In the midst of figuring out how in tarnation to deck out and cozy up our new living room, I find myself having a Major Chevron Moment.

{photo credit 1 & 2}

If unleashed and unchecked, I fear my Inner Pattern Hoarder might go hog wild on chevroned rugs, upholstery, pillows, and knick-knacks…

{photo credits 1, 2, & 3}

… However, I do think some large-scale DIY canvases over our new sectional might wet my chevron whistle without going overboard — or over budget!

{photo …

Ciao from Italia!

{image courtesy of author’s personal collection}

Well, actually… Ciao from my living room where I’m wishing I was back in Italia, wandering the streets of Firenze with a double scoop of gelato {1 scoop Nutella, 1 scoop rum, please} or sipping prosecco on a piazza in Roma.  You see, the Evs and I just returned from a 9 day jaunt through Tuscany and Rome… from the trails of Cinque Terre to the Ponte Vecchio, and through the hills …

You know what I love best about small children?  How well they know themselves. They are completely uncensored… the expectations and the thought of potential judgment from others doesn’t tether them down or give them pause.  When you’re six, you know exactly what you like… what you don’t… what you want… who you are.

My favorite color is red.

My favorite food is Velveeta shells and cheese with broccoli.

I am good at drawing.

Santa Claus is most definitely real.

I want a pony at …

Oh Pot-Pie!
How comforting…
How satisfying…
How delightful in minified-form you are!

These little fellows started as a twinkle in my eye after dog-earring this recipe from Cooking Light.  But, wouldn’t you know, after trips to two grocery stores, I was left feeling very Goldielocks about my peasant roll situation… they were just either too big or too small.  Besides, what’s a pot-pie without a nice crisped crust, anyway?

And so, I set about to make a more traditional pie, individually potted for portion control (and, uh, adorableness), …

With the usual parade chocolate truffles and conversation hearts behind us, you can still brighten the one you love’s morning with a cheeky breakfast treat!  After all, nothing spells L-O-V-E like a C-H-E-E-S-Y, gooey, melty, warm sandwich!

{image via Cooking with My Kid}

Croque Madame in a Hole, for 2

Ingredients:

1+ T. butter
4 slices of bread of your choice {I prefer to go traditional with sourdough, but honey whole wheat is delightful too!}
4 slices of Gruyère or Swiss cheese
4 slices of thick-sliced smoked ham {like …

… snow in the North, South, East & West always means a day off work and unnecessarily wonderfully, gloriously large marshmallows bobbing in cocoa.

Whimsy & Spice

… dessert arrives on something fluted, pedestaled, and minified promptly after breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Jeanette Zeis Ceramics

… bath time is celebrated with aplomb aplum acherry.

Fairy Bubbles

… lunch is picnic-ed in springtime Central Park, 365 days a year.

Art Shark Designs

…wine bottles never catch …

“Look into the skillet… Lean over it and look down.  If this is your mother’s skillet…it would hold among its molecules the vibrations of all the conversations every held in its presence.  All the exchanges, the petty irritations, the deadly revelations, the flat announcements of disaster, the grunts and poetry of love.” – Thomas Harris, Hannibal

The first time my parents visited us after we got married, my dad presented me with a package, announcing it was “one last wedding gift.” …

If you’re anything like me, December did a pretty good job of sneaking up on you… I still have a perfectly good pumpkin display on my porch, and yet, there are holiday cards popping up in my mailbox on a daily basis!

Yes, it looks like it’s officially time to engage in the December Mall Parking Wars (or, if you prefer, the Will-It-Or-Will-It-Not-Be-Shipped-In-Time-For-Christmas Quiz Show).   To help keep your holiday merry and stress-free, here are a few of my favorite …

{Food, Beverage, & Entertainment Edition}

While I’m a major Christmas Freak, Fall is by far my favorite season.  Unfortunately, we get so little of it down here in Texas that I tend to get all wrapped up in tinsel and holly and eggnog before I’ve truly taken the opportunity to stop and smell the cinnamon sticks and crunchy fallen leaves.

Happily, I think I might have just created the optimal “Get the Most Out of Fall” itinerary!  Here’s the skinny on how …

I’ve been a bit closed-mouthed about our recent real estate endeavors.  You see, I was all gung-ho to share this little journey with the interwebs, and then… well, then we hit a few snags.

And then the snags got snaggier.

So I started to get superstitious and zipped the ol’ lips in case some sort of ironic cyberspace goblin was intent on wrecking havoc in our little world.

Fast forward 2.5 months later:  Our grueling renegotiations were a success and our mortgage loan …