Re-doing daughters room…In the making.

This is one of those promises from last Christmas…

A room re-do.

She found the note…under her bed while she was cleaning last week. Dayum.

I’m being held to the promise.

Started this weekend.

Walls painted Benjamin Moore cloud white ~ Check

New curtains…bamboo blinds for underneath need to go up too~ Check

New linens…working on it.

slipcover loveseat…yep working on…

Rugs…

or maybe more along these lines…

Do you guys notice that when you look up a rug or something on Overstock.com it seems to follow you all over the internet...little ads reminding you what you looked at...

like those creepy eyes that follow you in a painting?

Will do something with the dresser…

and SOMETHING with the boatload of ribbons

This used to be a mirror

how ya lookin’?

WHAT does one do with them…so I googled.

I LOVE what our friends Madison and Marion over at

Life Tastes Good did…

clever, eh?

or maybe…

a la Polohouse blog

There are even folks that will turn your ribbons into Quilts and bags and picture frames!

Eeegads. Who knew?

I dunno.

The favorite thing I have heard is donating them to Special Equestrians or another Equine

Therapy program.

Where they re-use/ re-gift them.

LOVE this.

Sold.

**I will post some finished pics of the room…when it is done.

Don’t be holding your breath or anything…

They say necessity has the face of a dog….

Own it.

Images: Some favorite dogs I came across on the streets of hot and sultry Brazil

Sometimes it pays to be number one!

 

The winner of the NOVICA gift certificate…

As picked by a random number generator is…..the FIRST commenter.

Becky at farmgirl Paints

Go find yourself a hammock, girl!

Thanks all for participating….and thanks NOVICA for your generosity!

Maybe YOU deserve a….(fill in the blank) ::GIVEAWAY::

I dunno….

In the heat of this dripping, stifling summer

you may dream of

a hammock.

Handcrafted from Brazil…or Mexico

Blue, cool, swinging slowly between the palms

OR

perhaps a cool and beautiful as the Caribbean waters

Turquoise necklace

Or some carnelian Jap Mala prayer beads from Mali

I don’t know what would really float your boat…

But…YOU do.

Maybe something for your casa….

that comes made from other hands worlds away

Possibly a lovely alpaca throw made in the Andes?

Pick your poison….or your pleasure…the possibilities are endless. Truly

Novica…A great company that I have cruised and used Thinks locally acts Globally.

They work directly with artists around the world…To get their art and work to you through their elaborate website. The artists get paid more than they would selling their goods at the local market.

NOVICA is offering one of you lucky readers

a $75 gift certificate

to buy (or put towards) anything on their site

Just:

Check out their website… NOVICA… maybe meet some artists…and

on a post below tell me what item YOU would choose

…or…

what REGION you would love to support.

...or...

just that you would love to win a free gift cert.

That’s it. Easy Peasy Puddin’ and pie.

Now go cruise the world…National Geographic Style.

Winner will be chosen randomly FRIDAY AUGUST 17th…you have until midnight.

Coconut rice and red beans on a Sunday afternoon…

But of course

This is a very flexible recipe…make it your own.

I always use some coconut milk and lime to make it mine

lime in the coconut. yep

You can add any kind of protein…chicken, shrimp, tofu…or none at all.

I used boneless skinless chicken thighs…grilled and chopped

marinate them in teriyaki sauce if you like.

Lots of veggies….chopped. Carrots , zucchini, broccoli, sweet potatoes, celery…water chestnuts are always fun and crunchy.

Whatever you have in your garden…or local store…

Sauté them with some sesame oil and olive oil…keep ‘em crunchy.

Grate the carrots and the sweet potatoes, though…they cook faster

Fresh ginger…oh how I love the taste and smell of fresh ginger…I could count the ways

The rice is simply cooked with coconut milk and red or black beans and a tad of agave syrup

you can certainly use brown or white sugar….whatever floats your boat

I like brown rice…but Jasmine rice is pretty darn amazing too.

I add some pineapple juice to the sauce…which also has some prepared chili ginger and teriyaki sauce added…

I think it is too salty so cut it with fresh pineapple juice…

…and then I may or may not add some of said pineapple juice to a glass of ice with

some coconut rum and a lime… while I cook. adds to the tropical feel ya know.

Just load the coconut rice and beans on the plate…put veggies and chicken on top…drizzle with sauce and a squeeze of lime

and Voila. Dinner is served…with a touch of the tropics…

Adapted from this recipe here

try it. you’ll like.

A yummy Spanish style home in our little town…

I’ve passed by this home….many a time.

Landscaped it in my minds eye

it always looked a bit…well…undone on the outside

But I could see she was a beaut.

I stepped inside the other day yes I was invited

And fell in love :: cue soppy music ::

Mizner Style 1930’s…one of the first of the homes in our little town…

It has been owned by one family the whole time

so... has so much integrity

and original fixtures and fittings

You can really feel the soul of this home in the gorgeous floors and windows and doors

and it doesn’t scream ostentatious which a few or more than a few homes around these parts do

But it DOES have ten bedrooms and 6 baths

AND the original kitchen…or semi original kid you not.

Dayum I love that sink…Now THAT is a baby washing sink!

So…this vintage mission house was for sale for 696K

I thought I can figure that out…somehow we could swing that.

Um…I missed the 2 mill in front of the 695K

…nevamind…

But maybe you can swing it….check it out here