Franklins World: Perk on Church

TGIF everyone!

Yesterday was technically my Friday - as I'm now off for a long weekend!  Ant & I are heading to NYC tonight to meet up with some friends and I can NOT wait.

I'm just checking in because I had the BEST morning and I thought I'd turn it into a Franklins World post - because there's no better way to kick off the weekend than some mug shots of my little one.

We are lucky enough to have quite a few pet friendly patios in town, and we love taking advantage of them during the warmer months.  This AM we FINALLY woke up to some sunshine - so I decided to take full advantage and head out for a "mother son" breakfast date.

Perk on Church has the best crepes.  I always, 100% of the time have their Amazing Grace crepe - which is filled with fresh fruit and local yogurt.  Today I had that and a coffee, and Franklin and I hung out on the patio for awhile enjoying the sun.  It's right near the green, so there's plenty of people watching which makes it right up Franklin's ally!

My silly little man :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

xoxo

#Wifey Diaries: Gallery Wall Update

Last year, Ant & I put up a gallery wall above our fireplace.  We decided it would primarily be photos of places, rather than people.  This was the original wall:

After our vacation this past spring, we had so many new pictures of amazing places - we decided it was time to update the wall!  We chose a number of photos, and I went a little crazy online shopping at TJMaxx {who knew you could buy online @ TJMaxx?? I didn't! Talk about dangerous.} One afternoon after work we popped a bottle of bubbly, took the whole wall down, and redid it.  I had "the vision" for layout, and Ant did all the measuring to ensure it actually came together okay! 

Franklin discovered he could get a better view from the stairs.

This shot includes two of my favorite pieces - the custom home watercolor I gifted Ant on our anniversary, and a painting his cousin did for us based on a photo Ant took while we were in San Fran.  

I love that the updated wall makes better use of the space, and includes a more interesting mix of colors and detailing on the frames!  It helps bring together the space, and is a great reminder of some of the travel we've been lucky to do.  What house projects have you been working on?? 

xoxo

#Wifey Diaries - Living Room Inspiration

Ant and I have been talking about what home improvement projects we want to tackle this spring/summer.  This is finally the year we're going to do some outdoor landscaping, and there are a million other little things I would love to check off our list!  One is our living room.  We have a brightly colored accent wall {Bali Bliss is the official paint color} and beautiful built ins, but I've been wanting to spruce it up a bit!  The other day I went on Pinterest to get some inspiration, and here are a few of the ideas I came across.

Our built ins are in need of a paint job anyway, and I LOVE the way these are painted with a lighter color in the background.  I think it would go a long way to brightening our living room, which isn't huge to begin with!  The room is all shades of blues and neutrals, so the lighter blue would go nicely, and just add a little bit of a pop!  Luckily, Ant is totally on board, and that's an easy enough project to do even now, while spring is still refusing to join us!

What's on your DIY list currently??

xoxo

#Wifey Diaries: Mix and Match Mama

I told you my first #Wifey Diaries post would be about my crock pot....so now that you're all thoroughly excited...here we go!  This post is more specifically about Mix and Match Mama.  and how Mix and Match Mama makes me feel like a #SuperWifey.

Mix and Match Mama is the "foodie blog" of Shay Shull.  Shay is the sister of Sean Lowe {as in Sean from the Bachelor}.  I pretty regularly read both of her blogs, and recently Mix and Match Mama has become my favorite spot to go to for recipes, especially crock pot recipes!  They're sort of her thing.  Ant and I discovered the joys of crock pot cooking when we lived in our apartment but horribly underutilized it.  Since moving into our home, we have learned just how incredibly valuable it is!  There is NOTHING better than crock pot meals - especially in winter, which also happens to be one of my busiest times at work!  Crock pot meals are almost always comfort food...warm, and delicious and EASY.  Ahhh the easiness is unreal.  Even when I feel like I have zero minutes in my life, I can still find the 10 minutes it takes to prep the food for the crock pot, throw it in and hit start!  By the time we get home after a long day, dinner is ready.

She changed my life with this particular recipe for Sweet Corn Chili. {click the link for the full recipe!}  The shopping list was this:

Shopping List
1 pound of ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 oz) can of creamed corn
1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt and Pepper
Sour cream and/or shredded cheese to garnish, optional

The first thing that stood out to me was that it was SIMPLE.  None of those ingredients looked at all complicated.  Ground turkey was a win for my *trying to eat healthy* husband.  I then decided to use her slogan "it's more about the method than the recipe" and ad lib it a bit.  I don't love onions, and I HATE jalapeños, so I skipped them entirely!  I stuck to ground turkey, chili powder, frozen corn and all of the canned goods! Talk about an insanely simple shopping list! {and if you know me and my grown woman grocery store temper tantrums, the more simple the list, the better}....I brought it all home, cooked it up....and had dinner waiting to surprise the hubs when he got home! and guess what?

It was amazing.  By far one of the best crock pot recipes we've made to date!  We eat it as chili...we eat it as tacos with sour cream and cheese added....we eat it as a nacho dip with tortilla chips...you name it, we've tried it!  It's good as dinner, it reheats well for lunch at work. It's a win/win/win.  

Yup.  That's right.  #SuperWifey speaking.

The same can be said about many of her other recipes as well - if I'm looking for something simple and delicious, 100% of the time I search her site first.  We had dinner with two other couples the other night, and I was bringing a side dish.  Something simple and delicious AND easy to transport?  Mix and Match Mama to the rescue!  I tried out her Mashed Potato Casserole.  I was able to do all the pre work at home, and when we got to our friends house I just threw it in the oven for 20 minutes and it was done! 

The thing I love about Shay is that she doesn't pretend to be too fancy or over the top.  Her recipes don't make me nervous about whether I'm going to screw them up or present them properly!  She uses disposable baking dishes for parties so clean up is easy, her dessert recipes often include boxed mixes as a starting point...she isn't worried about anything other than a delicious end result!  I may not have 3 kids, but my life is still pretty busy and it's nice to know that I can still feel like a wonderful hostess and wife without losing my mind in the kitchen! {besides, the reality of the situation is Ant is still a better cook than me....Shay just helps me hold my own!}

There are so many delicious recipes on her site, I occasionally browse to get an idea of what I might try next...I think this one is at the top of my list for next summer!

What sites are your go-to for recipes?? I'm always looking for new ones!  Do you have a favorite crock pot recipe?  Share, please!!  This girl will take all the help she can get :)

xoxo

#Wifey Diaries: A New Year Series

So I received this marvelous Christmas gift from my sister this year - a #Wifey necklace from cocktailbling.com!  I'm pretty much in love with it.  It is simple and cute and very fitting as I start my first full year as the wife half of our dream team :)

This lovely little necklace is my inspiration for a new series.  The #Wifey Diaries will be where I touch on the many exciting things happening here in the Mascia household in 2015....and the things I learn as a new wife along the way.

I'm working on my first post now - and here's a teaser...it involves a crock pot! See, exciting things happening over here friends. Excitinggggg stuff.

Until then - I hope you're all having a wonderful first weekend of the new year!!! Ant and I are enjoying every minute of our weekend off together.

xoxo

Christmas at the Lake

Every waking minute the last few weeks has been spent either A. working, or B. trying to have as much holiday fun as humanly possible while NOT working!  Which doesn't leave a whole lot of time for anything else.....luckily, I knew December was going to be crazy - so Ant and I took advantage of a couple of well timed days off early on to get the house ready for the holiday season!  I love that I can now invest in holiday decor without feeling guilty about how much use it will get - I'm not decorating a corner of our temporary apartment living situation....I'm decorating our HOME!  As it turns out, that justifies wayyyyy more adorable little trees :)

 First, I came home with three Christmas trees - two for the mantle and one for our wine rack!

We don't host actual holidays - our schedules make it next to impossible...but we did have both sets of parents over for a "between holidays" meal...the table runner I found at Christmas Tree Shops matches our new Restoration Hardware dinnerware perfectly!  I'm also in love with the "M" votive candle holder I found at Marshalls!

The next three are finished views of our mantle.  This is by far one of my favorite parts of the house, especially this time of year.  Our fireplace has so much character, and when the wood stove is roaring there is nowhere I'd rather be snuggled up!  In addition to the Christmas trees and a collection of candles, Ant and I added a garland this year.  I'd been talking about buying one and asking Ant for his opinion - and he suggested we make our own!  So we did just that.  For a first attempt, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out....and it's even more special that it was made from our own backyard!  I'm not especially crafty, but it's fun to try sometimes.

What is your favorite holiday decor?? and how early do you start putting it up?

xoxo

Oh Christmas Tree...

On Monday, Ant and I went out on the hunt for our first Mascia Christmas tree!  This is our fifth Christmas living together, and our second Christmas in this house...but our first one as a married couple!  I thought it would be fun to go into the archives and find photos of our Christmas trees throughout the years...

Here are the pictures of our three trees at our apartment...

This picture was hard to find - before the days of instagram and our fancy new computer.  This was our first tree together ever...awww....

I can't find the photo evidence, but I'm pretty sure this is our home depot tree. Thank goodness for Ant, his patience and his ability to think fast in stressful situations ;)

Our last apartment tree - we got a little bigger this time around!

When we moved into our new house, I was determined that we were going to cut down our own tree - since the previous years we had gone to a variety of "pre-cut" places in town.  We successfully found a tree - but wayyyy underestimated the size we could fit in our new home!  We were thinking apartment sized, which translated into tiny in our new home :)

Monday Ant and I both had the day off from work - so we took advantage and went to one of the local tree farms!  It was just about the perfect day for picking out the perfect tree - as you can tell by our outfits it was NOT cold, no hats and gloves necessary! {Ants was more for his bad hair day} ....NOT normal for December in Connecticut.

Hubs on the farm

We found "the one!"

Christmas 2014 - The Mascias 

MUCH better...now it just needs presents!

Lit tree = cozy home.

Couldn't leave without a wreath! Love the deep red bow against our cute black cape :)

Do you have your tree up yet?  Is it real or artificial??

xoxo

Christmas Wish List

So...it isn't even December yet, I realize.  BUT I work retail, and this week is Black Friday week!  To many people, Thanksgiving might be the more important holiday that comes to mind this week...... but if we're being honest, my Thanksgivings have always been a little funky.  This year I will be at work by 3:30pm on Thanksgiving - and we have been CRAZY at work the last few weeks, all prepping for Black Friday.

In the spirit of shopping, I thought I'd share with you my current Christmas list!  Last year's list was all about wants - and this year's list seems to be a little more of a mix.  Here's what Mrs. Mascia is currently wishing for...

Aquinnah shield studs

Jewelry from Aquinnah was on my list last year - and I have been SO good and not bought anything for myself all year!  I was lucky enough to work with her on all of my bridesmaids earrings for our wedding, and gifts for both my mother and mother in law - so now seems like a good time to spoil myself with something! I LOVE these shield stud earrings.  An amazing pop of bling without going over the top

iPhone 6

Ahhh, this one falls into the category of needs, sadly.  I have held out SO long with my darling iPhone 4s, but it is finally starting to show its age.  Time to upgrade to the newest and largest iPhone 6!

iPhone 6 case

If I'm getting a new iPhone - a new case to go along with it would become a "need" you could say, no?  This Michael Kors one from Nordstrom acts as a card holder as well, which would be helpful at work.

Spa Gift Certificate

One thing I NEVER say no to are gift certificates to the spa for either a massage or a manicure.  After the holidays at work, a massage would be the perfect way to relax....and my poor fingers could legitimately ALWAYS use a mani.  

Pier 1 Loveseat

Ant and I would not exactly agree on which category this falls into...I would call it a need - he considers it a very solid WANT.  Sooo, it is probably going to sit on our "to do" list for a little while.  We need a loveseat/chaise/chair in our bedroom - and have found a couple that we love - this one at Pier 1 included.  Sadly, it is not quite high enough on our priority list to justify the expense right now....but if Santa wanted to drop it off at the front door - he's more than welcome!

Paloma's Nest Ornament

This "Our First Christmas" ornament from the Southern Weddings shop showed up on my instagram feed one day, and I fell in love.  It is so simple, and so sweet.  No explanation needed!

So there you have it....a few of the things currently on my Christmas list!  At the end of the day, I'm mostly just excited to celebrate our first Christmas together as husband and wife.  There's something about being married that takes the idea of holiday family time to a whole new level.  I can't wait to build our own holiday traditions together! ....whatever those may be :)

xoxo

Happy Halloween!

Happy {belated} Halloween from the Mascias!!!!  Ant and I first starting dating right around Halloween 6 years ago...so this was technically our 7th Halloween together - and our first year having any sort of "coordinated" costume as a couple.   I'd like to shout out to the lovely ladies at my Sephora for helping me with a colorful makeover to go along with my piñata costume!!  Ant and I were pretty happy with the way our DIY costumes turned out.

What were you for Halloween??  What's your favorite couples costume? I need good ideas and inspiration for next year!!!

xoxo