Two posts in one day!

I wish I could sleep this hard...

Sometimes its tough being a diva and keeping a svelte figure, but somebody has to do it.

(Lola- my adorable, albeit a bit fatter from all the bones grandma gives her, pitbull/basset hound mix)

A view from my desk

I thought I would do a quick post about where I spend a good portion of my day. Since I work from home I have a corner desk set up in my office. It's lovely- I won't lie and say I don't enjoy working from home... but as you can see after spending hours at a desk you can see what it looks like.....................


Notice the Blackberry, calculator, coffee mug, day old water bottle, pink agenda, lap top and desk top? These things are always on the desk and no matter how many times I clean the desk... like a magnet those items will always return (of course my older than dirt desk top always is there.... sometimes I wish that thing would disappear).

But the great thing about my desk is the window view. No its not a huge, magnificent city that I look out on, however a view of the country landscape is all I need.

They taste like donuts but look like muffins

Oh hell yes! Muffins that taste like donuts? Seriously? Dead. and yes, this recipe is a deadly mix of butter, cinnamon, and sugar. I made them this morning for my hubby before work and he was in love. Everyone needs a little hump day pick me up, right?

• 1-¾ cup Flour
• 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Nutmeg
• ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
• ⅓ cups Oil
• ¾ cups White Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• ¾ cups Milk

• FOR THE TOPPING:
• ¼ cups Butter
• ⅓ cups White Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Combine oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add dry ingredients and stir only to combine.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a bowl. Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl.

Shake muffins out while still hot. Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool.

P.S. I ran out of the butter and sugar/cinnamon mix with two muffins left to go- I might have been a tad overzealous with my dipping and mixing technique.

The best $1.99 you will spend!

I have to tell you- this.has.changed.my.mornings.forever- the Ikea Milk Frother! For a mere $1.99 every morning your coffee can be just a little more decadent- its like a little mini dessert for the a.m. I absolutely love my Coffee Mate creamer in my coffee, and no diet can take that away from me:) I put 1 1/2 tbsp of creamer (Italian sweet cream or Creme brulee) and one splenda packet, froth my creamer, pour my coffee in and have a sweet treat! The best $1.99 you will spend!

4th of July= pig out and celebrate America!

How yummy does this look? Before I tell you how incredibly fattening this is just look at it and enjoy it for all its glory. I'm going to be making this today and let me tell you my thighs will not be thanking me for it. Think nearly 3 sticks of butter, 1 cup of sour cream, and 6 whole eggs will be enough? And that is only for the cake let alone the frosting is just pure evil in every sinfully good bite. It is a Pioneer Woman recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa- my two favorite gals!

Oy...

Last night I ate 3/4ths a pan of Rice Krispy treats with M&Ms mixed in just for extra fluff around my middle section. Granted I had cramps like no other and would have gladly accepted a good shot of morphine to help me out- but never underestimate the power of a really good dessert to make things much better.

Skinny Girl Margarita anyone?

Bethenny Frankel of the RHWNYC is now a huge success in every aspect of her life (new hubby, new baby, growing empire and a line of Skinny girl cocktails). A few days ago I was sitting at a pretty hip sushi restaurant in town and decided to order a Skinny Girl Margarita- No problem, right? Wrong! The bartender acted like he knew exactly what I was talking about.... please for the love of God I hope that the real mix does not taste the way my drink came out.... It was basically all tequila (and the awful thing was that it was not patron- they used Cabo Wabo- ick), with four lime wedges in the drink, and believe me I could barely taste any triple sec in there either. I really should have returned it, but I was in such a mood not to deal with it that I just sat there and miserably sipped it. Anyone have any luck ordering this drink out on the town? Is it still so unknown that most bartenders don't know how to make it?
In other news I left the sushi bar and promptly hit some stores with a tequila buzz that could have put any senorita flat out on her tush.... and of course shopping debauchery ensued.

Charleston makes me swoon... and I've never even been!

Staying here

Drinking here

Eating here

Visiting here

So excited to visit Charleston at the end of July! I have never been, but the hubs and I are looking forward to getting away just the two of us and enjoying the city. So looking forward to exploring, shopping, and eating! P.S. I thoroughly believe I will be sweating my ass off in this sweltering heat... which may be a good thing!

Artists I love

Above is by Catherine Elizabeth Morris- she does fantasic florals!

Above is Deborah Cavenaugh.

Why does hair have to be so damn difficult?

Over the years all I have to say is my poor poor hair. My poor stylists. My poor husband. I'm never happy for more than six months and then I need a change. After the change I inevitably have an internal conflict with myself for the whole month afterward whether or not "its me" or "how much maintenance is this going to be now"????? I just recently went back to a light brunette after finally giving up on the blonde- granted everyone likes me better blonde, but I can't take it. I just can't. So I rebel and I'm sure I will be back to blonde by then end of the year. I know I'm not alone in this endless quest for perfect hair color, but it would make life a lot easier if we could actually by good color in a box and not kill our hair in the process. A $$$ hair color job makes me nauseous every time. I mean come on... if we can have hair transplants and botox why for the love of God can we not have good boxed color?

New paint color!

So a few months back I finally was able to change the wall color- thank goodness- the tart yellow was not so stylish (that yellow was called Buttercream from Restoration Hardware- it would have been great for a nursery though- not a living room). I felt like I should be walking around with a piece of straw in my mouth spitting tobacco or something lol.... this color by Ben Moore "Baby Fawn" is fantastic and was from the mouth of my very stylish interior designer Aunt Sue- who just about stuck a paint brush in my hand and said "DO IT".

As you can see even with the paint change I have to be careful not to let my house get too country looking since it is a farm house and easily lends itself to look like one even with my decorating... so I'm trying to take some tips from different design blogs and "mix" it up a little.

Note my leopard print on the chairs- love love love!

Also tried out Darby's recipe for fruit roll-ups at Fly Through Our Window. If you have not checked out this blog- do so immediately. Now. Just drop everything you are doing and go there NOW. Her posts are seriously my dose of therapy every day.

Back to the fruit roll-ups---- I did not let these suckers cook long enough. They were great the first day, but after that decided to get a little sticky and gummy on me. Still a great healthy snack and an awesome way to use up some farm strawberries if you are like me and bought a huge container. I like strawberries-not just thaaat much.

What a long time it has been

I'm still here. Still stalking my favorite blogs and those I randomly come across. I had taken a brief hiatus from blogging as I needed to concentrate on myself- get my house in order so to speak. I am in such a better place mentally and physically then I have been in a long time. I am back on weight watchers- and down 21lbs! I have been eating very healthy and trying to work on my fitness. I've also been trying to indulge myself in what I truly love to do- making a house a home for me and my hubster. We are prepping so to speak for a possible baby this year. Its on our minds lets just say that... and there are all these projects that need done around the house.

Here are a few of the things I have been working on lately.

Website I've been working on- stellargoods.com- still working on some quirks but coming together- this company is selling portable spas, saunas, pool accessories etc. If you are looking for a great hot tub under $1,000 check them out!We ordered one and have been in love since day one! This is the Spa-n-a-box below like the one we ordered...

Our little garden:


Which now looks as if it has been overtaken by GIGANTIC cherry tomato plants- crazy how those things grow... I will update with a pic soon!

I've become a cooking fiend:

This is Ellie Krieger (last name spelling?) Anyways find her on the Foodnetwork.com- this is her ricotta cheesecake which was fabulous! Not bad for my first cheesecake if I do say so myself lol