Babies!

The time has come for me to post about my precious babies!

We have three children: Bruno: 2 1/2 years, Sergeant Tibbs: 2 years and Deadly Little Miho: 1 year. (Note: Miho is Japanese for "beautiful" not to be mistaken with Mijo, which means "Son" in Spanish.)

All of our babies were adopted because we just couldn't say NO to their sweet faces! Are you ready to meet the crew?

Bruno is a black & white American Bulldog mix. He was also in the same litter as a St. Bernard and a Blue Heeler! Bruno loves to give sweet kisses and cuddle!

The Sgt. is an orange and white tabby that we took in because our friend's landlord wouldn't let her keep him anymore. He loves to get into mischief, climb in boxes, bags and cuddle on soft blankets.

Miho is the youngest, she needed a new home when her owner's were also no longer able to care for her. They told us she was a lab/pit mix but she is only 30 pounds so she must have been mixed with something small.... possibly a wippet? She can run like the wind! Also, notice only one of her ears will stand up!

This picture was taken right after we adopted Miho. The whole gang is checking each other out!

This is a picture of everybody wanting to be outside with mom and dad!

Sleeping Babies! (Miho & Tibbs)

Brother Bruno & Sister Miho!

<3<3<3<3<3

Family, Friends & Crawfish

This weekend was my family's annual Crawfish Boil. This time was made official with cups and t-shirts sporting the words "Annual Bonassin Boil"! The event lasts from about noon on Saturday to...... whenever you are ready to leave. For some that is the late afternoon, for others it is 4 a.m. Some even choose to camp out!

This weekend was held out in Burton, TX very close to beautiful Brenham.

To prepare, several thousand crawfish must be sacrificed!

People come from all over to participate... even from New Mexico and Lubbock!

all in all it was a great time with great friends and family!

Avant-Garde Living Room

The thing I love most about our living room is all the "little" things that pull together to make it special.

For example, I actually made these pillows:

I made them after an unsuccessful search for something similar to buy. For those of you who have seen the movie P.S. I Love You, you may have noticed she has similar pillows in her own apartment!
(p.s. the birdcage was from an antique shop!)

As for the rest of our living room, I like to keep it simple-chic!

And a close up of our tea set from World Market

The Cookbook Shelf? IKEA!!!

The top of the shelf is a frame of the Brazos Belle Inn in Burton, TX where my husband and I got married! It was an anniversary present from my mother-in-law!
Because our kitchen is so little, we had to bring it out into the dining area with carts to support the microwave and toaster oven!

I finally succumbed to the idea of a wall hook because I was always losing my keys! The idea was to have a place to hang my keys when I came home from work so that I would always know where they are. Granted, I have since found other things to hang here and my keys have magically managed to stay in my purse.

And of course... I have to provide a picture of the "eating area."

As for decor, I especially love this photo frame with my sisters:

I also got this idea from a flower shop:

All you need is a glass container, brown craft straw andsome plastic robin's eggs.

Etsy Revolution

For those of you who have not yet discovered Etsy (I just recently stumbled upon it myself), this is the place for you!

Etsy combines all the things we love about Ebay but with a little more character and class; it provides home-made items that one finds they can't live without!

For example.....

I discovered these magnificent treasures on a generic google search for one of my favorite Julia Child quotes!




Check out more here.

Or you could get the same sign for 30 dollars more at Sur La Table.... decisions, decisions...





Also, just in time for Mother's Day....



Check out similar items here.

And last but not least...

Jewlery lovers visit here.

Chicken: Good

Here are 2 simple chicken dinners that I have been eating lately.

1. Cuban Chicken with Rice

I call it Cuban Chicken because it is based off of one of my favorite meals I get at a local Cuban restaurant, El Ray.


I always keep a bag of frozen chicken on hand for dinners like this, of course any chicken breast will do. I let the chicken marinate in some generously sprinkled salt and pepper, and then i drizzle them in olive oil. Make sure to cover both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and olive oil. Next I cut up some fresh cilantro and 3-4 cloves of garlic, depending on how much chicken you are using. Place the cilantro, garlic and squeeze some fresh lime juice on both sides of the chicken.


The chicken only needs to sit for a few minutes, typically about the time it takes for you to heat up a grill. Of course if you would rather not use a grill, using a stove is perfectly fine. Many people also let their chicken marinate in the fridge, however chicken kept at room temperature will cook faster! As long as you don't leave the chicken out for over an hour.


Once your grill or stove is ready, let the chicken cook about 5-10 minutes on both sides. Cut the chicken in half if you need to. Just make sure that there is no pink in the chicken! As soon as you are done grilling, your chicken will be ready to eat!


Now onto the rice.... an old Italian trick with rice is to let it boil in a pot of water just as you would boil pasta. I finally resorted to this trick after my husband (and Emeril) told me it was OK. Plus, I was tired of calling my mom everytime I made rice because I couldn't ever remember the rice to water ratio.


Once your rice is done boiling about 15 minutes, use a strainer to remove excess water. Next cut up a tomato, fresh cilantro and green onions. Sprinkle some salt for flavor and your delicious chicken dinner is done!

2. Roasted Chicken & Green Beans

Another great way to save money is to buy a 3-4 ounce rotisserie chicken. They are typically only $4-5 dollars and you can get at least 2 meals out of them (at least if you are eating for 2!). Some stores even sell pre-cooked rotisserie chickens, of course I try to make mine homemade if I have the time!


For a deliciously roasted chicken you will need an assortment of herbs (preferable fresh, such as rosemary, thyme and oregano), salt and pepper, carrots, onions, garlic, and celery.
Generously sprinkle the top and bottom of your chicken with the salt, pepper, herbs and some olive oil. Next, stuff the inside of your chicken with chopped celery, carrots, a whole head of garlic and the onions. Of course if you are missing or forget one or two of these ingredients your chicken will still taste fine, I just like a lot of flavor.


Your chicken will need to roast for 1-2 hours at 375°F.


Now for the green beans you will need fresh green beans, 2-3 cloves of garlic, a shallot, olive oil and some white wine (cooking wine or any cheap, $5-bottle will do).


You will want to saute the garlic, olive oil and shallot in a non-stick skillet on medium heat until the garlic starts to brown. Next you will want to add the green beans and a splash (or 2) of white wine for flavor. And of course, don't forget your salt and pepper! Let everything saute together about 5 minutes, until the green beans are tender.


bon appétit


ps. if you have chicken leftover, I like to use it for when I make a casserole dish, enchiladas or soup the next day!

What I'm Wearing

So summertime is fast approaching, at least for those of us in South Texas! The question on everyone's mind is: 

"What to Wear?!?!?!"

For me, I am all about staying comfortable & cute without breaking a sweat! One of the worst things you can wear in 100 degree weather with 80% humidity is JEANS!

Personally I love to wear dresses! They are easy to slip on, dress up, dress down and most importantly:

  You will always get complimented if you are wearing a dress!

So now let's move on to business; Let's see what items I have come up with to wear in my own closet.

I love wearing bright colors, especially orange or yellow! I try to pick out shirts that don't have too much going on... I like to keep it simple. Also I like shirts that show character. This particular shirt has a border around the neckline. It is also backless!

I once heard that you are not supposed to wear jewelry that is the same color as your outfit, so I played up my outfit with some blue beads.

I have had this tank top for a few years now. When I shop I try to pick things that aren't too stylish. Oftentimes what is trendy one day will be out the next. I like to pick pieces that I can keep with me.

As for the skirt? I got it at Goodwill for $5.00. If you have a good eye, you can get name brand clothing at a college student price! And of course, I chose to dress it up with some boots! (which who knows how long they will be in style...)

This is my favorite look of the season. I found this dress at
American Eagle on sale! For this look I touched it up with a belt and my favorite Roxy boots!

Hope you found this helpful!

Project Runway!

I cannot live without my favorite show ever: PROJECT RUNWAY!!!!

Of course as a fan on facebook, I found out about another contest :

(ok, ok... if you haven't noticed I am a sucker for free stuff that I never win!)

to enter just visit this link: New York, New You.

Here are some of my favorite dresses from this season:

 

I cannot help but love the Madeline dress that was made for the little girl!

Also, I need this in my life: available at Project Runway.com

Check out full episodes of this season here.


Images found on Project Runway.com & New York, New You.

More Free Stuff!

So one thing I am learning about blogging is all the free stuff you can potentially get. I never realized so many people had give-aways based on blogs! So if you currently live in a small space and are interested in some Apartment Therapy you won't want to miss out!

All you have to do is enter the contest and fill out what you love about your tiny apartment!

Also have on hand 5 pictures of your apartment and a floorplan. The contest is actually divided up based on square footage. For example, my apartment is 700 sq. ft. so i was entered into the LITTLE category.

The Apartmet Therapy website also has a section on GOING GREEN and my favorite: a cooking section! who can say no to that?

alright, i think that's enough information for now.... hope you found this helpful!

z pirates!

I have always loved Z Gallerie; even as a youngster who only shopped at Charlotte Russe and Gadzooks (now Forever 21) and didn't know any better. There is something charming and magical about what you see inside Z Gallerie, even when you are merely window shopping.

Pictured here is the must-have for any household: a Crystal Ship Chandelier. Combining pirates with class, this treasure is sure to make a conversation piece (assuming you have a little bit of a sense of humor as well!) This also speaks to my inner child who secretly still watches Disney's Peter Pan...

From beverage napkins  

To relaxing Buddha fountains 

Z gallerie has fun and sophisticated items to meet everyone's taste and still meet a small budget!

Another one of my favorites?

I have been looking for (inexpensive) Red Faux Coral for almost 2 years now! Most places try to charge you much more.

And just to carry on with the pirate theme......

really what home can function without a skull clock?




Photos found on  Z Gallerie

Why Not?

This is a really neat blog that I found... and she gives away free stuff!

La Dolce Vita

Another blog I just discovered... the pictures will make you smile :)

Gallup Photography

Artists to know About

One of the best websites to use for decor is Allposters, Art.com, and of course Amazon.


I have always been in love with print artist Théophile Alexandre Steinlen. He has done classics such as the Chat Noir as well as a whole series of kitty cat art!







Another artist who I have recently discovered is Annora Spence, an artist from the UK. I absolutely adore her work, however it is a little hard to find. I have attempted to order prints from her but a lot of places will not ship overseas.

My favorite painting of hers is called Walking the Dog 








And here are some of her other works:

Another artist that I am in love with is Kurt Halsey. His work is cartooney, yet very charming and relatable. You can also buy jewlery from his store website!!

Images found on Kurt Halsey