Light and airy interior design

*All photos compliments of pinterest*

Spring is on my mind. As in warmer weather, fresh flowers and lots of greenery. I came across most of these photos in the heart of the winter when I was longing for spring. So happy she is finally here!

I have many projects in mind for this warmer weather! :-)

Mint cocktail for St. Patty's Day

This mint cocktail is a skinny healthier option for St. Patty's Day with fresh mint, lime juice, vodka, stevia, and sparkling water.

I put a few pieces of mint in the bottom with the stevia. A little stevia goes a long way, so you really only need a pinch. 

Then, I added the ice, vodka, lime juice, and sparkling water to taste. 

Topped it off with a sprig of mint.

Ready to go! I will definitely make this cocktail again. Although it was quite chilly today, this is a perfect cocktail for warmer weather. 

And I feel better about it since it has mostly fresh ingredients and is balanced with water. 

Cheers! Hope everyone has a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patty's Day...

Happy St. Patty's Day from the two doodle bugs, Harvey and Jackson!

When deciding who would wear what, my husband suggested that Harvey wear the bowtie and Jackson wear the st. patty's day ears to fit their personalities. 

I think he was right. 

Also, glad I snapped this on the first try since those ears did not last long at all. 

Gifting {for new neighbors}

A few weeks ago, a new family moved into our neighborhood right across the street from us. We knew from when we moved in that it felt good when our neighbors welcomed us to the neighborhood, so we wanted to do the same. 

Luckily, I had all of the materials for this welcome gift on hand. I made blueberry muffins, Trader Joe's prepackaged mix, which were very easy and delicious! The packaging came from wal-mart a long time ago, the twine I already had, and the chalkboard gift tags were from the dollar section at target.

I have become obsessed with the dollar section because of the incredibly adorable things I keep finding--straws, pencils, kraft paper bags. 

Shopping the dollar section is very hit or miss, but I honestly get excited every time I go just to see what treasures I can find. 

{DIY} Spring Wreath

This is a super easy and quick DIY spring wreath! All of the materials are from Hobby Lobby. The spring floral, wreath, and burlap used for the ribbon were all on sale! The past few times I've been to Hobby Lobby I've also used their 40% off one item coupon that you can pull up on your phone when you check out. 

Total this wreath was approximately $10 dollars!

I loved this wreath because it had the leaves entwined. It looked more rustic, yet springy to me!

To start, I cut off the ends of the stems for the floral so they could be hidden underneath the burlap. I used hot glue to hold the floral in place. 

Then, I took a piece of burlap to wrap around the wreath and cover the stem ends, only just enough to wrap around the wreath once. 

Next, I made the burlap bow. I tried a new version, which I found on pinterest, but ended up making it up as I went along.

Basically, I folded the burlap back and forth, leaving pieces to hang down and allowing the last fold to be the middle loop. 

I recommend playing with the burlap to find a look that works for you. 

Lastly, I secured a spray painted wooden letter from Hobby Lobby. This time I used basic white. I secured the letter with a small piece of wire and hot glue. 

Here is the final product hanging from our storm door.

I'm so happy spring is {mostly} here!

Framed recipes

My grandfather is a terrific cook! When he was a prisoner of war in World War II he kept himself going by keeping a diary, which largely consisted of his favorite recipes from his mother. His mother  was Italian and immigrated from the Naples area in the early 1900's. As you can imagine, much of his cooking consists of italian classics. 

Although, I am yet to master his recipes, I decided to frame a few of his classics--

meatballs and stuffed peppers. 

He has written down majority of his recipes, which my mother now has in a book, so these framed recipes are authentically his and in his handwriting. 

Next step, mastering a few of his recipes!