Taco Salad- Baked style!

So, I am a sucker for salad! Love it! Even more, I love it in a tortilla shell. The only kicker is that salad in a FRIED bowl screams “foolishness” to me. So, I thought of a healthier way to serve it up!

Take an oven safe bowl (mine was a Pyrex) and spray it with Pam cooking spray.  Grab a tortilla (I used a multigrain tortilla) and lightly spray it and dust it with a pinch of salt and cumin. Place the bowl in the oven for 10 minutes (or until it become golden brown) at 350 degrees.

While the bowl is toasting up, cut up your favorite ingreds. (I used lettuce, tomato, cilantro, banana peppers, onions, carrots, salsa, a small dollop of light sour cream and  fat free refried beans with a dusting of cumin.) My mouth is watering…

Lastly, I layered it all in my cute lil’ bowl and sat down to enjoy its deliciousness! (My favorite thing is to spread a little of the beans and sour cream on the bottom of the bowl. It makes for a FABULOUS last bite and a wonderful way to conclude the meal!) There you have it; a taco salad that is delicious, easy AND healthy! Enjoy!

The key to my design? HEART

You are soon going to notice an on-going theme when it comes to my home decor.  Everything, has a story. I am not one who buys random chotchkies just because they are on sale (though I love a good bargain), or mirror a design from a magazine. I am ALL about designing using artifacts that represent the people in my life and our moments together. It’s all about heart BABE-BAY! Nate Berkus, from The Nate Berkus Show says it perfectly, ““Your home should rise up to greet you… And at the end of the day, it should ground you in a sense of peace.”

This week I wanted to display a antique key that I have held onto for years, yet failed to showcase well. The key was from my first childhood home that I loved very much and created many wonderful memories in. Just looking at it, you will notice that it is not an everyday key, but an antique one. And EVEN BEFORE you start doing the math about my age, rest assured that the house was apart of the historic part of town. Yes, little did I know or appreciate, the house was filled with enough history to make this Mama drool.  Not only that people, it was also stacked with great architecture, solid wood doors, banisters, maid’s quarters (which my dad used as an office) and hidden staircase… I can’t tell you how many times I have decorated, and re-decorated this house in my head. Sigh (Yup, it’s a sickness…)

So this week, I went out and found a wood frame (which just happened to be at the dollar store- SCORE!!!). What you can’t see it that inside the frame is a box frame barrier so that the key would have room between him/her and the glass (double SCORE!!!!).

I changed out the mat to place more focus or attention on the key, and added the street address underneath. Lastly, I adhered the key to the backing.

Once, it had time to set up I placed it in it’s new home… 🙂 I am diggin’ it and feel so much better now that I have a place for it that showcases it well!
Until later, friends! HUGS

DIY Water Ski Shelf

Yup, you heard me right! Water skies are just for the water anymore! When this beach bum and her husband found out they were going to be parents it was only suiting that our baby’s nursery would have a beach theme! Also loving to water ski, I wanted to incorporate a water ski somehow and designed this shelf that hangs above the crib. So far that room is the only room in the house that hasn’t been redecorated in the last 6 years because I don’t want to part with the shelf just yet.  Shelf LOVE! What you need: 1. Water ski (skateboard or surf board)- I went to our nearest thrift store 2. Shelving brackets 3. Screws What to do: 1. Find the center of your shelf so you can place the brackets on either side. 2. Make marks on the wall where you want your brackets placed and begin screwing the brackets in. 3. Set ski on the brackets (you can also screw that to the brackets as well) 4. Enjoy!

Ski waiting to be placed above the crib

Shelf construction done!

shelf LOVE!!!!!

Can’t find your Halloween costume? Make your own!

Last year, my son wanted to be Lightening McQueen in the worst possible way. His little brother then wanted to be Mator since whatever that monkey sees, he also has to do himself. I thought the idea for their costumes was great yet when I went out to find I could only find a costume for Lightening’s car crew/ driver not Mr. McQueen himself. Despite my song and dance for the purchase my boys were not feeling it and so I knew I had to spring into action. After a sketch or two, I was ready to carve out their costumes using moving boxes, loads (and loads) of duct tape and my personal favorite, SPRAY PAINT! The project was fun and exhausting yet the pictures and smiles on my boys faces made it all worth while! (All that being said, this Mama went the “store-bought” route this year… This girl has to recover! 🙂

       No need to adjust your computer screens… my boys REALLY are THAT cute!

Hello world!

First, the introduction… Hello, my name is Emily, and I have a D.I.Y addiction.  For those who are scratching their heads, D.I.Y stands for “Do it yourself” and I am that self. I love decorating, being crafty and finding ways to add style without spending my paychecks (or selling my children) to do it. Thankfully, I was blessed with a completely patient (and studly) husband who doesn’t even blink twice when he comes home to a room totally rearranged or repainted. For reals!

I work as an illustrator while I tend to my boys at home.  Yes, I am a proud  (sleep deprived) mother of two happily rambunctious boys. Which leads me to my first D.I.Y project post:  Their time-out chair. I found the chair at a garage sale for $1.50. It was very worn and ugly yet I was smitten by it’s saddle seat.  So I took it home, painted it and added a timer to the back in hopes that it would help with arguments back and forth with “am I done yet???” The outcome? Bliss. So much so, that my boys have worn out the timer and I need to find a replacement. (Note to self- add a timer to the grocery list)