Spring Montage

It's time for a montage (I'm channelling the amazing song from Team American, World Police). It's spring. I took photos. That is all.

Knock-Out Roses in front yard

I just had to bring some inside!

Easter Table

Trapped!

Baker's Rack

Springtime Goodies

End montage.

~ Mari

Spring Salad



I was watching Giada at Home day before yesterday and the large-chested Italian wonder (sorry...it's true) made a California Chopped Salad that looked delicious. I was craving it all day yesterday and today, so after Zumba I went to Kroger to pick up some delicious romaine lettuce. If you look closely at the photo above, you will see NO delicious romaine lettuce. Nor will you see any romaine lettuce. That's because every bit of lettuce in the dang store was rotten (except for the boxed arugula and one head of boston red leaf...which are found in the photo above). Boooo. I think I'll be shopping at Publix from now on.

Anyway, back to the salad. It was pretty darn simple and so very tasty (even without the romaine)! I used me golden rule (except for the lettuce) and used what I had! I chopped up an avocado, a tomato, a mango, and a few strawberries. I put them in the salad bowl. There they be:

Then I added the lettuce and some leftover chicken breast and drizzled on some homemade dressing (fresh squeezed orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and EVOO).

Then I tossed it all together and topped it with some toasted slivered almonds! The avocado and chicken added protein and the fruit added vitamin C and other goodies! It was quite healthy and very delicious. The perfect spring salad!

 Happy Spring everyone! :)

~ Mari

If You Can't Buy It, Make It

Remember that Pottery Barn wreath I posted about a while back while dreaming of spring decor? I didn't buy it. But, I made my own version and I'm quite happy with it! And, in case your door is looking a little drab, here's a little how- to:

What you'll need:



Twig wreath ($6.99 from Hobby Lobby)

Glue Gun (heavy duty one from Home Depot)

Assorted Faux Eggs, Feathers, Bird Nest, Assorted Floral Stems, and inexpensive wire 

First, hot glue some feathers and the eggs into the bird nest (remember to put only an odd number of eggs in the nest - it just looks better).

Next attach the nest to the twig wreath with the wire. Last, stick the floral stems into the wreath around the nest and any other place you think needs a little extra love. I just stuck the stems in and they stayed, but if you have trouble, you can wire them into the wreath or use hot glue to secure them. I only used greenery on my wreath (since that's what they did at PB), but if you want to use floral stems, go for it!

There it is hanging on our front door!

Just leave a comment if you have any questions! It really is THAT easy to get the Pottery Barn look... and it doesn't have to be as hard on your wallet! Hope you enjoyed this post, and happy crafting!

~ Mari

Springtime in Middle GA

There she is! Can I just tell you how ridiculously exciting it is to have your own yard? I never quite understood why people would work SO hard planting things until I did it myself. It's so satisfying! I can't take credit for those gorgeous rose bushes in the photos (thank you, previous owner), but I will post pictures later of the things that I did plant.


I can't wait to get down there and spend some quality time in our yard and on our porch! It won't be long now... the wedding is in TEN days! I can't believe it myself. I'm crazy excited! So, if the posts slow down (or stop) for a bit, don't fret! I'm just becoming wed! ;)

~ Mari

April Garden Soiree

Ryan and I had our first couple's wedding shower/party - hosted by Marilyn Anderson. It was such a blast and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. They predicted rain all week... and then it was sunny, beautiful, and cool. Perfect weather for a garden party!



Look familiar? This is what I made the rosemary lemonade for! I also mixed it with some sweet tea and made "swamp water."

Did I mention we had a GARDEN soiree? And what a gorgeous garden to have it in! One day Ryan and I will have a yard like that... one day.... :)

The wedding is so close now! I can't believe it! I hope there's not a let-down afterward... I've been planning so much and putting so much of myself into getting ready for the actual event. I'm sure it will be great, though. I'm not worried. Even if it rains, we'll have a good time!

~ Mari

Ugly Little Cuties

We've got babies! No, not the human kind - the feathered (well, fuzzied) kind. Our mommy bluebird was quite busy building her nest for weeks.. and then we looked in there and 5 precious little blue eggs were nestled down in the straw.

And guess what's in there now?

They're so ugly that they're adorable! Their little gray eyes haven't even opened... and their balding. I mean, how cute can you get, right?

Hopefully we can get more pics as they get older (and less ugly)!

Yay for Spring!

~Mari

Little Spring Dress

Anthropologie: $158.00

I was doing my usual perusal of Anthropologie.com and I came across these adorable spring dresses. Sadly, they are a bit out of my budget, but I can imagine myself in them, and that seems to be enough for now. ;)

Anthropologie: $148.00
(I feel like this one should have been featured in Mamma Mia!)

Anthropologie: $288

(This one is my favorite)

Anthropologie: $168.00

Bumbles

I'm quite a big fan of bumble bees (yellow jackets, wasps, and hornets - not so much) and I find that I really miss their buzzing in the winter. So, I was happy to hear them flying around our peach tree outside and I wanted to capture them in the act of pollinating (does that sound wrong?).



This guy, as cute and furry as he is, is the stinging kind of bee. That's OK, though, because he was much more interested in pollinating than stinging me. I like how he's lifting his little bee leg and anchoring himself to the branch.

And this guy... is your friend. He is a Mason Bee and doesn't sting! Gotta love him for it. See that white dot on his face? That equals friendliness. :) So, when you're swatting at bumble bees in your yard, don't worry about this guy.

So, I'm gonna buzzz outta here (horrible joke, but I couldn't resist because of the photo)!

Happy Spring!

~ Mari

Spring Photoshoot

Who can write a blog entry on a gorgeous day like this? Exactly. So, I took photos instead! Even Mr. Yoda was posing for some spring photos. :)


Ready to pounce on a twig.

Cool shadow from our bench.

The willow tree is flourishing more and more each day!

Not sure why they curl, but I like them!

~ Mari

Another Ugly Day...

...calls for another wishful post. It rained all day long and I still haven't shaken the damp chill off. So, I thought I would look at some of my photos from summer and I found these summery beauties:


Doesn't look like your neighborhood produce department? Yeah... me neither. This is in a produce market in Fayence, France. Yes... I went there. I had to! I need color and warmth in my life in the form of lush and pornographic vegetables!



That's another market in France, but this one is right out on the street. I believe that photo was taken in Grasse, France (where they make perfume). I love that you don't even have to ask if the veggies and fruits are organic... it's just pretty-much understood that they are. I wish our country took as much pride in food as they do.

Is that not the most beautiful raw vegetable display you've ever seen? Well, I guess when you start out with fresh vegetables like the ones above... it's not too much of a stretch to wind up with a platter like that one. I wish I knew how to cut radishes like little flowers! We didn't learn that in Garde Manger (thanks a lot, Chef DJ...). Sigh. I'll just have to experiment!

Here's to spring and summer...and vegetables!

~ Mari

Spring Spruce-Up

It has poured all day today. Not cool. So, in defiance of the weather, I've decided to post some photos of ways to spruce-up one's home for springtime! In the photo above, I planted an African Violet (Lowe's $5.99) in a giant red cup and saucer (T.J. Maxx $4.99). Then I put some candy sticks (Cracker Barrel 40 cents a piece) in a little glass container (Goodwill 50 cents) and placed a little container of fake raspberries (Michaels $2.99) on a cool tray (Hobby Lobby $7.00). Instant springtime feeling in the kitchen!

Above is a picture of Ryan and my dining room table (not that anyone can enjoy it... we have no chairs yet) ready for Easter! I used our "fancy" plates with some French napkins as placemats. That green mossy stuff is...well...green moss! You can buy it at craft stores and it just rolls out like a table runner (which is what I used it for)! Then I used some white ceramic bunny napkin rings to hold the cheap little pastel napkins from the grocery store. I found some really neat little votive holders at Anthropologie (my most favoritest store ever) - on sale, of course - and put some eggs I found at T. J. Maxx in them and... voila! Instant egg cups! For the centerpiece, I used a bunny statue, a little bunny soap dish (full of eggs), and a dome with a bird's nest under it. I'm quite pleased with how it came out! Too bad we can't eat our Easter meal on it... (again, no chairs)!

Finally, this photo is here at my parent's house in the G-burg. I love this little display on a side table near our family dining table. We just took some china plates and put them on a plate stand, added a nest (from T.J. Maxx), some cool vintage glasses (one filled with acorns), some dried pomegranates, and put it all on a vintage silver tray!

Spring is in the air.... time to spruce!

~ Mari

Such a Turkey!

There's something incredible about living in a place where you look out your back window and see... well... that. We have a group of about 20 turkeys that float through our yard once or twice a week. But, the other afternoon, along with the 20 regulars, we had this guy. He was strutting about - showing off his stuff about 12 feet from our back deck. Thank goodness dad had just cleaned the windows or this picture probably wouldn't be.

I will miss this area and the mountains so much when I move... but, there will be new wildlife and new adventures in Middle Georgia! :)

~ Mari

I Can Almost Taste It

Spring is so close... and, for a few days there, I thought it was here. Thanks for faking me out, mother nature. Sad times. But, it will be here soon, and that's all that matters.

Warm weather and sunny skies should make moving, leaving home, and planning a wedding seem a little less daunting, don't you think? That's what I'm hoping. The only drawback of sunlit days of warmness? Exposed legs. Yeah... I'm one of those won't-shave-my-legs-until-I-feel-guilty-enough-to-do-so types. I think it's a stupid concept (no real reason that we do it except that we are "supposed to") and a pain in the rear. But, I do it on occasion so I don't get stared at. :)

Well, I'm off to pack up some more of my crapola in my room. Maybe some Spring weather will be headed our way soon... (cross your heart and hope to... be warm?)

Mari

The Joy of Cooking (Vegetables)

Spring is here and it's time for veggies! Last night, my dad and I made a strictly veggie meal (which, if you know my dad, is almost unheard of) that was amazingly delicious - if I do say so myself! The photo above is what we started with: raw beets, sweet onions, fennel, and garlic cloves. We decided to roast them (believe it or not, at the suggestion of Auguste Escoffier) so they would be cruncy and delicious. After we arranged them in the pan (and preheated the oven to 350 degrees F), we drizzled EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on them and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, a little chicken base (I promise... it works), and balsamic vinegar.



Next, we baked them for about 20 minutes, flipped them over & added a few splashes of red wine, and baked them for another 10 minutes.

Next, we plated them and sprinkled toasted walnuts shaved parmesan cheese on them and drizzled a homemade mustard walnut vinaigrette over the entire yumminess. I love how the onions soaked up the balsamic and wine and look like little sweet roses! And every once in a while, when you bite into a roasted and caramelized garlic clove, you just want to weep with happiness.

You've got to love my dad. He couldn't take having a completely vegetarian meal (it's just not in him), so he rendered some bacon and sauteed the beet greens in it for about 4 minutes. And I must say - they were delicious! But, if you're a vegetarian, you could do without that step, of course. ;)

Enjoy!