dinner last night

photo via Shirley J
I was feeling lazy yesterday so I wanted an easy dinner. My first thought was meatballs, then I realized I am out of brown sugar so I lacked an essential ingredient for my favorite sweet and sour meatballs. I navigated to Food Network for some inspiration and I found meatball sandwiches. Not a groundbreaking recipe but perfect for the level of effort I was willing to put into dinner.

I used this meatball recipe from Rachael Ray because I wanted to try something a little different from my usual meatball. I put the cooked meatballs on a sub and melted provolone cheese on them and then added warmed up marinara sauce. They were delicious, mostly because the meatball recipe was awesome.

favorite emmy dresses

Classy and interesting

Love the classic Hollywood look

I loved Heidi Klum's necklace, amazing.

The purple was a nice alternative to all the black and white dresses.

photos via yahoo

vacation meal

via Simply Recipes

In not to long I will be heading to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a family vacation. In my family each of the children and their families take a night to cook a meal for everyone. I have been trying to decide what to cook for my night. I am very tempted to make my favorite Greek Chicken Burgers. My sister is campaigning for Carne Asada's for the sole purpose that it goes with my signature corn salsa and guacamole. I think I will test out this everyday chocolate cake this week and maybe use it for the dessert portion.

I am tempted to give in to my sister's request since she is 7 months pregnant, and we all love Mexican food so it could be a win-win-win situation.

And since I have never shared the corn salsa recipe, which I was very tempted to keep secret. Here it is. I combined my favorite parts of two different recipes and ended up with (in my opinion) a far superior hybrid. It is delicious.

Corn Salsa

2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 16 oz. bag of frozen corn
1 1/2-2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup red onion diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 lb. feta
1 clove garlic minced
1 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
drizzle with olive oil and lime juice

I usually put the corn on a cookie sheet and put olive oil over it and broil it till it starts to barely brown. This is a very forgiving recipe I never measure out anything except the cumin and chili powder.

bad hair

via omg!
A rock star hair cut or just some hair they forgot to cut? I am not digging the all short hair with two rat tails in the front.

persimmon

via house and home
I love the bright colors in this room. Apparently with white walls you have two decorating options, muted or vibrant. I love them both, but I would probably go with the vibrant.

styles of my youth

I keep seeing the styles I wore in the early 90's coming back. Denim on denim. Stir up leggings, or leggings in general. Ankle boots. Aren't fashion cycles supposed to be longer?

via gap.com

out there

via elle decor

This is probably the most unique approach to home decor I have seen. It is supposed to be witty, not sure if I agree or if I think it is just off the wall strange...

rich rooms

I love the rich colors of these rooms. And the simple cradle. Simple cradle designs keep catching my eye!

Love the blue walls.

via Spearmint Baby

An update on the infertility treatments: I have/get to take a month off of treatments due to a cyst. On the bright side hopefully this means my hormones can realign themselves. The medications make them go crazy.

wall hanging

via Elle Decor

I love the way the vintage Ghanaian flag is displayed in this room. I have a Nigerian cloth work piece that I would love to have framed in a similar fashion.

the elaine look

A friend sent me an article on the burgeoning style movement of the modern Elaine look. The floral's are coming back with a vengeance. I am not sure how I feel about this new trend, granted the dresses a less granny looking but still, I had hoped small print floral patterns had gone away forever. I recently saw evidence of the returning floral on A New Dress a Day. Is any one excited about this returning fashion?

colombian pool

I love this pool, can you imagine swimming from room to room?

so gorgeous.

via spearmint decor

coolest map ever

I think this scratch map is the coolest way to track international travel. My parents need one.


found via a cup of joe

a pasta weekend

I found these recipes on Real Simple today. They look delicious and theoretically take less than 15 minutes to prepare...

Parmesan pasta with chicken and rosemary

gnocchi with butter and herbs

knitted baby blanket

I saw this knitted baby blanket on Purl Bee, I think it is gorgeous. Apparently it is the result of many peoples request for a simple pattern for a knitted baby blanket. I love it.

dream pantry

via skoots and cuddles
I love the look of this pantry (minus the fake white mice). Clear canisters are the way to go, I am ready to trade in my boxes!

love

I saw this blue table on Little Green Notebook, I love it. My friend Rachel has been trying to decide what color to paint her side tables, this is my vote! It makes me want to repaint all my black tables!

P.S. this is what I want to do to my oak desk!

cave homes

I was reading about cave homes on Yahoo! Green. Apparently they are green because they require little heating or cooling.

Although the views are probably stunning from a cave house I don't think I could ever live in one. The lack of windows and really just the idea of living in a cave would make me feel claustrophobic. It is an interesting concept though.

dreaming of a sandy beach

via generation y travel
One more month until I get to go to the Outer Banks. I can hardly wait, I am hoping I can convince my brother to make some breakfast burritos, mmmm.

gorgeous home

I am a sucker for a Georgian home and this one is stunning!

I honestly don't think there is anything better than a rectangular pool.

And those windows. Probably a pain to clean but lovely to look at.

photos via greige

couch

I will be in the market for a new couch in the next 18 months. In my dreams I like these options...

via pottery barn, crate and barrel

living room vs. family room

via House Beautiful

I have talked to many people who think a separate living room is a waste of space and an outdated custom. Personally, I like the idea of having a room that is always nice, good entertaining space etc. What's your verdict, separate rooms or not?

gray walls

via spearmint baby
I have fallen in love with gray walls.

front door

I was talking to my brother last night and he told me that he and his wife are contemplating building a house rather than buying one. The concept of building a house is always intriguing to me. How do you go about choosing styles? What details to add and what to leave?

There are two things I know I want, a garage hidden to the side or back

and an awesome front door.
via tropical island, pine mountain lake, at home, about.com, salvo, front porch

eat, pray, love

I am so excited to see Eat, Pray, Love, Julia Roberts is a favorite of mine. It is coming out on August 13th, which just so happens to be my 5th wedding anniversary. Perhaps that will be enough to get my husband to go see this chick flick!