TOPAZ HORIZON

If you have TLC channel, you might have come across the home makeover show called, "House vs Spouse." The show will give $25,000 to a couple to renovate their home. The catch is the wife (and kids, if they have any) will move out and not have any say about the renovation at all. So it's up to the husband how he'll spend the $25,000.

Some episodes are super sweet, like the one I embedded below, because you can see that the husband really knows his wife and wants to make her happy. Some episodes will make you cringe because the husband is so clueless and selfish. Like there was this one episode that I could NOT watch because the husband was so giddy about what to get himself. "I want a urinal! I want expensive speakers!" He painted graffiti all over the entire wall of their kid's room! The wife WEPT. She just broke down, saying no one ever pays attention to her needs. When she cried, "I'm the girl no one sees!", I turned the TV off. That episode was depressing!

How about you? Will you trust your husband with your home? I know a lot of moms who can't even trust their husbands with anything! Like, they won't leave the kids with their hubbies! That is the man you married! The father of your children! You have to trust him! Trust (not love!) is the foundation of every successful marriage!

Now, if Vince and I were to be given $25,000 to renovate our home, I wouldn't worry about a thing. Mostly because he's actually the one who is more into home stuff. I always joke that I just live in his house. And we talk about our home plans often enough so that I know he knows what I want and I know what he wants, too. I'm sure he'll buy a huge rug for our living room. He'll also have bookshelves built in there. He also likes color. That's why every room in our house is exploding with color (yellow kitchen, Alice blue living and dining area, red study, chocolate and coffee bedroom). But that's the only thing I'm not so crazy about because these days, I just want to paint everything white. I just want everything—walls, countertops, bathroom tiles, floors, curtains, sheets, towels, shelves, closets, shoe closets—white! Which bores my husband to tears haha so I don't think all-white is happening. Ever.

But we have agreed on certain things like mirrored closet doors in the bedroom:

I like the gray-green-cream-brown color scheme, too!

I like the graphic pattern on the mirrored doors.

The mirrors look aged on purpose, lending an antique delicate feel!

So bright and airy!

Or maybe best to leave the mirrors alone!

We've also agreed on bold stripes in our boys' room (see our pegs here).

It's nice to talk about plans and dreams with your spouse. Right now, we can't afford a full blown renovation. Plus, with three little kids (one a baby!), it's a bad idea to turn our lives upside down! So we'll do it slowly. That's our next project. The house!

Meanwhile, check out my favorite episode of "Spouse vs House":












*photos from House Beautiful, Shelter Interior Design, Wind Lost, Loft & Cottage, The Lettered Cottage

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Next week is November!!!

I've never been one to celebrate Halloween. It's the Born Again upbringing. But now that I have little boys who just love to get dressed up in costumes and squeal in delighted horror when their Mama Monster chases them around the house to attack them with kisses and tickles, I gotta do Halloween! So we'll do the costumes, the scary decor, and the creepy meals.

As a busy mom, I don't have time to create gourmet party dishes. But I do want to celebrate the season with spooked-up versions of my kids' favorite things to eat. With just simple everyday ingredients, I can creep my kids out into stuffing themselves! I especially like how Cheez Whiz—which I've loved since I was a kid—makes these recipes easier to whip up. Instead of using pricey cheeses like mozzarella, I use creamy Cheez Whiz! Since it's not so expensive (but just as yummy), I can serve it generously!

Anyway, because I wanted to inspire my dearest readers into making their own Halloween snacks, my kids and I made our scary treats early so we can show you our delicious ideas!

Spiderweb Pizza
Ingredients:
Pizza crust
Pasta sauce
Pepperoni, ham or hot dog
Cheez Whiz
Black olives (if your kids don't like olives, use pepperoni, hotdogs or nori)

Spread pasta sauce generously on the pizza crust (if you don't have pizza crust, just cut out circles in regular sliced bread). Layer pepperoni or ham all over the pizza. Make spiders using the black olives. Pop into the oven and toast for 10 minutes. While it's toasting, put Cheez Whiz in a bowl, heat in a microwave oven to soften it, then transfer to a pastry bag. When pizza's done in the oven, pipe out a spiderweb pattern with the Cheez Whiz. Serve!

You have to put the Cheez Whiz last because if you make the web first then heat, the cheese spread will melt all over your pizza! I learned that by mistake! Heehee! See what Iron Man and I made: