In the Throws of an Office Takeover!

(pottery barn)

Now that the entry foyer is completed it is on to my next project...our home office! This room makeover has been quite a long time in coming. I think it was 3 years ago that I wrote a post on office inspiration and the pending office makeover I had planned, but then nothing ever happened to update this much used space. And now with Mr. Rosemary Lane working from home 2 days a week, and of course me using the office for all of my blogging, I thought that it is high time we improved the look and functionality of our home office.

So yesterday we began to pulled stuff out of the drawers and from behind our desks in order to start moving around the furniture. This is how we are looking today.

This room has not only been put to use as a home office, but also as the "dump" room for extra furniture in our house that I didn't know where else to put. 

The sofa you see below...well it has gotta go!

And the old flake board desk way in the back in the next photo is from Office Max. I purchased it 15 years ago when I decided to go to nursing school. It is going to be moved on out of the room but I think I will hang on to it since it is in decent shape. Maybe one of the kids will use it when they go off to college in a few years.

Lots of papers to go through and really...a wine rack in the office??? And how about the VHS tapes on the desk...haven't looked at those in over a decade!

OK I am not brave enough to reveal to you just what is behind that curtain in the next pic. (I think I may need to drink some of my wine before I can share that with you! LOL) But there is some really great usable space inside, that is once we get out all of our old crap!

So this is where we are at right now. As soon as we can get some of the unwanted furnishings out of the office I plan to paint it Navajo White, the same color used on the wainscoting in the dining room and foyer. It is like the best color EVER! It makes the walls feel rich and blended and is pretty resistant to our everyday dirt and grime too. 

So what am I thinking about doing in this space? 

Well I'd like to move the cubical shelves we got from Ikea a few years back into our office space. I not only like the idea but also the look of a few wicker baskets on the shelves mixed in for storage.

(source)

We also have two desks besides the old flake board desk, already in the room, one metal and one wood. I need to find a way of making them look more alike, so I am kicking around the idea of painting them the same color. I like the black furniture against white walls.

(source)

As far as desk placement, I think the best way (and most fair way) to go is to have them facing one another. The room is a good size, we measured 11' X 18', so it can handle the configuration. We also have a large slider in the middle of the one outside wall, and with this arrangement we will both be able to look out the window. The thought struck me the other day as I was watching the snow fall through the window. It actually looked like a living piece of art! We will have to keep the drapes though because the room does get the full on afternoon sun.

But for now I just want to concentrate on the getting the room organized with good functionality. 

After that the fun part will begin!

And speaking of fun, don't forget to stop by on Wednesday evening at 7pm EST for the Share Your Style link party!

Here is wishing you all a great start to your week 

XO

ReStyled Hutch and My Father-in-Law's Painting

The snow is falling outside, again. The kids are off from school today, again. The car has to be cleaned off, again. And the driveway and front walk once again need to be shoveled out. 

Sometimes the word  "again" tends to get a bad rap because it is often added to a sentence as an expletive. But in the case of my father-in-law, he was lucky enough to have lived 84 years of "agains". Holidays and anniversaries, the weddings of his nine children and the welcoming addition of his 26 grandchildren. "Dad, we are expecting again!" "Grandpa we want you to read The Night Before Christmas again! Again and again and again he taught his children right from wrong, brought home a paycheck, forgave transgressions of others and was forgiven his own transgressions. But most of all he loved all of his family unconditionally. 

He also painted.

I'm not sure how much he painted or where his inspiration for painting came from, but it was something I can only imagine he did in his own quiet time and place.

This painting is one my husband recently inherited. I love the colors of this piece, lots of greens and blues, beautiful colors of nature.

So again I restyled the little white hutch in our living room, only this time I was able to include a very precious treasure left by my father-in-law. 

Using a white wood frame, I hung the painting on the wall and then placed its pop-out wood mat with glass in front of the picture as to achieve a layered look. It almost appears to be a picture inside a picture. I also added some pretty blueish green plates to the top shelf of the hutch along with a row of coordinating candles to the bottom shelf...

...plus a pretty basket of faux hydrangeas placed on the floor.

Items I have picked up during my many trips to Home Goods. A place I enjoy shopping time and time again.

Isn't the word AGAIN a rather nice word?

I think so.

Wishing you all another great weekend!

XO 

Share Your Style Link Party #3

Hi Everyone! 
To those of you who don't know me my name is Barbara and I am from a little part of the blogosphere known as 

I just may need to pinch myself because I cannot believe I am hosting the third 

Share Your Style link party.

This my very first time EVER as a party host, so I want you all to know that am really excited to be here.

I hope you'll take a moment to drop by and get to know
the other fabulous hosts of Share Your Style:

Sherry @ No Minimalist Here   
Debra @ Common Ground 

Barbara @ 21 Rosemary Lane

Lynn @ The Vintage Nest   

Kelly @ The Essence Of Home  

Martina @ Northern Nesting

Ron @ Uptown Acorn   

Amanda @ Dixie Delights

 I also want to invite you to stop by and visit me over at 21 Rosemary Lane, where the door is always open to old and new friends alike. And I certainly would be thrilled if you decided to follow me too.

Just to give to you an idea of what my style is here at 21RL, this is a post I shared last week.

(click here to see the post in its entirety)

Thank you so much for coming by to party with us again this week. I have to tell you that I was completely blown away by all of the incredible talent linked up to 
Share Your Style #2.

It was a tough job picking out my faves, but since I had to narrow it down to just a few here are the links which really caught my eye!

Home is Where the Boat Is  shared this darling potting shed which is being featured in the current issue of Flea Market Gardens Magazine. 

Oh how I long for a potting shed to play around in, and this is the shed I'd certainly love to have! 

Next up is an incredible china hutch transformation by Kris of Junk Chic Cottage. It is literally jaw "droppingly" gorgeous! You simply must stop by to see what this cabinet looked like before Kris performed on it her own special magic!

And who doesn't love incredible flea market finds? This stunning flea market vanity makeover is by D.D.'s Cottage and Design. I adore the soft aqua color with the pretty gold gilding, and she really knocked it out of the park by paring it with a beautiful gold framed mirror and those fabulous pink tulips!

I have always been a huge fan of any recipe which includes shrimp, so when I came across this spicy twist on shrimp scampi by Jas of the blog All That Jas, I totally flipped! 

Have you ever tried to define your own personal design style in a word or two? Well Heather from the blog Southern State of Mind has and her style is what she likes to call Preppy Eclectic! Stop by Heather's blog to find out just what Preppy Eclectic is, I think you will like both her definition and her style!

And those are my features for this week. I sure hope I did OK choosing ones you will enjoy checking out! If your style was featured, please make sure to take along our little party gift before you go.

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XO

An InLinkz Link-up

Healthy Red Quinoa Salad with Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Spring is just around the corner and then before you know we are going to be in...I know...don't say it...but I have to because it is true...

BEACH WEATHER!

Yes in just about 3 months it will be time to bare our bodies and slip into the old bathing suit! Yikes! 

So in an effort to fight the battle of the bulge, I am streamlining my diet to include a ton more veggies and grains like Quinoa, Farro, gluten free pastas in addition to loads of lemon water. Unfortunately I am not familiar with these new grains so I need to find recipes which include them. The other day I came across this recipe over at MyRecipes.com for a spicy grilled shrimp and quinoa salad which also had a lot of ingredients I normally enjoy! Pretty simple to make, you just need to be a patient because the quinoa does take a little while to cook.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided

10 teaspoon olive oil, divided 

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 

1/8 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika

4 garlic cloves, chopped and divided

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound) 

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup chopped onion 

1 cup water 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon honey 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 

1/2 cup diced peeled avocado 

1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled 

Cooking spray 

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Believe it or not I had every ingredient in the HOUSE! 

Combine 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, black pepper, hot sauce, paprika, and 2 garlic cloves in a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss well. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime...

Rinse and drain quinoa. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and then add the onion to pan, sauteing about 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 garlic cloves and quinoa then cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Cool. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and honey in a large bowl. stir with a whisk. Add quinoa mixture, tomatoes, avocado, cheese and toss gently.

Remove shrimp from bowl and discard marinade. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 8 (6-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. 

(Since there is about 15 inches of snow on the ground I decided to forgo the outside grill and used my old George Forman to cook my shrimp.)

Divide the salad up onto 4 plates and then top with the skewed shrimp and fresh cilantro!

I think this recipe would be equally as yummy with a nice piece of grilled salmon too.

So eat healthy and enjoy!!!

Don't forget to stop back on Wednesday evening to link up to 

XO