Such the Spot

MODERN FARMHOUSE FOOTBALL MAN CAVE IDEAS

If you’ve seen any of my home tour posts, you know that I have a very particular design style. Most of the rooms in my house rely heavily on neutral basics with strong contrast. I accessorize with modern farmhouse decor. I like to amp up texture through the use of metals, wood, natural fibers and assorted textiles. You might be surprised, then, if you were to take a glimpse into one of my favorite rooms in the house: our upstairs bonus room. We’ve opted to turn this space into a game room/den. We call it our “nest” (more on that in a minute), and it represents quite a departure from my typical design style. The room is themed for our “home” team, the Arizona Cardinals. Come with me to have a look at this space, and gather some awesome football man cave ideas while you’re here.

Aug 4Aug 4

KAUA’I DESTINATION GUIDE

For our second trip to the state of Hawaii, we decided to visit the island of Kaua’i. The promise of tropical vistas, serene beaches and fewer tourists than neighboring islands lured us in. Having recently returned, I’m happy to report that our vacation was every bit the adventure we hoped for. We came home with beautiful photos, full hearts and memories to last a lifetime. In this post, I’m sharing the details of our travels to help other families plan a vacation as amazing (maybe more!) as ours was. If you’re looking for the best things for families to do in Kauai, you’re definitely going to want to read further. If you’re more a mountain lover than beach, check out my Banff Travel Guide

May 17

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE MALTED CRUNCH ICE CREAM

Chocolate Malted Crunch homemade ice cream in a glass dish with antique spoon

When I was younger (see also: when I didn’t have to worry about frivolous things like calories) one of my greatest pleasures in life could be found at the local drugstore. It wasn’t until I just typed that sentence out that I realized how ancient it makes me sound. Sadly, it’s true. I grew up in an era in which the local drugstore had an ice cream counter. My friends and I would walk there from my house and pony up our 65 cents for two scoops on a cake cone. Without fail, I’d order chocolate chip on top of chocolate malted crunch. In the years that have since passed, I moved out of California and have not been able to find Thrifty brand ice cream anywhere. And while chocolate chip is an easy enough ice cream flavor to find, chocolate malted crunch is not. So I improvised. I developed a recipe for homemade Chocolate Malted Crunch ice cream that — dare I say — is better than the drugstore version.