I have had the same furniture and pretty much the same style in our house since I moved to Orlando after graduating college and even early into our marriage. When we bought our house in Houston, I decided it was time to revamp the overall feeling to my decorating style. The new house was bright with an open floor plan and was begging for a fresh take on my bohemian home decor style. I knew I still wanted a bit of boho, but with an updated twist. The living room was the first place I wanted to start, along with the office which I transformed the should be dining room into a work space that is open and quite lovely to be in. After all I spend about 50% of my day right at this very computer screen, and I have never had a special space that felt like an actual office. I started in both rooms by finding rugs that became my inspiration pieces from Rugs USA. If you have never checked out this website, you definitely need to the next time you are thinking about buying new rugs. Their prices are great, the quality is fantastic, and they have something to fit everyone's style!
I have been dreaming of going to the beach lately. It's like everywhere I turn around I see signs of white sand and ocean or someone I know is going to the beach. I usually have a spring beach trip planned at least for the weekend, but this year is probably the first year that nothing is set in stone yet. With moving, and everything else transitioning in our life, Canean and I are going to try and squeeze in a trip later in the summer probably to the Northeast Coast to try something different. With that said, I know most of you have summer vacations planned or at least some lake and pool days are going to be happening, and I KNOW, that you are all about getting those summer bodies ready to be on display. My easy classic hummus is the perfect dip to make for when the snack monster comes to destroy your hard work and is sure to keep you looking fit and feeling good right through the summer months!
Everybody has a favorite smoothie. There are a bajillion smoothie recipes out there and you can really put just about anything you want into a blender and come up with your own version of a smoothie. I know that, I know that you might not really NEED my recipe for my favorite smoothie too, but I'm going to share it with you anyway. Humor me... My pineapple, strawberry, and spinach smoothie is the perfect breakfast/afternoon pick me up and lately with the weather getting warm I could drink one everyday.
I am finally cooking in my kitchen again and I gotta tell you, I felt a little rusty for a few days. I had to get my mojo back, including getting used to a new kitchen, remembering where I put everything, and figuring out the new cook times with this oven since it cooks completely differently than my last one. This week I'm getting my stride back it seems and I am so glad to be settled and feeling somewhat normal again. After spending two week eating out and surviving off of whatever Canean and I could find to eat (including fulfilling my pregnancy cravings), we decided this week we were both going to get back to our healthy lifestyles and that includes working out and eating right. My whole wheat pasta with peas and radishes is the perfect light lunch or dinner side that is healthy and full of flavor.
Prepping for the week is the only way to ensure you will be successful to stay on track..at least for me it's that way. And one of my most favorite tricks is to make a dish that I can eat on for a few days. It's ready to eat, so it doesn't give me time to choose a not so healthy option instead. This pasta salad is the perfect recipe to make in advance because it can be eaten at room temperature or right out of the fridge.
I'd understand if you were a little upset with me, after all your family is probably a little hungry considering I haven't posted a recipe in two weeks. But let me tell you, the past two weeks have been a whirlwind with the move and getting the house unpacked. The good news here...I am finally settled and am getting back into my normal routine! I figured since I haven't posted anything delicious in a bit, I would come back with a recipe that you will love and that can make any Monday better! One of my loveliest friends, Renee, was kind enough to share her recipe for banana bread with me about a month ago and I am telling you guys this banana bread is the real deal. You are going to want this for breakfast and a cup of coffee everyday this week. Renee's banana bread is the best I've ever tasted/made and you need a loaf in your life, preferably sooner than later.
I'm alive, in case you were thinking that I wasn't since I dropped off the face of the blogging universe for the past week. Last Tuesday was completely bittersweet as we left the state we call home along with friends and family to uproot and move to a place where we will start a new chapter in our lives, a place that will be filled with new memories. It's hard to believe that just like that, in a matter of one day, we became residents of Texas. We are officially home sweet home. There have been two states in my life that I have considered home, where I have become the woman I am today. This year we add a third state, and it might be the most one yet.
Tennessee has my earliest roots, where I have memories of growing up in a beautiful area right next to the Smoky Mountains.
