Upcoming Projects

I want to share the every growing list of projects I have started and not yet finished. Keep in mind I use the word "started" very loosely; it really just means I have purchased things and have grand visions yet no progress has been made towards those visions. As I mentioned in my 2014 Goals, I want to do a better job of completing projects this year than I did in 2013. Regular blog readers may have already seen these projects but I wanted to round them all up for myself. And what better way to remind myself of all the work I have to do than on the blog?

1. Dining chairs - I have purchased my canvas to reupholster the seats and fabric paint along with choosing my paint color for the wood part. I have even decided what design will go on the seats. I may even gold leaf the wooden knobs on the back. That would be fun. However, first step is getting to painting.

2. End table - you can see it peeking out behind my pink thrift store chair. I have shifted the furniture a bit since this picture, but the general idea is still the same. The end table fits underneath my desk and provides much needed storage in my teeny tiny apartment. I have cleaned up the end table and am waiting on J to reinforce the drawers (they are a bit loose) before I get to messing with it.

3. Cafe corner - this one is a new project. I hung one piece of my thrift store art where my nespresso machine sits. The kitchen counter juts out into the living space, giving me the perfect area to have a cafe corner. I have been searching and searching for a tray to contain the nespresso stuff so that it looks organized and doesn't get scattered all over the counter top (looking at you, J). I found the one in the picture below for $1.50 at Habitat. It is ugly, but I have big plans for dressing it up. I stuck the pink carnation into a coffee cup just for fun; the restaurant we went to for Valentines Day was handing out carnations to all the ladies so I decided to use mine as inspiration.

I could have cropped these images to hide my mess, but that would just be misleading. This is real life, including the rather full nespresso pod collector.

4. Plant holder - found this at Habitat for $5 and it has been living in storage ever since. I will eventually paint it to make it a bit more glitzy, but no colors have been selected.

So there you go. I love the ideas part of projects but have issues actually implementing those ideas. Does anyone else have that problem? I think it might be genetic. My mother has a pile of thrift store furniture that she has been meaning to update for almost a whole year now. Wish us luck!

Let the Love Fest Begin!

Happy Valentine's Day!  I waited until this morning to type up this post, because I wasn't sure how badly the snow would affect my Valentine's Day plans with Mr.3.  Luckily, it looks like we be able to dig our car out so we can get around town to take care of our Valentine's Day plans.  As I mentioned before, I'm not a fan of the pricey dinners that D.C. has to offer, so we are heading to the store to pick up two lobsters, a bottle of wine, and I've already got the ingredients for my browned butter balsamic roasted asparagus.  After dinner, we are headed over to the Ritz Carlton for its chocolate buffet (which I'm SUPER excited about...although slightly appalled by the idea of white chocolate soup with lemon thyme ).  Tomorrow, of course, I will be heading to the gym for some post-gluttony calorie burning, but I don't need to think about that today!

I hope everyone is able to keep their plans despite the weather.  If you need last minute gift ideas, check out our Posh Purpose gift guides with our favorite candy picks, $25 and under gifts, and luxe and lovely presents.  We love our readers and hope y'all all have a great day!

Gift Guide: Best Valentine's Day Candy

Hope y'all are all staying warm during the snowstorm that has been traveling up the east coast!  Valentine's Day is upon us and there is still time to pick up a sweet treat for your Valentine (if you aren't buried in snow!).  I would prefer to get a few pieces of really high end candy than deal with piles of cheap candy, which is not really worth the calories (I'm looking at you Hershey's Kisses).

Godiva is always a good choice...if you are buying one of the pre-packaged boxes and don't feel like waiting in line at the store, check out department stores like Macy's and Lord and Taylor, which usually have a display of boxed candy somewhere in the store.  If you live in the D.C. area, head over to Artisan Confections in Arlington or Merrifield.  I've blogged about them before, but they are simply the best chocolate in D.C.!

Valentine's Day Truffle Flight
$16
Image Source: Godiva

Just because I would prefer fancy pants dark chocolate doesn't mean I can't appreciate some drug store treats!  If you don't have an easily accessible chocolate shop, you can't go wrong with Lindt Truffles which are available at any grocery store, drug store, Target, or Walmart.

Lindt Valentine's Truffles
$15.60 for 60 Truffles
Image Source: Amazon

Aren't these heart shaped Junior Mints adorable (and yummy!)?  I've spotted them at Target before.

Heart Shaped Junior Mints
$2.95
Image Source: Paper Source

My other favorite drugstore candy for Valentine's Day include Red Hots, SweeTart Hearts, Nerds, heart-shaped York Peppermint Patties, and Cherry Sours.  I also love the Jolly Rancher heart shaped lollipops (A great sweet treat that helps me portion control.  I've found it's really difficult to fall off the diet bandwagon with only lollipops to tempt you.).  Did I miss any yummy treats?  Let me know!

Posh Purpose Bonus Tip: If you have a wedding in March, April, or May and are using pink, red, or white as your colors, consider stocking up on Valentine's candy when it goes on sale over the weekend.  Stay away from anything that has Valentine's Day wrapping on it, but candy like jelly beans, gummies, or other hard candies would be a great way to save some pennies and stock your candy bar, favors, or welcome bags.  For large bags of candy that aren't individually wrapped, put them in clear containers on your candy bar or divvy them up into cellophane bags.  Check the expiration dates on the packaging before you buy it, but most of these types of candies are good for 6 months (disturbing, I know!).

D.C. Valentine's Date Ideas

Going out for Valentine's Day can be horridly expensive and completely unnecessary.  D.C. Valentine's dinner prices are similar to New Year's Eve...it would be really difficult to get away from spending less than $200 on dinner out because so many restaurants do pre-fixe meals ranging from $75-$150 per person.  I'm all for not cooking dinner on Valentine's Day, but I think there are other options out there that won't break the bank.

If you happen to live in the D.C. area, pick up prepared foods from a fancy grocery store such as Whole Foods, Mom's Organic Market, or Balducci's and go out for dessert and a glass of wine at a fancy pants place.  I'd recommend Serendipity 3 if you can get in (I've been to the original NYC location) and there is nothing better than a giant sundae or one of their famous frozen hot chocolates!  Another idea would be to get takeout from your favorite restaurant and then make a special dessert at home that doesn't require too much effort...like chocolate covered strawberries (hint: heat the chocolate over low in a mini-crockpot...it won't burn or get too cold).  You can head to one of the outdoor ice skating rinks at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Pentagon Row, or the Reston Town Center and then treat yourself to a huge hot chocolate at Oyamel or Pitango.  If you must cook, why not head to a cooking class at Sur la Table?  I've been wanting to go to one of their gourmet cooking classes which range from $39-$79 per person.  At least with a cooking class, you aren't responsible for the dirty dishes!

If you happen to be lucky enough to spend Valentine's Day with all your single girlfriends, make it fun!  Go bowling, do one of those painting and wine parties, host a sleepover, or have a potluck (feel free to make it desserts only!).

I'll be sharing my Valentine's plans later in the week, but have I missed any super fun D.C. dates? Obviously, these tips work in almost any city, but let us know what's going on in your towns!

My Valentines Day Plans

Valentines Day is not a huge event for me. I really just go along with it because I love receiving presents. J happens to love giving me presents, so February 14th is a fun occasion all around. It is also a day that I don't have to cook, although that is slightly less of a perk now that J and I share the cooking responsibilities.

Our first Valentines Day while dating back in 2011 was split into two days. I had choir class the evening of the actual day, so going out to eat was not an option. Instead, J surprised me with a giant bear (I love giant stuffed bears) and cooked my favorite meal of his: super spicy/vinegary pork and onions. Yum! We went out to eat the following Friday. Our next Valentines Day was spent at Boston's amazing southern restaurant Hungry Mother. The food is legitimately delicious, even if they try to get a bit creative with our southern favorites. We did not celebrate on February 14th that year either because J's grandmother passed away and he was on a plane back from her funeral. Our third Valentines was right after we got married and were living in Las Vegas. J made reservations at a Peruvian restaurant. My little sister wondered why on earth he would take me there, since I do not particularly care for meat or potatoes. She always thinks she should be consulted on restaurant choices. And she is probably right; I did not really like the food, but it was still a fun experience. 

This is now our fourth Valentines Day together - fourth! crazy! - and the celebration has already begun. J was in Boston this past week for a business trip and was so sweet to bring me a box of my favorite artisan chocolates. If you follow us on twitter, you already spotted the picture. 

 

We also have reservations at a new locally owned restaurant, Bricks Bar and Grill. I know I will like the food as long as my hamburger is well done (cue baby sister wincing in embarrassment). And that stuffed pickle is definitely happening. If the results are tasty, I will be taking Melinda back with me during her spring break trip (yay!). J and I try to support locally owned businesses as much as possible. On the rare occasions we go out to eat, we usually pick a small local place over one of the many chains in the area. We will probably stop working earlier than normal and head over to the local tattoo and piercing place so I can get my tragus earring replaced. The crystal fell out and I am not in love with the empty metal post look. Nothing says Valentines Day like jewelry and chocolate, although in this case the jewelry is cheaper than the chocolate.