Something Simple

I love simple things. Especially when they are practically free and so easy to do. In my house I have a wall along the stairway that leads to the basement with six little in-set frosted glass block windows.

In the picture the windows are blank but over the years I have experimented with different ways of trying to decorate the space but was never completely satisfied. So eventually I wound up taking everything out and leaving the windows blank. I still wasn't happy with it because I felt it needed something... Something simple. And one day when I was drinking a bottle of Izze it came to me!

So, I took the empty bottle of Izze, a small glass candle holder, some decorative pebbles, and an LED candle...

And created this:

Here is the finished look in daylight:

And at night:

I love the nice simple look of the glass and pebbles. In the evening the soft glow of the candle light bouncing off the glass block windows gives the stairway a cozy glow that I just love!

So, here is my Before & After:

Simple, huh? So what do you think?

Super Easy Monday Dinner

Since I work full-time I don’t have a lot of time to slave away in the kitchen preparing meals. Maybe one day when I grow up I will be able to do that. But for now it’s just not happening. Thank goodness for companies who make convenience products that can help out with dinner planning!

Today I made a super easy yet delicious meal using Zatarain’s Gumbo mix with Rice and a package of Frozen Shrimp. Most of the times when I make this I use chicken and hot smoked sausage along with shrimp. But today I only had shrimp in the house.

The box calls for 6 cups of water but I find that makes the gumbo too watery for my family's tastes so I only use 4 and a half cups. Also, I remove the tails from the shrimp and cut them into bite sized pieces so that we can have some in every spoonful. Follow the directions on the box and in less than 30 minutes you’ll be able to have yourself a bowl of yummy Shrimp Gumbo with Rice!

That’s what’s for dinner at Lil Nell’s, what’s for dinner at your house?

This is My Journal

I love to take care of my home and my family but because I have such a busy life I don't have the time or energy to do as many things as I would like to. I created this blog as an attempt to journal the changes I make to my home and the things that I do to make my family's life more enjoyable. It's going to be a lot of hard work but full of enjoyable learning experiences!