Newness here and there...

Since I am notorious for not taking snapshots of new projects and happenings in my life, I figured I would post a few photos that I actually remembered to take and share with you guys!

This is right above my stove. I wanted something to fill in the empty space since I don't have a backsplash in the kitchen and I felt that the plates added some cuteness and pizzaz to the otherwise boring space above the stove.

I made this yummy meal Sunday afternoon! It consists of Edamame, baby portobellos, chicken and ramen noodles. Instead of using the "msg laden packet" that accompanies the ramen noodles I made my own soup base. I used fresh garlic and onion, a cup of water and a cup of chicken broth, cumin powder, sesame oil and soy sauce. It was so good!

This is my crazy cucumber! All of my cucumbers are growing such odd shapes, but they taste amazing. I am really happy with our garden this year. So far I have had several cucumbers, tons of cherry tomatoes and lots of banana peppers!

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Fresh Veggies

The hubs and I started a vegetable garden last summer and we had such great results that we decided to build another bed and do it again this year.

Last summer we had:

• 4 squash plants


• 1 zucchini plant


• lettuce


• radishes

This summer we planted:

• Watermelon


• 2 cucumber plants


• 2 banana pepper plants


• cherry tomatoes


• Beef tomatoes


• Squash

We have gotten a ton of cherry tomatoes and the peppers and cucumbers are just now producing a ton of veggies.

Here is the latest off of my plants:

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Summer Front Porch Decor...

Operation Summer Sprucing of Front Porch- Semi Complete!

• Swept and washed down the porch.


• Scrubbed the white banisters with soapy water (banisters are not seen in picture).


• Bought the fern at Lowes for $7


• Found the pot at Marshalls for $7 and this weekend I plan on finding a flowering plant to go in it.


• The American Flag Star- I fell in love with the star! I found it at Kohls on clearance for $1.50....um what?! Yep...I really love it (did I say that already?) and I think I may keep it up most of the summer!

Here you go!

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Hello..anyone there?!

I am such a horrible blogger! It's been 2 months since my last post..deplorable! I have started a new job and career and it is keeping me very busy! I am loving every minute of my new job and all the new experiences, but the blogging is severely lacking.

I have a few posts in mind and hope to get some of those out soon.

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Ikea Loving...

I am totally diggin' these new finds at Ikea! I just love the little garden markers...they would go perfect in my vegetable garden. Good things Ikea is 1.5 hours away, otherwise I would be there tonight buying all of it.

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Honey Do List...for Me

I think I have home projects and decorating A.D.D. It seems that I always start a project and think of others to start before finishing the first project. Then I get completely overwhelmed and take a long break from the projects. So, I walk around the house and see all these half finished projects that need to be completed.

So, I made an action plan and the hubs has agreed to help me. We have dubbed February the "Home Organization and Project Finishing Month". We are designated our weekends to certain projects so we can get some things accomplished (and so I can finally put some photos on my blog).

Weekend Projects:

February 5-6th:

Finish the second coat of paint in the kitchen
Organize all kitchen drawers and shelves so they are functional
Fix the broken utensil drawer ( the bracket broke and it's a builder only bracket, so we have to buy new tracking to fix the drawer).
Buy a cute canister to store some every day cooking utensils in and donate to Goodwill the utensils we do not need or use every day.

February 12-13th

Clean and de-winterize the screened in porch
Organize all closets in the house
Add shelves to the coat closet for more functional use
Take extra "stuff" from closets and donate it to Goodwill or a Charity

February 19-21st (I have a three day weekend)

Finish painting the upper wall portion of the master bedroom wall and prep for the wainscotting
Clean the carpets in all 3 bedrooms
Hang Photo Wall in the Hallway

February 26-27th

Purchase fabric to make drapes for eat-in kitchen or find drapes
Prep the yard for spring
Spray the outdoors and indoors for bugs and pests
Clean all the windows

There you have it! Hopefully I can get some of these projects done so I can update my blog with photos!

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Candle Loving...

My love for candles has progressed through the years. I think my mom turned me on to loving candles as much as I do. I remember she would burn a beautiful candle in a lantern (way back before lanterns were the "in" thing) year round. It gave off the most light but beautiful scent. To this day, when I smell that particular candle it always brings back memories.

The fragrance was Red Currant by Votivo and to this day it is hands down my favorite candle and scent. Votivo is quite pricey, but back in my hometown we have a store that sells all the mishap candles for quite cheap. By mishap, I mean that the wick isn't dead centered, the jar may be missing the wax decal, it may not be in the box etc... But who cares when you are picking up a $25 candle for $2!!

The list of my favorite candles coincides with the pictures above:

• Votiv0 Vanilla Bergamot Blossom
• Votivo Red Currant
• Anthropologie's Capri Blue Volcano Candle
• Lume Luxe brand...I love them all, but my favorit is the Wild Herb Cassis. These can be found at Target as well.

Do you have a candle that you love? I am always looking for new brands and scents!!

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