Style Quiz

While trying to figure out our decorating style, I stumbled upon Sproost, a unique online home design website that helps you define your style with a quiz. They also have a style engine that finds beautiful pieces of furniture, art work and decor online and in stores. The results highlight 3 general styles. It turns out the hubby and I are both Rustic Revivals. I ranked second in French Eclectic while the hubby came in second with Modern Elegance. We both come in 3rd in cottage chic minus the flowery patterns and wicker baskets. So our style is a unique fusion that mixes the old with the new. Think light airy rooms, clean lines, contemporary furniture, soft colors on the walls, modern designs mixing textures and prints along with a few vintage finds. A balanced look that is warm and inviting!

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!