this week...

image via Google

This image is about the best representation of the week I have had...looking forward to normal next week!

memorial day

To those who have served and sacrificed their lives so that our great nation may remain

"the land of the free"...

THANK YOU

fit food: quinoa scramble

With my recent obsession of the superfood quinoa, I have been experimenting in the kitchen.  Substituting and incorporating quinoa in different dishes has been a delightfully delicious project.  Prepare the quinoa as you would for the Super Salad and keep it on hand to snack on, use as a side dish combined with veggies, or use in a scramble for super eggs.  These would be a yummy addition at your next brunch.

Quinoa Scramble (serves 1)

2 eggs
¼ C of prepared quinoa
¼ of an avocado
2 T grated Parmesan
S & P

Prepare scrambled eggs.  When the eggs are partially cooked, add the quinoa and 1 T of Parm.  Continue to cook until quinoa is heated and the eggs are thoroughly cooked.  Season to taste with S & P.  Top with remaining Parm and avocado.

Enjoy!

style board: pantone sweet lilac boho dining room

click on image to enjoy a larger view

Although I am not a purple person, even if it is the cosmic color of Sagittarius, me likey Sweet Lilac from the Pantone Spring 2012 Color Report.  And I'm so diggin it in a dining room! 

Lilac, violet, grey and gold.  A little glitz; the DIY lacquered "sideboard" with accents of gold, with a lot of Boho.

Product sources available upon request, TCSTYLIST1@GMAIL.COM

sweet lilac interiors

images via:  Google

sweet lilac home décor, low & high

This weeks color from the Pantone Spring 2012 Color Report is Sweet Lilac.  A pinkish purple that depending on the tone, can be soft and delicate or vivid and bold.

décor sites:  Anthropologie, SilverRidgeStudio @ Etsy, Rugs USA, Lamps Plus, ABC Carpet & Home

fit food: super salad, quinoa & lentils

Quinoa, a protein and fiber rich whole grain with slimming superpowers.

 

Lentils, a fat burning, protein packed legume.

 

Jicama, a belly flatenning, C-packed, fiber rich root.

 

Red Bell Pepper, with A, C, E and Lycopene, a skin loving superfood. 

Olive Oil, heart loving and healthful with slimming benefits.

the recipe...

Super Salad

1 C quinoa

1¾ C of chicken broth

1 Clove of garlic, crushed

1 C lentils

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1½ T fresh lemon juice

1½ T Champagne vinegar

1 T fresh orange juice

¼ C olive oil

S & P

Zest of 1 lemon

½ C diced red bell pepper

½ C shredded jicama

Cook quinoa in broth with garlic.  Let come to a boil then simmer covered on med-low for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.  Quinoa should have a "pop" to it when done.  Let sit covered for about 5 minutes.

Cook lentils in 3 to 4 C of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 15-20 minutes.  Check for doneness.  Should be firm, not mushy.  Drain.

Whisk together Dijon mustard, juices, vinegar, olive oil and S & P to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Be super and enjoy!

fit foods: coming tomorrow, super salad

Unless you have been sleeping under a rock for the past decade, you know that quinoa is the most super of the super foods. And lentils, well they are pretty darn super in and of themselves.  I have created a Super Salad with these two super foods, plus a couple of others, that would keep the Avengers avenging 24-7!

However, Dog Faced Boy and I are heading to the horses early today, so you will have to wait until tomorrow...

style board: pantone cabaret dressing room

 

With my love and longing for an actual dressing room, I decided this weeks Pantone Spring 2012 Color Report color, Cabaret; a luscious and girly pink, would be the perfect backdrop for such. After searching for just the right pink to match the vibrant Cabaret, Peony from Benjamin Moore was the closest.  It is a little more "blue" than Cabaret, but if done in high gloss, it would be smashing!

Product sources available upon request, TCSTYLIST1@GMAIL.COM

cabaret interiors (& exterior)

images via:  Pinterest, Google, Bella Boho Stylish Living

cabaret home décor, low & high

After a couple weeks of a little of this and a little of that; this being color consults and e-Styling for some fabulous clients, and that being taken by yet a[nother] crooked jerk. One of these days my jerk radar will be working like buttah, but until then, karma baby!

This weeks Pantone color is Cabaret. A sassy, sophisticated and sultry pink that screams to be noticed. I have noticed it in my flower pots; Cabaret snapdragons, on Lu's nails as she set off for Yellowstone...I sure hope it's not a fave color of bears?

décor sites: Worlds Online Store, Home Decorators, Overstock, Dash & Albert, Layla Grace, High Fashion Home, Jonathan Adler, Oomph, Rug Studio   

happy birthday dog faced boy!

My baby boy and awesome assistant turns 11 today!  He had a sleep over last night with his best buddy Thurmy, then he and I went to D.P. (dog park) for our run...I took the camera to document his birthday.  I'm glad I did because he had a couple of additional birthday greeters today...

action shot, Porter running...

 warming up...

 checking things out...

 taking a dip...

 the two skinny birthday well-wishers...a water snake and a 3-4 foot bull snake...

which we wouldn't have seen had I not of lost the remote key for the car.  We had to retrace our tracks, found it, then went back to the water and met these two in the process.

All in all, I think Porter had a fun one, but it's not over yet...

taking a me day, time for a haircut à la bardot

Out of all my icons de style, Brigitte Bardot is hands down my favorite animal loving sex kitten.  I'm headed to C's guy,Ethan, today for some much needed hair therapy.  I believe the last time somebody, other than myself trimming the bangs, took scissors to my hair was last July...poor Ethan.

First the cut, then maybe some blond a little later ;)

baja carrots

There are a few things I miss about living in Encinitas.  The main things being; my friends, family, the beach, the ocean, Trader Joe's and Juanita's.  Juanita's is my favorite little hole in the wall Mexican food joint on the PCH in Leucadia.  Juanita's tacitos, bean and cheese burritos and carne asada anything are super delicious, but their ginormous jar of spicy pickled carrots and jalapenos...I would have to go get "food" just so I could satisfy my wicked craving for the carrots!

I still miss my friends, family, the beach and the ocean, but T.J.'s will be in Colorado soon and my taco truck on Colfax has phenomenal carne asada, bean and cheese burritos and carrots too!  I came to realize though, that a few carrots a week wasn't working to satiate my cravings, so I said to myself, "Self, why don't you make your own carrots?"

I found a recipe online with good reviews by people who apparently experienced the same wicked cravings that I had when they lived in So Cal, and I gave the recipe a whirl.  The carrots were okay, but the recipe called for too much water, cider vinegar, and oil.  Oil?  Just weird and didn't quite do it for me.  So I then said to myself, "Self, create your own recipe".

Baja Carrots

Carrots, one half pound, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 T white vinegar

1 tsp. Mexican oregano

¼ tsp. salt

Jar of pickled jalapenos

Place carrots in a pot, 2 ½ quart size works great for this amount.  Add the vinegar, enough water to cover the carrots and the oregano.  Bring to a boil, add salt and cook covered at a high simmer for 5-6 minutes.  I'm at a high altitude, so this is perfect for here, but lower altitudes may get by with about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and add a few or a bunch of pickled jalapenos,depending on how much heat you want, to the pot and let sit till cool.  After the carrots have cooled, place in a container and chill for a couple of hours in the fridge.

Enjoy!

storing the bling, divine dressing rooms

I'm adding the latest creations to BellaBohoBling on Etsy and it got me thinking about where the pieces may live once they find new and loving homes... 

The most famous closet evah!

...why do we love and covet dressing rooms so much?  Is it Hollywood?  Is it because it is like having your own personal boutique?  Maybe it's the simple fact that we never really outgrow playing dress-up.

These are some of the most stylish dressing rooms that I covet:  images 1 & 3 Ms. Bardot and Ms. Loren, images 2 & 12 The French Dressing Room, images 4, 5, 6 & 7 Lila Moonlight, image 8 Ms. Hepburn, image 9 Made By Girl, images 10 & 11 Alicia B. Designs