Last Weekend...

Bill and I spent last weekend in Chi-town.  We had a blast!  Let me share some of the things we did:

Friday night we saw rock legend Nick Lowe in concert. You may remember his big 1981 hit "Cruel to be Kind" (click here to see the video). I've been a big fan for many years, but this was the first time I've ever had to see him play live. It was a dream come true!

He played a great mix of his 80s hits and newer tunes but brought down the house with his versions of Elvis Costello's hits "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Love and Understanding" and "Allison" (both of which Nick originally produced).  But I have to say that my favorite song of his is from the excellent At My Age album, and it's called "People Change."  Check out the audio here.

Saturday we headed over to Woodfield Mall. 

Bill told me it's the second largest mall in the USA, and after walking it, I believe him!  :-)  We had fun checking out all the stores.  Our favorite was Z Gallerie.  We're working on updating our living rom, and we got *tons* of great ideas from there.  Lots of clean lines, bright colors and unexpected accessories.  We're going to come up with something cool, I just know it!

I picked up some cute summer jewels at Aldo Accessories:

I'm loving the gold + bright color combos I'm seeing this spring.  And look how well these bracelets go with bright coral nail polish!

 

This art-deco inspired necklace is a cool addition to my jewelry box.  Aldo also sells a version with black stones, but the peachy-colored stones appeal to me more.  Strange, because I almost *always* go with black when I'm given an option.  Hmmm...maybe I'm growing up?  Nah!  ;-)

One of the other reasons for our trip was this:

Believe it or not, I've NEVER been to an Ikea store.  I've seen lots of cute decor ideas on Pinterest starring items from Ikea, but had never had the pleasure of seeing any first-hand. 

We stopped first at the cafe to get a drink.  I chose the Swedish Lingonberry drink.  Yum!

We didn't have a ton of time to poke around, but I still managed to find a couple of things I couldn't live without:  homemade popsicle molds and a fabric shade that I want to use somehow on my front door (more on that later, I hope).

I'm a happy camper!

Hope you had an equally fun weekend!

Weekly Meal Plan: April 23-27

Can you believe it's the start of another week already?  Bill and I spent a fabulous weekend in Chicago.  More on that later.  We had a ball!  Hope you all had a good weekend too.

Monday:  Black Bean Sloppy Joes from Sweet Treats & More

I love the idea of a meatless sloppy joe substitute.  These call for adding a slice of cheese to the sandwich.  Why didn't I think of that?!

Tuesday:  Crockpot Spinach Lasagna from The Tasty Cheapskate

My friend Jenna regularly makes lasagna in the crockpot (and her husband *raves* about it!), but I've never tried it.  Wish me luck!

Wednesday:  Pulled Pork Sliders from A Zesty Bite

I love slaw on top of my pulled pork sandwich.  These look to.die.for.  :-)

Thursday:  Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Red Beans and Rice from Iowa Girl Eats

I was introduced to Jerk Chicken about 10 years ago, but I've only ever used the Jerk Seasoning from the store.  This recipe uses a make-your-own blend.  I can't wait to try it!  This is about as authentic as it gets, as Iowa Girl and her hubby just came back from Jamaica.  Yeah, mon!

Friday:  Tacos Deluxe from Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife

This taco recipe looks so scrumptious!  No prepackaged taco seasoning here, friends.  This beef is slow-simmered in a homemade sauce full of wonderful spices.  Yum!

Like Paula Deen, I'm sending you "love and best dishes" (in my *very* bad Georgia drawl, y'all)!

Chris

Weekly Meal Plan: April 16-20

Yep, I'm late again.  Sorry about that!  Here's what the Perkinses are eating this week:


Monday:  Quick French Dip Sandwiches from Kitchen Simplicity
I gotta tell you "Yum" doesn't even begin to cover it!  Bill and I both enjoyed these last night.

Tuesday:  Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos in the Crock Pot from The Novice Chef Blog
Tender, slow-cooked chicken swimming in salsa verde???  Oh, yeahhhh!!

Wednesday:  Lasagna Roll-Ups from Homemade by Holman
There are a million ways to do these tasty roll-ups.  This one uses ground turkey, crushed tomatoes, and classic Italian seasonings.  Not to mention ooey, gooey cheese!  Looks delish!

Thursday:  Crustless Spinach and Feta Pie from skinnytaste
You know I'm a sucker for spinach and feta.  This looks so promising (and it's healthy too)!

Friday:  Carmelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizzette from Bread In 5

I'll serve this with a big, delicious green salad full of veggies.  I've promised to work on my breadmaking skills this year.  I'd say this will be *excellent* practice!

Happy munching, friends!

Chris

Friday Favorites: Week 2

Happy Friday!  Here are some fun things I want to share with you this week.

Favorite "Whaaa?"

A sofa in 14 shades of blue-green linen.  There's something I really like about it!

Favorite "I wish I could do that" moment:

"Hello My Baby" by trudbol.  Amazing barbershop "quartet" with only two voices!

Favorite unexpected decor element:

Floating vases from younghouselove.com

You can buy these from CB2.  Cool!

Favorite new (to me) beauty find:

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment.  It leaves my face and neck feeling clean and soft. 

Favorite Dream Beach House Living Room:

"A living room swathed in sea glass blues with a view of the ocean."  Ahhh...

Favorite DIY I gotta try:

Lace decoupaged containers

Favorite uh-huh:

And it always will be...

Favorite place I'm yearning to go back to:

Trafalgar Square in London.  I was there 10 years ago and enjoyed every minute!!

Favorite Home Remedy to try:

No more alligator feet! from ehow.com

Summer sandal-wearing season is right around the corner.  Better be ready to put your best foot forward!  Sorry - you knew that was coming, right?!  ;-)

Favorite thing I'm coveting this week:

Lovely, basic pearl drop earrings from World Market.  They're only $9.99!

I'm going to spend my weekend hoping and praying that the Blues win their Stanley Cup playoff game against the Sharks on Saturday night.  Fingers, toes and even some unmentionables crossed!!

I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Chris

Weekly Meal Plan: April 9-April13

It's that time again.  :-)  Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday:  Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole from Plain Chicken.

We've got some leftover ham from our Easter feast (who doesn't?), and this sounds like a wonderful way to help use it up!

Tuesday:  Summer Chicken & Eggplant Pasta from Iowa Girl Eats.

But I'm going to give this a try *without* the chicken since we just had chicken last night.

Wednesday:  Pork Chops with Wine and Garlic from The Pioneer Woman

(minus the wine for us - we'll use some grape juice)

Doesn't this look...divine?!

Thursday:  Lemon Dill Chicken Skewers from Savory Sweet Life

Yep, I'm on a roll with the skewers lately!

I'll have Bill work his grill magic again for this one!  And we'll serve it with a simple salad on the side.

Friday:  Bacon and Ranch Cajun Baby Cheeseburgers from The Picky Palate

Two words:  Oh. My!  These should be a great addition to the Friday tradition of burgers and fries at the Perkins house!

Wishing you scrumtious dishes this week, friends!

Friday Favorites: Week 1

I stumbled upon a wonderful blog a couple of weeks ago called Iowa Girl Eats.  Kristin, the proprietress, posts delicious recipes, fun things that happen to her, and all kinds of other cool stuff.  One of my favorite features on her blog is her "Friday Favorites" so I decided to copy her idea and post some of the good things I come across on the web each week. 

Favorite Easter craft:

Who wouldn't love a little gift - or better yet, CANDY - snuggled inside this adorable bunny pouch?

Favorite view on a spring day:

source:  http://prettystuff.tumblr.com/post/20368265660

Favorite show-stopper:

Himalaya Cascade earrings from baublebar.com

What a gorgeous pop of color and style these would be to a classic little black dress!

Favorite blast from the past:

"They Don't Know" by Tracey Ullman

I've loved this song since I was 12 years old!  One of my all-time favorite songs. EVER.

Favorite new (to me) beauty product:

Garnier BB Cream

This is like a concealer, moisturizer and light foundation all rolled into one!  It helps even out my skin tone and brighten my complexion.  I find that all I have to add is a little powder to set it, then put on my eye makeup, blush and lipstick and I'm ready to go! 

Favorite Springtime sip:

Sparkling Rhubarb-Vanilla Lemonade by Kitchen Simplicity

Doesn't this look refreshing? Great for the unseasonably warm temps we're having.

Favorite place to curl up with a good book:

Put the throw across your lap, adjust the pillow *just so* behind your back and relax with a great read.  I love that table and the pretty neutral palette with blue/green accents.

Favorite Truth:

Good advice, no matter what your age!

When I was little, I practically lived on my swingset. I'd sing all my favorite songs at the top of my lungs while I swung and hung upside down on the bar in the middle of the side frame.  Good times!

Favorite dessert I wanna try:

Apple pie in an egg roll?  I'm there!!

Favorite summer outfit idea:

Who could resist that pretty dress?  The nail polish is Jamaica Me Crazy - love it!

Enjoy your weekend!

Chris

Weekly Meal Plan: April 2 - April 6

I'm a bit late on this week's meal plan - sorry!  Bill and I went to visit my mom over the weekend since we won't be able to be there for Easter Sunday next week.  She very kindly fixed a traditional feast for us then, so Bill and I had ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, Waldorf salad, and rolls for dinner again on Monday. 

My mouth's watering just remembering all that delicious food! 

Moms are so cool, don't you think?  :-)

Tuesday:  Grilled Chicken and Berry Salad

Bill's going to get out the grill again tonight to prepare the chicken

for this scrumptious looking salad.

We're expected to hit 80 degrees today.  Maybe we'll eat out on the deck. 

I'll serve this with some crusty bread on the side.

Wednesday:  Herb Roasted Pork Dinner

I fixed my first pork loin a couple of years ago for a Halloween party (it was technically "Herb Roasted Pork with Vampire Fighter's Garlic Sauce - LOL!).  It was one of the best things I'd ever eaten!  Pork loins are seriously easy to cook and provide a blank canvas for whatever flavor you'd like to give them.

This one gets an herb rub made of garlic, basil, thyme and rosemary. 

The carrots have a honey-balsamic glaze, and the potatoes are jazzed up with some boursin cheese. 

Can you say yum??  Can't wait to try this one.

Thursday:  Chili Lime Chicken Burgers

Words can't even express how eager I am to try this recipe!  It looks so tantalizing with the "guacamole" spread and pepper jack cheese on top

along with all the flavor in the burgers themselves: 

red pepper, green onion, cilantro and lime juice.  Mmmm!

Friday:  Mediterranean Chicken Kebab Salad

This looks a lot like something that would be served at our favorite Greek restaurant!

I recently learned how to do kebabs in the oven,

so I think that's going to be my approach here.

Happy eating this week, friends!