My New Love - Dyson DC 24

Well for the last 4 years I have struggled with having a TERRIBLE vacuum.  And by TERRIBLE I mean the vacuum has too many pieces, it is too big, it leaves a strange odor in the air after I am done using it, and the suction is basically none existent.

I have dreamed of having nice, new vacuum.  I did a lot of research.  I wanted something with a lot of suction, small enough to be stored in small closet, and something that didn't need new filters.  I tested some vacuums awhile back, and the CLEAR winner was the Dyson DC 24.   I love the ball technology, it makes cleaning hard to reach places so much easier.  It is small, no new filters are needed (you wash the filter once a month), it is bagless, and it cleans all surfaces without having to change pieces!

I went out and tried to do some Christmas shopping on Saturday.  While I was at Bed Bath and Beyond, I saw the DC24.  It was like it was beckoning to me, but $499 is a steep price tag.  So it wasn't like I could just buy it without discussing it first with M.

So today as I was scrubbing the kitchen floor, I said M you know what I really, really, want for Christmas, "a vacuum!"  Okay, I committed the number one cardinal sin for a wife, I told my husband to buy a household appliance for me for Christmas. But really, I will get more happiness out of this vacuum than anything else he could have bought me this year for Christmas. 

I recently read a study about what makes people happy.  And the study showed that the most mundane things often bring the most happiness, not a trip to Italy, a diamond bracelet, or a new car.  For instance, most people indicated that making their bed in the morning brought them the most happiness throughout the day.  Interesting?  So anyway, I thought . . . I will use this vacuum once a week until it finally dies on me, and since it has a 5 year warranty, it will bring me happiness once a week for the next 5 years at the least. 

So M and I trotted off to Target to compare prices.  We were lucky to find the same model for $100 cheaper and then we got an extra 5% off using our red card.

Once we got home, M and I actually argued about who got to vacuum.  We ended up taking turns - and instead of stuffing the vacuum in the closet we left it by the Christmas tree :)

http://www.dyson.com/store/product.asp?product=DC24-ANIMAL&tab=accessories

DIY - Holiday Project - Inspiration Husband

So M has always been a very romantic husband, but this year his present really touched my heart.  Since we have been together (including the year in high school), M has given me a Christmas ornament every Christmas.  This year while decorating the Christmas tree we laid my ornaments out and actually put the dates on them because we were beginning to forget which ornament came from which year (can you believe we've been married that long :).

Anyway, one day last week M came home with a large package from our local craft shop, and I was immediately intrigued, but I kept my interest to myself.  A couple days ago, I came home from work and M could not contain his excitement.  He said he wanted to give me my Christmas ornament early so we could put it on the tree.  After some cajoling, I said "okay" (M always wants to give me my gifts early).

This year M made me a half-eaten Gingerbread Man ornament.  The ornament was made out of a light brown felt, stuffed with stuffing, and the ends were all stitched by hand.

 I love the attention to detail - the bite marks on his head, his missing leg, and the button belly. Thanks honey, this is truly a special gift.

Gardening in Small Spaces

So one of the difficult things about living in an apartment is that you have no room to have a garden.  Well, as an avid cook one of the things I want to have the most is an herb garden (just the basics, parsley, cilantro, basil, mint).  I had a pot on my patio for awhile, but it ended up taking up a lot of space.  I recently saw these planters-what a great idea!  Planters that attach to the railing.

http://www.eco-gardening.com/planters/mini-garden-railing-planter_1199_50.php

Great Online Discount Store for Designer Goods

There is always this very lovely woman that sits a few rows ahead of me at church.  Every week she wears the most original, feminine dresses.  They usually have one sheer layer of lace and then a second layer of a material that looks like silk.

Today, I decided I would finally speak to this woman because the dress she was wearing was simply divine. The dress was taupe (one layer of lace, one layer of silk) with a v-neck and pencil skirt to mid-calf.  The bodice was form fitting and had a periwinkle satin belt.  I would say the overall style of the dress was late 1930s. To give the dress an updated look she paired the dress with brown boots that had a faint alligator print. Which for some reason looked amazing.

When I asked the woman who the designer was she said YIGAL AZROUEL.  Then she leaned closer and said, but to tell you the truth I ordered the dress from EBay, from a seller I often use called blindallegiance.  She said she got the dress which was originally about $1500 for $200.  She also said the best thing about blindallegiance is that a lot of the profit from your purchase there goes to charity. 

When I got home I tried to find the dress at blindallegiance, but she must have made the purchase awhile back because I couldn't find it.  I recently found the dress, it is up to $249 (however, hers was not this low cut so she must have had it altered), so there you have it (I want this dress so bad, of course I would have to get it altered too).

Check out blindallegiance's online store http://stores.ebay.com/Blind-Allegiance.

The Ultimate Christmas List

Okay, so people are always asking me around this time what I want for Christmas.  Well, even though I don't expect to get any of the items below (some are just way to expensive), I thought I would put together the ultimate women's Christmas wish list with no price restrictions  (we can all dream . . . :).

1. Purses - I love both of these purses by Marc Jacobs.  The First is called the "Classic Q - Baby Groovee" Satchel.  Nordstrom is selling this purse for $358.00.  The second purse is called " Paradise Rio" Satchel. I love the color of this purse - beige - it matches everything and for such an expensive purchase wouldn't you want the purse to go with everything.   Nordstrom is selling this purse for $995.00.  Love it !!! (too expensive to actually ever buy, unless I could find it on ebay somewhere which will be my next project).

 

2.  Shoes - I love Christian Louboutin, and her Simple Pump with 85 mm hill is a must.  I couldn't the picture to copy correctly so here's the link for Barney's http://www.barneys.com/Simple-Pump-85/159016197,default,pd.html.  Barney's is selling this shoe for $595.00 (again I am only dreaming). 

3.   Now for some more inexpensive picks.  If you read my blog a lot you will notice that I love America's Test Kitchen.  Well America's Test Kitchen has come out with a new cookbook which provides all of their recipes for the last 10 years.  Check the book out at http://www.cooksillustrated.com/bookstore/detail.asp?PID=435.

4.  Rugs - Okay I know it seems strange to ask for a rug for Christmas, but I love Anthropolgie's rugs.  My favorites are the "isola bella" bathmat ($38), the "castile rose" bathmatt ($38), and the "finnia rug"  ($78 for a 2x3). Of course, I love the gold, taupe and cream colors.  http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

 5.  Pillows - I love these pillows as well from Anthropologie.  I suppose if you were a gifted person you could make similar pillows for yourself or for someone as a gift.  Unfortunately, I am not that person.  My pillows always turn out horribly.  Anyway these are some lovely pillows I found. The first pillow is selling for $78 and is called "Ombre Gardenia Pillow". The second pillow is called "Dusky Blooms Pillow " and it is selling for $58. 

6.  Light Fixtures - Decatur Street Chandelier Shade from Anthropologie - $24.00

7.  Yoga Classes - know  someone that is stressed out - Yoga would make a great gift for that person, and since classes can be outside a family budget in these tough times, it makes a great gift.  http://www.yogablend.com/YogaBlend/Home.html

8.  Couples Dance Lessons -  I have always wanted to take ballroom dance lessons with my significant other, and this gift idea would be great to mark two people off your list (make it a full date and throw in a gift card for dinner).  http://www.laokay.com/danceclasses.htm

9.  Herb garden - This is a gift that will continue to give all year long and is super cheap.  Buy the essential herbs (italian parsley, cilantro, basil, and mint), and plant them in small pots such as the one's below that can be purchased for $6.50 here http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/clay-herb-pots-pr-27094.html.
 

10.  Mary Kay's Be Radiant Baked Powder.  My mom sent me this last month, and I absolutely recommend this product.  It adds an extra glow in these winter months, and at $18 it is a steal this holiday season.  http://www.marykay.com/color/cheeks/marykayberadiantbakedpowder/10037395/default.aspx?cid=ecat

Thanksgiving 2

Our second Thansgiving was at my parent's home.  My mom and dad have been restoring our old family farm house for about the last two years, and it is really starting to take take place.  My mom's most recent edition was the upstairs TV room.  She painted the walls a deep purple/beige color, and bought a deep blue/grey funiture (love seat and chair).  It looked absolutely lovely.  I will try to get her to post some pictures.

Anyway, back to Thanksgiving.  It was a full house, with all the trimmings. We had homemade noodles, turkey, ham, carmel rolls, green beans with almonds, stuffing, potatoes, pies, and a jelly roll.

Thanksgiving 1

On Saturday M and I left for Iowa for one week with family and friends.  On Sunday we had Thanksgiving with M's side of the family.  The festivities started with blueberry pancakes (which were delightful), and a nice strong cup of coffee and cream (this is really the way to start your vacation off on the right foot).  The rest of the day was spent in the kitchen.  M's mom got up early and put the turkey in, but there were still several sides that needed to be completed.

We had the following for Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, mash potatoes, squash with carmelized onions and sour cream, crab salad (Ukrainian dish),  Oyster stuffing, stuffing, green bean casserole, and bread. Everything was splendid down to the last detail.

My contribution was the stuffing.  I LOVE stuffing, and here is a simple recipe for awesome stuffing.  I have to give some credit to my mom she gave me a similar recipe (one she developed) to the one I am posting, but I have tweaked it to add in a few more ingrediants that I prefer. The most important part of this recipe is the bread.  It is important to choose a loaf of whole grain bread - it has the most flavor.

Step One

1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
3 sticks of celery (roughly chopped)
1 t salt
1 t cracked pepper
1/2 c butter

Combine the aforementioned ingrediants in a medium skillet over medium heat and let simmer until onions and celery are soft.

Step Two
1 loaf whole grain bread (cut into cubes)
2 eggs
1 T Parsley
1T Thyme
1 T Basil
1/4 cup pine nuts or slivered almonds

In a large bowel, combine the mixture from step 1 and the ingredients in step 2.  Once combined add a ladle of turkey stock or chicken broth.  Keep adding the broth until the bread is moist (not so wet that the bread is falling apart).

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the mixture in the center and cover with tin foil. Cook the mixture for an 1 hour on 350 degrees.

Other than the food, the company was also delightful.  Half-way through the afternoon M got an idea to take a traditional Thanksgiving photo.  We all gathered around the table and M's mom held the turkey.

 I have to say the picture turned out really well :)

All and all it was a great Thanksgiving.  Stay tuned for more on Thanksgiving 2.