Wordless Wednesday...The Ultimate Spa Shower

In search of the perfect plush

There are only a few things I obsess over....shoes {oh yes!}, gadgets {oh iPhone, iPad, MacBook how I love thee, let me count the ways}, food {live to eat, not eat to live} and a few other things.  But probably the weirdest obsession I have is with towels.  Bath towels and wash cloths to be precise.

I have been searching for quite a while for the perfect combination of plush, thirst and durability.  A towel that starts out soft and full, soaking up water instantly, and remains that way wash after wash.  I can literally walk through a store running my hands along the towels and know if they potentially have what it takes.

For a while I thought that 100% Turkish Cotton towels were what I was looking for.  But unfortunately they all are not created equal and sometimes the only way to know that is to buy and wash them for a month or so.  

I also thought my search was over when I found a set of Hotel Collection towels at my mother's house.  I knew that they were not new, but they still felt amazing!  I happened to be at a friends house who had hand towels out and after using it I knew that it too was part of Hotel Collection's line, and sure it enough it was.

Thinking my life long quest was over, I hit the internet doing a visual search for these towels.  I found some that looked right so I ordered them.  Unfortunately, they were wrong wrong wrong.  When I took them back to the store I was told that the company discontinued the style that I was seeking and were no selling this new {lesser quality} style.

So the search continues.....

{Post a comment if you have a towel brand that you love!  I will try any and everything in search of plush perfection ☺}

Sweet & Easy

The easiest sugar cookie recipe ever!  No need to break out the Pillsbury dough roll when it's time to make cookies this holiday season. Try this recipe:

SUGAR COOKIES RECIPE

1 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, almond extract until smooth.

Blend in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar.

Roll into a ball (or multiple medium size balls).  Cover the ball(s) with plastic wrap and chill for 2-3 hours.  

Divide dough in half and roll on a floured board or table top. 

Cut out design with cookie cutters and place each on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees until very light brown on top.

Enjoy & Happy Holidays!

Gifts Fit For A Cook (From Houzz)

40 Must-Haves for the Kitchen: A Gift Guide for Cooks

Houzz- Kitchen Design, Bathroom Design and More»

Home Design and Decorating Ideas:

Kitchen Design · Bathroom Design · Living Room Design · Bedroom Design · Dining Room Design · Patio Design · Landscaping Design ·

Food Glorious Food

If Kleinfeld is the bridal mecca, then Williams-Sonoma is most certainly the cook's mecca.  Which makes it the perfect place to talk about during this month of the cooks and foodies' holiday -- Thanksgiving!

I love food, all kinds of food.  So you would think that Thanksgiving would be my favorite holiday.  But it's not. Well it is because of my time with my {large!} extended family, but it isn't because of the food.  For some reason THAT much food just turns me off.  It's too overwhelming I think. I wind up eating very little and mostly just dessert :)

If I were solely in charge of Thanksgiving dinner, I would fill it with a mixture of small plates and larger entrees that are unique twists on traditional fare.  Like the Sausage-Leek Corn Bread Stuffing recipe below....yummm!

Williams-Sonoma's Holiday Guide is a great companion for your holiday cooking plans.  It's filled with delicious unique recipes and great cooking tips to make your holiday cooking quick and easy.

Enjoy and eat well! 

SAUSAGE-LEEK CORN BREAD STUFFING
 
Ingredients:
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green portions
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 package (1 lb.) La Brea Bakery corn bread stuffing
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 garlic cloves, roasted, peeled and smashed into a pulp
3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.

In a large fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, leeks, sage, salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a very large bowl.

In the same pan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into large chunks, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the onion mixture, add the stuffing and parsley, and stir until well combined.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk the garlic into the broth until combined. Stir the broth mixture into the stuffing 1/2 cup at a time, making sure it is completely absorbed into the croutons and does not pool in the bottom of the bowl. Taste a crouton; it should be moist throughout but not crunchy or mushy. You may not need all of the broth.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 10 to 12.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.
 

Artsy Smartsy

I LOVE taking pictures.  In fact, I think I'm even some of my friends and family members' unofficial official family photographer. Thanks to the digital camera revolution I can just snap away all the time without any additional cost.  I don't get paid, but I don't mind.  Because the photographic storybook that I have is irreplaceable.  {That's why I have it backed up in 2 separate places!}

But that's not the topic of this post.  When you take as many pictures as I do, it really is a waste unless you have some way to see them and use them.  Photo albums are great --- LOVE MyPublisher for that -- but unless you have lots of coffee tables, you won't be pulling them off the shelves often.  Framed photos are wonderful too, but they can get a little boring and predictable.  

Artsy Couture has a fabulous alternative to the average framed photographs -- Gallery Blocks!  Gallery Blocks are "professional photographic prints adhered to solid wood with perfect 90° corners." They come in both single sizes and multiple floating images {like the one in the picture above}.  The floating blocks are my favorite because it's so hard to choose just one!

Cover Your Alcove

I admit, sometimes it is difficult for me to make a decision.  Especially about things that either cannot be changed or would be costly/time-consuming to change.  I think about what-ifs.  What if I hate it later.  What if it goes out of style.  What if I find something better!

It took me forever to decide on my wedding dress.  I went back and forth between two dresses until I just went with my gut.  It turned out wonderfully.  I was happy and until this day I have no regrets.  In fact, I think I would have regretted going with the other dress.  But I digress...

When you're redecorating or decorating your home, there's always this tension between decorating based on what's popular at the moment --- like wood paneling of the 60s or the black and white & abstract art style of the 80s -- and decorating and painting with a future sale {or your future taste} in mind.  Considering I've bought and sold more houses in my young life than I care to think about, I'm always thinking about "what happens when we sell?" as I am designing. 

But who wants non-offending various shades of beige walls throughout their house?  {Been there don't want to do that again}  That's why I love LOVE my latest find Casart^tm Coverings. 

Casart^tm Coverings are removable hand-painted murals and decorative finishes. The murals are printed on canvas-like vinyl with a repositionable, adhesive backing.   Essentially "Magnet-like slipcovers for your walls"!  You can change your wall covering seasonally or whenever you want a new look!  But without the usual paste and mess of traditional wallpaper.  I'm soooo getting some of these.

modern bedroom design by dc metro showroom Casart Coverings