So Pretty is as Pretty Does.

Oct 15

Jewelry Storage

Living in an older home can present some challenges when it comes to storage. Our master bedroom is fairly narrow, so narrow in fact that a console table wouldn’t fit along this wall. Instead, we installed a shelf to provide the storage we desired while maintaining the ability to walk through the room (also something we desired). Well, the shelf was installed two years ago and since then, it’s sort of acted as a catchall for loose change, receipts and primarily, my jewelry. But, this week I decided to tackle this annoying little corner of my home and made this space more functional and attractive for around $20.

Oct 9

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Strawberries + Champagne Cupcakes

I had the pleasure of celebrating a dear friend’s upcoming nuptials this past weekend. Because these major life events don’t happen just everyday, they deserve desserts that don’t happen just everyday. Cupcakes featuring strawberries and champagne seemed entirely appropriate. I followed a fantastic recipe from 20 Something Cupcakes.

Oct 2

DIY Halloween {Spooky Steps}

Over the weekend, I started to get excited to decorate for Halloween, but with so many projects going on right now, I’m really trying not to spend much time or money on spookifying (hey, it could be a word) the house. To that end, here’s an easy and inexpensive way to let the neighborhood know you’re ready for trick-or-treaters using s idewalk chalk.

I chose my back steps for this display for two reasons. 1) The steps are under the patio roof so the chalk won’t wash away the next time it rains and 2) due to our parking set up, it’s the way most people enter the house. Read more

Sep 26

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Pan-seared Peaches & Steel-cut Oats

Second only to eggs, oatmeal is my favorite breakfast food. More specifically, steel-cut oats. A little crunchy, a little creamy and entirely reminiscent of my childhood. My mom used to make me oatmeal or cream of wheat for breakfast during the colder months of the school year and it was awesome. Unfortunately, due to my body’s love/hate relationship with gluten, cream of wheat is out of the picture. But, I still reach for oatmeal whenever the temperature drops below 50 degrees. Here’s one of my favorites.

Sep 25

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Red Wine Stain {DIY Removal}

As a rule, I try to avoid commercial cleaners, particularly ones that contain fragrances and/or dyes. They make my skin itchy, they aren’t well-regulated by the FDA, and I just don’t really trust them. If I spill something, I typically take care of it right away so there isn’t time for a stain to set. However, this was not case when I unwittingly spilled red wine on one of my favorite lounging-around-the-house cardigans last week. On the bright side, it gave me a chance to test a stain removal method using common household products.