It is time to get back into a bathing suit. Ugh! So for the next few weeks it will be low carb. I will be gone on Monday so the kiddos are carbing it up! After that, not so much.
Monday – Spaghetti with Marinara
Tuesday – BLT (the classic bacon, lettuce and tomato on toasted bread with mayo)
Wednesday – Grilled Fish with Honey Lemon Quinoa
Thursday – BBQ Chicken and Summer Salad
Friday – Steak and Field Green Salad
Someone told me about a gentleman who had acres, upon acres of antiques and other “junk”. His prices, I was told, were fair, but it is a ways out in the country. After hearing this, you know I couldn’t resist! I grabbed my bestie, who is familiar with “way out in the country”, and we headed to Cline’s Antiques. Soooo exciting!
Look at all of these goodies! Grain sacks, vintage signs, bottles in every shape and color, iron and recycled décor, and that was just at the main entrance!!! As we went further we found 4 barns full of furniture!
This headboard just needs some paint and an upholstered insert and it would be spectacular!!!
The antique sideboards above were only $125 a piece and in great condition! I fell in love with a different one for $180 but an antique dealer outbid me and got it for $255. And the dressers we saw just needed some TLC and fresh paint. They came in all different shapes and sizes!
After this trip I immediately went home and told Prince Charming that I needed a pick-up truck! And a storage space and workshop! Shockingly, he agreed, but asked if we could get settled into our own home first. I guess I can do that!
My front porch currently looks like this:
A little pathetic, huh? But I just don’t know what I want to do with it. I want it to be inviting and beautiful without being fussy. So I have searched for some inspiration. Here is what I have found:
I will let you know how it turns out, but I’m leaning toward this last one with vibrant red flowers and bright green potato vines.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Mothers Day! Here is this weeks menu.
Monday – Chicken Soup and Cheesy Arugula Panini
Tuesday – Seared Tuna with Avocado Salsa
Wednesday – Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas
Thursday – Ratatouille
Friday – I will be visiting my parents up in Maine. Hopefully I will be eating some sort of seafood. The hubby and kiddos will probably go out for pizza!
We have finally had some beautiful weather and I couldn’t wait to get grilling. I love springtime and back yard BBQ’s. So tonight I decided to whip up some sliders. It was a taste test of sorts for my family. I’m sick of the plain old burgers. I wanted to kick it up a notch and the best way to experiment was with little sliders. I made All American sliders, Italian sliders, and Southern Cowboy sliders.
For the All American and Southern Cowboy, I used ground Angus beef. It was the toppings that made the difference. For the Italian I used a mixture of ground beef and Italian sausage.
For cheeses I put mild cheddar on the Cowboy and a mixture of Provolone and Mozzarella on the Italian. The All American sliders were left plain.
The Italian got a tablespoon of jarred marinara (I like Bertoli) and a couple fresh basil leaves.
The Southern Cowboy was dressed with red onion, BBQ sauce and cole slaw.
The All American had ketchup, tomato, red onion and lettuce.
My son and husband chose the Southern Cowboy as their favorite, but I loved the Italian. Give them a shot and tell me which one is your favorite.
I am going to share with you a very stinky discovery. So stinky, in fact, that I thought about just throwing it all away. But I experimented a little and luckily, it worked!
It has been cold and rainy here for days. Weeks, it seems! So I thought the best way to combat that was to prepare for summer. I went rummaging in the linen closet for the beach towels. I wanted to put them front and center for easy access. When I began to refold some of them I thought “what’s that smell?!” When I took a whiff of one of the towels, I was shocked! It stunk like mildew.
So I set out to get the stink out! First, I did a little research. I found on the Internet that Ammonia works best, but being that I like all of my remaining brain cells, I decided to find something less harsh. I settled on white vinegar.
I poured one cup of vinegar into the detergent tray of my washer and about a half cup directly into the washer itself on top of the towels. I set it to the hottest cycle I could and ran it. When the cycle was complete I ran it again, with detergent on the hottest cycle. And when that was done, I dried it like usual. Guess what?!
It worked!!!! No more stinky towels!!! I think now I will be doing every towel in the house!
Monday – Fillet of Beef Bourguignonne
Tuesday – Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Boursin and Proscuitto
Wednesday – Rotini with Romano, Black Pepper and Arugula (loosely based on Giada’s Recipe)
Thursday – Homemade Chicken Soup
Friday – Shrimp on the Barbie with Grilled Veggies
Today is Prince Charming’s birthday. He’s 29 – AGAIN! At our age, there’s not all that much we want unless it’s big. So when I asked my husband what he would like for his birthday it was BIG! HUGE, actually, but oh so exciting for me. He asked for a home office. This is not an outrageous request. He’s been working in this since the move.
Can you blame the guy?!
The office in our previous home had lots of built in shelving and storage. Here at Chateau Charmant, not so much. So that’s first on the list. We are having our fabulous carpenter, Yerif with YGM Xtrim Carpentry, come in and build him some built-ins. They will look similar to this:
(photo from houzz.com)
Prince Charming has chosen this desk from Pottery Barn:
Now that all the function has been chosen, there is that tricky little bit about color. Prince Charming’s favorite color is blue. He loves dimly lit spaces. He loves the ocean and sharks. His most prized possession is this:
Back in his younger days, the prince went Great White Shark diving with Rodney Fox. If you don’t know who Rodney Fox is, read about him here. This is a framed picture signed by Mr. Fox himself. It will display prominently in the office. Soooo, it kind of dictates the color scheme of the office. I know what you are thinking – “Turquoise. Your best option is turquoise.” Nope! Not a chance! I have chosen a darker, more moody blue found in the shadowy parts of the picture. I think it is the color of cold ocean water. And a lovely sandy white for the trim and built-ins. (white sand by Benjamin Moore)
(Refuge by Sherwin Williams)
This photo is my inspiration. It is a beachy scheme without being literal. And the colors from the shark picture would work perfectly. I went on the hunt for fabric. I needed something masculine but pretty. And it had to have that blue in it. My BFF and I headed out to the best fabric store around and found nothing. Her comment was “I think you better find another blue”. I refused to give up!!!! Sooo, I went online. Nothing. I went to the local fabric store. Nothing. Then I went to the expensive custom order fabric store. Ding! Ding! We have a winner! They had the fabric in stock so the price isn’t too bad. If I had to custom order it, I’d be changing the blue.
I want to do a chair in the plaid, an accent pillow and small ottoman in the medallion and the terracotta graphic is the bold pop to break up the blue and it will be curtains. Now I will be scouring yard sales, thrift stores and the side of the road for a chair and ottoman to reupholster.
I can’t wait to get started. When I showed Prince Charming the plan he looked at me and said “It’s so me!” Isn’t that the best compliment any designer can get?!
So, Happy Birthday, Honey! Your office is about 1 month away!
(stay tuned for before and after photos!)
Monday – Parmesan Crusted Salmon with Garlicky Green Beans
Tuesday – Breaded Pork Chops with Spring Risotto
Wednesday – Slow Cooked Chicken Thighs with Shallots in Wine Sauce
Thursday – Tacos
Friday – Beer Can Chicken with Grilled Veggies
I just love the coast, don’t you? The sand, the sun, the breeze, the colors, the relaxed atmosphere… What’s not to live?! Being a New Englander living in the South, I am torn. The New England coast is gorgeous and relaxed. It doesn’t get too hot (although it can), humidity is fairly low, and there is just an atmosphere that I can’t explain. But I do think that Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts, really exemplifies that atmosphere.
I just felt the need to lighten and brighten up my new house, perhaps it is the time of year, and I looked to this little island for some inspiration.
(Above images all from Traditional Home)
You can even rent this one!
Are you feeling inspired?! I am! The light and bright rooms, but not totally white. Little bursts of color here and there. Antiques mixed with comfy, upholstered pieces. Traditional yet comfortable. That is the look I am going for. Next stop, the fabric store, oh and the paint store to pick up some samples, and the….. I better stop now!
