Red Bean Potage

my son gives the beans a 10
i give them an 8
mr. simple says they are great

good flavor
next time: less onion and green pepper
especially liked the potato and squash
good source of protein
filling
mmm mmm , mama can cook

back to school

(via laffy4K at flickr.com)

dear school,
i know you are around the corner.
i promise to think about you more now.
i am optimistic that this year will be great for us.
xo, carla

dear fellow teachers,
i hope your first days run smooth.
i hope that as you teach your hearts out this year,
you are appreciated.
make it a great year.
xo, carla

dear kids,
make your year count.
give it your best.
know i'm here if you need me.
study and do your homework.
get involved.
smile and have fun.
xo, mom

fun wedding entrance

red beans

i have been wanting to make red bean soup from scratch for quite some time.

it can be served with some bread or over rice.
i hope to make it this week and share it with you.
xo, carla

take me away.....

image via sanctu's photostream at flickr.com

::Pier Mirror : Help Needed::

I am trying to create a pier mirror similar to the one shown here from www.coylesauction.com. I have seen nicer ones before, but couldn't find those at the moment. This one will have to do for now.
This is a beautiful (I think), beat up desk Mr. Simple found in someone's trash. He thought it might work for the bottom of the pier mirror if we cut off some of the legs, and if I fixed it up some. I am afraid to cut off the legs because I think it might not work, plus I love it like it is (with some changes: new top, possible paint job???).

This is a stand I found, but obviously it won't work. It is plastic and tacky because it's so obvious! Even if I painted it and put a marble slab on top, it won't work! It has been a temporary fix.
And here is the mirror. It was originally gold and had an ugly painting, which I removed. Now, it holds our old bathroom mirror.
What should I do? Cut the desk down to hold the mirror? Or should I keep the desk and keep looking for a new base to hold the mirror?

::feel good spaces::

...there is just somthing about these spaces I love...

(via sweethomestyle.tumblr.com)

~new project ~ bedroom closet~

This is part of the old bathroom. We began by taking down the tile from the walls. Katherine helped with taking off the ugly wallpaper (yuck).

Here's a shot from my bedroom. Pardon our mess. The second doorway you see will be closed off to make our closet. The other side will be part of the guest bathroom.

Eventually, we tore down the sheet rock and plan to put up new ones. More to come later. We hope to work on it this weekend.

~master bath...before & after~

After cleaning out what used to be the walk-in closet, we took down the old sheet rock.

the new sheet rock...


piping for the sink and old tile gone...

new floor tile...

subway tile...

beaded trim, I LOVE IT...

Romeo approves...

working hard...

drum roll please.......

THE REVEAL...

The bathroom is not 100% yet. I have to buy a few things...toilet paper holder, trash can, and glass door knob. I also have to paint the door. I'll add resources later. I LOVE MY BATHROOM.

~SO jealous~

On The Biggest Loser tonight, the last 4 people on the show ran a marathon....26.2 miles! I would LOVE to be able to do that one day. South Florida is having the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon on January 31, 2010. I'm not sure all that is involved because I've never done anything like this before. But...anyone want to join me in this venture?