New blog love & can you spot the burlap chalkboard tags?

I found this blog that made me a tid bit giddy when I saw it.  All the above photos are from the blog Giver's Log inspired gift wrap section.  Lots of great ideas to be found on that blog from wrapping a present to ideas on gift giving.  Check out the the Givers Log more more of the details.

Oh & did you happen to notice the burlap tags?   They were recently added to the Giver's Log mix of inspired gift wrap from around the web.  I never thought about using the tags for gift wrap but I thought it was a brilliant idea.

****So go ahead and enter into the fun give away for a chance to win those tags or that cute pillow because this is the last day.  Just scroll down a few posts****

Note to self...

Stop ignoring the daily One Kings Lane email in your inbox, as most of the good ones sell out within minutes (you know just in case I have a few dollars laying around that don't need to go to diapers, food, bills & gas)  I love discount shopping.  Don't worry husband I will not be buying anymore pillows anytime soon...in which you shouldn't really complain because the last few pillows I bought were basically free from the thrift store. 

Field trip & Friends

I can't think of anything better than combining a trip to one of my favorite places with some of my favorite friends.

Can you see why my excitement can be wrapped up in such a place? One of my dear friends who happened to be in the above pictures also has the most inclusive hair accessory assortments I've ever witnessed. Combined with her great taste then you can imagine all of the possibilities. When I was at her house last I busted out my camera @ photographed a sampling of her collection. I went through and asked her where all of them were purchased @ to my surprise there were a couple Forever 21's mixed into her Bendels NY, Anthropologie & Etsy stock pile.

CAN YOU SPOT A FOREVER 21 HAIR PIECE? There just might be a prize for the first person to answer correctly & it may have something to do with our little trip to the above field trip place.

P.S. - The hair accessory friend should properly be introduced as one of my strongest, smartest & best friends around. I look up to her not for her hair collection but her goodness, faith & fortitude.

Don't forget the giveaway. Look below.

Knock, knock.....

......who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad somebody gets to live in this beautiful, sleek Napa Valley cottage?

{Bear with me while I daydream a bit}
Actually you know what would be better than having somebody live in the below home is actually being friends with the homeowners & having them invite me over for a vacay & then going out to bask in the culinary goodness offered all around Napa & Sonoma. Perhaps an eating establishment that grows all of their own fruits & veggies on site. Oh how I love good food.

Sometimes I have this conflict inside because I really love patterns, textures, layers, & color, color, color but then I see something simple, refined, a bit more moncrome or shall we say black & white & then I jump on that band wagon. Sometimes I like things in decor to look more masculine & then on a flip of a dime I decide that I really like something feminine & glamourous. (Does anybody else do this?) I'm not saying this conflict is a bad thing but certainly can make it difficult to either decide how to decorate or how to fuse both styles. Actually my budget decorating kind of eliminates these issues all together because we just do the best we can with the funds we have so it may not always look like what is in my dream file. 4 years ago when I saw the below photos in Mom's Architectual Digest I was smitten. I have come back to them on occasion to remember the reason I love Michael Vanderbyl & Anna Hernandez's home. It's those darn dark wood floors with all of the contrasting white trim that does it to me every time.

These photos are especially inspiring to me right now as our brand new dark wood floor should finally be done today....YEAH! So today I am feeling happy about dark wood floors & a friend who helped us get a really good deal on them.

Now how do I keep them clean?

Once again I take the risky route, kind of like my love of white & upholstering a chair all white after I was full advised not to. Do I really have 5 little kids? Why yes I do.

P.S. - Look down a post to enter a fun giveaway.

A Fun Giveaway!!

PRIZE #1

a set of burlap chalkboard tags:

PRIZE #2

a beautiful burlap pillow:

Did you know I started a private blog? Probably not because I don't even think my Momma knows as I haven't invited anybody yet. Anyway I did & the objective is to document more of the nitty gritty of family life with my multiple multiples. Perhaps it would be stuff only a Momma would find interesting anyway:-) Which leaves me to wonder what to do with Full House. I think we'll just take it day by day but for now it seems to be working & I am really enjoying all of the contacts & friends I have made. I am constantly amazed how many wonderful & talented woman there are out there. So much to be inspired by. Also I think my blog has helped me to focus on really happy things. What a great outlet it has been indeed, so much so that my TV has been very very lonely. Plus I can't ignore how happy all of the nice comments that have been left make me feel. Thank you so much for every single one of them.

In return I am SOOO excited to present a fabulous giveaway from my blogging friend Grace, so come join the fun, would you? She has unofficially been named the queen of burlap. As I have gotten to know her I have been impressed by her skills. Remember the burlap chalkboard tags from my laundry room...she made those. Anyway here's a chance to win some of Grace's fun talent....

Just leave a comment and if you would like to double your chances blog about the giveaway and then leave another comment saying that you did so. Also if you have a preference on which prize you'd like than include that in your comment. I will draw the 2 winners on Thursday night & announce them on Friday. To see more of Grace's fun stuff visit her shop, Coastline here.

Hoping everybody has a great week!

chicken & quinoa

This is one of our familys favorite ways to use chicken & quinoa. Shhhh, sometimes if I'm feeling really lazy I used canned chicken from Cosco (canned chicken not so healthy but tasty). My kids even like it because it is so delicious.

Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Quinoa, Peppers and Basil

This recipe comes from the box of Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa.

1 cup Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa prepared with chicken stock according to package directions

2 cups Trader Joe's Chicken Broth

1 1/2 pounds Trader Joe's Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders (any chicken)

4 tablespoons Trader Joe's Garlic Flavored Olive Oil (or just fresh garlic sauteed in olive oil)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

20 leaves fresh sweet basil, julienne

Grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut chicken into one inch pieces. Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat and add the oil. Add chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Add onions, peppers, and saute for one or two more minutes. Add garlic and saute until peppers become slightly limp, but still bright, about one to two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat. Add basil and quinoa. Toss until basil wilts and garnish with parmesan cheese. Serves four