It's "Favorites Friday"!

A late night post, today was a "snow" day where I live (more like ice), but I decided to take the day off from work... well at least the corporate world work. But, I worked all day at renovations and right now our bathroom ceiling has been gutted and doesn't exist!! We are putting in all new drywall and a fan... after this there are only two more big projects (trim upstairs and new kitchen counter tops) and we're putting the for sale sign in the front lawn. Our goal is next weekend, but I keep telling Ryan that it's going to be at least another week! Anyways, I thought I better not leave you without my Favorites Friday post, so here goes. Today, I'm going to do my five favorite latest pins on  Pinterest. I know, another post from Pinterest but you don't understand, I'm totally addicted. Here they are:

1.  Open Shelves in the Kitchen

Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

2. Absolutely Amazing Family Room

Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

3. I Wish I Was Brave Enough - Black Wall

Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

4. Now this is an Eat in Kitchen

Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

5. Definitely Nothing to Do With Houses - I Love this Outfit!

Photo Courtesy of Pinterest

Totally random, I must do my Favorites Friday posts off of Pinterest more often!! :o)
Have a great weekend out there!!

A Great Steal - My New Oversized Chair

A few years back, before our house fire, I had the most amazing oversized chair. My husband (then boyfriend) had picked it up at a yard sale. It was perfect. You could snuggle up in it for hours on end. Then I lost it. Ever since then I've been looking for one but they are way too expensive, ranging anywhere from 500 to 1200 dollars. But, my search has ended. Thanks to Kijiji, my husband picked up an oversized chair for me today for only 100 dollars!! Here are a few of my favorites that just didn't make the budget...

Home Hardware Furniture
Chair and a Half $499

Home Hardware Furniture
Chair and a Half $1120

Home Hardware Furniture Oversized Chair $1360

And here's the one my hubby brought home for me tonight...

A great steal! I love when things work out this way, usually it means a lot of patience... but it certainly pays off. Well, off to do more renos - and possible sneak in a few minutes on the computer to find great things.

Oh and before I forget, that is a Christmas Tree in the background. I know we didn't put one up this year (Our Christmas Tree 2011), but we ended up picking one up on boxing day. Yes, it is still sitting in our other living room waiting to be stored away before the house goes up for sale. Good news, we won't have any excuses as to why we are Scrooges next year! Have a great night out there...

I need, I want, I have to learn this...

It's been on my bucket list for a while now, learning how to make a quilt. As I start pinning more and more on Pinterest, I find myself desperately wanting to learn. My husband keeps telling me to ask his mother to teach me, but for some reason I am too stubborn. There's just something about it that I hate! Don't ask me why, I'm weird like that. Anyways, I'm going to try by the end of this year, 2012, to make some sort of quilt. First, I need to learn the basics, then find the right materials, then I have to go full force and just do it! Oh, and might I add, I think this means I'll need to learn how to use my sewing machine... but maybe not. :o) Anyways, as I continue to toss around the idea of actually making one, here are a few I absolutely love:

Amazing Patchwork Quilt

Simple Grey Quilt

Swedish Landscape Patchwork Quilt

My absolute favorite quilt is plain ivory with machine embroidery through it. I have found a few in local stores but just haven't made the splurge on one yet. Hopefully, I will have the talent someday so that no purchase is necessary. :o)

Do you quilt? If so... do share tips, secrets, how to and the easiest type to get started with... I need to know as much as possible! Anyways, it's hump day... can't wait for this week to be over!

Goodnight world!

Pin Attempt - Sweet Potato Fries

As promised, I made my first pin attempt - Sweet Potato Fries - and they were absolutely delicious! I have a feeling my pins will consist of a lot of recipes, which means I'm about to be your food test dummy. :o) Good news, this week's attempt turned out great, here it is:

Perfect Oven Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
Olive Oil (I used the cooking spray)
Coarse Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450º F. Peel potatoes if desired, I didn't and thought the skin was great. Next, cut the potato in half and then into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick strips. Make sure to square off ends to prevent burning. Then, place the fries in a pile on a large baking sheet. Coat all sides of fries with olive oil flavored cooking spray, coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Be sure to spread out the fries. Do not overlap or put to closely - as it will effect the turnout. Now, bake for 15 minutes then flip them over for another 5 - 10 minutes (I only did 5 minutes and they were perfect) and enjoy!

For the original recipe, click here. 

Now, onto my next pin attempt. Hopefully next week will be something other than a recipe. But with all of these renovations lately, that's all I can seem to squeeze in time for. Wish me luck.

Love It or List It

Based is Toronto, Ontario, Love It or List It is my absolutely favorite home show. The only default about it is I wish they had more episodes!! I'm addicted to the designs and seeing inside all of the homes. If I were to choose anyone to design my home, it would be Hilary Farr and her crew! Anyways, enough said, if you haven't caught it yet, be sure to look for it. Until then, here are a few of her designs... (and a little peak at heaven!)

Barrett Family

Dan & Rich

Shaver Family

Coughlan Family

I'm totally obsessed. Now, if only there was way to get them to come to where I live. :o)
Anyways, Happy Monday!

It's "Favorites Friday"!

Okay, new confession. Yesterday I told you about my weird fling for pillows, but it only gets worse. To tell you the truth, I'm obsessed with bowls. Yes, that's right, kitchen bowls. There is one in particular that is my favorite, it has a pouring spout, is made of porcelain and is usually white inside with solid colored outside. Yes, old fashioned - but I want it so bad. So, on my mission to complete Favorites Friday, I decided to go on search for my favorite bowls and here are five (I'm sure I'll be back with more at a later date):

Chantal Bakeware Ring Batter Bowl

Core Bamboo Bowls

Bauer Classic Style Mixing Bowls

Trudeau Mixing Bowl Set

Multi-Colored Mixing Bowls for John Lewis

Okay, weird obsession I know. But, that's me!

We're getting ready for another weekend of renos, hoping to list the house in the next week or two! We went appliance shopping tonight, just in case we decide to throw all of our appliances in with the house! Yes - it's all starting to fall into place. I definitely foresee a great 2012! Then again, the year will be what we make of it! Have a great weekend out there!

Time to Cuddle Up with a Good Pillow.

I love pillows. One of my random quirks, I just love how they can make a room. Just throw in a few pillows and everything changes. My mission is to start collecting and making pillows once we get settled into our new place and we choose our colors. Until then, here are a few pillows I've found on Pinterest over the last few months:

Pillows with Buttons

Linen Pillows

Pillows with Script

Nursery Pillows

Pillows with Texture

Holiday Pillows

DIY Pillows

Pillows made from Recycled Sweaters

So comforting and so stylish. Now you see why I just love pillows!
Tomorrow's Friday! Have a great night out there.

A Target Design by The Yellow Cape Cod.

As I logged into Facebook this morning, I received this blog post in my feed from The Yellow Cape Cod: Design Plan - Target Style. At first I thought there is no way this is going to look like a high end design with such a low cost, but I was fooled. A design made from Target, West Elm and Ikea.

Design Plan - Target Style

I adore the gray and white pallet with a splash of yellow. Of course, you could swap out the yellow for any color, but those yellow flower pillows are to die for. I think they add a splash of fun to a such a sophisticated design. I absolutely love everything about it and to tell you the truth, my husband is very lucky we only have Ikea in Ontario! :) So, for now I'll just share and dream. Go ahead and check out the post for yourself.

My Pinning Attempt...

Okay here's the deal. There are so many things I always want to do, try, make, etc. And now that I'm addicted to Pinterest, the list is ever growing. So, I made myself a deal... I want to attempt one new pin every week. This is going to be quite the challenge, but totally worth it! Last week, I successfully did this by trying out this fabulous cinnamon roll cake recipe, which I shared last week! Hmm... I think this is a great goal to have... kind of a new year's goal, but a goal to make sure I fully enjoy life and take moments to do those things I want, after all, Pinterest could more or less be mistaken for my bucket list, okay and dream/wish list.

Anyways, be sure to follow me on Pinterest! I'm on a mission to find this weeks pin. I will let you know next week what it was and how it went. In the meantime, go make the cinnamon roll cake recipe, it was absolutely delicious!

Best Pizza Dough Recipe Ever!

A few years back, my hubby came home from the hunt camp bragging about the best pizza dough ever. A cousin of his was in charge of making dinner that night and decided to treat them all to homemade pizza of different sorts. It was a couple years that I continued to hear about this amazing dough. So, I finally went through the family tree and got a copy of it for myself! Now, we have the best pizza dough recipe ever and I'm willing to share. :o)

BBQ Cilantro Chicken Pizza Recipe

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

875 ml (3 1/2 cups) flour
15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
15 ml (1 tbsp) Quick Rise Yeast (I use pizza yeast)
325 ml water

Sift together first three ingredients. Mix in yeast. Work water into dry ingredients. Turn out and knead. Cover with bowl for 15 minutes - let rise. Work onto pizza stone (I love this stone from Pampered Chef) - let rise again.  

Now cover with all of your favorite ingredients and bake at 400ºF for 20 minutes!

Feel free to pass it on. We made it last night and my husband says he'd take our pizza over take out any day! Now that's a pizza!

It's "Favorites Friday"!

Friday has almost came to and end and here we are snowed in again. So quickly, I wanted to do my Favorites Friday post and call it a night! Tonight, I'm going to write about my five favorite clothing stores to shop in... :o) Nothing too exciting, but a little bit more about me!! Here goes...

Photo: Pinterest

1. Esprit

2. Banana Republic

3. Aerie 

4. Joshua Perets 

5. Lululemon

Have a great weekend out there!! This weekend brings two house tours and more renos... Were closer to getting that home we want!!! Can't wait! Be sure to share your favorite apparel stores below!! Ciao!

Cinnamon Roll Cake... That's What's for Dessert.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

After being snowed and iced in for the day, snuggled up on the couch working from home, it's time for some much needed comfort food. I'm thinking a big bowl of shrimp pasta followed by a piece of Cinnamon Roll Cake from the Chef in Training.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cinnamon

Glaze Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar
5 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Mix together all cake ingredients except butter. Once mixed well, slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan.

Next, mix together topping ingredients until well combined and creamy. Drop evenly over the batter by the spoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.

Bake for 28-32 minutes or when a toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean.

While baking, whisk together glaze ingredients. Drizzle evenly over the warm cake and serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!
(To see the original recipe, be sure to stop by Chef in Training)
Now go curl up next to the fire and stay warm on this cool winter's day!! 

A Beautiful Nursery.... From Jenny Steffens Hobick

I know I don't have kids or any plans for one in the near future, but I couldn't help but go gaga over Emma's Nursery by Jenny Steffens Hobick. Soft & cuddly, pale blue & cream, lambs & sheep. It's absolutely adorable with that baby feel in a modern cozy setting. Anyways, I'll stop bragging about the beautiful work she did and just show you a few of my favorite pictures she posted. (Be sure to go over and check out her Beautiful Nursery Post for yourself!)

A Beautiful Nursery by Jenn Steffen Hobick

This looks so cozy, I want one for myself.

Love this wardrobe!

Soft & cuddly, pale blue & cream, lambs & sheep.

Love the bag!

Okay... for all you expecting mothers out there, I hope you enjoyed these pics as much as I did... or even those of you who just love exploring through the cute baby ideas that are out there!! :o)