inspired design - garden of eden...

I love bathroom designs that help you escape. One that allows you to step out of reality for a while, where once you step into a steamy shower all of your worries melt away. As a girl, when I need to relax I like to pamper myself; a nice hot bath, a face mask, and some nail polish can usually brighten my spirits. This is why I love the idea of bathroom designs that take you into a new world. And that is how I came up with this week's inspired design. A bathroom inspired by the garden of eden...

The color scheme uses a variety of green hues paired with natural beige, brown, and gold tones. These colors give the room a lush, natural, "garden" feel. Then I added red accents which is inspired by the forbidden fruit.

bathroom vanity from TradewindsImports.com...$1709.00
wood framed mirror...$899.00
gold mosaic vanity light fixture...$250.00
red sink...$135.00
soap dispenser...$12.99
ecru towel set...$39.99
red hand towel...$27.68
green subway tiles...price will vary depending on area tiled and size of the tile.

I loved this application of the green tile. The mix of green colors adds depth and is perfect for a bathroom that is inspired by nature.  I would suggest using something like this in moderation, for example only tiling the shower in this, or only one small wall. Too much of this would over power a small room. pairing this green with a light ecru or beige wall color will allow the tile to be a dramatic and exciting feature, with out being too wild or overpowering. When adding in red accents moderation is key. You want one key piece to be a focal point in the room. Too much red and green and your bathroom may end up looking more like Santa's workshop than the Garden of Eden. 

-holly

pasta with pistachio cream sauce...

I LOVE pistachios. they are so delicious and addicting. If you set a bowl of pistachios in front of me I will eat them all in one setting. So, when I came across a recipe for pasta with a pistachio pesto sauce I knew that I had to try it! You can find the recipe I worked off of at the Pinch My Salt blog. 

ingredients...

8 oz. of pasta - I used whole grain penne pasta because it was what I had in my pantry at the time...

1/4 cup of ground pistachios 

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

directions...

put approximately 1/2 cup of shelled, unsalted pistachios in a food processor and grind

in the mean time, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta, boil until soft.

while pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a small saucepan. 

add the pistachios and stir until coated

add the heavy cream and stir until pistachios are evenly incorporated

add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted.

drain pasta and put back into pot, stir in pistachio sauce, and serve!

This pasta was very tasty, and so unique! It was unlike any other pasta I've made. If you like pistachios you will like this recipe!

suggested pairings: steamed broccoli and garlic bread

-holly  

vodka limeade...

This is the perfect summer cocktail. I know that technically summer is coming to an end, but here in west Texas the hot summer weather usually sticks around through October and hot days call for crisp refreshing drinks. I concocted this recipe all on my own, though I am sure there are several similar recipes out there. In fact I based mine off of a drink I had at the country club where my parents are members. There they call it the Archie Special, named for the popular longtime bar tender at the club. Anyways…I fell in love with this cocktail but wasn't sure exactly all that was in it. I knew that it had vodka and tonic water, and a fresh citrus-y taste, so I started there and kept it simple.

Ingredients…

2 parts vodka

1 parts lime juice

1 part sweet and sour mix

Tonic water.

ice

Directions…

1. Put ice, vodka, lime juice, and sweet and sour mix in a shaker, and shake a few times.
2. Pour mixture over ice in glass until glass is about ½ full, top off with tonic water.

` 

     -holly

apricot whiskey glazed ribs...

Its football season!! This means its tailgating time! There is not much better than football, friends, and barbeques. It’s a wonderful time. This week Tech’s game was not a home game so me and Jon watched the game at home on our couch. That day he asked me what I was planning on making for dinner, and if we had any “football watching food.” Luckily for him I had a rack of ribs sitting in the fridge. I would have loved to season these up and have Jon throw them on the grill, but because we are currently in an apartment we do not have a grill. So I had to settle on cooking these in the oven, but they still turned out tender and tasty!

 Ingredients…
1 rack of spare pork ribs
3 tbsp apricot jelly
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp tomato paste
5 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sherry
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp whiskey

 Directions…

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 
2. Combine jelly, water, tomato paste, ketchup, sherry, sugar, and whiskey in small sauce pan. Bring to boil and stir until well combined. 
3. Brush the glaze onto both sides of your rack of ribs, place ribs in a large baking dish, and place in the oven. 
4. Bake for 2-3 hours or until meat is cooked through, basting the ribs with the apricot whiskey sauce every 30 minutes. 
5. When fully cooked, cut the ribs, brush on the remaining sauce, and serve.

Suggested pairings: your favorite “football fixins!” Throw the food pyramid out the window for one night and forget about a balanced meal. Pair this with you favorite chips and dip, or sweet potato fries. Whatever you think when you think football. Then, fill up your plate, get yourself a drink, and enjoy the game!!

 -holly

inspired design...oh, the places you'll go!...

Last week Jon and I welcomed a new little nephew into the world! He is so cute and perfect and we fell in love instantly! In honor of little Owen, this week's inspired design is a boy's nursery. The selections are inspired by a book by my favorite author, Dr. Seuss. Just like the book "Oh, the Places You'll Go" this design is all about adventure and far away places.

The color palette uses neutrals and baby blue to give the room an overall calm and relaxing feel. Then pops of red and brighter blues are used to add interest. Studies show that babies prefer bright primary colors, and red and blue in particular. The design was centered around this hot air balloon  mobile. It is so fun and whimsical and worked perfect with the theme. I found the mobile from the mmm mobile etsy shop.

hot air balloon mobile...$49.00
cloud wall decals...$60.00
grey and white crib bedding...$169.00
red gumball lamp...$89.00
sofa...$1499.00
red and white striped rug...$275.00
world map wall art...$175.00
blue glider chair and ottoman...$999.00
baby changing table...$599.00
map of DC pillow...$20.00
red and white striped pillow...$20.00

If you like this inspired design, then you will LOVE these DIY tutorials I found!...

I found this adorable tutorial and pattern so you can make your own hot air balloon mobile! You can find this and other great DIY ideas over on the Craftiness is Not Optional blog.... Hopefully you are as obsessed with this hot air balloon stuff as I am, because the second craft project I want to share with y'all is this  hot air balloon baby blanket!

You can find the full tutorial for this quilt on the Moda Bake Shop blog. I hope you enjoyed this inspired design and remember... "You're off to great places, today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way!"

-holly