Spend Some Time This Weekend...

"Spend some time this weekend on home improvement; improve your attitude towards your family."
-Bo Bennet

Unlike that quote, I already have a wonderful attitude toward my family. They are supportive, encouraging, loving and always a good time. Seriously, ask anyone, they are always the life of the party and often make other people's family seem just a little bit dull. My family is very important to me, and I don't know what I would do without them.

I took possession of my house six days ago...in six days I have managed, with my cleaning, painting and fixing crew to wash all the walls, paint all of the base boards, pick up some trees, squeeze a dresser into my car, paint two rooms and apply beautiful wall paper to an accent wall. I know I am missing a few things as well. Is that making anyone else tired?! Tomorrow will be day number three of paint-mania on Central Ave. It is looking amazing. I owe a massive shout out and thank you to my mom, aunt Liz, sister Sarah, Adam, Sean and Ang for all the work the last few days. I also owe a massive thanks to my dad, my grandparents, my uncles John and Peter and everyone already listed above for all the support in this massive endeavor.

I look forward to sharing all my projects over the next bit with all of you...yes before and afters are totally in the works! For now, here is a sneak peek! Enjoy!
-m

Poor lighting, but sneak at dining room...

Hot mess, yes. But look past the clutter to see aviator silver walls and a beauty of a staircase!

Big Doors...

"Big doors swing on little hinges.."- W. Clement Stone

With the closing of my house quickly approaching (four days, but I am not counting...), it is all I can seem to think about. I catch myself staring off in space wondering what it costs to re-finish hardwood floors in a middle aged home. I fall asleep worrying about water pressure, mortgages and heating costs. Everywhere I go I notice shutters, landscaping and paint colors...it is becoming a bit much. I have most of it figured out, but recently made a major change to my long term plan. I always wanted a red door. Classic, simple, elegant and the perfect pop on a white house with black trim (like my close to retirement home has!). I have loved red doors for as long as I can remember so that was my more than obvious choice. That is till my mother came over and threw teal, periwinkle blue and magenta into the mix. I am not a boring person, so why should my house be boring? Right now I am leaning toward bright pink. Fabulous right?! Sure, my neighbors may hate me, think I am the crazy girl with the pink door but who cares! I work hard and am a young lady buying a house on her own, who says it can't be a Barbie Dream House....

Bam!

Sometimes Good Things...

Quote for the long weekend.....

"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.."-Marilyn Monroe

High Heels Were Invented...

"High heels were invented by a woman who was tired of being kissed on the forehead"-Christopher Morley

Shoes, we all know I love shoes. I was born into it, I can't help it! My uncle has the best shoe store ever, most successful per square foot in Canada..sigh and his window displays still make me stop short even though I should be immune to the power of beautiful shoes by now. But no, I am drawn right in, where I lust over patent leather, cork soled wedges and all the metals that are so trendy this spring. I think I have a disease. I am ok with that though, if my only vice and favorite pass time is to swoon over elegant and fabulous footwear, I think I may survive.

Here is my must have list of shoes. Every girl should have this collection...I am still working on it!

Black Pump.... Goes with anything and is always in the fashion. They have been around forever and a classic like this is the same as a little black dress, you can't go wrong! Patent leather is my fav, but you can mix it up with a heavier heel or a peep toe! BCBG and Michael Kors always have fun spins on this old time favorite!

Nude...I don't care if it is a pump,a wedge or a flat, a nude shoe is classic and can help make your legs look leaner and longer! Try Arturo Chaing or J Renne!

Cork Sole Wedge....How perfect for scooting around the hills of Halifax with a summer dress, shorts or cropped pants! They can still be casual and give you height with comfort. Every summer I buy a new pair and wear them every day for a couple of months. I am not exaggerating! Marc Fisher is my go to summer cork, I think I am on my fourth pair!

Sandal.... I am not talking about your reef flip-flops here people. I am talking a casual and cute sandal that you can pop on to go to the beach or for a walk in the park...maybe even toss around a Frisbee. Onyx are number one for cute and casual!

Comfortable Flat....This is something I have just begun to embrace. Standing under five feet and being able to hop, skip and jump my way across town in even the highest of shoes (I have a talent!), flats were of little use to me. That is until I realized I was being a shoe snob and that they are comfy, perfect to throw on with anything and can be so sweet on they make my teeth ache. Hush Puppies and Miz Mooz give you a middle ground of comfort and fashion!

Drama Shoe....This can be a show stopper! Drama, drama, drama! Think fun colors, bold patterns, glitter, metallic, whatever your little heart desires! This kind of shoe can take a LBD and turn it from feh to fab. Just like red lipstick can make jeans and a plain t-shirt look pulled together. Try BCBG, Michael Kors, Jessica Simpson or Guess for this pop!

Check out John David Shoes for all the above listed brands, with a massive selection! Here are a few of my favorite finds for spring 2012! Enjoy!
-m

A Kiss Is A Lovely Trick...

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous"-Ingrid Bergman

Valentines day came and went...as did my dream of making lots of beautiful, breath-taking cookies decorated with royal icing. Eggs for Easter, snowflakes at Christmas all with brightly colored, perfectly linear and smooth facades, just me, some royal icing and a piping bag....

That foolish dream ended the moment my sugar cookies came out of the oven for valentines day. Royal icing is messy and frustrating. My first five cookies, even though I looked up the how to's and followed Irma B`s instructions, ran over the edge and looked like a pile of junk. My sister was no better at it. Fifty cookies later, some additives to our icing and a lot of cursing under our breaths, we did have a handful of decent looking V-day sweets. We also had one giant, pink, sparkly mess. I am sure someday I will be brave enough or drunk enough to try again. For now I am sticking to tricks I know!  Happy cookie decorating all!
-m

Sunday Quote...

"You can never be over dressed or over educated!"-Oscar Wilde

A Friend Doesn't...

"A friend doesn't go on a diet because you are fat..."-Erma Bombeck

I love to bake and sometimes (but not always..) I like to indulge in some of my baked sweets. Unless you are a nurse that has a slew of hungry co-worker on night shifts, you know, the kind that would give you their child for a cupcake because they are exhausted and it is 2am, you probably end up with way more baked treats than you need. Cupcakes yield twenty-four, who would ever need that many cupcakes?! If you are anything like me, they sit on your counter until you eat so many that you are green in the gills or they go bad. Here is a simple solution, a two serving cupcake recipe. Perfect if you and your sweetie need a little something sweet. Also perfect if your best friend comes over crying with a broken heart. Best part, besides the whole mini-sweet cake thing, is that you only need a whisk and one bowl. No messin' with mixers. Enjoy!
-m

 Two-serving vanilla cuppie-cakes.

-1 egg white
-2 tbs sugar
-2 tbs melted butter
-1tsp-ish vanilla (I just used a cap-full)
-1/4 cup flour (all purpose)
-1 pinch of salt
-1/4 tsp baking powder (heaping please!)
 -1 1/2 tbs buttermilk (but milk will do if that's what you got!)

Whisk sugar and egg white till blended. Add butter and vanilla and give another good whisk. Add dry ingredients, mix and add milk of choice then whisk for one final time...look at that it took you five minutes! Divide between two muffin liners (in a muffin pan) and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Let cool and frost with whatever frosting you like!