The Art of Decorating

{Photo courtesy of besttravelphotos.me}

I have been a dancer all my life. Even though I no longer take classes on a weekly basis, I resonate with the art, am proficient when I do get a chance to perform, and I will always love movement. On a different note, I love seeing our beautiful Chicago Symphony Orchestra; I’m hopeless when it comes to playing an instrument or reading music, but I love lending my ears. Now, more than ever, I have a deeper appreciation for all genres of art. Filling my bare walls with what I deem art has made me more aware and more appreciative. Being from Chicago, I have always been exposed to the museums and the galleries our wonderful city offers, but now I am starting to broaden my horizons and find it difficult to even categorize art. It is just art. Our walls currently have drawings, photographs, sports mementoes, and a tattered periodic table of elements, all of which I consider art. Despite how many different items are hanging on our walls, there is abundant space for our collection to grow…possibly with a silhouette of a dancer or a historical copy of the Chicago Tribune (which we have but it has yet to be framed and hung). It’s an exciting, new appreciation and I can’t wait to see where it goes. I’d love to know, what do you consider art and what do you love about it?

One Throw Away from Fall Weather

Most of the time (read: 97% of the time), I am a homebody. I love the quiet; I crave the comfort and I have been this way since I was a little girl. It is because of my hermit ways that I created this blog; it’s been mildly successful at pulling me off my couch. However, I still love curling up and watching a show, reading a book, or just looking out at the lake. With fall approaching quickly, I am in need of a new blanket for the couch (the old blanket fell apart in the washing machine and has never looked the same). There is something so comforting about sitting on the couch, or a chair, and wrapping yourself in a giant blanket…and when you drag the bottom half on the floor on the way to the kitchen and back for another glass of wine. After much research I found this Ralph Lauren blanket. It is soft, neutral, and large enough that I could disappear under it. It will be my weekend project to secure one of my own...I'm thinking the camel color. September and October…I’m ready!!

Rosemary Butter Cookies

 As of late, I have been baking more than I usually do, probably due to large amounts of stress. It’s great because we always have something sweet in the house, but it’s bad because I am one of two people who live here and I eat about ½ of all the sweets. My latest baking endeavor was tackling these Rosemary Butter Cookies, recipe found here. It was a simple recipe and the results were way better than I anticipated; for a few hours, our apartment smelled like a high-end spa with freshly baked cookies. I may have to bake them again just to make our apartment smell like a relaxation room. Oh, and they taste fabulous, too! Here's how it went:

{Mix the butter and granulated sugar together...}

{until it looks like this}

{Add egg, vanilla, and then flour- one cup at a time}

{Push rosemary leaves off of the stalk}

{Finely chop rosemary}

{Add rosemary to cookie dough...then taste test...twice}

{Divide dough and form logs with parchment paper}

{Put in paper towel rolls to hold shape- I thought it was silly...but it really made a difference}

{Set in freezer for about an hour}

{Unroll and place on parchment paper to brush with egg white and sugar. Note: it gets a little messy}

{The sugar starts to dissolve a bit...it's ok}

{Cut into 1/4 in pieces and discard the oddly-shaped ends}

{Place about an inch apart...they do not expand in oven}

{SO GOOD}

German Pancakes

The first time my boyfriend made breakfast for me, aside from bringing me a Starbucks coffee or a Panera bagel, I could tell he wanted to impress me, and he did. He made me his infamous German Pancakes and they were truly fantastic. I had only ever had Swedish pancakes and the giant fluffy American pancakes-the buttermilk, fluffy types. While nothing can replace buttermilk pancakes from Walker Bros., these German pancakes are certainly delicious. After making them for me several times, I finally got him to teach me how and they are surprisingly easy! It’s light, but very filling. Perfect for a family brunch or breakfast in bed. This recipe makes two German Pancakes J

{Whisk together 4 eggs, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk}

{Until smooth-the batter should be slightly thin; add 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, a pinch of nutmeg }

{Payton helps heat the oven to 425}

{Melt a good amount of butter in the bottom of each frying pan- each person gets their own frying pan}

{Once butter is completely melted, add half of the batter to each pan}

{Place frying pans on the top rack of the oven for about 15 minutes}

{Or until the edges have risen and browned}

{SO FLUFFY}

{Best way to eat? Sprinkle some powdered sugar and squeeze some lemon juice}