Master Bathroom: Almost Finished

I have kept everyone a little updated on a master bathroom project I have been working on and it is almost finished!! On Tuesday afternoon, the custom window treatments and woven wood window shades were installed.  All that remains is the light fixture for over the bathtub which, is scheduled to come in next month.....Enjoy!!

Home for the Holidays!

So a few weeks ago, I decided I couldn't handle a Christmas without tons of snow on the ground.  So I got a ticket to Michigan to spend the holidays with my family!

After I checked into the airport yesterday, I noticed my boarding pass didn't have a seat assignment on it.  I thought, "maybe my flight is overbooked."

Well, my gut feeling was right and I was asked to volunteer to take the next flight to Detroit which was only  two hours after my current flight.  I made a quick phone call to my dad to make sure it wouldn't ruin his plans to pick me up and was ready to sit and wait a couple more hours.

Waiting a little longer really paid off.....not only was I given a free lunch, an upgrade to first class on my next flight, I was also given a $300 voucher for a flight!!! Yahooo!!!!!

So, Santa came early....I am having a wonderful time with my family...the snow it beautiful, and I am thankful for generous people!

Classic Christmas

No words! Just holiday cheer and only 5 more days until the holly jolly Santa himself arrives!

I Believe in Christmas

Just some beautiful holiday decor we helped with this season!  

This tree is a masterpiece of layering layers of ribbons, large and small ornaments, lights, floral sprigs, floral branches and much more.  Full and overstuffed trees are my favorite and I never think there is too much on a tree.  

Teddy Bear Christmas

It seems as though many of us have some sort of collections centered around Christmas.  My mom has a bunch of Nutcrackers, Adrienne has Santa ornaments, my dad has a Dicken's Christmas village....and one of our clients has a teddy bear collection.

She cleverly incorporated her numerous teddy bears into the garland that swirls up her banister!

Perfect Christmas Dining

Most people know that I love Christmas.  There's no better feeling than the warmth of being with family, hot chocolate, a crackling fire, beautiful decorations, hustling and bustling around.  To me, it really feels like magic. 

This holiday season, I have had so much fun helping other's decorate and love the creativity.  Check out this gorgeous formal dining room that is set all holiday season long.

Christmas is the perfect time to break out your fine china, wedding crystal and any other silver serving pieces you have stashed away.  The pieces look amazing when dressed with red and gold and when combined with ornaments, holly, poinsettias and other holiday decor.

Having your formal dining table set all season long is a perfect and easy way to spruce up your home for the holiday season.  Its always ready whether you're hosting a party or have some last minute guests!

Spicy Pasta with Sweet Potatoes

I made this the other night for dinner....surprisingly delicious!!!!  The combination of ingredients seems a little strange- my brother Adam admitted he would probably throw up if he were cooking this- but this pasta has everything.  Its spicy, sweet, creamy, I laughed...I cried :)

Its quick and easy...try it!

ingredients

• 1  large (12 oz.)  sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (2 cups)
• 1/2  tsp. each  sugar, chili powder, and cinnamon
• 8  oz.  dried rigatoni
• 1/3  cup  peanut butter
• 1  3-oz. pkg.  cream cheese, cut up
• 2  tsp.  Asian chili sauce (such as Sriracha sauce)
• 1  Tbsp.  soy sauce
• 6    green onions, thinly sliced

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a rimmed baking pan; set aside. Place sweet potato cubes in bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the sugar, chili powder, and cinnamon. Spread in prepared pan; bake 20 minutes or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup hot pasta water.

3. In saucepan combine peanut butter, cream cheese, chili sauce, and soy sauce; whisk in 3/4 cup of the hot pasta water. Stir over medium heat until heated through. If too thick, stir in additional water. Stir in most of the green onions. Serve sauce over pasta with sweet potatoes and remaining onion. Makes 4 servings.

nutrition facts

• Calories537, 
• Total Fat (g)24, 
• Saturated Fat (g)7, 
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)10,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g)4, 
• Cholesterol (mg)23, 
• Sodium (mg)507, 
• Carbohydrate (g)68,
• Total Sugar (g)9, 
• Fiber (g)7, 
• Protein (g)16, 
• Vitamin C (DV%)11, 
• Calcium (DV%)9, 
• Iron (DV%)19, 
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

A Very Merry Thanksgiving

Sorry to backtrack, but I can't leave out one of the greatest days of this year....Thanksgiving!  Two families were able to get together, crowd around a large dining table and enjoy a delicious meal!

My dad was on turkey duty and was so involved with making sure it was perfect, he passed when asked to bring out his mashed potato skills! The deep-fried turkey was perfect! I really don't think I can ever eat turkey cooked a different way! 

Last year, Adrienne began a tradition and it has become one of my favorite parts of the day.  Each year, everyone who is with us at Thanksgiving gets a piece of paper and writes what they are thankful for.  We then read each out loud and attach them together to create a paper chain.  It looks a little dinky now, but in a few years is will be wonderfully long chain full of thankfulness! 

Happy Holidays!

Boo's Xylophone

It took a little while to find exactly what I wanted to get Brenner for his birthday.  And although Brenner has more toys than a Toys R Us, I couldn't help but get him a....... 

XYLOPHONE!!! 

Baked Potato Soup

Finally, we are experiencing some chilly weather down here in Texas.  We've been blessed with a warm fall perfect for walks and playing outside.  But a cold front came through and its doing its job well.

This cozy sweater weather means its time for some yummy cold weather food.  Tonight, we made baked potato soup from scratch and with a fire going in the living room, it was perfect!

While some peeled and cubed potatoes were cooking in boiling water, we sauteed some onions and garlic in a separate large pot.  When the onions were nice and golden, we added some chicken stock, cubed ham and seasoning.  A little at a time, we transfered some of the softened potato chunks and the boiling water into the onion mixture.  The potatoes mashed and added to the thickness of the soup and when all of the potatoes were transferred over, we added some half and half, a little more seasoning and it was ready to go!  

For all of you northern readers up there.....its delicious! 

Houston Tree Lighting

On Friday, I headed to downtown Houston to meet up with my friend Caitlin to attend the Houston Tree Lighting! Caitlin and I went to Williamston High School together and she recently moved to Houston with her husband.  We met up with several of her friends at the lounge in the Houston Aquarium for some happy hour drinks.

Houston's Christmas tree in Hermann Park was just a few blocks from the Aquarium and around 6 , the holiday party started.  For an hour we enjoyed some musical performances by various choirs and even some Christmas carols by the singer of the famous song "Soul Train."  

At about 7pm, thousands of people counted down to light the city's tree and marvel at the fireworks that boomed amidst the sky scrapers! 

Reliant Energy provided the light-up Santa hats for anyone who wanted one and I loved the view of thousands of people in the holiday spirit! 

I had to stop to snap this picture of the Houston skyline as Caitlin and I walked to Market Square for dinner. 

Market Square was a delicious selection for dinner with yummy and cleverly named sandwiches (I dined on the BLT & A :) and some great beer! Yup! I said...beer! And we even walked our way over to La Carafe, the oldest bar in Houston to enjoy another beer!

Lots of Changes Going On

I know it doesn't seem like I've been doing too much on this ole' blog of mine, but even though there haven't been very many posts lately, I have been adding some new content!

Click on the links below to check out what E's been filling her cup with!

E is for Erika -- Just your standard "About Me" page.

Space Odyssey -- Here is where you'll find photos of some of my interior design projects.

Photo Lounge -- I always have my camera and this is a great place for some of the photos I've taken that might not have much to do with my design work.

Hand-E -- EB Beautique is still an outlet for some of my handmade items.  Hand-E is where you'll see a journal of the creations handmade by....E!

News Chews -- I've been blessed with a job that allows me so many outlets besides design.  I have collaborated with other designers on newspaper articles and editorials.