Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The family that remodels together...... :)

...stays completely insane together.
This last weekend was the weekend o' tile.
The hubby and I did our kitchen. Yeah you read that right.
I tiled. (manicure be damned!)
 
 
Ok, I buttered and the hubby tiled. God bless that man and his patience.
I mean come on, I love me some BUTTER! so I got a little heavy handed
sometimes with that stinkin thin set! 

 
So while we were tiling.... so was Rio and Chase. Yep, that's Rio using that saw:)
(she totally copied my fabulous hairdo)
Yeah, while we were in the throws of our remodel, they decided to do their
kitchen too.
 


  Their house is a 1941 little cutie just around the corner from ours:)
She's still missing hardware, and trim paint but
I think it turned out fantastic!
 



 
 It's been a crazy last few weeks between our two houses.
Thank goodness for this Sanity Center:)
Seriously, have you ever in all your life seen so much alcohol??!!
Ah the life of the youngins... :)
 
 
Back at the ranch.... I'm gonna try my darndest to get out
my fallness. This here punkin is all I have so far. I found her
all sad and lonely in a cabinet stuffed with randomness from
the move.

 
So this week I'll be receiving the island in the kitchen so I can finally
show you all some pics of the finished kitchen!!:)
 
 
**in other news- we think something died under our house. Maybe a rat? a cat? a bunny?
 I knowww! I'm so completely grossed out!!
 We noticed a smell on Saturday afternoon. Just about the
time when I was showing our kitchen to my pals Jill and Nikki
And here's the best part- WE CAN'T FIND IT!!??
Just thought I'd share... keepin it real!!


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

And it can be YOURS....!! :)

So I know you all know that the hubby and I are in the last stages
of our kitchen reno. It's taken a while because....well....we've
been a little busy. Doing THIS house!!
Ooooh yes!! We like being crazy around here:)
Actually, we just like to cute up old houses:)
 
Check her out-
This ole gal is a 1950 ranch style home.
She boasts 2700 sq. ft., 4 whole bedrooms, hardwood floors throughout
and a whole lot of our love!!


How cool is this family room!! Those beamed ceilings are to die right??
(**floors are now sparkling clean, I just impatiently took pics! go figure!! :)


LOVE these original diamond shaped windows... and that DUTCH door!!

L


 Imagine yourself havin your cup o' joe (or wine and I'll be over) on that front porch...
can ya see it???
 
 
So there you got the nickel tour:) This lovely lady sits in the heart of the Evergreen
Historic District in Mesa, AZ.
Won't you be my neighbor??
More info here:)
Or give our fab realtor Chase Barrett a call:) 480-323-6974

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Rainy days and Mondays..... :)

 It's been raining for two days here in the ole AZ:)
And I LOVE it!!
It's such a welcome reprieve from the hellish temps we endure for what seems
like an eternity!!
 

I could be cooking in my kitchen all day when it rains:)
It just makes me happy:)
Sunday I made turkey noodle soup and beer bread:)


Last night was roasted chicken and I made green been/quinoa salad:)
 
 
Quinoa salad
2 Cups mixed quinoia (you can use whatever you have- the mix is just pretty)
4 Cups chicken broth
2 Cups cut and blanched green beans
Vinaigrette
 
 
Here we go- start by pulling out your rice cooker that you've had since
ohhh about 1995? Dust it off. No really, mine was totally dusty.
I blame the construction around here.
She's a sweet ole gal who just keeps workin' so I keep keepin' her:)



Pour in that beautiful mixed quinoa and the chicken broth.
And here's where it gets really tricky...
Put the lid on and turn it on. Yep. That's it!
It's my favorite way to make a fool proof batch of quinoa:)


Whilst that RIVAL is doin her thang- get some salty water boiling.
Throw in those green beans and blanch em.


I blanched mine for 5 minutes (I like a little crunch) before shocking them in ice water.
 
Side note: I was at a spa in Tucson and I was in one of the hot tubs when I asked this
lady what that smaller little pool was that I saw ladies just walking in and out of.
It was a pool of freezing water she said. I can't even remember why she said it was beneficial,
but I was like- uh huh, oh yeah? really! hmmm...
 I'll give it a try!
Um yeah, what in the world. It was the worst thing ever.
 I can totally relate to these green beans.
Blanching sucks.
 


Make yourself up a vinaigrette.
I don't know? Whatever you have?
I used olive oil, orange muscat champagne vinegar, orange juice, salt, pepper, a pinch
of sugar and some dried herbs.
Shook it all up.
Done.
photo cred-

Toss the green beans and quinoa in the vinaigrette.
Top with toasted whatever nuts you got.
I had pine nuts:)

 
I roasted me some chicken that I had marinated in pretty much the
same ingredients as my vinaigrette.
Super matchy and super good!

 
Sit around the table with your fam and enjoy your
rainy day schedule:)

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Cleaning house... :)

Honestly. That's all I've been doing.
Sheet rock dust is of the devil I tell ya!!
 
 
 It's like I sweep. Then sweep. Then eat a snack. Then sweep some more.
And it just keeps coming back:(


I did manage to get my all important blog world set up:)

 


Say hello to the cutest little ole mail box ever:)
It's the original one that graced this house for years, that is
until the catalogs and junk mail of today just couldn't squeeze
into his slim little self anymore:( he was just hanging outside
surrounded by 2 other "big new guy" mailboxes.
So I rescued him and brought him in:)
I love him:)



 
You know what else I love? My baby girl Rio and her gal pal Kayla's new crazy adventure.
Check it:

 
She's going to be having a clean house sale!!
 
 

 
 
You've GOT to get over there and get yourself some goodies!
All the above necklaces are $29.
Aaaand if you mention Tuesdays With Dorie at checkout
you get a special 20% off :)
 
Oh and that's not all.....
You can check out my hoard from Junk Bonanza!
Yep. All the wonderfulness you see below will be up for grabs:)
 
This Saturday from 9-1 :)
Hope to see you there!!