New Year's Resolutions...aka Hopes for the New Year

I don't really do New Year's Resolutions and as it is the 12th of January and I'm just now officially writing these down maybe I should just call these my hopes for the New Year or a to do list.

1. be healthy in 2011- vitamins, exercise, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle
2. run a 5K, finally
3. indulge in the the things I enjoy- reading, painting, writing, traveling, friends
4. continue our book club, which I love
5. pare down- get rid of excess stuff and keep the necessities
6. get organized and stay organized
7. stick to the budget that I write, but don't usually follow

Loving Lonnymag

There were so many good rooms and ideas in the new Lonnymag issue.  I have been inspired. 

From great tablescapes to beautiful dining rooms and a closet that is so organized and beautiful that I want. 

Maybe in this new year I will be updating accessories and colors.

Lovely new art for my bedroom

I got this beautiful print for Christmas from my parents and I love it.  It will have a spot on my bedroom wall as soon as I get it framed.  You can find one like it along with some other amazing pieces at tastesorangey on etsy.

Nightly routine? Books and hot tea

My nights in this cold winter have come to be the same... put on the most comfy pj's (recently that's been my Christmas pj's from Steve), boil water in the kettle, pour a deliciously large cup of Earl Gray and read the book du jour. It's just become a comforting routine that I have indulged for weeks now.  It's amazing how it only took a few days for this to become my evening norm.

my favorite tea

The book that I've just finished is Jonathan Franzen's new novel Freedom.  It's a hefty read at over 500 pages.  I had the same feelings about this book as I did about his novel The Corrections.  I couldn't put the book down, but I found it extremely depressing.  The Berglunds are a really broken family that from the outside seemed to have it all until Franzen takes us into the depth of the mess.  Ultimately there was redemption and healing, but it was a long time coming.

Design Thoughts

I have a brown living room...very brown as you can see below.  My accent color is a lovely blue-green, but I am feeling really drawn towards pinks and reds and thinking of changing things up.  Maybe using an ikat fabric. I am always drawn to darker rooms, but maybe I'm ready for a change.

So, I'm thinking of adding in new pillows like this one:

I see rooms like this one and think that I should go much lighter.  I love the neutals with the great accents.

Thoughts?

Book I just finished: Sing Them Home

Cover of Sing Them Home: A Novel

I've finished a book a couple weeks ago-- Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos.  I enjoyed Kallos' book Broken for You and had high hopes for this one.  I picked it up because I read an article about the book's editor who was editing it at the time the article was written and said it's one of the best things she'd read in awhile.  So, I really wanted to like this book.  I'm curious what others thought of this book-has anybody read it?  How did you feel about the characters- did you like them?

Recipe of the Week: I hate chicken salad, but...

I had a variation of Tyler Florence's ultimate chicken salad tonight and I really, really like it.  So here's the recipe variation:

1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped


Kosher salt


About 1 cup mayonnaise


1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard


2 celery stalks, small diced


2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves 


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


Freshly ground black pepper


2 cups shredded roasted chicken meat, roughly chopped


8 slices bread, your choice


4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature


Roughly chop the walnuts and then gently toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until they brown and are slightly fragrant. Season walnuts with salt once they are finished toasting. Add the walnuts, mayonnaise, mustard, celery, parsley, olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large mixing bowl and combine. Fold in the shredded chicken and set aside while you prepare the bread. Toast the bread in a hot oven until golden. Top with a scoop of the chicken salad and cover with the other half of the bread to complete the sandwich. Serve.