The Nursery: Tomatoes, Chilis, and Apples Galore

I'm finally starting to feel better and so I've had the energy to actually think about where our little peanut will live: the nursery. I knew up front that I wanted something fairly gender-neutral, but after looking at Babies R Us and a few other places, I just wasn't too keen on the bedding and decor options I saw. I scoured Pinterest and found some cute ideas, but a lot of them were super girly or super masculine, or they were too modern for a baby room. Any room can be modern and sleek... but only a baby room can be bright, colorful, and silly. So, I decided to go with a fruit and vegetable theme. I thought I was quite original until I looked on Ikea's website and saw that their "TORVA" line of baby stuff is fruit and veggie themed. While my ego took a small hit, I was thrilled to know I could find some goodies at the mecca of cheap stuff: Ikea. So, I began the brainstorming process. I knew I wanted the walls lime green (if you know me well, you'll know this has pretty-much always been my favorite color), so one weekend Ryan and I bought the paint and my sweet hubby painted the room!

Mr. Paint-man

As he painted, we got a little nervous... that is GREEN, folks! But, we trusted our instincts with the "Twist of Lime" color we chose and Ryan kept on painting...

So, there it is! I actually love the color now. I think it's absolutely perfect! Bright, sunny, and fun: perfect for Baby Smith. Sadly, the settee has to stay in the room because we have no other place for it! But, we'll make it work... just you wait and see!

Once the room was painted, I needed some outside help: my mom! She is wonderful with color and actually knows how to sew. So, she came down to GA last week and we went to town!

First, I ordered a rug from Overstock.com that I thought would be the perfect addition to the space - something round, comfy, and orange. Then, we picked our fabrics!

We found this lovely print at Hancock Fabrics and figured this would be the PERFECT color scheme for the room!

We also found this great apple print - kinda modern, but also cartoony - perfect for a baby room! :) 

That stripe is great, too - it has all the colors we want in it! And we got a couple solids as well.. too many prints is a bit much for the eye!

Mom is going to make a valance for the window out of that red and white stripe. We're thinking a fruit stand awning? 

They had this great fabric that's ready to be made into a crib blanket! It's not fruit and veggies, but it's ADORABLE and is all the right colors! Yessss....

We then took a trip to Ikea and bought those little fruit and veggie people... (only $8 per pillow!) How cute are they?? Then we found a striped twin duvet cover to cover the settee. It's coming together... Yay!!

We were trying to figure out what to put above the settee on that HUGE wall and found this amazing decal from Etsy. So, we ordered it and when it arrived, we went to town!

It was a family affair... ;)

There it is!!! How adorable is that? For some reason, the picture isn't showing the wall color the right shade of green, but you get the idea. Dancing tomato and chili pepper flower people... perfection!

Now we just need the little bugger to arrive so that it can be enjoyed! ;)

On Thursday we had the 20-week ultrasound and.... here SHE is!

Ryan had to go back to work after the ultrasound... so he wore a pink shirt to share the news with everyone! 

So, that's it for now! We're quite excited here at the Smith household and can't wait for our little girl! Yippee!! The nursery is definitely going in the right directions, but there's more to be done, so check back for more updates!

~ Mari

Something in the Oven

Guess what, folks? That ain't no food baby you're seeing popping out of my gut. It's a real, live, fetus. At least that's what the doctors keep telling me. I find it quite hard to believe, myself. If I weren't puking at the drop of a hat and getting a pot belly, I think I would have to call their bluff.

I am officially 17 weeks and 5 days along on this grand journey into motherhood and it's all I can think about. That's it. Feeding myself and my husband? Second fiddle. Enjoying the great outdoors? Not so much. I've been reading books (My favorite? "Your Best Birth" by Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein), watching documentaries, and generally obsession over this human I'm growing in my belly. It's pretty darn amazing, by the way. Not sure if anyone other than myself has noticed that, but I figured I would point it out. ;)

Don't worry, though, people of the world who are not with child, don't plan on being with child anytime soon, or were with child a while back and have blocked it from their memories. I don't plan for "le bebe" to take over this blog. Oh, who am I kidding... it will take over my life, so why not my blog? But, I do want to continue posting recipes and other random tid-bits.

So, thank you, in advance for bearing with me through this wonderfully exciting period of my life and forgive me for not posting recipes for a while now. Food has a very different feeling for me now. Every once in a while I get the cooking bug, but taking pictures of it has been the last thing on my mind. I promise I will get better eventually!

~ Mari

Holiday Home Tour

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can set our sights on Christmas. Time to listen to that holiday playlist (I do my very best to leave my holiday playlist(s) alone until the day after Thanksgiving - any time before that and I'll be sick of it by Christmas Eve.), start thinking about gifts, and pull the holiday decor out of the attic. Each year I know I need a bit of inspiration before I dive into turning my home into a winter wonderland... and this year was no exception. But, instead of my usual internet scouring and magazine rifling, Mom and I decided to check out the Beaufort Holiday Tour of Homes in Habersham, South Carolina. We've always wanted to check out a holiday home tour, but keep missing them somehow. But, this time the start were aligned and we went. It was FABULOUS! The homes were stunning and the decor style in each house was different - offering many ideas for our own houses!

Now, I realize you are probably feeling a bit jealous at this point. Why weren't YOU invited to this holiday home tour? Well, count yourself lucky that you weren't there - it was very disorganized and confusing... and lots of wandering around aimlessly was required. So, we did it for you and I took photos of our favorite ideas to share with you! Enjoy!

The first house:

I'm in love... using old crates/boxes as planters
for Christmas greenery? Perfection...

Great entrance to one of the homes - very natural
and casual... yet, elegant. I love
the painted wood star attached to the balcony!

I was mildly obsessed with this entire house... not only the simple holiday decor,
but the furnishings and style as well.

I love the simplicity of adding a few pieces of greenery, a couple of giant pinecones,
and some votives. It really can change a space without cluttering it.

Again, simple and elegant. Love.

This candle was burning in a few of the homes and
it is quite possibly the best "Christmas Greenery" scented
candle I've EVER smelled in my life.
Too bad it's SO dang expensive.
But, here it is anyway: Aquiesse Monterey Pine Candle

Cool idea! :)

Onto the next home...

Why didn't I think of that?
Wrap a twig ball with ribbons to create a beautiful ribbon ball-like tassel!

Beautiful and modern arrangements at the door

Not sure where I could get a sleigh like that, but I want one...

Peacocks seem to be the new thing, but I think they can easily be too much.
This is just the right amount of peacock in my eyes.

I swear this looks like a table runner tied to a chair.
I love it.

A very Nell Hill display

This fireplace was outside on their screened porch.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands...
(CLAPPING)

Again... Clapping.

The grand finale...

This house's theme was A Coastal Christmas.
So beautiful and beachy!

I love the use of the pine cone garland! So simple and effective!

Not a bad place to relax on the porch...
(notice the detail on the pillow... precious!)

One of these were one each side of the door.
Stunning!
(P.S. that greenery was FAKE!)

Perfect mix of glitter and coastal

Inside the house... sigh.
Can you imagine a more calming Christmas?

Lovely colors!

I love this idea for mistletoe!
Just glue some greenery and faux mistletoe to the top of a giant
pine cone and add ribbon to hang it!
(I especially love the little shells dangling from it as well)

Hanging ornaments from a chandelier using hemp cord.
Rustic meets sophisticated.

Stunning wreath above the stove!
(and how about the color of those cabinets?!)

A simple display in the kitchen with baskets and lit glass blocks.

This would be a great display for a party!
Can't you picture some Christmas cookies cascading out of the basket?

Add a touch of Christmas to the screened porch
with a teensy tree and some shells

I love this idea for on top of an armoire or cabinet

Simple and, of course, gorgeous!

Loved how they used plain brown paper with very elegant ribbon to dress up the package!
And how cute is that little guy on the right?
Burlap... oh the possibilities!

Wow! If you're not inspired by now to go decorate your home, I'm not sure what will do the trick! :) So, get decorating! I know I am...

~ Mari

Fake Thanksgiving

Happy Fake Thanksgiving, everyone! It's a special time of year when you can't go home for Real Thanksgiving, so your parents meet you and you eat Thanksgiving food and think Thanksgiving thoughts... on November 18th (or really any day other than Thanksgiving itself).

Ryan and I just returned from Beaufort, SC where we celebrated this most joyous of newly-created holidays. Our tummies are full and we are oh so happy. It was a group effort and everyone pitched in to the feast! We had enough food for about 15 people, but, somehow the four of us managed. ;) (Leftovers are the best part of Real or Fake Thanksgiving)

So, without further ado, the menu:

Maple-Brined Turkey

(recipe here)

Roasted Fresh Ham

Stuffin' Muffins

Turnip Greens

Cranberry Relish

(recipe here)

Apple Chutney

Gravy

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

(recipe here)

Black & White Cheesecake Bars

That's one moist, flavorful turkey...

Ohhhh yeah....

Best. Turkey. Ever.

Semi-Healthy Pecan Pie! (it exists)

So, there you have it! It was delicious and (kinda) nutritious! I would HIGHLY recommend brining your bird this Thanksgiving. It was moist and flavorful, without the cost (and danger) of deep-frying. Plus, it was SUPER easy! Don't be afraid of it. I followed the recipe to a T and it came out fabulous. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, be it real or fake. ;)

~ Mari

Thai Colada

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I promise this will make up for it. Summer is over, which makes me so very glad because Fall is here! Yahoo! And this, my friends, is the perfect drink to toast to Fall. How is a Pina Colada the perfect Fall beverage? Because it is reminiscent of Summer (without it tasting light sunscreen smells), you can sip it outside where there's a cool breeze, and it's downright delicious.

Thai Colada


1 can coconut milk
1 stalk fresh lemongrass
1/2 fresh pineapple (peeled and cored)
1 frozen banana
1/3 cup simple syrup
1/2-3/4 clear rum (we used Bacardi)

In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk on medium high heat. Chop the lemongrass into pieces (it doesn't matter what size - as long as they are large enough to strain out of the liquid) and add it into the pan. Turn down the heat and allow the liquid to cool. Dice the pineapple and put about 1/2 of it in a blender. Add some of the rum (the fruit will puree better with some liquid in there) and puree. Add the rest of the pineapple and puree. Next, slice the frozen banana and add it. Pour the simple syrup into the blender and add a few ice cubes. Puree until smooth. Finally, once the coconut milk has cooled, strain it and add it into the blender. Blend and pour into glasses to enjoy! We garnished ours with a piece of pineapple and a lemongrass stalk.

Enjoy! (We did!)