puppy talk

Last night, we were having dinner with some Junior League friends and their husbands and we started talking about our dogs. Oddly enough, we all admitted to having a "dog voice". For example, when I get home from work and ask Jackson how his day was, Cary will respond in "Jackson's voice". So now I'm curious - who else has a voice for their dog??

sample sale anyone?

Kate Spade is having an online sample sale!

Click here: http://www.katespade.com/samplesale/login.jsp and enter your email address, which puts you on their emailing list.

Happy Shopping!

busy, busy weekend

I just love when my weekends are full of fun activities and this weekend definitely delivered!
Saturday morning started off with the JLA bus tour. We started out at Zoo Atlanta where we watched the adorable pandas (I wanted to bring the baby one home with me!), the parakeets, and the lions - while learning about the zoo and the volunteer opportunities there. Next up was Atlanta Community Food Bank and Atlanta Union Mission. All three stops were extremely interesting, educational and eye-opening!

After the bus tour, I sadly had to pass up lunch at Taqueria del Sol with my provisional class to run a few errands then stopped by the house and chatted with our contractor and finally headed home for a quick lunch before leaving for an alumni event.

The event, a fundraiser for a scholarship fund at my school, was a big success and tons of fun with bbq, local beer, and Yacht Rock Revue - a fun and highly entertaining local band.

After some much-needed sleeping in Sunday morning, Cary and I took Jackson on a super-long walk around our neighborhood debating the pros and cons of various window styles. I think we finally narrowed it down to 4 styles! Next up tonight - roof shingles and doors! The excitement never stops...

Is it just me, or does the end of the year seem to speed up and get even more busy?

New Beginnings......

You may have noticed that I kind of stopped "Design Fridays" and general renovation updates. Nothing exciting has happened on that front for awhile as we've been dealing with both insurance and the mortgage company. Now however, things are really picking up! You may recall this post from last year when we purchased our house. Sadly this is what things look like now, mid-demolition:

I think this is really funny. I don't know why the toilet is still just sitting there.

This is the back of the house, where the trees hit. You can see between the two doors where the brick just crumbled in.

As much as it sucks seeing my house look like this, it's not as though it was livable after all the damage from the tree. I'm trying to stay positive and look forward to the great new house that we're building.

Yum

I love Martha Stewart. I would become her if I could (well, minus the jail time...) And I love her magazine and recipes. However, if I cooked like that all the time (heavy cream, butter, etc) I'd have to double my gym time to keep the extra weight off! Which is why I love the Fit to Eat column. I made this recipe the other night and it was delicious, easy, and extremely filling - I made half the recipe for dinner for the two of us and I still had leftovers for lunch!

(From Martha Stewart Living September 2009)

Tilapia with Barley, Shiitake and Edamame Salad

FOR THE SALAD
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 shallots, minced (1/3 cup)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame
3 cups cooked barley (from 1 cup dry)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper


FOR THE FISH
2 tilapia fillets (6 ounces each), halved lengthwise, or 4 fillets (3 ounces each)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice (from 4 limes)
1/4 cup water




Make the salad: Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots and garlic, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add edamame, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes. Add barley, and heat through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, and season with pepper.
Make the fish: Sprinkle both sides of tilapia with salt, and season with pepper. Heat oil in saute pan over medium-high heat. Add tilapia, and cook until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Add lime juice and water, carefully swirling pan to combine. Serve tilapia with barley salad, and drizzle with sauce.



*You could also make this with tofu or chicken if fish isn't your thing.*

rain, rain

I realize this may be a slight exaggeration, but I feel like it's been raining in Atlanta for a month. Seriously this has to stop. Last week it was raining so hard that we actually tried to get Jackson to use the toilet. It was unsuccessful, in case you're wondering...

there's a reason i'm an accountant, not an artist....

I made guacamole for last nights football-themed JLA meeting. It was supposed to look like a football field but...well I have a hard time drawing straight lines.

Oh well, it tasted good!