Honey We're Home

Ahi Tuna Salad

2013-05-23T06:48:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite starters to order at a restaurant, aside from the cheese plate, is the tuna tartare. To satisfy the craving at home, I make something similar once in awhile. This recipe does call for a couple of unique ingredients you may not necessarily have on hand, but you can pick them up at most grocery stores.

Ingredients

Ahi tuna
Tomato
Avocado
Scallions
Spicy mayo (I get it from the sushi counter at my store- it's about $1.00 for a small cup)
Wasabi paste- comes in a tube in the Asian aisle
Black sesame seeds

I sear the tuna in a skillet over medium high heat for about two minutes per side and them remove and let rest while I dice the tomato and avocado. Add in a bit of chopped scallion, the spicy mayo and wasabi paste to taste and sprinkle with the black sesame seeds.

Are you into sushi or not so much? I know people love it or hate it. I'm definitely in the love category! This is one of the recipes on my health and fitness blog, Honey We're Healthy. Join me over there for more! :)

Thank you, Pinterest . . .

2013-05-22T07:08:00.001-05:00

for finally alerting me when I'm about to pin something I've already pinned! I've done this so many times in the past and on Sunday, got this friendly little message twice:) Has this happened to you?!

You can follow me on Pinterest HERE.

Kid Spaces

2013-05-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

Perfect timing for today's post from some of my favorite people over at Small Fry blog. As you know, I'm in the midst of making over my son's nursery into a toddler room, and below are two creative kids rooms I know you'll love. Don't these girls look like fun?! Their personalities translate into their children's spaces too!

Jenna:

I started the concept of Quinn's Room with the colors I wanted:Aqua Blue, Orange & Grey. I can't remember where I got my initial inspiration for those colors, but color is where the room started. It was important for me to have a room that was very little boy inspired but still masculine. I'm not a fan of sports themes or any of the typical "boy room" designs so I stuck to bold patterns, simple ikea furniture & beautifully painted walls. I had five versions of the aqua i eventually used on my wall for a month! I sent over my ideas to my designer friend, Kirsten & she helped me find the striped bedding from West Elm & the beautiful rug from CB2. Both bold patterned pieces I think make the room! I love being in Quinn's room, it is cheerful, happy & calming & the perfect room for my little boy.

Emily:

When we found out we were having a boy, it was around Christmastime and my husband had this awesome teal cashmere sweater that he would wear. It was the coziest thing ever, I wore it around all Winter. I fell in love with the color so I took the sweater to Home Depot and had them color match it! It represented comfort to me, and isn't that what a nursery is all about? We knew we couldn't do more than one wall teal without the already small room feeling smaller, so we painted one, picked a complimentary lighter blue for the others. To add texture my husband installed some pine flooring on the one wall, with original plans to do a high gloss white, but we sort of loved the natural wood, so it stayed!

We are huge music lovers and had a collection of concert posters that we wanted to put up in the nursery. They all had a mustard yellow hue to them, so that became the secondary color throughout the room. I was like Jenna in the sense that even though it was a nursery, I wanted it to feel masculine and ageless. The gallery wall helped with that tremendously. I found a super cheap rust colored rocker, and threw that in for good measure. By now my color scheme was all over the place, so my goal with the crib bedding was to tie it all in some how. Low and behold I found this adorable woodland creature print with you guessed it, mustard, teal, rust, and light blue. My husband built the shelves and hanging racks into the standard closet, and an Ikea shelving system gave us extra storage.

Thank you Jenna and Emily for sharing your inventive kids' rooms with us!

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Kristen at 6th Street Design School kicks off her series this week and I'm honored to have chimed in with what works in our house as it pertains to kids + good design.

Cleaning Up

2013-05-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling a whole lot lighter after tackling a chore that I'd been avoiding for a couple weeks- cleaning up the accumulating mess in my office. It's the result of James' art projects from school, home files, Stella & Dot stuff, craft things, and magazines. It's all the stuff that didn't belong downstairs, and so I rightfully bring it up, but instead of putting it away properly, I just dumped it on my office floor. You do this too? Move one pile to the next until you can't stand it anymore.

I avoid my office completely when it looks like this so it was time to get it cleaned up. It didn't take long to throw out the trash and put things back where they belonged.

So much better! Doesn't it feel so good to get things organized and cleaned up? It's a fresh start to the week! Hope you have a great one!

Living Room Before & After (Danielle Moss)

2013-05-16T07:02:00.003-05:00

I'm a big fan of Danielle Moss (Breakfast at Toast/The Everygirl) and really appreciate how honest she is about not just the successes in her life, but the struggles too. We all have them, trust me. But, blogs are generally our "happy place" so let's enjoy her gorgeous apartment! Have you seen it already?? So bright and full of personality in the little details.

In true Danielle style, I love how she shares the unglamorous "before" photos.

*all images via Breakfast at Toast

Amazing what some paint and styling can do to a room! And I'm reminded to "enjoy the process"!

Big Boy Bedroom Plan

2013-05-13T20:34:00.001-05:00

My 3 year-old son will soon be sleeping in a big boy bed. He's been quite content in his crib (only crawled out once!) all this time. I took my time searching for a new bed and didn't go with the car bed although I did consider it, opting instead for a better quality twin bed and "Cars" bedding.

I searched everywhere, looking online and in several stores. I almost bought one from Wal-Mart.com, but the reviews weren't that good and said the color (Walnut) was more orange/red than pictured.

via Wal-Mart $229

I really loved the dark blue Pottery Barn Camp bed, but it was $599 (on sale from $749).

Ultimately, I chose a twin bed (Hampton Classic Bed) from Pottery Barn Teen that is on sale for $399.

I found Cars bedding at Target

and also a red and white patterned sheet set with a red jersey knit pillow case (for "accidents" and when I want a change).

This West Elm shower curtain will become his drapes after a little sewing to make them longer (thanks Amanda!)

and the upper part of his walls will be painted something similar to this, Indi Go-Go by Benjamin Moore.

There will be pops of red, perhaps one of these bean bag chairs from Pottery Barn:

It's a start - finally!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Happy Mother's Day!

2013-05-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hope you have a great day!

DIY or HIRE??

2013-05-08T21:27:00.001-05:00

You might remember me talking about wanting to paint our media cabinets dark grey last week. They are currently Sherwin Williams Divine White (flat) and Jamestown Blue (Sherwin Williams??) on the back wall.

And I want to paint them dark grey like this:

I actually don't WANT to paint them myself, so I called the painter who painted my office for $100 (well worth it in my opinion) to get a quote. I'm not sure what I expected, but it sure wasn't $750! He said he would paint it with his spray gun and the cost is really in the care he has to take in covering everything else in the house so it doesn't get sprayed with paint.

I politely declined.

My question is: Is this something I can tackle myself? I painted the back wall, but that was easy, no drawers and doors, etc. I really admire all you DIYers out there that wouldn't even hesitate to paint this yourself, but I'm very hesitant because I want it to look good, especially because it's such a focal point in the room.

Would you paint it yourself?

What do you think is a reasonable price to pay to hire someone?

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And please come say hi to Jenna at SAS Interiors- she invited me over to talk about creating a meaningful home. Thanks for having me Jenna!

BOY

2013-05-06T22:16:00.001-05:00

My little baby is turning into a full fledged BOY. We had a date night last Friday which included a trip to the bookstore (his request) and dinner at a restaurant, just the two of us. I told him when I dropped him off at school that when I picked him up we were going on a date. Hours later when I returned, the first thing he said when I walked into his class was, "Are you ready for our date, Mom?" So sweet!

But he's not all sweet all the time anymore. He wants to play rough, pretend he's Darth Vader, and challenge me. We can't go anywhere without his lightsaber or Mack/Mater/McQueen. He tells me, "No," goes straight to time-out for one minute, and then chastizes with that pouty face, "Don't be ugly to me!" And he wants to negotiate all the time. Mr. Let's Make A Deal, I swear.

He's developing his independence and exploring the world. Finding out what he likes to do and what makes him happy. Testing boundaries and asserting himself. Asking questions and making connections. Struggling with discipline and rules. Getting so good at talking and communicating. He might be more and more boy, but he is still so friendly and outgoing, talks to everyone, and loves to give hugs and kisses. He's already teaching me more about myself as a person and woman and mother than I'm probably offering him. I get lessons in patience and self-control and staying "in the moment" daily. I'm so proud to be his mom- I feel like I should thank him on Mother's Day for coming into my life and making me a mom. It's the best thing in the whole world.

Abby M. Interiors

2013-05-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday friends! Over the weekend I was thrilled to hear my friend Abby announce the launch of her new interior design blog, Abby M. Interiors. I've been following Abby since she first started blogging (A Delightful Design) and we started our blogs around the same time- hard to believe it's been about 3 years now! I think Abby is so talented and beyond classy and I'm just so happy for her success. It takes a lot of bravery and determination to follow your dreams, so big KUDOS to you Abby!

Here is a sampling of some of her work, but you can visit her new blog for more photos and info about hiring her for your own project.

All photos via Abby M. Interiors.

Have a great week!

Basket Addiction

2013-05-02T19:39:00.001-05:00

Happy almost Weekend! If you have a chance, head on over to my friend Jen (I Heart Organizing) where I'm sharing my tips on how to organize your home with baskets! I must have at least 50 baskets over here, what about you??

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Gray Built-In Bookshelves

2013-04-30T16:11:00.000-05:00

Joni, of Cote de Texas, is famous for bring us gorgeous home tours and I came across this West University home she featured back in December 2009, as decorated by Sally Wheat. Although the entire home is beautiful, what really caught my attention was the gray built-in bookcases in the family room. Ms. Wheat is definitely ahead of the trends as gray is as relevant as ever, four years later.

via Cote de Texas

I scoured the entire post for the name of the paint color and found that Joni graciously shared it in the comments.

Here's another darker gray built-in from Home & Design.

via Home & Design

Laura at Bright, Bold, and Beautiful featured a home office remodel by Niki and Bradely Davidson that has the same dark gray built-in look.

via Bright, Bold, and Beautiful

I'm in love with just about every design from M.E. Beck Design, Inc. including her use of dark gray in this living room.

via M.E. Beck Design, Inc.

All of this gorgeous gray is making me want to paint our living room media cabinet/bookshelves gray. Here's what they look like now. Who has photoshop and can give me a rendering?? :)

I painted a white door gray and love the look, so I'm thinking I'd love the look in the living room too. It's more interesting and dramatic.

I'm just not sure how dark I want to go. The door is painted Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams.

What medium to dark gray paint do you like? I'd love to hear.

Impromptu Picnic

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend, in between thunderstorms, we had a pocketful of really nice weather. The kind of mild weather that is perfect for an impromptu picnic, and just the excuse I needed to bust out my new picnic basket I found at HomeGoods. They are designed by Cynthia Rowley and come is several different colors and patterns.

The padded handle is nice and inside, they are insulated. I was able to fit a small cutting board, 4 tupperware containers, 2 boxes of crackers, a juice box, hand towel and ice bag.

A small pocket on the outside is great for napkins and cutlery.

You don't need to get all fancy for a picnic, just a few light snacks are perfect.

I showed my son that, on a picnic, you can take off your shoes and enjoy bare feet:)

But then he was off to the playground.

Have you enjoyed a picnic lately? Next time I'm bringing the wine.

Our Living Room Sectional (Pottery Barn Pearce) - A Review

2013-04-24T20:36:00.001-05:00

Our sectional is from Pottery Barn- the Pearce to be precise and I wanted to let you know the pros and cons in case you are considering this sofa for your home. Overall, I would buy this couch again, but I wish the back cushions held their shape better.

This sectional comes in four pieces and can be configured so that the chaise is on the left or right. You have to be careful when placing your order so you get the correct piece.

The couch is big! It's long enough seat several people and also to take an afternoon nap.

For our space, the sectional fits our living room perfectly. I love having the chaise lounge and you can typically find me there. I claimed it from the very beginning. Well, James and I claimed it.

The fabric on our sofa is Everyday suede in Light Wheat, but it also comes in a variety of different fabrics and colors. Light Wheat is a neutral dark tan. You can take swatches of their fabric home for free. The suede is great because it is soft and wipes clean easily. The only stain I haven't been able to remove is an ink pen. All spilled milk and other unidentified spots have disappeared with a scrub of soap and water.

My disappointment in this sofa is the back cushions. They get so "mushed" and lose their shape- especially the ones that get the most use. I continually have to refluff them. The cushion covers do unzip, so I guess I could purchase a new insert- I haven't looked into that, but might consider it. For now, I've added another pillow insert into the one cushion that goes where I sit.

Be mindful that with a sectional like this (with the chaise), you can't have a very large coffee table in the middle. There are about 70 inches inside, but you need to have room to walk around the coffee table, so the widest coffee table you can reasonably have is about 40 inches.

I think this couch is popular- I've seen it in my friend Courtney's home (A Thoughtful Place). I'm not sure we have the same fabric/color though. And her cushions don't look as smushed. :)

Balancing Home has the Pearce in Oat.

If you have any questions about this sofa, let me know and I'll answer in the comments.

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P.S. I'm sharing a spinach and fruit smoothie on my health and fitness blog- Honey We're Healthy. This one's surprisingly yummy!

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Head over to Babble for 12 "Real Mom" tips on how to stay organized.

Have a great weekend!

Wisteria

2013-04-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

I got the new Wisteria catalog the other day and pretty much flagged every page for items I liked. I have never ordered from Wisteria, have you? I'm surprised I haven't at least gotten this x-base stool. I've admired it for years. I could be sitting on it instead of the floor when I bathe my son.

I'm crazy over this Reclaimed Pine Bookcase. I envision it in a dining room - it would be great storage for linens/serve ware with all those different sized drawers.

And this French Directoire Dresser is definitely on my list.

I like seeing the different ways they style it.

And those chairs. They come in a variety of soothing colors.

Wisteria's mirror collection is amazing.

If you don't mind a desk without drawers, this glass desk is pretty cool.

Have you ordered furniture from an online retailer where you haven't gotten to see the furniture in person first? How was your experience?

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HomeGoods Blogger Party

2013-04-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at the HomeGoods Blogger Access Party on Saturday morning. The store associates were so friendly and put out a wonderful spread of breakfast pastries, fruit, and drinks for us to enjoy before we shopped. The store generously gave away five $50 gift certificates and also $10 gift certificates to everyone who came. THANK YOU HomeGoods and to all the beautiful ladies who attended!

Here are a couple items that came home with me on Saturday: This global/geometric dark gray and white flat weave rug. It was a steal at $49.99 for a 5x7. They had several sizes and lots of different patterns and colors.

Since I moved the cowhide rug back downstairs to the living room, this new rug is perfect for my office.

And I got a huge bottle of hand soap in a fun, striped bottle for $3.99. I like how it goes with our kitchen rugs.

Then, on Sunday, I visited the HomeGoods by my house and fell in love with these Drexel Heritage lamps. They were only $80 each and so vibrant. They really "wake up" the dining room.

I adore the lucite base.

Have you been to HomeGoods lately? What's your favorite thing you've found there?

Kitchen & Breakfast Room LOVE

2013-04-18T22:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! I'm looking forward to the HomeGoods event in Saturday morning- I'll be there bright and shiny at 8:00 a.m.! If you're in Houston, I can't wait to see you there!

What I have to show you today is nothing short of breathtaking. It is a kitchen/breakfast room remodel by the incredibly talented Emily Hewitt of A Well Dressed Home. She is an interior designer in Dallas and she recently worked this magic. Take a peek.

I love it all and would happily move in in an instant. I know the homeowners must be thrilled. Especially considering their kitchen previously looked like this . . .

It doesn't even look like the same home right?! To read all about Emily's redesign, visit A Well Dressed Home.

Have a great weekend!

Chocolate Protein Brownies

2013-04-17T21:54:00.001-05:00

I posted this protein brownie recipe on Honey We're Healthy awhile ago and it's been such a hit, that I wanted to share it here too. I make these all the time and eat them as snacks and my son loves them too. The consistency is actually more like a cake, but you don't have to feel guilty about eating this cake. The recipe comes from Jamie Eason and I put in italics how I tweaked it.

Ingredients

1 cup Oat Flour (I ground oats finely in a food processor)
2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I used chocolate protein powder)
½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
3 tbsp Baking Cocoa
4 Egg Whites
½ cup Splenda (I leave out the sugar and add 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips)
8oz Berry flavored Baby Food (I used 8oz applesauce)
4oz Water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients (oat flour, vanilla whey protein, baking soda, salt, baking cocoa) together in a large bowl.

Mix wet ingredients (egg whites, applesauce, water) together in a medium sized bowl.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together.

Spray cooking dish (I used an 8x8 glass pan) with a non stick butter spray or olive oil spray and add batter to dish.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes

Nutrition

2 Bars = Calories 96; Fat 1.4 g; Carbs 12 g; Protein 10 g

I store mine in the fridge. Hope you like!!

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I'm really looking forward to our HomeGoods Exclusive Blogger Shopping Event this Saturday! I've gotten lots of RSVP's and if you want to join, please email me at: honeywerehomeblog@gmail.com.

There will be refreshments, door prizes and giveaways too! Please bring a friend or two- especially if they have never experienced HomeGoods for themselves!

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Office Accessories & New Chrome Lamp

2013-04-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Still playing in my home office and the latest addition is a sleek and shiny desk lamp from Z Gallerie, the Charleston.

I liked how the chrome in the lamp echoes the chrome in the West Elm curtain rod.

And I can't seem to live without a desk calendar- I found this one at Paper Source.

Each month is a different color and the pages are heavyweight card stock. Since it's April, the calendar is on sale for $4.99 and it comes with the acrylic stand.

And for fun, I put this little wooden LOVE sign up next to the owl. I got it around Valentine's day with crafty thoughts in mind that didn't actualize.

P.S. I'll be talking to the Homegoods folks today. I'm so excited for our exclusive shopping event this Saturday! Go HERE for more details.

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HomeGoods Blogger Access Party

2013-04-14T09:25:00.006-05:00

Don't we all love HomeGoods?! I'm sure most of my home accessories were purchased there and I'm known to pop into my local HomeGoods store just to "see what's new" about every week! Their selection and prices are amazing- not to mention their friendly and helpful team. If you're in the Houston area, I'm thrilled to invite you to a HomeGoods Blogger Access Party this Saturday, April 20 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. We'll have exclusive access to shop the store before it officially opens and I'm so excited to see their freshly stocked shelves full of new decor pieces! All to ourselves! :)

There will be refreshments and giveaways too- more details to follow later this week! I hope you can make it- I'd love to meet you. :)

If you plan to attend, please RSVP via email at: honeywerehomeblog@gmail.com (subject HOMEGOODS RSVP)

Here's a look at just a few of the HomeGoods scores around my house:

Lamps

Green and Blue Jug Vases

Mini Club Chair & Ottoman

Mirror

Typography Pillow

Lamp and Vase

I can't wait! See you soon!

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Custom Upholstered Children's Chair

2013-04-11T07:31:00.000-05:00

I saw this adorable upholstered chair recently on Jennifer's blog (The Chronicles of Home) and instantly fell in love. The fabric is so cool and the nailhead trim puts it over the top. But when I realized it's a children's chair, I thought how genius! What a perfect, special addition to any room and that it's handmade by a mother is even better. It's a piece I'm sure that will be cherished for many years.

Now Jennifer is making these chairs available for sale in a variety of different fabrics or you can choose your own fabric. So cool!

What fabric or color would you choose?

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a happy life

2013-04-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

via Emily McCarthy

Still working on those 2013 goals. How are yours coming??

A Favorite (Smaller) Living Room

2013-04-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I can't get this living room out of my mind. It's a beautiful mix of masculine and feminine, a neutral color palette with great texture and personality. The gallery wall is interesting and, if you can pull off a white sofa, go for it! I've got a little toddler eating and getting grubby on the couch so it's probably not happening here- although I have a friend who loves her white slipcovered sofas even with her own two little kids.

I'm also crazy over the black-rimmed windows devoid of drapes- such great light. And that convex mirror! The tiniest hint of blush pink in the pillow, vase and book adds a girlie touch too.

This living room was designed and styled by Crystal Gentilello. You can go here to see more of her work.

I felt this room showcases how stylishly you can live in a smaller space. It seems that the ceilings are rather tall, which definitely opens up the room.

So tell me, are you living large or rockin' a smaller space?

If you follow me on Instagram (@honeywerehome), you saw me browsing Domino's issue dedicated to small spaces. It's full of pictures and practical storage solutions.

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Weekend Fun

2013-04-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I swear the weekends go by way too fast! I didn't get too much done at home since we spent half the weekend celebrating my niece's 4th birthday. It's so fun to get the kids together and watch them make memories. I took a bunch of pics and got some good ones of James.

He sure had fun on the bouncy slide!

I can't get enough of this little guy. People are finally starting to say he resembles me. I think so, in the eyes especially. But really, it's his delightful spirit that I recognize. He's such a loving, happy little boy.

On the road, I had lots of time to play on Pinterest and I was pinning away. I've got tons of ideas for the future and am ready to tackle a few new decor projects soon! And this pin caught my eye . . .

via

Ever need to hear that?!

Have a great week friends! Let's make it AMAZING!

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Z Gallerie Jett Desk

2013-04-03T20:56:00.002-05:00

I get a lot of questions about the Z Gallerie Jett Desk in my office. Yes, I love it and would definitely purchase it again. It's sleek and clean looking and has a large surface area (57W x 30D x 32H).

One minor inconvenience is the bar on the shelf underneath. I have hit my knees on it occasionally, and, I like to put my bare feet up there, but the sharp edges aren't very comfy.

I found an inexpensive, quick solution by putting a piece of pipe insulation over it. So much better!

The bar/shelf can be used to store magazines or books like below.

via Lonny

If you want to see more images of similar desks, check out my Office Pinterest board.

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