goin' to the chapel

...or maybe my revised version: "goin' to the Sonnet House and .. Keri's gettin' ma-a-ar-ied." But for a more romantic song of the day [I guess this is starting to be my thing.. song + blog], I fell in love with a beautiful version of To Make You Feel My Love  that is by Mick McAuley & Winifred Horan. It's kind-of hard to mess this song up, but I think this is my favorite remake.

I was in a beautiful wedding in December, and I feel it necessary to show you followers [I'm working on coming up with a new name for this.. something similar to Gaga's "little monsters," but I haven't quite broken ground yet] a sample of the gorgeous engagement and wedding photos by scbphotography of Birmingham [under my blogalicious category]. I think it would be imperative to have a creative and trustworthy photographer for your wedding, and Camille did a wonderful job for Keri and Josh. They were all so great- and the clear blue sky and sunshine didn't hurt! Photos are a great way to portray and relive a meaningful experience, so choose an artistic photographer!

Congratulations Ker-bear!

pizza pizazz

..maybe a little Bob Marley- Stir It Up to accompany this little darlin' in the kitchen, perhaps?

I didn't do much of anything creative today. It was a dreary day in Georgia.. however, I DID create a pizza. I like to think that homemade pizzas are one of my specialties, and I love the beautiful colors that go into making them. So I documented the process [cheesey, I know   ..haha.] So here are the steps to making your own pizza that's full of pizazz:

*set oven to 425 degrees
1. cut up the veggies that you want to go on your pizza. they should almost fill up a medium sized bowl. [I used bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, ...and pineapple!]
2. cut up one chicken breast and saute the pieces in a skillet with evoo and minced garlic on low heat.
3. make the crust [either from a pizza kit or a package of mix- instructions on back]. put the crust in the oven for 3 minutes so it's more crisp. add either pizza [marinara] sauce or pesto + evoo as a thin base
4. after the chicken is cooked, throw in the bowl of veggies to soften them. stir all ingredients around for a few minutes. add salt, pepper, & italian seasoning
5. spread sauteed ingredients over pizza crust base and add cheese on top.[italian blend or mozarella]. put in the oven for 12-15 minutes
6. let cool, slice it up, and enjoy

yum-may.



a treat for the windows

..a little music to go along with my post..

Jakob Dylan- Something Good This Way Comes

As my newest obsession, Project Bedroom, continues to progress, I have finally created the backdrop my room [or Suite E, as I call it] has needed for years. I initially set out for a neutral palette of light tan and cream colored fabric. I had seen some curtains in Pier 1 Birmingham that I loved, but of course, couldn't find them or anything like them here. After days of searching for fabric or pre-made curtains, I was growing exhausted with this project.. until I remembered a little fabric store I frequently drove by but had never been inside to explore. Called "Fabritique", I knew something good should come of it. I found beautiful designs and was in fabric heaven. I ended up choosing a pastel teal and off-white floral pattern called "Napoli" and a lustrous cream colored fabric with a satin sheen. I thought the Napoli fabric would bring interest and a pop of color to my caramel frappacino colored room. After a little spat of debate, the seamstress [my roommate|mom] and I came to the conclusion to combine the fabric into 4 panels on each of the 2 windows in Suite E. The main window would have larger proportions in which the smaller window would mimic. The seamstress got to work at her sewing station, and I got to work on decorating! I found two frames on major sale at Michael's, a curtain rod adorned with a crystal ball on each end [glam], and an iron 4-hook decorative wall element. The rest, I recovered from my moving boxes [yes, there are still moving boxes from Auburn amid the house... denial]. Pillows still need some work.. this will be another blog for another day, but I love the fabric combo for the room, and thanks to the seamstress!

...not only for aesthetic appeal, but also keeps mr. sun from getting in the way of my beauty sleep. Perfect.

from dorm to norm

Bye-bye plastic container drawers that I've had since my dorm days, you've served me well; Hello beautiful finds from TJmax that make my gettin' pretty space look sophisticated and elegant [what should be norm!]. Let's face it-plastic jewelry/make-up drawers are efficient and keep things organized, but they are an eyesore. I would stare at mine thinking "there's GOT to be something else I can do here." Don't get me wrong, I used those things for 5.5 years. I recall the good ol' days in the dorm: primping before fratty band parties, having my friends say "is it just me, or do you have an abnormal amount of make-up," and organizing that make-up into it's respectable drawers. Good for 18 year old; Bad for [pushing 24] year old. I decided it was time to purge and got rid of all the old junk I will never use again. As for the rest...

FINDS:
necklace and ring perch
flower pot/decorative vase turned make-up container in a golden yellow mosaic
marble bathroom accessory holder turned jewelry holder
[you could also try a pretty, rectangular plate to put your jewels on]
...and all of this for under $20!

Maxxinista shopping at it's finest.

good purch

Ok people.. well, lady readers.. I found it. The best [tiny] purchase of the month. A small bottle of metallic goodness to adorn your nails from China Glaze comes in the name of "Swing Baby" and is absolutely adorable. I searched Ulta for a light tan-purple color I was envisioning, but didn't quite find it. However, I came across this glamourous and fun color and decided to give it a shot. Now I love it! I want to wear it ALL YEAR LONG! Ok, well, that may get a little old, but I'll definitely tag it as my color of the season.

Another good purch I've had this month is a chain[ish] link bracelet by Simply Vera. I found it at Kohl's and liked how chunky and tough, yet fun and feminine it looked. I put it on and instantly pictured myself rockin' out on stage like Shakira. [-my friends are gonna love that one] But really, Kohl's is having major end of the season sales right now, so if you want some bargain buys, I would advise to check it out.

Funny how these little things can make a girl so happy.

the weekend table setting

This past weekend was too much fun. Six of my all-through college to today girlfriends ventured from Auburn to the icey skating rink that was my driveway to have a "girls retreat." The weekend would consist of a big dinner and brunch at my house and a trip to the Fox to see Beauty and the Beast, so I decided to do something special for the girls. I pulled out all the stops for the place settings: we're talkin' gold chargers, miniature roses, Mom's good china, a designed themed menu (turned bookmark), wine cork napkin strings, name cards, and wine glasses. Check out how it all came together...



my easy [yet chic] weekend table setting:

tablecloth turned table runner

miniature roses in mason jars

name cards and menus on cardstock

old wine corks with ribbon attatched

gold chargers from hobby lobby

glassware - wine glasses and bowls

mom's china

I love, love, love how it [and the breakfast cassarole] turned out!

SO SIMPLE B|FAST CASSAROLE:
1 lb cooked turkey sausage
grated cheese [sharp or mild cheddar]
4-5 eggs
1 c. bisquick mix
2 c. milk
salt & peppa's here
[to kick it up a knotch, add bellpeppers +/- onions]

Cook sausage, drain. Put in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Mix together eggs, milk and Bisquick. Pour over sausage and cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes, 350 degrees.
[try it with mango peach salsa!]

DELISH FRUIT COMBO:
pineapple chunks
mandarin oranges
grapes
strawberries
blueberries
apple chunks
banana slices
[+\- whatever you like]
SECRET ingredient: peach pie filling

Mix and enjoy! 



a fresh start

Cheers! 2011 is here, and as one of my infamous new year's resolutions, I decided I wanted to create and maintain a personal design blog... a place for beautiful ideas, whether it be about architecture, interior design|decor, crafty solutions, fashion, food, photography, or simply my charming wit. As my most recent fortune cookie promises: "No obstacles will stand in the way of your success this month." I'm hoping for 2011 to be my year. I also hope everyone enjoys this blog and the things[adored] that will be shared on it! Feel free to leave sweet comments.

[cheersing my sweet friend, Brittany, who is soon to leave for AFRICA!]