Anna's Decor Pad

Looking for a Gazebo For our backyard patio

2011-06-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

I am looking for a Gazebo for my backyard. These are some of the styles and designs I am looking for! I am having a hard time finding what I like without spending a lot of MONEY!!!!!lol

HOW TO HOST A COMFORT FOOD PARTY

2011-06-25T12:47:00.001-04:00

I found this article from Pottery Barn, one of my favorite stores!!:) I love a good comfort food recipe and it's always better to share a good comfort food recipe with family and friends. Have a good read with this article from Potter Barn and visit their website for more ideas!!

http://www.potterybarn.com/design-studio/articles/how_to_host_a_comfort_food_party_by_comfort_food.html

Seasoned book club members know that it's not just the books that draw people back time after time. It's the eating and reading together – and also checking out the host's great house – that turns such a solitary activity into a social one. That's why we've enlisted three San Francisco restaurants, Park Chalet, Home, and Blue Plate, to help you out in the kitchen, plus a Pottery Barn stylist to help set the table. Our theme is classic American comfort food that's presented with wit and style. It's also fun to prepare and simple to host. We understand that it's not effort, but a sense of effortlessness that creates the sort of curl–up–on–the–couch atmosphere where great stories and conversations unfold. The formula is simple: a thought–provoking book, a thoughtful meal and friends willing to share both.

Setting Up

To put your book club in the food frame of mind, try pairing a book of food lit with your menu. An online search on food novels will surely contain classic favorites like Nora Ephron's hilarious romance Heartburn, Muriel Barberry's literary novel Gourmet Rhapsody, Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti mysteries in Venice, Italy, and anything by bad–boy celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

Our comfort food menu includes mac n' cheese, tomato soup and ice cold beer each of which is a classic in its own right, but presented here with an updated twist. San Francisco restaurants Blue Plate, Park Chalet and Home each share their kitchen's prized mac n' cheese recipes. Tomato soup made with imported Italian San Marzano tinned tomatoes and chunky homemade croutons add delicious warmth. Instead of wine, we recommend a tasting of local craft beers. (See Recipes below.)

With a new breed of craft breweries like Santa Barbara's Telegraph Brewing Company featured here, the once humble beverage has been elevated to the status of fine wine. This brewery epitomizes the artisan beer–making philosophy of using local organic ingredients, brewing in small batches and hand crafting them according to the traditions of the region. Try experimenting with other historical styles like IPAs, English bitters, porters, Hefeweizens, saisons and Belgium triples to turn beer tasting and food pairing into a culinary exploration.

Timing depends on whether your group snacks throughout or talks first and eats later. In the first scenario, have all food ready by the time the doorbell rings. Otherwise, have your cheese sauce ready, your macaroni cooked and bread crumbs ready to sprinkle before the guests arrive. At the break, it'll take about 15 minutes to assemble the macaroni and cheese and toast the breadcrumb top in the oven. Enlist others to set out the warmed tomato soup and cold beer.

Keep the decorating low key to match the casual mood. Set up a self–serve station on a buffet or side table, including simple white ceramic bowls and plates, glass beer mugs and flatware. White stoneware casseroles and servicing dishes stamped with the words "Comfort Food" set the mood perfectly. Use woven chargers and trays as trivets. Serve bread or salad in rustic wood bowls with wood utensils. Colorful napkins and runners look particularly cheerful alongside the simple, natural materials. We matched a set of ticking stripes with a coordinating floral print set, and bundled them with fragrant sprigs of rosemary.

Keep ornamentation sparse in general for such occasions. One or two considered touches — like skillet–shaped salt and pepper cellars, a menu with handwritten recipes, and our downloadable invitation that looks like a bookmark — offer decoration with real purpose.

Essentials

An insignia "Comfort Food" marks these generous stoneware baking dishes, reminding us to cook slowly, eat heartily and share the feast. Fill the large round and rectangular bakers with classic casseroles and soups, and serve individual bakers at each place setting. They travel straight from oven to table to dishwasher with a simplicity that promises to make them household staples.

Two little wooden serving spoons and a wooden tray accompany our miniature salt and pepper skillets, made of real cast iron. Conversation starters like these that are a clever take on everyday accessories brings new appreciation for household basics.

Few things bring atmosphere to the table like rustic wood bowls. Our Vintage Wood Bowls, Platter and Serving Set add a wine country feel whether they're filled with farmers' market greens or laden with breads and rolls.

Block Print Napkins of simple florals mix easily with stripes to infuse the table with subtle color. Pair them with basic white porcelain like our Great White Coupe Soup Bowls and Salad Plates from the comprehensive dinnerware set.

Let guests grab one of our bistro–style Café Glasses and pour their own beverages from our Ceramic Drink Dispenser, where iced teas, juices and agua frescas are all fair game. For beers, set out pint glasses or generous steins of our Bella Beer Mug next to the craft beer station where iced bottles big and small await.

Choosing Craft Beers

Start your beer selection process with a web search of local craft breweries in your area. Brooklyn Brewery in New York, Dogfish Head in Delaware, Goose Island in Chicago, Rogue in Portland and Lagunitas and Speakeasy in Northern California are the more well–known craft breweries, but smaller and more specialized ones — like our featured Telegraph Brewing Company in Santa Barbara — are ripe for discovery. Visit neighborhood brewpubs, or contact a specialty beverage store for recommendations. Wine merchants, who are often craft beer lovers as well, can make good suggestions. Like wine, a selection of whites (pilseners and lagers), darks (porters and stouts) and something in between (ambers and ales) give a range of tastes. One of the pleasures of craft beer is the beauty of the packaging. For a party, instead of individual bottles, go for larger bottles. Half gallon growlers and tall bottles with hinged porcelain caps or champagne–like cork and wire tops add a communal feel to the drinking. Since today's craft brewers are viewed as creative artisans passionate about beer, read up on their personalities as well as their beers, and share the knowledge with guests.

Park Chalet's Chicken Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

2011-06-25T12:24:00.001-04:00

Park Chalet's Chicken Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

San Francisco's Park Chalet Restaurant elevates the classic dish with truffle oil, chicken and five kinds of cheese. Serves 2.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked macaroni

1 cooked boneless chicken thigh per person

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 tablespoons crumbled Point Reyes blue cheese

1 teaspoon chopped chives

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Sauce:

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup Swiss cheese

¼ cup parmesan cheese

¼ cup white cheddar cheese

¼cup Point Reyes blue cheese

¼ cup Asiago cheese

2 tablespoons white truffle oil

Preparation:

In a saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Add the chicken stock and whisk until the chicken stock thickens. Add the heavy cream. Incorporate the five cheeses by whisking into the sauce one cheese at a time until all the cheeses have melted into the sauce. Drizzle the truffle oil and stir in the sauce the chives and parsley. Transfer the cooked macaroni and chicken into the sauce, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated with sauce. Take the macaroni and cheese and put into a glass baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and blue cheese over the top of the pasta and bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes or until evenly browned on the top.

http://www.potterybarn.com/design-studio/recipies/comfort_food_park_chalet_chicken_truffle_macaroni_and_cheese.html

2011-06-25T11:58:00.001-04:00

I waited in line this morning to get my hands on this great deal!!!! 2 GAL Green Gem Boxwoods just $9.99!! These box woods are normally $30 to $40 dollars and when you need 12 this is a great deal and a major savings:)

Terra Green House is having seals all week, be sure to check the link to the flyer for more deals and savings all week!!! Happy Gardening:)!!!

http://www.terragreenhouses.com/index.php/weekly-specials

SATURDAY

Green Gem Boxwood

(2 Gal.) min. 300 per store

$9.99 Reg. $24.99

Play Room Ideas I love

2010-08-14T10:39:00.003-04:00

Fall Beauty Color Alert: Purple

2010-08-14T10:34:00.000-04:00

From:Yahoo

Fall Beauty Color Alert: Purple

Provided by Real Beauty

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Curious to what the hot colors for fall will be? As we look back on the runway shows one thing's clear — purple is the queen this season.

From plum pouts to lavender lids, this deep berry shade is the color to wear this upcoming season. Check out our favorite product picks and tips below to rock this trend without overdoing it.

Related: How to Wear Bold Makeup At Every Age

For Your Eyes: NARS Single Eye Shadow in Daphne

This richly pigmented shadow is the perfect pop for your eyes. It's a matte formula that blends easily with other colors. For a softer look, try blending it with NARS Single Eye Shadow in Mangrove to lighten up the lid or brighten your look up by dabbing a sheen white shadow in the corners of your eye.

Beauty Tip: Violet makes a great bright eyeliner, another huge trend for fall. Give your lower lash line the spotlight by lining not only the lash line but also the inner rim, says makeup expert Dara Klein. Wing the line out slightly in the outer corner and gently smudge it to create a fuzzy, smoky line. Skip lining your top lash line and coat lashes with four to five coats of mascara instead. This creates a wide, doe-eyed effect.

Related: Get your Eyeliner to Last Longer

For Your Lips: Makeup Forever Rogue Artist Intense Pick #15

This new collection of lipstick are designed with higher pigmentation, almost 50 percent more than the average lipstick! This means the color will last longer, rather than fading midday. This pearly violet shade goes on with a slight shine and a deep, gorgeous purple hue.

Beauty Tip: If you get a little heavy handed with your lipstick, or decide to ditch the color completely, apply a clear gloss or balm over it, then blot with a tissue. Repeat until you've subdued or removed the offending layers.

Related: How to Prevent Your Lipstick from Bleeding

For Your Nails: O.P.I Nail Polish in The Color to Watch

This dusty lavender polish has a hint of blue in it, making it a fun option for fall. It's part of the brand's Swiss collection and may take a few coats to get the desired shade you want, since it's on the sheerer side. For a darker shade, try MAC's Dark Angel.

Beauty Tip: To speed up your polish drying, try cold water. Fill a bowl with water, add some ice cubes, and then dip your fingernails into the water several times for up to a minute. The cold temperature of the water helps seal in the polish chemicals and harden the lacquer.

Looking for ideas for a white storage ottomen for my firends familly Room

2010-08-09T23:03:00.002-04:00

I thought this one would be great if she bought two of them and put them together to make a square. I like the legs on this one, it makes the look a bit more fancy!

2010-08-06T18:03:00.008-04:00

So I am wishing to have a closet organizer put into my pathetic walk in closet, that currently I am only using. I made my husband move all his clothes in to the guest room he calls himself the pauper LOL;) So I am looking around for ideas and for closet organization that wont break the bank ( I am on Mat leave) I came across this article from Style at Home.

Closet Organizing 101

Keep closet space organized with these helpful tips.

Sort it Out

Remove all clothing from your closet and create piles for each type of clothing item: blouses, sweaters, pants, skirts, t-shirts, lounge wear, work-out wear, etc. Also create piles for accessories you keep in your closet like belts, scarves and shoes. Be sure to also separate out items to be donated. Once the sorting is complete, you should be able to form a good idea of how much clothing your closet can comfortably accommodate and what types of storage you need: mid-wall hanging rods for shirts and full-length hanging space for longer items like dresses and pants; drawers for lingerie and accessories, shelving for shoes and bags; hooks for belts and scarves. Once you’ve assessed your needs, consider the many closet systems and components available on the market today that can make use of all the available storage space in your closet and greatly improve its functionality.

Accessory tips:

Hang scarves and long necklaces from the hooks on pant hangers.
Inexpensive wooden cutlery trays make great in-drawer jewelry organizers.

For Your Clothes Only

Don’t allow your clothes closet to be home to the vacuum cleaner, winter coats or ski boots. Find space in the attic, basement or mudroom for extraneous items that can be removed to make room for clothing and shoes.

Design

Decide the extent to which you want to change your closet. Your budget may allow you to have a custom designed closet-system made for you or you may prefer to go the more economical route of purchasing a closet-system kit and installing it yourself

For more ideas for small spaces, visit Canadian House and Home.

2010-08-06T13:13:00.002-04:00

Real Kids Spaces

If you are like me, you love looking at "kids rooms" for great decorating ideas that are full of toys, a little cluttered and full of colour. I love this new site I found Deco My Place which is a site similiar to Flickr where people upload their home interior photos for everyone to view, from living rooms to kitchens, studies, playrooms and my favourite, kids rooms. I always love seeing how other peoples room around the world are decorated, and so far my favourite look is colourful, full of "pretend play" toys, bunk beds and little nooks much alike scandinavian style rooms. Here are some rooms I picked out which I think are fun.

Which is your favourite?