The leftovers

You always hear stories about the weird things people find when they move into a new house, so I thought I would share some of the funny & strange things we found while moving in.

-Most disgusting: dirty old underwear rolled up in a ball in the bathroom vanity (I skipped the photo since no one wants to see that)

-Most weirdly-placed: Light switch cover in the kitchen

-Most cheesy: Precious Moments clock in the kitchen (so precious, huh?)

-Most in need of clothing: Bathing people in the master bath (notice the strategically-placed bubbles)
-Most girly thing that we need to replace: The country cutesy mailbox as I mentioned in my last post
We also got a free tv, 3 groups of shelves for the basement or garage, 3 trundle beds, and a bunch of other small household things which was a nice bonus. What's the craziest thing you've seen or heard about finding in a new home?

We closed!

Home Sweet Home!

Our closing went smoothly yesterday and we're now home owners again! Last night after the closing we went over to the house to start cleaning and change the locks. Today, we had cable and internet installed (very important to get done ASAP, of course!) We'll be moving some small things in and cleaning all weekend in preparation for the big move next weekend.

Thank you to everyone for listening to me while for 19 months about this long journey of selling and buying a home. It was so hard and frustrating at times so I appreciate all the advice and best wishes from everyone. Thank you so much!

My new babies are here!

LG WM2101HW Washer

4.0 cu.ft. XL Capacity Washer

LG DLG2102W Dryer

7.3 cu. ft. Ultra Capacity Dryer

I've been dreaming about getting front-loaders for years and my dream has finally come true! I really wanted the red washer & dryer, but that would have been a decision I would regret later. These LG models got great reviews, so I'm excited to try them out tomorrow. They look *HOT* in my 70's style laundry room, but that will be getting a makeover sometime soon.

You've got mail (boxes)

Wanna see the beautiful mailbox on our house?So yes, we do need a new one. Here are some ideas I found, so tell me what you think. Here's our house from the front. We put on brushed nickel locks and will be buying matching sconces for the exterior lights.
Ace Hardware has this white one with a brushed silver medal for $33.99.

This one from Lowe's is black with a satin nickel lid and decorative medal for $29.97.


Should we go with plain black or white from Home Depot with this one for $34.97?

Plain white with a traditonal style border from Home Depot for $15.98?

Restoration Hardware has this one in satin nickel for $89.00.

This one from Lumens comes in black and stainless steel, but is it too modern for our house?

I found this one on Ebay, but it might be a little too flimsy since it's $19.95.

This one from Bellacor is really pretty, but yikes, $171.50 for a mailbox!
Thoughts?

Getting drunk off the bread?

Not quite, but I love beer so I had to try this beer bread! My friend Angie posted this recipe on her blog and I had to try it.

Cheddar-Herb Beer Bread

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
12 oz. beer
1 teaspoon chili or cayenne powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Combine, starting with dry ingredients, and mix well.
Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 375 F. for 50-55 minutes.My notes:
-50 minutes was the perfect amount for my bread. It came out perfectly!
-I skipped the chili and/or cayenne and I don't think it needed it.

Tweed fabrics for fall

Nothing screams fall more than tweed in warm colors. As much as I hate fall, I have to accept that it's slowly getting colder. But you know what that means? Time for a new fall bag! Tweed bags have been on my mind lately, so I finally found a great one for a good price.


So what is TWEED? Here is the definition from Encyclopedia Britannica:

Any of several fabrics of medium-to-heavy weight, rough in surface texture, and produced in a great variety of colour and weave effects largely determined by the place of manufacture. The descriptions “Scottish,” “Welsh,” “Cheviot,” “Saxony,” “Harris,” “Yorkshire,” “Donegal,” and “West of England,” for example, cover an extremely wide range of woolen and mixture cloths. Most tweeds are made entirely of wool; but an increasing number consist of blends of wool and cotton, wool and rayon, or wool and man-made fibres, each of which imparts a special property.

Wow, this brings me back to the days of my apparel & textiles classes in college!

Some things that have inspired my recent purchase:

Chanel Classic Handbag With Flap
Tory Burch Tweed 'Nico' Tote

And some clothing inspiration:
So how do you wear tweed without looking too nerdy or going overboard? Check out these tips.

• Tweed looks best in small doses: a close-fitting jacket, a pair of cute pumps or a bag.
• The older you are, the less tweed you should wear. Sounds cruel, but this familiar fabric conjures up images of matrons.
• Don't wear your tweed literally --like with matching skirt-- for the most interesting looks. Instead, pair with denim, a flirty skirt or a bright pair of cords.
• Splash in plenty of color: tweed carries lots of hues in its weave, so pick an accent color and go with it as a top, scarf or accessory.
• Play with other textures to complement and soften the tweed. With a tweed jacket, pair a silky camisole. With tweed pumps, pair a gossamer skirt.

Our first purchase for the new house - man room furniture

We found this collection of Sharper Image Stockton furniture at Office Max last week and then went back to buy it yesterday. On sale and I was able to use an extra coupon twice, but it was still a bit of a shock for my credit card. We joked that Mastercard might reject our grocery store bill later that day because it was so much more than we usually spend in one weekend, but JUST WAIT! The next couple months are going to be even worse!

Anyway, this is is the collection that was chosen for the man room/computer room. I don't agree completely, but I'm letting him pick it since it's "his" room.




*Finished in a silver satin metal frame, solid wood espresso legs and clear glass this collection is modern styling for any home or office environment. Storage solutions and functionality are featured for an ideal workspace.*

Stay tuned for pics once we get it put together and in the room!

Pulled BBQ Chicken

Pulled chicken is a favorite is our house. I found this recipe from Rachael Ray that we decided to try the other night. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1-1/3 cups barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• Hot pepper sauce
• 6 kaiser or French rolls, split
• 6 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1-1/2 cups)

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place in a heavy pot with the onion, garlic and just enough water to cover (about 1-1/2 cups). Add the barbecue sauce, vinegar and a few drops hot sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred with two forks.

   

2. Boil the sauce, skimming occasionally, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shredded chicken and heat through. Spoon the mixture onto the rolls and top with the cheese.

Greek Pasta Salad

I heart pasta salad! I found this greek pasta salad from Robin Miller at Food Network. See my notes at the end after tasting the finished product.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces ditalini or other pasta
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked cubed chicken (about 1 pound)
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a small bowl, whisk together broth, oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Add diced chicken, green pepper, and mint.

Drain pasta and add to bowl with dressing and chicken. Toss to combine. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with feta cheese just before serving.

*We felt like it needed more flavor, so we added more of the spices and added some chopped turkey pepperoni and kalamata olives.

Tyler Florence's Labor Day Potato Salad

My hubby came across Tyler Florence's potato salad recipe and had to try it. I've never been a fan of potato salad, but I wanted to taste it. Very good and I'm impressed!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small Yukon gold potatoes
  
• 2 large eggs
• Kosher salt
  
• 1/2 bunch sliced scallions, white and green parts
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 cups mayo
  
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles with 1/4 cup juice, about 2 pickles
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 bunch dill, chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Put the potatoes and eggs into a big saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer. After 12 minutes remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let cool. Continue cooking the potatoes until a paring knife poked into them goes in without resistance, about 3 minutes longer. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool.

Reserve some scallion greens and capers for garnish. Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and their juice, onion, remaining scallions and capers, parsley, and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Peel the cool eggs and grate them into the bowl. Stick a fork into the potatoes and lift them 1 at a time out of the colander. Break up the potatoes by hand into rough chunks, add them to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.

Another rug done!

I made this one for my sister's new apartment. She had some old towels that matched her set, so I was able to use those and then found a few others that matched her bathroom colors.

If you want instructions on how to make one, see my previous post here.