Life and Love

Christmas spirit

2011-12-29T18:04:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday! Sorry I haven't been posting lately...shopping,cooking...all this tablet technology...trying to catch up. I'm either on the HTC evo or the Acer tablet. Hardly have time to sit down in front of the laptop anymore. Gotta get used to posting on the go. Here are some pics of our Xmas eve and day :-)

Front Door Holiday Decor

2011-11-21T01:18:00.006-05:00

I was searching for ideas on how to decorate the front of my house for Christmas and here are some beautiful pictures that I had to share with you. If you want me to display your pictures, please send them to me and I will add them to this blog...thanks!

2011-10-18T21:00:00.003-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

If you or someone you know has been affected by breast cancer, please donate to help find a cure. Remember to get regular check ups with your doctor and touch yourself. It can save your life. Someone in my family has been diagnosed with this disease and we are hoping for a miracle.

You can donate at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Abbott Zinc - Top Island

2011-09-26T16:08:00.002-04:00

My new favorite Island. It's called the Abbott Zinc Top Island. The top is made of Zinc, which is a fixture in high-end restaurants and the base is made of solid eucalyptus. I love how there are so many different functions for it...from inside to outdoor entertaining, day to night, season to season... it's the perfect piece. The price is $999.00 and it's sold at Pottery Barn.

Rosie O'Donnell Buys $2.5 Million Dollar Chicago Townhouse

2011-09-21T16:29:00.000-04:00

At a $10 million dollar discount...

Rosie O'Donnell will return to daytime television to host a talk show on The Oprah Winfrey Network, and hosting a new show isn't the only life change coming her way.
The new show films in Chicago, and O'Donnell originally said she'd commute from New York, where she currently lives.
The home is a 6,000 square foot brick and limestone townhouse on an extra-wide lot in the Lakeview neighborhood on the north side of Chicago.
The three-story house has five bedrooms, five baths, and two half baths.
The ceilings are 11 feet tall, and the house features an open-plan kitchen and family room. Other amenities include a heated three car garage, butler's pantry and 2,000 square feet roof terrace.

[Click Images to Enlarge]

Green Bean Salad & Pineapple Mango Smoothie

2011-09-16T11:49:00.007-04:00

Green Bean and Tuna Salad

I was watching my favorite cook, Giada De Laurentiis, on the food network the other night. She made this amazing green bean salad that she said is very popular in Sicily. I found the recipe online and decided to make it last night. WOW! It was perfection :) I finished the meal with a pineapple mango smoothie. I am sharing the 2 recipes with you here and hope you love them as much as I do!

1 1/2 pounds slender green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise (I just cut off the ends and left them whole for more crunch)
3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
2 large red potatoes, diced (or 3 smaller)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I skipped the garlic and it still tasted yummy)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (veggie works good)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (or grape tomatoes)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (or 2 tablespoons dried basil flakes)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (2 tablespoons dried parsley)
9 ounces canned tuna packed in oil, drained (1 can but next time I will use 2 cans for more chunk)

Directions

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Using a mesh strainer, transfer the green beans to a large bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain the green beans and pat dry with a towel.

Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the same cooking liquid and bring the liquid to a simmer. Add the potatoes to the simmering liquid and cook until they are just tender but still hold their shape, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the ice water to cool completely. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a towel.

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, garlic, oil, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the tomatoes, basil and parsley in a large serving bowl. Add the tuna and toss gently to combine. Add the green beans and potatoes and gently combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Serves 3-4

Pineapple Mango Smoothie

1 whole mango
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups cubed ice

Peel mango and slice as much fruit as you can off of the pit and into a good blender.
Add sugar.
Pour the pineapple juice into the blender and set the speed to "grind".
While the fruit and juice is blending, add the ice, cube by cube, until you start to see the mixture thicken. Keep blending until smooth and enjoy!

Makes 4 cups

**Some people add yogart to their smoothie but for me it's optional.

I heart Pergolas

2011-09-13T17:36:00.003-04:00

Lauren Conrad House for Sale $2.25 Million

2011-09-08T23:11:00.000-04:00

Reality TV star, Lauren Conrad, is selling her home, which was also featured in the hit series "The Hills" for $2.25 million. It's a 4 bedroom/4 bath located in Hollywood, California. The 3000 sq. ft, Spanish style home has mountain views and dates back to 1922.

Read the full listing on Realtor.com with more photos.

Favorite Pool House

2011-08-30T18:35:00.001-04:00

I love this pool house in suburban Connecticut. It's called the Wilton Poolhouse designed by Hariri and Hariri.

Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pasta Recipe

2011-08-08T20:22:00.001-04:00

The smell reminds me of all the summertime barbecues, all the birthday parties, all the graduations....it's a recipe I learned from my best friend, my grandmother, Teresa. It's the tomato, basil and mozzarella pasta. You can have it warm as a main dish or chilled as a side. Simply perfect!

You need:

1 pound spaghetti pasta (I like Barilla* brand)
1 package mozzarella whole milk cheese (fresh is best)
2 tblspn olive oil (veggie oil is ok)
5 cloves garlic (diced)
2 cans diced tomato (seasoned with basil, oregano) OR 2 fresh vine-ripe tomatoes (diced)
1 tsp salt
2 tblspn basil flakes (or use fresh basil)

Boil 3 cups cold water with a pinch of salt. Add 1 pound (whole package) spaghetti pasta. Cook for 9 mins.
While the pasta is cooking, take out a small frying pan and heat the oil on low/med heat.
While the oil is heating up, dice up the garlic.
Add garlic to the oil and cook on low heat until light brown to bring out flavor.
While the garlic cooks, open and drain canned tomatoes OR dice your fresh tomatoes.
Slice your mozzarella cheese into 1 inch thick pieces. Thick works better because you don't want the cheese to be stringy.
Drain your pasta.
While the oil and garlic are still hot add them on pasta.
Add the mozzarella cheese.
Toss lightly.
Add tomatoes.
Add salt and basil.
Toss for another minute and enjoy!

Sex and the City 3

2011-08-02T16:26:00.015-04:00

Sex and the City 3 coming soon!

I never watched the series show, Sex and the City. I did not go to see the movie when it came out in theaters. One day Sex and the City, the movie, was showing on HBO and I didn't think it would be any good, but I decided to watch it because nothing else was on. Well, I will never judge a movie again without seeing it lol. I LOVED IT! Almost like an addict I couldn't wait for Sex and the City 2 to come out in theaters and I ran to see it when it did :) I still watch it on "On Demand" whenever I get the chance. The second city was so much fun in Abu Dhabi! To some people the movies seem materialistic and out of touch with reality but isn't that the point? I like to see these women wearing gorgeous designer gowns and Dior business suits complete with $10,000 Birken handbags. I can't afford it but it's great to fantasize about it. That's what movies are for :)

Naturally I begged for a third Sex and the City and it appears the rumors are true! There will be! Sex and the City 3 will go ahead as planned, but with an all new "younger cast". No date on when filming begins, but the cast is made up of some familiar faces and they will represent a younger version of the original cast and how they all met.

Blake Lively as Samantha

Selena Gomez as Charlotte

Emma Roberts (niece of Julia) as Miranda

Elizabeth Olsen (younger sister of Mary Kate and Ashley) as Carrie

A Collection of Frames

2011-08-01T14:33:00.001-04:00

I love when picture frames are showcased on a wall this way :)

Dining Room Style

2011-07-29T12:13:00.005-04:00

This is what my dining room looks like now. It's bigger than the average dining space with a gorgeous bay window that brings in a ton of light. It has a carpeted floor which will be hardwood very soon. It needs an accent wall color and a new chandelier because this one is outated with a brass trim. The house was built in the 90's but certainly has a lot of 80's style to it lol..

These pretty wine goblets were a great find. They are hand painted and have a soft blue glow. All I need now is place settings in plain white!

This is how I want the room to look :) Notice the wall color is a light turquoise hue. The curtains are a golden yellow shade. I have a pair exactly like these in my closet because I didn't know what to do with them...

The chandelier is breathtaking. Its a Murano and costs almost 3k.. so I found a less expensive look..

I found this beauty on a website called Elizabeths Embellishments for $58.95.

Now on to the rug..my favorite part of the room :)
This is the Jonathan Adler Magic Carpet Rug made from llamas wool. The price is $650 and unless I can find something that looks similar, which I have not lol, I would pay that price to have it!

Here are the side by side pictures so you can see my vision.

Pretty Maxi Dress

2011-07-27T19:33:00.005-04:00

Everyone is wearing a maxi dress this summer, including me lol, but I found these to look so pretty and elegant..love the blue color :)

T-Bags
Jersey halterneck maxi dress
$205

Elizabeth and James
Kamala crinkled-crepe maxi dress
$365