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Lovely prints from UK Based New House Textiles. I especially adore the Sweetheart Collection.

I have always wanted to makeover my cleaning regimen and one thing in particular that I have been meaning to do is to get rid of all the clashy boxes and bottles that the laundry detergent and cleaning supplies come in. In fact, I have done this with our cereal. I made some simple white drop cloth bags to keep our cereal in because there is nothing more irritating to me than seeing a bunch of cereal boxes lined up on top of the fridge.

This photo pretty much sums up what I envision in my head. This idea really does make a difference in how you feel when you go to do laundry or tidy up. I actually have a few of these type of bottles(mine look just like these and are french lemonade bottles in which you can find them in the soda aisle at the market). I mean for most of us cleaning is not a pretty task, so why not add a little decorative flair to such a mundane activity and make cleaning a bit more cute!

OMG I love these! How cute. This company called MIMI’Lou out of France creates some of the most cutest wall decals for the little tots. These are my favorites. I also wanted to post this because for those of us that cannot afford such a splurge for the little ones, these sort of images can work for all the artsy moms by using a stencil transfer or freehand drawing of your own designs onto a wall or nestled within a corner or two, or you could use different fabric patterns to fill in shapes such as circles, mushrooms, hearts, and flowers!

Tomatillos: tomate verde: Similar to the tomato, tomatillos are crisp like a green tomato and tart. They are used in lots of Mexican dishes especially in sauces and salsas. They come sheltered in a sticky husk that must be removed and the sticky substance must be washed off. When grocery shopping, pick tomatillos with the husks/skin that are stuck tightly to the tomato. Here is a salsa blend that I love to go along with taco salads…

Tomatillo Salsa

6 Tomatillos, cut into large chunks
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 C. Fresh Cilantro
2 tsp. Fresh Lime Juice
1 Clove of Garlic
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Jalapeno Pepper, de-seeded and diced small
1 tsp. Honey

Blend all of the ingredients together. Toss in some diced roma tomatoes and 1/2 C. diced yellow onion. Serve with warm tortilla chips or on top of chicken or any of your favorite Mexican inspired meals!

I love to see the offices, studios, and work spaces of creative people! Not only do you get a chance to gather creative ideas for your own space, but you get to see the things that inspire them, such as photos and small trinkets. In this case I love all the light and the open workspace Fashion Designer Tina Kalivas has in her studio, and that sewing machine is to die for! I would love to have bulks, piles, and swatches of fabric spread out on a large table int he middle of a sun lit room to ponder over for collection pieces…wouldn’t you?

images from The Selby

Oh yum! Not too long ago I made a pretty delightful apple pie and then my husband requested pear cobbler! I thought that I would not like this dessert, but I must say that it is a close run to apple pie and the rum and raisins are so good mixed in. You do not have to cut these up into squares. You can simply spoon it out like any other cobbler. I just thought they were cute cut and could be wrapped in some cute napkins or decorative paper if serving at a party or office gathering.

Pear Rum & Raisin Cobbler Squares

For The Filling
4 - 5 pears, diced
¾ C. Brown Sugar
2 T. All Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 T. plus 1 tsp. Rum Extract
½ tsp. Vanilla
¼ C. Raisins
1 T. Butter, unsalted

For The Crust
2 C. Flour
½ tsp. Salt
¼ C. Sugar
2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, cold
1 Egg
2 T. Cold Water

Directions for Filling: Pour your raisins into a small bowl. Add 1 T. of your rum extract and 1 T. Butter and warm up in your microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside. In a medium sauce pan, stir in and simmer your pears, brown sugar, cinnamon, remaining 1tsp. Of rum extract, vanilla, 2 T. flour, and raisin mixture until thick and bubbly. Set aside to let cool a bit.

Directions for Crust: Combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add in your cold butter, and using your hands combine your flour and butter until you achieve small crumbles. Now add your egg and water. Combine until dough sticks together and forms a ball. Add more flour or water if necessary. Shape your dough into 2 large disk and wrap each separately in sawran wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out first disk to fit the size of a 13 x 9 inch pan. Now spoon your pear and raisin mixture on top, roll out the remaining disk and cut into thick strips to make a lattice design for the top of your cobbler. Be sure to put strips along the edges as well to create a nice closure. Bake on 350 degrees until crust is a light and golden.

Let cool COMPLETELY before cutting into squares. Serve warm with vanilla or rum raisin ice cream.

So, what do you get when you combine 3 slices of honey wheat bread, 2 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla almond milk, and a handful of blueberries? You get the most comforting, quick, and easy dessert ever! I consider bread pudding the “poor womans’ dessert…lol, because you really don’t need much to make them and they are beyond delicious. Especially when served warm with ice cream or tea! Don’t you just love how the blueberries pop…such a sweet dessert it is!

I wanted to post this earlier this week, but as you all know, with so much going on, I never know how my days will pan out. Nevertheless, there is so much being siad and debated about the disaterous incidents in Haiti. Most of the imagery that we see of Haiti, even before the earthquakes, have been filled with poverty and distruction, which does exist, but by no means is that the only side of Haiti. So, with that said, I wanted to take a moment to show the beauty of design/decor within Haiti amidst so many spectrums of heartache. Even in the smallest of homes, you will find bright and spicy colors that I am sure brings joy to their families, even when times are bad. It just goes to show that home really is where the heart is and no matter what type of abode you are given, you should always make it beautiful for yourself and for those who live within it…true thankfulness at it’s best!

The images within this post are form Marie-Louise Fouchard’s and Roberto Stephenson’s book: “Interieurs d’Haiti. I immediately noticed a common color palette used within the larger and smaller homes, and thought it would be fun to celebrate the colors of Haiti’s design for this post. Most of the homes here were adorned with: rust orange, mustard/golden yellow, cobalt, turquoise blue, seafoam green, rose, brown, and of course green! I am in love with not only the colors but with so many of the elements that are used within these rooms, and the art and textiles are fabulous!

I have been posting a bit about the beauty of Haiti on my other blogs as well. This past weekend I made a Haitian Tea Cake, which I enhanced with warm spices that you would find in chai. If you get the chance, do try out the recipe: Haitian Tea Cake Recipe.

Oh, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy a nights stay in one of the rooms via Firmdale Hotels. I think these rooms are grand and really take on the feeling of home in comparison to the generic decor.

Hey guys! You did not think I was going to leave 2009 without a new post now did you? This year has been great, but much too sporadic for me when it comes to blogging. After having baby girl and finding out that we will be expecting again next may, my energy has been spread thin to say the least. Yes, you heard it right, I am currently 20 weeks preggo! We will find out if it will be a boy or a girl on Wednesday. But nevertheless, I hope to do more consistent blogging in 2010, but please do bare with me, because when you are preggo and taking care of a 7 month baby along with keeping up with a 6 year old who we home-school, it can get a little overwhelming. I want to thank you all for you immaculate support and here’s to more creative living in 2010!

Ok, on to the post…I could not wait to share these sleeping beauties with you all! Are these not the prettiest pillow cases you have ever seen! I cannot wait for the Rosehip etsy shop to be re-stocked. Just looking through the sold items will make you drool over pretty colors and crocheted adornments! In the mean time, you can check out Beatas (the creator of Rosehip) colorful inspiration by visiting her blog.

Oh how darling. Not only do I love the name of the website “Dimples & Dandelions”, but I adore these bedding collections for girls! From pretty and frilly to simple and chic, these designs are sure to make your little girl feel like the magical princess she is!

You know, I have re-arranged our little boys room so many times and have purged lots of toys that he has outgrown and even items that he has “collected” from around the house and turned into toys, but no matter what I do, he still seems to find a way to make a huge mess with random little trinkets. I do not necessarily blame him for the untidiness. My theory is that if I had a better way of keeping his room ORGANIZED, then he would have an easier time keeping it tidy.

Whenever we move to our next home (I just do not feel like re-decorating this apartment of ours) I want to design his room with lots of “cubby” holes, wide bookshelves, and plenty of organized spaces. One thing about decorating a child’s room is that we as moms can get a little bit unrealistic. Sometimes we try to make it LOOK good and we tend to forget about the practicality of it for the little ones…lol.

So while browsing the web for inspiration, I came across a cool flickr group called “Ikea Shelves”. I grew quite fond of these shelves featured in an array of kids rooms!

I have been meaning to share this little tip for quite some time now. If any of you moms are like me, then you may have kids who thinks that a happy meal or any kids meal at a fast food restaurant is super exciting. The problem on our end is that we do not eat that much fast food that would include cute boxes and trade marked toys. So, to make a long story short, I decided to make my own happy meal for the little one not too long ago. I fixed him chicken nuggets and fries and packaged it up in a brown paper bag that I glued coloring sheet and activity cut-outs to (the front is a free Phineas & Pherb coloring sheet that I trimmed, and the back is a cut-out of a free activity worksheet). He LOVED it! You can find all sorts of activity sheets for free on the web. Simply scale them down a bit to fit your bag or box. I also included a few of his crayons so that he can “play” as he ate. I also used some card stock paper and made a little box to put the chicken nuggets in and made a pouch for the fries and lined the box with tin foil.

I plan to make more of these for him with different foods and I will gather up some inexpensive toys to include in them. I loved this idea because for all of you who prefer not to give your kids fast food, who are vegans and vegetarians, or if your child has to follow a special diet, then this is a fun way to make their meal happy without the side effects of processed food from the local fast food joint! So, when you have a moment, definitely give this idea a try, your kids are sure to love it!

You know the flavored waters that you buy at the market? So many of them are packed with ingredients that I would rather not digest and there is enough sugar in them to raise your insulin level..LOL. Not to mention all of the food coloring and artificial flavorings that are added. Ok, so to make a long story short I decided to make my own version of flavored water with fresh cherries, plums, and strawberries. It’s light, it’s refreshing, and delicately sweet!

Cherry Berry Plum Water
6 Strawberries, diced
1 Plum, diced
18 Cherries, pitted
4 C. Filtered Water
2-3 Tbsp. Agave Nectar or Honey
Mesh Strainer

Directions: Simply blend/liquify your fruit in your blender along with your water. Strain into a medium sized bowl. Be sure to press out the juice from the pulp with a spoon to get as much juice out of the pulp. Sweeten your water with agave nectar or honey. Serve chilled or over ice cubes. Garnish each glass with whole cherries!

Tonight we had a very simple and fresh dinner that consisted of chicken breast topped with fresh wilted spinach, fresh roma tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella with a garden salad on the side. Basically it is similar to spanakopitas or even beef wellington, but I used mozzarella instead of feta and I wrapped the whole chicken breast, instead of dicing it up. You can find the recipe below, but you really don’t need one, as it is quite easy to prepare!

Chicken Filo
Serves 4

Ingredients
3 T Butter - melted
1 T. Olive Oil plus more for cooking chicken
4 Large Chicken Breast - washed & trimmed of fat
1 Bunch of Fresh Spinach - washed
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Roma Tomatoes
Salt
Garlic Powder
Fresh Black pepper
Dried or Fresh Basil
Spicy Brown Mustard
Honey
Fresh Mozzarella
Finely Grated Parmesan
Filo Dough (16 sheets)
Pastry Brush

Directions: Season your chicken with salt, garlic powder, pepper, basil. and drizzle with olive oil. Heat your non-stick pan on medium with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook chicken until done, flipping often, as well as keeping the lid on to ensure plenty of plumpness and “juicyness”! Turn skillet off and set chicken aside.

Take your bunch of spinach and roughly chop them up. Throw them in a non-stick pan along with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and garlic and let them wilt a bit. immediately remove your spinach from the pan and place in a mesh strainer to drain excess water. Set aside.

Place the one tablespoon of olive oil into your butter and stir together. take your pastry brush and butter your first filo sheet with your butter and oil. Be sure not to over saturate the filo as it is VERY delicate. Now take another sheet of filo and place it on top of the first. Butter and oil this sheet. Continue doing this until you have four filo sheets. Butter and oil the top sheet.

Take your chicken breast and place it towards the edge of the filo sheets. using your pastry brush generously brush your spicy mustard on top of the chicken. Now place a few sliced tomatoes on top, then your a bit of spinach, and top it off with mozzarella. Gently wrap your chicken and veggies as you would a burrito until you reach the end. gently butter and oil the tops and tuck in the side edges. drizzle with honey and place onto your non-stick baking sheet. Repeat this process with the rest of your chicken breast. Bake on 350 degrees until crisp and lightly golden brown. Sprinkle with finely grated parmesan!

Tip The Cook: you can serve these up with your favorite marinara sauce or a side of spicy mustard.