My New Clock ~

I have a new clock. And I likey. 

I love his aged face, lovely roman numerals and a delightful scrolly hat.
Yep, he is a keeper.

He might move around a bit - who knows, room to room - but for right now he is lookin' good in our family room. 

Now I just have to get used to looking there for the time!

Yummy Banana Bread ~

Food | Baking Inspiration

I had a few bananas laying around gettin' brown so I was in the need for a new banana bread recipe.  I luckily landed on The Pioneer Woman's banana bread because it was wonderful!

I had never made banana bread in a bundt pan before, and let me say, I will never make any other way. I loved the crispy crust...and of course the middle was yummy and soft. 

Get the recipe for the awesomeness here.

Have a wonderful inspired weekend!

Lovin' Harlequin ~

DIY | Project Inspiration

So I might have a "thing" for painting harlequin boxes...here, here and now another.

It started with this lovely from Goodwill.

Spray painted it black and penciled in a harlequin pattern. 

Painted in with a little white acrylic paint. 

Glazed it just a bit and painted a little Glorious Gold around the top and bottom. 

Me likey.

Appetizer Party Inspiration ~

Entertaining | Party Inspiration

In this months issue of Better Homes and Gardens, they feature a fun appetizer party that I thought looked super fun and simple. I thought I would share it with you guys (just in case you haven't seen it yet) and this way, I can always find these great ideas again!

You can check out the olive recipe here at Bella Cucina Artful Food.

House Tour & Romantic Homes ~

A beautiful house tour to start off your weekend - 

thanks to Seattle Homes & Lifestyles.

 

I must say, these fabulous rooms have definitely inspired me to add more pops of color around my house.

 

I want to thank Romantic Homes for the mention in the March issue! 

Very fun and honored to be mentioned among such great blogs. 

I hope you all have a brilliant weekend!

Yummy (easy) Curry ~

Yummy Recipe | Inspiration

Here is a great (super easy) recipe for chicken curry (okay, "recipe" might be a bit of an overstatement since I am using jarred curry paste). 

Here is what you need:

Cubed Chicken

Curry Paste (mine is from World Market)

Can of Light Coconut Milk

Can of Diced Tomatoes

1 Chopped Onion

Chicken Broth

Vegetable Oil

Rice (I use brown)

Saute onion in a couple tablespoons of oil. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned. 

Then stir in the curry paste (I used a couple heaping tablespoons - but add as much or as little as you like). Cook for a couple of minutes. Then add tomatoes and chicken broth (I added a few cups of broth, it just depends on how much curry paste you add). 

Now time for the coconut milk, gotta love this stuff (I think I might have added the entire can)! Simmer uncovered until the chicken is completely cooked. 

And serve over hot rice. I added a little sour cream and cilantro.
Oh, yes...yummy.

Ah, Tiny Prints ~

Have I told you lately how much I love Tiny Prints? As you are aware by now, they rock when it comes to invitations and announcements. 

But, did you know they also have a great line of stationary? I recently received these great personalized Mom calling cards and personalized family thank yous.

I never thought I would be in the market for Mom calling cards, but the day has come and I know these are really going to come in handy. I have had my fair share of digging through my purse trying to locate a pen while ripping off half of a receipt for a phone number or email. 

Now, I just have to pull out one of these...

(these are actually business cards that I simply personalized for the kiddos and I).

And I can't wait to send out thank you notes using these fabulous cards.

I just love how you can personalize them with photos!

So if you are in the market for some Mom calling cards or personalized thank you notes, be sure to check out Tiny Prints!

www.tinyprints.com

My Phone Makes Me Smile ~

This lovely arrived yesterday for my birthday and I am so giddy - yes, g.i.d.d.y!

I haven't been this excited for a "thing" in a long time. 

Thank you Apple and Verizon for making me so happy. 

 I can't wait to set up my phone, download some apps and move past my "vintage" flip phone. 

Do you have any favorite apps???

I am off to dude up my new lovely.

Happy Valentine's Day ~

via la belle vie

Making Valentines ~

Valentine's Day | Inspiration

Yes, we jumped on these adorable Valentines...

they are just soooo fun and my kiddos are having a great time assembling them!

I think they originated from 24.7.365 (I am so sorry if I am wrong, and please correct me).

Here are a few other great ideas:

1. zakkalife.blogspot.com 2 & 3 marthastewart.com 4. staminaddicts.com 

5. zakkalife.blogspot.com 6. idearoom.blogspot.com

How about you - did you make your Valentine's this year?

Conversation Valentine's ~

Valentine Gift | Inspiration

 My dear friend Monica from La Famiglia Design posted these fabulous Valentine's and I just had to share! 

This is such a fun Valentine for all ages - 

Just think of all the cute words you could use to personalize your spice bag for that special someone or the fun your kiddos will have coming up with saying for their classroom friends.

And simply fill them with your favorite candy.

Be sure to head over to Monica's blog to see more details.

Garden Valentine ~

Holiday Decor | Inspiration

If you are aching for a little more Valentine's Day decor, there is fun tutorial over at Lowe's Creative Ideas for this Garden Valentine...

Step-by-Step

1. With a pencil, draw a heart at least 1 foot wide on contractor's paper. Cut out this template with scissors.
   
2. Roll out a section of lawn-and-garden hex netting, and place the heart template over it. Wearing gloves, use a wire cutter to clip around the outline of the heart. Repeat to create a second heart-shaped piece of netting.
3. Connect the two pieces of netting by twisting the edges together with pliers. Start at the bottom and work up the sides of the heart. At the top, leave an opening large enough to fit your hand inside. Note: Protect your hands by wearing gloves during this step.
   
4. Spray-paint the heart mold in the color of your choice. Allow to dry.
5. Stuff the inside of the heart with sheet moss, again wearing gloves. (For a 15-inch-wide heart, you will need approximately four bags of moss.) Complete the heart by twisting together the remaining netting at the top using pliers. Turn under any sharp edges.
6. Weave a piece of red primary wire around the twisted netting to provide a safe and attractive edge. Snip excess wire.

Canvas Wall Art ~

DIY | Project Inspiration

Here is a super easy wall art project. 

Here is all you need:

• Canvas
• Interior Paint (I used Behr)
• Stencils
• Stain (I used Minwax)
• Rhinestones

I started by painting the canvas with some paint I had on hand.

I then painted on the stencils that I got from this great Etsy site - Artistic Stencils.

I then applied a few layers of stain to "age" the canvas a little. 

A few rhinestones...

And viola, you have yourself some great wall art. 

Linked to:
The Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming
Weekend Wrap Up at Tatertots and Jello
Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors