Announcing....details event and home staging!

Just in case you were wondering about the recent blogging neglect on my part it is because my home staging biz is finally a reality and is off to a great start! Check out my website and lots of before and after pics. www.detailsstaging.vpweb.com
If you know someone in the St. Louis area that is getting ready to put their home on the market, let me know!

I say tomato...

With Topsy Turvys everywhere producing tomatoes right now, thought I would share a delicious tomato pesto pizza recipe from Pillsbury.

Tomato Pesto Pizza
INGREDIENTS

	1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust 1/4 cup refrigerated basil pesto
	2 large plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped
	1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (4 oz)
	2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

	1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray or grease 15x10-inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet. Unroll dough on cookie sheet; starting at center, press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle.
	2. Spread pesto to within 1/2 inch of edges of dough. Top with tomatoes; sprinkle with cheese.
	3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crust edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.

This recipe would be great prepared on the grill using the Mario Bataldi Piastra.

Cooking on a piastra is an Italian tradition that has withstood the test of time. Alla Piastra means cooking on a flat griddle over a hot fire. Although piastra's may be found in a variety of materials, this granite version conducts heat in a similar manner to cast iron and will not rust. Part of the great Italian cooking tradition is handing down heirloom pieces from generation to generation.

Features:

• Solid granite conducts heat evenly
• 10-in. x 14-in. double-sided with both grill and griddle surfaces
• Easy to use--simply pre-heat on grill, add a little oil to your food and sear
• Ideal for seafood and flatbreads
• Oven and microwave safe

Available at http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=790526

I am expecting.....

I know that title probably caught some of your eyes! Well, I am not expecting an actual baby, but a new blog instead. That's right ...the gifted life is getting a little sister! It has been an exciting week in our house, with me completing my Accredited Staging Professional (ASP) certification. I can hardly wait to start staging houses around the STL area! I have attached a few before and after pics of the room I staged in class this week. It was an incredible experience! Not only for us stagers, but for the seller too. She was so pleased with our work! To check out all the before and after pics of the house, visit this link http://picasaweb.google.com/betvos/StLouisJuly152009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMSAnrGY7dzzpwE#
and check back often for the birth announcement of my new staging blog!

Wedding Ideas

We attended a wedding last weekend that was just beautiful. Here are some of the creative and unique ideas the bride came up with!

Instead of expensive chair covers, tie a few feet of tulle onto the chair backs with a coordinating ribbon. I love how light and airy this looks!










A different take on the traditional guest book....create a photo album online at www.shutterfly.com using lots of pics of the couple and leave the opposite page blank for guest signatures. What a special keepsake this will be.













Allow guests to create their own take home favors by setting up a candy bar. Include cellophane bags and lots of yummy treats!



































Dress up votive candle holders by attaching rose petals to the sides. These added a special touch to the cake table!

Herbaria Soap

As you may know, we live in a wonderful little neighborhood a few minutes from downtown St. Louis, called The Hill. The Hill is the "little Italy" area of St. Louis and is known for is delicious restaurants and Italian food markets. Recently, a great new soap shop opened its first retail location, in the heart of The Hill. herbaria sells all natural soaps, using pure plant essentials and no synthetic fragrances, colorants or perservatives.
I am loving the Citrus Oatmeal scent and can't wait to go back and purchase another bar! Check out the store or visit online at http://www.herbariasoap.com/

Become a Follower Tutorial

Many of you have told me you would like to become Followers of the gifted life so that you can leave me comments. Since I LOVE getting comments, below is a short tutorial on how you can sign up to be a follower. It is really easy and takes under 1 minute to do.
At the very bottom of the page, click on Follow.
If you have a google or yahoo email account, click on those icons to enter your address. If your email is through another provider, click on Create a new Google account. It will prompt you to enter the following: your email address, a password (you will need to remember this to leave comments) your location and a word verification. It is really that easy! I hope this is helpful and I hope you all sign up soon!

Mexicorn Dip

Here is a great dip recipe if you are going to any 4th of July BBQ's. Everyone will be asking you for the recipe, it is soooo good!
1 can Mexicorn
1 can Rotel
½ cup mayo
½ cup sour cream
1 bundle chopped green onions

Sometimes I add a can of green chiles or some chopped jalapenos.
You can also add any spices you want like cumin or garlic powder.
Shredded cheese would also be good thrown in.

To make a larger batch just double the above.
I like it with Tostitos scoops so you can really load up each bite!