Old Blooms

Old daffodils from the garden. A previous owner planted them long before anyone even heard of the internet.

Worth Stopping For

One of my favorite places to shop is a tiny little store down River Road in Potomac, Maryland. Our first few years in town, I drove by this place countless times before I finally pulled over one day. When I stepped into Flora's Feathered Nest that first time I thought, "WTF hadn't I stopped here before!". It's that good. Think Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and your favorite antique store all mashed up into one irresistible shop.

Slapping stuff on the walls...

Dreary outside but uplifting inside my home office...some words of inspiration to kick off February.

Bring on the bling...

Dreaming about the chandelier I'm going to put over our bed...someday.

Pepto-Bismol Pink

I'm a smart shopper. Still, I've still made some unfortunate purchases over the years. Jeans so tight I could barely sit down, a black summer skirt I didn't realize was see thru until I was standing in front of my bedroom mirror on a very sunny day and a can of Pepto-Bismol pink spray paint. While I won't hesitate to return pricey clothing I'm not going to run over to Lowe's to return a can of 4-dollar paint.

So, I put the can on a shelf months ago and forgot about it until boredom set in over the holiday break. I decided to pair the paint with something else I didn't know what to do with: a paper mache giraffe's head I received as a gift years ago.  I tired hanging it up on a wall once, but it was so realistic looking it gave me the creeps. Now, it's as cute as can be coated in puke perky pink.  So, adorable I added it to a gallery wall in Natalia's playroom.

Giraffe: a gift
Spray paint: Valspar, Satin, 85020 Thistle Field
Linen cork board: old HomeGoods purchase
Picture: HomeGoods frames, pictures from last year's Florida vacation

You can't eat just one...

Simply Addictive Croutons

Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.

-Break up chunks of a French baguette (fresh or day old) and place in a large bowl.

-Drizzle (or drench) with olive oil.
-Add shredded Parmesan.
-Finish off with some ground cracked pepper.

-Spread out bread mixture on a baking sheet.
-Cook for about ten minutes or golden (be sure not to burn the croutons).

Toss croutons into a salad, sprinkle into a bowl of  tomato soup or enjoy them as a late night snack. Store any extras in a glass container with a lid. Best to finish croutons off within a week. But if you're like me, you'll probably finish them off in a day!