The Week in Review | February 10-14

Did you know that Valentine was a Roman priest that married young lovers in secret after the emperor decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives? When Valentine’s actions were discovered, the emperor ordered that he be put to death and we celebrate the day of his burial. Yaaay! Sweet story, eh?

Traditions are weird. But hey, flowers and chocolate are always a good thing. So let’s take a look at some fabulous Valentine’s posts from around the interwebs. Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Week in Review

  1. There were plenty of recipes for baking heart shaped anything out there but I thought this Candy Cane Valentine was particularly cute! It was created by Mary Beth Johnson from the lifestyle blog Annapolis & Company and featured on Casey Leigh this week.
  2. Hostess with the Mostess showcased a minty fresh kitchen themed bridal shower where this Recipe for a Happy Marriage was prominently displayed. It includes such ingredients as 3 cups of understanding, 3 spoonfuls of hope, 1 barrel of laughter, and a small pinch of in laws.
  3. Style at Home blog featured five Valentine’s Day prints from Etsy. I love this Love is All We Need print from TheDigitalStudio. And such a deal at $9.06!
  4. Who wouldn’t want to dawn some sequin for an English garden tea party with their girlfriends this Valentine’s? The Glitter Guide makes it look so fun and pretty!
  5. And if you need some jam with your crumpets at your tea party, just check out this recipe from The Chalkboard. Valerie Confection’s Blushing Berry Jam is packed full of raspberries, rhubarb, and rose petals! How romantic!

HGTV Dream Home 2014

Tell me you’ve seen this year’s HGTV Dream Home by now? No? Well allow me to show you around!

House 1

Every year, HGTV builds an incredible dream home from the ground up. This year’s house is a modern mountain vacation home located in the Truckee, California community of Schaffer’s Mill. A perfect blend of sleek industrial and rustic coziness, I would gladly curl up with some cocoa through the winter in this dream home.

House 2.5

House 2

The giant trusses with sturdy bolts can be seen from almost anywhere inside or outside the house and act as both a structural and a design element.

House 3

House 4

Just inside the front door, it’s obvious that this house was designed to bring the outdoors in with floor-to-ceiling views and nature-inspired materials. You know I’m loving the slate! I wonder why they didn’t call Jared to lay that tile?

The foyer leads you straight outside to this back eating area. Or you can take a right to the living area or a left to the bedrooms. Let’s swing to the right and into the kitchen/dining area.

House 8

House 8.5

Here you can really see those big beautiful trusses and the iron beams that support them. More natural elements in the countertops and rich hardwood floors.

House 5

And obviously, those views are on display!

House 6

House 7

The living area warms up with more fall colors and fantastic lighting. Hmmm… that orb sure looks familiar.

House 13

More fall colors perk up a guest room and a Muppet themed kids room!

House 11

House 12

Kermit looks right at home!

House 14

House 15

The master bedroom is quite sophisticated and I’m in love with this master bath tub and river rock shower.

House 9

House 10

And all of this could be yours! Just visit HGTV Dream Home and register to win! Tomorrow’s the last day for entries so sign up quick! Fingers crossed!

Financial Fast for February

I don’t know about you but along with organizing and nutritional cleansing, the new year makes me want to stop spending money! In this Amazon Prime age where we can really buy whatever we want whenever we want and get it delivered to our doorsteps two days later, it’s easy to let your spending get away from you.

Piggy Bank

So this February, I’m in the process of a financial fast. No shoes (waah!), no home decor (eeek!), nothing but the essentials. Luckily, I love grocery shopping so maybe that will curb my desire to shop. But other than toilet paper and bananas, I’m not spending money on anything for a while.

With one small exception- donations.

I’m really not as big of a shop-a-holic as my financial fast makes me sound. I think most of us learn at some point just how much fun it is to give rather than receive. And whether you give with your time or with your money, it just feels great to contribute to a cause.

I would think most people have a cause that’s near and dear to their hearts. Even if they don’t know of a specific charity affiliated with it, most people could get behind something because let’s face it- we’ve all been affected by something be it a disease, bullying, homelessness, etc.

Well in case you’re looking for a charity to get behind, let me recommend the Ulman Cancer Fund. A leading voice in the young adult cancer movement, The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults works at a grassroots level to support, educate, connect, and empower young adult cancer survivors. And this year, my fabulous cousin Rachel is taking part in their annual 4K for Cancer- a 4,000+ mile charity bicycle ride across the United States to raise money and support communities affected by cancer.

Ulman Cancer Fund

Aside from being a great cousin, Rachel is a senior at Framingham State University and her connection to the cancer community started at a young age.

“When I was younger, I even organized neighborhood lemonade stands to raise money for the American Cancer Society! This interest unfortunately took a new form when my dad was diagnosed.”

We lost my Uncle, Rachel’s Dad in 2011.

This summer, Rachel is traveling with a group of college-aged students on a 70-day, 4,000+ mile bike ride from Baltimore to Seattle.

“Not only will this experience shape who I am and ease my own personal desire to fight against cancer, but I will be helping others along the way. I am so excited and honored to be able to make a difference in the fight against cancer.”

To find out more about the Ulman Cancer Fund, the 4K for Cancer, or to donate to Rachel’s ride, please visit http://4kforcancer.org/profiles/rachel-defronzo/. Remember, no donation is too small because every little bit helps.

4K for Cancer

I’m so proud of my little cuz and happy to contribute to her ride… even during my financial fast!

The Week in Review | February 3-7

The week of snowstorms must have inspired my creamy white photo picks for this week’s Week in Review.  

Week in Review

  1. Local blogger Erin from Elements of Style put together her design pics to get the look of this stunning Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, MA.
  2. I love these dictionary definition labels! Kristine from the Painted Hive hosted a giveaway this week for 17 stock labels and 8 custom labels. And there’s still time to enter! Just pop over to the Painted Hive and enter to win until February, 19th.
  3. Samantha at the Peak of Tres Chic explored the kitchen trend: no upper cabinets. I’m a fan of storage but I think I could forgo with those gorgeous windows!
  4. Brittany Makes asks if copper will replace our love of gold. Who knows but those copper pendants against the pale pink wall wins the gold for design in my eyes.
  5. And finally Daily Dream Decor offers up the ladies a drool worthy closet. Floor to ceiling closet storage, a chandelier, and pink champagne? What more could a girl ask for?

Let’s Get Local | Tatte Bakery & Cafe

Last Friday’s Week in Review featured a gorgeous kitchen with white subway tile up the wall. I love this look so much, we put it in our master bath shower surround. But I’m lucky enough to see walls of beautiful white tile in another spot every day- at Tatte Bakery & Cafe.

Tatte is a lovely little place on both Broadway Street and Third Street in Cambridge and also around the corner (below my office) on Main Street with their original location in Brookline. It’s a charming bakery and cafe with yummy pastries and fresh delicious sandwiches.

Tatte Third

Subway Tile

I’m so in love with the look of Tatte. From the gorgeous mish-mash of bulbs chandelier to the antique front counter, it’s a gorgeous combination of sleek but tattered, bold yet understated. Dare I say rustic luxe?

Tatte Lights

Pie

Scale

Tatte Goodies

It really is just a sensory overload with amazing buttery smells and something beautiful in every nook and cranny. I remember stopping at the Third Street location just a couple weeks after I started working in Cambridge. A couple of thirty-somethings lingered at a corner table munching on croissant and sipping from big frothy mugs. I couldn’t take it all in at once and obviously looked overwhelmed. A friendly “what can I get for you?” snapped me out of my wonderment.

Baking

I went home that night with a cute cardboard box of two brownies and a pear tart and had to restrain myself from gobbling them down on the ride home.

Tarts

Cookies

More Tarts

If I were to open a business, I imagine it would look a lot like this lovely little Tatte Bakery & Cafe. But luckily, I don’t need to go through the trouble- I just need to go to work and walk downstairs.

Menu

For more information on Tatte (and even more yummy food pics!) visit TatteBakery.com. Or even better, swing by and eat up! Tatte will not disappoint.