Thursday, January 31, 2013

DIY Faux Juju Hat

My bedroom has been in the works for sometime now.  It's still nowhere near completion, but this corner of my bedroom is a start.  Remember when I talked about the Camaroonian juju hat here?  Well, I finally finished my DIY version via Rosa's tutorial here.  It took me longer than expected because I did not order enough yarn....and then I took a break over the holidays to do Christmas projects.  Now that it's done I am so happy with the results!  I love the texture it adds to my walls.  You can also check out Rosa's etsy shop here, if you would want to purchase the faux juju hat instead of making your own. 
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Friday, January 25, 2013

Latest Obsession: Marble

I think it's safe to say that for most of us, it's not a question of loving marble but a question of "can I afford marble?".  Take these three pictures: 
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1/2/3

Gorgeous.  But for those of us who can't afford to coat our homes in marble, here are some bits and pieces for your home that won't break the bank:
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Kitchen accessories via
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Marble canisters via
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This tray for displaying your favorite plants
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There are tons of dining tables with marble tops all over the place, but this one is currently my favorite. 

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Healthy Living Post: Turkey Zucchini Burgers

Hello there.  Life has been exceptionally busy over here lately, in case you were wondering.  Since we returned from our Christmas trip on New Years Eve, we have been prepping for our move, entertaining friends (that I'm not ready to say goodbye to yet), made a trip to the outskirts of NYC, and most recently my sister came for a long weekend.  
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 Normally when we have company, I worry about cooking too healthy (I want my guests to enjoy themselves), but since my sister is very health conscious I didn't have to think twice about cooking my normal recipes.  I recently discovered these turkey zucchini burgers on pinterest.   Since I like to have mini meals of protein throughout the day, these are perfect.  I think that one of the keys to eating healthy is planning ahead, so I usually make five patties at the start of the week and have them in the fridge as an easy "grab and go" protein.  I don't eat them with buns (as pictured), but as I have not been eating buns for a long time now, I don't even miss it.  


Ingredients:  


  • 1.25 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
  • 1 small zucchini, grated 
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 tbsp red onion, grated
  • fresh pepper 
  • oil spray 

Directions: 
    In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Make 5 equal patties.

    Heat a large skillet on high heat. When hot, lightly spray oil. Add burgers to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook on one side until browned, then flip. Flip over a few times to prevent burning and to make sure the burgers are cooked all the way through.

    *If you look at the actual recipe here, you will notice I omitted the salt and bread crumbs- I didn't think it needed them.


    Sunday, January 13, 2013

    Hints of Morocco

    Moroccan poufs, rugs, and wedding blankets....they're everywhere.  I hope you aren't sick of the trend, because I'm certainly not!  Today I'm hoping to bring to you Moroccan inspiration that is more subtle.  I like the idea of bringing Moroccan hints into a space without it looking as though it has a theme.
         
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    The star pendant in this children's room:
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    Ok, maybe not so subtle, but I just love these.  Besides, with the overload of rugs and wedding blankets, I actually haven't seen too many pillows.  (For the record, I still love the rugs and wedding blankets).

    Dinner Napkins via
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    This is so understated, I love it.

    Thursday, January 10, 2013

    Four DIY Farmhouse Tables

    Yesterday I visited a friend who had just finished making her own farmhouse table.  There have been numerous DIY tables floating around the internet for a while now, but seeing one in person got me inspired.  After this coming move, we have been thinking about investing in a dining table.  Our current table (from when we first got married) was a used "this will do" sort of a thing.  I have witnessed so many tables being broken and scratched during military moves that we never wanted to make the investment.  Since this move will be more permanent, it's suddenly looking like it might be time.  I have been trying to decide if I want to go the mid-century or rustic route.  I think I've decided that I like the mid-century look for a dining table and the farmhouse style for the kitchen.  Part of my reasoning is that I was a slightly destructive/clumsy child, and if R turns out to resemble me in any way, we definitely do not want to have a beautiful antique for a kitchen table.  I also am concerned with going overboard with mid-century.  If you haven't already noticed, I often think of these things way ahead of time, so that when the time comes I know what I want.  Enough talking- here's the roundup:         
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    Industrial Farmhouse table via 
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    I'm absolutely in love with this one:
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    Here's a Restoration Hardware look alike via
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    More of a classic farmhouse table via

    Thursday, January 3, 2013

    Fresh Start

    Red and I love organization over here in a nerdy way.  Moving all the time has made us organized because we are constantly packing/unpacking and thinking of better ways to do things.  Since we will be moving again in the next couple months, I've been paying special attention to organization ideas.  No need to wait for a move though, the new year provides a perfect excuse to purge and organize.  Be inspired!   
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    Check out this garage (via)....it has got to be the prettiest garage I have seen

    Organize your entryway via (and yet another driftwood project for myself:)

    Scarves and shoes via

    Gift wrapping station via
    Tuesday, January 1, 2013

    Well hello, 2013

    Happy New Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  We had a whirlwind of a trip, seeing family in both Virginia and Georgia.  It was special experiencing our first Christmas as parents, and showing R off to my extended family.  I was reminded of how blessed I am to be a part of such a loving and fun family.  Needless to say, we were exhausted when we arrived home last night.  We brought in the New Year with sparkling water (wishing it was champagne- I clearly did not plan ahead) and a kiss.  Today was a chill day spent talking about the coming year and walking through the snowy winter wonderland that appeared while we were gone.  I thought I would give you a roundup of my favorite calendars for the coming year......Happy New Year!  
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    Anthropologie's Metropolis Calendar for the traveler (hoping it comes back in stock!)

      

    Leah Duncan's floral wall calendar:


    Linda & Harriett's quilted calendar:

    Susan Black's botanica calendar:

    I adore Humunuku's screen printed calendar: