One of my favorite game day snacks is spinach and artichoke dip. It is delicious & dangerous and by dangerous I mean the guilt we can feel by taking in all those extra calories. Well no more! Bethanny Frankel has made a healthier version of this go-to game time dish with just a few simple and extremely still edible substitutions. I have tried it myself and my stomach wouldn’t lie to you folks, it is very yummy. So go on and cheer for your team, hoping your only guilty pleasure is a victory.

image spotted on bfeedme.com

Guilt-free Artichoke and Spinach Dip, recipe courtesy of Bethenny Frankel from her book The Skinny Girl Dish

Ingredients: serves 6 (see ingredient variations & more on hollywoodlife.com)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all of the ingredients except 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan in a large bowl or food processor. Blend or pulse until mostly smooth, but leave some artichoke chunks for texture.

2. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish or casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and just starting to bubble. Let the dip sit for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm with thin slices of baguette, raw vegetables, baked tortilla chips, or crackers. (I like crostinis or bagel chips also)

Send out some sass this Valentine’s Day…

1. & 4. Single Awareness Day & Kiss Me Already You Know You Want to, $2.50 each, nouveau designs etsy.com 2. Will You be My Valentine, FYI I’m Easy, $4.50, Old Tom Foolery, 3. sad girl with balloons by Red cap & ‘valentine’s should be cancelled pop quiz by Regional, available at Urbanic Paper Boutique spotted via Parcel Post 5. Love bites, created by Amanda Larsen Design, custom printed 15 for $45, minted.com

send your special someone some love…

1. & 2. You Rock, $6 & I Love You Best, $4.50, EggPress.com, 3. Smokin Hot, $4.25, Chewing the Cud, etsy.com, 4. For My Love 2, $3.50, wileyvalentine.com, 5. I Love You, $3, Pistachio Press, available on etsy.com, 6. Owl Love You Forever, $6, nightowlpapergoods.com

Celebrate in sugar with groundhog cupcakes.

Recipe courtesy of Family Fun Magazine

Ingredients:

• Baked cupcake
• Almond Joy candy
• White frosting
• White jelly beans

• Black decorators’ gel
• Watermelon slice candy
• Brown M&M’s Minis
• Chocolate cookie

Directions:

1. Remove a piece of cake the width of an Almond Joy candy from the center of a baked cupcake. Set the candy upright in the hole, then spread a layer of white frosting on the cupcake.
2. For the groundhog’s eyes, trim the ends from a white jelly bean, stick them in place with frosting, then dot them with black decorators’ gel. Add a tiny triangle cut from a watermelon slice candy for a nose, brown M&M’s Minis for ears and cheeks, and a tiny rectangular piece of white jelly bean for teeth. Sprinkle chocolate cookie crumbs around the partially emerged groundhog, and he’s ready to greet his fans.

Oh how I love thee, breakfast nook!  Trying to find a carpenter that can build me such a sweet seating arrangement.  Aside from the cozy factor, the #1 reason I love the nook, is that I can also use the box benches for abundant storage that my galley kitchen so desperately lacks.

pulled from my personal archive, courtesy of Domino Magazine

what a great idea! For rainy or snowy days like today, this boot tray could come in mighty handy to save you the time of toiling over your floors. Thanks Real Simple.

is my new name. Sorry I have been away with no warning, I did not realize getting internet in my new place would take so long!  I promise to put up treats this weekend.

In the meantime check out ‘Bazooka an album’ created by Livy of  ‘A Field Journal’, how sweetly she remembers a best friend lost.  Spotted on The Blah, Blah, Blahg. Oh how this touched my heart…thinking of you Fluffy.

I haven’t purchased much needed furniture yet, because I don’t move for another week, however below is the attention to detail I aspire to achieve upon settling in. An over-sized mirror, soft ottoman, rug, petite table and pretty artwork make the corner of a room extremely comfy. Flowers, a mirror, makeup brush holder and scented drawer inserts make the vanity a happy way to start the day. Symmetry in the bedroom with flanked tables, lamps and artwork, and the best accent - a bench at the foot of the bed. Hanging art in unexpected places and frames that require no hanging at all by resting on the floor. Lastly, I am toying with the idea of a electric fireplace to give my living area a focal point and some added warmth.

1. Transform a Corner of your Home, realsimple.com, 2. 20 ways to Update Your Bathroom, realsimple.com 3.- 5. Reviving a Victorian Home, elledecor.com

I saw this on Grey likes Weddings yesterday and had to share it. What a fabulous idea to use an old sweater as a DIY wine wrap. Cut a sleeve and sew the bottom, place with a gift tag and you have two gifts in one! See full set of instructions here. Thanks to Summer and friends for the clever concept I will be sure to replicate.

Grey likes Weddings: along with Jenny Liu Photography, MaeMae Paperie and Calligraphos Ink.

So I am moving at the end of this month into my very own apartment. Daunting yet truly exciting!  I am finding myself looking for inspiration on how to decorate this new space that I can call my very own. I love both vintage and modern so I am looking for an eclectic mix of the two. The below images showcase rooms and items with a more vintage feel, however I may just plop a modern piece in here and there.

The kitchen is a galley kitchen, I am attracted to the look of butcher blocks with white and silver accents. I definitely would like a hutch (see past white pantry post here) and I am toying with the idea of these oak open shelves. Dust and greece are my main concerns, if anyone has advice on this please share. The bathroom I would like to be serene, feminine, and comfortable. I am working with 1/4 the space of the lofted bathroom below but the colors and wood beams are wonderful!  Aged wood, wicker and accents of apothecary bottles, and silver specialities are a must. For dining, I like white seat covers with dark wood and love the large mirror as a backdrop. A few other homey items like a bench seat and ruffled bed dress just might be the touches I am looking for. Oh and let’s not forget about a little bit of lux, a chandelier would be absolute heaven! DIY network is about to become my new best friend.

1. Elle Decoration SA blog, 3. The Inspired Room, & 4. Home Interiors, spotted on Decorology, 5. RMSer LewisDesigns, HGTV.com, 6. Country Living spotted on the inspired room, 2, 7, 8, & 9. spotted on This is Glamorous