Too Funny.

I have been super busy with work lately, but it's not all bad. I am writing my first ever U.S. Supreme Court brief, which is challenging and exciting. Which leads me to the point of this post . . .

I was doing some work tonight in front of the TV and didn't change the channel after the Colbert Report was over. The show Demetri Martin.Person was on and it was phenomenal. I am so glad I caught it. He is hilarious and my side hurts from laughing so much.

Evidently, he has a new series starting tomorrow on Comedy Central. I will definitely be tuning in. His website is here.

Here are some of my favorites quotes from the show tonight:

- I saw a door that said exit only. So I entered through it and went up to the guy working there and said "I have good news. You have severely underestimated that door over there. By like a hundred percent."

- Whenever I'm on my computer, I don't type "lol." I type "lqtm" -- "laugh quietly to myself." It's more honest.

- I was on the street. This guy waved to me, and he came up to me and said, “I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else.” And I said, “I am.”

Lip Balm Review.

I love lip balms. I also have a terrible habit (and always have for as long as I can remember) of biting my lips. So good lip balms are a necessity -- they heal my lips and prevent me from biting them in the first place.

Here are my go-to balms/treatments:

Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

I have been using this stuff for a long time. I have tubes and jars of it in my purse, briefcase, desk at work and home, and on my nightstand. It is a great balm and stays on forever -- I'll put it on at night and my lips are still coated and soft in the morning. The only downside is that it is a little on the greasy side and a tad pricey, $6.50 for a tube. It also comes in various flavors, I usually stick with the original, but the mint is great too.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

I just got this balm for Christmas. It has a lemony scent, which I love. I usually put this stuff on in the morning when I am getting ready. It is not overly greasy and leaves my lips feeling super moisturized and silky. My main complaint is the price -- it is $22.50 for a tube of it. I would buy it again, but it is definitely not a budget-friendly balm.

Rosebud Salve

This stuff is hands down my new all around favorite. It is not too greasy or waxy, like some balms tend to be. It has a nice sheen and hydrates my lips like nothing else I have tried. I have also used it on my cuticles, and it leaves them nice a soft. The salve also reasonably priced, $6.00 for a tin, which lasts a while. It smells like roses, which takes a little while to get used to, but the scent has grown on me. The only negative is that it only comes in a tin. I don't like having to use my fingers to apply it, but it is so amazing otherwise, it it totally worth it.

Aquaphor

Last, but not least, a great go-to drugstore product is Aquaphor. I was told to try this on my lips way back in high school and it really does work to heal chapped lips. It is also good for dry skin. The price is great too, around $6.00 for a huge tube of it. The major downside is how greasy it is -- it is definitely more of a night-time treatment rather than for use during the day.

5 things . . .

5 random thoughts/observations for the day . . .

1. Sometimes Microsoft Word tries to be too smart. I really wish I had the option to prevent it from automatically making "th" after certain numbers superscript.

2. I love these shoes that are on sale at J.Crew


3. I think it is interesting that the Supreme Court requires you to use a font in the Century family (e. g., Century Expanded, New Century Schoolbook, or Century Schoolbook). What happened to good old Times New Roman?

4. My sacroiliac joint is not cooperating. I wish it would stop coming out of place and let me get on with my life.

5. I love the creamy jalapeno sauce from Chuy's (and their queso too).

Interior Designs.

It is rare when I look at a picture of a room online or in a magazine for inspiration and really like everything about it. My style seems to be an interesting mix of traditional, modern, glamour, and a touch eclectic. However, I have come across 2 design websites recently (by way of desire to inspire) and am totally obsessed with the style of the rooms.

Enjoy!

Coddington Design

Liz Levin Interiors

5 things . . .

5 things I am thankful for . . .

1. My baking frenzy this weekend. This week is starting off to be super busy at work for both me and Justin, and there is nothing better to relieve some stress than munching on some peanut butter cup cookies or a piece of chocolate cake.

2. My half-priced dress from Anthropologie. Major score!
3. An hour long Office after the Super Bowl.

4. Justin and Riley laying next to me right now snoring.

5. Luke winning Bromance! I have liked him from the beginning.

Pantry Organization.

Okay, so I promise I don't work for the Container Store and this is the last of our new Elfa products, but we also bought some drawers for the pantry.

We have tons of small tea boxes, drink mixes, coffee, and baking accessories/goods. To keep them more contained, we organized them all conveniently in these great sliding drawers. Now nothing gets lost in the back of the pantry anymore.


It is also easier to keep things better sorted and organized when they each have their own place in the pantry. And it just makes me happy when I walk in and see the handy drawers.

America's Best Dance Crew.

Another MTV show that I am a fan of is America's Best Dance Crew.


Justin watches it too, but at least with this MTV show he doesn't have to pretend that he doesn't enjoy it, like he does with the others. We jokingly call it "RJPABDC 3" for "short" because it is always super awkward when Mario Lopez, the host, says the name of the show. And let's be serious, the official title is pretty tedious (but Randy's got to get his shout-out).

I knew things were off to a good start tonight because the crews were dancing to songs by Britney Spears. Justin also didn't disappoint -- as soon as he saw Mario, he said "Man, Mario hasn't looked that slick since the days back at Bayside High."


Besides the dancing (of course) and the endless jokes about A.C. Slater, my favorite parts of the show are Mario's sweet play on words before and after every performance. His "witty" comments are painfully predictable. Here are some favorites from tonight's Britney-themed show found on MTV's website:

• Were you beggin' "Gimme More" after the Strikers All-Stars' performance?
• Did this week's Dynamic Edition performance make the crew "Stronger"?
• Have Quest Crew made themselves a "Toxic" competitor?
• Did the Ringmasters live up to their name with "Circus"?
  

Even though the puns "Drive Me Crazy" ("Oops! I Did It Again"), the crews are extremely talented and every season I am more impressed with their skills. In case anyone actually follows the show, my favorite crew tonight was the Beat Freaks, followed by Strikers All-Stars (how cool were those mirror illusions?).

Bye, Domino.

I will have one less magazine now to look forward to receiving every month. Domino is closing, and its last issue will be in March.


So much for one of my birthday gifts from my in-laws back in August. While I haven't been overly impressed with the last few issues, I will certainly miss reading it every month.

Happy Birthday, Riley!

I may be biased, but Riley has to be the cutest dog ever -- and he is especially cute on his 4th birthday. Here he is on the way to his new home.

and 4 years later . . .

Mission Organization -- Part 2.

The Elfa madness didn't end with our second floor closet. I have been wanting a better way to organize my t-shirts, tank tops, and sweaters for a while, but wasn't ready to fork over the dough for the Elfa drawers I had been eying. But the combo of the 30% off sale and me no longer being able to stand the cheap plastic containers I was using was enough to convince me it was time to take the plunge.

Looking at these horribly messy before shots makes me so thankful I did. I guess I had just gotten used to the disaster!




And the afters . . .


In these drawers, I have my tank tops sorted by color, my t-shirts sorted, and all of my sweaters organized in one place (rather than in multiple plastic bins or laid on top of them).


We have built-in drawers to the right of these Elfa drawers that I was able to clean out and organize too.

While I was at it, I cleaned out any clothes I hadn't worn in a while to donate and made sure all my shirts were hung on plastic hangers. I used to sort them by color, and while I love the look, the shirts that I wear most often always end up towards the front anyway.


Needless to say, my closet is a much better place to get ready in the morning!

Banana Crumb Muffins.

I recently made the tastiest banana muffins of all time and had to share the recipe. I came across it one day as I was perusing www.allrecipes.com (that site is addicting!).

Banana Crumb Muffins:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

I added about a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract to the batter. Also, maybe I am stingy with the batter, but this recipe made 11 large muffins. The topping part is super delicious -- so pile it on!

The recipe is super easy, and since I only eat bananas when they are still slightly green, this is a perfect way to use up the bananas that get too ripe for me before I can eat them. Next time I am going to try to make these with half wheat flour and half all-purpose flour for a slightly "healthier" muffin. Don't worry though, I don't plan to cut back on the sugar or butter.

I am normally disappointed in how quickly the bananas ripen, but now my current batch can't get freckly fast enough!

5 things . . .

5 things I am thankful for . . .

1. The gorgeous weather outside. Houston doesn't get many 67 degree, 23% humidity, sunny days.


2. Having the day off. Perfect time to get my hair cut and my nails done. Although I could have done without the manicurist asking me what high school I go to (she about fell out of her chair when I told her I was an attorney).

3. Sephora/OPI's Metro Chic nail polish. I know soon enough I will have to go back to my old standby for Spring and Summer -- Sweetheart by OPI, but I am not quite ready to put up this dark grey color with a touch of purple.


4. Target's Home Design Event. I love this sun mirror, and after convincing Justin it would look great in our breakfast room, we brought it home with us. Pictures of it hanging to come.

5. Expecting to use a 20% coupon at Banana Republic this weekend, but getting 30% off instead on all their new arrivals. Score!

Better Blogging.

Well, I guess my posts or blog won't actually be any better, but I am working with much better technology.

My old laptop was falling apart -- the volume control didn't work, you had to pick it up gingerly because the screen portion would separate from the base, it would take 10+ minutes to return from sleep mode, etc.

Thankfully, my technology-savvy husband customized a new laptop for me. It is awesome -- no more waiting for it to turn on (patience has never been a virtue of mine), I can control the volume, and the screen is not only connected to the base securely, it is nice and wide and super clear. (Justin -- thanks for taking all the time you did to build me the perfect laptop!)

Not only am I blogging from a better laptop, we also switched from Comcast internet and cable service to U-verse. It is SO much better! We can play recorded shows from all of our TVs (instead of just 1), and I can log into U-verse's website remotely to record a show if I am away from home. How cool is that?

Bedding Inspiration.

I am loving this bedding from Garnet Hill.

Despite it being on sale, it is still way more than I would ever pay for bedding. But I love the idea of the monochromatic scheme with different textures -- seems very soothing and relaxing. I think it would be great with a pop of color -- maybe pink, teal, yellow, or purple. And I have been eying the paint color Silver Fox by Benjamin Moore, which would coordinate nicely. (Coincidentally, "silver fox" is also the nickname my 8th grade science teacher gave himself).

I saw this somewhat similar "pin-tuck" duvet cover at West Elm a while back, and loved it.


I like the deeper colors and rich textures of the Garnet Hill bedding better, but the ideas are the same. Off to find some luxurious gray bedding . . .

House Tour - Kitchen/Breakfast Room.

Since the other pictures of our kitchen and breakfast room turned out like bad abstract art, here is a second attempt.

This is the view as you walk in from the dining room:


Here is the kitchen portion (obviously):



We love having lots of open space right off the kitchen, but it is almost too big (if you ask me). It is great however when we entertain -- everyone always hangs out in the kitchen so this open space is the perfect place for everyone to congregate.


While a couch (or "sofette") is generally not a piece of furniture you would ordinarily find in a breakfast room, we had so much space that a table alone looked kind of wimpy. It really is great to have this couch in there. We use it all the time -- it is nice to sit and visit with Justin while he is cooking or to hang out while we wait for coffee.

We also love the ottomans. They make a perfect food rest and double as extra seating when people are over. I loved the idea of orange, but we had a hard time finding any that went with the sofette's color and scale. So we bought super cheap ottomans from Target, and my mother-in-law recovered them for us with the coordinating Pottery Barn fabric you can purchase by the yard. And voila -- inexpensive, matching ottomans.


And, while not overly exciting, here is the powder room: