Valentine’s Day Table

heathermisner — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:00:34 +0000

Sources: Placemats and LOVE blocks – Target; Resealable Glass Jars – Weck; I ♥ You Tag – PaperSource; Bud Vases – Crate and Barrel

Filed under: Entertaining, Holidays, Home, Tablescapes

S&B ♥ : Valentine’s Day Cards

heathermisner — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:35 +0000

“You are the butter to my bread, the breath to my life – I love you, my darling.”

- Paul Child, to Julia

America’s most romantic holiday is upon us. I love Valentine’s Day – I always have. The pinks, reds, and whites. The chocolate. The love. All of it.

The first 24 of my life, I didn’t really have a “valentine.” Now I do. It’s fun, to be sure. But I have some great memories of Valentine’s Day as a kid.

My parents would always give my sister and I small Valentine’s gifts in the morning before we left for school on February 14. Sometimes it was candy or a little stuffed animal. But one year, we got those mini-backpack purses that were SUPER popular in the early-to-mid nineties. You know the ones with the brown suede bottoms? Oh, yeah. We were so excited and totally in heaven, and even now, that remains one of my favorite memories of Valentine’s Day – and of my childhood in general.

The most fun part of Valentine’s Day though, is the cards. My tastes have evolved a bit over the years and even though I’ll always love the tear-away rectangular throwback Care Bear cards, here are a few of my favorites for this year:

You Are the Salt to My Pretzel, by hellosmallworld, $4

Multi Colored Hearts Stationery, by PaperSource, $9 for 10

Valentine’s Day Postcards, by Rifle Paper Co, $10 for 10

Filed under: Cool Stuff, Holidays

P365: Week One

heathermisner — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:20:39 +0000

: 11-Jan-12

: 12-Jan-12

: 13-Jan-12

: 16-Jan-12

Filed under: P365

S&B ♥ : Floor Poufs

heathermisner — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:00:58 +0000

Lately I’ve had my eye on floor poufs. I’m hoping to find the perfect little corner in our new place to put one. Not only do they provide cute decoration and extra color, but they’re practical! Unsure how to use one? Check out Apartment Therapy’s post with ten suggestions. Here are some of my latest favorites:

This adorable green and white elephant version would be great in a nursery or kid’s playroom. By aletafae.

Navy and white is timeless, and the lattice pattern makes it modern. By anitascasa.

West Elm’s square version is perfect as a makeshift table and the gray and white offers a neutral option.

Filed under: Cool Stuff

Dark Chocolate Chip Brownies

heathermisner — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:49 +0000

If I had a dollar for every time I tried to give up chocolate, my 401K would be quite lined. Alas, I still eat it – probably every day. And brownies are one my favorite ways to get my fix.

Brownies are so versatile. You can substitute any type of “chip” (milk, butterscotch, peanut butter, white, etc) for the dark chocolate in this recipe. Use your imagination or whatever you happen to have on hand the day you make these.

The recipe I use is adapted from Martha Stewart’s Double-Chocolate Brownies, found here.

Ingredients::

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup 60% semisweet chocolate baking chips
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions::

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan by coating it with cooking spray. Optional: Line the pan with parchment paper if you wish.
Put butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof medium bowl, set over a pan of simmering water; stir until butter and chocolate are melted. Let cool slightly.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; set aside.
Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out brownies; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Filed under: Desserts

Pig Napkin Rings

heathermisner — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:00:22 +0000

Many years ago – ok, three years ago – I went out on my very first date with my husband. He took me to a fantastic upscale Southern restaurant, Jackson 20. The food is excellent, but what I love is that they have these really fun, really heavy-weight, pig napkin rings. About a year ago, I got it in my head that I would like some of my own, but didn’t buy any.

What did I find underneath the Christmas tree this year? Eight little perfect pigs – in the form of napkin rings! Expect to see these guys gracing future S&B posts. You can find some for your own home on eBay or antique websites.

Filed under: Cool Stuff, Tablescapes, The Husband

Project 365: Intro and Day One

heathermisner — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:59:50 +0000

In this new year, I have decided to take on a rather large undertaking: Project 365. The gist is that you take a photo every single day for a year and by the end, you have a beautiful “journal” of things you’ve experienced throughout the year. Here is a more detailed description of the challenge.

The past year just flew by and there were so many important events. This year is another big year for me and I want to be sure to capture more of that. Husband and I will be moving into a new apartment this spring, we’re taking a pretty big trip this summer, we will celebrate two years of marriage, our little puppy will turn 1, my niece will turn 1, one of my best friends is getting married, and that’s just the first half of the year!

With all that said, here we go!

: 10-Jan-12

Filed under: P365

My Favorite Calendar

heathermisner — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:51:36 +0000

A new year is here! If you’re like me, and still have to buy a new calendar, think about this one:

Paper Source

Some calendars have lots of space for writing. Some are funny, some thought-provoking. Big, small, desk-size. There’s something for everyone.

But my favorite calendar is pure pretty. The best part about the Paper Source Wall Art Calendar ($30) is that it can be recycled and reused for cool stuff like notecards and gift boxes.

Filed under: Cool Stuff

Creamy Confetti Vegetable Soup

heathermisner — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:00:03 +0000

As summer draws to a slow close, many of us still find ourselves with an abundance of the season’s finest veggies – zucchini, bell peppers, corn, and even fresh garlic. What to do with it all?

That was the question I asked myself last week as I faced a refrigerator produce drawer with a bag of carrots, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 yellow squash, 2 green zucchini, and a bag full of purple and yellow potatoes. Soup came to mind as it is a great, easy way to use up items that have just about passed their peak.

This soup is thick and creamy, perfect for the largest of spoons. It gets its name from the pops of color – mainly the potatoes and green zucchini. It tastes just like like you’d imagine late summer would: still bright but with a hint of the coming season (cinnamon and thyme round out the flavors).

My favorite part? It’s so good for you. Except for the tiniest bit of cream, this soup is all vegetables and spices.

Serves 4, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients::

1 TBS olive oil
1 c onion, shallot, and garlic mix (buy the prepared mix in the produce section or dice up ~ 1/2 a white onion, 1 shallot, and 2 cloves garlic to make 1 cup)
5 whole carrots, peeled, topped, and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
4 small potatoes, gold, purple, or mixed, cut into quarters
2 green zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
1 yellow squash, cut into 1 inch rounds
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, an sliced into thin strips
1/3 c heavy cream
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cinnamon
salt, pepper, to taste

Directions::

In a heavy stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion mixture, saute until soft, stirring frequently.
Add all vegetables to pan, stir to coat with oil and onion mixture. Turn down heat to medium-low. Cover. Let steam for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat.
Working in two batches, transfer vegetable mixture to blender or food processor. In first batch, puree vegetables until smooth, scraping down sides of blender when necessary. Transfer puree to large bowl.
In second batch, add 1/2 cup water to vegetable mixture in blender, puree until smooth. Add to bowl. NOTE: Take middle piece out of blender lid and cover hole with a dish towel. This will transfer the heat from the hot vegetables out of the blender – rather than trapping the steam, causing an explosion – and save you a huge mess.
Wash pot. Transfer pureed vegetable mixture back to clean pot. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring in heavy cream until warmed through.
Add thyme, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Filed under: Soups

S&B ♥ – July

heathermisner — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:00:22 +0000

1. All-Weather Adirondack Chair, LL Bean, $299; 2. City Grocery Bag, Maptote, $17; 3. Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, and Sorbet Maker, Cuisinart, $50; 4. Chartreuse Dots Lunch Napkins, Paper Source, $7; 5. Beaded Bracelet, Tory Burch, $48; 6. Stainless Steel Salt & Pepper Shakers, CB2, $16

Filed under: Entertaining