Top 10 - Brazilian Songs on my Ipod

My son just bought himself a new Ipod, and being the awesome son that he is, he gave his momma his old one. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I couldn't be more excited! I've never bought myself one, because, as the mom, I can always think of something "better" (more responsible) to spend my money on. The girls and I love being able to take our music with us in the car. The little ones enjoy the "Tangled" soundtrack, but I prefer something a bit more...exotic. I lived in Brazil for a year and half and completely fell in love. With the people. The food. And the music. In fact, I still listen to a musica brasileira all the time. (I still cook Brazilian food, too. Maybe one of these days I can hi-jack Jenni's day and share a recipe from Minas!) So, here are my favorite Brazilian tunes, order courtesy of my Ipod.

1 - Chocolate (Marisa Monte)

2 - Bem Que Se Quis (Marisa Monte)

3 - Beija Eu (Marisa Monte)  Hmm...seems I have a favorite artist, no? :)

4 - Samba de Verão (Caetano Veloso)

5 - Só Hoje (Jota Quest)

6 - Você Sempre Será (Marjorie Estiano)

7 - Enfeitiçada (Wanessa Camargo)

8 - Samba da Benção (Bebel Gilberto)

9 - Debaixo dos Caracois dos Seus Cabelos (Caetano Veloso)

10 - Você é Linda (Caetano Veloso)

This is the song in the video below. It's one of the first songs I remember hearing/understanding. "Você é linda" means "You are beautiful." Just what every girl need to hear! Plus, I can't get enough of this man's voice. Beautiful indeed!

Too Soon?

Summer is ending. School has just begun. Time to start thinking Christmas, right? "But it's only August!" You cry. For someone like me, who likes to give handmade gifts, planning starts early.

Case in point, last year I picked up my knitting needles at the beginning of October, figuring that would be plenty of time. (Hey, October is WAY before December.) Somehow, I happened to get everything done, but just barely. I didn't stop knitting until December 22nd. And by that time, I didn't want to see yarn ever again! Or at least not for a day or two. :)

Want to know what I made? (I didn't manage to take pictures of everything before it got wrapped and gifted. So, the number of items and number of pictures doesn't always match.)

Two pairs of fingerless gloves. (Long Striped Hand Warmers by Purl Soho.)

Eight hats. (Most of them were Turn a Square by Jared Flood, except for the blue one in the middle of the top row. That one's Capitan Hat by Rosi Garmendia.)

Three lace-y shawls. (Cutest shawl models EVER, no? :) The red shawl is a Conifer Shawl by Kate Gagnon Osborne. The white one is the Holden Shawlette by Mindy Wilkes, and the purple one is Summer Flies by Donna Griffen.)

 And one headboard. (Reclaimed-Wood Headboard, plans from Ana White.)

 

Actually, now that I look back, August doesn't seem soon enough! Maybe I should just buy gifts this year instead? :)

How about you? Do you like to make Christmas gifts? Or are you a super-shopper like Audrey? (She always finds the perfect thing.) Is it too soon to start thinking Christmas? Or is everything wrapped already?

Favorites

Red Robin Yum!  I don't think I need to say anymore.  Get yours today!

Don't Forget the Front Door

Let's face it; first impressions count.  And, you KNOW you judge books by their covers!  (I personally judge them because that way, even if I don't end up liking them, they still look pretty on my shelves.  Books are accessories too!)  The outside of your house is no different.  Those of us in the know call it "curb appeal."  :)  Attacking the whole outside facade at one time is daunting and unnecessary.  It's okay to work at it piece by piece.  One thing you can focus on is the front door.  That's where people spend the most time looking around when they are waiting for you to answer the door.  

Here is what mine originally looked like:

Look at that huge brass knocker!

It's not exactly awful, but it is certainly lacking in pizzazz.  Not to mention, it has a broken door bell covering.  People find that shocking.  (Pun so totally intended!)  Brass is not my thing, and it's especially not my thing in the form of a door knocker the size of my head.  You also may not be able to tell that there is a storm door.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the practicality of this, considering I live in Nashville, where it storms frequently, but I always thought it was strange to open the inside door to welcome someone in and then shove another door in their face before they can actually enter.  Like your storm door or screen door so you can let the breeze in?  Keep it.  It's all about personal tastes here.  At the very least, this one would have needed new hardware.  

Moving on, I didn't even change out the door first.  First thing was to replace the broken light fixture.  The light still worked, but the glass was broken and it was too small for the front of the house.  I choose a larger black fixture to match the railing.  Plus, my new light has auto features like motion detection and sunrise/sundown recognition.  We also added a plant to spruce things up.  A little greenery can go a long way.   

I apologize for the graininess.  You can still tell there's a difference though, right?

Finally, I was able to change the door.  If you are happy with the style of door that you have, simply painting it is fine.  They have a great new product for this very process.  You can also add new hardware for around $100.  I, however, wanted to let some light in, which meant a new door. 

Here is what it looks like today: 

Yes, I know the plant is different, and that's it's dying.  I never claimed to be a green thumb, and it's the middle of a Southern summer.  See, I told you people judge the front of your house!  Plant aside, so much better!  We bought a wood door (if you buy a new door, know that you'll probably have to buy and install a peephole, if wanted) and stained it to match our hardwood floors, and added new brushed nickel hardware, including a kick plate.  It helps to protect the new door in the absence of that pesky storm door.  We also had our fabulous handyman replace the molding, as it was rotting and disgusting.  You really can't tell from the pictures how bad it was, but people who are standing at your door have an perfect view of any imperfections.  Did you notice the new door bell?  It's also black to match, and it doesn't deter people from ringing it.  Last, but not least, the rug.  It's the final piece to any front entrance redo.

P.S.  A new rug can help freshen up the front entry at anytime no matter what the rest looks like.

To say that my husband, Byron, LOVES baseball would be an understatement.  My parents bought him this for him birthday and it's perfect.  Your home is a reflection of you and that includes the outside.  Hang a flag, be a wreath person, do whatever.  Just make your cover beautiful!

Top 10 - Items that make my kitchen

All of the normal kitchen items aside, here are ten things that I cannot live without in my kitchen.

#1 - Pepper Grinder
I like the flavor of freshly ground pepper so I decided to purchase a grinder. I knew that I would be getting what I paid for so I made sure to do a lot of research. My grinder is a Peugeot.

#2 - Misto

The Misto is amazing!  It's like PAM or any other non-stick spray but it uses your own oil.  You fill the canister with an oil of your choice and pump the lid with the canister to create the pressure necessary to spray.  Currently there is extra virgin olive oil in my Misto.

#3 - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO for the Rachel Ray fans) for just about anything that I cook. I look for an EVOO that has a lot of natural flavor and keep it right next to my stove top for easy access. 

#4 - A good knife

My husband and I got a set of knives for our wedding. This knife is my favorite to use.  The blade stays sharp and it has a comfortable grip to make sure that I have control of the blade when I'm chopping, dicing, mincing, etc. 

#5 - Kitchen Shears

If you do not have kitchen shears, stop reading and get some NOW!  These bad boys are a lifesaver!  There isn't anything they can't cut through.  Chicken bones, done! Veggies, done! Anything else, done!

#6 - Pasta Spoon

This is the best utensil for your pasta dishes. It makes it easy to serve spaghetti and proportion your pasta entrees. 

#7 - Tongs
Not just for BBQ's.

#8 - Music
I love jamming when I cook.  Cooking is something that makes me relax. Add some music and I've got myself my very own par-tay. I'll either plug my iPod into a docking station or turn up the iHeartRadio App on my phone.

#9 - Inspiration
When I was little, I can remember watching Tyler Florence in Food 911 and knew that I wanted to cook.  So it began.  I still watch Food Network, the Cooking Channel, and look through hundreds of recipes on blogs, in magazines, and in cookbooks. I sometimes make exactly what a recipe instructs. Mostly I create something all my own.

#10 - A fun place
I love being in my kitchen! It is my space to relax and be me. Audrey got me this cutting board as a gift. It combines two of my favorite things, Marilyn Monroe and food. (I recently moved so the cutting board is still in the packaging.  Don't judge me.)

Peter Piper [Chopped] a Peck of Peppers

I love bell peppers! In fact, I have eaten one just like an apple. Usually, I chop, slice, or dice them for whatever meal I've prepared and pick a few pieces to snack on while I'm cooking. Since I've handled a few bell peppers in my time, here's my way of gutting the pepper for it to be chopped, sliced, or diced as you heart so desires.  This method DOES NOT work for stuffed bell peppers. Just a helpful hint...

Start here - Bell Pepper (Check), Cutting Board (Check), Good Knife (Check)

Turn the pepper on its side and make Cut #1
Remember to keep your fingers away from the blade of the knife! 

Follow through to the end

Turn the side of the pepper that was just cut in Cut #1 up towards you for Cut #2.
This way you can see where you need to cut to get as much of guts away from the good stuff.

Follow through with Cut #2

Continue the pattern for Cut #3...

And Cut #4 

Lo and behold!  The guts of the Bell Pepper!

Why Construction Should Never Be Spontaneous (Put the Sledgehammer Down)

It all started with a hole in the ceiling.  

 

We had a leaking toilet in our upstairs master bath.  Luckily, this was the only hole.  If you've had plumbing trouble, you know it could be a lot worse.  I had been wanting to update the downstairs bathroom anyway.  It's only a two piece.  Simple, right?

First, I patched the hole.

   

Then, I painted the ceiling.  If you have ever painted a ceiling, you know this is not fun.  (When we finally did the rest of the downstairs, we hired it out.) But, I think it turned out okay. 

Not bad, huh?  If you look REALLY hard you can see the seams. 

This is what the rest of my bathroom looked like originally when we moved in.

A few coats of paint on the walls and vanity . . .

You'll notice the lack of toilet and baseboards.  Unlike they should, these did not just pop off.  The bolts were rusted on the toilet, we had to cut it out and replace the floor bolting system, and the baseboards were actually lower than the floor.  That's right, they installed the baseboards before the floor!  Uncovering the craziness of the people before is half the fun of demo.  Too bad it will drive you crazy trying to fix it.  It took my dad and lots of sweat and hours and three people crammed in that little room to achieve success.  

Next the countertop.  

(This is where the photo of the new countertop would be, but it never got one.)

I thought I would just run over to Home Depot and buy one of the prefabricated solid surface countertops they offer.  After all, the vanity is the perfect size.  I measured.  Twice.  So, of course there shouldn't be any problems.  Unfortunately, the vanity is in the corner.  There are lips on the prefabricated counters for both sides, so we couldn't ever get it to pop on.  I realize this might be confusing, and trust me, I feel your pain.  I have learned that while you think they might be easier to work with, builder grade materials are always slightly off.  More hours of sweat, but thankfully this time there were only 2 of us crammed in there.  

 In the end we realized we would have to custom order a counter if we wanted one that fit.  

My little $250 upgrade was spiraling out of control.  If I was going to order a new countertop, I wanted a new vanity; one worthy of a pretty new counter!  Not to mention, it would be cheaper just to buy a new vanity/counter combo.  If we put in a new vanity, we would have to redo the floors because they didn't run under the vanity.  If we redid the floors in the bathroom, we would have to redo the floors in the kitchen, hall and laundry room because they were all connected.  If, if, if.  Long story short, we redid the whole downstairs. We weren't really prepared for such an undertaking.  I hadn't picked out one material.  It dragged on FOR-EV-ER.  (That's right, say it Squints-in-The-Sandlot style).  The work was well out of our league and we hired a contractor.  But when you haven't made any decisions, they can't get anything done.  And it always takes longer than you thought it would. 

Fortunately, I did end up with a pretty nice bathroom.

  

The original hole in the ceiling picture was taken on Sept 28.  This last one?  April 3.  Demo on the kitchen wasn't until December, but that still means months of no bathroom, kitchen, and we had to use a laundromat!

I walked away from this debacle smarter.  I learned to always be as prepared as possible.  To a fault, in other areas of my life, I ALWAYS have a plan.  But, that's what construction does, it derails us!  Things will go wrong, but it can be a smoother ride.  Have your materials picked out and purchased in advance.  Even if you aren't doing the work yourself, have a plan for the order it will go in so you know what to expect and can schedule correctly.  For example, cabinets, then counters, then backsplash, etc.  And, know your limits!

Here is some proof that I remembered and put my new found skills to work.  Again, we hired out the work.  (They did such a beautiful job on the downstairs.)  I had every last detail down to the shower curtain and new towels in my house and ready to go when we started.  

I looked and looked for a before picture, but all I could find was post demolition.  Imagine a Holiday Inn tub insert and the same builder grade vanity we had originally downstairs.

 

These pictures were take on Nov 30.  The final product?  Dec 23!  

  

 

Please, learn from my stupidity, and NEVER jump into a construction project thinking it will be easy.  It is totally worth it, but it comes with more than just a financial price tag.  Always remember to breathe, and your pursuit of a dream house won't give you nightmares.