Celebrating Progress!

Just would like you to note in a major step towards getting my act in gear... I changed up the St. Patrick's Day motif that stayed on this blog from March to August.   Phew!  Maybe that's enough work for one day.... baby steps :)  xo, Brie

Menu Monday

It's that time of year again - after a wonderful summer, I need to create a schedule here!
(Peperonata pasta from Real Simple Magazine - August 2010 issue)

Monday - spaghetti and meatballs, salad, bread

Tuesday - lemon chicken, rice, peas

Wednesday london broil on the grill, salad

Thursday Ravioli, bread and salad

Friday crab cakes

Saturday pasta pepernota from Real Simple magazine this month

Decorating Help in the Foyer

I have 2 tables in my foyer and you can see each of them as you walk into the house.

First I have a round one that you see straight ahead.

Nothing too fancy with the decor - a lamp, some pictures, a mother of pearl candle burner, a fluted bowl from Sandwich glass. I'm satisfied with it. It will be littered with car keys and mail momentarily.

The other table to the left is right against the wall and under a mirror and in a word? BORING! I cleared the whole thing off for Christmas decorating and when it came time to put everything back, I have absolutely no idea what was there in the first place. The fact that I can't even remember tells me it was no great shakes and it's time for a do over.

I went to Home Goods yesterday and roamed around. Then I roamed and roamed and roamed some more because nothing was jumping out at me at all. I finally settled on a footed bowl and some sparkly picture frames. I did have a yellow Buddha statue that I was considering because it was pretty and exotic and the color was nice. I took a picture on my cell and sent it to Keely. Her reply: "Are you insane?" She didn't feel it went well with my other decor which is decidedly a cross between traditional and contemporary. I think she may have been right!

I had the twine balls which I think are too big but will work for now. As you can see I have a vacancy on right side of the table. I can't help but wonder how yellow Buddha would look there! I may pick her up just to "see"......

These apothecary jars could also work from Pier 1 and these would actually blend a little bit better with the rest of my decor.

May have to stop in there tomorrow too just to try them out. I am also going to look around on ebay for some depression glass votives in other colors to disperse throughout the table.

The point of this post is, I need some help!! Do you have any suggestions? I think I want something on the larger side, something a little different, something pretty.... I'd love to hear what you think! xo, Brie

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2010 is going to be huge for me, I can feel it ;) This will be THE year that I.....

• exercise more


• eat healthier


• declutter and organize my house


• continue reading


• pump up the volume on the website with some new ideas


• turn 40!

Wish me luck :) I'm starting by taking down the Christmas decor today (the glitter and pine needles all over my person and house look glorious) and while I am very sad to say farewell to Rudolph the Red Nosed Minivan.... I have a new friend in the house for inspiration and support. I proudly introduce one of my very favorite Christmas gifts (drum roll please)

hmmm looks like the piano could use a light dusting! I'll add that to the list

Mr. Davey Crackit the Squirrel Nutcracker! You know you're jealous... I LOVE him! Don't be jealous, you can get one here !! I hope 2010 brings you all the best! xo, Brie

A disjointed post about all the happenings

I want to wish all my faithful readers (mom and Keely) a very Merry Christmas (just kidding, I really do mean all 10 of you and you know who you are)! Company will begin arriving sometime this afternoon and I can hardly wait to see everyone.

I've got a lot done around here the last couple of days - just when I thought I was drowning in my to do list there it is, the light at the end of the tunnel! (Greatest site ever by the way - thank you to the blogger who showed me it, exactly which blog is escaping me, but please know you have made life easier for me and I thank you xo)

So here are some things I've crossed off the list:

I finished this book

I loved it! It's not exactly an easy read, you need concentration but I found it well worth it and would like to give a shout out to the librarian who took pity on me and allowed to renew for a 3rd time (you're only allowed 2 renewals). I love memoirs and this is a good one!

I cooked up all my shrimp for shrimp cocktail and have it chillin in the fridge. This is the best cocktail sauce ever by the way... available seasonally (as in now) at my home away from home, Costco!

I've made this, these and even this! Not too shabby, right?!

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas, from the bottom of my heart... so I'll leave you with this holiday favorite. I'm sorry, it's just not Christmas without New Kids on the Block :)



Who do you feel more embarrassed for in this video? Jordan when he tears off his leather jacket or Joey Joe when he does that booty dance? Discuss amongst yourselves :) xo, Brie

Preparing for the Big Snow Storm

The timing of the big blizzard of 09 is kind of sucky. I have packages to mail, food shopping to do, and a minivan to decorate like Rudolph (if the darn thing ever arrives!)

I did make it to Costco this morning and my advice to you is stay away.... stay far far away! It was a nuthouse and a lot of the crowd appeared to be very hungry and even willing to create complete Costco gridlock in the name of 1/6 of a hot dog wrapped in a Pillsbury crescent roll! It was a lot of fun, I could feel my blood pressure rising. My thoughts were unChristmaslike.

We're home now and just in time. Snow is starting....

At least I will be forced in tonight and might even start wrapping some gifts! Stay warm!! xo, Brie

Cleaning and Great Discoveries

With school starting and for the first time having all 4 in school all day, I am determined to get this house back in shape! First up, I am back on with the flylady. I don't subscribe to the emails b/c it was just too much for me to manage and I when I get overwhelmed I tend to not get anything done. Here's what you do.... sign up for her plans on facebook! She posts the next day's schedule in the evening and the daily tasks are fairly simple (so far anyway) 2 days have proven to make a significant difference in my kitchen!

I find myself wanting to one additional thing to her list each day and today it's cleaning the hell hole cabinet over my phone area (which has always been a major hot spot disaster for me).

While cleaning it out I found this card

It is a greeting card painted from a picture someone took of my grandmother's refrigerator. She had been over there for a Christmas party and opened the fridge for something. What she found inside, was so beautiful she asked to take a picture of it to later paint. Voila! Isn't so cute? I love it because she used to always make us those jello parfaits when we would come to visit. We thought they were the greatest things ever!

I want to get this framed and put it somewhere in the house because it just makes me happy! I am sure glad I cleaned out this cabinet today :) xo, Brie

Original painting by Donna Lovely 2003

update: just got word that poor gram had a heart attack this afternoon and is in icu, if you could send a prayer her way I would appreciate it xo

I got Nothing....

This is what I've been up to today b/c I am looking for some ribbon that I KNOW I have and can't seem to find.

Here's before.... why there was a fiber one bar in my ribbon box will remain one of life's great mysteries


and after! I love me some tupperware bins and ziplock bags!!

and PS I never found the ribbon I was originally looking for. One down and only about 20 more of these to go. It needs to be done, ugh

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND! I hope to back Tuesday with more excitement! xo, Brie

In love

With this book....

Can't. Put. It. Down. Will not sweat out the 3 week loan :) Have a great weekend! xo, Brie

Ding Dong... Snail Mail

A snail arrived shortly after my post yesterday!!



Ms. C and her horse Chocolate Chip seem very pleased with the new digs! Now I need to work on pictures and accessories

What a long way from these....

A TREMENDOUS thank you to my mom and dad for all their help with this project!! xoxoox

Painting Ceramic Glass Draw Pulls

Ms. C's room is FINALLY almost done and the only thing now that is completely holding me up is the quilt I purchased for the bed. I think it is going to look so cute!! I made the same mistake I always make and chose a quilt from Pottery Barn and bought it off ebay with free shipping for a total savings of $40. Only problem is, the free shipping means it will arrive on the back of a snail - I ordered it on 6/8 and today is the 20th. The seller assures me it is on the way and provided a tracking number etc so I'm not going to get too uppity over it just yet.

We got her a really cute new bed frame from Ikea and it's white. The dresser that was already in the room is a natural wood color and I suppose I could paint it (and still may in the future) but thought I could spruce it a bit and make it blend a little better with some cute painted white drawer pulls. Off to Home Depot (or Homo Depot as our 4 year old calls it very innocently and I can never not laugh when she says it) we go, picked up 10 white ceramic pulls for a dollar something a piece.

Now for the painting - which I am the first to admit I am not very good at .....

First up you need a special kind of paint called "Glossies" put out by a company called Liquitex. They don't come in a ton of colors but all the basics are represented and you can bake glass or ceramic things in the oven to heat set the paint so it won't rub off! It's very cool AND half price at Michaels this week if you are interested for 2.99 a bottle.

Some green lines that are a little shaky and wavy ;)



Followed by some more wavy and shaky hot pink lines ... a preppy wavy shaky plaid!!


Into a cold oven and then set at 325 for 45 to set.

The finished product!! It looks really cute if you squint your eyes :D I'm happy with the results. Sprucing up complete.

Not sure why the top drawer is askew like that... I'm certain drawer number 2 is over stuffed :(

The final room reveal will take place when my budding artist is finished some wall art for her room

and if that darn snail ever arrives with the quilt! xo, Brie

Up with the Birds

Literally! The sound of bird activity going on in my yard at 3 am rivals a Brazilian rain forest. I tried everything to fall back to sleep but gave up at 4 am. I decided to get up, make a pot of cowboy coffee and do something productive!

First up my refrigerator which was a disaster area. Poor thing has been really neglected for longer than I care to admit! I emptied out the ENTIRE thing, spritzed away with my cucumber method spray and went to town with a wet dishrag. Pulled out drawers and scrubbed them with hot soap water. Merged bottles of balsamic and soy sauce and bid farewell to a couple of sour cream containers that kicked the bucket in March 09. So happy to finally check this off my to do list and it only took me 45 minutes from start to finish!




I am going to try to do one project like this a day for 30 days, stay tuned :) xo, Brie




HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!!!

Mother's Day Tea

My last one (sniffle) for Pre K anyway, Ms. C will officially be a kindergartner next year! We had a lovely hour of songs, lunch, and celebration. The kids did a great job and no party is complete without a foam crown, I think I'll wear this throughout the month of May! Great Day!

I wore one of my favorite denim dresses from the Isaac Mizrahi line that I picked up at Target in the fall. If anyone told me they liked my dress, I immediately revealed that I bought the dress from Target! Why do I do that??? I can't seem to resist revealing all my bargain shopping ;) xo, Brie

PS The stencil is coming along.... I omitted the third layer on the 2nd and 3rd flower (would put some dots in the center of the flower and accents on the petals) I kind of like them the way they are so I am still deciding. Any thoughts?

Caroline's Room

Remember this project? We're getting there, mostly thanks to my dad! While we were away in Antigua (awesome trip, later post) my dad finished sanding off the wallpaper border for me, filled all the holes and other damage I inflicted onto the poor wall and painted the walls, trim, ceiling, and even the door. He's the best!!!!

I came home to this beautiful room done in Benjamin Moore's Fifties pink! I love the pink, it's a perfect soft pastel pink that doesn't look like a relative of pepto bismol. It looks so sweet with the white trim. Keeks made this curtain for Molly's nursery but has since moved out of that place and I inherited the gorgeous window treatment. The curtain rod with the pale pink glass globes is from Target - Shabby Chic line. I love it!

I bought this border to paint within the white of the room


It arrived on Monday which was bad timing b/c I was hoping my dad could help me get started on it but they were leaving first thing Tuesday. I am not going to lie... I LOVE this stencil, it's very me and Caroline loves it too. It is a very complicated stencil and probably not for a beginner - which might be me! There are 5 flowers in total and they are vertical stencils (I prefer horizontal) EACH flower has three overlays which adds up to one time consuming project! It took me an hour today to do three of these flowers (which appear to be the most complicated of the five)

I am happy with my paint color choices and it's nice stenciling on the white semigloss b/c it's easier to smooth out any accidental feathering. I'll keep you posted on my progress.... at this rate she'll be married by the time I'm done! xo, Brie

I'm taking Baby Steps

Back into blogging. Spring time is always a very hectic time of year for me... I have a lot to blog about actually! Here is how I spent my Sunday yesterday, de-bunking bunk beds in the boys room! Greatest thing I ever did!!! I loathed making these and after 4.5 years, I have definitely lost that loving feeling. So much better now! xo, Brie

Chore Duty for the Kids

In an effort to further simplify my overwhelming list of household chores, the children have been put to work. They DO do things around here but outside of clearing their plates after dinner and putting their dirty clothes in the hamper there are no strict routines. Until now.............

I read about this awhile ago and so far it has been FANTASTIC. You make up a little jar (or in our case a ziploc baggie) with little after dinner chores written on cards. Every night after dinner, we all draw a card and have to do that chore. I kept them pretty simple because we have a 4 year old but you can taylor them anyway you like. Sweep the floor seems to be missing but that is in there too.

There is a prize in there too should you be the lucky recipient.

The kitchen is completely cleaned up in under 15 minutes and the kids seem to really like the responsibility combined with the "raffle". I encourage you to try it!! xo, Brie

Our 4 year old and truthfully most conscientious cleaner of the four! She was on rinse duty tonight (with supervision) and loving it

Sale Time

I'm in full business mode this week :) All braided headbands are on sale for 10 dollars each throughout March. I added a bunch of new combos yesterday. These make great Easter basket goodies xo, Brie

See full selection here

PS I am watching Real Housewives of NYC - you've gotta love Simon and Alex. Nothing like 2 lunatics in love. I'm so happy they found each other! :) Ramona is under the impression that she is an awesome dancer which I find so funny and Luanne needs to stop with the chin chin toast - so lame! I'd have wine coming out of my nose if someone said that! Perhaps I am immature :)

Progress is Good!

Don't buy stock in Dif just yet.... I have a new best friend!

You should see the headway I'm making! This baby is awesome. I still have the annoying back part of the border sticking but this makes the color part peel off in huge 3 feet strips which is a major improvement over what was happening last week. I still have a ridiculous road ahead of me in this project. Stay tuned :) xo, Brie

My Latest Project

As promised yesterday.... a glimpse into my little slice of purgatory. You may remember a while back when I laid out the plans for my youngest daughter's room makeover. Good God that was over a year ago! Needless to say I haven't done a thing.

Motivation struck just this past weekend and I decided I would tackle the Laura Ashley border that goes around the room at TWO levels. What a mess.... this border did not come with the handy self adhesive, it required PASTE to apply. It seems to me Laura Ashley had some major plans to not go down without a fight b/c this is hard as heck to remove.

Exhibit A:

I lightly scored the area with one of those rolly scoring tools, spray Dif on it, wait 20 minutes and then go up to have at it. This freaking paper is coming off in square inch sections and leaving the paper backing behind for fun. I am done 1/8 of the room and almost a whole bottle of Dif. (not sure if the company is public or not but I suggest you buy some stock, I'll be buying it by the case)

Exhibit B:

teeny tiny scraps of paper tortuously coming off. I look like a paper mache project gone horribly wrong as I am covered with tiny bits of sticky paper. At this pace I predict I will be finished approximately in 2016.

Does anyone have any good wallpaper removal tips? Your paper mache friend here is all ears :) xo, Brie

Menu Planning Monday

I'm officially rising from the ashes of a most unproductive last week. I'm back with vengeance :)

Menu planning is complete....

Monday - spaghetti and meatballs

Tuesday - sandwiches and fruit (cleaning ladies are coming :)

Wednesday - Hamburgers - tonight I have to be in about 10 places at once, should be fun!

Thursday - fried chicken

Friday - homemade mac and cheese (meat free meal for Lent)

Saturday - date night! Dinner out and Slum Dog Millionaire (can't wait to see this!)

Sunday - Pot Roast

In other news:

• Snow day today!!!! We are expecting 6-12 inches - love it!


• I am working on a particularly hellish project. I'll tell you more about tomorrow - I'm pretty sure I'm in Purgatory on this one
  


• Remember that fabulous little sock monkey I hosted at the Cape this summer? Well, he's officially a celebrity and even has a fan page on facebook. Won't you join him? I'd love to see him with 100 fans by the end of the month!!!! Click here to join :)xo, Brie