Travel Journal

I'll be taking a break from blogging for a bit, but before I go I wanted to share with you my travel journal that I made to take with  me to New York City...

Originally, I bought a bound notebook, but I quickly realized that that just wasn't going to work.  You see, I am obsessed with my writing, and if my printing doesn't just look right, I have a tendency to throw the paper away.  Hey, we all have our pecularities, don't we?  Anyway, besides journaling,  I also wanted to collect receipts and other memorabilia along the way, and this led me to think about envelopes...

So, of course, I searched online and found this fantastic accordion envelope book tutorial!  I bought envelopes at my local Dollar Store, printed off a photo of the Statue of Liberty, used some stickers to make a title, and then tied the whole book together with black grosgrain ribbon.  Hopefully, when I return, my travel journal will be loaded with goodies to share with you!

I have a confession...

Get ready, as I am going to complain!   For some reason, I am suffering from summer allergies, and my nose is running non stop!    Also, my terrier kindly introduced herself to a skunk early this morning, and I think that there may be a dead skunk under the house!  Needless to say, we've had the fans going all day, and the house still smells horrible!

As long as I've admitted to a drippy nose, a smelly house, and a possible dead skunk, I thought I would also confess to you my obsession with the Housewives!  I hate to admit it, but I love watching all The Housewives, especially Orange County, New York, and New Jersey.  And so, when I walked into my library and saw Teresa Guidice's Skinny Italian, I just knew I had to check it out...

It actually turned out to be a pretty good book.  I wouldn't say it was just a cookbook, but more of a lifestyle book.  I'm awfully glad that I was able to borrow the book, because it is not necessarily a book that I would want to buy.   However, the diners at Love and Life at Leadora really enjoyed the bruschetta recipe, so I may give the book a second look!

Well, hopefully all the allergy medicine will kick in soon, the house fans will rid the skunk smell, and my wonderful MacGyver husband will find that skunk.  In the meantime, I may need to escape and watch a Housewives episode...

New Bathroom Update

Today MacGyver husband and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary!  I have to admit that twenty years ago I had no idea that I was marrying such a talented guy!  For those of you who have been following LALAL for awhile, you may remember the kids'/guest bathroom...

And then there was this...

And today, it looks like this!

I am so proud of my MacGyver husband!  He did such a great job on the shelves and cabinetry, and he   is currently working on our Pottery Barn inspired vanity... 

As you can see, there are still many details to be completed, but we are getting close!!  Hope that you stay tuned for the finished bathroom!

A Lucky Day!

The other day, I was doing one of my favorite things...reading a great book!

Then, the postman delivered this...

How wonderful!  I won a giveaway from Le Monde de Catherine, who lives all the way in France!  When I opened the box, I was in awe of all the wonderful things...a lovely lace top, a beautiful embroidered doily, a perfumey sachet, and a set of extraordinary french postcards!  Thank you, Catherine!

And then, the doorbell rang... It was my mother-in-law, who was stopping by to give me her eight crystal wineglasses!

How lucky am I?  Now wouldn't it be grand if I  mysteriously received a million dollar check next??? Hope you all are having a fabulous weekend!

A Good Read and Balls of Cake!

Going to the library is one of my favorite summer activities, and I am lucky that my library has a great selection of cookbooks.  During my latest visit, I found
Cake Pops by Angie Dudley, who is also known as Bakerella.  So, after looking through the book and being inspired by all sorts of cake pops in blogland, I dove in and made my own balls of cake...

I must say, although my cake balls weren't nearly as intricate or as pretty as the ones featured in Bakerella's book, they were certainly a big hit here at Love and Life at Leadora.  Next time, I want to try to make cake pops, and perhaps try a different flavor combination.   Have you dove into the world of cake pops yet?

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!  For some reason, the holiday snuck up on me, so sadly I didn't decorate the house this year.  I did have a chance to do some baking, and so I decided to copy Martha Stewart's 4th of July cookies from the cover of her July issue.  These are just like the spiderweb cookies I made for Halloween.  I love this technique, since it is easy and fool proof.

I also baked some vanilla cupcakes...

Aren't those little cupcake flags just adorable?  I stole this idea from Style Me Pretty.   I just love ribbon, so I have a feeling I'll be making lots of these in the future...