Hey Good Lookin.... Whatcha' Got Cookin

What exactly is it about truffles that make them so darn tasty? Seriously, these little mushroom type things cost as much as diamonds, yet make any dish taste perfect.

The other day I was watching my pal Ina and she whipped up this perfect white truffle pasta dish. I immediately made a trip to Whole Foods to pick up the magic ingredients and dinner was served.

All you have to do is heat up 1/2 c of heavy cream and the little container of liquid gold white truffle butter. Add a pinch of black pepper and stir until the butter melts. While this is going on, prepare some pasta. Ina used tagliatelle, but my Whole Foods did not have any, so I substituted linguine. Mix the cooked pasta into the truffle sauce and serve. Top with shaved cheese - parmesan, pecorino romano, etc and then devour.

And in the words of Ina, "how easy was that?"

Family Card - 2010

I know this is one day late, but Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

I ordered our cards from Shutterfly this year and absolutely loved them. The quality was great, the turnaround time was fast and they were a great price. I don't think I will every again try to pretend I am Martha and craft our cards ... this was super fast and easy.

The pictures we used were from our family pictures we had taken back in October with ee Photography. I am in love with every single picture she took. Can you believe this field of straw is in the middle of Dallas?

Updates

Hello friends! A lot sure has happened since I last had an update....



- My cousin's husband came home from Iraq. He had been gone for the past year..... I know he was sure excited to reunited with his family. And, just in time for Christmas.



- My Papa had to have emergency quadruple bypass surgery on Tuesday. My mom has been in Chicago helping take care of him while he has been in the hospital. He is on the road to recovery and he may even get to go home within the next day or two. Thank goodness she was able to fly up there and be with him.

- I had my gallbladder removed on Thursday. The surgery went well, and the surgeon said that I had HUNDREDS of gallstones. Yuck. With that many stones in my abdomen, I am surprised you could not hear me coming. I spent one night in the hospital and was able to come home yesterday. I am really trying to take it easy so I can recover quickly. The hardest part has been not lifting or picking up Miss A. My dad and Mr. have been taking care of Miss A and me, and I know my mom is ready to get back in town so she can also help out. One cool thing about spending the night in the hospital (besides the morphine and Italian ice) were the movies that were available. The TV's had an InDemand type movie setup, so instead of watching bad daytime TV, I was able to watch It's Complicated, Leap Year and Letters to Juliet. Not too shabby.

- And, to end on a much lighter note.... did you know that phones and tile floors do not agree? Miss A tossed my phone over the upstairs railing and it died a tragic death in our entryway. My new phone is basically inside a bullet proof case that should be able to handle dogs and toddlers.

Little Black Dress

We have a Christmas party this weekend I am stumped on what to wear.

I have changed my mind about a million times, but now I think I have at least decided on a dress.

But, other than that nothing has been decided.

I have these shoes:

and was planning on wearing black tights with the dress.

Pearls and sparkly earrings would always be an option, but I think that seems pretty boring.

How would you jazz up this dress?

Ho Ho Ho!

I had been worried that we were going to encounter some Santa anxiety with Miss A this Christmas. I mean, he is a big bearded fellow dressed in a red velvet suit that carries around a huge bag full of stuff and comes sneaking into your house in the middle of the night. You are then supposed to go sit on his lap, smile and talk to him. Most of the time toddlers end up screaming and trying to get away from him as fast as possible. All while the mom and dad are trying to document this wonderful occasion.

So, I purchased a bunch of Santa paraphernalia and we talk about the big guy all the time. Books, plates, socks, ornaments, stuffed Santa and even a metal garden stake..... we are on Santa overload at this house. She can now recognize Santa from a mile away. Every single time she sees a Santa, she greets him with a happy "ho ho ho!" I would say that I had been successful.

So successful that last night when we were at dinner Miss A thought that Santa had made an early visit to Dallas and was eating dinner at the table next to her. As soon as this gentleman and his family were seated, Miss A goes "oh, ho ho ho!!"

And I have to say, he did look an awful lot like Mr. Claus. So, if you are a big man with a white beard - beware..... My daughter will think you are Santa.

I hate carpet

Carpet is nasty.

There is no way around it.... you walk on it. You spill things on it. Animals pee on it. Toddlers do all sorts of things to it. It is full of dust and dirt. All sorts of stuff just seeps down into those fibers and lingers. And eventually it ends of looking like crap.

Our house is about half carpet. If it were up to me, we would rip that stuff out and replace it with polished concrete or something cool. I don't even want wood - too many things can mess up wood. Anyway, back to the disgusting carpet. Our master bedroom is carpeted as well as the entire upstairs.... including the bathroom - genius idea - right? I hate this carpet. It was brand new when we moved into the house 2 years ago, but I want it gone. I have horrible allergies and I don't even want to think about the amount of dust mites that are shacking up throughout my house.

The master bedroom is the baaad.... basically, Jake used our room as his puppy training area. I have tried zillions of cleaners and none of them really worked. So, the other day The Foundary had a Bissell sale. I snatched a Little Green Machine and it arrived on my front porch yesterday.

As soon as Miss A went down for her nap I went to town in that room.

I used ALL of the cleaning solution that came with the machine and that was not enough. I am pretty sure this is only supposed to be used to clean small areas, but I did the entire room. I won't go as far as to say that the carpet is as good as new, BUT it looks a heck of a lot better.

Want a glimpse as to what the crap looked like that came out of the carpet? Heck no will I show you what came out of MY carpet. But, I will show you a picture of someone elses nasty carpet water.

When you adopt a puppy or become a parent, you should automatically be given one of these. And, one of these just for good measure. I use our steam mop every couple of days and love it.

**I was NOT paid or compensated for this review.

Black Friday Purchase

**UPDATE - the seller sold this before I could get a chance to go look at it. But never fear, I found an equally as good piece at the Salvation Army. It is sitting in my garage, waiting for me to attack it with some sand paper and paint.***

Did you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving? We sure did. It seems like we did a tour of Texas in just a couple of days - hitting up almost all of the major cities - Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston....check!


And how about Black Friday? We have been wanting a new TV, so we decided that if we found a good deal on one we would get it for Christmas. Target had a great deal, so we went ahead and purchased it.... and the best part - we were able to do it online! Ordered it Friday evening and it showed up on our porch today. Fastest Target shipping I have ever experienced.


So, a new TV means a new stand. Our current TV is one of those massive monstrosities that stands on its own. A huge eyesore and I am so glad to be getting rid of it. (Live in Dallas and want a great deal on a TV - holla)


I did not want a traditional media stand, but something more along the lines of a dresser. We could always use some extra storage, plus this TV is going along a huge wall and the wall can handle a large piece of furniture. I scoured Craigslist for some cheap treasures and I found this:

What do you think? I am going to check it out on Friday - hopefully it looks good in person. I was planning on refinishing whatever I purchased, but the black would also work.

The only thing that makes me nervous about the purchase is that all weekend long I kept seeing previews for the Craigslist Killer movie. If you don't hear from me Friday afternoon, call the authorities.

Code Blue!

This morning I dropped Miss A off at preschool and then headed to the hospital for some pre-op blood work. If you follow me on Twitter, you already know this, but I am having to have my gall bladder removed. Sounds like fun - huh? Anyway, I had to get some some pretty specific blood tests run, which resulted in 10 vials of blood. Yes - 10!

All 10 vials were drawn and that it when it started to go downhill....I started to feel a little hot and sweaty, I asked the lab tech for some juice or water and by the time she got it for me it was too late.

I had closed my eyes, rested my head on the wall behind me, and then.... bam! Next thing I know, there is a code blue being called and I am being transferred to a stretcher. I remember not being able to catch my breath or open my eyes, each limb felt like it weighed 100 pounds, I was covered in sweat, I heard ringing in my ears and when I was able to open my eyes, all I could see were black spots. I felt like I could not take a good breath, which resulted in the cardiac resuscitation team being called there.

There are doctors and nurses everywhere. I can hear everything and know what is going on, but it is like I am in a fog and cannot really move or talk. Such an odd sensation.

They wheel me down the hall and into a room... They immediately lowered my head, started an IV of electrolyte fluids, hooked me up to an EEG, strapped a blood pressure cuff on me, attached a pulse ox sensor to my finger and covered my face and neck with cold rags.

It was not too long before I started to feel better.... and when I opened my eyes I was greeted by at least a DOZEN doctors and nurses. I gave them my history and they come to the conclusion that I had experienced a vasovagal syncope episode.

I was given a bag of fluids and observed for about an hour and half and then I was discharged. Not exactly how I had planned to spend my morning.... I have a friend that is a pharmacist at this particular hospital, so she was able to come check in on me and chat for a minute.

I have passed out before during medical procedures, but never to this extent. From now on I am supposed to have blood drawn while lying on my back and I should give them a warning before hand.

I tried to get one of the nurses to take a picture of me, but she said it was against hospital policy. So, here are some lovely self portraits I took. :)

Faux Bois Wallpaper

I have mentioned before how I want to redo our half bath. It is a perfectly fine half bath, but it is covered in dark red wallpaper.... and I am not a dark red wallpaper kind of person.

At first, I wanted to cover the existing wallpaper in grasscloth wallpaper.... but then I started reading and it is recommended that you not use grasscloth in bathrooms.

Ok, onto idea 2. I thought about installing bead board on the bottom half of the walls, then grass cloth wallpaper on the top half. I am sure this would look great, but I want something else.

Idea 3 - Paintable wallpaper!

I found this great Martha Stewart faux bois paintable wallpaper and I think it will be perfect for the space.

I want to paint it a light grey.... Now, if I could just decide on the right shade of light grey.

Now I ask: Have you ever used paintable wallpaper? And, have you ever painted anything light grey? If so, start talking!

Photos from Home Depot and Restoration Hardware.

My Collection

Do you collect anything?

I have been collecting turquoise glass for the past couple of years and have it displayed throughout our house. I have a variety of pieces and have purchased them all over - anywhere from design shops in Sweden to antique stores to Pottery Barn. I love having a collection that I can continually add to - no matter where I travel or shop.

Here is a peek into my collection.....

Christmas Cards

I do this every year.... think I should be crafty and Martha-esque with our Christmas cards. I make one too many trips to the craft store, spend way more than I thought I would spend and the entire project takes entirely too long. I always end up saying "next year, I am just going to order our cards." Yet, when the next November rolls around I fall back into my old habits.

BUT, not this November. I have finally learned! This year, I will be ordering our Christmas cards from Shutterfly. And I might even get extra fancy and order the coordinating address labels.

I should also say that I am super picky when it comes to our Christmas cards. I want the design of the card to match the look and feel of the picture and I want it to not be too cheesy or trendy. Or one that everyone else might have. And, I don't want our card to be the one that ends up on the bottom of the pile. Heck, I am sending you a picture with a super cute toddler - keep the card on the top! Lucky for me, Shutterfly has about a zillion choices for me to pick from.

I have yet to decide which family picture we are going to use, but I am pretty sure I will be ordering one of the designs below.

Aren't they nice?

As much as I already love Shutterfly, they sweetened the deal by giving me 50 free cards for this post. And since our Christmas card list has more than 50 people on it, I will be ordering even more cards from Shutterfly. Are you a blogger? Would you like to get some free holiday cards or invitations? Just go here.

Sneak Peak

We had our family pictures taken a couple weeks ago with the wonderfully talented Erin Woolsey. I just got a little sneak peak of the pictures today and I AM IN LOVE!

Head over to the Baby M blog to see more.....

(Want an invite to the Baby M blog? Just let me know.....)

Recent Projects

By now, you all know that I love a good project. I love to transform a piece of tacky junk into something chic. Or, I see something in a boutique and I try to figure out how I could make it myself. Over the past couple weeks I have done 3 little projects.

1) A growth chart for Miss A.

I started looking online for one of these, but all of the ones I liked were $$$. So, I made a trip to Home Depot and Michael's and got to work. All it took was some wood, paint, painters tape, wooden letters and a tape measure...voila! This will be hung in her big girl room.

2) A cute name hanging for Miss A.

My dad found this super take display box a while back and grabbed it for me. It was on mega clearance, and he knew I could transform it into something fun. The rectangle was navy and each of the cubes were colonial red or cream. Each cube had a letter on it and spelled out something really cheesy. Not. my. style.

I spray painted everything white, covered the inside of the rectangular cube with wonderful paper and then decoupaged the top of each cube with shabby chic paper. I have white letters that spell out Miss A's name.... those are glued on the top of each little cube. This will also be hung in her big girl room.

3) A side table for the living room.

I was trolling the local Goodwill a couple of weeks ago and came across this horrible awful table. The legs were dinged and scratched and the top was a lovely navy floral print. I recovered the top in a black and white stripe and then spray painted the legs apple green. It now serves as a little end table in the living room. And when there are not little ones running around, a tray sits on top and you can place your glass of vino or Diet Coke there.

I always seem to have 2 types of projects going on at all times - ones that only take a couple of days to complete and then others that seem to drag on for weeks.

Have you done any home projects lately?

The Foundary

I know - another daily deal site. Just what you want.

This one looks pretty good.... The Foundary. From what I can tell, they have everything from home decor to baby items.

Want to join?

Click here to join

Your Baby CANNOT Read...

... Is a load of BS

Have you seen these commercials on TV? Chances are if you have a little one if your house, you have seen the commercial a zillion times on one of the toddler channels.

Basically, it claims that through flash cards and DVD's, babies can learn to read. I had always thought it was a load of BS, but this morning The Today Show aired a little expose about the whole system. They spoke with a variety of experts at some of the leading universities and hospitals and came to the conslusion that it is a false claim.

Link to The Today Show article and video clip

Their experts said that the best way for a baby to learn is through their parents or caregivers - read to them, talk to them, sing with them, play with them -- basic interaction. Not rocket science, just common sense.

So, if you are thinking about purchasing that expensive reading system - DON'T! Save yourself the pennies and make a trip to the park instead.

Hey Good Lookin.... What Ya' Got Cookin

Miss A and I made some yummy Halloween treats for her Preschool teachers and Sunday school teachers. This bark recipe has been floating around the blogosphere so we decided to give it a shot. I am not the biggest fan of candy corn, so I made one tray with candy corn and another with Reece's Pieces instead of candy corn. And then I sprinkled sprinkles all over the top.




Doesn't this make your mouth water?

The recipe is super easy - sprinkle Oreo pieces, pretzels, candy corn/Reece's Pieces/M&M's, etc all over a cookie sheet and then cover everything with melted while almond bark. If you want, you can then top the bark with a little more candy and sprinkles. Let harden and then break up into pieces.

And now onto the main course.

Creamy Pesto Bow Tie Pasta

I have to admit, I completely stole this recipe off the back of a Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup can. It was fast, easy and pretty tasty. I used my homemade pesto, but the store bought stuff would also be great. The next time I make this I am going to toss in some red pepper flakes to give it a little kick. Also, I baked the chicken insteasd of cooking it in the skillet.

2 tablespoons butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into cubes
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup pesto sauce
1/2 cup milk
3 cups bow tie pasta, cooked and drained

1.Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

2.Stir the soup, pesto sauce and milk in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the pasta and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

**New pictures on Baby M**

My Favorite Things

Somehow life always gets in the way of blogging.... but, here I am!

I have been busy with lots of fun little projects.... a couple Goodwill before and after projects, some fun Halloween stuff and some yummy dinners.

But, since my camera is in the other room and I am watching How I Met Your Mother from last night all you get is this wonderful new commercial.

First, let me say that this has to be the best movie ever made. I have loved it for as long as I can remember and I can't wait until I can show it to Miss A. Also - have you seen that the entire cast is going to be on an upcoming Oprah episode?!?! I cannot wait.

Isn't it great? And, I love that black and white dress.

Shabby Chic

I have mentioned before that I am constantly decorating something in our house. Home ownership is a never ending process - right? Right now I am working on Miss A's big girl room. I have no idea when she is going to transitioning into a big girl room or even a twin bed, but I know that as soon as she does the room will be ready.

I was lucky enough to inherit some wonderful vintage wrought iron beds from my grandparents house. Growing up, I would always sleep in these beds when we would visit them, so there are lots and lots of great memories surrounding these beds. All I need to go is give them a fresh coat of white paint and they are good to go.

Here comes the fun part - bedding. Using the beds as the starting point, I decided that a shabby chic look would be best. Plus, this is my opportunity to go all girl when decorating a room. (Her nursery is pretty gender neutral since we did not find out the gender) I already have a pink and green stripe fabric that will be used for her curtains and I am gradually picking up accessories here and there.

Aren't these sheets cute?

And mix in a rug like this.....

With light pink walls...

And some fun accessories and you have an adorable shabby chic room for Miss A!