Tasty Tuesday: King Cake

Those of you from Louisiana probably know what King Cake is--and as we've passed Epiphany (January 6th) we can officially eat it once again as we approach Mardi Gras! I typically order one through the mail, but this year I may try my hand at cooking my own...though I must admit that my baking history with yeast is spotty at best. Hopefully this recipe will guide me to success--bon appetit!

Monday Inspiration: Old and New

I love this combination of the old and the new--the classic wood floor and intricate molding combined with the modern bench and ghost chair--I long for the skill to effortlessly make things look this way, but I have a feeling that making it effortless takes work!

Friday Finds: 'Tis the Season for Cleaning

A re-purposed storage crate from Vakuoli

It's the time of year when we relish the new possibilities we face, and wonder whether one of those possibilities might be a clean house. In typical fashion, we've spent the last year cramming things into closets rather than deciding whether they were worth keeping or not, and now we're facing the consequences and looking to downsize our collection of ill-fitting pants and chipped glasses.

For what remains, however, we will need someplace to put them, and I'm determined not to simply shove them away until next year's resolutions. So, I'm looking for storage that's inexpensive and has a little bit of style. Luckily, there are a lot of options.

I can hang prettier finds rather than keeping them hidden in the closet (from half pint salvage)

I know this book can't store much, but it's just too pretty to pass up (from TealStripes)

Jars are a classic, inexpensive way to see everything you have (from saganaga)

Undercover Storage Gadget

I've been looking around for organizational gadgets and I came across these switchplate/entry caddies on Apartment Therapy. But at a whopping $32 each, I don't know if it's worth it. What do you think? Would you ever try to use something like this, or would you rather a shelf?

DI-Wednesday: Staining a Concrete Floor

After the intense rock-spreading and fan-installing jaunt that was the holidays '09, I'm looking for our next project, preferably one that's relatively easy and quick, and with big impact (yeah, I know--do I want fairy-dust with that?). I think I've found it in the back porch. It's a slab of concrete that's seen better days--and since we've improved the area about a year ago by adding a great porch-covering, the porch floor is in sore need of attention--and it looks like staining is the way to go to get a more transparent/rustic look that's durable enough to survive the dog and his Scooby-do running-in-place antics.

I found a great instructional on Young House Love, with pictures! I think I'll be trying this soon--

Tasty Tuesday: Grilled Veggie Panini

It's that time of year again, when the overindulgences of the holiday season have me squeezing into pants that I swear fit just a couple of weeks ago. So, I've been looking for some recipes to help increase my veggie intake and cut back on the calories. I found this great panini on Self.com that allows for some tasty, cheesy, toasty indulgence without the guilt. And, it's simple to boot. Enjoy!

Monday Inspiration: Organized Office

Photo from paszzz

One of my first resolutions for the new year: organize my office! August Vintage is doing pretty well by my estimation, so I need to make my workplace more efficient. A visit to IKEA over the weekend should help with storage and workspace--now if I could only make it look like the office above, I'd be golden.