If you follow along on Instagram Stories you know the long saga of us tiling our half bathroom. Almost a month later I am finally ready to share our half bathroom before & after! Okay, well I am missing my artwork in the photos, but I couldn’t keep you all waiting any longer.
This is the smallest room in our house (even our closet is bigger), which made it difficult to remodel and photograph. From day one the laminate floor, dated fixtures and taupe paint made me cringe to walk by. The decision to tile the floor was obvious, but my dad helped me come up with the vision to go a few feet up the wall with the same tile. The ceiling is so tall in our half bath that it helps fill all the empty space in the room. My sweet father-in-law volunteered two weekends of his time to help us tile the floors and three feet up the wall. He works in the tile industry and I am pretty sure I was the most OCD client he has had to deal with (we owe him big time)!
In addition to the new tile, we painted the rest of the wall white, replaced the faucet, light fixture, mirror and hardware. We left the pedestal vanity because the room was too small to do much else. As soon as my Nirvana print comes in, it will hang just above my head on the tall empty wall. We are almost finished with a few other rooms in our house and I will be sure to share them as well. If you missed it, check out our guest bathroom before & after as well! xoxo
As a kid, this cake always confused me because there was no coffee in it, but as an adult, I can fully appreciate how well this cake pairs with a cup of hot coffee. This sour cream coffee cake is the perfect dessert for any time of year, but especially as we transition into fall. It has the lightness of a summer cake and the flavors of fall with cinnamon and pecans. I love that with the exception of light sour cream, I always have these ingredients in my pantry and can whip up this cake at an hour’s notice. Just like my Sausage Balls or my Breakfast Casserole, this sour cream coffee cake is great for early football games and breakfast for a crowd. Enjoy! xoxo
In a large mixture, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Add vanilla, sour cream, brown cinnamon, brown sugar, and nuts. In a greased bundt pan, sprinkle a few chopped pecans then pour batter on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.
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As a kid, my favorite Sunday mornings were when a beloved Sunday school teacher would bring homemade sausage balls to class. All the kids would pass right by the box of donuts to make sure they were able to snag one of her famous sausage balls. That memory recently helped me find a solution to the dreaded 11 am football kickoff. Every time I host a tailgate or watch party for an early kickoff, I struggle to prepare breakfast-like items. Sausage balls have become one of my favorite simple solutions for those awkward game times that are somewhere between the bagels and burgers. After many attempts to make sausage balls with turkey instead of pork, I discovered the best solution is the Jennie-O turkey breakfast sausage. This is the same turkey sausage I use in my Breakfast Casserole and it has all the flavor of regular sausage with half the fat. Enjoy! xoxo
Whisk flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, baking powder, and cheddar cheese. Add sausage, onion, and butter. Mix well with your hands. Roll 1-inch balls and place them about half an inch apart on a lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
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Football season is officially back! I spent an embarrassing amount of time this past weekend watching multiple games and devouring this spinach artichoke dip. Football season is so much more fun when you watch games with friends and I love hosting watch parties at my house. Like any good southern, I always have something on hand to feed my guests, which is where this spinach artichoke dip becomes a lifesaver! It is so simple, easy, and a huge crowd pleaser for game day. I add a little extra kick with 3 teaspoons of smoked paprika and it is best served with pita or tortilla chips. I added these adorable Eat, Drink, Football napkins from Swoozies to my game day spread. Enjoy! xoxo
In a large bowl, combine ingredients until well mixed. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish about 12″ x 7″ x 3″ in size. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the top is crispy and golden.
I am not accepting that summer is coming to an end soon. If it was up to me, it would be 100 degrees year-round with the exception of Christmas! I love incorporating fresh summer fruits like peaches into refreshing desserts. After a taste of cake on my birthday, I remembered how much I enjoy a light cake with fresh fruit and whipped cream. This olive oil cake with a hint of lemon pairs perfectly with peaches and fresh whipped cream! I am excited to add rosemary and pears to this recipe for winter. Enjoy! xoxo
Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in olive oil, lemon juice, and water. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium speed until slightly thickened. Reduce speed and slowly incorporate the olive oil mixture.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
Chantilly Cream: Using a whisk attachment on an electric mixer, combine 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla on a low speed. Add 1/4 cup sugar and gradually increase the speed. Continue to beat for about 2 minutes or until the mixture thickens and soft peaks form.
I have candles for every room in our house, in the guest room and bath, in the laundry room, on my coffee table, kitchen island, dresser, and vanity. I love finding new scents and changing the scents in our house seasonally. I am sharing my favorite candles for every room based on the type of scent below! xoxo
Clean Scent
NEST Linen – My first choice of any scent would probably be a clean scent. The NEST Linen is my go to scent for about half our house. I keep either a diffuser or candle of this scent in our bathrooms and laundry room. It smells just like clean laundry with a hint of orchid. NEST candles have a burn time of 50-60 hours.
Floral Scent
Diptyque Roses – I was surprised by how much I ended up loving a floral scent. There is no other way to describe the scent of this candle than just roses. It perfectly captures what a rose smells like without being too fragrant or almost stinky. This scent is perfect for the guest bath or kitchen. Diptyque candles have a burn time of about 60 hours.
NEST Blue Garden – The perfect mixture of hydrangea, hyacinth and forget-me-nots to create a scent that I describe as spring. This candle is perfect for the kitchen, guest room or living room during the spring and summer months. The Blue Garden candle is in a larger container and has a burn time of 95 hours.
Sweet Scent
Capri Blue Volcano – I have been buying the volcano candle from Anthropologie for years and it is still one of my favorites. It took me a while to decide what kind of scent volcano even is, but I decided on sweet with a woodsy undertone. Volcano is a mixture of citrus fruits and earth. The jumbo jar has a burn time of 100 hours.
NEST Grapefruit – A mixture of grapefruit, lily and coriander give this scent a delightful punch. This candle is great for the living room during the spring and summer months. NEST candles have a burn time of 50-60 hours.
Diptyque Baies – The Baies scent is as hard to describe as it is to pronounce. There is a hint of fruit, greenery and roses mixed together. This candle is perfect for the living room or bedroom during fall and winter months. Diptyque candles have a burn time of about 60 hours.
Fall Scent
Capri Blue Pumpkin Clove – I normally avoid candles that smell like pumpkin, but I had time to kill in Anthropologie and this was burning. I wouldn’t even associate this scent with pumpkin, I smell more orange, vanilla and cinnamon. I already stocked up on a few of these candles in the tin size to give as hostess gifts this fall! The tin size has a burn time of 38 hours.
NEST Pumpkin Chai – This is another “pumpkin” candle that I would not associate with pumpkin at all. I love the chai, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon notes that perfectly blend in this scent. It smells more like a coffeehouse or bakery and is great for the kitchen or living room during the fall holidays! NEST candles have a burn time of 50-60 hours.
Holiday Scent
NEST Holiday – One of my favorite scents is a department store at Christmas time and this candle captures that perfectly! I love this candle for the holidays because it has a hit of orange, pine, clove and cinnamon. The 3 wick candle has a burn time of 120 hours to keep your house smelling wonderful from Thanksgiving to New Years.
NEST Hearth – Another great holiday candle with more of a fireplace scent. The Hearth candle does not have the hint of pine or cinnamon that the Holiday candle does, but has notes of wood, frankincense and smoke. This candle is great for the living room especially if you do not have a wood burning fireplace. NEST candles have a burn time of 50-60 hours.
Diptyque Feu De Bois – This is another great woodsy candle for the winter months. Similar to the NEST Hearth candle, this scent perfectly depicts a wood burning fire place in the best way. This candle is great for the living room, guest room or guest bath. Diptyque candles have a burn time of about 60 hours.
