happy sunday...

yes please

{all photos are from here}

Well,  Hello Saturday! You're looking mighty pretty today! OMG the sun is shining bright and beautiful here in San Diego. Don't you just love all of these pictures {wink}?!?! Simplicity is extremely  attractive to me lately. I'm on this road of cleansing everything... My mind, body and soul. out with the old in with the new. Ahhh man it definitely feels very good... I think you should try it! 

   

guest bathroom {interior design}

Gotta love a few progress shots... This bathroom did such an amazing transformation! Just changing the wall and cabinet color made a huge difference... Soft and subtle! 

rustic rooster {marketplace}

So mom and I got "super" creative and came up with the name rustic rooster marketplace for our online furniture sales on Instagram. What do you think... Go to @rusticrooster_marketplace on Instagram follow along to keep up with the new furniture coming in. I'm still trying to figure it all out... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  

{round pine farm table} 

Old pine wood... Truly stunning in person!  

47" Diameter x 31" High 

$450.00

motivation monday

Todays the day... I can feel it in my bones. lol I'm going to be motivated to blog! Ok I'll try to blog more. I really will try! So with that said, I want to bring up a new idea that I would like to try... I want to start an online viewing page of our furniture and accessories that we sell. I started to notice that some can't go to our Coastal "alley" SALES and contact me by phone or email to purchase what i've posted... And it's super easy for me to post a picture of the pieces. I guess what I'm really trying to say... It's fast and easy and I think more people will like this better. Capisce... lol What do you all think?

I'll post a few pictures with measurements and the price. I'm going to be starting a new rustic rooster market page... With the furniture and accessories that we're selling on it. Stay tuned for that Instagram account to come up! I'll link everything together so it's super easy! At first I'm only going to do local pick up to start this adventure off. If you must have the piece{s} and live far far away... I can ship, but I will need your credit card to charge for shipping. We can discuss that if you're truly interested! I won't rule anything out!

I'll keep you posted... It's in the works. I want it on the website as well! So much to do {wink}!

  

tomorrow's the sale....

for sale

So... We've finally cleaned out one of our storage units! Shut it down! {H A P P Y * D A N C E}  Now we're on the home stretch on getting everything organized and labeled in the one unit that we still have... A dream come true! Christmas in one section... Easter in another. Labeled perfectly! With that said... We've discovered tons of stuff that we don't need anymore. Actually haven't used in years... No joke years! So as they say, One man's trash is another man's treasure... So guess what,  we're selling tons of stuff!     Tons of furniture and accessories will be sold at the Coastal "alley" SALE this Saturday {April 2nd - 9:00 am to 11:00 am}. Here's a little preview of the glassware. If you're interested e-mail me at alexandra@rusticrooster.com. I can sell these before Saturday. Would love to not have to transport them to the sale... {wink}

{$100.00 for this entire Green Depression Luncheon set. In perfect condition... No chips!}
SOLD

 {$50.00 for this entire set of Pink Champagne Depression Glass. The rims have a few rough edges... Need to be polished and smoothed out}

SOLD

happy sunday...

coastal "alley" sale

happy birthday

{3.24.06}

I can't wrap my head around this... My daughter is 10 years old today. Oh my gosh! How did this happen... I just gave birth to her! I feel like crying and screaming from a roof top saying... NO slow down baby doll! Stop growing! This little angel has taught me so much... How to be honest, how to be truthful  and actually how to see kindness in others who aren't so kind back. She will make you think and understand that not everyone can be as fortunate as we are... You really do stop in your tracks because she is so pure! Our late night talks, our silly car rides and our "truth" sessions are mind blowing. What I learn from her {daily}... You can't learn anywhere else. I want to make better choices because of her... My children   will always {no matter what} be number one in my world! True love forever! I love taking time out of my day to look at her and listen to her! So fun!  I do believe she was sent to me from heaven for a reason... Thank you! Wait... Stop... Taylor has just entered the double digits. No! Ok moms you know what I'm feeling right now. Scared and extremely excited for her all at the same time! I'm not ready for Taylor to grow up. This girls love for life is insane. She will melt your heart in one sitting. I am so happy to call Taylor my daughter... Happy Birthday Taylor Michelle! Welcome to the double digit club {wink}... I love you with all my heart! 

monday {menu}

{recipe here}

INA GARTEN’S PASTA ALLA VECCHIA BETTOLA

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium (or a few small) Spanish onion(s), chopped to yield 2 1/2 cups
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (If you are sensitive to heat, just use a pinch and adjust at the end. The 1/2 teaspoon makes for a seriously spicy sauce.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (optional — I didn't use. I love dried oregano, but I don't always love it in tomato sauce.)
• 1 cup vodka
• 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound penne pasta or whatever shape you like
• 4 tablespoons fresh oregano (I used basil)
• 1/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
• grated Parmigiano or Pecorino

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
   
   
2. Heat the olive oil in a large oven proof sauté pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano (if using) and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half, about 5 to 7 minutes more.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve. (Save the strained juice. I stuck mine in the freezer. It can be used for future sauce-making days as well as for homemade bloody Mary mix, etc. Maybe you have more thoughts for repurposing this strained juice? Would love to hear.) Put on an apron and crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands — careful hear...you might make a mess all over your oven. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. 
   
   
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. (Note: Ina adds 2 tablespoons of kosher salt to her pasta water. I did this, too, and found it really seasons the pasta nicely. There is no need to save pasta cooking liquid in this recipe, but if there were, I think the 2 tablespoons would be a little too much — the reserved liquid would be too salty. Just something to keep in mind.) Drain and set aside.
   
   
5. Place the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor and purée in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Place potholders or dishtowels around the handles of your pot to prevent burning your hands in the next step.(Note: I puréed a handful of basil with the sauce at this step and didn't add anymore fresh herbs.) Return sauce to the pan.
   
   
6. Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (if using) and enough heavy cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency — start with a quarter cup; taste; add more as necessary. Add salt (if necessary) and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in a generous handful of grated cheese. Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh oregano (if using) on each plate.

 

happy sunday...

hello

{all photos from here}

Hi everyone... I know its been a little while since I've actually blogged. Man, Oh Man... Life for me has been a little busy. In a good way. Definitely no complaints here! First off, lets celebrate that my kids yard sale is done {yaaaa}. Thanks to all that showed up... WOW that was an awesome sale! Taylor and Ryan made much more than they anticipated. Plus,  I feel so much lighter and refreshed that everything is out of my courtyard and gone, gone, gone!  Weird, I know, but clutter and dis-organization makes me actually very upset and  frustrated. Ha ha I'm a therapists dream... {wink}! My concentration and functionality  goes down about a thousand percent. Yes, call me crazy... My mom already does. Hey, at least I can admit that... {huge smile}. 

But, work has been amazing for me. So my silence is because I'm in my little office creating plans, putting estimates and invoices together. The behind the scenes for a designer isn't unicorns and fairies... It's long days and nights and tons of research and paperwork! haha I'm all about the truth right now... Ask and you shall receive!

Don't you just love all these pictures... So cozy and comfy in my eyes. I'm excited spring is near! This winter hasn't really been that bad here in Southern California. I could handle it. Could you? I will leave you with one tip... Do small things with great love! In the end you will thank yourself. I used to spread myself so thin that I would get overwhelmed and my master {head} plan would crash and burn. So now I do little things and make them amazing! Try it... I think it might work for you! 

     

coastal "alley" sale

happy sunday...