Heather Bullard

Grilled Asparagus with Toasted Walnuts & Parmesan

 
For our dinner menu, side dishes are usually my responsibility. I'm not sure when the duties fell into place it just seemed to work out that way. Not to say I never cook the entire meal or vice versa, but often times it's how we divide and conquer in the kitchen. He could live on meat and I could live on side dishes. Maybe that's why.

In any case, I'm always on the hunt for easy, delicious recipes that are slightly more interesting than frozen vegetables and rice pilaf. One of my standard go-to favorites is
 
Grilled Asparagus with Toasted Walnuts & Parmesan.

 

The recipe is incredibly simple and always tastes fantastic. I promise! When buying asparagus, I prefer them to be pencil thin. The larger ones seem more woody and stringy.

1 Bundle fresh asparagus 
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Toasted, chopped walnuts
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Trim ends off asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Grill on high heat until tender and charred a bit. Remove from heat and immediately sprinkle with parmesan, another drizzle of vinegar and toasted walnuts. Bon Appetit!

Friday Flowers

 It's been a while since I picked friday flowers for you. I had these pretties left over from a shoot and really love the chartreuse color. A dose of lemony green sunshine for you winter snowbirds!

Wanted to wish everyone a lovely weekend! I'm planning to:

Make a beautiful fruit salad. Completely craving it.
Repaint a wall that I used for a shoot. Guess what color it was painted? 
Try to take a few photos of my chickens. They don't ever sit still.
Put a few things on Craigslist because I'm clearing out the clutter.
Catch up on my reading. Amazon dropped by while I was in Vegas.

What are you going to do this weekend? Any plans? Maybe you're going to spend it keeping warm and relaxing? Sounds perfect to me!

Girlfriends Getaway...Vegas Style

  
Just back from a Vegas trip...a girlfriends getaway with my Farm Chick bestie. For once I didn't bring a camera which felt so liberating! I did however have my cell phone and took a few highlight shots with it:

Top Row: Main lobby entrance with red rope walls, cafe full of clocks, my bathroom vanity
Middle Row: Our Jo Malone purchases, view from my room, pastries at Jean-Philippe in the Bellagio
Bottom Row: Lovely boxwood gardens, the spa with delicious champagne, our favorite breakfast spot.

We had adjoining suites at the Encore....which were gorgeous! Shopped for furniture at the Las Vegas Market where Serena found the perfect table for her farmhouse. And then shopped everywhere we could think of in Vegas...really fun. Had a fabulous dinner at Bartolotta and plenty of room service, slept in and basically did whatever we felt like doing each day. It was so restful and just what the doctor ordered. It's amazing how a few days away recharges your soul. Now I'm ready to get back to the grindstone! 

A Novel Idea

 
 
A few weeks ago I had this great idea to turn the bookcases in my office into....bookcases. For years they have held practically everything except books. Go figure. What's funny, is I absolutely adore books. I would spend an entire weeks pay on them if I could. And all this time they've been piled up on nightstands, under the bed, in boxes and drawers, in the garage..you get the idea. They were stuffed everywhere but on the actual bookcase. It was time for change. 
Here's what I learned about myself through the process...

 

1. I like seeing my books. It inspires me to want to browse through one and actually cook something or design something or plan a party or travel to a new destination.

2. I like how orderly the rows of books and organizers are...they seem neat and tidy even though they are actually very full. And I'm loving the pops of color from the bindings.

 

3. I really like having less clutter and have edited down my collection to just the ones I enjoy along with my "can't part with" favorite magazines.

4. The space feels better to me..more like the real me. If I love books so much why haven't I surrounded myself with them sooner? Why did I hide them away and fill the shelves with unused craft supplies, half done projects and "pretty stuff"?

5. My office feels more efficient. Books are categorized by subject matter which makes them easier to find and my office supplies are neatly tucked away in boxes and wire baskets.

 

6. I like the view from my desk. If I'm stuck in an inspiration rut I can easily find something to get the creativity rolling along.

7. Most importantly, I learned to really think about how I will use a space before I start filling it up with "stuff". I've been guilty of this strategy and am vowing to change. No more, "Oh this is cute"...."I need that"....or "I'll buy this _____ and make something later".
In the end it will only end up as clutter.

8. And finally...I learned I need to have an enormous yard sale!

I hope this encourages you to design and decorate your space to really suit you. No matter how it may look or feel to anyone else. After all...you're the one using it day after day. And the freedom of having a space you thoroughly enjoy is priceless!

French Love Quote

 
 For the final installment of Valentine's Week I'm sending you a beautiful
French Love Quote

The Price of Love is simply..Love

For the Free 8x10 poster click here: Download Price of Love 

Thanks so much for dropping by this week. I hope you enjoyed the Valentine Treats!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

French Chocolate Labels

 

What would Valentine's Day be without chocolate? 
Today's sweet treat for you...French Chocolate Labels! 

They are custom made to fit a standard size {3.5oz} Ghirardelli Chocolate Bar. You can find the Ghiraradelli bars at most grocery stores and chains. I love that they still use pretty gold foil.
  
The romantic Valentine message reads:

My Hearts Desire
The Chocolate of Love
Be Mine
Always and Forever  
 
 The pale pink & chocolate labels come two per page...just print, cut and tape!
Here's the link: Download French Chocolate Labels Enjoy!

Embellishing with Candy Decorations

 

Do you remember homemade birthday cakes decorated with Candy Decorations from your childhood? Even now when I pass by them in a store they make me feel nostalgic. I thought it would be fun to try and use them in a new way...as package embellishments!

 

With just a dot of hot glue you can secure them to just about any package. They add a sweet touch without any calories! Small glassine bags were trimmed with pinking shears and sealed with a tiny heart. The red polka dot bags from Target are also trimmed and tied
with red & white bakers twine. Simple and easy!  

 Brown paper packages tied up with string are perfect Valentine gifts. Dress up plain kraft bags, adorn a gorgeous ribbon or add a finishing touch to a simple twine bow. 

Next time you're at the supermarket or craft store pick up a package and use your imagination.
Tomorrow I'll be sharing another downloadable Valentine Freebie!

Tea For Two

 

My Valentine for you today are these sweet Tea For Two tags. The double sided, fold-over tags have blank centers for you to write a special note to your loved one.



To give your Valentine the gift of tea & cookies...simply wrap a few shortbreads or homemade cookies along with a tea bag in a small bundle of cheesecloth. Use cotton butchers twine to secure the tag.  If you'd like, you can tea stain the cheesecloth to make it look more natural.  
 
 

I think these would make the perfect take away gift for a Valentine party and a thoughtful small gift for your friends and neighbors!

 
The Tea for Two tags come in 4 muted neopolitan colors with 8 per page.
Here's a link for the Free Tags: Download Tea for Two. Enjoy! ~H

Free Valentine Gift Tags

 

It's Valentine Week here at the HB blog! I wanted to get an early start so there would be plenty of time to prepare and celebrate. Each and every day this week I'll be posting fun & easy Valentine ideas along with free clip art and downloads designed especially for you. Today I'm sending you a little FREE LOVE with these adorable Valentine Gift Tags!

 
 

There are 8 Sweet Sentiments per page. Just print, cut and tie to candy bags or gifts! 

  
If you would like your own set of Valentines...click here: Download Free Love Gift Tags.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll continue to drop in this week for more Valentine Inspiration!

Fresh

 
Well 2011 is here. I've seen proclamations of resolutions, plans and announcements...fresh starts are always so exciting. And although I'm not going to be making any big announcements for now, I thought I'd share a few tidbits from at home and abroad (via the www).

• My mandarin tree has finally produced fruit. After 4 long years. Worth the wait!
• I hired a new assistant...words can't describe my happiness with this news!
• The Year of Nourish from Rebecca is so beautiful. Do you have a word this year?
• Mary Ann's 48 Things is a great read. Her global travel posts take me away from my laptop during a hectic day. She also has great online classes...which I never finished. But LOVED. Must repeat.
• I noticed that Starbucks is getting a fresh look for the new year. You like?
• We should all print this out and make it happen in 2011! Thank you Little Aviary!

Have a great weekend everyone! I plan on doing some retail therapy, furniture rearranging and a few home projects with The Man. How about you?