Coffee Table Conundrums

For the longest time we have not had a coffee table because we rather allow Finn to have more room to run around. And while our house has two bedrooms, our guy likes to keep to the 5x7' rug we have in the living room.

And this totally works for us for now - but eventually when we buy a house we will be investing in a coffee table. Especially since I offered to host my book club in September I think this needs to happen sooner rather than later. Here are some of my top picks:

 

Aiden Coffee Table

I love this coffee table and it's on sale at Cost Plus. Problem is this beauty is not baby friendly and the thought of having to change it out once a wee one arrives is not very practical.

 

Carmel Cocktail Ottoman

Now this would be amazing and it comes in an array of colors (I am talking 40+ options!). Because I would want this piece for years to come I would probably go for it in a khaki micro suede option. Our couch is a chocolate brown micro suede. Bummer is this ottoman is pricey ranging from $589-$883 - not including tax and delivery charges.

 

Seagrass Round Coffee Table

I like this option from Pottery Barn that could be used in different rooms.  Priced at $399 and neutral, plus that texture makes me happy!

 

We could always buy something off Craigslist and refinish or reupholster it too. Sometimes a girl just wants something new!

 

So in the meantime we need one but then there will be less room for things like this

 

Which is your favorite option?

 

17

Homemade Dog Biscuits

It's no secret that Finn is the apple of my eye. So when it comes to finding new ways to spoil him I am all for it. When we first rescued Finn he was three months old and while we thought he was just a really mellow pup, turns out he had all sorts of parasites in his tummy.

Giardia

Coccidia

&

Tapeworm

all in the span of about 2 months. We were told by our vet that his GI tract would never really be 100% again. It also wasn't until about a year ago that we figured out Finn is allergic to chicken! Which in reality turned out to be the problem! So after eliminating chicken from his diet, he has been a happy go lucky pup.

Turns out Finn is a pretty picky eater. Unless it's cheese cause boy is that pup like his mama - there is no cheese we will say no to. So I usually supplement Greek God's Vanilla Honey Greek Yogurt into his kibble because I think this brand is the tastiest - no I have not been paid to say that. Finn approves and it helps me to ensure he is eating every night.

So when I saw a recipe for Homemade Biscuits on A Cozy Kitchen and saw I already had everything in my pantry I decided to whip my boy up some sweet treats. Without further adieu:

Homemade Dog Biscuits

*recipe adapted from A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup of honey

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 cup water

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together peanut butter, honey, oil & water.

In a separate bowl. combine flour and oatmeal. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Place dough on flour dusted surface. Roll or press dough out to about 1/4" thick.

(Edit: After posting the recipe I realized I forgot to put the water in! Oops! So your dough will be much more dough-like. I made them again this past weekend 12/20/13 and they came out perfect. Unlike the dry dough you see below!)

Use a small bone cookie cutter to cut out biscuits.



Bake biscuits for 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Best part...Finn loves them!



12

Friday's Fancies : Rachel Bilson

Necklace / Bracelets / Top / Earrings / Shoes / Skirt / Blazer / Bronzer

Rachel Bilson is in a class all her own when it comes to style. She always looks effortlessly put together in the cutest outfits. I have loved her ever since she was Summer on The OC.

And she has only gotten better since!



Linking up with:

 

14

DIY Spice Display

I don't know about you guys but looking at all my different size spice jars makes me go nutso. I don't want them out on the counter (much to David's dismay) and we used to have them in a drawer - which was another inconvenience not to mention mess. So I saw this pin on Pinterest and decided I would give it a try. 

I ordered these tubes off of Etsy and decided to fill them up with the 20 spices we use the most. When they arrived they were a little skinnier than I imagined. Originally I wanted to display them in a box like the original pin but I couldn't find a rustic one that would fit them. So I went shopping around my house and found an old sorter I had for mail and made it work. 

I also labeled all the spices with my label maker. Hard to see in the photos but easier to see IRL. 

I funneled the spices in by making a funnel out of paper and then just poured it in. After all the time it took to make these, David took one look at them and said "cool, I'll never use those"

Acascuseme?

Okay so they don't hold a ton of spice but how much do you really use in one recipe?! Sheesh! So I told him after he is done cooking I would refill them when needed. We'll see how that goes...

This would make a great gift for someone just moving into their own place. Because spices are something you acquire over time and it would be nice to get a "starter set" because buying a ton of spices so you have the basics adds up!

It's nothing fancy but hey, it's pretty!!

 

Linking up with: 

13

Friday's Fancies

tank / shorts / sandals / bangle / necklace / sunglasses /iPhone Case

Who says brown and black don't mix? I remember a long time ago seeing a photo of Lauren Conrad mixing the two colors together and thinking how cute she looked. Well I have never looked back.

This weekend I am seeing Natasha and some friends for a little bit on Saturday! They are in town for a wedding and I am excited to hang out with them the following day! David won't be joining us since he has plans (that I just backed out of shhh!) but I am looking forward to beautiful weather and good friends!

Have a lovely weekend!!

Linking up to

Long Distance Loving

 

7

Phone Talk

Random Snapshots from my phone

Speaking of phone...

 

iPhone 5s or 6 where the hell are you? My 4 is on straight up HOSPICE - can't even record a 55 second video of Finn on my phone with it having a heart attack. I am about to sign some DNR paperwork on you!

You can find that cute glittery wallpaper here!

 

My husband thinks that this is my alter ego. And although I should probably be insulted by this he swears it is because of my love of blankets. And it's true -- I love them. So therefor I totally embrace being this Muppet. Because when I am not her...I'm her

and I totally embrace that as well!

 

Talk about a FLASHBACK! Before I was queen of blankets I was queen of Barbie. In fact when my sister was pregnant with my first nephew (I have two sister, 5 nephews) I told them that if they ever had a girl my Barbie fortune was off-limits. I have it ALL, the dream house, the RV, the hot dog stand, the corvette...I could go on for days. Since it was the only thing I really wanted to pass onto my own children one day I figured by the time I came around to having kids it would be destroyed. Well...7 years later and I have no nieces. So they think I cursed them!

It's cool...no pressure womb.

My sweet tailless pup and I out for a walk...his shadow was cracking me up.

My hubs knows I love me some french toast - Finn and mama approved! And yes his hair is naturally crimped!

 



12

Arugula, Watermelon & Feta Salad

During the summer I cannot get my fill of watermelon. I want to eat it on the daily! And while the salad I made on Sunday evening was nice and basic I decided to step up my game a little on Monday evening. Thanks to this recipe by Ina Garten I was able to incorporate this amazing salad into a delicious meal!
 

Ingredients:

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges when using a real juicer)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry

1/8th seedless watermelon, rind removed and cut into 1-inch cubes

12 ounces of good feta cheese

1 cup whole fresh mint leaves, julienned 

 

Directions:

Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt & pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within the hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator. 

Place the arugula, watermelon, feta and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately. 

 

Bon Appetit! 

 

 

6

One Year Anniversary Destinations

The other day David and I were talking about going somewhere fun for our one year anniversary coming up on October 6th. Especially because we are hoping to (soon!) grow our family and realize this may be the last big trip we can take before we're a family of three four - Finn counts.

We have been blessed to go to Hawaii three times since we've been married - spoiled I know.

October 2012 -- Once for our honeymoon to Kauai

March 2013 -- For one of my best friends weddings in Maui

April 2013 -- And for my brother-in-law's wedding in Maui (3.5 weeks after the last one!)

So as much as we absolutely love Hawaii we most likely won't be going there to celebrate the big one year.

Cypress Inn in Carmel

Another spot that has so much meaning is the hotel we stayed in when we got engaged. The balcony over the door was our veranda! Cypress Inn is also extremely pet friendly - as is Carmel. So that would be an easy choice for us!

Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara

I have always wanted to go here!

Have any suggestions of somewhere we should travel?

Can't believe it has almost been a year!

12

Cucumber, Tomato & Onion Salad

Hey guys! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I'm getting in a little too late from late night summer swimming to put together a proper Scenes from the Weekend post. So I thought I would share a recipe we made for a BBQ we went to this evening. We used all fresh ingredients from the garden and gosh our tomatoes are SO good!! We found this recipe from the controversial Paula Deen but it was so great for summer. Light and super easy to make!

Ingredients:

1 pound of cucumbers (about two cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced) - I used one Armenian and one burpless from the garden

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved -I used sweet one millions and black cherry tomatoes from the garden

1/2 Vidalia onion, very thinly sliced - I couldn't find the at the supermarket so I substituted a white store bought onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, toss together the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, onion, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Let the salad stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Cutting up the burpless cucumber. These are great cucumbers for pickling as well but they grow huge if you don't cut them from the vine right away!

Super easy!! Would be great with some feta too!!

Bon appetite!!

 

10

Friday's Fancies

Red Bangle / Bow Bangle / Pyramid Bangle / Scallop Bangle / Watch / Tank / Shorts /Sandals / Book Clutch / Sunglasses

I want this outfit in my closet right now!! This outfit makes me think I should be wearing it in San Francisco on a warm day. Perfect for Outside Lands...if I ever went. It looks like a ton of fun though!

Linking up with {long distance loving} for

 

10