Guest Room Inspiration

Here are some things that are inspiring our guest room! (This is the first room we are starting and will use it partially for unpacked-box storage while we get the other rooms painted and organized.) More than anything, I want our house to be comfortable. Nothing too fussy. However, I do want this room to have a little bit different feel than the rest of the house since this is more or less where I'll have my extras and Mike's stuff will be in the office... I imagine myself doing a lot of reading and some keyboard playing in this room so I want it to be a relaxed room with some bold spots.

Phlox Martha Stewart paint from Home Depot (walls)

Purple Elderberry Martha Stewart paint from Home Depot (accent)

Daybed with white linens and white pillows in multiple textures (WestElm)

clear nesting tables (CB2)

adorn the walls with a couple of mike's black and white prints and one bold black and white graphic or text like this one from littlebluedeer.com

And, here's an outfit from this season's Mondo on Project Runway that I've got in the back of my mind while looking for things for the room...

We've primed the room and are ready to paint the phlox color on the walls. Pictures coming but might be a short while. The actual move won't happen until we get back from our honeymoon!

Any ideas or inspirations - share in the comments!

And We're Homeowners!

In addition to wedding planning, Mike and I have been in the process of buying a home! While stressful at times, it overall was a really smooth process thanks in part to our fabulous realtors -Erika & Kim (thanks Ann!).


After closing last week, we got started cleaning the house and get the rooms ready for painting. We are well on our way to making the house our home (or hale)!

Room inspirations and progress to come!

Black-Eyed Basmati Salad

I made this Guy Fieri recipe for black-eyed basmati salad this week for a quick side to go with grilled tilapia and green beans. It was a pretty easy recipe... I had all of the spices/liquids as well as a can of black-eyed peas in the pantry and just had to pick up the fresh veggies and basmati rice at the store. I didn't take the time to make the recipe with dry beans but if you have the time, that would be good too! The rice salad has a really light flavor and lots of crunchy veggies (red onion and red bell pepper) to give it a fresh taste.

I liked the recipe overall but will tweak the dressing recipe just a bit... it needs just a little something extra... can't quite put my finger on it just yet. (I also go to use the handy salad dressing emulsifier I picked up at Williams Sonoma after a cooking class. The spout is big enough at the top to let the cilantro and minced shallot to flow through. Plus it has lots of vinaigrette recipes along the side of the bottle with ingredient measuring lines.)