If you have a really big purse...

"If you have a really big purse, it makes your butt look smaller." - Carson Kressley

- from the show How To Look Good Naked, which from all accounts, seems to be a show to help women accept the body shape they have and view it in a positive light.

Radish & Celery Salad

"During the dark days of winter, when mixed green California lettuces look pitiful in their bags, experiment with radishes. The season for the crisp red vegetables with their characteristic peppery bite is spring and fall, but like apples and potatoes, they store well throughout the chilly months. This simple salad takes about 10 minutes to prepare, making it ideal for that last-minute decision to put supper together yourself instead of getting takeout."

For the longest time, I have wanted to try a recipe I read in Saveur for celery salad. The recipe is so simple, just celery and a Dijon vinaigrette. I had some radishes, so I added them, for a clean, crunchy salad. We both enjoyed it!

Then when researching other recipes for salads, consisting of celery & radishes, this recipe from the Boston Globe caught my eye. Very similar, but the addition of capers, shallots and Parmesan will add more complexity to the salad. That will be my next version later on this week.

(photo credit: ZARA TZANEV for the boston globe)

Steal this...blackboard oilcloth

from Dara Caponigro's house (Style director at the now defunct Domino)

A swath of oilcloth transforms the table into a makeshift chalkboard. Blackboard oilcloth: about $16.50/yard, bellocchio.com

Photo by Melanie Acevedo

Painted Rooms Redux

What a week it has been personally! Of course, it is insignificant compared to the tragedy in Haiti, the people of that country are in my prayers. If you want to help, here is a list of relief agencies.

My work schedule lately has been almost 5 days a week. Yikes! Luckily, week after next, I scale back to a manageable 3 days a week. Blogging is a part-time job itself, so here I go and add another part-time job, on top of everything else I do. I have had more than one friend worry that they had offended me, due to my lack of response lately! Sorry!!

Today, my sister and niece come to visit, which means this will be a quick visit online today. In preparation for their arrival we have had: the electrician out to move an outlet (now I can put the bookshelves back up) and switch some fixtures, the home theater installers have mounted our speakers on the wall and gotten all the cords put away, we have sold three traditional bookcases to friends; the dogs are going to the groomers and if I have time, the car will get detailed.

So I am going to visit my archives, to share with you some fabulous images using color! I made a little slide-show, using my favorite pictures from Domino. It is gray outside today in N. Texas, rain is on the forecast, so I am craving color!

Have a wonderful weekend, see you back here next week!

Be Mine

I found these ideas for Valentine desserts and crafts in a while ago, and stuck them in my "Gifts" binder, as all of these were simple. Then I saw the cupcake idea the other day in Better Homes & Gardens while waiting for my car to be repaired. How fun is this!!

"Put down that messy piping bag! Here's an easier way: Glaze alphabet cookies with thin icing, then sprinkle with colored sugar. Perch atop frosted cupcakes."














Bittersweet Chocolate Bark with Cinnamon Candies

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into chunks
• 1/3 cup red cinnamon candies such as Red Hots candy

Directions

1. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a small platter or plate and set aside. In a small heavy saucepan melt chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring often.

2. When chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Working quickly, stir in about 1/3 of the cinnamon candies. Immediately turn chocolate out onto parchment paper. With the back of a spoon spread out chocolate mixture until candies are in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining candies on top and place in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes or until hard. Leave bark in freezer until ready to break off pieces to serve. Break off pieces to serve. Makes 4 servings

for recipe, nutrition and rating information

Melted Ice Cream Mousse Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pint chocolate ice cream
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. Place ice cream in a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat until melted. Transfer to an extra large mixing bowl; cover and chill about 1 hour or until cold.

2. Add whipping cream to melted ice cream. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 to 6 minutes or until soft peaks begin to form. Sift cocoa powder into the chocolate mixture. Beat on low speed for 1 minute or until combined, scraping sides of bowl twice.

3. Pour into serving bowl. Cover and chill for 1 to 6 hours until ready to serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

for recipe, nutrition and rating information

For the life of me, I can't find the Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream recipe. Not to make, but just to combine a quart of premium ice cream with 1 Tbsp. crushed pink peppercorns. I bought some mini chocolate lava cakes and thought that would be yummy on top. Of course, if you have an ice cream maker, you could just make your own. We do, so I may try it, or whole milk frozen yogurt with pink peppercorns. (FYI - lowfat frozen yogurt ends up being a runny mess)

Words of Affection

Use a laser printer to print a short message on a sheet of translucent vellum. Cut a piece of red-and-white card stock to size. Trim vellum to fit the card stock, making sure the message is centered. Layer the vellum over the paper, punch a small hole at the top, and bind both sheets with a length of coordinating satin ribbon.

for more Make-Your-Own Valentine's Day Gifts

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

This is the second time I have seen this poster, and love it, therefore I may buy it. The first time was in an issue of Domino magazine (so sad about the fate of Domino), and now in the home of textile designer yaling hou of flowie style. Pictures from sneak peaks on Design*Sponge.

Of course, if you happen to be a hipster that only reads design blogs like Apartment Therapy, this is old hat for you and "so cliche" to quote one poster. What is funny, is that probably about 95% of the population does not read design blogs, and I am of the mindset that if I like it, think it is clever and good decoration, then who cares if I spend $20 on a poster. We collect original art too, so I think it is just a mix of both. Plus, when we adopt 3 children at once, I may need a poster like this to remind me to keep sane!

So I decided to hunt down this WWII poster, and found so many choices.

From Decorative Things there is an adorable tote bag with this phrase - $45










as well as the poster in Red & White, Purple & Pink and Charcoal & Turquoise - $20 unframed. I am intrigued by the last color combo in light of my new decorating scheme of grays.

SFgirlbybay has a ton of colors on her etsy shop. Price is $25. Plus, she has a great design blog, and obviously is not tormented by selling these posters.

Charcoal Gray & White











Juicy Orange & White











Chartreuse Green & White











Plus Pink & White, Navy & White, Seafoam Aqua & White and more!

2009 Paint Trends

All of this cold weather has me in the mood for color! Everyone knows that paint is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to decorate.

So, for the month of February, let's look at color trends for 2009, and other articles about color.

Starting out, from Style at Home - here are 2009 Paint Trends. Style at Home is a Canadian magazine, and I always enjoy how the magazine mixes all price points and seems to be geared to a younger reader, who might need to balance purchases with budgetary constraints.