Economista.....

I nicknamed myself economista over the weekend.

Only because the word budget and i are getting

to know each other quite well.

I was at Ikea {again} last week...

as well as the week before...

and i just fell in love with the linen curtains

{pictured above}

that were clearanced at $15...

down from $30.

Linen and i have a love affair....

just don't mention it to anyone....

and because of this love affair..

i decided it was time to update my little sun room.

I was able to transform this room with only spending about $100....

that included the 4 pairs of curtains...

and some small pieces that i found at the flea market this weekend.

I also did a lot of moving pieces of

furniture around that were in different

rooms of my home.

I even created my own chandie shade.
yes...
yes i did.





Hard to believe that i actually crafted those with
my two hands.
They are actually knee highs from
target.
You know how i have a knee high fetish....
because every pair of knee high boots
has to have...
knee highs peeking out.
And these go perfect with my love of linen....
oh..
and buttons.....
oh my.
drooling is not a good look on me.











yes....
some french words to practice....
while i sip my wine....
sitting in my reading room.
all is quiet.




Every sun room/reading room needs a wine trolley.
{it's actually an old library cart}

I wonder if i can lock myself in here without the children noticing....

probably not for long...

Oh...and just an fyi.

The wall color is called french silk...

and it's by Ralph Lauren.

My friend emailed me last week letting

me know that home depot will not

be carrying the R.L line anymore.

So...

get in and grab all the color cards you need.

just don't mention that it was me that told you

to grab them...

xo

White truffle mac n cheese.....

Alrighty.

Since you all begged for my famous mac n cheese recipe....

and i mean begged...

down on one knee and all...

i could not disappoint you with my usual

Kraft mac n cheese.

NOT...

that it's not good or anything..

we all love powdered cheese...

but trust me....

when i cook..and it's not often...

my whole family will actually

be happy for days.

Then it gives me a week or two

till i have to really put something together again.

{trust me....works like a charm}

I'm pretty darn sure The Pioneer Woman will

be calling me tomorrow...

begging me ..

so that she can re-create it..

over on her cooking site.

I'll tell her.. maybe...

who knows...

she might ask me to come for a weekend..

and help her cook it..

maybe.

{note to pioneer woman: call me- 555-1212}

So here it is.

I will list all the ingredients at the bottom of the post..

but since i'm a step by step kinda girl...

i'll walk ya thru it.

You will need to preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First..you are going to want to grate the following cheeses:
3/4 c. Gruyere cheese
3/4 c. Fontina cheese
3/4 c. White Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese




Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and re-boil
before adding the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the butter,

over medium heat in a saucepan

until it begins to bubble

but not letting it brown.

Cook the pasta {al dente}

according to the package instructions.

drain, put back into pot and set aside.

As soon as the butter is bubbling, whisk in the flour to

create a roux for the white-sauce base.

Cook the flour and butter, over low heat,

for about 5 minutes,

then add the hot milk in a steady stream while

stirring constantly.

Cook the white sauce for 8 minutes, or until thickened.

Add the salt, white pepper, garlic, 1 tbsp of the white truffle oil,

cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.

Finally, mix in the Gruyere, cheddar and Fontina cheeses.

Cook for two more minutes while mixing it all together

until smooth.

{over very low heat}

Add the cheese sauce to the pasta....

trying not to stick your mouth under the cheese

as you pour it.

I did...

and even though it is so good...

i burned my tongue.

Mix it all up...

Pour into prepared baking dish.

{note to self: must get manicure}

Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, parsley,

and parm cheese in a small Bowl and sprinkle over the

top of the pasta.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until all is right in the world.

Or until lightly brown and bubbly.

Let it stand for about 5 minutes...

and drizzle an additional

1 tbsp of white truffle oil over the top.

Serve in a pretty bowl...

or not.

It's up to you.

Seriously...did you want to see it in my

kids plastic bowls...

no..

i didn't think so.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3/4 pound elbow macaroni pasta

4 tbsp unsalted better

4 tbsp all purpose flour

3 c whole HOT milk {i use low fat, but it's divine with whole milk}

1 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper {depending on your taste}

3/4 c. grated Gruyere cheese

3/4 c. grated fontina cheese

3/4 c. grated White cheddar cheese

1/2 c. grated parm cheese

1/4 c. panko bread crumbs

1 tsp granulated garlic { optional}

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp white truffle oil & 1 tbsp for drizzling

3/4 tsp salt

......................................

{*one small side note....if you get a chance to pick up the new Artful Blogging...

my good friend Paige of Simple Thoughts is on page 40! Way to go girl;-)}

Benched for good behavior....

uh oh.

I swear this boy gets in more trouble...

but how can i punish a face like that..

i think that's why he gets away with

so much.

I'm using my new 35mm lens on these photos..

.

I happened to be out and about ...

when low and behold...

i came across this bench.

If you know me...

then bench is my middle name.

i

love

benches

distressed iron with a bit of plank wood blended together.

I am asked all the time how can i keep the babies

from climbing all over the

furniture without destroying everything.

well....

i can't.

I don't.

My kids have full reign of our home...

it's the way we want it.

There is no playroom.

Every room is a playroom for them.

That's why we love slip covered...even in white.

What's the fun in having a room that you just

look at all the time and it can't be used?

I dragged this bench in and set it up before



trouble came in and claimed it for his own.



I really only have one rule in the family room..



and it's no eating.



No one really follows that rule....



just like no one



takes up the clothes that



are folded at the bottom of the stairs...



ready to be put away.



Or...



ahem...



the dishwasher full of clean dishes...



seems like everyone likes to grab that clean spoon out



before anyone would even think of



putting anything away.



rules.



who needs them.







Did someone say pillows?



no...



i don't have a pillow problem...



nope..



none..



nada..



zilch.









The wide aperture on the 35mm is perfection



for your close up shots...



really captures that distressed iron.

{just don't ask me what aperture means...}

I'm not quite sure if the bench is staying put in this spot..



but it works for now.



Alright...



now more about that beloved 35mm.



or do you want the bench info?



The lens is a 35mm 2.0 .


which is a prime lens.


Prime lens means it doesn't zoom in or out


so it's perfect for everyday.


I love that you can focus on your


subject...


and automatically...your background can have that


blurred look.



I used this lens on my new camera which is a



canon 50d.



My other camera is a canon rebel xt..so if you are in



the market for a great starter camera....



just email me...cuz i'm selling my beloved rebel.

{updated: camera sold}


Oh...


and as for that bench...


i found it at Homegoods.


Alright....


i should probably go and cook some dinner...


How does mac n cheese sound...
and let me know if you want the recipe...
cuz i can make a killer pot of it.
xo

The train to Paris........

I thought since so many of you asked to see more

of the ....

"let's play cards in the snow while freezing our butts off"

photo session, that i would throw them here

for you to see.

I met up with my friend Traci { uber photographer}

on friday for coffee...

after i worked out at the gym.

I am happy to report that i am officially...

down 3 pounds.

I have been a gym maniac...

the front desk girls know me by name...

which is okay by me.

I set a goal...and i have to really work

if i am to achieve it.

I'm not one to say...I'm gonna cut out sugar from my diet..

because for me...that's unrealistic.

I have to exercise..and as much as i hate it..

it's what i have to do.

Then on saturday i spent a lot of time on the computer....

doing a bit of hotel research...

for that trip to France.

ahem.

Then i went to bed saturday night...

and had nightmares.

Nightmares you ask...

yes....

nightmares.

Because you see....after my friend Kimberly and i spend the first three

days is Paris.....

we head on a train down to the south of France....

to flea market.

We will spend three lovely days in Avignon....

hitting a flea market...

strolling thru the country.....

with our fifteen suitcases in hand.

yes...

you read that right.

fifteen suitcases.

How am i supposed to go to the most beautiful

place in the world and only have one suitcase..

and three pairs of shoes?

That's not what i had nightmares about though...

nope...

not at all.

Because..i can clearly live out of one suitcase with

three pairs of shoes....

i mean....

really...

no...

what i had nightmares about...

is that i will be taking the train back up to Paris...

all by myself.

me.myself.and i.

and then get off the train...

all by myself....

and get to my hotel for my flight out the next morning.

nightmares.

I dreamed that i missed my stop and ended up in Germany.

Not saying that Germany is bad...

i know a lot of wonderful Germans.....

but i am a french girl....

and i need to be in Paris.....

drinking a good bottle of VIN...

not in Germany...

drinking WEIN.

or eating weiners....

with schnitzel...

because i just don't have room in my suitcase..

for the extra clothing.

No...we don't have a dog...

even though lola wanted

desperately

to bring him home.

Sorry....

i hate to confuse you with dogs and weiners and schnitzel.

so....

i had nightmares about taking that 3 hour train ride by myself.

I know it'll all work out...

and i won't miss the stop...

ending up in Germany.

I'm also thinking that 7 days is just not going to be enough

time.

I decided to add an extra day....

just one extra day....

let me run it by the family first..

i think it should be ok.

The whole solo train ride got me a thinking...

to when i was thirteen years old.

I was thirteen and my friend was twelve when

our moms dropped us off at the airport

for a solo trip to hawaii.....

just the two of us...

on an airplane by ourselves.

We were headed to see her dad...

who lived on hawaii full time but also worked full time.

We leaned the bus system...

and took it everywhere.

From the beach to the laundry mat....

solo....single...young.

Can you believe it.

A full week...

and then her dad dropped us back

at the airport...

dropped us out front i tell ya...

before there was security...

literally pulled his car up to the drop off..

and dropped us off.

I freak out now when i go to the airport....

even though i am an adult.

whoa...

where did i go with this?

I should be completely fine...

considering my solo travel history.

just fine.

deep breath.

breath.

in..

out...

in...

out.

I will not end up in Germany.

you still reading....

buehler...

hello?

good.

hello there.

I think i need to hug this guy...

how many guys will let a photographer..

go to town....

and get a bunch of solo shots...

I am gonna give him a big ole squeeze.

Did i mention my brother had his first baby?
they named him Preston.
Richard Preston

they might call him....putter.
they are big golfers....
hence the nickname putter.
I'm heading to see them the end of next week..
actually the whole fam is going..
and it'll be a ski trip as well.
I can't believe lola and fin have never been on ski's before..
so they will take a few days of lessons and then
the whole family will be skiing together.
maybe not me....
i don't like to ski...
i like to sit in the bar at the bottom of the mountain
drinking my hot buttered rum....
watching everyone in front of the
warm fireplace.
At least that's what i dreamed about
after the germany nightmare.
I guess i'll be skiing though.
xo

* a few months ago i had a name the baby contest..{here}

the two girls that nominated Preston are:

Allegra & Charity.

{No one nominated Putter.}

girls..I have a little something for you.