Project update!!

Whew, t-minus 22 days until graduation party time!!  I've gotta admit that I think we're in pretty good shape.  Ryan and I both have the week off before the party to finish any last minute projects and work on the last minute details. 
Let's take a look-see at what I've gotten done thus far!  I recovered the pillows on the veranda with fabric from Joann Fabric. 

I knew that I loved it but who knew that JOANN FABRIC would love it too????  #winning

I made a quick pit stop at Michael's today and picked up these adorable pillows to finish off the pillow sitch on the veranda.  I mean COME ON they were only 10 bucks!!!  However I am one short but that's another story ;)

How 'bout landscaping?  Well we are about done with that and here is a little sneak peak.  I'm not going to share all the pics until I'm done....oh and I replace the dead arborvitae that our dog keeps rubbing against and eating.  #notwinning

Great room is really, REALLY coming along and I can't wait to share it all when it is done.  However here is a little sneak peak at my new fabric and new chairs (that replaced the floral ones I showed you before).

And finally I found THE cutest wreath for NINE BUCKS at Joann Fabric yesterday and I think it was the perfect finishing touch to the font porch.  P.S. I'm painting that door black tonight.

Wowza, that's all I've got for now :-)  Fingers crossed I get it all done.....

SO MANY PROJECTS, SO LITTLE TIME!!!

Wow, I had to put that title in all caps because the voices keep screaming that in my head.  With our baby girl graduating in a few weeks that means GRADUATION PARTY!!  Luckily we planned her party for June 30th so we've got some time.  Not much....but time! 

We've been in our house for 4 years now and there have been several lingering projects that have been hanging in the lurches.  So let's take a little gander at what I need to get done in the next 44 days!!

Finish landscaping

Paint all exterior doors and the interior of those exterior doors (started this project last night)

Front porch steps (yeah, yeah I know it's been FOUR years)

Finish the foyer (that'll be a surprise project)

Pillows for the veranda (and maybe these super cute flamingoes and pillows I found at Michaels)

Finish the barn driveway

Paint the dresser for the great room.....oh and FINISH the great room (new pillows, new rug, gallery wall....)

Ok so it's not the longest list in the world but it'll take time and money.  However, as my husband pointed out, the party is in the barn NOT the house ;)  MEN!!!

Let's take a look at where I'm at thus far.

Landscaping: 

I need to do 5 more pots like these!!

Here is the finished interior of ONE door....only two more to go ;)

Before

Mid first coat (I was starting to get nervous :P )

Finished product.  Love, love, LOVE!!!

Here is a super dark old pic of the foyer but you get the idea!  Project to come.....

You can click here to see the plan for the pillows on the veranda.  However I stopped at Michael's yesterday and think I *might* need to get these to finish off the veranda.

Anndddd finally I have to finish this beauty!!!

I can't tell if writing it out makes me feel better or worse ;)  Whew here's to lots of busy nights and weekends!  However as my mama said, nothing like deadline motivation.  No truer words have been spoken!!

Quick and Easy Homemade Salsa

Ok so "homemade" might be a stretch so how 'bout we call it not pre-made?  I loovveeee cilantro and fresh salsa.  However it can be a little pricey.  I make my own salsa at least three times per week and have found myself putting it on EVERYTHING.  I mean egg white omelets, fish tacos (minus the taco) and salads.  This is so quick and SO EASY.

Here are your ingredients:

1 Can Rotel (I use regular but you could us mild)
Cilantro
Onions
Garlic (fresh or powder)
Kosher Salt

That. Is. It.  So easy you're going to love it.

I use my handy dandy little chopper that I LOVE from Pampered Chef.  In no time you have fresh salsa that has ZERO point.

Now here is the SUPER hard part.  Dump it all in and chop it up.  I don't measure anything.  I just load it up, taste it and add what I think it might be missing.  #rocketsurgery

Thank gawd I am a procrastinator.....

I got a Pottery Barn catalog in the mail on Monday and stumbled across this outdoor Lilly Pulitzer Collection and immediately fell in love.

I especially LOVED these pillows with the blush, magenta, blues and greens.  However, what I didn't love, was the price tag.  WOWZA, these pillows are $59.50 each.  Waaayyyyy too pricey for my blood.

Do you remember the lime green pillows that I got for the veranda last year?  If not, here they are!

I've been just a *tiny* bit obsessed with blush and magenta this year so I thought why not bring it out onto the veranda???  Buuttttt not for $59.50 for one pillow.  Then I saw THIS sitting on the dining room chair from this project that never got done!

Now it isn't exactly like the pillows above but I think it is PERFECT!!  It has all the colors I wanted :-)  Now all I need is a certain someone to come home from Arizona to help me make pillow covers for the green pillows already on the patio!!

WW Weekly Dessert

In case you don't follow me on Instagram then you probably haven't noticed that I am back on Weight Watchers and quite frankly obsessed with it ;)  #shocker  Most that know me know that I'm easily obsessed with things like this.  Liikeeee activity points.  You can bank those babies during the week for fun things like cocktails and nachos (hello Te'kela) on the weekend.  So, I work out really hard to accumulate a rather sizable bank during the week.  Right now I shoot for 15,000 steps during the day.  This may not seem like a lot to most but when you have a desk job it can be tough.  For example, last night I only had 9,000 steps in by 9:00 so THIS is what I had to do...because DUH I had already logged 15,000 steps in my WW app for the day. 

So back to the point of this!  I'm going to start making a different WW dessert each week and sharing the outcome with you here.  Now I'm not going to get all creative and make them up but I'm going to try a new recipe each week from the interweb and share the scoop here.

First up!  THIS delicious AND pretty Red, White and Blueberry Trifle.  This dessert is sooooo good and rather easy.  It'll make you look like Martha Stewart and you won't feel too guilty partaking in a bit.

Here are some of the ingredients I used.  The recipe calls for either white chocolate or cheesecake instant pudding.  It was a no brainer for me.....I used the cheesecake.

Let's fast forward a bit.  I broke up 5 ounces of the angel food cake and lines the bottom of my trifle dish.  I then put a layer of blueberries on top.  I added quite a few more blueberries after I took this picture, FYI!  Don't be afraid of them!  You can also see I had all the strawberries sliced and ready to go as well.

After you whisk the sweetened condensed milk  you add the whole package of instant pudding.

Once you whisk it for two minutes it looks like this.  At this point you fold in your cool whip (I didn't get a pic cuz my bowl was too small and I was super sticky).  I used the lite cool whip although the recipe didn't call for the lite version.  The taste was still soooo good!

Once I folded in the cool whip I added it to a gallon ziploc and cut the tip off one of the corners to pipe it into the dish.  I put the first layer (half of the bag) on top of the blueberries above then added a layer of strawberries.  I topped the strawberries with the other 5 ounces of cubed angel food cake and then piped the remaining mix from the ziploc.  You then use the remaining berries on the top for a finished product like this!

Soooooo good.  Try it and let me know what YOU think!!

Spring Front Porch

Now I wouldn't go using the word SPRING too loosely around these parts.  Mother Nature was kind enough to bring us more snow.  Not much, but SNOW nonetheless.  I am soooooo over this weather.  #puremichigan

Anywho, enough whining.  I decided this weekend that it was time to spruce up the front porch after Christmas. 

I needed a new front porch mat BAD and found this Home Sweet Home Mat at Target and couldn't beat the price.  I love it! 

Yes, yes I agree that my pines aren't very springy and scream a little Christmas but let's revisit the part about it snowing this morning!!  Soooooo, I'm sticking with my pines until I can break out my favorite ferns when spring REALLY arrives.

They might be pines but I feel like the burlap ribbons with the gold polka dots from Joann Fabric give them a spring feel!!!

Well, well, well.....

Looky who decided to come back to the land of the blogging.  ME!!!  Yep, I'm baaaaaccckkkkkk!!!!

So, where shall we begin?  I mean come on, it has been like eight months.  Plenty has happened but let's just pretend like no time has passed and we'll pick up right here in March.  One thing.......
It is hard for me to consistently blog when I primarily started this blog to talk about house stuff.  While I can talk about house stuff a lot, I can't talk about it ALL THE TIME.  I mean come on, I have plenty of projects to finish before our baby girl graduates this summer but there aren't always updates to share.  So, I'm going to change the format a little.  I'm going to just start blogging about all the things.  It might be something about my training for the Glass City Half Marathon, a new Weight Watchers or Skinnytaste recipe I've tried, something actually decorating/DIY related or something DUMB (which I'm pretty good at)!! 
I hope that didn't scare you all away and send you running in the opposite direction.  <insert crickets chirping>  So stick around and see if I might post something that interests you or, hell, makes you laugh.  I know we can ALL use a good laugh at the end of the day with the world we live in.....

Oddly enough I DO have a house update to share with you today.  As I noted above, our little ginger graduates from high school in June so we have a party on the horizon.  Nothing like a graduation party to light a fire under your tush.  Our guest bedroom/office has served as the land of misfit decor and any other CRAP that I don't have a home for.  This is what it looked like late Thursday night.  Yes, these pictures are pretty cherry I know.  It was dark and I was using my phone.  However, here they are, don't judge!

You'll notice that there still isn't trim around the window yet.  However, if you're playing Where's Waldo and look to the left of the above picture you'll see the piece of trim.  The $100 piece of trim that was the WRONG SIZE.  Sooooo, we're on a mission to find the right piece ;)

So here is a little sneak peak at what I'm thinking!!  I'm going for the woodsy chic look in this room.  Planning to incorporate the deer head in the picture above with golds and natural elements. 

I scored the Nicole Miller comforter set at Home Goods on clearance for $45 and the throw on clearance as well.  The oatmeal colored side rail is part of the tufted head board that is going in the bedroom (for color reference).  We got the bed put up this weekend and it looks AWESOME.  Can't wait to share some better progress pics with you!!!

P.S. I REALLY wanted this mirror from Home Goods, that was also on clearance, but just couldn't pull the trigger.  I'm on a mission to find one similar for well below $100.