shower OR bath?

When we moved into our house about 1 year ago there was very little difference between taking a shower and taking a bath! Our plumbing was so bad that you would be standing in a bath tub full or water by the end of your shower. And the idea of someone taking a shower right after you- oh that was totally out of the question. It took what seemed like decades for the water to drain! I guess that is what you get when you move into a house with 55 year-old plumbing. We tried drain-o and everything else the stores had to offer, however, the water continued to rise. We lived with this shower/bath dilemma for almost a year. As the problem became worse and the water rose higher, my tolerance became lower. Finally E and I broke down and decided to take on a remolding project! Let me warn you E and I have no experience in "handy work." The tension in the room rises when we take on simple projects like hanging pictures together! haha Does anyone else experience this? Thankfully we were blessed with two great friends who flip houses. They were truly a God send. We totally gutted the entire bathroom! Take a look for yourself....

This is what it looked like in the beginning
The vanity literally took up the entire room.

The green "thing" is a window that went into our laundry room. Several years ago the previous owners added onto the house. In order to block the lovely view of the washer and dryer, they put up a hunter green shade. How gloomy and dark?

You've gotta love that wallpaper.


Here I am hard at work.
Don't let me fool you. I did very little hard labor. My duties involved the design creativity aka "buying stuff."

From gloomy and sad...
To bright and fun!
We used the wasted window space and created some built-ins...
I will share with you in a later post about what I did with the window


We used white subway tiles on the shower
The cut outs are one of my favorite parts
A little attention to the details

Fresh flowers: you might be thinking "how does Rachel afford fresh flowers every week?" Well, these lovely hydrangeas were picked right off UK's campus. Some may feel like that is stealing, but after being a UK student I'll take anything I can get. If you're also a UK alum, I know you can feel my pain! True story- I once heard of someone stealing toilet paper in protest of tuition rises! I haven't taken it that far yet!


I love apothecary jars
Once a cake topper- now a bathroom decoration


From my favorite bath store- LUSH

One word of advice, do not buy any of the bath bombs with confetti. The confetti pokes and OUCH it hurts!

Hope you enjoy. Feel free to comment if you have any questions on product information! Enjoy your weekend! I am planning on spending some much needed time with friends and family.

Something Fishy?

That would be the grilled swordfish.
This recipe for grilled swordfish steak was easy and delicious. One thing I love about a good recipe is when it only includes a few ingredients. I love trying new things, but it's discouraging to feel like you restock your pantry just to make it. Recipes like that always leave me thinking for what I spent in ingredients I could I order this at a restaurant for the same price! Well...I am pleased to let you know this recipe is simple and only consists of a few ingredients. So, not only is it tasty and good for your health, it's also good for your pocketbook.

Here is what you will need...
1-4 swordfish steaks (approx 1 inch thick)
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2-3 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice
1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl

Then, brush sauce over the fish

Grill swordfish on each side for 5-7 minutes

Remove from the grill and ENJOY!

I served my swordfish with these sides
I grilled these red potatoes along with the swordfishI sauteed the green beans in olive oil for 5 minutes

I will share with you a little mishap I ran into while making this dish. I share to help you avoid making the same mistake (or maybe I'm the only one!) I bought the fish on Sunday (4 days ago) and decided not to freeze it. I left the fish in the fridge and when I pulled it out to make tonight it was smelling a little fishy. I couldn't tell if it was spoiled...all fish smells a little bad right? To avoid taking a big bite into spoiled fish (can you imagine how terrible that would be?) I went to Kroger and purchased two new pieces of fish. I also threw the two spoiled pieces in the Kroger dumpster! Let's just say a couple of months ago I thew an old crab cake into our "herbie" and I learned my lesson!

I hope you enjoy this super simple recipe! If I could give you one word of advice...freeze the fish.

Tea Lovers

Mighty Leaf
Originally uploaded by ilikegranola.com

If you are a tea lover like me- let me introduce you to the world of mighty leaf. Personally, Vanilla Bean is my absolute favorite. There is nothing like a warm cup of tea (on a rainy day) to get you going in the morning. If you're looking for a good pick me up, then I suggest checking out Mighty Leaf's Vanilla Bean. I bought mine at Kroger, but I know you can also purchase it at Whole Foods. You can also purchase this tea by the cup at Common Grounds (the place were I made this delicious discovery)! Have a wonderful day. Stay dry.

Blog Virgin

Welcome friends. I have recently become "slightly" obsessed with reading blogs. I find new inspiration and creativity each day from the minds of others. This is my first post so don't judge too quickly!

A few of my favorite things... close friends, vacations, Stella, and my wonderful husband...

I am excited for tomorrow because I am planning a yummy dinner date with Eric. The menu: Grilled Swordfish with Soy Sauce, sauteed green beans (from my garden!) and roasted red potatoes. (If the meal is a hit, I promise to share the recipe) I am most excited about the green beans. This spring/summer I ventured out and planted my very own garden. (To be honest it looks more like a jungle...I'm not one for weeding) I like to think of it more as an "all natural garden" instead of "a garden full of weeds." :) Being natural is in- right? I have loved planting and watching everything grow. There is something uniquely therapeutic about growing your own food. It's so fun watching things grow and produce exactly the way God created them to. Well, off to bed I go. The alarm will be going off before I know it. To be truly honest, I planning on reading a little Roald Dahl before I call it a day. Who doesn't love a great childhood book? Thanks for visiting