5.27.2010

Bathroom Storage Love

I'm slowly making progress on the master bath this week.  I'm looking for some clever bathroom storage inspiration and couldn't take my eyes off these fantastic spaces. Enjoy!



This tub is amazing!  I am trying to figure out a solution for my tub apron which is in a corner and round... argh!  I would love to put wainscoting on it, similar to the next pic.

Gorgeous shelving! 

If only all my things would fit on a simple shelf like this...

I love the look of fresh towels in a cabinet!

So elegant! I would love for that to be my throne, tehehe!


This room is so organic and clean!

Love this because I can't have it :)  White does not work with two black dogs!

~Beautiful~


I hope mine looks half as good as some of these very soon!!


xoxo
- sarah

5.25.2010

Happy Birthday to Me!

In honor of the holiday, I will be sharing the recipe to Sarah's Amazing Birthday Cake, as stolen adapted from Southern Living magazine). It is the best cake I've ever had, and I would consider myself a cake connoisseur, for sure. You don't get a bootie like this from eating lettuce, friends!  We did change a few things from the SL recipe, like more pecans and dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.  I'm a dark chocolate girl.  Love it, love it, gotta have it daily.


Chocolate Chip Pecan Pound Cake




Prep Time: 25 minutes
Other Time: 2 hours
Serves: 12 (yeah right)


Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 (12-oz.) package dark chocolate mini-morsels

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, using a fork. Sprinkle in a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Beat in chocolate mini-morsels. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).



Here is the one tip I can give you:  it's really good just a few minutes out of the oven because it's hot and the chocolate just melts all over you.  It's also good as a coffee cake, if you're into sweets in the a.m.  I don't discriminate.  However, it is best a full 24 hours after you make it... if you can make it that long.

Enjoy your day :)  I know I will!

xoxo
- sarah

5.17.2010

Today was a good day...

How appropriate that on the day of the Gossip Girl season finale, Chace Crawford decides to grace me with his presence at the gym.  He even brought his sister's boyfriend, Tony Romo.  Here is how is went down:

Wait, look at these first...  YUM

Good Lord in Heaven look at him!!

Trainer:  Wow!  Tony Romo just walked in!
Me:  Who cares?  Is Chace with him? (We're on a first name basis)
Trainer:  Yes, Chace is with him.
Me:  Awesome...

We proceed to work out for a bit.  Chace comes to shake my trainer's hand and say hello.  I am perched atop Jacob's Ladder, the bane of my existence, which is basically a cardio machine in which my ass bobs up and down in the air for several minutes. I am sweating like a pig, red faced, and having trouble catching my breath... because I'm out of shape.  And because he is so friggin' hot.  His Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model girlfriend has nothing on me.  Bitch!



This is not me.  Clearly, I would never wear those shoes... or biker shorts... or socks that length...

Me:  Can I do curls or something since he's in here?  My arms are looking pretty good.
Trainer:  Squats!!!
Me:  Okay, but I get to stay in front of the mirror so I can stare at him without being obvious! 

He is seriously hotter in person than on television.  I have been a devout GG viewer since the first episode, no matter how ridiculous it gets, I will not stop watching as long as Nate is on the screen. I also have a girl crush on Blake Lively, but that is another post....

Yes, the table was delivered.  It's beautiful, but this post took precedence.  Pics tomorrow :)


xoxo
- sarah

5.11.2010

Farm Time

Sadly, I'm a bit late in jumping on the Sarah's House bandwagon, but I can say, with all honesty and conviction, that I am COMPLETELY OBSESSED!!!  What she does, choosing the "worst home in a good neighborhood" and making it look beautiful without looking too overdone, is a long time dream of mine.  Sarah is a complete genius, and I don't just feel that way because we share a name.  Here are some of my favorite rooms:


all images courtesy of www.sarahrichardsondesign.com

I wonder what her rate is...

5.06.2010

Downtown Chic

I'm one of those Texans who gets quite perturbed when outsiders portray my great state with cows, boots, and spurs.  Every single time American Idol has tryouts anywhere in Texas, they always start out with a vignette of the Ft. Worth Stockyards or a pasture, although they may be in the middle of Dallas or Houston.  Dallas, in particular is a beautiful city, full of exuberant Southern style.  Today, I was browsing D Magazine and came across a mesmerizing article on Kirby and Kari Schlegel.  The Schlegels are Dallas' very own family dynasty and Kirby and Kari's penthouse at the W Hotel downtown is a work of art.  Designed by Jan Showers, a Dallas-based genius of all that is glamorous and beautiful, it makes me long for my sassy downtown apartment....

Enjoy!