Something More Addicting Than Pinterest?

I didn't think there was room in my social media life for something beyond Pinterest but...it. has. happened. You need to know about houzz.com. It is the site that many say is equally or more addicting than Pinterest, and I agree! It is different from Pinterest because it is only photos and ideas of "home design, decorating and remodeling ideas and inspiration, kitchen and bathroom design" and nothing else. Anyone can visit the website and view the photos, but making a free account allows you to save the photos you like and create a profile (I of course made an account right away!)

The site is very well organized and you can view photos (over 500,000) filtered by space (think bedroom, bathroom, landscaping, porch, etc, etc) and style (traditional, contemporary, tropical...). Many of the pictures have comments from other houzz members on what is the in the pic--brands, where to find items, etc. You can explore products related to home design and decor which are filtered by type of product and style AND it gives you the price of the item and where you can buy it...awesome. Houzz also offers ideabooks, which is a great way to view put together looks if you have trouble putting the pieces together yourself. There is a discussion page and links to professionals in all areas relating to home design and decorating. W-O-W!

Let me tell you, this site is amazing! I guess it is time to play the lottery because my dream house is calling my name. Seriously though, there are also tons of ideas that do not require mega millions to become a reality and I love that there are so many resources available on the site--where to purchase similar items, measurements for recreating the look, details about the products, and more (check out the comments on pictures you like). I think I have to say for home design and decorating my go to will now be houzz (shhhh, don't tell...I feel like I am cheating on Pinterest) You must check it out and find me while you are there--searthur. See you in design land! P.S. I also have the free app for my iPad and it is just as fabulous. It is easy to use and navigate and is laid out really well.

Here are some pics that I have saved to my houzz profile:

Traditional Porch design by Los Angeles Architect Tim Barber LTD Architecture & Interior Design

Traditional Porch design by Minneapolis Interior Designer Lucy Interior Design

Traditional Landscape design by Minneapolis General Contractor John Kraemer & Sons

Traditional Kitchen design by Boston Kitchen And Bath Venegas and Company

Have you tried houzz yet? If so, what do you think? Let me know your user name so I can look you up and check out your pics! :) Happy decorating!

*This post is all my own opinion and was not solicited by houzz

Nail Art

Some of you may know that I am a little obsessed with Pinterest. It really is an amazing thing. I just popped over to my page and I am currently at 2,470 pins and counting (follow me here to see what I am loving lately). One thing that I have found myself pinning a lot of is fun and funky nail art. To me nails are an accessory just like a chunky necklace, a fabulous bag, or a great pair of shoes, and summer is the perfect time to get out of your comfort zone and try something fun (and I am not just talking about your toes here--I know that's where most people feel like they can get "wild").

Here are some pictures of nail art that I have recently pinned (you can find them on my hair and accessories board to link up to the original source):

I got inspired by the picture below on the left and decided to take my own twist on it. I wanted to go with a navy and lime color scheme because I am loving that combo and I thought it was kind of a preppy twist on the design. Disclaimer: I am totally not crafty and definitely did not do this myself. I was lucky enough to get a gift certificate to a nail salon from one of my kiddos at the end of the year and I had it done with my mani!

What do you think? I wish the chevron was thicker, but I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Can you even see my bitty little nails in the pic?! I sure hope so!

On a side note, are there any Zooey Deschanel fans here? I became a big fan of her after watching New Girl on FOX. It is a totally quirky show but definitely my kind of humor. Obsessed. Anyway, I subscribed to her on Facebook once I got into the show and she is now my nail art role model. The girl loves some amazing nail art. Check out her FB page and see what she has worn recently!

Have you all tried any fun or funky nail art? Leave a comment or email a pic. I'd love to hear about it!

Happy nail adventures!

A Wild Hair (and no I am not having a bad hair day)

Have you ever heard of the phrase "to have a wild hair"? I don't know where I picked it up, but it has become something I find myself saying probably more often than I should. In case you have no idea what I am talking about check out this link for Urban Dictionary. Yes, that's right you need to use Urban Dictionary to understand me--I am not sure if that is very A T-Shirt and Pearls, but eh oh well. Sometimes I think I am constantly having a wild hair because I always seem to have some new project or idea that I feel I must dive 110% into, and often I have more than one of these projects going at once. Yeesh, why can't I have this same motivation for cleaning and organizing?!

So, anyway my latest wild hair is to start canning. I have never canned before but as with anything I am ready to learn and do my best. I am not really sure where this idea came from (as is true with most of my ideas) but I am really excited to get started. My first adventure in canning is going to be making homemade pickles. When I was growing up we would visit my grandparents in Pennsylvania and during the summer my grandmother and her good friend and neighbor would make the most delicious homemade pickles. I am hoping that with the help of my family I can dig up her old recipe. I do not have a vegetable garden, so for this year I am going to buy my produce at farmers markets and produce stands. Next year I am planning to put a raised bed vegetable garden in my yard so I can use my own homegrown veggies.

I have started doing some research on canning and am thinking I am going to go with a pressure canner. Although there are less recipes that use pressure canners instead of water bath canners, it would be nice to have the option. From what I have read it seems like you should be able to do both types of canning in a pressure canner anyway. I found this one online at Walmart.com and it seems to have good reviews and be good for beginners. Do you have a preference or advice on which type of canner to buy, water bath or pressure? What about brands? I am liking the one I found because I have some Wal-Mart gift cards which makes the price really nice, but I want to make sure it is a good one too.

I am also looking for recipes to try after I am done with my pickles. I have found tons of great resources online and am storing them on my Canning Pinterest Board (use the link on my homepage to follow me!) A few ideas I have are corn and vidalia onion relish (I am really excited to create this recipe), apple butter (in the fall), salsa, tomato pasta sauce, and chicken stock. What are some home canned items that you think are a must try?

I am sure that I will have many canning adventures to share with you over the next few months. I am looking forward to hearing your advice and suggestions!

Picture Source