"My Homemade Blueberry Muffins"

First things first, I am in no way a foodie.  A dietitian yes, a foodie no.  The thought of doing Foodie Friday blog posts makes me uncontrollably twitch.  I just don't enjoy cooking that much.  Yes, I do it, but it's more of a means to an end than anything else.  So, brace yourself because you may not see this very often.  I'm about to blog about a recipe.  Yes a recipe, there I said it.

As I mentioned in my last post, I had such a relaxing Memorial Day weekend that I was inspired to pull out the Kitchen Aid and bake something from SCRATCH. (gasp!) Actually, I was just tired of my Mom asking me if I'd used the mixer (that I begged for Christmas before last) lately.  : )

So, seeing that so many delicious fruits are in season in my area, I decided to go with a blueberry muffin.  It sounded simple enough and I figured it would involve the least amount of steps.  I was right.  I quickly Googled a recipe and landed on this one at www.allrecipes.com.  I was called To Die For Blueberry Muffins, and it had over 6,000 four star ratings, so I figured it was a safe bet. Best of all I had everything already in house that I needed with the exception of baking powder.  Not something we non-baking chicks keep on hand. 

It wouldn't be a homemade recipe if you didn't alter something, so of course I did.  Therefore, some of the ingredients you see here, I ended up not needing. I don't really like that sugary topping on muffins so I eliminated that part.  The link above provides it in the recipe if you prefer those extra calories.  : )

So here goes...

Ingredients:

Original recipe makes 8 large muffins (FYI: mine made 7)

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder (I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon)
3. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup.
4. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries.
5. Fill muffin cups right to the top.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

 

 

Hot out of the oven, these were really delicious. I will definitely be making them again.  See Mom, I am using my mixer.  : )

 

And is it just me or is that a totally "Pin"able image or what?  Hint, Hint. 

"Lazy Days in my Garden"

This weekend was so wonderful.  There's something about a three day weekend that just makes my heart smile.  It puts a whole new spin on Sunday afternoon too.  Nothing better.

 

I spent much of mine, lazying around my garden. That is, after my big client bedroom/bath installation on Saturday.  I'll be revealing that later this week.  Nevertheless,  I actually spent more time at home and outside than I have in a very long time.  The weather in Charlotte was spectacular, making it a primo weekend to soak up some Vitamin D. 

I'm happy to report that things are on the up and up in the backyard botanical department.  I thought I'd share a few of my favorites that seem to be  in full bloom right now. 

Gerber Daisies

Bougainvillea

 

 

 

Shasta Daisies

 

 

Portulaca

 

 

 

Fern

 

Tiger Lily

Coleus

 

Can't Remember anyone?

 

 Peony (my favorites)

 

And this is what happens when you listen to Bonnie....

Caladiums and Hosta

 

Million Bells

 

 If you missed her Go-to Plants for Spring click here for a recap. 

 

And over in the vegetable garden....

 

 

Dill

 

Chives

 

Basil

 

Lettuce

 

 

 And that folks is why I garden.  Every week there's something new to admire.  I just love it, and this year I'm taking it all in.  Oh and I mustn't forget, I did a little baking too.  I was feeling domestic, can you tell?

 

 

 

Hope your weekend was great!  Happy Tuesday!

 

"Habitat ReStore ReStyle ReCap"

Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend the Habitat ReStore ReStyle event in Mooresville, NC. 

It was my first official Habitat ReStore event as a Metrolina ReStore blogger.  I had been looking forward to it all week, mostly because I was attending with the other ReStore Bloggers (pictured below).

 

Jennifer, me and Donna
Photographed by Wendy Yang Photography

We had an absolute blast!  The event was packed and much to my delight the food (and wine) was yummy.  Really, what more could you ask for?

 

ReStore Bloggers Jennifer and Rachel

I had the opportunity to meet some super talented and amazingly creative people like Crystal Clark.

 

 

You may recall her creative use of a vintage dressing mirror, that I blogged about HERE.  It was a perfect addition to her super sweet girl's room design.

 

Andrea Hartley set up a wedding reception area for her design, but by far for me the piece de resistance was the mason jar chandelier. LOVE!!

 

 

 

The DIY duo, Trevor and Kerri Morrical created an AWESOME kids play room with too many creative ideas to count.

 

You may not be able to tell but that airplane on the wall has propellers that were fashioned out of a ceiling fan.  C'mon man!!  Does it get any more creative?

 

 

See what I mean?

 

 

 

 

Notice all the pink SOLD signs, right? 

 

 

I also loved this book inspired table lamp.

 

And the overall winner was Gretchen Earnshaw's awesome nautical inspired patio space.  If you follow me on Instagram, you saw a few close up ideas from this space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly, I was super excited to get to meet design heavyweights Lisa Mende and Traci Zeller, who were two of the event judges and two of my favorite local designers. 

Best of all, the store was open for business the entire time, so I'm sure I don't need to tell you that I picked up a couple of things.  I'll tell you about those later.  : )

 

It was a fantastic event!  If you haven't been to the Habitat ReStore lately, you should check it out.  I'd suggest checking out more than one location since merchandise varies at each store.  This was my first time at the Mooresville location and I will DEFINITELY be going back. 

 

Interested in attending events like this one and staying in the Habitat ReStore know?  Be sure to follow the Metrolina Restore blog, where Jennifer, Donna, Rachel and I are always dishing up budget friendly tips, ideas and inspiration.  Simply click HERE!

Habitat Restore Guest Bloggin'

...about my vintage sofa experience.  Check it out by clicking HERE.  Be sure to leave me a comment.  : )  

"A New Seasonal Rug"

Swoo! I had a fun-filled action packed weekend.  From the Habitat Restore ReStyle event (which I'll tell you all about later) to a Quinceanera to discount shopping with Bonnie and finally an intense work session with Shawna, my intern.  There was  a lot going on this weekend.

You should know by now that I love nothing more than an amazing deal.  Well, I scored a BIG one this weekend.  While out and about I picked up this Pottery Barn  8 X 10 Heathered Chenille Jute rug for a song!!!

Pottery Barn

My first thought was that maybe it would work for a client, but after thinking things through, it dawned on me that it may just work perfectly in my living room.  You may recall that I currently have a red PB rug that I got at a yard sale last year.  I blogged about it HERE.

I like it and it's super plush but I really love the look of the textured rug too.  I LOVE the casual look of it, and believe it or not it's really soft underfoot. 

Once I had it in place, I knew it was the perfect fit.



 


My original plan was to keep the new rug and sell the old one, but I actually like the red one too.  In the end, I've decided to have seasonal looks.  The new jute rug is light and airy for Spring and Summer, but the rich red rug is perfect for Fall and Winter (especially the Holidays).



That settled it, I'm keeping them both.  Hope you had a fabulous weekend too!

"Retail Regret:Abstract Art"

Last week I left a set of HUGE abstract art pieces at Goodwill.  I'm absolutely kicking myself.  I really liked them and the price was awesome, but I was having trouble figuring out how, where and when I'd use them.  That was my first mistake.

I've been pinning abstract art to my Houzz ideabook for a while now, and I really love how a high impact piece can transform a space and provide a jolt of color when necessary.

Contemporary Bedroom by Baltimore Architect Ziger/Snead Architects

Modern Bathroom by Rockwall Design-build Modern Craft Construction, LLC

Contemporary Living Room by San Francisco Interior Designer Brian Dittmar Design, Inc.

Modern Dining Room by Winchester Interior Designer Kristen Rivoli Interior Design

 

Although the colors of the Goodwill pieces weren't exactly right, I wish it would've dawned on me at the time that I could totally paint over them. Duh!!! What was I thinking?  Here are a few bloggers who have done just that. 

 

Click the photos to be redirected to their sites.

 

Oh Happy Day

 

via Modernhaus

 

I guess hind sight really is 20/20. Let's just say I won't be passing on any more thrifted abstract artwork. Happy Friday!