tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55185579475277248482024-03-13T13:47:58.466-04:00The Nest ChapterThe Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-80500193264796275412016-12-17T12:09:00.002-05:002016-12-17T14:04:55.940-05:00Make Way for Baby - Boston Public Garden Baby Shower<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In 2016, not only did we welcome our daughter, but we welcomed our second niece! We had so much fun planning her shower. My sister is always introducing me, friends and family to fun places and things to do in Boston. We wanted to incorporate some Boston details. We called it a "Make Way for Baby" theme and incorporated the classic children's story, "Make Way for Ducklings" and used the Boston Public Gardens as inspiration.</div>
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We also incorporated Boston and garden themed children's books, including:</div>
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Hello, Boston! </div>
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The Tiny Seed</div>
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Boston Baby</div>
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The Secret Garden</div>
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The Very Hungry Caterpillar</div>
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A Journey around Boston</div>
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Swat Boat Season in Boston</div>
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Alice in Wonderland</div>
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Chrysanthemum</div>
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Inch by Inch</div>
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On the Loose in Boston</div>
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Waiting for Wings</div>
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The books were used as decoration in the cocktail hour area. We had a cocktail hour to give the parents to be more time with their guests. We called it a "Cocktails and Cravings Hour"!<br />
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The menu included- </div>
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Mom-osa</div>
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Belly-ni</div>
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Make Way Lemonade (lemonade with muddled cucumber, mint and an edible flower garnishment)</div>
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Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches</div>
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Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk Shooters</div>
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Cheeseburger Sliders</div>
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Chicken Finger Skewers </div>
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Popcorn</div>
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We had so much fun designing the room! We wanted to bring the outdoors in, so we asked the florist to bring in some greenery and flowers for the backdrop to the gift opening area. <br />
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Instead of flower centerpieces, we asked for centerpieces to look like trees. <br />
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The chefs at the Taj helped bring everything together with mini swan puffed pastries, cheesecakes with swan feathers and they incorporated edible flowers in the cocktails and salads. In addition to looking amazing, everything tasted delicious. The kids were probably most impressed by the passed cookies and milk though!</div>
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We also asked our favorite cookie maker, Aisling of Aisling's Cookies, to make swan cookies as favors for the guests. </div>
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We ahad custom lollipops from Melville Candy Company and found free downloadable coloring pages and got crayons for all of the kids. </div>
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The cake was made by Konditor Meister. </div>
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We had so much fun showering the mom and dad to be with love! The Taj was the perfect venue. Everyone we worked with was incredible and they really made the day special. <br />
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Venue & Catering: The Taj Hotel Boston<br />
Cake: Konditor Meister<br />
Florist: Cedar Grove<br />
Cookie Favors: Aisling's Cookies<br />
Lollipop Favors: Melville Candy<br />
Table Numbers: Oakleaf Designs<br />
Cocktail Napkins and Stirrers: Sip, Hip Hooray!The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-50708164881777645392016-09-09T21:42:00.001-04:002016-09-09T21:42:54.593-04:00New Addition<script>
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</script>We've been talking about a new addition to our home for quite some time, but the addition we were expecting to work on in 2016 was postponed due to an even better addition! We welcomed baby E to our nest in 2016 and have been completely in love since her arrival. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photos by Mel Madden Photography</span></div>
The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-2316148007872638432014-09-02T19:05:00.000-04:002014-09-02T19:05:00.267-04:00Happy Fall!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know it's still technically the summer, but fall is my favorite season and once Labor Day is over, the fall decorations come out. I love living in New England because it's great to experience all of the seasons, but I love fall the most. I love the cool weather, apple picking, the beautiful foliage, the tastes and smells of fall and it also starts off the holiday season.<br />
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It's also when the fall baking starts. Jim's happy for fall to arrive, too. Labor Day signals the end of his busy season. To celebrate the end of the summer/beginning of fall, I made <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2012/09/pumpkin-pecan-cookies.html">these</a> cookies over the weekend for him and his co-workers to help them get through their busiest day of the year.<br />
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What's your favorite season? Why is it your favorite?The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-53493485569395018782014-09-01T18:00:00.000-04:002014-09-01T18:00:01.097-04:00Summer AdventuresIt's been quiet around here for awhile. We last left off mentioning an upcoming bathroom reno. Well, our house had different plans as our kitchen started falling apart. Right as we were looking into quotes for the bathroom, it seemed like something would break or go wrong in the kitchen almost on a weekly basis, so the bathroom project was put on hold as the kitchen moved up the priority list. We're in the saving phase of that project. That's party why it's been pretty quiet around here. ... no projects to share. <script>
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Our family also had some other exciting news. My sister and her bf bought a beach home at the beginning of the summer, so we were fortunate to get lots of invites and spent many fun days with them by the water. We've had a blast relaxing this summer spending time with lots of friends and family, but we're excited to start working again on some projects around here and some fun projects for the beach house!</div>
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Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to....</div>
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We celebrated my mother's graduation... a life long dream of hers. We are so proud!</div>
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We even were able to pull off a surprise party with friends and family. </div>
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I took a girls trip to Disney with my mother, sister and niece. We had a blast!</div>
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We spent lots of time at the beach house with friends and family.</div>
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We took our first trip to Martha's Vineyard. We had never been and our friends gave us a full tour of the island. We just went for the day and had a blast checking out all the different areas, including the location where jaws was filmed. </div>
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We also got to invite my in-laws to the Beach House and spent a week with them showing them the area and they taught me how to golf! </div>
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We celebrated my birthday over the summer with family. </div>
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As part of my birthday gift, my sister took me and my mother to see Finding Neverland with Jeremy Jordan (also from Newsies and Smash). It was amazing and a highlight of the summer. It just got picked up for Broadway in the Spring! </div>
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We also attended a few weddings. We're so happy for all of our friends! We had so much fun celebrating with them. </div>
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It's been an amazing summer. Probably the best one yet. What have you all been up to? </div>
The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-60112978582796360292014-02-05T18:59:00.000-05:002014-02-05T18:59:38.380-05:00Congrats on dropping anchor!: Housewarming Gift IdeasWhen I heard my sister and boyfriend were moving in together, I wanted to get them a little something. My sister, like me, appreciates a good theme so I thought it would be fun to go nautical (surprise, surprise). Their home isn't in a beach town though, so I don't want to get nautical gifts that may not fit with their home. Here are some of the things I thought of:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuRG7DxhyphenhyphenAA-Qe5v4CIIdWb0UvACAcgJ2vvJUguclqHw0uP7VL3vNsLNVDFT2vx9vxJLxxGvOqiPQt5311zLHh9ZMobltnKQhsta6E2cGRYIPfBUCAdXWzAIIhC5xBFJJGITBI5yKb6Uz/s1600/New+Home+Gift+Ideas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuRG7DxhyphenhyphenAA-Qe5v4CIIdWb0UvACAcgJ2vvJUguclqHw0uP7VL3vNsLNVDFT2vx9vxJLxxGvOqiPQt5311zLHh9ZMobltnKQhsta6E2cGRYIPfBUCAdXWzAIIhC5xBFJJGITBI5yKb6Uz/s1600/New+Home+Gift+Ideas.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://shop.scoutshonorco.com/product/the-adventure-begins">one</a> Scouts Honor Co. card</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.chelseyemery.com/">two</a> Chelsey Emery custom address stamp</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2012/2/10/steveston-wine-co-concept.html">three</a> Steveston Wine Co. merlot</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.papyrusonline.com/navy-anchor-notes-by-crane-co.html">four</a> Crane & Co. anchor stationery</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/342262/real-wedding-gillian-and-william-rowayton-connecticut/@center/272446/real-weddings#317515">five</a> homemade cookie inspiration via Martha Stewart Weddings </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.anchorandarrow.net/home-goods-and-gifts/kitchen-items-and-bar-goods/anchor-wine-stopper.html">six</a> Anchor & Arrow anchor wine stopper</span></div>
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We decided to go more nautical with the wrapping and note in the card than the actual gift, but I sttill think it was fun to tie it into a theme. We went with the Scout's Honor Co. card, a Chelsey Emery address stamp and found a pretty navy and white pillow from a local shop that will go well with their new living room design. We received a lot of wine when we moved in, which was greatly appreciated, but I figured it would be fun to do a little something different for my sister and her bf. I do think the Stevenston Wine Co. merlot would pair perfectly withe the Anchor & Arrow wine stopper as a gift, so I'm keeping this in mind for the future. I also love home made cookies and stationery. All being held in the back of my mind for future gift giving.<br />
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What are your favorite housewarming gifts to give or receive?<br />
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</script>The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-87915706666718216632014-02-02T09:34:00.000-05:002014-02-02T09:34:00.285-05:00New Art: Custom State Art Print One of our friends, Meghan, recently gifted us with a really nice gift- a piece of art for our home!<br />
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We've been in our home for over three years now and haven't really put up a lot of art, even though I think homes look so much better with it. I just have a hard time choosing art for our home, so we have lots of bare walls or art that has yet to be hung. I was so excited when we received the custom print that works perfect in our guestroom, which currently has bare walls. It's a print of Rhode Island, with a heart over Newport, where we were married. It has our names and wedding date on the bottom. If you've followed along since our wedding, you've probably noticed I love sentimental touches, so this was the perfect gift. I love how it looks in our guest room. It even inspired me to add a few pops of pink to go with the little heart on the print. Thanks Meg!<br />
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Have you received any personal items you were really excited to display in your home?The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-50467834824086077872014-01-26T07:39:00.000-05:002014-01-26T07:39:00.353-05:00Bathroom Inspiration: What to do with the walls? At this point, we've pretty much picked out everything for the bathroom, but we have yet to decide on the walls. Originally we were going to tile halfway up, then we talked about just painting the walls, then we talked about grass cloth wallpaper, or some combo between these.<br />
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We' both really love grass cloth wallpaper. I really love variations of gray or greige. Now that we are going more neutral and simple in our bathroom reno, I like the idea of adding subtle details like the texture of a grass cloth wallpaper. I originally wanted to do a patterned wallpaper and Jim wanted to do a darker charcoal paint, but I think this will have a greater impact while allowing the room to stay light and airy.<br />
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I really love what was done in this space:<br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/805902/Winnetka-Residence-traditional-powder-room-chicago"><img border="0" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/48f1cda40f8840df_8-0178/traditional-powder-room.jpg" height="600" width="400" /></a></div>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional/powder-room" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Traditional Powder Room</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/design-build/chicago" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Chicago Design-Build Firms</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/sham1965/orren-pickell-building-group" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Orren Pickell Building Group</a></small><small><br /></small></div>
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We're on the fence though because there is a lot of moisture in the room since it's so small. We also don't know if it's worth it to higher someone to wallpaper such a small area. We thought about doing it ourselves, but if we're paying for everything else in the reno, we don't want to mess it up with this one last piece if we make a mistake with something we aren't familiar with. </div>
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Would you go tile, paint, wallpaper (grass cloth), or some combo of these if you were us? </div>
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The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-18542191322479334122014-01-20T08:36:00.000-05:002014-02-01T13:38:40.380-05:00Neutral Nautical - Bathroom Accessories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.serenaandlily.com/Bath/Designer-Bath-Rugs-Ahoy-Bath-Mat">one</a> Serena & Lily AHOY Bath Mat </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.serenaandlily.com/Bath/Luxury-Bath-Towels-Fouta-Bath-Towels-Dove-Grey">two</a> Serena & LilY Fouta Bath Towels -Dove Grey </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.wayfair.com/Zodax-Anchors-Away-Wall-Hook-IN-4786-ZDX2515.html">three</a> Wayfair.com Zodax Anchors Away Wall Hook </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.serenaandlily.com/Bath/Bath-Lighting-Beacon-Sconce-White">four</a> Serena & Lily Beacon Sconce - White </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/stripe-shower-curtain-feather-gray-b985/">five</a> West Elm Stripe Shower Curtain - Feather Gray </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-room/28542082.jsp?cm_sp=Fluid-_-28542082-_-Regular_34">six</a> Anthropologie Shoreline Mirror </span></div>
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Now that we've decided to go with more classic styles and less details in the main design of the bathroom, I've been looking for fun accents to add some personality to the space.<br />
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No matter how many times I tell myself we don't live near the ocean, I still can't seem to stop myself from falling for nautical details. I can already see Jim saying no, but I'm really wishing we could add some of these touches like the AHOY bath mat. We really just need to move closer to the water. A girl can dream?<br />
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Are you drawn to any specific style? Do you notice certain themes popping up throughout your home?
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The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-77631690993316302412014-01-16T21:27:00.000-05:002014-01-18T17:00:32.160-05:00Updated To-Do ListEach January, I tend to make lists of what I want to accomplish over the next year. This year, the house is a big focus. It was put on the back burner in 2013, but in 2014 there is a lot to be done.Since moving into the house, we've kept a list of things we've wanted to accomplish. We've made great progress, but have a lot of the bigger (more expensive) projects left. We're really excited that we're going to start working on one of these (the bathroom) soon! Here's everything we hope to accomplish with the 2014 projects highlighted. The darker the shade of green, the more likely it will get checked off this list by the end of 2014. <br />
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<strong><u>Outside (front)- </u></strong><br />
<strike>Purchase and install new front door and screen door</strike><br />
<strike>Remove walkway and step and add new walkway going to driveway</strike><br />
<strike>New mailbox</strike><br />
<strike>Buff and paint awning</strike><br />
<strike>Remove rotting trees</strike> and add new trees<br />
<strike>Remove overgrown bushes and add new bushes</strike><br />
Add flowers out front<br />
Purchase door mat<br />
<span style="background-color: #93c47d;">Add urns on either side of front door with flowers or greenery</span><br />
<strike>New shutters</strike><br />
Fix broken siding<br />
<span style="background-color: #6aa84f;">Choose and install new front step</span><br />
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<strong><u>Outside (back)- </u></strong><br />
<strike>Remove pebbled patio</strike> and add a deck or new patio<br />
<span style="background-color: #93c47d;">Paint back door</span><br />
<strike>New shutters</strike><br />
Create fire pit area<br />
<strike>Remove rotting trees</strike><br />
<strike>Remove old fence, purchase and install new fence</strike><br />
<span style="background-color: #93c47d;">Add a raised garden</span><br />
Purchase patio furniture<br />
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<strong><u>Kitchen-</u></strong><br />
<span style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Complete reno - new cabinets, counters, back splash and appliances.</span><br />
Paint<br />
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<strong><u>Dining Area-</u></strong> <br />
New door to patio<br />
New door to garage<br />
<strike>Paint</strike><br />
<strike>Add art</strike><br />
<strike>Add hardwood flooring</strike><br />
<strike>New furniture</strike><br />
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<strong><u>Entry way</u></strong><br />
New coat closet door<br />
Paint hallway<br />
<strike>Purchase a rug</strike><br />
<strike>Purchase something to hold keys, mail and winter wear</strike><br />
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<strong><strike><u>Master Bedroom</u></strike></strong><br />
<strike>Paint</strike><br />
<strike>Purchase bedding and accessories</strike><br />
Purchase and hang artwork<br />
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<strong><u>Guest room</u></strong><br />
<strike>Paint</strike><br />
<strike>Purchase bed, bedding and accessories</strike><br />
<span style="background-color: #38761d;">Purchase and hang art work</span><br />
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<strong><strike><u>Office/craft room</u></strike></strong><br />
<strike>Paint</strike><br />
<span style="background-color: #38761d;">Update closet- paint and add shelving</span><br />
<strike>Purchase office furniture and craft storage</strike><br />
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<strong><u>Garage</u></strong><br />
Move oil tank outside of garage<br />
Add more storage<br />
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<strong><u>Bathroom</u></strong><br />
<span style="background-color: #274e13;">Complete reno</span><br />
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<u><strong>Living Room</strong></u><br />
Paint<br />
Purchase and hang art<br />
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Did you plan to do a lot of work after purchasing your home? How long did it take to tackle the bulk of it? What projects are you planning to do this year?
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</script>The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-86914271421468071432014-01-15T21:15:00.000-05:002014-01-18T17:00:41.896-05:00Small Bathroom Tip: Large Tile Goes a Long Way!Our biggest home project in 2014 is a bathroom reno. We don't have the time or skills to do it ourselves, so the biggest thing we'll have to do is make some decisions. We have wanted a bathroom reno from the moment we first saw our home. It's been well over three years and we're just about ready to get things started!<br />
I have been pinning away bathroom inspiration along the way and really thought I had definite ideas in mind. I've been really drawn to black and white spaces, marble anything, detailed tile work and bold patterned walls. I pretty much like bathrooms that have classic touches, but a couple of bold elements. <br />
Once we started shopping for materials, I learned that what I love in other people's bathrooms probably won't work best for ours. We have a very small bathroom. We don't want to highlight that it's so small, so the sales person we've been working with has been great at giving us tips throughout the process and one tip was a great way on how to make the space appear larger. I mentioned I'm drawn to detail tile work, when we were looking at tile, I immediately went for a black and white basket weave tile design. When we started discussing the size of the space, the sales person explained that going with a smaller or more intricate pattern would immediately draw eyes down when looking at the bathroom. It would make the space appear much smaller. She recommended going for larger tile on the floor in a more neutral tone. So while I absolutely love it and it works well in a gorgeous space like the bathroom below from Houzz.com, As I started looking though many of my pinterest inspiration pics , I realized that my eyes did in fact go right to the floor when looking at the rooms. <br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/219218/Baths-contemporary-bathroom-charlotte"><img border="0" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/a3e14d200e31ad44_8-9125/contemporary-bathroom.jpg" height="752" width="500" /></a><small></small></div>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary/bathroom" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Contemporary Bathroom</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/tile-stone-and-countertop/c/Richmond--VA" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Richmond Tile, Stone & Countertops</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/charles-luck/charles-luck-stone-center" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Charles Luck Stone Center</a></small></div>
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<small>Going with a larger tile like the one below, also from Houzz.com, makes a narrow space appear wider than a smaller design. I never would have thought of this on our own, so I'm really enjoying the tips we've been receiving from professionals. </small><br />
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<a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/407223/Bathroom---Bastasch-Residence-modern-bathroom-san-francisco"><img border="0" src="http://st.houzz.com/simgs/4bb1e44e0eea91fc_8-3014/modern-bathroom.jpg" height="750" width="500" /></a></div>
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<small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/modern/bathroom" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Modern Bathroom</a> by <a href="http://www.houzz.com/professionals/architect/c/San-Francisco--CA" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">San Francisco Architects & Designers</a> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/martinkovicmilfordarchitects/martinkovic-milford-architects" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Martinkovic Milford Architects</a></small></div>
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<small>Our sales person recommended adding more detail or a fun pattern on the shower curtain. I think this advice will really impact our design in a positive way and as a bonus, the larger tile will save us money! </small></div>
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<small>what's the best tip you learned while renovating a room? Any other tips for a small bathroom? </small></div>
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</script>The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-68323999311305523072013-09-15T17:43:00.000-04:002013-09-15T17:43:00.796-04:00B is for Babies<div style="text-align: left;">
It seems like a lot of people I know are starting to make announcements that cute little babies are on the way. I'm looking forward to meeting the little guys. Over the summer I went to a baby shower for one of my college friends and last weekend I went to the shower of one of my many cousins. </div>
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It's been a great excuse to use up some of my old scrapbooking supplies. Growing up I decided that I needed to document absolutely <em>everything</em> through scrapbooks, so I've built up a pretty healthy collection of craft papers and supplies that are just gathering dust with the exception of making cards every once in awhile. Once photo books came out through sites like my publisher, I kind of gave it up. </div>
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I used some of my old papers recently to make some bunting to use as ribbon for my college friend's baby shower gift and made a matching card. </div>
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I also used my Silhouette machine (it's a machine that cuts paper into shapes and letters) for probably the first time ever for my cousin's baby shower gift wrapping. Jim bought it for me our first Christmas after we got married. He thought I'd like it because leading up to our wedding I spent a lot of time crafting - we had a heavy DIY wedding. It was super thoughtful, but after the wedding I didn't have any reason to use it. Until apparently now. Going forward I think all of our friends will get monogrammed baby gift wrapping. I don't think that's what Jim expected I'd use it for, but at least I'm using it now, right?</div>
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So thank you babies for giving me an excuse to craft again and giving me a reason to use the thoughtful gift from my husband (3 years later).</div>
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Baby showers are also a great chance to see the awesome crafting skills of my talented friends and family. At my cousin's (technically cousin-in-law) baby shower, her sister-in-laws, sisters and mom and mom in-law put threw the most adorable event. There were so many sweet details. There was a lot of thought and love put into it. How sweet is this little poem at each guest's seat? </div>
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I also loved the centerpieces. One of the hosts, my cousin M, wanted to have baby block centerpieces. When she couldn't find them pre-made, she decided to go the DIY route and created these beautiful centerpieces getting the supplies at A.C. Moore and ordering bulk hydrangeas through BJs. They came out awesome. There were so many other thoughtful details like homemade chocolate covered Oreo favors made by the mom-to-be's sister in law. </div>
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It was a lot of fun to spend time celebrating the soon to be baby and spending time with friends and family in such a pretty setting.<br />
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I'm apparently on the watch list for the next in line to have a baby. I guess that happens when you're about to hit three years of marriage and inching closer to 30. For now, I'm just enjoying celebrating other people's babies.<br />
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Are you and your friends in the baby stage? Any tips on using up old scrapbook paper or cool ideas on things to make with a silhouette machine? The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-88245070831297565162013-08-27T21:07:00.000-04:002013-08-27T21:07:33.116-04:00A Rustic, Plaid Filled Porch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started sharing updates on the playroom I'm working on at my mother's house, which I'm really excited about. My niece was here this week and absolutely loves it so far. I was also surprised to see my favorite little four year old loves the other room I'm working on at my mom's. I'm also designing the porch , which is a nod to her favorite place, the White Mountains. She's always wanted to live in northern New England, but doesn't want to move away from the fam, so we decided to bring the white mountains to her!</div>
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One of the big selling points of her new home was the porch. The space is filled with dark wood and natural light, over looking her beautiful yard. We wanted to play up the dark rustic looking space by brining in lots of rustic textures, plaids, natural elements and pops of her favorite color, red. </div>
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We're just getting started with it, but I already have a feeling it will be my favorite space in the house, which is tough to say since I'm really loving how the playroom is turning out. </div>
The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-27076613520682477872013-08-19T08:01:00.000-04:002013-08-19T08:01:00.213-04:00Another DIY Chalkboard, but in pink!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jim and I made a bunch of <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2012/01/chalkboard-gallery-wall-final-reveal.html">diy chalkboards</a> awhile back to create a gallery wall in our dining room. I put different quotes and illustrations on them depending on the <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-year-new-projects.html">holiday</a> or <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2011/03/lets-do-brunch.html">time of year</a>. It's one of my favorite projects that we've done and so simple! When I started working on the <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2013/08/update-nanas-playroom.html">attic project</a> at my mom's she asked me to make one for my niece. Right now the room is pretty much a playroom just for her, until other grandkids come along. </div>
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My niece wanted a pink and green room. Right now, the base of everything is green. We thought a green base would work better for a room that could work for boys and girls. The chalkboard was a perfect way to add some pink. </div>
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She loves tea parties, so when we do the big reveal to my favorite four year old, we thought it would be fun to have the room set up like a tea party. <br />
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I'm so excited to show her the room!The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-15670945084119904382013-08-11T20:54:00.000-04:002013-08-11T20:54:10.870-04:00Bar Cart Reno<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've been looking for ways to add more color to our open living/dining area. We've been adding lots of green in small ways, but we wanted to add something a little more bold. We came across an old bar cart and decided its just what we need to make the room a little more lively.<br />
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We found it for a pretty awesome price. I think it was around $15/$20 at an antique mall. We found almost the same cart and a few other re-finished ones at another antique shop for around $75. We had thought about buying one until we saw the price tags, so this seemed like a great deal. <br />
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Jim took the bar cart apart and cleaned it completely. We decided to keep the structure the same and only paint the shelves. Once it was apart, it was easy to spray the shelves and not worry about getting paint on the silver area. After two or three coats of the green paint, he sprayed it with a clear protective coat. Jim put it back together and added new wheels and it looks good as new!<br />
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It's just what we needed to add a pop of color in the dining area. It's also fun to use it to style a bit and make the room look a little more interesting and put together. It creates a really fun vignette. We're planning to add an art piece over it to finish off this little nook. <br />
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Any advice on where to find good art work for a dining area? I love shopping on Etsy, so if you know of any great shops, please send them our way!The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-54074853194627927422013-08-10T19:32:00.002-04:002013-08-10T19:41:55.997-04:00Update: Nana's Playroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've been pretty quiet on the blog lately, but I have a fun update to share! Most of this blog has shared our adventures in turning our first house into a home, but I recently shared that I was working on a playroom design in my mother's home. I'm pretty excited about it, so I thought I'd share that here, too. I shared the inspiration awhile back, but we've started to make actual progress. I didn't take a before picture, but the room was all dark wood. I kind of love that rustic look, but to make it more inviting for my niece and future grandkids, we decided to brighten it up by going with a bright white paint and a lime colored accent wall. <br />
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We finished the first layer recently, so I thought I'd share a sneak peak. I think it's looking pretty awesome. It was tax free weekend here in Massachusetts, so we bought a bunch of fun accessories to add, which we'll be adding in in a couple of weeks! So, that's my excitement for the weekend. How is yours going? <br />
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I've seen so many fun flower options on pinterest and thought a flower box would be the perfect addition to the shed. This is the first "gardening" project I've attempted at our house, which is kind of crazy since I grew up with a dad with a green thumb and a mom who loves flowers. <br />
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My parents are so helpful when it comes to home projects. They are always giving us tips and lending a hand. We're all in the midst of working on our yards, so we took a trip to a local landscape place and picked up a bunch of flowers for all of our projects. It was a good research trip for when the walkway is complete and we do the landscape in the front yard, but to hold me over, I picked up supplies for the flower box. <br />
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I chose two kinds of flowers. I liked the idea of having lots of green against the black and white of the shed, so I choose the tiny leaft flowers and then added taller white flowers to give some height. This is how it looked right after.....</div>
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It's been a couple of weekends and the tall flowers haven't withheld the recent winds. I'm thinking I'lljust remove them and add more of the little leafier flowers. I think it will look better and be less maintenance. <br />
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We also added shutters to the shed. I think the shed originally had some of the pink shutters when we moved in, but they've been off for awhile. I love the black shutters on the house, so we decided to put some on the shed, too. We replaced all of the shutters on the house last year. So many of the originals broke when we pulled them off, but a couple did survive. A quick paint job made them as good as new. <br />
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It was a quick weekend update, but I really like the result. Here's the before... <br />
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Have you tackled any easy projects recently?The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-88316424564936391392013-05-14T20:38:00.000-04:002013-05-14T20:38:39.627-04:00Mother's Day Tea<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last mother's day, my sister and I took my mom to tea at a really nice hotel in Boston. She loved it, so we thought we'd do the same this year. Then we got a great surprise when we learned our brother and his family were making a quick trip home. We decided it would make more sense to have tea at home.<br />
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We got a little crazy and went all Martha Stewart, which is kind of typical when the three of us are working together. <br />
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The menu included homemade apple cinamon scones, chocolate chip hazelnut scones, chicken salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, blt puff pastries, fresh berries, desserts from Sugar bakery in Boston, including lots of mini pastries and tarts, cucumber lemonade and an extra special glass of iced pink lemonade for my niece. <br />
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It was really the people that made it so nice. having all of the fam together was great. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YESrRnxnZiA/UZLWiKbFZeI/AAAAAAAAAlY/g6NpVaF8gJc/s1600/DSC_0800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YESrRnxnZiA/UZLWiKbFZeI/AAAAAAAAAlY/g6NpVaF8gJc/s1600/DSC_0800.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a><br />
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We took a bunch of photos, so I thought I'd share, especially since I haven't had anything fun to share in months.<br />
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How were your mother's days? </div>
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The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-9693007717012631292013-02-21T20:32:00.001-05:002013-02-21T20:36:51.072-05:00Nana's Playroom - InspirationThis blog has been all about our home and projects, but my mom recently bought a beautiful old home and asked for some help with decorating, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the projects here. The first space I'm helping with is a really cool attic area. The house has plenty of storage so she decided to turn part of the attic into a playroom for her granddaughter, my niece, and future grandkids (not that she's hinting or anything) . She knows I love design, so she asked me to take this project over while she works on the rest of her house. <br />
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The main goal of this area is to have a fun space for when my niece and future grandkids come to visit. Right now there aren't any age appropriate toys or things to do at nana's other than watching Disney movies or playing Dora on the computer. We do a lot of activities when my niece visits, but it would be nice to have a fun little space where she can do her own thing sometimes. Although that's probably not the right choice of words, since we all hang out with her as much as we can when she comes for visits, so I'm sure she'll have all of us playing up there with her!<br />
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We want the space to have three components.<br />
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<li>An imaginary play space, with a tea party theme.</li>
<li>A reading nook. </li>
<li>A creative space with art supplies.</li>
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I haven't spent a lot of time around kids other than her lately, so I turned to pinterest and blogs to get some inspiration on what to include. Here's what we're inspired by so far:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFrn86D6BmVZPt3-cXeYaL-8yuCWKmiFwLqoCgnyVA8nwtHW3YYfWF_uC4LP8takCDv_A7Scvig-B7gImxnlLLMyFCWusgZGS72sNKxE7yhjhzKmdUZKQdR__LykpebTtbU0HsJ76MyU/s640/partypillows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFrn86D6BmVZPt3-cXeYaL-8yuCWKmiFwLqoCgnyVA8nwtHW3YYfWF_uC4LP8takCDv_A7Scvig-B7gImxnlLLMyFCWusgZGS72sNKxE7yhjhzKmdUZKQdR__LykpebTtbU0HsJ76MyU/s640/partypillows.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></div>
The photo above is from the <a href="http://caitlinwilsondesign.blogspot.com/">Caitlin Wilson Design blog</a>. The party was by Chrissi Shields of <a href="http://styledchaos.blogspot.com/">Styled Chaos</a>, who threw her 2-year-old daughter a beautiful birthday party using pillows from <a href="http://www.caitlinwilsontextiles.com/?home">Caitlin Wilson Textiles</a> in the Fleur Chinoise III Collection. I was thinking of using these pillows in the design already and these photos just made me want to use them even more. You can check out the full set of photos on Chriss's blog, <a href="http://styledchaos.blogspot.com/2013/01/party-time-sprinkled-with-love.html">here</a>. <br />
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I'm trying to keep it pretty budget friendly. To keep it within budget, I'm loving ideas like the <a href="http://www.thecraftedsparrow.com/">Crafted Sparrow's</a> <a href="http://www.thecraftedsparrow.com/2012/04/washi-tape-tin-cans.html">washi tape tin cans</a> to hold arts supplies. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAEkYwMSAOHDbE7JS782njWkBRqMBfBDSqGtfWMmZp-zFhixpFPmhvJssBmHvcnY5hCTWcZi6_R_DDH-MRpILBPheUz6OBrx-ZzVWas5oXauz3v0sLrIUq85STOGKrFcEUCn9DQ92esh-/s640/049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAEkYwMSAOHDbE7JS782njWkBRqMBfBDSqGtfWMmZp-zFhixpFPmhvJssBmHvcnY5hCTWcZi6_R_DDH-MRpILBPheUz6OBrx-ZzVWas5oXauz3v0sLrIUq85STOGKrFcEUCn9DQ92esh-/s640/049.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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Since this room will most likely be used for both boys and girls in the future, we figured it couldn't be too girly, but my mom still wanted pink. So we decided to go more green with pink accents, but specifically love the color combo shown below from <a href="http://www.horchow.com/p/Legacy-Home-Mirasol-Bed-Linens-Dust-Skirts/cprod88200007/">Horchow</a>.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhMPdfY55GcAkz3kHY0a3YvLSBQNu6U1Ep0ghiFULeLTd3vy9KtWFujHhp_iJ4HOVsOAGbVd8bdIdQwsWkt1aZITSpg1cJqjrym4Pl1nAg3Qw9eN0KEq7yQ4QiBR_3zupEBFFtk4XvVIB27p8lYlHrYVvzl-SmIO5OT=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.horchow.com/ca/1/products/mz/HC+3582_mz.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></div>
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Now that we have color scheme and a general idea of the purpose of the space, it's time to work on the details. This project may take some time since the room needs to be painted in the spring, but I'm excited to get started on it. We already bought a rug and tea set. I'll share once we have some more details narrowed down. This is the first kid friendly room I'm working on, which is really fun. I hope my niece and future nieces and nephews love it. <br />
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If you have kids, what things do they like in a playroom?
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About a year ago we shared our <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2012/02/guest-room-vintage-modern.html">guest room makeover</a>. We added some paint, added some furniture and left it at that. We didn't really want to spend any money on artwork or any details because we don't really use it. I think since we did it over, we've had maybe three guests. We planned to keep it as is. Then we were out shopping recently at a vintage market in Boston (SOWA) and found a print we both fell in love with. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HFYC7txAt1Jx4FUi6bqDdMVXub2HGQcp64bt8zv9O7zmGZSTRrKigFqf48QiOJn3YNcNHxkAPyu_qK32FHC9DzSaKDn9aH3Y9J2VdrcJmUdjbuj90Jx4A4MUS3FYL0Kt3cl6PkkJhESI/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HFYC7txAt1Jx4FUi6bqDdMVXub2HGQcp64bt8zv9O7zmGZSTRrKigFqf48QiOJn3YNcNHxkAPyu_qK32FHC9DzSaKDn9aH3Y9J2VdrcJmUdjbuj90Jx4A4MUS3FYL0Kt3cl6PkkJhESI/s640/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's kind of funny that we fell in love with it because Jim isn't a huge fan of Cape Cod. I have a lot of great memories there with friends, but if we were going to choose a map to include in our house, this would't really be a location I'd go looking for. We'd probably go with Newport, Jersey, or Boston. Regardless, we loved the map and thought even if we didn't plan to use it, it would be a really nice gift for someone else (we had a couple specific people in mind). Then we put it in our guestroom to store (which also happens to be our gift room....a.k.a. I put gifts for future use in our dresser in there) and it just works. </div>
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We really didn't want to have any more nautical or coastal touches in our home, especially since our bedroom is <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2012/04/progress-master-bedroom.html">coastal themed</a>, but it looks like the coastal theme is taking over yet again. </div>
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It probably didn't help that right after buying the print, I found this fabric on clearance at Calico Corners. I'm going to stop by tonight to check it out in person, if it is the bluish gray it appears, it may complement the map and wall color well. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNsA8BfeFenIO0uZQIcwyUla0sHjhLNXEAuq7Yb27k_9Gd15FvIqV4aNOwMmeYsyvP0sXSnB6tuE14cGN37bNC-wXQP9iQKbmFGXFKrLQO7QyGslsQcKYfj41L20wJmUDqs5bdbSrw9Hv/s1600/bird+fabric.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgNsA8BfeFenIO0uZQIcwyUla0sHjhLNXEAuq7Yb27k_9Gd15FvIqV4aNOwMmeYsyvP0sXSnB6tuE14cGN37bNC-wXQP9iQKbmFGXFKrLQO7QyGslsQcKYfj41L20wJmUDqs5bdbSrw9Hv/s400/bird+fabric.png" height="348" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took it as a sign that it was meant to be, and here we are in phase two of the guestroom makeover about a year later. I'm thinking pillows or curtains with this fabric. What do you think? <br />
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Here's what the space currently looks like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQOjSSHta8Hj8nkccqjA9s8aPuB3kvpJ0wLBCYo1Ka0FTGURQPxl4fYiqxMD3iqY3gqy8v659oShX2YCPsx4yknYBuY4mdT1chDCUEyvzYRqOQjQh-n8jnls2SMMVFRy5DxuZ8ESUtoNs/s1600/CIMG0967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQOjSSHta8Hj8nkccqjA9s8aPuB3kvpJ0wLBCYo1Ka0FTGURQPxl4fYiqxMD3iqY3gqy8v659oShX2YCPsx4yknYBuY4mdT1chDCUEyvzYRqOQjQh-n8jnls2SMMVFRy5DxuZ8ESUtoNs/s640/CIMG0967.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf88Ei2vWLyjEuH5NhQEs3EikELLUQkXwk6Uk8YpMXuDua4NaJpY7N_alWri4JK9bW5GEuFD4-IIIP_AVZLI8zSRhFCXRkG5-CHZT9121cvNVo5sFvAdKXs2yqkuaRp_u1jXo-Nvi4qaB/s1600/CIMG0973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNf88Ei2vWLyjEuH5NhQEs3EikELLUQkXwk6Uk8YpMXuDua4NaJpY7N_alWri4JK9bW5GEuFD4-IIIP_AVZLI8zSRhFCXRkG5-CHZT9121cvNVo5sFvAdKXs2yqkuaRp_u1jXo-Nvi4qaB/s640/CIMG0973.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's our other coastal inspiration:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ss-19Le0GjUsE9C-RXZV255zYYBYkPYP7teWrSxxx6MfuACMqZlwbQqgdNFyzReb17fAECsguRCupb8T0fH6xh9DwsSMKpjfvln-1xnBvrXretPwH0D8cE_Vaa9sXTrp6-y8dC64kPIV/s1600/bedroom+inspiration.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ss-19Le0GjUsE9C-RXZV255zYYBYkPYP7teWrSxxx6MfuACMqZlwbQqgdNFyzReb17fAECsguRCupb8T0fH6xh9DwsSMKpjfvln-1xnBvrXretPwH0D8cE_Vaa9sXTrp6-y8dC64kPIV/s640/bedroom+inspiration.png" height="640" width="592" /></a></div>
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Bedroom inspiration board</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bcJdLyjT0XmAtCmdEGAudswhBbbvmkEApDvJW7aWgv4zf5BtpPFgsDWGSKYSXQobYD12xVb6lSk43ndlR6gtlZXJU8OhO4XwQahjOFSVWii1EEwAHmUHBaVX-mYCrerDdyapGAoEuphQ/s1600/patio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bcJdLyjT0XmAtCmdEGAudswhBbbvmkEApDvJW7aWgv4zf5BtpPFgsDWGSKYSXQobYD12xVb6lSk43ndlR6gtlZXJU8OhO4XwQahjOFSVWii1EEwAHmUHBaVX-mYCrerDdyapGAoEuphQ/s640/patio.png" height="404" width="640" /></a></div>
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patio inspiration board</div>
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At least we're shifting away from navy. That's progress, right? <br />
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Do you have any themes or styles you are drawn to? </div>
The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-38639887181815170652013-01-28T17:55:00.001-05:002013-01-28T17:56:37.094-05:00Black BookshelvesLast weekend we started our first project of 2013. It was a smallupdate, but something we've been wanting to do for awehile. We painted our built in bookshelves black. I love the contrast.
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It helps tie the dining area and living room together. I like how the chalkboard wall gallery looks near the bookshelves.</div>
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We really want to paint the living room, but haven't found the time, so this is holding us over for now.
Have you done any little projects with big impact lately?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IkONBgq_tsgSAwHmII7kOkq38azYvynaOtXz1OLoGrJmo3bkDwT3LwaV3oNXPS8t0RgaoBD-FADEpiYvVizzEbvdjjfANSby2IVhRtRnJ197nDKya8AH5mV_QoTS9laD91UKs8agVwZz/s1600/IMG_0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IkONBgq_tsgSAwHmII7kOkq38azYvynaOtXz1OLoGrJmo3bkDwT3LwaV3oNXPS8t0RgaoBD-FADEpiYvVizzEbvdjjfANSby2IVhRtRnJ197nDKya8AH5mV_QoTS9laD91UKs8agVwZz/s320/IMG_0732.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since we've been gone, we have gotten a few things started like installing our new front door!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pRxuW5lck5IvtEGFwARwxaXzw_8pbElZIKwDfmuR-j-ZTEILZULvnKt5eo072j3NoJLt1mI40AFwj8VvdrBruYfMrcDsa4VQGTTExBDUvxQ01gTxbDF9PlDQISb4DDOkxd08XEgRDXMr/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pRxuW5lck5IvtEGFwARwxaXzw_8pbElZIKwDfmuR-j-ZTEILZULvnKt5eo072j3NoJLt1mI40AFwj8VvdrBruYfMrcDsa4VQGTTExBDUvxQ01gTxbDF9PlDQISb4DDOkxd08XEgRDXMr/s1600/IMG_0351.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
We still have a ton of work to do like adding a new walkway and step, adding bushes, painting our awning and putting it back up, and getting a new light fixture, but I was just relieved to get this installed before the winter. Ones the snow comes and goes, we'll be ready to install a walkway and make our front yard a little more appealing.<br />
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We have a couple of other new projects in the works. We bought some new pieces to renovate, so hopefully we'll share those soon. <br />
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What have you been up to? Any exciting projects for the new year?<br />
<br />The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-4608141820984703742012-12-08T10:12:00.000-05:002012-12-07T21:57:21.194-05:00Chocolate Mint Snow Cap Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxwL4kJ0kjk7RVigpvxgrvblhXwvbZSYLYOX8pwUn8qya35NopebKLlbglMsJbkkXENxNcdX2RNApWUaSE6mwLy7UF_AegBZJN_i-ApPrUraq2SE_M7mCO2CEbI8QeiLIUHCBvZthqeA/s400/IMG_0747.JPG" height="300" n4="true" width="400" /></div>
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This is a re-post but they are a favorite, so I thought they should be included in the 12 cookies of Christmas. The third cookie is chocolate mint snow cap cookies. </div>
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To make these, you'll need:</div>
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1 1/2 cups all purpose flour</div>
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</div>
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1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips</div>
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6 tablespoons butter, softened</div>
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1 cup granulated sugar</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla</div>
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1/4 teaspoon mint flavoring (or a bit more if you prefer a stronger flavor)</div>
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Powdered Sugar</div>
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Pinch of Salt</div>
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To make:</div>
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1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees</div>
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2. Combine flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt; set aside.</div>
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3. In large mixing bowl, microwave 1 cup chocoalte chips and butter. Make sure to check every so often to avoid burning- take out an mix smooth every 30 or so seconds.</div>
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4. Beat in granulated sugar until combined, then beat in eggs, vanilla and mint flavoring. Add in flour mixture stirring until combined. Add remaining chocolate pieces.</div>
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5. Shape doughinto 1 inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Place on a non-stick baking sheet about 2 inches apart. </div>
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6. Bake in preheated oven for 9 1/2-12 minutes (I like mine a bit softer, so I go for 9 1/2 minutes)</div>
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7. Cool for a few minutes on a baking sheet. </div>
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Makes about 40 cookies.</div>
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They get devoured pretty quick in our home. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxwL4kJ0kjk7RVigpvxgrvblhXwvbZSYLYOX8pwUn8qya35NopebKLlbglMsJbkkXENxNcdX2RNApWUaSE6mwLy7UF_AegBZJN_i-ApPrUraq2SE_M7mCO2CEbI8QeiLIUHCBvZthqeA/s1600/IMG_0747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF50VAT0IRxc0Ai3-tD0NgZOTZpqdqj-iqiGNLe8XgG-ijQrUfjog1sspxVjUcSh10gzUozTwi5cQ6z9GXtLP3RKaoLCCtj59ntchWpOQ58B7mSW9yU8KK9XPuJvf7cnRdO62RTgnR3w/s1600/IMG_0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPF50VAT0IRxc0Ai3-tD0NgZOTZpqdqj-iqiGNLe8XgG-ijQrUfjog1sspxVjUcSh10gzUozTwi5cQ6z9GXtLP3RKaoLCCtj59ntchWpOQ58B7mSW9yU8KK9XPuJvf7cnRdO62RTgnR3w/s400/IMG_0746.JPG" height="300" n4="true" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now that I posted this, I have a feeling Jim's going to be making a reqest for more soon :)</div>
The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-33738098096850733822012-12-01T07:33:00.000-05:002012-12-01T07:33:00.472-05:00Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN">To kick of the 12 days of cookies, here's one of Jim's favorites......</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN">A couple years ago my mom was gifted an oatmeal butterscotch cookie jar mix as a Christmas gift from my cousin. As soon as we made the cookies, we knew this would be an awesome addition to our normal mix of holiday cookies. Even though we already had an oatmeal cookie in the mix (oatmeal raisin) these were too good not to include. Plus it's a perfect substitute instead of the oatmeal raisin for the non-raisin lovers on our cookie gift list, me being one of them. </span></span><br />
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These are a great gift already baked, or given as a jar mix. <br />
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<span lang="EN"><span lang="EN">Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU4q29oxl5Qw0qa-rGk_TCcEDdZ6ChuXSfsC-tkG-dgGKGAbb9rAg3qDIjaGuhwPyfvQAxa_XAXv3nEr4QG4Cgtprdk7MWHR8SSHJvbsWsPYf3Tx78-4F26ZyN0djidvPfxUEBJ5cNhzP/s1600/IMG_1135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKU4q29oxl5Qw0qa-rGk_TCcEDdZ6ChuXSfsC-tkG-dgGKGAbb9rAg3qDIjaGuhwPyfvQAxa_XAXv3nEr4QG4Cgtprdk7MWHR8SSHJvbsWsPYf3Tx78-4F26ZyN0djidvPfxUEBJ5cNhzP/s400/IMG_1135.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ingredients for jar mix</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">1/2 cup butterscotch chips</span></span></div>
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1/2 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1 cup old fashioned oats<br />
2 cups biscuit and baking mix<br />
1/2 cup light brown sugar</span></span><br />
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To prepare:</div>
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jar contents</div>
1/2 cup butter or margarine
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1 egg</div>
1 tsp. vanilla<br />
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees</div>
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Cream butter, egg and vanilla. Add the jar mix in entirety. Mix. Shape into one inch balls. It helps to use a table spoon to get the perfect size. Place onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for ten minutes or until cookies are light golden brown.</div>
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Bake 10 minutes.</span></span></span><br />
Do you have any favorite jar mix recipes? If you have a link to the recipe, please share!<br />
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The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-58919491059604545542012-11-29T19:50:00.000-05:002012-11-29T19:50:00.390-05:0012 Cookies of ChristmasI love Christmas countdowns, like the 25 days of Christmas on ABC family. So I thought it would be fun to do a countdown of 12 cookies of christmas. Most will be family favorites and others will be new cookies I find and try for the first time. Christmas cookies are a huge part of my family's Christmas traditions. I shared a <a href="http://thenestchapter.blogspot.com/2011/11/christmas-baking-extravaganza.html">post</a> about it last year. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NJ0Ptc5cnMw/UGM-LFOcELI/AAAAAAAAAfM/oKtH21uYlfI/s1600/DSC_0080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NJ0Ptc5cnMw/UGM-LFOcELI/AAAAAAAAAfM/oKtH21uYlfI/s400/DSC_0080.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some people think we're kind of crazy, but it really is fun and it doesn't feel like Christmas without a ridiculous amount of cookies. It's my favorite gift to give and I've been told by some people it's their favorite gift to get, so every year we make a minimum of a dozen kinds. It seems like it grows every year though, especially the more flavors we try. Not all flavors make the cut each year, especially because there are so many now we tend to forget a few. </div>
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One of my long term goals has been to make a recipe book (using blurb or my publisher or something similar) with all of the recipes for my sister and brother, so we'll always have the recipes. Hopefully I'll be able to check that one off at the end of the season, but it also means we have a lot of cookies to make and photos to take. Hopefully this countdown will motivate me to get it done!</div>
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Here's a peak at last year's cookies, which are all documented, photographed and ready for the recipe book and blog. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5q7zcnA2mkw/UGM-PRTuN9I/AAAAAAAAAfU/KRIHyFsC5jA/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5q7zcnA2mkw/UGM-PRTuN9I/AAAAAAAAAfU/KRIHyFsC5jA/s640/IMG_0004.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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On December 1st, I'll share the first recipe. <br />
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What's your favorite holiday tradition? Do you have any cookie recipes you think I should try (links are appreciated!)? or any recommendations on photo book companies? The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5518557947527724848.post-19339018287838211392012-09-25T18:01:00.001-04:002014-09-01T12:02:33.249-04:00Pumpkin Pecan CookiesWe went apple picking a couple weekends ago and ever since then I've been in a fall baking mood. This past weekend I decided to move on to pumpkins and made a family favorite, pumpkin pecan cookies. They are so delicious on their own, but the brown sugar butter frosting really takes them up a level. I have a habit of losing recipes, so I decided to start posting my favorites to the blog as a point of reference. So I hope people who are reading like pumpkins as much as I do. This might be my favorite pumpkin recipe of all time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KCAZBYDlWAQZELGcoABvM9iO9wcINbmFLtuduARQo4xTYPAsXhaeAjIQUkbyBtOu3LoMjt2_FJ2LCGUBm24-ysER2snawg7L2osJYlNiPuGQUrJu-hBfxHLGKWmwX1qHvKxbppPq1mU5/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_KCAZBYDlWAQZELGcoABvM9iO9wcINbmFLtuduARQo4xTYPAsXhaeAjIQUkbyBtOu3LoMjt2_FJ2LCGUBm24-ysER2snawg7L2osJYlNiPuGQUrJu-hBfxHLGKWmwX1qHvKxbppPq1mU5/s1600/IMG_0304.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Cookie Ingredients:<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
1 cup butter, melted<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup canned pumpkin<br />
1 cup chopped toasted pecans<br />
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Brown Sugar Frosting Ingredients:<br />
6 tablespoons butter<br />
1/3 cup packed brown sugar<br />
2 cups sifted powdered sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
2 tablespoons hot water<br />
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1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.<br />
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, and sugar. Heat butter in microwave for 50 seconds. Mix in butter, egg and pumpkin mix. Chop pecans and toast in a small pan on the stove for about 60 seconds on medium heat. Add pecans to the mixture and stir in. <br />
3. Using a tablespoon to measure, drop dough onto cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. <br />
4. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 40 cookies.<br />
5. After the cookies have been baked and cooled, make the brown sugar butter frosting. In a small-medium saucepan heat the butter, then mix in the brown sugar. Remove mixture from the stove.Stir in the sifted powder sugar, adding a little bit at a time. Add the vanilla and hot water and mix until smooth. Frost the cookies immediately. If needed add more hot water to make smooth. <br />
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Do you have any great fall recipes to share? If you have any posted on your blogs, please share a link! :)The Nest Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02631243285430796991noreply@blogger.com5