Scarlet’s Redecorated Big Girl Bedroom Tour

Scarlet's Big Girl Bedroom

Scarlet is almost seven years old! Gah! You guise!! How did that happen? Remember when she used to look like this? I can’t believe I was making that crib-size duvet five whole years ago. I am trying to even, but I can’t. Well, anyhoooo, along with being seven comes certain airs of grown-up-edness that she felt needed to be addressed in her room. Like, for example, she wanted a desk upon which to do her homework (or endless hours of beados), and a cozy place to read and play her guitar.

I was happy to oblige because I love a good redecorating project. I did, however, want to find pieces that suited her personality now, but would also grow with her into her teen years. As much as I would enjoy re-decorating her room bi-annually, no one can afford that. So I refinished a vintage (read: cheap/dumpster worthy) desk (wait until you see the before pics), and snagged some investment pieces, then she and I decorated all the its and bits together.

Scarlet's "Office"

I hope you find some inspiration here!

Scarlet in her room

Come, take a tour with me to see what we did and find out my sources for all of this amazing stuff… (more…)

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What One Woman Did with Her Chicken Soup will Blow Your Mind!!

Chicken Soup with Mashed Potatoes

Do you like my buzzfeed/upworthy-style post title? Ha! So, a little background. All of us Curtii have been struck down with the flu this past week. This, of course, means it’s time for some homemade chicken soup.

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I was raised on “Jewish Penicillin” homemade by my mother, replete with big, soft, delicious matzoh balls. I was ALSO raised on my step-mothers homemade chicken soup, served in what she calls the “german style.” She is from Alabama of German descent, and I’m not sure if this little trick is unique to either place, or just a family thing, because I haven’t seen it anywhere else. But it’s delicious. The secret to her chicken soup? A big scoop of creamy mashed potatoes right in the center of the bowl.

Tell me you don’t want to put that in your mouth right now! The mashed potatoes soak up all the delicious, healing broth and deliver right into your tummy to fill you up with goodness. This is especially helpful when little ones don’t want to eat much. If I could legally say it, I might claim this soup could cure the common cold.

Chicken Soup with Mashed Potatoes

So, you don’t really need a recipe to execute this secret trick, simply make mashed potatoes and add them to chicken soup right before serving. BUT, if you would like to absorb some of my two mother’s wisdom in the form of my refined-over-the-last-20-years-of-making-it chicken noodle soup recipe, read on…
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10 Organization Cheats from Me and My Closest Friends

IMG_0374 It’s that time of year when we step back and analyze all of the ways in which we can improve ourselves, and I bet 78% of you have declared 2015 is the year that you get organized! How’s that going? Good? I am impressed! Not so good? Don’t despair. Me and my closest friends have some of the best organization cheats around. When Target asked us to share the news of their new subscription service, the ultimate organization cheat: we’re talking never running out of detergent or deodorant again, we knew it was time to spill the beans. And by “spill the beans,” I’m totally suggesting that you spill them into perfectly lined up mason jars on the counter. See? You’re more organized already!

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Let’s start off with a tip from my good pal Jaime. You probably know her around these parts:

1. Start in the neatest room.
The dining room is my first stop because it’s the easiest and it makes me feel like there is an actual clean room. Then we can eat a meal in there and that makes me feel like a better mother. Double win!

2. Keep your supplies within reach.

We just installed open shelving in our kitchen with all of our most used cooking implements and tableware within reach. Having fast, convenient access to mixing bowls, measuring cups, oven mitts, and plates makes last minute meal prep and serving so much easier. And having these culinary items out in the open inspires us to cook more often. ~ Jenny from Everyday is a Holiday

Target Subscription services3. Never run out of your basics.
Cut down on trips to the store by creating a schedule of deliveries through a service like Target Subscriptions. You can order everything from printer ink to diapers, paper towels to vitamins, lip liner to dish detergent. You set (and can change) the schedule to fit your family’s needs and your essentials will start appearing on your doorstep before you run out. No more emergency trips to the store when you realize you’re out of wipes.

Read on for more of our favorite tips!

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DIY Leather Mason Jar Mugs

DIY Leather Mug Sleeve
In the fabric district in Downtown Los Angeles there is an awesome leather store called X-Trims and Leathers. I have gone in there a bunch but couldn’t ever figure out what I wanted to make, or where to even begin choosing from their selection.  While Jaime, Jacinda, and I were brainstorming projects, Jaime mentioned making a leather mug sleeve for a mason jar. Bingo! I raced over to the leather shop to gather supplies. I’m thrilled with how it turned and have already used it a bunch. This project is perfect for anyone who is just beginning to work with leather, or anyone looking to put scraps of leather to use.

DIY Leather Mug Sleeve

 Learn how to make a DIY Leather Mug Sleeve after the jump…

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Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe
One of my favorite sweets of all time is a Walkers Shortbread cookie, especially when it’s paired with a cup of tea. When I was younger I went to an Irish dance competition in Scotland and I loved that every hotel I stayed at had a Walkers shortbread cookie on my pillow when I arrived. If I bought this delicacy every single time I crave it I’d probably go broke, so this winter I decided to make my own with a chocolatey twist. You only need three ingredients to make the shortbread and a bag of chocolate chips. Ready to get started?

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Check out how to make these tasty treats after the jump…

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The Best Roasted Broccoli

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Happy New Year! It has been amazing to take some time off. I got to spend a bunch of quality time with the kids, went to lots of movies (Into the Woods!!!, Am I right?,) saw my boyfriend Ben Folds play with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (fantastic!) and even contemplated some resolution-type thoughts. I’m not big into making resolutions but I definitely like thinking about them. And in between all that we played with lots of Christmas toys and cooked a whole bunch. Today, in between rounds of War (the card game) for jelly beans with Grammy, we cooked up sheet after sheet of this delicious roasted broccoli. I had tried this one on the kids about a year ago and it was a fail for them but today they all went bananas for it. A great reminder for me that those little taste buds are always changing.

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Here’s how we made our Roasted Broccoli:

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How to Gift Show Tickets

Theater gifts When I was growing up my family was on a tight budget. We rarely splurged on extravagant outings but my parents shared their love of live theater with us whenever they could. From pay-what-you-can performances at the best theater company in the town, to lively inner-city middle school musicals, we were always ready to check out what people had to offer on the stage. As an adult I married into another theater loving family and together we are trying to raise a new generation of theater lovers.

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When the holidays roll around, I can’t help but want to spend some of that Christmas budget on an experience rather than another piece of plastic under the tree but I also want the gift, in this case tickets to the stage version of Beauty & the Beast this January, here in Fort Worth, to feel special when it’s unveiled. Hopefully a little creativity will make opening the gift as exciting as seeing the curtain go up next month!

Here are some of my favorite tips for how to wrap event tickets:

If you have actual physical tickets to the performance you are one step ahead. It seems that will call is becoming more and more popular. If you don’t have physical tickets, print out the website page or write a special note as your special gift.

Wrap the tickets in a jumbo box with beautiful paper and a bow.
The message is that these tickets are a BIG DEAL! note: Tape the envelope to the bottom of the box so that the gift doesn’t get tossed with the tissue.

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Start a scrapbook.
Print out some photos from the show and and add them as the first page in a theater scrap book. Leave space for them to add ticket stubs, newspaper reviews and written memories of the show.

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Go with a theme
Think of something that makes the show special and incorporate it into the gift. For Beauty and the Beast, we might package the tickets or a note in a chipped thrift store tea cup, an old book, or tied to a rose.

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Set the scene
Present the tickets with other items that will make the night special, like something fancy to wear to the theater or a band t-shirt for a concert.

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Make a game of it
Create clues that lead your date to the big reveal. These can be hidden around the house or wrapped up in a surprise ball. Fun fact: My husband proposed to me with a surprise ball on Christmas morning 2003 so personally I am quite in love with that idea.IMG_0345

Most of all remember that the real fun is yet to come when you actually get to go to your show!

Break a leg little elf!

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Beauty and the Beast

Bass Performance Hall – Fort Worth, TX

1/14/15 – 1/18/15

Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the smash hit Broadway musical, is coming back to Fort Worth!

Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of over 35 million people worldwide. This classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including “Be Our Guest” and the beloved title song. Experience the romance and enchantment of Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Bass Performance Hall!

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Eats from the Islands

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One of the best things about cruising is eating all of the things. Like, until you burst. And then eating more. The on-ship dining options were surprisingly fabulous (our favorite restaurant on the Carnival Valor was of course Scarlett’s Steakhouse…they told Scarlet the restaurant was named after her), and then each day we got to experience a different island and their specialty cuisines. Please join me and my taste buds on our foodie tour of the Southern Caribbean.

We will start each morning with our view from the ship and finish each day with a belly full of local delicacies from San Juan to St. Maarten…

San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Our port of call was San Juan and the food of choice here is Mofongo. Mofongo is a dish made of fried green plantains, which are mashed with a pilón along with broth, spices, and bacon, then served filled with veggies or one of a variety of meats (chicken, crab, shrimp, beef). So. Good.

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St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

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Start your trip off right with some Caribbean beer, aptly named “Carib,” on the beach.

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On St. Thomas, you’ll want to give Conch fritters a try. Or you can make them at home with this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.

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At Sea

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For your fun day at sea, get your boat-eating on, starting with a room service breakfast (yes, room service is included at no additional charge!)

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Definitely enjoy fresh lobster in the dining room.

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And you can snag a different crazy cup every day. Scarlet loves this fish, and also the blowfish, disco ball, and coconut monkey that we brought home.

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And the creations at Scarlett’s Steakhouse, which is truly a world-class dining experience. The tuna tartare was beautiful and delicious.

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We had a blast at our regular table in the Lincoln dining room, with lobster bibs and all. The waiters dancing on the tables was also pretty fun.

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Barbados

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In Barbados you are going to have to eat fried flying fish. We went with a sandwich.

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Complement it with some golden apple juice. So sweet and tangy.

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St. Lucia

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In St. Lucia you should visit the rainforest, and also eat lots of banana-based sauces. Try banana barbecue sauce chicken and fish cake.

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And definitely don’t skip the fried bread.

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St. Kitts

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On St. Kitts I had my most favorite drink ever. It is called a Tingaling and it’s sort of like Sangria. It’s made by combining red wine with a Caribbean soda called Ting. So sparkly, so refreshing, so good. And the server was pretty cute too.
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On St. Kitts you may also want to try some local cuisine. The island (and it’s sister island, Nevis) is famous for goat water stew, which combines goat, breadfruit, green papaya, and dumplings in a tomato base. Yum.

St. Maarten

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On our favorite island, we spent the day relaxing on the beach and snorkeling with the fishes. But if you really want to eat a great meal with French roots or spicy Indian Creole, this is the place to do so. The flavor combinations are exciting and unlike anything you’ve tried before. Then, of course, you’ll want to purchase a bottle of guavaberry liquor so you can relive your island cocktail fantasies back home.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed your gastronomic tour of the Southern Caribbean. What foods did I miss? Cause I’m definitely planning another cruise soon… my stomach is growling.

This post was created as part of my collaboration with Carnival. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.

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