Intentionally white

I used to have an interior design blog.  I guess I still have it.  But, I dunno, I'm just feeling like all blogging needs to be centralized and I'm going to centralize it here.  So yeah, no more Design Salt.  Instead, I'm going to do the occasional interior design post here.  With my etsy shop, and doing some sewing for my sister-in-law's company, I don't think I'll be offering design services any time soon (which was kind of the point of that blog)  And now that we're looking for a house (TO BUY!  So happy) I'm starting to be excited for interior design again.  I want to share, but I'm not willing to help you with specific questions.  (TOTALLY joking.  I would gladly help if you need it.  Just let me know) 

All that to say, I'm thinking about paint colors for the new house.  Gah!  What is it about town houses?  It feels like most people are getting their own space for the very first time (like we will) and they're just so dang excited to paint!  Paint all the things!  Paint all the colors!  Well, the house we're hoping to make an offer on like today has a dark brown and blue living room.  A yellow and red kitchen.  And I can't remember what the bedrooms are, maybe just taupe. 

Imagine that we do move in there.  First I'm going to have to correct the living room, because dark brown?  Royal blue?  I can't.  (I don't want to show pics in case, I don't know, they find it or something.  Silly, but the internet can be a smaller place than we know)  Also, I really want a new couch but let's be real, we're not going to be able to afford new furniture right away.  It's going to be a work in progress (which I think is the best kind!)

Am I crazy for wanting white walls?  I know, I know, we all grew up with them and we promised we would never.  But I don't want that egg shell color that comes standard in tract homes, I want my walls to look intentionally white.

Oh wait, why white?  Because I currently prefer grays and blues and white works better than the tans and taupes we're seeing so much lately.

Here are some white I'm considering (source)

Extra white by Sherwin Williams: This feels very minimalistic like what you would see in a Scandanavian home, which is my main inspiration for the designs in my new home. 

Modern Living Room by Miami Interior Designers & Decorators CLAUDIA LUJAN

Pure White by Sherwin Williams: This just feels classy.  I love it with the black, but I'm wondering how it would pair with a navy (I thinking of doing a simple couch cover in navy, to help me feel better about not getting a new couch just yet)

Traditional Entry by Chicago Architects & Designers COOK ARCHITECTURAL Design Studio

Dune White by Benjamin Moore: I like that this one has a gray undertone, but I worry that it will make the living room feel too cold.  Is that possible when you have a tiny living room?  Maybe it would be a good thing.

Traditional Living Room by Dc Metro Interior Designers & Decorators BROWN DAVIS INTERIORS, INC.

Natural Choice by Sherwin Williams: I love the earthiness of this one, but I worry that it will look too "egg shell"  I love love love the way it's styled in this home, however.  It looks great with the dark wood accents.

Contemporary Kitchen by Sacramento Architects & Designers Debbie R. Gualco

Which one is your favorite?  And please tell me you didn't paint your kitchen red.  I just can't see one more red kitchen (like half the houses we've looked at have red kitchens)

Food Friday: Corn and Pumpkin Soup

Sorry for the pumpkin post already fall haters, but like it or not summer is on the way out!  Bring on the pumpkin.

Sunday morning we woke up to rain and chilly temps.  Fall weather opens up a whole new section of recipes to choose from: Soups!  Adam wont eat soup from March- October, but my dinner choices were limited, plus RAIN.  So I knew we were good to go.  Throw in some homemade bread and you can't go wrong. 

When we left church it was sunny and warm.  Whatever.  I was a girl on a mission.  Also, there wasn't many options in my kitchen.  Grocery shopping took place promptly on Monday morning.

I decided to caramelize some corn and onions like Bridget showed me how in her amazing recipe for sweet potato burritos (I made them last month.  How long do I have to wait before I can make them again???)  Embarrassed to say, that in all of my cooking training, I really didn't know the proper way to do that.  So I threw in some corn and a finely chopped onion, a little bit of olive oil and let them sizzle on medium for 30 - 40 minutes (I can't remember)  Bridget says to put them on lowest heat, but I think it depends on your stove.  Mine on lowest heat would have taken a month to caramelize.  I was too hungry for that.

Ingredients
1 onion, finely diced
1 c of frozen corn, thawed
2 c pumpkin, about 1-14.5oz can if you have one, or just measure two cups out of the giant can
2 c broth, I used vegetable broth because that's my jam, but you can use chicken if you want.  Beef?  I feel like that would be weird.
1 c milk, I used almond milk because I'm not a fan of dairy (unless it's sour cream, cheese of any kind or ice cream, basically I don't like milk)
Garlic powder, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste (guys I suck at measuring spices)
Sour cream for garnish

Directions
1. Caramelize onion and corn on the lowest heat that will maintain a low sizzle.  Stir every 5-10 minutes for about 30-40 minutes.  Let your heart guide you on this one.
2. Add pumpkin and broth.  Bring to a boil (it will more likely bubble and splat.  Stir it frequently until it's heated through.)
3. Add milk and heat through.
4. Serve with sour cream, if you want.  (Adam thinks that's weird.)

Who wears pink bibs and loves pumpkin soup????  This guy:

Accept the things I cannot change

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."  --Reinhold Niebuhr

Today is September 11th.  I remember where I was (my brand new dorm room) and what I was doing (getting ready for class) when I heard what happened in NYC (my roommate came home from a run and she had stopped for breakfast and saw it on the news.  At the time we thought it was just an accident.  Until the second crash)

And now we're on the verge of war with Syria.  I don't usually watch the news, but Adam had it on while I was in the room and I saw part of the video with the chemical weapons being used on children.  I cried and cried. 

I don't know what the right action for America is.  It isn't fair that kids should ever ever have to have a life like that.  I do the best I can by my own kids, but honestly some of my day to day worries and frustrations seem super dumb compared to what I witnessed.  And I know that they aren't the only children living in horrible circumstances in the world.

The only thing that brought peace to my mind was a scripture from the Book of Mormon.  Alma and his companion Amulek have been preaching about Christ and those that believed and were baptized were later killed for their beliefs.

Alma 14
10 And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11 But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day.
12 Now Amulek said unto Alma: Behold, perhaps they will burn us also.
13 And Alma said: Be it according to the will of the Lord. But, behold, our work is not finished; therefore they burn us not.

Sometimes bad things (really bad things) are allowed to happen to good people so that their blood can stand as a witness again those who commit these heinous crimes.  But my favorite line?  The Lord receiveth them up unto himself in glory. 

I don't want to live with my head in the sand, but verse 13 leads me to believe that there is a purpose for my life, that I have good I can do, even if I can't save those children.

Tut tut it looks like rain

First, the winner of my esty shop giveaway is Robin!  Congrats! 

Aren't kids' memories amazing?  Maybe it's because their brains are new and not so full of information yet.  In any case, when we had a down pour of rain a couple weeks ago we quickly opened the blinds wide and called for Olivia.  "Look!  It's raining!"  With out missing a beat Olivia ran into her room and came back with her pink rain boots.

"Now I can wear these!"  Yep, when ever she would ask to wear her pink rain boots I would tell her no, because they're just for the rain.  So, once the down pour let up a little I took her out for some puddle splashing.  In last year's coat, which is why the sleeves are quite short on her.

She's letting the water drip off the parking cover on to her head.

Food Friday: Amazing meat balls

Last day to enter my giveaway here!

An great thing happened at the dentist on Tuesday.  I was pondering what to make for dinner.  I had stuff to make turkey and quinoa meatballs and pasta.  But Adam doesn't like pasta.  I also wanted to try my friend Tiffanie's  grilled chicken.  But was there time to heat the grill when I got back?  What if. . . what if I made the meatballs with rice and cooked them in Tiffanie's husband's special grilling sauce.  What if. 

Amazing.

They were soooooo good.  I asked Adam if he liked dinner (as I often do because he usually wont say one way or another) and he said "Yeah.  The sauce is good."  When I told him what it was, he was surprised.  In any case, this is a great way to enjoy this grilling recipe when it isn't grilling season!

Plates of meatballs do not photograph well.  I was going to leave a picture off all together, but then, what will you pin???  :)

Ingredients
Meat balls:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp dried onion
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
1 egg
1 Tbsp BBQ sauce

Sauce: 
1 c BBQ sauce
1 c fat free Italian dressing

Directions
1. Mix all meat ball ingredients together with your hands and form into balls about the size of a golf ball.
2. Brown them in a frying pan on medium high heat, turning them carefully so they don't fall apart before they firm up. 
3. When they are browned on three or four sides, lower the heat to medium low or just low (know your stove!) and pour the sauce over the meat balls and cover.  Cook for 20 minutes while you cook your rice.  They will both be done at the same time and dinner is served!

Missing Bingham

Don't forget I have a little giveaway from my etsy shop going on this week!  Enter here. 

I miss it today.

I quit my job a year ago June.  When fall rolled around and school started everyone asked me if I missed it.  I was really surprised myself that the answer was "no".  Bingham had been a part of my life for five years.  That's longer than I was in high school, and as long as I was in college.  It was a huge chunk of my life and I just walked away.  I didn't understand why I didn't even have a inkling of desire to go back.

I guess when you're burnt out with hoops to jump through, and you miss your child in daycare like crazy, and you love your students but the love in your heart that used to all go to them now goes mostly to your daughter. . . it just wasn't the same as it used to be.

But this year, I have missed it.  Which I did not see coming. 

I was perplexed.  And then I realized.  It's been long enough that I've forgotten the worst parts.  Like so many other things in life, we remember the good and try to forget the bad.  I've done just that.  I remember filling out my little weekly schedule.  MAN, that was my favorite thing to do.  In just 15-20 minutes I would have my whole week planned.  Sure, I still had to write the lessons, but at least I knew what topics I had to cover.  Throw an assembly in there?  It was like trying to do a puzzle, covering all my info with shorter periods to stuff it in to.

Also, talking to my cousin Cait who is starting her first year teaching.  She's overwhelmed, like we all are our first year of teaching (I would not go back to that year, but thank goodness I had no children then.  It was hard enough) and as I gave her advice I just had this longing to get in there and do it myself.  Not that Cait wont be wonderful!  (Cait, you're doing great I'm sure!!)  But I've put in that time as a newbie and now the fear is gone.  I could teach a class I knew nothing about, but I'm so dang comfortable in front of a class of teenagers that I could stay cool as a cucumber.  Nothing can phase me (okay dad, except for your class, I know you would throw that in if you and I were talking).

I used to get upset when Adam would suggest that maybe, maybe, I would like to go back to teaching when our kids were older.  Now that I've forgotten the bad stuff, maybe he's right.

Never tell me that the Miners is a dumb mascot.  Someone did once.  It did not end well.

Give away oh give away!

Welcome to my new blog!  We're going to start this blog off right by doing a giveaway today.  This blog is part of my re branding.  I've decided to group everything together under one name (thanks to my awesome brother Rob for coming up with my name).

So why should you follow my new blog?  

This pillow also available for purchase in my etsy shop.  Your choice of heart applique OR a letter of your choice.

Because I'm giving away this super cute pillow from my soon to open etsy shop!!  All you have to do is follow me any way you want.   You can follow on Bloglovin', GFC (I cannot figure out how to make a link for that. . . sorry), Twitter or Facebook.  One entry per person, just pick one of those ways to follow and you're golden.  (Click on the word to lead you to each social media area)  Just let me know which method you used to follow by leaving a comment saying so (I'm sorry, I hate that part too, but it's just life)

No points for following on instagram, pinterest or favoriting my etsy shop, but in case you want that info, here ya go:
Instagram: @olive_thethings
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/olivethethings/
Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/OliveTheThings

And if you want to know a little more about me, check out my NAQ (never asked questions) here.

Loves!  And good luck!

Giveaway now closed