Before                                                                                                                                                    After

If you think your petite size bath can't have "grand" style , take a look at this bath.

1. Using your own photos as art, adds a personal touch- Framing them all the same adds drama.
2. Adding the unexpected- like the black frame hanging over a standard builders mirrior- Simple but adds just the right pop-
3. Adding fun, fancy embellishments.

Even on a lackluster budget these ideas are manageable;  so hey, go ahead and have some fun.

What do you do to add "Grand" style on a budget?

Embellishments from-  House of Three

Photos from Heidi-

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Spring isn't here yet, but March has arrived and so it seems that snowy blues and whites are all but gone from Mother Nature's palette.   And bringing spring colors indoors is a delight.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I wanted a boy and I delivered a boy.  I decorated his bedroom in geometric patterns and primary colors.  It fit his personality perfectly.  When I was pregnant with my second baby, I had such a different experience that I was convinced I was having a girl.  So, her bedroom would be decorated in pink and green.  Creamy green walls, chintz patterns of cabbage roses and huge leaves, white wicker accessories, and a white day bed would take center stage in the room.

Although I wanted another son with my second, I was very excited about all that comes with having a daughter, including the opportunity to decorate a very feminine bedroom.  I think I was more surprised than anyone when I delivered another son.

The moment he was born, I was thrilled!  And my second thought was, "But what about the pink and green bedroom?"  I eventually decided to stick with green for his bedroom, a pastel shade of sage.  And the second color was yellow.  These colors suited his personality, too.

I now have a grandson and a granddaughter.  My granddaughter will turn 4 years old on March 9 and her parents, my sisters, and I are decorating her room in pink and green.  And we're adding several shades of purple, because that's the kind of little girl she is.  Her favorite color is pink.  Fairies will be having tea parties with her, surrounded by flowers and greenery.

I'm considering changing the decor in one of my extra bedrooms.  Floral fabrics and fresh flowers set a very nice backdrop for tea parties in that room.  And this combination of colors is quite the change in a home that has always focused on blue; all shades of blue, because I had boys and because it's my favorite color.  Thanks to my granddaughter, I may have that pink and green bedroom after all.

Photos credits:  BHG and Martha Stewart

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I love homemade chicken pot pie but am not the most accomplished pastry maker.  Crusts can be one of the most difficult and daunting parts of making a homemade Chicken Pot Pie and I think many people shy away from making Pot Pies at home for that very same reason.  I have found the solution, making Chicken Pot Pies with pre-made pie crusts, a simple short cut in cooking that allows me to serve a delicious homemade pot pie without stressing out over the crust.

Chicken Pot Pie Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

4 cups chicken broth

1 stalk of celery-cut into thirds

1 yellow onion-peeled and cut in half

Filling:

1/3 cup margarine or butter

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 cups reserved chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

1 package frozen peas and carrots 10-ounces

Crust:

1 package ready-made pie crust-I use Pillsbury

1.  Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels.  Place the chicken breasts in a large pot, add broth, yellow onion, celery, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 14 minutes until chicken breasts are cooked through.  Remove chicken from broth and place on a large plate to cool.

2.  Strain broth into bowl and set aside.

3.  Using two forks shred chicken into bite sized pieces or cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.

{as an alternative pre-cooked cubed chicken can be purchased thus eliminating the first 3 steps and saving time!}

4.  Preheat oven to 450 °.  Heat butter or margarine over low heat until melted.  Blend in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat and stir in reserved broth and milk stirring thoroughly.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Remove from heat, stir in chicken and frozen vegetables.  Set aside.

5.  Unwrap and unroll pie crusts.  Place 1 crust into bottom or deep dish pie plate.  Pour chicken filling into pastry lined plate.  Place remaining pie crust on top, fluting edges.  Cut slits in center to allow steam to escape.  Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes.

serves 6

hugs, mb

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Click here to view the embedded video.

Sandra Bullock – Number One Best Dressed at the Oscars

• Sandra Bullock mentioned her step-children in her Oscar acceptance speech, and reminded us that you can be motherly and fashionable.
• Sandra Bullock won the Oscar dressed in gold Marchesa gown!
• Sandra Bullock looked beautiful, classic and sophisticated

Meryl Streep's Oscar Dress Success

• Designed by Chris March from Project Runway Season Four
• Wasn't red! Meryl took the chance to wear white!
• As a mother of four, Meryl was a Hollywood icon in this stunning dress.

Other Oscar Fashion Fabs

• Tina Fey announced at the Oscars wearing a Micheal Kors chic black dress that looked much dressier than she has in the past.
• Mo'Nique's blue dress was designed by Tom and Linda Platt. These two designers worked with her so many years ago when Mo'Nique was up-and-coming and wanted to honor the designers who believed in her before she was a huge star.
• Mariska Hargitay – Gorgeous black Vera Wang dress that she accessorized perfectly.
• Sarah Jessica Parker – This pale yellow Chanel dress was perfect, and while the hair wasn't my favorite, the overall look was a stand-out dress that went along with her fashionista reputation.

Audrey's Top Oscar Fashion Don'ts

• Nicole Richie looked a little vampy for the overall night.
• Weird makeup choices like the bright pink lipstick and makeups that clashed with the chic looks of the dresses.
• The high empire waisted dresses made a couple of the women look pregnant so expect some celebrity gossip questions coming off the red carpet.

Did Audrey leave something out? Comment below what your favorite do's and dont's were!

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I have been on the hunt for the perfect homemade granola recipe for months. After baking up and tasting this batch; I think that I have finally found the perfect, easy and delicious granola recipe.   This granola can be eaten dry as a snack, topping your favorite yogurt or in a bowl with milk, no matter how you serve it, your taste buds will thank you.

Granola

Ingredients

• 7 cups oats
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1 lb. dried fruit

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Combine oats, wheat germ, sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds in large bowl.
3. Combine agave nectar, oil, salt, and vanilla extract in small bowl. Pour liquid mixture into oat mixture and combine.
4. Pour mixture onto baking sheet and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes. Cool granola on baking sheet.
5. Once granola is cool, combine granola and dried fruit.
6. Store granola in an air-tight container.

Photo courtesy of Elena Moiseeva/Dreamstimefree.com

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If you bake, there are many tools that make baking easier and more fun – a lot of bells and whistles – yet you can bake without those gimmicky things. We've compiled a list of five items that no baker's kitchen should be without.

1. Quality measuring cups
Did you know that you should use a different type of measuring cup for liquid and dry measure? It's true! For dry measure items, I love my collapsible silicone measuring cups (pictured above) – they fold flat in my drawer so they don't take up too much room. For liquids, the OXO angled measuring cup has easy to read measurements.

2. Parchment paper
Parchment paper comes on rolls (like waxed paper and aluminum foil), in sheets, or in rounds and while you CAN bake without it, using parchment paper makes most of your baking tasks much easier. Have you ever scraped cookies off a baking pan and ended up breaking half the batch in your efforts? Parchment paper reduces that as well as simplifying cleanup.

3. Pure vanilla extract
Please, don't use imitation vanilla extract! Though imitation extracts are definitely cheaper, the flavor in no way compares to the real thing. You may be saving money, but you'll lose that warm vanilla taste.

4. Utensils you are comfortable with
I'm not a utensil snob. I prefer to use wooden mixing spoons when I bake. I love the feel and ease of use and how they don't scratch the bottoms of my pans. However, whether you use wooden spoons or whether a spoonula is more your style – find utensils that work well for your baking projects that feel good to use – it makes it a lot more fun (For me, I find it tremendously frustrating to use flimsy spatulas to mix batter!).

5. A pantry stocked with baking basics
There are things you should have on hand if you are, as I am, prone to spur of the moment baking projects: flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter (the real stuff, preferably unsalted), baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Those (give or take a few items) comprise the base of MANY recipes. From there, it couldn't hurt to have on hand things you know you enjoy making – I buy chocolate chips in the four pound bag from Costco!

What are YOUR baking essentials?

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Daylight Savings Time comes early this year, but I sure will welcome longer, brighter days. This time or year, I love to see yellow indoors; it seems to celebrate the sun's emergence from winter.

Ripe lemons and yellow tulips show promise of the warmer seasons and they are the perfect objects to add natural beauty and a shot of sunshine to rooms awakening in our home.  Walls painted in a favorite shade of yellow can evoke both elegance and cheefulness.

March comes in like a lyon and goes out like a lamb, and April showers bring May flowers.  This year, let yellow be the first color to welcome the spring season.

Photo credits: Country Living, BHG, and House Beautiful.

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You can toss those ideas and go for fun, trendy and colorful clothing.  It's easy if you keep certain rules in mind.

1.  Garments that drape can create lines that flatter.  Wearing a long knit top or one of the fashionable draped cardigans like this one from Lane Bryant can give you clean long lines that give a slimmer look.

2. You don't have to avoid bright colors!  Be comfortable with your style and as long as the garment fits right, enjoy the fun, colorful fashions!  Work with accessories to bring attention good features and play down those less than fabulous areas.   A scarf or belt can be your best friends.

3. You may want to try larger accessories.  Proportion is key, and wearing chunky necklaces, scarves or pashminas, and carrying a large bag makes the styles proportions work better for your size.  They are so popular right now, and work for you perfectly!

4. Find jeans and slacks that fit right.  Again it's all about fit, and shops like Lane Bryant offer different fits for different body types.  You may need to try on a lot to find that right fit.  Take the extra time to do it right!

5. Find classic pieces and invest in some quality clothes.  You will find that fit and style last longer when you buy with quality in mind.  Keeping a few of those pieces in classic styles means your wardrobe will last from season to season.  Then it's easier to add less expensive trendy pieces and accessories.

I always say it's about feeling comfortable about your style that make your confidence show through!

I received a gift card to try some Lane Bryant looks for comfortable conference wear.  Thank you!

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Here's a TIP:

Quinoa cooks up to 3 or 4 times its size, so plan accordingly with your pan size!

Here's a TRICK:

Rinse, rinse, and then rinse again. This is how you remove the bitterness of quinoa before you cook it. Once cooked, the delicious nutty flavor emerges.

And a RECIPE:

(from Saving Dinner the Vegetarian Way by Leanne Ely, CNC
and founder of www.savingdinner.com)

Quinoa Salad
Serves 6

1 1/2 cups quinoa
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cored, deseeded, and chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed, chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
6 red leaf lettuce leaves

In a colander, rinse the quinoa thoroughly and drain. In a medium size saucepan, bring the broth to a boil, stir in the quinoa, and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or till all the liquid is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, onion, red bell pepper, cucumber and basil.

In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, vinegar, orange rind, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss well. Arrange each serving on the lettuce and garnish with pine nuts.

Per Serving: 295 Calories; 10g Fat; 15g Protein; 40g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 276mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat.

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Step by Step Directions to Hard Boil (or Hard Cook) an Egg

Today, I'm going to answer that question for you with a quick, step by step video.

After watching this video, you'll be able to perfectly Hard Cook eggs.

• Place your eggs in your pot
• Pour just enough water into the pot to cover your eggs
• Bring your water to a boil
• Shut off the heat under the pot, place a lid over the boiling water and eggs
• Set a timer for 15 minutes
• After 15 minutes take your pot with your eggs and water in it and place it in the sink where you will run cold water over it to stop the cooking process

Now, your hard cooked (boiled) eggs are ready to be turned into your favorite hard cooked egg recipe

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