Guest Bedroom: Before

Confession: ZERO of my three bedrooms have gotten any love from me. I've concentrated mostly on the common areas over the past 2 years, buying something here and there for the bedrooms. I think it's about time I pull this guest room together so I can actually have some guests.

My before pictures are quite embarrassing, so please be kind. 

Doesn't everyone mismatch their curtain panels?? 

The ones to the right are the curtains I've been making, and the awful gold ones to the left are the ones I purchased from Horchow years and years ago. 

Oh, and that bed?? Yes, that's Brad's ex girlfriend's bed. We used to have her dresser as well, but I sold that on Craigslist a while back. Needless to say, that bed will be for sale very soon. :)

What I'm most excited to get rid of, however, are the beige walls. This paint color was chosen for us prior to moving in. I think it's my least favorite wall color ever!

Below is a fabric scheme I'm contemplating. For the longest time, I thought about black walls, then I thought lavender, then olive green, and now I'm just confused. If you asked me to pick out a wall color for someone else, I'd do it in about 2 minutes. When it comes to decisions for my own house, I'm so damn indecisive. I am driving myself crazy! 

I hope you're all following me on Instagram because I'm going to be needing your paint color recommendations very very soon. 

XO Lindsay

Scenes From The Weekend

It's Monday again... blah... And what makes it even more blah is that I dropped Brad off at the airport yesterday at 5am. He's gone until Friday night. What's a girl to do with herself? I don't have to cook, I don't have to pack lunches, there won't be all sorts of laundry that needs to get done... I guess a lot of DIY will be on the agenda this week. 

Anyway, I pretty much did the usual over the weekend. A little shopping here, a little football watching there (the Gamecocks won!), a little home decorating, a little laying around. Basically, the same ol', but it's my favorite kind of same ol'. 

I went to my favorite local place this weekend and snatched this cute lamp for my guest room. I was hoping buying this lamp would get me in the mood to finally work on this bland room, and it has! I'm finishing curtains now, and I'm planning on getting some paint samples today!

Since Brad was gone all day yesterday, I had plenty of time to peruse Instagram. I came across this beyond fabulous picture of these gorgeous bloggers at Fashion Week. I instantly became obsessed with Julia's look (to the far right). 

I'm now thinking I need a pair of those pants! 

Elizabeth and James

Tibi

What do you think? Too trendy?? Or shall I hop on that bandwagon?

XO Lindsay

Obsessing Over: Secretaries

My interior decor style continues to evolve all the time. I've become more traditional lately, loving a good 'ol Southern home. I'm also a firm believer that more is more. I love clutter. I love books. Stacks and stacks of books. I foresee a secretary in my living room's future, stuffed full of books. My favorite rooms lately have all had secretaries in them. That means something...

I need a dang secretary!

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Now to find a fabulous one with an even more fabulous price tag...

XO Lindsay

Eggplant & Goat Cheese Sandwiches over Sweet Tomato Basil Sauce

 Ingredients 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

3 cups fresh crushed tomatoes

6oz can tomato paste

1 teaspoon fresh basil

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 eggplants, peeled and cut to make 1/2 in thick slices (I used 1 eggplant, which was plenty for just myself & Brad)

4 eggs, beaten to mix

cooking oil, for frying 1/2 lb mild goat cheese, cut into thick rounds

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion & cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, paste, 1 tsp salt, sugar, crushed red pepper, and basil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. Stir in 1/4 tsp of the pepper.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and the remaining salt & pepper.

3. Dip each slice of eggplant in the eggs and then in the bread-crumb mixture, coating well. In a large frying pan, heat about half an inch of cooking oil over medium heat until very hot. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil, in batches, turning once, until golden and cooked through, 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. 

4. Arrange half of the eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put a slice of goat cheese on top of each and then top with the remaining eggplant slices. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Put the sauce on plates, top with eggplant, and sprinkle with more fresh basil.

I've made this meal twice, and I've loved it each time. Try it. Your man won't even realize he's not eating any meat. It's that good!

XO Lindsay

Scenes From The Weekend

Happy September, Everyone!!! 

Pretty sure August is my least favorite month of the year. If it weren't for college football starting that month, it could just disappear. 

Speaking of college football, it's here! Brad & I drove to Columbia, SC to visit my mom and go to the first Gamecock game. My spirit was crushed within the first 10 minutes of the game, and it got worse from there. But nonetheless, we had a great time!

If you're ever in Columbia, you MUST get a cheeseburger from Rush's. Seriously. So good. I prefer it over In and Out any day of the week.

My friend, John Daly & I went to Carolina Ale House in the Vista on our last night in Columbia. It has a great rooftop bar that would be divine in October. In August, it's pretty friggin hot up there. Note: This city is the armpit of the south. It is hot & steamy to say the least. 

When Brad & I got back to Wilmington Saturday, we went to our local Farmer's Market & picked up some fresh goodies. How pretty are these pineapples? 

Because it's now September, I felt the need to celebrate by pulling out my deer mugs. I mean, let's face it- it's September, meaning it's pretty much fall, meaning Christmas is right around the corner. This makes me a very happy girl!

While in Columbia, I visited about 10 antique / consignment stores. I was hoping to score majorly, but I was pretty disappointed overall. Not the best shopping in the armpit of the south. I did find a few pretty brass objects & a pretty picture, however. 

My Labor Day was spent laboring. I spent about 6 hours cleaning every nook and cranny of my little bungalow. There's no better feeling than a clean house. 

Hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend!! Back to the grind today...

XO Lindsay