Dream Home Part 1

I thought I would share an "inspiration" post from my (quite large) folder of pictures that I have collected from the Internet. This is the first post to share what I imagine my dream home to be like! I apologize in advance for the lack of credit... Many of these were collected before I joined the rank of my fellow bloggers and I didn't make note of where I obtained most of these pictures :/

This is a gorgeous house, although I would probably like something more cottagey in feel in real life. More like this one, in fact:

Martha Stewart by way of Sweet as a Peach

Then there's this beauty! I adore the green door. It adds a very fun, modern touch to an otherwise stately and demure home. Despite the lack of porch (quite possibly a deal-breaker) I love the way this house looks!

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I love an elegant door like this one!

A big porch with rocking chairs (preferably from Cracker Barrel) are a must! I want to be able to sit, rock and drink sweet tea to my heart's content.

Both from Tumblr

A classy, sharp foyer like this one is so gorgeous! I love the equestrian boots.

Plush Palate

Then, on the other side of things, I love a big, open, relaxed, casual kitchen. This is where I want everyone to gather, to be able to sit and have a cup of coffee, and listen to a bunch of kids and dogs and cats and who knows what else running around!

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These colorful touches are wonderful. It's so bright and cheery!

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The chalkboard-painted cabinetry is an interesting idea for the organizer in me! It would be a nice way to keep everything straight, and helpful when kids are helping in the kitchen.

You can't got wrong in a kitchen when you have a Kitchen-Aid mixer around!

On a side note, how adorable are these totes from Avril Loreti on Etsy?

Another requirement on my list is at least two stories to the house. Mainly so I can do awesome things like drawers under the stairs (above-Tumblr) and book-themed steps (below-Source Unknown)

So there's the start of my dream house! I'll be back later to finish, with way more amazing and inspiring photos.

What are some of the things on your dream house list?

Glee and Rocky Horror Collide!

As many in the blogosphere may have heard, one of my favorite shows, Glee, is planning to do a Rocky Horror episode in the upcoming season!
I am absolutely turned inside-out with... glee! Antici...pation! (And other puns, etc.) I simply cannot wait to see what such a creative show does with one of my favorite movies! My hope is that they cast Puck as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. As soon as I heard, the Kiss number and how much Puck seemed to enjoy being made up to the extreme popped into my head!
In regards to other casting choices, I would be fairly content with whomever they (i.e. Ryan Murphy) so chooses. I hope they don't take the obvious choice and cast Artie as Dr. Scott, though. There should be plenty of wheelchairs left from Proud Mary that would let someone else play the role!
And, above all, this had better be epic. Not that I'm really worried. It is Glee, after all!

Maggy London Dress

I recently went shopping at a local consignment boutique, Karen's Kloset West, and found this gem of a dress for a great price! I snatched it up because, miracle of miracles, it was my size and fit perfectly! Now, of course, I need the perfect accessories to go with it. I've been looking online at some different options and wanted the blogosphere's opinion!

The dress! The color is called "absynthe" which is so perfect. I can't wait to wear it! I've been thinking about silver shoes. Here are the ones I've found that I like the most:

These are cute and not too high. They almost look like ballroom dancing shoes (and they're cheap!)

Kolette Dress Sandal, Payless

These are gorgeous. Then again, when has Ralph Lauren ever made something that's not gorgeous?

Astor Sandals, Lauren by Ralph Lauren

These might be my favorites, partly because Nine West has always been a favorite brand of mine, and partly because they're a heel rather than a sandal and they're a bit darker. If I wanted to wear the dress into the fall, they might work better. Would they be too dark for summer, though?

Partayon Heels by Nine West

And now for the jewelry! I'm thinking a big statement necklace would look good and help accentuate that great neckline!

Anthropologie never lets me down. This necklace would be a great piece!

Chameli & Mallika Necklace, Anthropologie

This gorgeous piece is a bit more on the economical side, from Forever 21. I like the off-set style a lot!

Pearlescent Corsage Necklace, Forever 21

So what do you guys think? I'm hoping to get the ensemble put together soon so Mike and I can go on a date! :)

Many thanks to Pioneer Woman!

Oh, Pioneer Woman, you are eternally amazing. You find and/or create the most wonderful recipes and I am forever grateful!

Today I am using the Ryan's Bolgonese Sauce that she raved about. She was oh, so right.

Guest starring in this post is the kitchen of my good friends David and Meredith. Thanks so much, guys!

Mmm just think, these ingredients are going to create amazingness in just a little while!

I improvised and used shallots instead of red onion since the onion I purchased went moldy in 3 days. (Side note: who knew onions got moldy?) I also used butter since I forgot to bring olive oil.

I cheated and purchased a bag of grated carrots because a. it's so easy and b. it's wayyyy less messy!

Browning the ground beef. Delicious, raised by a family friend, locally butchered ground beef!

Post-tomato paste. The carrots looked like unmelted cheese to me at this point.

Adding the red wine. This added an amazing depth of flavor to the sauce. Such a good ingredient.

Letting the flavors meld. Mmm mmm good!

A better picture with less steam.

After adding the garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Oh my gosh, it smelled amazing!

Added some Parmesan cheese which made it even more delicious.

Amazing! God bless you, Pioneer Woman and Pioneer Woman's friend Ryan!

Here's the dirty details:

Ryan's Bolgonese Sauce

1/2 cups olive oil

1 1/2 cups grated carrots

1 whole large red onion, chopped (Like I said, I used shallots. About 3, I think)

2 pounds ground beef

2 Tbsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp dried basil flakes

6 oz tomato paste

5 cloves garlic, minced (Trust me, this is the just-right amount.)

1-2 cups red wine (I used 1 1/2 ish)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

28 oz canned whole tomatoes

1 cup milk

salt and pepper, to taste

fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until brown.

2. Add oregano and basil. After ground beef is mostly browned, add tomato paste and heat through. Add garlic and stir to combine.

3. Add red wine and Worcestershire and stir. Add tomatoes and milk, letting simmer 30 minutes-2 hours. Serve with pasta and Parmesan.

I made it with penne which is kind of weird, but it was what I had on hand. I didn't let it simmer very much longer than 30 minutes, but the longer the better with this, I think. Bon appetit!

Carolina Herrera

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Sweet As A Peach, the other day. Betsy had done a post about Carolina Herrera's Resort 2011 collection, and I fell in love with a couple of the looks!

How amazing are these???

I love the pulled-together look of this one. The heels are the just right pop of color!

The full skirt of this one is lovely, and seems so cool and breezy, perfect for summer!

Carolina, you have never done anything that I haven't adored, and this collection is no exception!

Modcloth Dresstravaganza!

I've know about Modcloth for quite some time, but had not visited the site in a while. However, a slow night at work led me to the dress page. This, I can tell you now, will stress my budget like nothing else could, but I will look fabulous while I eat EasyMac for dinner every night!

This adorable doll is wonderful! I love the gray. It makes it so light for summer, and a bright spot in the winter with a cute baby pink cardigan. The little details, like the buttons and the belt, are to die for!

Temporary Secretary Dress in Summer

I love the rich aubergine of this dress. I have my eye on this beauty for the weddings I have a feeling I will be attending often in the coming year! This is such a flattering cut as well, with the empire waist and the flirty skirt. (Isn't that such a fun phrase? Flirty skirt!)

Hotel Particulier Dress

Unfortunately, this dress is sold out right now, but the wonderful thing about Modcloth is that you have the option to sign up to be notified if it comes back in! I'm crossing my fingers on this one! The yellow color and the cap sleeves are just too much!

Hepcat Dress in Canary Yellow

This dress is amazing! The color is so vibrant, and the eyelet gives it a little cheeky sweetness that I love. This would be perfect for keeping cool at graduations, parties, weddings and who knows what else!

Frankly, I Don't Give a Dress

This dress is perfect in its simplicity, and begs to be dressed up and customized by each person's own accessories! With a solid canvas like this behind it, the accessories could create a true work of art! This is so fabulously retro. I can almost see some short little gloves with it!

Afternoon Company Dress

And now, the best for last. This one is, alas, also sold out, but you best believe I will be whipping out my debit card when it comes back in stock! (Plug your ears, Mom!) The print is amazing and toile-like, the pink is not too girly, and best of all, it has pockets! Pockets are amazing creatures, and all the best dresses have them. I suspect that my wedding dress someday will have them. But back to this dress... It is fabulous, I love it, and I shall have it anon!

A Little Bit Indie Rock Dress

Now the only thing left to do is to find shoes and bags to go with each of these! ;)

I want these shoes!

Aren't these adorable? Polka dots always get me. The different shades of pink and peach are lovely, and they'd go so well with the rest of my wardrobe! :)

J. Crew patterned classic ballet flats