In perfect kitchens in perfect homes, dishtowels (or tea towels) are not actually used for drying the dishes or for...well for whatever tea towels were meant to be used for. However I do not have a perfect kitchen, and my home is far from it as well. I mean cute Instagram photos aside...we live here and we have dishes that need drying and spills that need cleaning up. Despite laundering them, I go through towels quite frequently.  
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In addition to needing them for practical uses, I think dishtowels can be a fun way to decorate for the seasons and all kinds of events. I love funny quirky sayings and pretty patterns alike. I always see ones I like, but I can't justify spending money on them when they get pretty beat up. Sometimes, I have an idea in my head of one that I want, but can't find it in the store. You know where this is going, it only made sense to find an affordable way to make them myself. So here it is, for around a $1.15 you can make endless possibilities of towels!
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Sometimes I come across a product through Instagram, Facebook, blogs, or honestly just by happenstance. Often times I want to share these things with people because I really do love them and feel that they improve my life. However, they don't really warrant a blog post all on their own (though honestly some could). So I've decided the last weekend of each month I will round up 5 things that I am loving at that particular moment and share them. Wherever possible I have put a link so that you can find it. "Things I love" are not just physical items, they can be recipes, songs, playlists, quotes, even places to visit, in addition to books, clothing, makeup, home decor, anything and everything! What better month to start rounding up the things I love than the month of love, February. If you do try something on the list, I'd love to hear about it! Even better, I'd love to see it. I'm going to start using #gmloves (as in Grace and Maura Love's) so I'd LOVE it if you'd share your favorite things on social media using the hashtag too! Okay enough babbling, here's this month's round up (these are in no particular order, just what I'm loving at this exact moment).  
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I'm fireplace obsessed. I've been known to have them (real of not) in every room of my house. I've gotten pretty good at the fake fireplace game over the years. In fact, my #1 "wishlist" item when purchasing a home wasn't hardwood floors, or granite counters. It was a working fireplace. When bf brought the idea of purchasing his grandfather's home to me, I loved the idea. Having a home that while a fixer-upper, had family history intrigued me. Bonus: It has not one, but two fireplaces! I've been known to have a fire anytime the temperature drops below 50 degrees (which is most of the time here in New England). Despite the two working fireplaces, I wanted one in the dining room as well. We already had this electric fireplace and used a $20 fix to make it look like a real wood stove. Seriously, we fool people all the time.
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If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen the craziness that is my dining room right now. I recently built a ladder shelf system to store all of our extra dishes and tablescape decor. Needless to say the room was in shambles. Saws, drills, wood, hammers, all of it. It's since recovered, but I'm now mid-closet remodel so theres still a corner filled with power tools until the weather cooperates enough for me to move outside.
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Speaking of weather, the weather plus a recent cold has kept me housebound, giving me plenty of time to clean up the room. Which is exactly what I did....just kidding...I decided to take the drop cloth leftover from the aforementioned shelf project and make these little napkins instead. It takes mere minutes and costs less than a dollar per napkin (depending on size). So if you've got a dinner coming up and want to impress, make these little guys. Do it! Do it now! Well, first read how I did it so you don't make my mistakes.
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It's funny, I never saw myself as a "rustic" or "farmhouse" style person. I always saw myself decorating my house with a modern cosmopolitan vibe. But then, I like all things Pottery Barn, and we bought a ranch around the corner from an old farm, and well, I believe you have to work with the house. This house wants to be comfy, and cozy, and as much as I tried to push clean lines and metallics on it...it wanted burlap, chunky blankets, and rustic touches. So I'm going where the house wants to go, but still keeping some of me in it too (I'm looking at you metallic candlesticks- gotta have some glam!). I have been thinking about this sign for some time now. I knew I wanted one, I just couldn't find "the one." I came close to finding "the one" last week, but it just wasn't it, so I made it myself! It cost me nothing, it will cost you $15 at most! ​

I've been meaning to get this post up for over a month; the time keeps getting away from me!
This recipe actually accomplished two things for me, I made a new Ina recipe, which I will definitely make again because it was super easy. I also, learned how to make pastry cream. Cognac pastry cream to be specific. I don't know why I had avoided homemade pastry cream for so long, it intimated me I suppose. No more! 
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My friends have a New Years Eve party every year. Each year they change the theme, and everyone dresses according to the theme. They also do a menu based off the theme. Therefore, I knew if I was going to bring something to the party, it needed to fit within the theme...which was luau. Don't get me wrong, this is a very fun theme, but it's the middle of one of the coldest winters in recent memory in New England. Needless to say, there wasn't a lot of tropical inspiration on Food Network. This was going to be a bit tricky to figure out.
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Is it just me or did January feel like the longest month EVER? Maybe it's just me. I live in New England, and as much as I like to tout that we have four seasons, we really have Winter for what feels like most of the year, and then everything else. 
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Come mid-January, I'm over the Christmas decor. The lights and tinsel have been packed away, and I'm always left with a decorating void. It's too early for Spring, but I don't want to be reminded of all the snow on the ground. So, what to do? I've rounded up five ways to transition your decor for the awkward "teenage years" of decor that span Christmas to March.
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