually been thinking on this for a couple of weeks now and I think it is actually a pretty hard choice! There are so many words that I love and that I could truly apply to my everyday life but I finally settled on one. My word of the year is SHINE. I chose this word because I am trying to create a couple of at home businesses. One being my blog and the other is my crafting business. I love the idea of shine because it is exactly what I am hoping to do this year both personally and professionally.

 shine ii1 225x300 Shine“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”

Do you have a word that you can apply to your goals this year? I’d love to hear it.

Organizing Your Spaces

With a New Year comes a couple of things. Purging {oh it feels soooo good!!} and trying to organize the leftover chaos of the past holiday season. I have successfully purged about two carloads of ‘stuff’. I get a little to excited about that kind of thing. Organizing makes me happy. So does redecorating but I am all about doing this on a dime. I am in the middle of a bedroom redo for my almost 9 year old. I say this as my hubby is watching video of our home being built back in 2004. Seeing my big boy as a baby? Sigh. Where did that time go?? Any-who .. that is a whole other post icon wink Organizing Your Spaces

Here are a few of my favorite storage ideas and spaces of late.

I wish I had a space for a table with built in benches that allowed for storage. What a great idea! Plus you feel like you are at a restaurant even though you aren’t.

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This closet is organized perfectly. I love the use of canvas bins.

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I recently copied this idea for all of my cupcake holders. It is a cute and easy storage idea.

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What a great way to save space and organize your wrapping paper.

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I love this idea for under the kitchen sink. Especially the hanging bottles of cleaning solvents.

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 I have complete closet envy over this one. It makes me think that I might need to rethink my last purge cause my closet still runneth over. Plus I now feel the need for pretty new bath linens. These are so fresh and bright. Mine have been around for some time and don’t have the brightness that these do.

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Oh wow — do people really organize their freezers this way? It’s amazing and oh so inspiring.

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Baskets are one of my favorite ways to organize. It keeps things in one place and also a little hidden ;)

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How about this pretty lil’ garage? OK – maybe a dude would not like the green and white checkered peg boards but the organization of it all? Pretty great.

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House of Smiths is one of my most favorite blogs and I love this idea. As a matter of fact, I am working on my own version for my house.

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Here is a lovely organized laundry room.

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The resources for inspiration are never ending. I think the key is to remember that less is more. At least once a year, go through your home and get rid of what you do not need. Can you donate it? Have a swap with a friend or group of friends? Recycle? Try and be resourceful. Also try to follow a rule when you make a purchase — do you love it? Will it be in your home for a long time to come? We have landfills filled with things that are tossed out. If you think a purchase through instead of being impulsive, you are more likely to own the item for many years to come.

How do you stay organized?

2012 – Hopes, Dreams and Goals

OK — maybe my title for this post is a little excessive. I always have hopes, dreams and goals but sometimes a fresh new year coming on the coattails of a very busy holiday season makes us reflect and think about what we’d like a fresh new year to bring. I am trying to keep it real. I mean, of course I’d love to lose 20 pounds and become debt free but is that TOTALLY realistic? Hmmm, depending on how hard I work I guess. Unfortunately I like to bake. Oh well, so much for losing 20 pounds icon wink 2012   Hopes, Dreams and Goals

A friend recently told me that she was inspired by her yoga teacher to choose a word at the start of the year and to focus on becoming that. She chose patience last year {I should probably pick that one for myself this year!} and this year she chose faith. I like this idea. It gives you something to work towards but it is not so big that you lose sight of it. Tonight at dinner we discussed goals. I have many, my hubby hasn’t really thought about it much but said he’d try to help with dinner prep more {mmm, hmmm .. heard that before!} and the kids ranged from silly to easy to lazy. My oldest said he exercise more even though he is plenty active. I think it was a much easier one then say, “I will do my chores with a smile on my face.”

I have a few attainable 2012 goals. By putting them out there — it makes me more accountable.

  • Work with our new pup, Ollie. I need to get out and walk with him, teach him basic commands, etc.
  • Meal plan and grocery shop more efficiently. Convenience becomes too easy and very expensive.
  • Budget — cash only baby!
  • Work on this here blog — I love what I do but I need to focus on growing it and hopefully making some money.
  • Grow Buffalo Hill Designs by continuing to market through Etsy and social media networking.  With this, I want to attend more craft fairs this year not only as a guest but also as a vendor.
  • Exercise. I started 2011 so well with yoga and then fizzled a few months back. I am not sure if I will go that avenue again or get outside more. Maybe both? I know it is SO good for me mentally and physically.
  • Be present. It is so hard for me to be present. I feel like I am constantly doing 5 things at once.
  • Spend more time with friends and family. Over the holidays, Steve’s sister pointed out that she hasn’t seen us in 6 months. Wow! How did that happen? She only lives 1.5 hours from here. Life gets busy but still — face time is important.

Do you set goals or make resolutions for the new year?

Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Spinach

Oh thank you Pinterest for all of the yummy recipe ideas. I planned my last weeks worth of meals based on what I have pinned on my Foodie Love board. The most recent was these yummy stuffed shells. I added a big scoop of minced garlic and pesto and left out the ricotta due to my hubby’s dislike for it. I also sprinkled some parmesan on it before and after baking.

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Baked Shells with Sausage and Spinach Recipe – recipe adapted by Inspired Taste

The filling for these stuffed shells are not too gooey or soft, so not only do they make for an excellent dinner served with a salad on the side, they double as finger food for your next party. Substitute pork sausage for chicken sausage, just add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan before adding the chicken sausage so it does not stick to the pan.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients

  • 16-18 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 pound fresh pork sausage links, casing removed
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes {I
  • 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
  • salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff.
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork sausage then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned.
  4. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds then add tomatoes and spinach; cook 1 minute.
  5. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.
  6. Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with pork filling and arrange in a baking dish (9-inch x 9-inch  baking dish works well). Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown.

Sweet Baby Boy

I just came across this sweet poem. My boys are now 6 and almost 9 which I know is still little but they have grown so fast! My brother and his wife are also expecting a baby boy in March. I just shared this poem with her because I think it is true – and tissue worthy. Mama’s of boys, enjoy.

 

It’s 3 a.m., they’re all asleep,
and no-one’s here to see.
As we rock slowly back and forth,
My baby boy and me.
His little hand is feather light
Tucked up against my chin.
I hold his tiny hand in mine,
and stroke his baby skin.
The house about us creaks and groans,
The clock hands creep around.
He snuggles closer to me still,
And makes his baby sounds.
I love these quiet hours so much,
And cherish every one.
Store memories up inside my heart
For lonely nights to come.
All too soon he’ll be grown up,
His need for mama gone.
But until then I still have time
For kisses and for song.
Time for quiet hours like this
With him cuddled in my arms,
Where I wish he’d always stay
Protected, safe and warm.
And yet I know the day will come
When his tiny little hand,
will be bigger than my own.
He’ll grow to be a man.
But until then he’s mine to love
With no one here to see.
As we rock slowly back and forth,
My baby and me.
~Author Unknown