In case you were wondering…

Y’all. I just winced a little when I saw that my last post was over a week ago. Yikes. I am SO sorry I’ve been MIA this past week – there’s a lot going on that I can’t quite discuss just yet, but just know that I’ve missed you guys!! You probably don’t want to hear my sob story, but alas, here you are. And here I am. And since we both really have nothing else to do… here ya go: I have been so swamped in every single aspect of life – work, church, friendships, life…BREATHING. And to be honest, I haven’t had the time (or energy) to post ANYTHING. All I want to do is sleep. Seriously. Like 14+ hours. And no, I’m not pregnant (I even took a test!), so really, there’s not even a good excuse. And yet… so many excuses. HAHA. Def gonna get back in the swing of things in the next few days, but for now, I appreciate the understanding :)

This past weekend was just what my heart needed though – I came home after a terribly long day Friday to my hubs making me hot cocoa on the stove (!!) and a Christmas movie queued up on the TV. We snuggled and laughed and it did my soul all kinds of good. On Saturday we slept in, saw Hunger Games: Catching Fire (loved it!), ate Thai for lunch, napped & then drank Starbucks & wandered around Barnes and Noble, talking & reading. Sunday was spent with beautiful friends, delicious food & lots of belly laughs. I can’t even tell you how perfect the past 3 days were – I feel like I can breathe again! The madness is still not over (Thanksgiving is in 3 days, people. THREE DAYS!!!), but I am so thankful for glimpses of grace in the midst of the chaos.

 

Also, in case you were curious, I AM attempting my banana bread again this week – so hopefully there will be a recipe to post soon! And in other exciting news, we’re having a “Friends-Giving” on Wednesday night! We’ve invited most of the people we know who don’t have family in the area to eat and celebrate and laugh together. I love when our house is bursting at the seams with happiness! I’m making the turkey – my first EVER. Soo, if you think about it, go ahead & say a little prayer for me. Or we all might be ordering pizza that night ;) I’ll take some pictures and share the recipe if it’s any good! Along with some super yummy sweet potatoes I’ll be whipping up (super excited about this one!)!

 

PS: I’ll leave you with a before and after pic of the fireplace that I’ve been promising for a couple of weeks now! What do you think?? Does it need another coat of whitewash? Or should I leave it at just one?!

BEFORE:

Terrible pic but you get the idea! So dirty!

A waaaay before shot! But it showcases the 3 random pieces of granite beautifully, I must say…

Another before! Seriously, how did I not take ONE good before picture of just the fireplace!? Fail!

AFTER:

That lump on the couch would be my husband hiding from the camera. Weirdo.

Not quite finished with the Christmas decor, but hey! Gotta start somewhere ;)

At least the granite doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb anymore & the brick is much cleaner/crisper looking! I’ll take what I can get ;) So did anyone else see Hunger Games?! If so, what did you think?? What are YOUR plans for Thanksgiving?! If any of you out there have turkey cooking tips, I’m all ears!! ;)

Friday Finds!

Maybe it’s just me, but this week went by SO fast… not that I’m complaining! But it seems like no matter what, once we hit holiday season, our schedule explodes and the days rapidly melt into one another. And I rediscover my love for strong coffee, my cozy bed and peppermint ice cream (speaking of, WHY does this creamy deliciousness only come out once a year?!)

Seriously though, as I’m sure some of you can relate, our calendar is PACKED for the foreseeable future – 6 weeks of endless activities. Tis the season, right?? ;) Thankful for God’s peace and rest in the midst of chaos. Breathing deeply, trying to keep first things first and not be distracted by the unavoidable busyness!

And on that note… FRIDAY FINDS! Haha. I know, such a smooth transition, riiight?? Anywhoo, I’m really excited to share this week’s finds with you – mostly because I am the proud owner of one of the 5 items I’m sharing today! Can’t wait for you to see all the goodies, so let’s get this show on the road.

Crisanto Hexagon Mirror $99.95 @ Pier One

This mirror. I would LOVE to see this in an entry way, over a cute table or a few of them placed together in a cluster above a bed! There are so many options with this kind of mirror – it really could be used any way you can think of. Be creative!

InterDesign Zeno Shower Curtain – Blue/White $24.99 @ Target (sold online only)

This shower curtain. Seriously, I am OBSESSED with mint lately (as is the rest of the world). But mint AND stripes?! Be still my heart. I love how this would brighten up any bathroom and add the perfect pop of subtle color. It kinda makes me want to redo my bathroom (husband, you didn’t just read that).

Alloy Numeral Clock $158.00 @ Anthropologie

This clock. I love that it’s not in a frame! This is perfect for a dining room wall or in a kitchen because I feel like it would add that ideal touch of whimsy to whatever space it’s in. Plus, I’m always a fan of something different that will catch a guest’s eye!

Threshold Antiqued Stoneware Pitcher Vase – $19.99 @ Target (sold online only)

At 12″ tall, this vase has so many possibilities! You could place small wooden decorating sticks in it and put it on top of your mantle. You could fill it with fresh flowers and keep it as a centerpiece on your dining room table. The beauty of a piece like this, is that it makes a statement, but it’s also simple enough to go with ANY decor. Plus, since you can change out what you put in it and how you use it, it can be in your house all year long! Pretty AND economical. Boom.

Two Birds Throw Pillow $34.99 @ World Market

Last but not least: this pillow (!!!). This is the item that I currently am obsessed with own. I have been drooling over these pillows for MONTHS and finally picked one up! I’m getting a second one next month (hey, we’re on a budget!) and I can’t wait to see them together in the livingroom! The texture, the colors, everything about them… swoon! And it has birds on it. ‘Nuff said.

Welp, I hope you enjoyed this week’s finds & even more than that, I hope they inspired you! I’d love to hear which was your favorite & if you plan on purchasing any of them… AND how YOU cope with the craziness of Thanksgiving and Christmas and family drama! ;) What are some of your tips and tricks??

Happy Friday, y’all!

Crispy Steak & Edamame Salad

Soo… today’s post was SUPPOSED to be super yummy Paleo Banana Bread! Ya know, the first time it was absolutely perfect, but I made it again last night and there was just something a liiiittle off this time, so bear with me as I make a few tweaks and find out what it is :)

However, I’ll make it up to you – because this salad I’m about to share is soo delicious, you won’t even know what to do with yourself! This is the first recipe I’ve done that is not solely my creation. I’ve had this one in a stack of recipes for years, and to be honest, I have no idea what magazine I even got it out of! So if you recognize it, please tell me so I can give credit where credit is due. I did adapt it and change a few things, which is the version I’ll be posting today!

Disclaimer: Before some of the hardcore peeps get their panties in a bunch, I do realize edamame (and soy sauce) are not “paleo-approved” foods. But like I’ve said before and I’ll say again, I still do cheat sometimes. And I like it ;)  So, you can either remove it from the recipe and sub lettuce or spinach (and coconut aminos) or you can follow me down the path of unrighteousness & indulge a little.

STEAK EDAMAME SALAD

The ingredients!

• 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
• 2 TBSP lower sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 TBSP minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 TBSP mayo
• 1 TBSP Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium sized avocado
• 1 cup chopped seeded English cucumber
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 10-12 oz flank steak (cut into small pieces)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pour the frozen edamame into a large bowl and fill it with hot water. Let the edamame soak for about 10 minutes or until completely thawed.

Little nuggets of deliciousness

Meanwhile, cut up your steak into small pieces and set aside for a minute. I used kitchen shears because it made it soo much easier to control the size of the pieces.

Flank steak

Wash and slice your tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, along with your ginger!

Carefully cut the seeds out of the middle

Next, drain your edamame and pat dry with a paper towel. Add the veggies you just cut to the bowl with the edamame.

So yum!

Next, add the olive oil to either a non-stick, stainless steel or cast iron pan. A cast iron is probably best, but you can work with what you have! Let the oil get hot (it will start looking really runny when it’s ready) and then add the steak, salt and pepper. There will be a little smoke, but don’t worry about it (unless it turns into a roaring fire… then you might want to worry). Add the minced ginger and cook the steak for about 5 minutes or until well browned and crisp.

The searing will create crispy edges!

Closer to being done!

Ahh yeah, that’s what we’re looking for.. so crispy!

Combine the soy sauce, mayo, Dijon mustard, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil in a small bowl & whisk until well combined.

So good!

Next, add the steak and dressing to the bowl with the veggies and stir!

Again, love the bright colors of REAL food!

Mix until the salad is coated with the dressing, top with some avocado and ENJOY!

The finished product!

The hubs & I each ate about 2 bowls of this – it was so, so good! I know summer has come to an end (depending on where you live), but this was so crisp, so refreshing, it would even be perfect at a BBQ or a picnic. Happy sigh. I love food. Let me know what you think!

Kitchen Chair Makeover

Last night was my husband’s football banquet (he teaches 7th grade english and coaches 8th grade football)! So we got all dressed up and headed to his school for the celebration. It was actually really fun – since I also work full-time & can never make his games (don’t get me started), I finally got to meet the other coaches and some of the players he’s been with for the past 4 months, which was so great.

PS: That’s the shirt he was wearing the night we met over 2 years ago – what can I say? I’m a sucker for a man who can rock pink like that! ;)

Love this man!

Okay, okay.. I know what you’re all thinking- enough with the sappy pics already! And you’re right -it’s time to get down to business! This. Is. It. The moment you’ve all been waiting for… The Great Kitchen Chair Reveal of 2013!!! Taaa daaaaa!! Y’all, settle down and try to contain your hysteria. It’s early and your neighbors will most likely not appreciate the shrieks of excitement you’re suppressing right now.  And I’d just hate to be the cause of a block-wide riot ;)

But seriously. This was a labor of love. A BIG one. Don’t get me wrong, I am THRILLED with the finished product, but I always, always, ALWAYS do this! Start projects thinking they’re going to take waaay less time than they actually do. And then in somewhere in the middle, I usually want to pull my hair out, say dirty words & eat a gallon of Blubell ice cream. Simultaneously. Ya feel me?

But alas, we pushed through (mainly because if we didn’t, we had nowhere to sit down), and now… I am a happy camper! And so glad we decided to take on this feat  – something as simple as a different pattern managed to change the entire look and feel of our dining room. It made the dark wood of the table pop & the cheery pattern really helped brighten up the whole space. All that to say, I hope this post inspires you to attempt that project you’ve been avoiding, too! ;)

BEFORE

BEFORE

First, we had to remove the current fabric. We found that a flathead screwdriver worked wonders to pry the staples up (we fancy, huh?). Pliers also helped yank out the stubborn ones! You’ll end up with a nice little pile like this:

So. Many. Staples.

We very soon realized why the previous owners recovered these in the first place. Shudder. No amount of hand washing could erase the trauma of seeing those yellow stains. I need therapy (not that I didn’t before, BUT STILL).

Blech.

Also, for those wondering, I got the new fabric from joanns.com. It’s called “HGTV Home Chevron Chic Harvest” and was on sale for $19.99/yd. It’s normally $39.99/yd, so if you like it, I’d suggest you jump on that ;) Alrighty, the next step was laying out the fabric, tracing, measuring and cutting! We laid out the old squares of fabric on top of the new just to get a general idea of what kind of measurements we were working with. We made a small mark on the back of the fabric with a permanent marker to mark the edges.

Tracing

Based on where the marks were, we decided to do 26×26 squares. The fabric was 55″ wide and we ordered 4 yards (way more than we needed but I wanted to have some leftover just in case of a fatal spill later on down the line).

Measuring

Once we had them measured and marked, I went to cutting!

I attempted to cut in a straight line. Key word: attempted.

Next, we laid them all out just to make sure they were even and going to work. I’m a little OCD like this – I’d rather find out early on that I screwed up & still have time to fix it.

So pretty!

Next, we started stapling them one at a time. The first part was to ensure that they we’re straight. Now, this fabric (obviously) has a zig zag pattern, BUT I didn’t want to staple it on crooked – cuz that’d just be tacky. So we readjusted them a couple of times until I was satisfied. While I folded over one side, my stud of a husband geared up to staple the beejesus out these seats (what man doesn’t jump at the chance to use brute force??).

Folding

Ready for staples!

After stapling one side (we did 2 rows of staggered staples, as you’ll see in a later picture), we proceeded to do the opposite side, in order to make sure the fabric was really snug.

Make sure you pull tight!

See, opposite sides!

We flipped it around and did the other 2 sides the same way. You’ll be left with 4 tail-like things on all the corners.

Time to cut these too!

Using scissors, cut each corner downwards, still leaving enough of a tail to staple! This part is very important – you can always take more off, but you can’t salvage it if you cut too much!

Cutting downwards

Next, make a little bit of a slit on each side of the tail – this will help you fold the corners in for a smooth surface.

Making a slit

It will look something like this when you’re done:

Time to finish ‘er up!

I used my knees to help hold the cushion in place, then folded the fabric and pulled tight until I was happy with where it was laying. My hubs would swoop in and quickly staple it. It was like a comedy show – I would tug and maneuver and then shout, “Here! Staple! STAPLE!” and he’d rush in and fire a quick 7 into each corner. Y’all, sometimes I’m just really glad our daily life isn’t caught on camera. Lawd.

So glad the backside will never see the light of day!

That sucker’s not going anywhere!

Each cushion took about 15-20 minutes, by the time we arranged, folded, stapled, cut, & stapled some more. Then, we had to screw them back into the chair frames, and of course, most of the screws were either stripped now, or weren’t long enough to go through all of the fabric. Of COURSE. So by the time we wrestled with a few of these, it was another 2-3 days before we mustered up the energy to attempt the next batch. Not gonna lie – we pep talked ourselves.. a lot. And 2 weeks (3 weeks?) later, we finished! Yaaay!

Close up!

Here are a few pictures of the final product (PS: I just bought the new paint on Saturday – can’t wait to get started! I think it’s gonna make the chairs pop even more)!

The dining room

Side view

Another side view

Closeup of the top

Seriously. I LOVE this fabric!

Aerial view ;)

So there you have it. The Great Kitchen Chair Reveal of 2013. I’m so happy with how it turned out! I can’t wait to see what it will look like once the walls are painted, too. What’s your opinion? Do you think this chevron fabric was the right choice? Have you ever reupholstered anything? I’d love to hear from you! :)

Friday Finds!

So excited for this weekend –  celebrating a sweet friend’s birthday tonight & then spending tomorrow afternoon with another lovely friend! We are heading to the Nutcracker Market here in Houston – which I’ve never been to, but apparently it’s this huge stadium that Christmas throws up in, in the form of decorations, crafts, and endless glitter. Not gonna lie, I’m pretty excited. I’ll try to capture the magic and take some pictures for you!

And if case you were dying to know how the fireplace paint job is coming along – I haven’t done a second coat of the whitewash yet, but I think I might just stick to one! Once it dried completely, I actually didn’t hate it. So yay for that! I’ll try to post a before/after picture and y’all can weigh in :)

Anywhoo, back to Friday Finds, these posts are some of my favorite to write! Seriously. I love discovering new pieces of furniture and other home decor – dreaming about the beautiful spaces that can be made from these gems is so fun! I am in LOVE with this week’s finds!

Emerson Shelving $399.99 @ World Market

This shelving. See what I mean? LOVE. At first sight. Gah. I can’t get over them! Love the look of these – the metal and rustic wood. They’d be perfect in a dining room or home office – especially with some wooden crates or metal wire baskets on the shelves!

Antiqued Wall Clock – Teal (on sale) $103.20 @ Pier One

This clock. I have a similar one hanging on my fireplace that I ADORE. I love the subtle blue and the antique look of the clock face. This would look great in a kitchen, entry way or on a mantle! So many possibilities.

White Wall Window Frame $28.00 @ Pier One

This frame. Isn’t this just perfect? I die. It would look so good in an entry way or bedroom. You could hang your favorite pictures from it or even use it as a cute display for all of those Christmas cards you’ll be getting soon (do people still send Christmas cards? Is that still a thing?). Either way, I’m sure you could put this piece to good use!

“Abstract Garden” by Elinor Luna $129.99 @ World Market

This painting. I LOVE this! I actually was going between this painting and another one from Pier One for the loongest time! I wanted something to go over our TV console and I was having the hardest time deciding. But alas, the elephant won out over the flowers (I’m gaga over this elephant – I’ll post a picture soon so you can drool with me. Is that awkward? Co-drooling? Yes? Ok ,forget I mentioned it). I would still love to find a place for this in my house though – it’s just so gorgeous!

Retro-Classic White Accent Chairs (set of 2) $166.99 @ Overstock.com

These chairs. Words cannot express my feelings for these beauties. I wish I had a different dining table so they could live in my house. Or that my living room was slightly bigger so I could use them as accents. Sigh. I LOVE the look of these – especially the wooden legs. I hope someone out there falls in love with them and then messages me a picture of what they decided to do with ’em! Please. Someone. Anyone. I need to live vicariously through you!

Welp, there are my favorite finds this week – and now I’m off to put real clothes on & get to work! Being an adult is so overrated, don’t you think?!

Cauliflower Leek Soup

Yesterday was a LONG day. We ended up ordering take out after work (General Tso’s for him and Thai Chicken Curry for me!) and snuggling on the couch watching Macgyver until it was time for bed. It was just one of those days! Thankful for a good night’s sleep and a hot cup of coffee right now. It’s a beautiful day where I am – crisp, breezy and the sun is juuust starting to peek through the morning clouds. Choosing to focus on the blessings each day has to offer – God is just too good!

Now, onto the recipe! All I can say is: YUM! I kinda played around in the kitchen with this one – adding a little of this and a little of that, until I got the flavors right. Lucky for you, I actually remembered to write down all of the changes I made this time! So yay for that! Y’all, this soup is delicious. I have to admit, my husband was a little skeptical at first (“Cauliflower soup? Like an entire thing of soup made from just cauliflower??”), but even he had seconds! It’s perfect for the cold weather that’s coming (and already has come for some of you!) – warm, creamy, filling. Sigh. There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a chilly evening! Am I right? Or am I right?

CAULIFLOWER LEEK(serves 4)

The ingredients!

• 1 head cauliflower
• 3 leeks (they have a mild onion-y flavor)
• 1 can organic chicken broth
• 1 medium-sized shallot (another onion)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 TBSP salt (+ or – depending on your tastes)
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• BACON (it deserves to be capitalized, don’t you think?)

Alright – I’m about to share something that will change your LIFE! Okay, maybe not your life, but definitely the way you cook Paleo. Ever wonder how the heck you’re supposed to substitute the cream in various recipes? Such as soup, Indian dishes, etc? Well, look no further! And watch real close – cuz it’s like magic.

Fill a medium-sized sauce pan with water and add your cashews. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat off, cover and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Cashews!

Pour the water from the pan into a bowl or measuring cup and SET ASIDE. DO NOT GET RID OF THE LIQUID! Then, add the cashews and about 1/2-1 cup of the liquid to your Vitamix (or some other high powered blender) and puree until it becomes a creamy sauce (about 30 seconds). TA DA!! You have your cream base. And you can literally use it for anything since cashews are essentially flavorless. You. Are. Welcome.

Amazeballs.

See? Creamy goodness.

You can leave the cashew cream in the blender since you’ll be adding to it later!

Since you’ll have 30 minutes while the cashews are soaking, preheat your oven to 400 and cut up your cauliflower into pieces like this:

Drizzle with olive oil!

Add the 4 cloves of garlic (in their skin) to the pan and bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until your cauliflower is tender and looks like THIS:

Crispy!

Meanwhile, rinse the leeks (they tend to have a bit of dirt in the folds) then slice ’em up and dice the shallot.

Use the white and light green end (the bottom half of the leek!)

Cook in a non-stick pan with a little bit of olive oil until tender and set aside.

Love the colors!

Lay out your bacon (I did 3 strips each because.. well… we love bacon) on a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until your bacon is the desired level of doneness.

Baaaacon

Come to mama.

Add the cooked leeks and shallots to the cashew cream (still in the blender) and puree. We pureed in spurts, mainly because we wanted to keep some of the texture (runny soup just doesn’t sound appetizing, ya know?!). Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized pot. Next, add your roasted cauliflower and garlic (remove the outer shell after roasting) to the blender, along with the chicken broth and puree it on high until completely blended.

Almost there!

Once blended, transfer the entire mixture to the pot with the leeks and cashew cream and stir together. Add all of the spices (rosemary, paprika, thyme, salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes) along with 1/2 cup-1 cup of water. The water will help smooth out the soup – I found it was WAY too thick before the water, but to each his own. I would start out with about 1/2 of a cup and then add more until it’s the texture you’re looking for.

Perfect soup – flavorful, creamy, thick!

I crumbled two of the pieces of bacon and stirred them into our bowls (it was like hitting the jackpot every time we got some in a bite!) and then topped it with the 3rd piece of bacon and a tiny sprinkle of rosemary.

The finished product!

So what are you waiting for!? Go grab the ingredients, make yourself a nice big pot ‘o soup and cuddle up with a cozy blanket and full bowl of goodness- fall is upon us! So why not take advantage of it? :)

Let me know what you think!

“Spaghetti” and Meatballs

Welp, this past weekend was quite a productive one! The hubs and I ran a ton of errands, hit up our home away from home (Lowe’s) for several items and just had a lot of fun laughing together. Oh, and we hung the knife strip!!! I know you’re all dying to see a picture, so here it is!

Yay!

Isn’t she lovely?! I love how it looks – and I LOVE these knives. They’re Wustoff Classics and they are AMAZING. My now-husband bought them for me as a Christmas present (we’d only been dating for about 5 weeks), but he called it an investment into his future HAHA. Apparently the man REALLY liked my cooking ;) Seriously though, good knives can be a big investment, but they’re totally worth it in my opinion.

On a side note, I decided to white-wash our fireplace on Sunday night! It was a bit of an impulsive decision, but it’s been bugging me for awhile now – the brick is a dingy white/tan color and it was pretty dirty. I even tried cleaning it! No such luck. Is it possible to clean brick? Does anyone know?! Anyways, the previous owners also stuck 3 random pieces of granite in the fireplace between the bricks (I don’t understand either), so it was really an eyesore. Finally, I just couldn’t stand it anymore so my husband came home to me flicking watery paint all around the living room (and I do mean ALL around)… and somehow he still managed to smile and (through gritted teeth) tell me how much he loves me. Whoopsie. I still need to do a second coat sometime this week – it doesn’t look BAD so far, but it sure doesn’t look good yet. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this doesn’t turn out to be a botched project… cuz there’s no going back! I’ll keep you updated ;)

Okay, spaghetti and meatballs! This recipe is SO easy, y’all. And it is also incredibly delicious!

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS (serves 3-4)

The ingredients!

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 jar marinara (preferably one with no added sugars, etc)
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 TBSP red onion, chopped
• 2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped and loosely packed
• 2 basil leaves, chopped
• 2 TBSP almond meal
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt & dash pepper

Preheat your oven to 400. Cut your spaghetti squash lengthwise and lay it facedown on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until very tender.

You can scoop out the seeds before you cook it or after – I usually do after!

Next, chop your parsley, red onion and basil and add to a medium sized mixing bowl.

Red onion and parsley add so much flavor!

Add in the remaining ingredients to the bowl, except the marinara. I’ve found the easiest way is to mix it with my hands, although it’s also the messiest way. To each his own! Spray a cookie sheet lined with foil with a bit of coconut or olive oil and then mix together and form into balls about 1 inch in diameter.

I was able to make about 20 meatballs from this recipe.

Bake the meatballs at 400 for about 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. Next, add 1 TBSP olive oil in a non stick pan and let it get hot (the oil will start to get runny). Add your meat balls to the pan and brown for about 1 minute on each side.

Yum! The crispy edges are my favorite!

It’s such a quick process, but it adds so much to the flavor! Paleo meatballs can sometimes be squishy because there are no bread crumbs to really bind them together, so the browning will help add some texture!

Heat your marinara in a small sauce pan on medium heat and add the meatballs. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes or until heated through.

Doesn’t this look amazing?!

Meanwhile, remove your squash from the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes (or it’ll burn the beejesus out of your hands), then scrape out the seeds! Using the same spoon, scoop the squash onto 2 plates and top with the sauce and meatballs!

SO GOOD!

The finished product!

This was like heaven, y’all. The combination of the meatballs and marinara was so ridiculously good, it really felt like we were eating real spaghetti! Shoot, the meatballs were so flavorful and crispy, I could’ve eaten them by themselves! I even had some for lunch the next day and it was just as good. Definitely a keeper. Let me know what you think!

Friday Finds!

It’s Friiiiiiiday! I don’t think I’ve ever been this ready for a weekend. Work was a bit rough this whole week, so literally every day was spent thinking, “Is it Friday yet?”. Have you ever experienced that? I really am trying to learn to enjoy every moment and not be so quick to rush on to the next thing… but the weekend is just so glorious! It’s hard to not wish it was always Saturday ;)

P.S. I’m FINALLY finishing my dining room chair reupholstery project tomorrow, so that should be up on the blog early next week! I am so excited to share it with y’all – it turned out better than I ever imagined! The fabric really changes the look of the entire room. Also on the weekend to-do list, is hanging a magnetic knife rack in our kitchen, so I can finally get my beautiful Wusthofs’ out of the drawers! While my husband hangs the rack (cuz let’s be honest, I really shouldn’t be trusted with any kind of power tool), I’ll be busy working on my next DIY project! I already have the idea… now it’s time to sketch it out, figure dimensions and dream, dream, dream! I think y’all will like this one :)

Anywhoo, Friday Finds! I am loving this week’s finds & I think you will too!!

Threshold Wood and Brass Finish Egret Bookends $22.49 @ Target (online and in store)

These bookends. I have a slight obsession with bookends. And I can never seem to find the perfect ones! Well hellooooo Dolly! I saw these at Target and immediately fell in love! You know me, put any kind of metal and wood together and I’m hooked! I’m also obsessed with birds. So, yep.. I really never stood a chance against these beauts! And for such a great price?? Double swoon!

Landon Desk – Natural $349.99 @ Home Decorators Collection

This desk. I DREAM of a beautiful, light, airy home office for myself, with a desk exactly like this one right in the center of the room! I love all of the little drawers. Love the color of the wood. And quite honestly, for a solid desk, the price isn’t terrible either!

Home Decor Fabric – Waverly Carino – Buttercup ON SALE $20.99/yd @ Joanns (online only)

This fabric. LOVE the color. Love the design! I think this would be perfect for a Roman shade over a kitchen window. Or as a set of throw pillows on your couch. I feel like it’s the perfect pop of yellow to brighten up any room!

Owen “Mail” Letter Holder $29.99 @ World Market

This mail holder. I LOVE this! Anything wood and pallet-y (yes, I just made that word up) is so in right now that I don’t think you can go wrong with this piece! It’s super rustic, which I adore. Love the twine/rope to hold the mail in place. And the black stenciling! It would be gorgeous hanging on the wall in your entryway!

Mercury Glass Chicken Wire Table Lamp $54.99 @ World Market

This table lamp. I have loved this thing for a LONG time!! I drool over it every time I walk through World Market. Love the coloring of the letters, love that it’s wrapped in chicken wire. It’s just an all-around beautiful lamp! Perfect for an office or on a end table in your living room!

I hope these finds this week inspire you as you dream about your space! Planning and searching is always worth it when you find that PERFECT piece! What are some of your favorite places to shop for your home?? I’d love to hear about them!