Renovation Revolution

Interior design is sorta like blogging. Both are creative outlets. Both require a mix of inspiration and motivation. As a person who loves to test the artistic waters, the chance to renovate, design and decorate our living space is very exciting. It is also a great deal of work since the home renovation projects are all DIY or in our case DIO (Do It Ourselves). Lucky for us, we have super supportive family and friends who are more than willing to lend us a helping hand. Thanks to youtube, interior design and furniture blogs like Apartment Therapy and Design Sponge for providing the best resource guides, decor tutorials, top trends and tips on home design in a modern world.

We are inspired! And we are so ready to divide and conquer our two family home with the new plans! I will definitely continue to update with photos as we move along with the projects.

First off a fresh coat of paint does wonders! It's an inexpensive way to upgrade our old home with a new clean and bright look. We are still in the painting phase as we have 6 rooms to complete. Our living room, bedroom and office embraced the warmth of Macadamia by Martha Stewart. It is an earth tone shade of yellow that compliments our rich brown furnishings.

Next we are removing the old linoleum floors in the kitchen and dining room upstairs. We are replacing it with an off white ceramic tile with a cloudy grey design. The walls will be painted in Stone White by Benjamin Moore. The dining room and kitchen floors downstairs will be replaced with bamboo laminates because we also plan on putting them in the living room instead of refinishing the original hardwoods. The old 70s wall tile in the dining room and kitchen downstairs will be painted too. Still not sure about the color but now that the hubby wants to knock down the wall separating the dining room and kitchen for an open floor plan, I have to rethink the design and layout of the entire space. I am not so thrilled about the idea as I like defined living quarters. I like to eat in my dining room, entertain in my living room and work in my office. However I have found a architectural compromise. A dividing wall is a smart design solution that gives the feel of an open floor plan but the look of a defined space.

Trader's Joe Easy Peasy Chicken Dish

Thanks to Pinterest for this simple and easy chicken recipe! This is a modified version from "The I Love Trader's Joe Cookbook". It requires little prep time which makes it perfect for the busy cook.

Ingredients:
1. A package of Chicken thighs (I used boneless, skinless thighs)
- You can make this recipe using chicken breasts, boneless pork chops or any meat you fancy. The cook time will vary so I suggest using a meat thermometer to make sure the meat is fully cook.
2. Rice Wine Vinegar 1 tablespoon
- Rice vinegar can be used as a substitute
3. Maple syrup 1/4 cup
- Try not to use the generic stuff as the flavors are more intense with the real deal. No offense Mrs. Buttersworth
4. Dijon Mustard 1/2 cup
- I hate mustard but I buy grey poupon for Pepe aka the hubby
5. Fresh Rosemary (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF
2. Prep your oven proof baking dish by lining it with aluminum foil
3. Salt and Pepper chicken thigh to your liking and place in baking dish
4. Mix the mustard, maple syrup and rice wine vinegar together than pour over chicken thighs
- don't forget to save a little of the sauce for later
5. Fully coat the thighs with the sauce
6. Put chicken thighs in oven to bake for 40 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the top of the chicken with more sauce half way through.
7. Bake for 40 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165ºF
8. Let Chicken rest for 5 minutes, spoon over some of the sauce and sprinkle fresh rosemary before serving.

I am not a fan of mustard so I was reluctant to try this recipe. However, my taste buds did not detect any mustardness. Instead there is a subtle sweetness and a savory flavorful taste to the tender chicken which makes it quite a palette pleasing dish.

A Tale of Two Blogs

I've decided to revive the old bloggity blog by breathing new life into it with my mad musings about every day life. This blog is and was always about my personal journey while my other blog was dedicated to my adventures in wedding planning. It just makes sense to pick up where I last left off.

Hello again, it has been a long, long time coming...xoxo

House Hunting

We are officially under contract!!! We had lost hope on winning the bid because the seller rejected the two offers we made on the house. She was pretty confident that she would get full price and no closing cost for the property. However, we felt that if she was not willing to negotiate than we would have to walk away even if we loved the place. So we continued to house hunt until we got the call a few days later from our real estate agent with the good news. I guess it is true when they say, "good things comes to those who wait".
btw we close on May 28th!

Flower Power

I simply love flowers and as every flower lover knows, flowers have a language of their own. Every sentiment is expressed in one form or another by these fragile blooms. As centerpieces, flowers are more than mere decorations, they are a form of entertainment that makes a big statement, silently. The flowers for my wedding will be faraway from the land of Laura Ashley and white satin lace. Vibrant colors and exotic notes like orchids, curly willow, bamboo and bear grass follow the flow of an Asian theme wedding. Incorporating cultural details is also very important with creating the overall look of the wedding. We want to hang Chinese lanterns and have Cambodian decor (Apsaras ect.) accenting the reception room. The flowers will pull everything together into one beautiful package.

The challenge is that we are having our seated dinner served family style. So the centerpieces will need to have height. However, tall centerpieces are quite costly so we decided to do half tall and half short centerpieces. The short centerpieces will need to have full blooms like peonies or hydrangeas to maximize appeal. Speaking of aesthetics, we don't want the short centerpieces to appear too small on the table but at the same time we don't want the flowers to cramp the space where the meals will be served. It is going to be a delicate act to balance but I'm sure the florist we choose will be up for the challenge.
Budget wise I've cut the floral expenses by having my MOH and 2 BMs carry fans with a personalized colored ribbon instead of a traditional bouquet. I'll blog more about the fans later. The girls will also have corsages or a boutonniere pinned to their dress. The low and high centerpieces will be comprised of seasonal flowers with the exception of the orchids. Orchids are my favorite blooms especially dendrobiums and cymbidiums, so they are a must!

We hope to find a florist who will emphasis on discovering designs that are reflective of our personal taste while committed to delivering freshness and quality. Staying within our budget is also key.