Blissful Musings

I don’t if it’s because I’m 1/2 Chinese, grew up eating lots or rice, make excuses to eat or what.  I don’t last too long without some type of Asian food and need a good rotation of all types.  Or I get cranky.  It’s true, ask my husband.  Luckily he also loves a good Asian meal and happily indulges my cravings.

Usually this means we are running out to a delicious dinner of Chinese, Japanese or Thai.  But lately I’ve been more determined to cook.  My mom is an amazing chef of Chinese food.  I’m trying to get some of her recipes, but she doesn’t write anything down.  So I try observing, writing as fast as I can and taking a few pictures as it is the only way to get her recipes and it’s not always a successful recording.

While I try to get my mom’s secret Chinese recipes (I’ll share), I have found some pretty delicious recipes online that I want to try.

Asian Noodle Salad by Pioneer Woman found via Tasty Kitchen

This salad just looks refreshing and delicious with all the veggies.  I’d also maybe add in some stir fried tofu.

Spicy Ginger Soba Chicken Salad found via Tasty Kitchen

The marinade for the chicken alone sounds delicious.  I find ginger and garlic to be like a taste of home.  As most of my my mom’s Chinese recipes involve those ingredients.

Sriracha Chicken Wings by White on Rice Couple

Ok, maybe not a super traditional Asian dish.  But Sriracha sauce is awesome.  Add it to anything for a spicy kick.  Plus Mark LOVES hot wings.  So Asian hot wings are perfect for both our tastes.

Crockpot Pho Recipe by Steamy Kitchen

I love Pho and I love my crockpot.  I’m super curious to try this recipe and see if it’s as delicious as the $4 bowl I get at my local Vietnamese restaurant.

Chinese Fried Rice by Steamy Kitchen

There are lots of versions of steamed rice.  My favorite is my mom’s but I find these recommendations and tips from Steamy Kitchen to be super helpful.

Now the hard part is to decide which one to make.  The best part of eating at a restaurant is to order a bunch of dishes, eat family style and take home some delicious leftovers.  At home I’m only likely to make 1 maybe 2 dishes otherwise there is a pile up of dirty bowls all over the kitchen.  Can’t help it if I get a little crazy in the kitchen, it tastes good.  At least that is what I tell Mark when he asks how I create such kitchen disasters.

What types of food do you get cravings for?

Remember my post about bedding?  It’s still on my mind.  Especially after I came across some lovely duvets at West Elm that wouldn’t break the bank.

Don’t you think these would just invite you to crawl into bed after a long day?

I just want to sink into this bedding at the end of the day.  The texture just looks luxurious.

The simple pattern doesn’t overwhelm, but still draws attention.  I’d maybe go for some more simple throw and pillow covers to balance the actual duvet.

Can’t you just imagine this with some cute yellow throw pillows?  I’ve been into pops of yellow.  I like that this bedding has a pattern, but at the same time potential for a different look and feel depending on what else you match.

{all photos from West Elm}

I just want this room in general.  It feels welcoming and comforting and exactly where I want to land at the end of a long day.  The wall vignette is actually what I’ve been wanting to do in our own room.

I’m going to the San Francisco Renegade Craft Fair this weekend and am SO looking forward to it.  I’ve heard about the craft fair many times but have never been able to make it myself.  Lots of amazing handmade pieces, crafty treasures and basically a live Etsy shop. Can’t wait.

Hoping to find:

Throw Pillows

Necklace to match a blue dress I bought recently

Prints/Posters

Hair Accessories

Candle Holders

Candles

Fun Home Decor Finds

Have you been to a Renegade Craft Fair?  What were your best finds?

Just wanted to let you know I am still here just dealing with a massive s.p.a.m. issue on the blog and trying to fix it.  It’s been taking up my normal blog time, as I sit and delete hundreds of spam messages.  I’ll try to post tonight.

Hope you all are having a good week!!

{via Keep Calm Etsy Shop}

Remember when I told you that I bought a sewing machine?  Well, I’m sad to report it’s been collecting dust since we moved and I haven’t completed any new projects.  Life has just gotten in the way and then the overwhelmed feeling of where do I start?  I’m going to tell you where I’m going to start…

As I was doing my nightly blog read the other day I came across a Home Ec class on the Smile and Wave blog.  What, could it be?  An online sewing class?  Where every project is pretty much awesome?  Oh and I learn new techniques along the way?  I’m in.

Yep, I signed up.  For an awesome class taught by the lovely ladies of Smile and Wave, Freckled Nest and Courtney Janelle Sews.

Do you want to sign up too?  We can support each other along the way.  I’m looking for others to turn to when I inevitability get confused and start to create havoc on my sewing project.

Here are the details and part 1 of the 26 projects.  Here is part 2.  Looks awesome right?

Who else is in?

When we were registering there was a great debate about the bedding.  Mark didn’t want anything that had floral or was too loud of a bedding as he prefers neutrals.  Oh and it couldn’t be over the top expensive.  I wanted some sort of pattern and color.  This seems like a simple request, but in reality there wasn’t much that fit our criteria at the stores we registered at.

Eventually we finally found a pattern and color we agreed upon. It was the Cole Stripes from Pottery Barn.

While we both like the look of this bedding and have been happy, the biggest downfall is that lovely DRY CLEAN ONLY silk.  Oops.  In our excitement of finally finding a bedding we agreed upon, we didn’t think through the whole cleaning thing.  Which is now a pretty penny.

Now as we contemplate getting some new machine washable bedding I am again debating do  you go pattern or plain?  Color or neutral?  And now I’m not so sure I am on one side of the debate.  I decide to randomly go through my google reader and look at all the various bedrooms I’ve saved and “starred.”  It’s kind of all over the place.

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Maybe the secret is neutral and plain with pops of color and pattern in the pillows?  Or the bedding is the focal point and everything compliments that.  But then what kind of pattern?  I just don’t know.  As you can tell I feel very indecisive on the whole topic.

So what do you say?  Do you prefer pattern or plain?  Bright colors or neutral?

This couch is awesome.  If you follow me on Twitter you probably saw me tweet about it the other day.  I always say I want a claw foot tub one day, but maybe a claw foot tub couch will do as well.

Cast Iron Tub Couch from Ruff House Art

It would be the focal point of any room.

Recently a good friend had her first baby.  A couple of us threw her a shower and I searched Etsy for that special gift.  I was so excited I thought I had to share with you all.

As her first “baby” was a French Bulldog I thought this was the perfect gift.  Fresh Blooms on Etsy makes all sorts of adorable things and I found a super cute onesie for my gift.  It was a must have.

And of course had to be practical and get the matching burp cloth.

We don’t have any kids yet and while we really want them one day, we are waiting a few years.  However, in the meantime I love all the fun baby showers, nursery ideas and little kid gadgets I see online.  Let’s just say I’ll have a few ideas when we reach that stage.

However, I got to put a few of those ideas to use for the shower we put together.  I’ll share some inspiration and the real results, including my first dessert bar in and upcoming post.

Do you have fun shopping for baby things?  Are you shopping for your own kiddos or friends’ babies?

As I was doing my nightly routine of reading through posts on my Google Reader, this post from Three Men and a Lady caught my attention.   I seriously wanted to save every picture on the post.  Then I went the website and got even more excited.**

Kara and her husband Tim are design consultants that will help you design your space, create custom artwork and have a website full of tons of great ideas and inspirational spaces.  I want to give them my whole 1 bedroom apartment to transform.  Seriously.  Don’t tell my husband.

Okay that is just a small glimpse of everything I found, bookmarked, and stumbled etc.  Go to their blog to find more of their work.  You’ll end up staying for awhile.  Just warning you.  Now my wheels are turning on how I can add some of that same pop and personality into my own home.

**I am not sponsored by any of the mentioned blogs or vendors in this post.  I just got really excited finding all sorts of home decorating and inspirational goodness.

I wish we had a guest bedroom, but unfortunately it wasn’t an option when we moved the city.  This is kind of a bummer because we LOVE to entertain.  We have an open door policy for our friends and family.  We love to have people over, hang out and spend some quality time.

I just wish we had a lovely and comfortable guest bedroom to put them in.  Because right now here is our guest bedroom.   That is really an AeroBed in the living room.

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Now this was an investment and we did what we could to make sure we got the best and most comfortable air mattress possible.  And we make it pretty with bedding.

BUT if I could really have my way I’d want our guest bedroom to look something like this…

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However, who am I kidding?  Let’s be honest, I just wish our bedroom looked like this.

Do you have a dream room?