A little green and a bit tired!

Hello!  The last week has been crazy. I had such good intentions of posting but never even got a chance.  Thomas had his first set of immunization shots last Tuesday.  Since then he has been a bit cranky, had an upset tummy and very tired.  During the day he has refused to sleep on his own.  He only wants to be in my arms and will sleep for about 10 minutes at a time and then he cries again and we have to go turn on the stove fan (it's very loud and calms him down).  Over the weekend he slept longer in my arms but would not sleep on his own for very long.  I think I've gotten into a bad habbit because he wouldn't fall asleep on his own last night in his crib (he normally goes down before 8pm and falls asleep on his own). Last night he cried, fussed, cooed... it was a long night.  Finally at 10:30pm we had to let him cry it out.  It only took 15 minutes of us letting him know we are there for him without picking him up for him to fall asleep.  It was hard on me!  Hate to see him cry.  I know it was a good thing though.

It's amazing how exhausting caring for a nine week old can be.  Some days I have done nothing but rock him to sleep during the day, hold him all day long, calm him down, play with him, feed him, change him, sometimes change myself because I have puke on me, and put a load of laundry on.  That's it!  These tasks sound like they wouldn't take much time but they do.  It's my entire day! I have so much respect for all moms around the world.

Today was my first day of exercising in 10 months.  I woke up at 6:15am for an hour of yoga.  Exactly what I needed.  I feel great now.  It will help me throughout my day.  The plan is to exercise 4x a week.  Wish me luck!

Right, the little man is getting upset.  Time to play with him. But before I go, I leave you with this kitchen.  I love it.  It's not a big grandiose designer kitchen.  It's achievable for us every day folks.  I love it's simplicity and the beige and green scheme. Mom I thought of you when I saw it.

Have a great day! xo

A Room Full of Passion

Red, the colour of passion.  This kitchen certainly makes me think the home owner is serious about cooking and is a very passionate person.  It's stunning.  Definitely an head-turner.  I love the double height cabinets, the chandelier and row of windows.  This is definitely an inspiration to my future dream kitchen.

So, I'm back to the blog world.  I have a few posts planned for this week.  As mentioned previously, my goal is 3x a week.  Thomas is 6 weeks old today and keeping us VERY busy or should I say me very busy as he sometimes wants to feed on the hour.  We love our time with him and are absolutely amazed at his growth!!  I'll post a picture later.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!  xo

Turkey 101

I'm still thinking about Turkey so to continue on yesterdays theme, here is a recipe I found on House & Home.  I think it reads very tasty!!  Even though I have plans to go to my in-laws for next Saturday night Thanksgiving and then home to Kingston on the Sunday morning to celebrate with my family, I may try and make this myself in a few weeks time.  Who's in for a 2nd or 3rd turkey dinner?  Maybe I'll wait till November.  We'll See...

Ingredients:



The most important step in roasting a perfect turkey is purchasing a quality bird. This is about 90% of the work. You can order fresh naturally raised or organic turkeys from independent butchers. Brining is a restaurant trick for intensifying flavour and improving texture, and this "dry" brining method is easy and effective. Using kosher salt is essential; be sure to rinse all traces of the sugar-salt mixture from the bird before roasting.

Turkey Brin Ingredients:
Turkey
3 cups brown sugar, packed
1-1/2 cups kosher salt
2 tbsp dried sage
2 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp dried savoury
1/2 tsp allspice
1 13-15 lb. turkey
1 bunch fresh parsley
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

Brin Instructions:



Step 1: Combine brown sugar, salt, herbs and spices in a bowl. Rinse turkey and dry very well with paper towels. Place turkey in a large pan or even a plastic bag, then pack brown sugar mixture all over exterior of turkey, and place some in cavity as well. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.

Cooking Instructions:

Step 2: Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse brining mixture from turkey, inside and out, gently rubbing so it all comes off. Pat dry. Stuff parsley into cavity.

Step 3: Place turkey on rack in roasting pan, bend and tuck wings under the body and loosely tie drumsticks together. Rub all over with butter and tent loosely with foil. Roast 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 325°F and roast another 2-3/4 to 3-1/2 hours or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thighs (test both, do not touch the bone) reads 175°F. During the final hour of cooking, remove foil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Step 4: Remove turkey to a platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest at least 25 minutes before carving.

Step 5: To make gravy, carefully spoon most of fat out of drippings remaining in roasting pan, leaving behind about 4 tbsp, as well as all the browned bits. Place pan on stove over medium-high heat and stir flour into drippings until completely incorporated. Cook for 30 seconds then whisk in 2 cups turkey stock and wine (if using). Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, scraping up and incorporating all browned bits from pan. Reduce heat to low and whisk in additional stock to reach desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Now I couldn't possibly leave you without showcasing a mouth watering turkey or a beautiful kitchen to cook it in. 

Photo by Michael Graydon

The floor is very cool!  Not everyone could live with a patterned floor but it sure does look good.  I love the old harvest table, double oven and huge stainless steel fridge.  It looks like  a chefs kitchen. 

I hope everyone's weekend is wonderful!  Relax and have fun.  I took Monday off work to relax and work on the blog.  See you next week.  xo

Check out the tip left in the comments by Lifebegins@thirty.  It's awesome!

Kitchen Crush!

via Bryn Alexandra

I spotted this kitchen on Bryn's blog this morning and gasped!  There was no way I could not write about my love for this very well designed room.  it's all about the details.  The grey blue ceiling is divine!  I love how they emphasized it with the chandelier hanging above the island and brought the colour down onto the cabinets framing the cooking area.  I would die to have a range hood like this one covering your entire cook space and more.  Notice the chalkboard drawers, beautifully designed tiled floor and backsplash.  Love!!

Tonight I'm hanging out with my husband and taking it easy tomorrow morning with him.  It's rare we get a weekend morning together.  I'm very excited!  The rest of the weekend will be spent searching for fabric, cleaning the floors, researching gliders and cribs and installing a film on a few of our windows for more privacy. 

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for reading!!  xo

Banquette Dining

I think these beauties speak for themselves this morning.  There is nothing like banquette dining.  It's cozy, relaxing and stylish.  Not to mention it is my favourite seating style!

Big plans this weekend to finalize fabric for the kitchen drapes, find more fabric for our bedroom drapes and maybe a stop at Ikea and Dear Born Baby to shop for our little one. 

Massucco Warner Miller Interiors

Phoebe Howard

Sarah Richardson

via Thirteen & South

Tracery Interiors

Better Homes & Garden

via Young House Love

Kitchen Paint Revealed! What's Next?

I woke up ready to tackle the week and then just before leaving the house my head started to pound.  Another migraine.  They are definitely consistent.  Hopefully the massage tonight and accupuncture tomorrow helps this week.  Did anyone else experience this when they were 4.5 months pregnant? 

I'm just about to leave the house but wanted to post this first.  The first two photos are the kitchen with the original paint colour. 

And now the freshley painted kitchen in BM Manchester Tan.  Love it!  It looks much more grey in the photos than in person. 

Counter is busy because we have dishes drying.  

Next steps: 

1. Order dining table
2. Choose fabric and order curtains (I took down the horrible faux bamboo vertical blinds) for the sliding doors and window above the sink
3. Paint and frame chalkboard (for the small wall not seen in the photo. It's to the right of the doorway)
4. Purchase and disply art, clock, pictures, plates... something on the long wall. 
5. Choose and purchase chandelier & work space light (this will be in due time as money is tight)
6. Replace white range hood with a stainless steel range hood (again, something that can wait as we have other purchases to be made that take priority)

I know... it's a long list of tasks.  We'll have to take it one step at a time as there are many projects that need to be completed throughout the house.  


I'm off to work.  I need to pack 8 hours into 5.5.  Wish me luck!  Have a great day!!  

Paint for the Kitchen & Baby update

I had my second doctors apt this morning.  My due date has been moved from Jan 17th to the 13th.  Apparently its rare for it to be moved up.  Haha!  Today I'm 14 weeks and 4 days.  Yeah!! 

On another note, here is a shot or two of the paint colours we are considering for the kitchen.  From left to right BM OC-90, BM HC-45, BM HC-81 and BM CC-140.  It's between HC-45 (Shaker Beige) and HC-81 (Manchester Tan).

The kitchen is quite visible from the living room where I have ordered upholstery in golden medium browns.  Which paint colour is best in your opinion?

The heart of a home!

Kitchens are always the heart of any home. I absolutely love big kitchens that can accommodate a lot of cupboards, feature an island, two sinks, industrial size fridge, stove and range with an eat-in dining space.

  

But I also adore a galley kitchen made for cooking and only cooking! A space that is all yours to make as much of a mess or not (I hate messy kitchens). Galley kitchens are made for a maximum of two cooks and no more. Everything is at your fingertips here. The stove, sink and fridge are in close proximity and there is plenty of long counter space. I love the one below.

Grant K Gibson

Have a great weekend!! 

A kitchen I dream of...

I spotted this kitchen by architect William Hefner on the weekend and had to post it for your viewing pleasure.  I dream of having windows like the ones below. 

Loving the simple chairs, bench and table.  Stylish and easy to clean.  Definitely providing inspiration for our new kitchen.

I love the warmth of the Calacatta gold marble and the large hood above my dream range.  And I can't take my eyes off of Bryant Billiard fixture by Thomas O'Brien.

Have I mentioned how much I love the bridge faucet with the farmhouse sink?  The polished nickel goes well with the gold marble.

All photos from House Beautiful

Have a wonderful week!! 

Kitchen Gadget

While reading the latest issue of Style at Home I discovered the perfect kitchen gadget that is a must if you use your blackberry and laptop as much as I do to hold recipes.  I'm constantly getting them messy with flour or they are coming a little too close to the wet ingredients.

The Demy Digital Recipe Reader which will hold all of our recipes is also easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth. There is a built in timer and you can enlarge the screen for easier reading. Did I mention it will also convert measurements and offer substitute ingredients!  It's like having mom in the kitchen with us.  

I'm off to enjoy the 20 degree weather with my sister Katie, mom and dad.  Hopefully our other sister (Meaghan) will be able to join us very soon.  Have a great long weekend!!  I'll be back on Sunday reliving our wedding day.  :)  

Kitchens

It's a busy day at the office.  Actually it's been a hectic week here.  Thank goodness it's Friday.  I have a fun weekend planned.  Tonight my sister Meg, cousin Lauren and I are having a girls movie night at their new place.  Tomorrow morning I'm visiting with an old friend and her triplets!  I haven't seen them in months so I can't wait to see how much they've grown.  Then I'm off to Elte to check out their sale.  We're going out with my SIL Aaren, her husband Mike, his sister Jen and her husband Colin for dinner Saturday night.  It will be a hoot! The last time we went out together it ended up being very messy!  Colin, no apply martinis this time!!  I can't be in bed sick on Sunday.  I'm over those days of dealing with a hangover.  Sunday will be spent with my husband relaxing.  We might go bed shopping as well.  :)  I hope you're weekend is filled with as many loved ones as mine is. 

I saw this kitchen earlier in the week (no idea where) and fell in love with everything except the cherry floors!!  I want to use this as inpiration for my new kitchen.  Of course mine isn't as large but the colour scheme will be similar. 

Have a great weekend!! xo

What's cookin?

I have great news.  We bought a house!!! :)  It's a semi-detached, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, gorgeous kitchen with top of the line appliances and an unfinished basement just waiting for my design touch.  We're very excited and slightly overwhelmed.  It's ours June 9th!!  YEAH!!!  I'm not sure if I want to share photos of it now or once we're in and I have decorated.  You tell me if you want to see photos now. 

One of my goals this year (other than to purchase a house... check!) is to cook two new recipe's a month.  I haven't kept count but I think I might be one short for February (like it's really hard to count to two!).  Any who, the point is I want to share each new recipe with you.  They are certainly not my own (well, most of the time) but they are delicious and healthy.  The first is Spicy Lentil Soup from Cook It Simply.  I suggest making a double batch in order to have enough to freeze for a future meals.  It serves four perfectly as a meal and six as an appetizer.  


6 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
185 g (6 oz) red lentils, washed and picked over
1.2 litres (2 pints/5 cups) vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste


1. Heat oil in a saucepan over a medium heat; add cumin seeds. 
2. As soon as seeds begin to pop, add onion and cook until golden, stirring. 
3. Add garlic, carrots and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes, until soft. 
4. Stir in all the spices and cook for a further 1 minute before adding lentils.
5. Pour in stock and bay leaf and bring to the boil, then simmer for 1 hour, skimming surface
if necessary. 
6. Remove bay leaf and puree soup in a blender or food processor. 
7. Return to pan, season with salt and pepper and reheat. 
8. Serve garnished with fried onion rings and coriander leaves.


Bon Appetit!

I wouldn't mind enjoying my bowl of soup at this table.  This image is inspiring me for our new kitchen. 

Decorpad

Kitchen

It has been quite the week!!  Monday and Tuesday were horrible because of all the house shenanigans!  Tuesday at least ended on a positive note when I picked up my brand new Hyundai Elantra Touring.  It's very pretty and apparently has a really nice set of rims (at least that's what every guy in my office keeps ogling on about).  You have to admit it sounds a bit perverted.  ;-)  Yesterday was a great day.  I was finally over losing the house and had a great day at work.  I even brought in a new client.  Woo hoo!! 

I love when work is busy but hate that it takes time away from writing and research blog posts.  I think I'll have more time this weekend to stock up on a few posts.  I have so many ideas.  I simply need to find the time to complete them. 

I had to feature these two kitchens.  They are gorgeous!!  Looking at these beauties definitely makes house hunting a bit more challenging because I see these rooms and want them for myself.  I have to keep telling myself that my dream kitchen will probably not come to fruition until the second or third house.  Patience is not a virtue of mine.  I'm learning... slowly!

I love everything about this room - the light fixtures, hint of grey paint on the walls, mix of traditional dark wood cabinets and white modern cabinets, large rectangular dining table with simple parsons chairs, large island with sink and finally the cupboards go straight to the ceiling.  I hate when space is not used well.  Cupboards should always go to the ceiling unless you have a loft style ceiling.  That is just my opinion.   

Industrial is not my taste.  However, this kitchen is very cool!  I love the island with its huge wooden legs.  It makes it feel more like a table then an island.

My favourite part of this kitchen is the floor to ceiling glass shelf unit with built-in espresso machine.  It allows light to easily pass through from the bright seating area into the work area.  The white tulip chairs look fabulous against the wooden farm table.  I love mixing old with new, modern with vintage/classic.  It makes a house feel more like a home then a show-room. 

What is your favourite style kitchen?  Can you actually choose one style or do you like bits and pieces of different styles?

xo

Sarah

Weekend Update

Good morning!

It was quite the weekend for me.  We started our search for new homes on Saturday.  After dropping Ryan off at work, I drove up to an area called Maple and North Thornhill (north of the city) to browse and get acquainted with what we hope will be the site of our future home.  Needless to say at first I was completely freaking out because let's be honest I'm a city girl (always have been) and moving out of the city freaks the heck out of me.  I realize it's the only way we can afford to have a backyard, garage, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms but it's still scary.  After giving myself a pep-talk I opened my eyes and realized it's not that bad.  The area has a lot to offer.  The houses are new and gorgeous.  The schools are new and there are a few shops.  I was able to get a manicure for $16!!  Yes I stopped for a manicure!  The sales offices open at 11am and I was an hour early.  What else would a girl do?  It's necessary to check out all the amenities.  :)  Any who... I ended up loving the area and called Ryan to tell him we must buy!  He was excited and so was I. 

Fast forward to me leaving the fourth sales office and crying in the car.  It seems all of the affordable starter homes have been sold and all that's left are the expensive estate homes.  I was told that we wouldn't even get a town-home for our price range!  The sales reps said it like a townhome was the most disgusting possibility ever.  Most of the offices I went into were on phase 3 of construction.  Phase 1 is apparently when you want to buy a starter home.  

I heard people talk about getting emotional about house-hunting but I never really expected it to be such emotional torture!  Forget physical torture for war-prisoners just make them buy a house in Toronto!  Ok... maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit but it's tough out there!  Don't worry though, I have not given up the battle.  We are heading up north again tonight to check out a new build that started selling on Friday.  Please cross your fingers that they still have houses in our price-range and that we absolutely love them.  It would make our lives so much easier.  :)  

Today I will leave you with this dreamy kitchen by Kvanum.  Look at all that cupboard space!  The natural floors are what makes it look country casual.  If the floors were a dark high gloss stain it would completely change the feel of this room.  I also love a hidden fridge. 

Have a great day!

Missing in Action

Hello my dear readers.  I have been away at our annual sales conference in Montreal for the last three days.  There was absolutely no time to post.  I promise to post something special next week.  Right now I need to concentrate on staying awake and signing deals.  :)  Don't fret though, I have a gorgeous kitchen for your viewing pleasure below.  I love how bright and enviting it is!  Everything has it's place and it's open to the dining room making it feel much more relaxed.  It's definitely a family kitchen.

TGIF!!!!!!!

Molly Fey via Decorpad

Marble Pros and Cons

I recently had a question about marble countertops.  I love the look of them but I don't know a lot about them. So I investigated.  This is what I have discovered.  

• Marble is dense but not as absorbant as most people say.  Especially polished marble, its much less absorbent than honed.  
• It's a good idea to seal most stones.  Especially if it's used as a kitchen counter and if it's honed. 
• Marble needs to be sealed more often than granite. 
• Spills must be cleaned up immediately so it won't stain.  Be especially carefull with citric acid or alcohol being left on it.  
• Use soft cloths or pads to clean marble because it is soft and will scratch if you use abrasive scrub pads.  
• If you have etch marks caused by acidic substances then you will have to resurface the marble.  If your marble is honed and the etch marks are light then you might be able to sand them out.  A lot of people think they ad character to the countertops and don't mind light etch marks. 

Pros: Beautiful and heatproof.
Cons: expensive; porous, needs to be professionally sealed; high maintenance; can scratch and potentially stain.


If I had the money for our future home then I would definitely buy marble purely for the look of it.  What would you do?

Decorpad

Heidi Friedler via Yossawat

Atlas Stone Fabricators

Can I move in?

The latest issue of Style at Home is fantastic!  It features a house designed by Samantha Farjo a very talented Toronto interior designer.  It's gorgeous!  The perfect mix of modern and traditional.  I scanned the pictures in for your viewing pleasure. 

I love everything in this room (at least what is pictured) - ivory silk drapes, gorgeous blue and white ikat pillow, the Barbara Barry coffee table, table lamp...shall I go on???  It's bright and cozy.  

This kitchen is a dream for me.  Gorgeous white cabinets and counters, dark floors, good sized island with a large rectangular sink and very cool antique pendant lights.  I want this kitchen!!

My future dining room must have comfortable chairs.  The more comfy the chair the more dinner parties we'll have with great conversation that goes well into the night.  :)  At least that's what I hope.  I love the round mirror and chandelier.  Though, I do think they could have a larger mirror.

This bedroom looks very inviting.  Mom, I think this is your future bedroom.  It's bright, cozy and features green.  Need I say more? 

All pictures feautred in January Style at Home

Kitchen Love

Sorry about the delayed post.  I haven't been feeling well over the last few days, so I've taken it easy and just relaxed and slept. 

I came across this first picture through Laura Casey's work in Charlotte.  She is a wonderful interior designer who's blog I have just discovered. I swear it's like another world - the blog world.  I'm meeting so many new people who share my interest.  I'm commenting on posts of bloggers I have never met but feel so much connection with.  Not many people outside of our blogging world can understand.   It's fun and exciting.   Thank you to all who read my posts and who post themselves.  I have never been more inspired.  

I adore everything in this kitchen, especially the island!  The lights are from a store in Charlotte called School House Electric (coolest name ever!).   It looks like they've used Cererra marble on the counters and backsplash.  The cupboards seem to just disappear into the walls making the dark island the focal point.  

School House Electric via Laura Casey Interiors 

I saw this Suzanne Kasler kitchen and immediately smiled and sighed...  It's gorgeous!  The hit of blue in the backsplash and stools is fun.  Cupboards should always go straight to the ceiling.  I hate when there is space left up there to just collect dust.  Take note of the double sink.  Very functional!  

Suzanne Kasler 

I would like to be having breakfast in this kitchen right now.  I showed this to my husband one night and he said he liked the room and that it would look even better if it had a view of a putting green in the backyard.  Haha!   

Suzanne Kasler

This country kitchen is dreamy.  I love the hit of French with table and Louis chairs.  

Suzanne Kasler

Who wouldn't love this galley kitchen?  Arched ceilings, beautiful light fixtures, high-end appliances and a great neutral colour to boot! :)

House Beautiful

I had to show this kitchen simply for the backsplash.  I LOVE the shiny penny tile!!!!  It gives me the same feeling as a gorgeous pair of Manolo Blahnik's - PERFECTION!!! 

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