Easy Brunch Dish

Yes, growing up we made monkey bread. Did you? I can't remember exactly how, I think we just used pre-made rolls, butter and cinnamon. We ate it as a desert. Last weekend, as I was trying to piece together breakfast from the remains of my grocery store run earlier in the week- I made a slightly "classier" version. Damn was it DELICIOUS! I ate it warm with a little maple syrup and it was not unlike a fancier (and MUCH easier, no-mess) version of french toast. I think it would be a perfect brunch dish to make when you have house guests. Oh, and maybe a breakfast casserole too? You can make it the night before and virtually have no mess the morning of. I hate having to clean up the kitchen, especially when I have guests. I'd much rather just continue to lounge around and visit with my guests.

No Fuss, Fancier French Toast

You'll Need:
1 pakage of pre-made, flaky, buttermilk biscuits (I used 365 brand)
brown sugar
cinnamon
2 apples, thinly sliced
walnuts, crushed

1. Preheat oven according to package directions (for the rolls!)
2. Carefully split each roll in half, so you now have two thinner rolls- set aside
3. In a bowl, combine apple slices and the rest of the ingredients. (you don't need exact amounts- just make sure the apples are evenly coated
4. Spread along ungreased, non-stick pan slightly over lapping
5. Distribute apple mixture evenly between dough- scatter remains along top
6. Serve warm with maple syrup!

Enjoy!

In the Garden: Easy Planters

We've have been working on Operation Backyard Oasis for a couple of months now and I can't wait to share the before and after! All we have left to do is to stain the deck and I'm hoping we get to that this weekend. In the meantime, here are a few sneak peeks! 

Philly is known for it's rowhomes. It's rare to have much of a yard in the city and we consider ourselves lucky to have such a great outdoor space (even though it needed a ton of work!). But with rowhomes comes the almost shared backyard. Yeah, there's a chain link fence but that's hardly providing anyone with privacy. You also end up sharing walls sometimes- like this gray wall, pictured below. It's the side of our neighbors house/porch. Luckily, it's in great condition and I like the gray siding. I just wanted a way to incorporate it into the space a bit more. 

Unfortunately, IKEA stopped making the hanging pots I used (WTF??!!)-even though they were pretty much the cleverest/attractive hanging pot I've ever seen. What's up with that IKEA?! So I had to go around the house, and re-pot plants just so I had enough to use. I actually would have put up more but this is all I had. The planter in the middle has sweet Potato Vine in it which will really cascade down as it grows. I think this is such a cute, cheap and easy way to decorate an outdoor wall. what do you think?

Typical Philly row home. These wall planters really help spruce up the exposed side of our neighbors porch.
They really help incorporate the wall and create an inviting outdoor living space.

Choose flowers and plants that drape and fall. Petunias and Sweet Potato vine are good choices. Once it matures, the Sweet Potato vine will cascade down.

Was a few planters short so I went looking through the house for things I could plant in.
Love this little teapot! I think the small little blooms look so sweet and it adds a whimsical touch to the backyard.

Look for unique vines to add to planters- I love how lacy this one is!
It really adds a nice, airy texture.

TGIS

Thank goodness it's [finally] spring! Anyone else feel like the winter lingered on forever? I swear I am in the best mood once the sunny, warm weather hits. This year I was especially ready for it because the baby and I had been stuck inside- too wimpy to brave the cold, wet weather. We will definitely be trying for baby #2 to arrive in the springtime! Yep, baby #2... did I mention I want to have a billion babies now? I know, I say that now...

I also love that spring brings along many little projects around the house. We have been dilligently working on our tiny yard, a project I've dubbed, "Operation Backyard Oasis." It's really coming along and all we have left is to stain the deck. I can't wait to post pics of the before and after! We also added window boxes to the front of the house and bought a bunch of thrifted chairs for the dining room. Picking/junking during the weekend has become an addiction. We finally decided not to go until we finish the projects we have- our dining room cannot hold anymore random pieces of furniture. I wish we had three day weekends so I'd have more time to work on these fun projects...

Super glad we chose sod over slate. Slate is definitely not baby-friendly.

Makeshift spray booth. 

Aaamazing folding chairs- just need a little epoxy love.

She loves to hold my finger. 

We've been hanging out at the park a lot!

It feels SO good to be outside!

Baby Mocs

I have been SO wanting to get C a little pair of moccasins! As cute as they are, I just can't justify spending the money because she only wore the last pair of shoes I got her for a week! Last night we went out to dinner with friends and I couldn't stop thinking about how cute mocs would be with C's outfit. So while she was enjoying her afternoon nap.. I was playing around with leather scraps.

I settled on a nice soft ostrich hide that I've been hoarding for years. All in all, they turned out super cute for my first try and took a little less than 2 hours! I do have a few little tweaks I'd like to make for the second time around. I think will they look darling with little spring dresses! What do you think?