You know that saying that less is more? That does not apply to Halloween. From the time I was in first grade to third grade, my family lived on Rhein-Main Air Force Base near Frankfurt, Germany. We had a lot of fun living there; we did a bit of traveling, visited nearby German towns and…
The make-do desk
Have you ever put together a wish list of all the things you would buy for your home if you had super deep pockets and never-ending storage space? Jared and I have an ongoing list of things we’d like to get for our apartment at some point in the future. It’s a long list, and…
The DVR who stole Christmas
I’m a total rule follower, and I have been for my whole life. I drive the speed limit. I cross at crosswalks. I don’t remove those tags on mattresses. But you know that unspoken rule that says it’s unacceptable to listen to Christmas music or watch holiday movies until after Thanksgiving (or, at the very…
Let them eat pasta
When it comes to cooking, I’m a firm believer that pasta is one of the greatest inventions in history. Think about it: When a picky kid won’t eat his dinner, what can you feed him? Macaroni and cheese. When you’re an amateur in the kitchen who’s cooking for a crowd, what foolproof dish can you…
Eat ’til you’re empty, shop ’til you’re full
Earlier this week, in the pumpkin pancake post, I mentioned our depressingly empty refrigerator and pantry. Well I’m happy to report that we finally made it to our bi-weekly grocery store date (cause we’re romantic like that), and our kitchen is once again stocked with all sorts of foodie goodness. It’s a great feeling, partly…
An homage to The Pie Hole
Have you ever seen the TV show Pushing Daisies? It was so good (like seriously good; you should watch it on Netflix — today). Ned the pie maker has the magical ability to bring the dead back to life with a simple touch. When he isn’t using his power to solve murders or bring his…
A sudsy solution
Jared and I started our marriage with a decade-old washer/dryer pair his parents were nice enough to hand down. We were so glad to finally be rid of quarters and card swipes every time we needed a clean shirt, so this old-school duo, tucked quietly behind a pair of accordion doors, felt like quite a…
Wait, it’s ceramic? I’ll take 10!
Like a lot of preteens growing up in the late ’90s, my room was filled with an inordinate amount of Beanie Babies. They rested on my bookshelf, on my bed and in baskets on the floor. Every nickel I had went toward adding to my ever-growing collection, and by the time I reached sixth grade,…
Mmm, mmm, pumpkin
It happens like clockwork. Every two weeks, we somehow manage to eat our way to the back of our refrigerator and pantry and are left creatively scrounging for meals made from little more than brown rice, carrots and chicken broth. How does this happen? How can two people eat so much?!?! I plan out meals,…
Starbucksian inspiration
Is this light fixture ooh-la-la worthy or what? Jared took this photo last weekend in Kansas City. The Starbucks at Country Club Plaza is looking pretty slick these days after a mini-makeover that happened sometime in the past six months since we were last there. They’ve added a cool inside/outside fireplace, some cushy leather chairs…