Sweet Potato Pie

Today at the supermarket, I met an elderly man in line ahead of me.  He was in his early 80s it seemed and walked ever so slowly with a cane.  The contents of his basket, a small rotisserie chicken and a sweet potato pie were to be his Thanksgiving dinner.  His eyes lit up as he told me how much he loved sweet potatoes and hoped he would enjoy the pie as well when he tried it for the first time.  He would, however, be dining alone as he told me he lost his wife to cancer in 2008 and his daughter in 2010.  I told him I was sorry for his losses and hoped he was able to enjoy his meal.  He wished me well this holiday season and was then on his way. 

For the brief few moments that we spoke, this man warmed my heart.  He reminded me to slow down and take a breath.  He reminded me that the holidays are not about the money spent or the presents received.  They're not about the decorations or the lights or the carols.  They're about the people you surround yourself with and the traditions you keep.  They're about giving back to your community, your family, and yourself.  So, thank you sir for reminding me of what I had forgotten.  I will be thinking of you as I sit down with my family this Thursday for dinner...and perhaps a piece of sweet potato pie.

Be well,

The Jewelry Wall

I love the idea of jewelry as artwork.  It's a great way to bring a little creativity and color into a spot.  I have so many pieces that I often forget what I have, so having my jewelry out in the open lets me keep track of everything.  A few years ago, I bought an inexpensive jewelry tree at Ikea.  That has served as a way to display most of my jewelry.  But as I have a slight shopping addiction, the tree got so full it toppled over one day.  

Since then, I've had to come up with other options.  I watch a lot of design shows (hello HGTV!), and have noticed designers using cork boards to display jewelry.  A few months ago, I found a board at Target that matched our bedroom decor.  We happened to have a tiny bit of wall space left, so I thought this was perfect for it.  I picked out some of my more colorful pieces and used earrings that I don't wear too often as "tacks".  I don't think it came out half bad:

I've also been somewhat obsessed with watches lately.  I found a cheap silver dish at the Salvation Army (I think I paid $.99 for it), polished it up, and found a new home for my growing collection.

And last but not least, I bought a small chest at Michael's (with my 40% coupon of course!) and used that for my larger pieces like beads and long necklaces.  I usually keep it open, but I'll sometimes close the lid for a more polished look.

Here is what the area looks like as a whole. 

Like my cowgirl hat?

Be well,

Chicago Savings

I hate flying.  I've never hated anything more.  But I LOVE to travel.  My husband and I usually don't take vacations to relax, though, and we're generally busier on our vacations than we are at home. Our latest travels seem to have us venturing to new cities.  This probably started a few years ago when we took a group trip to Baltimore and fell in love with the idea of getting lost in a new city.  Since then, we've been to Seattle and most recently to Chicago on a suggestion from my brother and sister-in-law.  Well, Chicago didn't disappoint, and we spent 4 jam-packed days exploring everything the city has to offer.  

When we booked the trip, flights were super cheap.  We usually fly Jet Blue because the tv's on each seat are the only thing that get me on a plane.  Did I mention I loathe flying?  We were able to get 2 free nights at the Doubletree Hotel just off the Magnicient Mile using points we earned during our wedding.  Tip: If you're planning a big event at a hotel you frequent, sign up for that hotel's credit card to earn points.  We are big fans of the Marriott, so my husband has been earning points on that credit card for years, but when we decided to have our wedding at a Double Tree, I signed up for the Hilton Honors credit card.  We racked up thousands of points with all our wedding costs (food/rooms/etc.), and as a result, got 2 free nights in Chicago.

Downtown Chicago

The hubby did all the research for this trip and planned all the places for us to visit and priced everything out.  It was during this process that he discovered the City Pass.  These are available in many cities across the US and offer discounts on the area's most popular attractions.  We bought ours for $76 each and it included admission to the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Skydeck, Adler Planetarium or Art Institute, and John Hancock Observatory or the Museum of Science and Industry.  The pass is valid for 9 days from the first day of use and we used it every day. The City Pass also gives you the highest level of admission at all attractions.  For example, at the Aquarium, our admittance was for the "Total Experience Pass" which is normally $34.95 a person and includes both the 4D and aquatic shows.  At the Skydeck, we were able to bypass the two-hour plus line and only had to wait about thirty minutes to get to the top.

View from the John Hancock

Savings:
Rooms: $597.78 (80,000 points)
City Pass: $47.90/$23.95 per person (This would have been more, but we ran out of time and didn't get to go to the Field Museum)
Misc: $2 (Free Coffee at John Hancock)
Total Savings: $647.88


Be well,

Dining Room Update

My husband, Dan, and I have been in our apartment for 3 years.  While we really do love it, we're literally busting at the seams.  I simply don't understand how two people can accumulate so much stuff in such a short amount of time.  We started the home buying process a few months after we got married last June, but quickly realized we were in over our heads and needed to reevaluate our financial situation.  That, combined with the slim pickings in the Boston area, forced us into the decision to wait until the spring. 

Since we're going to be here for awhile longer, I decided to update the "dining room".  We have a living room/dining room combo, and the outside wall in the dining area is slightly curved, making it impossible to find artwork to fit the space.  I've been literally staring at it for 3 years, wondering what I could do to (finally) complete the wall.  I settled on some inexpensive shelves from Home Depot and filled them with pieces I had stored in the basement.  Here's the final results:

I was so excited to finally display this collection, as each piece has some meaning.  The pitcher and two small plates were recently inherited from my father.  I love the patterns on them and the pops of color against the pale yellow walls.  The plate and vases on the tops shelf were purchased at Ikea when my boyfriend (now husband) and I took our first trip to the mother land.  The wine glasses were a gift from my sister-in-law.   And the letter C artwork?  Well, that's one of my favorite things.  While perusing Etsy one day, I stumbled across the letter C printed on burlap and then framed.  If you don't know what Etsy is or haven't visited the site before, please do!  It's amazing.  Everything is handmade and the designers are really inspiring.  I was close to splurging on this artwork, when I realized I could make it myself.  So, I printed the C on a piece of scrapbook paper I had lying around, put it in an inexpensive frame, and voila, instant artwork.  Here's a closer look:

Dining room update? Check!

Be well,