{ wednesday wish list }

A few swell things I'm eyeing right now...

LOVE these way cool, silver state necklaces. If I had enough pennies, I get one for each state I've lived in. That means you, Colorado, Maryland and Ohio :)

*necklaces from elsewares
Really digging these retro, geeky designs for my little men.

*tee and onesie from happyfamily @ etsy

Hey, IKEA Maskros pendant! You've been all over the design blogosphere for over a year now, and I'm still smitten with you. Pretty please, come and live at my house. I've got a lovely spot picked out just for you. I like so many things about you.

I like the way you cast those dancing, dandelion-esque shadows on the ceiling. I like this close-up view of your loveliness too.

And at just $89.99, I might like your price tag most of all.

*photos via ikeagoddess, timothyhartleysmith

{ take it outside }

The warm weather is making me long for one of these breathtaking outdoor rooms. These spaces make me dream of spending lazy, breezy summer nights outside chatting with my husband, sipping a yummy, fruity, grown-up beverage, while our little sweeties are soundly snoozing upstairs. Ahhhh. Is it bedtime yet?

{ happiness is.... }

What's making you happy today?

{ real recipe- slow cooker success }

I made this for dinner last night, and it was a hit with my whole family. I just love when that happens! I tweaked it a bit from the original recipe (which is from Real Simple magazine). Slow-Cooker Asian Short Ribs
Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 7hr 30m
Ingredients
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
1 small green cabbage (about 1 pound), quartered
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

*1 package Ramen noodles (my addition)

Directions
1.In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Add the short ribs and carrots and arrange in a single layer. Lay the cabbage on top.

2.Cook, covered, on high for 5 to 6 hours (or on low for 7 to 8 hours―see note below), until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone.

3.Transfer the cabbage, short ribs, and carrots to plates. With a large spoon or ladle, skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard.
*Here's where I added 1 package of Ramen noodles to the pot. (Discard that icky seasoning packet, please. Blech). Make sure the noodles are submerged in the liquid.

4.If the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Whisk into the cooking liquid and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil. Spoon the sauce over the short ribs and vegetables and sprinkle with the scallions (if using). Bon appetit!

*image via RealSimple

{ growing herbs }

I've been wanting to plant some herbs in our yard for a while now. Then I stumbled onto this darling container herb garden over at blackeiffel.

Isn't it just lovely? Those little chalkboard picks are just too cute for words. Of course, Rachel Jones' (of blackeiffel) friend scored those little cuties on a recent trip to France (land of all things chic and stylish, at least in my mind).

But I spied some similar picks over at the very addicting etsy. I think I have a project ahead of me!

*images via blackeiffel and etsy seller, bradensgracewallart

{ pudding perfection }

Don't these pudding cups look incredible? I want one of these, like NOW. And how cool is it that this recipe calls for balloons?

*images via bakerella

See the whole recipe and more photos over at the delicious site, bakerella. This recipe is from the book, Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Treats for Kids by Jill O'Connor. Um, yes please.

{ making me smile... }

*image via weheartit

{ boring bookshelf no more }

We bought a terribly boring, cheap laminate bookshelf for Happy Jack's room that used to look a lot like this:

My handy hubby brushed on a couple coats of inky, blue paint. Then I added a cool, graphic print fabric to the back. I'm so pleased that it now looks like this:

{ hello, there }

And so the adventure begins. This year we bought our first house. I've decided to start this little blog to chronicle our journey as we work to make our house into a home. I'll also be posting a lot of images of inspired interiors, DIY goodness, gorgeous crafts, yummy recipes, and I'm not sure I'll be able to resist sprinkling in a few photos of the sweet boys in my life.