In honor of the new year I thought I would finally get in gear and write this little introductory post!
About Me:
My name is Courtney and I have been married seven years to a wonderful man named Greg. We met at our college church. A set up really, dreamed up by my sister. It worked and a year after that set up, we were engaged. Three months after our engagement, we were married. In April of 2004 we welcomed our first child, Elias who we always call Eli. He is quickly approaching five and started preschool this year. He is a sweet and cuddly boy who will always be my baby. In February of 2007, our little girl Addison joined our family. She is such a joy and makes me smile all of the time. I can hardly stand how cute she is! This May we will welcome our third and final baby. A boy, yet to be named, will complete our little family.
My little Addison. Two in February.
Eli - who will be five in April.
I have the wonderful privilege of staying home with my kids. My husband is a really hard worker whom God has blessed with a job he enjoys. We live in the town my husband grew up in and most of his family still lives here. It has been really wonderful to have their support and to have the opportunity for my kids to know their extended family. My parents live close as well, only an hour and a half away. Close enough that we get to see them often and my children know and love them well.
Our little cottage.
Define Home:
Hmmm....Home is where you can be totally comfortable, completely yourself. Home is not stuffy or formal, it is relaxed and lived in. Too often messy! Home is a respite from the crazy world. A place that when you walk in, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Home is cozy, cozy, cozy!
Decorating elements:
I love color - my primary colors I decorate with are red, blue, green and yellow. I love painted furniture and old furniture. (My husband keeps telling me to stop buying cruddy furniture!) Objects that are distressed and imperfect. Things have to be comfortable and cozy though. I have way too many pillows and throw blankets around my house. I love family pictures, I love black and white photographs. I love things that have a retro or vintage feel to them.
Favorite Creative Outlets:
I love to rearrange! I love to change up my rooms in little ways. I am a frustrated knitter and a wannabe sewer. I also paint. Anything I can get my hands on. My walls, my furniture (numerous times over), my cabinets...anything is better with some colorful paint! I am a new gardener with big dreams.
Where I find Inspiration:
I am a magazine junkie...subscribe to Cottage Living (so sad it is no longer being published!), Country Living and Country Home and regularly devour other Home mags I can get my hands on. I like to rip out pages of ideas and save them for some other time, some other house. Of course, I find inspiration from design shows on television and most recently from all of the wonderful blogs out there! I love to go into a few of my favorite shops and soak up their displays and fun home items as well.
Favorite color:
Red! No question about it. I don't have any walls painted red but many of my furniture pieces are red. Red is my paint color of choice when I am revamping something. Problem is, I do need to balance all of that red with other colors!
Book Recommendation:
I recently read the book Marley and Me by John Grogan. I'm sure you have heard of the movie that is currently out. It was a light and easy read and so funny I laughed out loud over and over!
A tried and true recipe:
This is my Mom's recipe and the ultimate in comfort food for me. I don't even know what the official name of it is so I will make up my own...
White Enchiladas
(Doubling this recipe is best. It is so good, you will want more! Freeze a pan to have a quick dinner in the future!)
12 medium size flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 cups cooked chicken cut into small pieces or shredded
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans mild enchilada sauce (enough to dip all of the tortillas)
2 cups sour cream
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilis
Saute chicken and season with salt and pepper
(While meat is cooking, make sauce - see below)
Pour enchilada sauce into a bowl and dip each flour tortilla in before filling with 1/4 cup cheese and 1/4 cup chicken
Roll and place in a 9x13 pan sprayed with oil
To make sauce:
Melt butter in saucepan and add flour to make a roux
Add chicken broth to make a sauce and allow to thicken
Remove from heat and add sour cream and chilis
Pour sauce over tortillas
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. or until heated through.
Enjoy!
Corners of my home:
This is my living room - the space I spend the most time in. Actually , I spend the most time in that leather chair there. It is small and both of my kiddos like to try and curl up in my lap at the same time. What am I going to do when I have three?
This is the other side of my living room - my dining room. One of the drawbacks of our tiny place, no real dining room to speak of!
A Household tip:
Not that I do this every day but when I do...oh is it nice! Make your bed! It instantly makes a messy room look cleaner and there is nothing quite so nice as climbing into a made bed at night! Another tip I most often fail at but love when I do....going to bed with a clean kitchen. So peaceful!
I have really enjoyed "getting to know" each of you through this blog and all of your lovely personal blogs! You are all such wonderful, inspiring and creative women and I am so happy to get to be a small part of your lives!
This is my living room - the space I spend the most time in. Actually , I spend the most time in that leather chair there. It is small and both of my kiddos like to try and curl up in my lap at the same time. What am I going to do when I have three?
This is the other side of my living room - my dining room. One of the drawbacks of our tiny place, no real dining room to speak of!