inspiration pages

I love this version of a smallish kitchen. My sister has a smallish kitchen she wants to re-do someday. I think this a good inspiration photo...

via classical kit

a project

A small photo for a smallish project, appropriate don't you think? This Valentine's cross stitch is what my little sister and I will be working on this week. Cross stitch may seem like an outdated art but I love it. It is my newest hobby. I found the pattern on Modern Folk on Etsy.

Speaking of cross stitch here are some other things related to it I have loved recently. Organizing floss with clothes pins, I tried this one and it works incredibly well. And I love these customizable cross stitch patterns from Martha.

baby literature

A friend sent a link to these 'baby lit' books. Classics summarized into board books, I love it.

time out

This contraption from Wisteria is called a Time Out Timer Stool. I think it is completely awesome...

Find of the day

I found this painting at an antique mart today. It is painted on velvet the seller said she bought in Europe long ago. I am going to put it in the babies room, I think it has a fairy tale aura. Although I haven't decided which fairy tale it reminds me of. Hansel and Gretel perhaps?

for the new year

My sister pointed me in the direction of Clean Mama blog. Cleaning in not my forte, I hate it but this new approach as seen on Clean Mama may work for me. You have four chores you do everyday and you add one extra chore each day. You also choose one thing or area in your house to organize for the week. The everyday chores are sweep, one load of laundry (all the way through), wipe counters and clear clutter. Then the rotational chore changes everyday, for example today was wash the floors and yesterday was vacuum. I am a week in and it is going well so far, my sister has been doing it longer and swears by the clean a little every day method. My question is, can it last? I hope so, because my house has been way cleaner all week.

Nursery

Here is the current state of the nursery. We have barely done anything to it. I think the bookshelf will be moving to a different corner of the room. I am planning to put the cribs on either side of the small white dresser, which my husband will be sad to hear may or may not remain white.

This week we added the glider and moved the antique rocker to our bedroom.

These are the inspirations. A colorful dresser turned changing table (I am thinking red) and two white cribs coming out from the wall. I am going on the search for the dresser this week. Wish me luck.

Versatility

I love salads. I love that salad recipes are more of a guideline. That being said here is a delicious winter salad that includes a previously hated fruit of mine, grapefruit.

1 grapefruit
Handful of dried cherries or craisins
Spinach or other greens
Pomegranate seeds
1 cup or so of crumbled feta or Gorgonzola

Dressing:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups vegetable oil
1 tbl poppy seeds

I made a small salad so I bottled most of the dressing to use for future salads.