Fabulous Fare

With the nearing of fall and the routines that come with kids back to school and regular work schedules, I thought I'd share a little something amazing that I found, that I think all of you will love and find useful.

If you're bored with mealtime and have been wanting to try a new recipe, or have been craving some sweet treats, have I found the blog for you-it's called Closet cooking! I don't just love it because the chef extraordinaire is a Toronto native like myself but because everything he makes just looks so darn yummy and is super creative!

Today's Recipe: Peach & Maple Sour Cream Pecan Pie

Photo courtesy of Closet Cooking Blog

I love that this recipe embraces both the essence of summer with peaches and the flavors of fall with maple sugar. What a yummy treat!

5 Ingredient Panini

Photo courtesy of Closet Cooking Blog

For all you eggplant lovers, forget eggplant parmasean, try something new with this panini! What a fun way to get your children to try eggplant. All smothered in maranara and cheesy goodness, they're bound to love it!

Tomato Tart!

Photo courtesy of Closet Cooking Blog

Instead of pizza, try this fun tomato tart made with phyllo dough for a light and tasty treat!

In case you are wondering, the blog post header photo is Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream which is anything but ordinary.

There are too many amazing recipes to list here, so if you're in the mood to do something different, I encourage you to check out Kevin's blog for some inspiring fare. You'll never have to wonder again what to make for dinner.

Happy Cooking!

Monogram Monday

Anyone that knows me well could tell you that I love love love Monograms! They would also proceed to tell you that I adore everything nautical and beachy, hounds tooth prints, polka dots, damask prints, the eiffel tower and chandeliers but that's a post for another day. Monograms are just so classic and I just really enjoy seeing all the ways I can take something as generic as table napkins and transform them into something unique and customized. Monogrammed items also make for a classy, special gift too!

One of my first monogram projects was when I was about 13, it was a set of wine glasses for my parents using glass etching paste and stencils. I later used the same etching paste to customize a vanity mirror too.

Today I came across this elegant and FREE monogrammed clip art from the Martha website, while looking for some printables for making gift tags and to use on my handmade cards. I wish there were numbers too as I'm looking to make my dad a speacial card for his upcoming milestone birthday.

I know there are many other monogram lovers out there too so I thought I'd share some of the neat designs and ideas I came across this afternoon.....


Luggage Tags


These are from Etsy made with Martha Stewart papers which can be found here. Great to add some personalization to a beach bag, diaper bag or your luggage so it can easily be spotted!


Fall Table Napkins

These napkins are just in time for fall! Here are some great ideas for embroidery. You can also achieve the same look with some washable fabric paint and a stencil or an iron-on monogram letter.

Wall Art

Here are more fun and bright wall art designs like the one show above. You can use individual letters to spell your name, each with a different design, found here on Etsy.

Beach Goodies

This beach bag is a wonderful alternative to the typical canvas types. To the right, this Pottery Barn towel can be found here.

Bedding

Classic hotel style bedding with a monogram from Potterybarn. I actually found this by accident on a super cute blog called Monogram Momma.

Coasters

Last but not least, is a super easy project that you can make to create some custom monogram coasters.

I started off with a package of 4 glass coasters that included the coaster holder which I got from Marshall's for just $8. I took out the inserts behind the glass and substituted two of them with my hubby's monogram which is a 'P' and two of mine which are the 'K' shown. I simply opened a word document and created the letters and enlarged then, selected the colors I wanted and fit all four on the page and hit print.

I then cut them down to size and slid them into the photo holder (originally these were sold as photo coasters). I may one day do that down the road but for today I'm happy with what we have now. I may do some seashells or a pretty damask print, or make each a different design later on with some pretty scrapbook paper. They would make a wonderful hostess or Christmas gift and you can usually find these glass coasters at Bed, Bath & Beyond as well as many other discount retailers and even Target.

I may just have to buy this little pillow I found on Etsy, if they are ever back in stock. This pillow was meant for me! It has my first initial and when I visited this etsy shop I noticed the seller added it on my actual birthday! However, they sold out the very next day! If I can't order one, I may just have to sew a simple pillowcase and handstitch those little aqua buttons myself. After all, I've been known to create a few custom pillows of my own.

If you love monograms as much as I do, leave us a comment with a link to some of your monogram projects or some favorites that you've come across on the web.

Cheers!

Blogging or Venting?

Over the past few months I've come across some really interesting, entertaining, well-written, beautifully designed and informative blogs. I love seeing each person's individual writing style shine through and the great perspective that others often provide through their blog pages. I often feel inspired to use a new painting technique, try a new recipe, or just do something different. This is one of the reasons I start my day by spending about 10 minutes browsing through my favorite blogs before I begin work, because it makes me feel good.

On the contrary, I have also come across several blogs that look like an excuse for the writer to vent or get a lot of negative things off of their chest. These blogs range from personal to political and are not shy when it comes to controversy. While everyone is entitled to freedom of speech and stating their opinion, I'll be honest, these are the blogs I try to avoid. We all have many things that we deal with in a day, some good, some not so favorable and I'm not interested in the burden of someone else's drama. My hubby's motto is: 'Show me your friends and I'll show you your future'. I have to agree with it wholeheartedly, as I even noted most of the blogs that these venters followed were equally as negative and dramatic. I suppose misery loves company.

As a rule of thumb, even if girlfriends are not around to discuss the details or a significant other is unavailable, posting such information in the form of a blog, facebook, twitter or myspace is not proper etiquette and is really very unclassy. If there is an issue with someone, the best thing to do is take it up with the other person/people face to face and then move forward leaving the past in the past, with a clear mind to focus on the positives!

I want everyone to feel comfortable when they visit 'Classy & Fabulous!' and I am committed to keeping this a drama-free zone both in content and comments. I hope you find this to be an informative, sometimes funny and most of the time inspiring blog where you can relax.

So, what are your favorite and most inspiring blogs? Leave us a comment and share the URL so everyone can enjoy it too! :)

Have a wonderful weekend!