It’s official… California is in a drought. Keep in mind Emily Joubert has a great selection of water saving succulents for your garden.
Found this on Pinterest! Love the Grey Blue Cabinets with the Earthtones of the Island and the Marble Counter Tops. Thanks Amanda Teal for your Pin! One of my favorite designers.
Barn doors can provide privacy and interior space at the same time. They don’t need to be rustic either, I’ve been in contemporary homes where the doors have been used to hide a closet behind smoked glass with a 4″ wood frame. Incredibly versatile I think they are a great idea to hide a room, bathroom or closet by adding a design element.
http://www.custommade.com/track-doors-for-wine-country-estate/by/werkendesign/
Normally in the Bay Area at this time of year, our hills are Emerald Green, unfortunately with the lack of rain they are barren brown. Always in search of something positive I went looking for gardening ideas to brighten the yard. Success! Orchid, the 2014 Color of the Year, actually looks great with brown! In this article Houzz has some great “Orchid” plant choices that grow well in dry conditions. The Lavender and Wild Thyme are particularly hardy and totally versatile. The Thyme you can cook with and the Lavender flowers smell wonderful in sachets for yourself and as gifts.
As promised here is my favorite go to recipe for a treat! Now I realize many of us are on our 2014 Diet….so cut them into bite size pieces. A day should not be complete without a sweet! The Blondies shown in the picture were without the Baking Soda so they are gooier. They will be less gooey if you add the Baking Soda but I like them this way with Vanilla Ice Cream. Then if they last long enough you can put them in the refrigerator and the chocolate hardens which gives you another dimension for tomorrow!
Blondies
Butter or Cooking Spray whichever you prefer a 13 x 9 inch ceramic baking dish.
2 sticks of butter room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
½ t salt
1 t vanilla
2 cups flour
1T Espresso powder
2 eggs room temperature
1 cup Toffee chips
1 cup Chocolate chips
1 T molassas (optional)
(For a lighter blondie add 1 tsp baking soda
Whip 2 sticks of butter with 1 cup dark brown sugar and 1 cup light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the molassas (optional) vanilla, salt and espresso powder.
Put the flour in a bowl (and if you prefer a lighter blondie add the baking soda at this time and toss it with all the chips (you can use whatever kinds of chips you like – I even break up Heath bars and put them in instead of the Toffee chips.
Add the two bowls together mix just until blended.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes at 350. Don’t be tempted to over bake them. Bake them until just barely set in the middle.
Once again what I like about this web site is that they provide you with a visual idea and then the costs for implementation. This particular article offers cost effective improvements to your existing bathroom. When you read this and explore further the site gives you one stop shopping or at least a vehicle to start with, a bottom line so to speak so you can figure out a budget.