Downstairs Bathroom Renovation

Hello Everyone!

Tomorrow I am on a mission to get the paint in my backroom matched and finally paint our downstairs bathroom.  This has been one room in our house that I just could not figure out what I wanted to do, but it has finally come to me.  Alice in Wonderland!  If you don't know me, I am a huge fan! I love all things tea related (except tea, go figure!), playing cards, watches, and basically everything else.  When I thought of this idea I was so excited to incorporate this I to my home, but didn't want to take away from the theme my home already has.  I also did not want it to be in your face Alice in Wonderland, with actual characters, quotes, or photographs.  I decided to create a gallery wall with various things from the movie, but keep the vintage/eclectic feel the rest of my home has.  Below I have photographs of some items I have bought for the room, but stay tuned for a full post revealing the finished room which includes many other fun decor I currently own!  When this goes up I will go into full detail of everything!

Thanks for reading!  Are you working on any fun projects around you house right now?  Let me know in the comments below!

- Courtney 

Courtney Cooks: Quinoa Pesto Bowl

Hello Everyone!

Last week I tried Protein Bar for the first time and the Quinoa Pesto Bowl jumped off their menu as what I should order.  I was not dissapointed!   I decided to try to replicate this recipe at home this evening since I had all the ingredients on hand.  Check out the quick recipe below for a healthy dinner!

Ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1-2 tablespoons of pesto
- 1 cup spinach

Cook the chicken breasts and quinoa, then add all ingredients together in a bowl

Mix all of the food together, top with parmesan, and ENJOY!

This only took me 20 minutes to whip up and tasted delcious!  Eating healthy and cooking at home does not have to be a chore.  We are all leading busy lives, but I encourage you and your families to start making your meals at home together.  Even if its just a few times a week, it is better than nothing!

- Courtney

Guest Bathroom

Hello Everyone!

Welcome back to our home once again as I take you through our Guest bathroom.  I sometimes forget this is even in our house since I tend to just use our Master bath, but recently we have had a leak in our Master, so we have been using the Guest bathroom.  This has been the first time I have used the shower, and I must say it feels like you are transported in time with the adorable archway.  The character that is packed into this tiny space makes me so thankful for half of our house being original to 1942!  That being said let's get on to the tour!

As you can see in the pictures below this bathroom has pink tile on a majority of the walls.  Normally I would absolutely hate this, but the tile is so simple and it just adds to the charm!  The floor is tiled with pink as well, so I went for a bit of a pink Parisian theme.  The shower curtain is from Kohls, and I think the pattern and color compliment the room perfectly.  I was so happy I found shower curtain hooks with the same hexagon shape as the curtain.  My mom gifted me the pink clock and the rest of the items were found thrifting per usual ;)

I really do love this bathroom and cannot wait to complete it by:

• Painting the vanity white
• New knobs on the cabinets and drawers

Not too much needs to be done, but once it is I will show you all the finished look!

- Courtney

Quick and Healthy Breakfasts

Hello Everyone!

You may not know this about me, but I am very into breakfast and all the food that comes along with it.  I am "one of those people" who gets incredibly sick if I do not eat first thing in the morning.  This means that no matter how early I have to leave the house I need to be able to eat something substantial so I can survive the morning.  I actually spend more time around preparing and eating breakfast than getting ready for work or the day.  Since I dedicate most of my time to this and am not a morning person, I like to make healthy foods quickly to maximize my time.  Below you will see some of my go to breakfasts that I make throughout the week.

Avocado Egg Toast
This takes about 5 minutes to prepare.  I put the egg on the stove, then the toast in the toaster, and while both are cooking I cut the avocado.  I add pepper and salt for taste and switch up what style of eggs I make.  This is sooo tasty and filling! 

Oatmeal and Fruit
I prepare 1/2 cup of instant oatmeal with 3/4 cashew milk for 2 minutes in the microwave.  After cooking I add whatever fresh fruit I have on hand and drizzle some honey on top.

 

Scrambled Eggs and Ham
I beat 2-3 eggs and add to an olive oiled pan.  Then I add: honey ham, spinach, and cheese.  Once cooked, I serve on a plate with a bit of Frank's Hot Sauce.  YUM!

I know that none of these recipes are out of the ordinary, but they are healthy, quick, easy, and most importantly filling!  They all give me the fuel I need to start my day and taste delicious!  Do you have any yummy breakfast recipes to share?  Let us know below in the comments!

- Courtney

My Entryway

Hello Everyone!

Today I wanted to share with you my only fully completed room in our house!  Behold our entryway!  This was a fun space to create and I am very pleased with how it looks and its functionality.  The dresser is my Nana's that used to be storage in my parent's garage, but I asked for it in my home and they had no problem giving it up.  To think this was just wasting away in their garage with extension cords and screw drivers makes me sad, but I am glad it is the first thing people see when they enter our home.  Not only is it pretty, but it holds all of our winter accessories, some of our shoes, and other odds and ends.  The mirror above the dresser is from Hobby Lobby and I love how it is arched to match the archways in our home!  It makes the spaces feel bigger and adds light, too.  The tea set is a silver set I found antiquing and the lamp was found at a consignment shop.  I have a ceramic Alice in Wonderland tray that we keep our keys on.  On the wall there is a small arch cutout which holds our doorbell, two thrifted plates, and a galvanized mailbox.  The mailbox was from Target and is a great way to separate our bills from junk mail.  My favorite piece in here has to be the star pendant light.  Our house had/still has hideous light fixtures, so I was very happy when this was hung as it adds great character to the space.  This entryway has a coat closet behind the front door, which boasts the adorable brass knob (again with the Alice in Wonderland.....think I have a problem) and holds tons of extra storage.

 

I am glad to share one completed room of our house with you all!  Let me know what makes your entryway unique yet functional?  Also, let me know any blogging camera recommendations....Mine is clearly awful and I am on the hunt to make this space more beautiful.  Any tips would much appreciated!

- Courtney

Smile Care Club - Evaluation Kit

Hello Everyone!

I am in the process of trying out a brand called Smile Care Club, which provide clear braces through the mail.  I had braces back in the day, and for the most part love the results, BUT my orthodontist purposely over corrected two of my teeth stating they would align themselves.....12 years later no such luck!  My mom found this company while browsing Pinterest, so I thought I would check them out.

Smile Care Club offers clear braces through the mail at a much lower price than traditional forms of braces with an orthodontist.  I was quote close to $4,000.00 for Invisalign at my dentist while Smile Care Club offers three standard payments depending on the severity of your case: $900.00, $1,400.00, or $1,900.00.  To figure out which plan you fall into you first purchase an Evaluation Kit for $95.00.  This is completely refundable if you chose to not move forward with the program.  I was able to receive my kit for half off due to a promotional code around Valentine's Day.  They tend to have tons of different codes at all times, so I would look around for one prior to spending the full $95.00.  The kit is delivered right to your doorstep and has a prepaid shipping label already on the package to send back through FedEx.

The kit includes:

• Your treatment begins with an evaluation of your smile (either an on site scan or easy, at-home dental impressions and photo assessment).
• Your purchase includes Starter Trays to confirm fit and help you get accustomed to wearing invisible aligners, a 3D treatment plan to see how your smile will change, and free teeth whitening by GLO Science.

If you do not want to move forward with the program, you simply contact the company and they will refund you for the Evaluation Kit.

Last week I received my Evaluation Kit and took some photographs of my experience.  I found it was not too difficult to take the molds, and shipping the box back was a piece of cake!  I did just hear back though that my molds were not accepted, so I will need to redo them.  This is going to cost me $49.00 to receive a new kits, but this is refundable if I choose to not move forward with treatment.  If I do move forward with treatment the $49.00 will go towards my totals cost.  I was pretty bummed that I have to retake the molds, but I figure this is SOOOO much cheaper than going through a traditional orthodontist, it is worth one more try.  I want to keep you all in the loop throughout this process and give you my honest feedback about this company!  As mentioned, I am a bit discourage because of having to redo the molds, but I am optimistic at the thought of saving thousands of dollars!!  Smile Care Club accepts insurance, so once I do receive my plan I can receive a 50% discount thanks to my wonderful Dental insurance ;)!  Another reason why I would like to give them just one more try!

Have you ever heard of Smile Care Club?  If so, what was your experience?  Stay tuned for more updates on my teeth straightening journey!

- Courtney

Garden Dreams

Hello Everyone!

I'm having kind of a glum day, so I thought I would try to brighten my mood by dreaming of my future garden!  Today finally felt like Spring, and I cannot wait to bask in the sunshine while planting and watering my flowers and veggies!  I have been pinning garden inspirations like crazy and thought I would share a few gorgeous pins of mine!

I know I have some gardeners in my audience, so I would love to hear your best tips for both flowers and vegetable gardens as I plan to do both this year for the first time! I need all the help I can get ;)  Also, what are your favorite things to plant?  I am curious to know what you have in your gardens!

- Courtney 

Loose Lipped Labels

Hello Everyone!

Today I am so excited to finally be writing a post on Loose Lipped Labels!!  Loose Lipped Labels, LLC. is a brand and company that my very good friend and coworker, Liz, created back in early November.  In just four short months she has blown me away with the success she is achieving!  So you are probably wondering.... "what is Loose Lipped Labels?!?!"

Loose Lipped Labels is a shop that "offers humorous wine and spirit labels perfect for life's special and not so special moments!" with the opportunity to personalize anything to your needs.  When I first met Liz, she was instantly one of the craftiest and funniest people I had ever run across.  She was constantly printing up labels for anything she could...literally she would make labels for water bottles at our work meetings, different labels and printout for our clients, everything!  She has such an eye for detail and her humor pours through in everything she does.  If you remember my post from last Galentine's Day she created adorable mini wine bottle labels of Leslie Knope for all of the ladies at work.  She has been making labels for every event possible since I have known her, so when she told me she was moving forward with creating a brand and Etsy shop, I was SOO excited for her.  As I mentioned before she just started her shop four months ago and is seeing amazing results.  She has over 11,000 Instagram followers that is growing by the thousands weekly.  The way she has found her niche on social media has been inspiring and I love seeing her brand and products all over my feed!  All in all, Liz is a rock star and is definitely going places with her brand, and I am so happy I was able to be here from the beginning and see everything that comes her way.

Below you can check out some of Liz's personal favorite labels she has created, some of mine, along with some St. Patty's Day and Easter labels!  Did I mention she always is up to date with labels for holidays and other large events??!  She does it all, I highly recommend checking out her Etsy Shop Loose Lipped Labels and staying tuned for the launch of her website.  She also was kind enough to give my readers a discount code, so when you go to purchase any of her labels, make sure to use the code - WINELOVER2016 to receive 20% off of your order!

I would love to hear which labels are your favorite and if you have purchased any for some upcoming events! 

- Courtney