Yes! I'm Back...

After a summer off from blogging… I'm back. I hated leaving you guys behind for a few months, but it was something I had to do. And now, looking back, I'm glad I did - the past few months have been nothing but chaos! It started out with the sale of our home and ended with a totally gutted new house. It's been long, fun, stressful and just plain tiring. And… I'm glad I'm back. I've got many things to gear up for, including a product launch before Christmas. That's right, I'm putting it in words so it happens, this girl is finally going to get her Etsy Shoppe up and running.

But, before I dive into that, here's a recap of what happened over the summer and the posts you will enjoy soon!

• We sold our house. It was a long process, and a horrible one, but it finally happened. (I still need to share the cape cod renos with you!)
• We bought a bank repossession. That means we also gutted the whole first floor, including kitchen and made it all new… can't wait to share!
• Dallas passed away. Yes the cute dog you saw opening her Christmas present extra early passed away on my birthday. One of the worst days of my life, it was just another of the many things that would go wrong this summer. Not to mention I cried for days… but she is now someplace special watching over us.
• We spent endless days and nights working our butts off. And, lots of decisions were made, floors, windows and even a brand new kitchen.
• We threw a Surprise 60th and Retirement for my mom - as well as surprised our niece with a yard full of balloons and a "honk for the new teen" sign for her 13th birthday!
• I have put my University Course to the side and now must cram an entire course into two months… my fault but I had no way of fitting in to my schedule.
• I've decided to cut out processed food from my diet… that means I've been trying my hardest to eat natural foods only and to skip out on the white refined sugar junk. It actually isn't that hard. But it also means that I will be trying a lot of interesting recipes in the near future. And, once and a while, I will need a cheat treat.
• And, we ended the summer with an extra long weekend away. Finally some rest, relaxation and alone time.

It's been quite the summer and I can't wait to share in on the full details of every event. For now, I'm just glad to be back at the business and working towards another dream. We will still have some renovations in our future - we have a whole other floor. :o) But, we are likely taking the winter off, which means… I'm here to focus on the other things I really enjoy.

Yup... It's a Pinterest Post

Happy Monday!! If there is such a thing... I've been lala land and you guessed it, today's post is another Pinterest post, brought to you by my "dream home." board. Of course, I could post a million +1 pictures in this post, but I'll try my best to leave it to my latest faves.

Before I take off into dream land, what's new? Well, summer weather has arrived, so lots of outdoor work, boating and enjoying time on the patio. As well, lots of BBQing... I absolutely love the BBQ! And, the house is still being viewed constantly, okay so it seems, but honestly I don't think I've ever cleaned a house as much as I have this one in the past month... plus the animals are constantly shedding, so it really doesn't help. As for house purchasing, we're on the fence. We do have an offer in on a house but are continuing to look just in case. Of course, not much else is new, work continues to be work. I'm hoping to spend a little more time with you guys and my blog than I have been neglecting. It's just so hard to pull out the computer instead of enjoying some quiet time outside. But, I will do my best :)

Okay, so that's what is new with life. Nothing too exciting! Here is a glimpse of where I could spend the rest of my life... oh to dream. The dream home:

A master bedroom that is to die for.

decor pad.

 

A family room that is cozy year round.

 

decor pad.

A modern twist on a dining room.
(maybe make the table a little wider)

a thoughtful eye.

The dream kitchen.

pinterest.

The most peaceful bathroom.

better homes and gardens.

That is it for now. I will continue to dream that our next place can turn into half of what I absolutely love. Of course it will take lots of work to get character put into most houses around where I live. But, I'm on a mission to do just that. If we can't find it, we'll have to create it. It will all depend on where we end up! Have a great week...

Pin Attempt - Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

I hope you had a great weekend out there. While I meant to blog last night with this pin attempt, we had house business and a visit at the in-laws, that had us home late. So, better late then never, last night I decided to tackle Pepperoni Pizza Puffs from Lick the Bowl Good. While she adapted her recipe from elsewhere, I also decided to make a slightly different version of my own, skipping out on the bite sized pizza snacks and making pizza puffs that were more muffin sized and very filling for dinner.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp roasted garlic & peppers spice (I get this at costco)
pinch of salt
3/4 cup 1% milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup cubed pepperoni
garlic salt to taste
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, roasted garlic & pepper spice and salt; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni. Divide amongst muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Take out 5 minutes before done and sprinkle with garlic salt. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Okay, so this pin attempt was a definite pass! They were so quick, filling and really good! I did make them a little salty so maybe hold back on the garlic salt, although I didn't really mind. As well, definitely substitute spices, as I did from the recipe I used, and add any of your other favorite pizza toppings. I'm anxious to try chicken next time! Have a great rest of the week...

It's "Favorite's Friday" | DIY Fashion

So I thought I'd get another post in before I retire for the long weekend. And, since I haven't done anything from Pinterest this week (that is also because my lack of blogging), I thought I'd do this Favorite's Friday from my DIY Fashion board. So, before I close up shop for the weekend, here are five DIY fashion pieces that are on my to-do list:

1. Halter Top Tutorial

Talk 2 The Trees

2. Knot Shorts

Elsie Marley

3. The Awesome Bag

Elsie Marley

4. DIY Alligator Skirt

Art With Ashley

5. DIY Bow Clutch

Elm Street Life

There you have it! :D That should keep you busy for a while. Other than that, have a great weekend out there and for those of you with a holiday monday - enjoy!

BBQ'd Portobello Mushroom Pizza Recipe

I came home last night to Ry making supper - vegetables everywhere and a couple of nice steaks ready to BBQ. The first thing I said was take a picture - I need a blog post and this will work. Of course he hesitated, it's my little secret and you aren't taking credit… So, I told him he'd get full credit and while eating dinner we gave it a name - BBQ'd Portobello Mushroom Pizzas. Of course I didn't get around to posting it last night because we had a fair meeting. So here it is.

BBQ'd Portobello Mushroom Pizza
 
2 Medium Tomatoes
1/2 Orange Sweet Bell Pepper
1/2 Yellow Sweet Bell Pepper
3 Large Portobello Mushrooms
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Place BBQ on medium heat. Clean all vegetables and dice tomato and peppers, place in a bowl. Add slivered garlic and lightly coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with spices. Place portobello mushrooms on a plate, downside facing up. Spoon mixture onto mushrooms to form a pile. Cover with parmesan cheese. Place on BBQ rack until mushrooms are cooked - they will go thin. Carefully remove from grill and enjoy! :D

That's it, a nice healthy addition to your dinner! Of course you can try adding a sauce first for more of a pizza taste. Other than than, life is still in full gear. We've had five house showings since listing with a realtor last week and there are already some booked for this week. The long weekend is coming up, but of course Ry has to work part of it. The joys of being on a golf course! On the upside, nice weather has finally settled in the area, although it makes working in an office all day rather depressing. Oh well, tomorrow I am off for the day to take my mother to a doctor's appointment, so I will surely enjoy a drink and lunch on a patio somewhere! :D Okay, go and try the recipe and let me know in the comments below what kind of variations you tried.