Oh happy tray

While hunting for ugly Christmas sweaters for this event, I happened across this sad, neglected tray and couldn't help but see the potential in it, especially for just $1. Derek battled against me bringing home yet another piece of orphaned home decor, but I finally won him over.

And once he gave it a quick spray of white paint, I think he felt a little more welcoming toward it ...

Even more so when I covered the bottom with some green burlap ...

And then finished off the rough edges with jute twine ...

He even volunteered his stronger/steadier hand to cut out the stencil I printed out ...

And I knew he was officially in love when he took the lead in spraying the stencil on in black.

But in the end we sent the "E" for "Engler" tray, off to a better home, my parents', for Christmas.

Cherry walnut salad

While we were on vacation, we ate out our lunches way more frequently than we do at home and ended up at Panera (or St. Louis Bread Company as called in STL) quite a few times. I've loved Panera since high school but was so pleased with their new Harvest Chicken Salad - I had to try my own version at home! Not only did I get to try out two of my Christmas gifts (a Food Network food processor and Williams Sonoma vinaigrette shaker), it turned out so yummy, I think I'm going to try to reinvent a few more of my dining-out faves!

I hope you try it and love it as much as me!

Cherry walnut salad (Panera's Harvest Chicken)
Ingredients:
I made for two, but you can totally adjust the below by taste or number of eaters
- Mixed greens or other lettuce
- Pear (1)
- Handful of dried cherries
- Toasted walnuts - about 1/2 cup
- Crumbled blue cheese - about 1/2 cup
- Grilled chicken breast (1)

1. Toss ingredients together and serve with the vinaigrette below.


Cherry Vinaigrette:
From Derek's mom, Chris. Makes one cup - more than enough for a salad for two.


-1/3 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1 cloves garlic
- 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1. Soak cherries in hot water for 15 minutes; pour cherries and liquid into blender or food processor. Add garlic, vinegar and half of olive oil. Process until garlic is finely chopped.
2. Add mustard, salt and pepper, blending after each addition.
3. With blender running, add remaining olive oil in a steady stream.
4. Serve with salad and save the rest in an airtight container for only a couple of days.

Trimmed & Taylored presents the letter B

I've been crazy in love with the yarn wreaths all you crafties have been churning out like the beauties spotted on Take Heart here. I originally planned on making one for Derek's parents for Christmas, but in a short burst of over-achiever-ness at JoAnn's decided to attempt a yarn "B' for their last name.

I'm super happy with the result and it looks quite cute hanging in their house. Check out the how-to and the pics below and let me know what you think!

Supplies:
- Paper mache letter
- Yarn (I used one whole spool)
- Felt in your choice of colors (I used 4 - 5 sheets)
- Cardboard
- Glue gun
- Staple gun

Instructions:

1. Tie off a bit of ribbon at the back of your letter - where you start will depend on your letter - and then begin to wrap. Based on the shape of your letter, there will be various areas where you can't wrap the yarn. I used a bit of glue in some areas to help guide the yarn where it needed to be and left the other areas to be later covered with felt flowers.

2. Begin making your felt flowers. Cut a circle of felt with uneven edges then begin cutting the circle into a spiral. You should end with a large line of felt. Make various size circles to change your flower size.

3. Beginning at the end of your spiral, start to roll the felt tightly - forming a little rose! I also cut little leaves out of green felt.

4. Begin placing the roses around your letter, strategically placing them to cover any bare spots.
5. Trace your letter loosely onto a piece of cardboard (I used a pizza box) so that it will fit behind the letter but not poke out of the sides. Then use the cardboard to trace the same shape onto a sheet of felt. Glue the felt and the cardboard together and staple to the back of the letter to cover any back bare spaces.

6. I then attached a little loop of ribbon to the back for hanging, though you can also use a picture holder.

Voila! The letter B!



P.S. Why are stormy skies so very pretty?

Shot in a serious yet very short storm in St. Louis. 

Meet me in St. Louis

After a few days of ice skating, bowling, a fancy holiday show, great food, and lots of laughs in St. Louis with Derek's Mom, Dad and sister, it was tough to depart! We had such a great time and feel so lucky to have had two wonderful families to visit over the holidays. Some other highlights from our time at the Burke house ...


The cutest puppies in town ...

Jack ...

and George.

Cupcakes from the fabulous Jilly's Cupcake Bar. I'm not kidding, these are as big as my head and A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

The yummiest frozen mojitos in the most festive colors (recipe below).

Thanks Chris and Terry for a fabulous few days! We can't wait to see you in San Diego!


Blended Golden Mojitos
Makes 4 mojitos

Ingredients:
- sugar for coating
- 1 lime wedge
- 1 cup gold rum
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup sugar or light agave nectar
- 4 to 5 cups ice
- 12 fresh mint leaves plus 4 mint sprigs for garnish

Directions:
1. Place enough sugar on a small plate to reach 1/4 inch.
2. Run lime wedge across rims of martini glasses to moisten and dip into sugar.
3. Blend rum, lime, and 1/3 cup sugar until sugar dissolves.
4. Add 4 cups of ice and lend until slushy (add the last cup if desired).
5. Add mint and blend until small green flakes appear.
6. Pour into glasses and garnish with mint.

Back to the future - 2010/2011

I can't believe it's the first Monday in 2011 already! The past year and the past week of vacation time has flown so quickly by that I wanted to recapture a few of 2010's highlights as well as note down some of my goals for 2011 so you all can help hold me accountable!

The best of 2010:

- Moving to California and in with Derek was a huge decision that felt as easy as breathing. The heart knows what's best and I'm the happiest I've ever been!

- Living in NYC with my best gal pals and visiting wonderful friends and family in Boston, Pittsburgh, Florida, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Houston.

- Derek ending his time in the military after four years and two deployments. And now going back to school! I'm so proud of him and so glad he's safe and here with me to stay. All my thoughts to those out there with friends and family overseas!


- A half cross-country road trip from St. Louis to San Diego and seeing the Grand Canyon.

- Derek's first year at my Thanksgiving and our mutual first year of two family Christmases - Derek's and my own. It was so much fun to hang out with both - double the cheer!

- A promotion at work! Loving my new day job and the fact that I've started back up at my nighttime hobby -this blog!

- Dying my hair back to it's natural light brown after 10 (yes I'm only 24) years of highlighting to blonde. I love it!

Goals for 2011:

- Learn to use more than just the "shoot" button on my new Canon! Luckily my guy bought me a photography book for Christmas!

- Work up the strength and endurance to run all the way up Cowles Mountain - a feat I attempt with Derek every weekend but always end up walking and meeting him up at the top.

- Learn to use my new sewing machine! I'd love to have sewn something I can wear by the year's end.

- Be better about being in touch. I have friends and family all across the country - I want to make sure I spend more time on the phone and via snail mail keeping in touch, instead of just seeing what's going on via Facebook.

- Thoroughly explore San Diego. We may not be in "America's Finest City" much longer after Derek graduates in 2012, so I'd like to be sure I gave it the full once-over.

- Make more recipes of my own invention. I'm an expert at following recipes and I've come up with a few of my own, but I'd love to get more creative with my imagination.

- Do more for the people I love and those I've never met - a smile on the street, surprise homemade gift in the mail, a good listening ear, time spent volunteering - small minutes of action can add up big time for what you do for the world.

Happy New Year!

Hi all and happy new year's eve! Sorry for the absence, I've just been having too much fun closing out 2010! Please stop by in the next few weeks for year recaps, resolutions, pictures from my trip to St. Louis and upcoming ski vacation, and DIY projects galore!

For now, I wish you lots of fun, confetti, and champagne this evening and in the coming year.
xox and here's to 2011!

Taylor

Picture from here