Fall Inspiration

Spice it up with FALL Color

I N S P I R A T I O N

{for your Home & Fashion needs}

Photos: Glam Living , Steve Madden, jayson home and garden, Peony, Enamorada, Nude Dress

Designer: DAVID HICKS

David Hicks is a  D E S I G N  Badass, pardon my French.
-Residential  {check}
-Retail {check}
-Hospitality {check}
-Commercial{check, check}

It is true, see for yourself...

*Did any of my Designers or Bloggers pick up on the trend? Mid Century furniture designers must be his favorite. {Mine too} 

Check out his website, it will rock your socks off!

Thank YOU

<3 T H A N K  Y O U <3

To the following Lovely Ladies for linking Mi Vida Bonita on their BLOG. I really appreciate it, and you deserve this POST!

Mi Vida Bonita readers check them out!

Please send me an email if you have linked Mi Vida Bonita on your Blog, I will mention you in my next Thank You post! {+link you back}

Give Love Where Love is Given

I Just Want To D E S I G N.

While my day job, in the Mortgage Broker field is paying the bills...All I want to do is DESIGN DESIGN DESIGN. That is what I do, what I LOVE and really what I do BEST.  I am hoping for a better job market in 2010.  You with me?

I have been looking over old projects completed for school, I am so missing COLLEGE. At least developing new spaces, color boards, space plans and perspective images...I miss it. {I could do without Specs, all though I'd take just doing that for now..LOL}. Even the all nighters, with my then roomate & classmate {Brooke if you're reading, you know you MISS IT too}. We would be at Kinko's at 1 or 2 am printing our projects. Hoping the guy who gives us a discount was working, and when I say discount I mean about 60% off. That guy ROCKED. It is so expensive to print, and bind 11x17 format!

[Bla Bla Bla, I am sure is all you hear. The moral of my story is this....check out some of my work. I need to be putting my pretty little brain to better use than processing mortgage loans. Kaapeesh?!]

{click me, I get BIGGER}

Food Lovin {Grape Leaves: Dolmades}

Stuffed Grape Leaves {Dolmades}

Ever had them? Let me start by saying they are SO very GOOD and addicting! There are so many different ways to make them. This is a European recipe and traditionally they are made with ground lamb. For those who don't like lamb {myself} I make them without meat.

If you have never tried them I would suggest you go to SPROUT'S Farmers Market {a chain Organic market} they sell them in the prepared food section where the hummus is, near the meat counter. They make the BEST ones!

Ingredients
-2 cups uncooked brown rice {may use white if preferred} 
-1 large onion
-chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill  
-1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves {replace w/ Parsley if you prefer, I do}
-2 quarts chicken broth {Sub vegetarian broth, or pickle juice from jar gives good flavor}
-3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-divided 60 grape leaves drained and rinsed {approx 2 jars}
-hot water as needed
-1 cup olive oil
-few garlic cloves
-{add ground lamb or beef, lamb is traditional}

Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint/parsley for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 40-50 minutes {depending on the cook time of your rice, brown rice takes longer to cook}, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.

Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil. Place lemon slices and crushed garlic through out stuffed leaves.
**For step by step visual on folding grape leaves visit here
Pour broth over all to cover grape leaves. Place small plate over on top to keep them from opening, this will just weigh them down. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour+ (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.
You can eat these warm or chilled. I think they are better chilled for approx. 24 hours.
For more recipes check out All recipes, the user reviews really help. I have made these twice now and the 2nd batch were much better than the first.

Bon appétit

Shark Attack {Mi Vida Bonita's Halloween}

Boo! The blood was messy, I wouldn't recommend it! We had a fun time at the party!

Wall Art INSPIRATION & some...

I am always inspired by the interiors featured at SkonaHem.

I love the way this Art wall looks. I have to say I have been working on mine, and after seeing this I think my wall is too centered and it just doesn't have the carefree layout of this one (which is why I am really drawn to it). So more tweaking I will do...I won't stop until it's just right. I need to get to ikea for a few white frames....and the area rug in the next picture. 

I have been eyeing this black + white beauty for quite sometime now...I am saving and I will have it SOON, I hope.

{Ikea Stockholm Rand}

I have also been eyeing a candleabra or I even like the look of multiple candle sticks together as seen here. What do you think?

P.S. My Shark Attack Halloween Picture will be posted tomorrow...stay tuned!

Endless Love {Mi Vida Bonita Art}

Hey Hey my Lovely Readers! Check out my latest Art Print available NOW in my Etsy Shop!

**Sale Sale Sale- Prints are still buy 1 get 1 free! Won't last long! 

xoxo

Always Remember

Sometimes you just need a reminder

xoxo

White Luxury

I have a thing for white interiors, and this space is beautiful. Classic, luxurious and minimialist in design. Fit for a modern day Princess....one can dream. This is a very feminine space, I would think it would have to be for the singles ladies. {all the singles ladies, all the single ladies....Now put your hands up. Up on the club, we just broke up Im doing my own lil thing. Decided to dip but now you wanna trip. Cause another brotha noticed me. I'm up on him he up on me. Don't pay him any attention. Cried my tears for three good years. Ya Can't be MAD at ME!}

{shootfactory}

Orange Interiors

With Halloween fast approaching, I have been thinking
o r a n g e  thoughts.

A few spaces that have delightfully decorated in ORANGE.

Orange you glad they did it well? :)

{house to home}

Shark Attack! {Mi Vida Bonita Halloween}

Did I scare you???

 If the answer is no, then just wait til you see me in my halloween costume! RAWR or whatever it is that a shark makes. This year I'm going for the laughs, and this costume is funny.

My boyfriend is wearing a wetsuit, carrying his skin board and will have a huge shark wound somewhere on his body. We call it Shark Attack! :)  *I have a costume party to attend Friday night, and I will be posting a picture of us in our Shark Attack ensemble!

What are you dressing as for Halloween? I LOVE Halloween and would love to hear what everyone is!

Design Love {High Fashion Home}

Design Love this week is all about High Fashion Home. Have you heard of them? If not, let me introduce you to this mecca of home furnishings and decor.  High Fashion Home is located in Midtown Houston, Texas. {High Fashion Home, if you are listening...I wish we had one here in Scottsdale, AZ}. They have a very unique collection of merchandise. I would love to visit the store one day! Until then I can browse + shop online! They also have a Blog which you can visit here. 

Here is a Living & Dining Room "look" I have put together....If only it was all mine! This would look great in my home. :) How about the GREEN? I am digging it!

Mi Vida Bonita Week In Pictures

Happy Friday Morning! Yay.

So I wanted to do a before and after shot of my kitchen cabinets that we painted. Well I was so excited to get this project underway, I didn't get a before shot. :( I know I know, that is just plain silly. Just picture late 80s brown, with alot of wood grain cabinets. They were pretty ugly.

Here you are well-ah! Bright white kitchen now. I LOVE it.

This is my Avacado tree I started growing. It is about 2.5 months in, and doing really good.

If you want to grow your own just take the avacado seed, plant it butt down (the notch down)  and put dirt around it. Leave the top part of the seed out of the dirt and water everyday so it stays moist. Keep in a sunny window, it requires alot of sunlight. The seed will begin to crack and then it starts to grow a stem and there you have it. Eventually when it gets biger you can transplant into a larger pot. I think it may take 2 years before I get avacados, but I am determined.

My art wall progress, so far so good. The new addition (canvas w/ green) was painted by my 3 year old nephew. We painted last night together, he is taking after his auntie and is quite the lil artist! This is his portrait of a Hippo, do you see it? Lol. Come on use your imagination. :)

Images courtesy of my Blackberry

*Hello Love {Mi Vida Bonita Art Print}

New print in my Etsy shop check it out here.

*I am running a special now thru Oct 31st, Buy 1 print, get 1 FREE. One for you and one for a friend, or keep them both for yourself!

Santorini Tuesday

My head seems to be in the CLOUDS today. So we are taking a look at Santorini Greece. One of my MUST TRAVEL spots, on what seems to be a never ending list.

{flickr}

{flickr}

{photobucket}

{Santorini}

{Santorini}

The Bisbee 1000 Great Stair Climb

Tomorrow I am doing the Bisbee 1000 Great Stair Climb! It is a 5k (+over 1000 steps) they say it feels like a 10k, but we will see. This is the map of the race. I am doing it with my guy and his parents. Wish me LUCK, this is my first race! :)

Have a great weekend!

Designer Vicente Wolf {Home Tour}

Meet Designer Vicente Wolf {and my new hero}.

Let me start, by saying this man has impeccable taste! A classic style that plays with the furniture layouts like I have never seen before. Outside the box thinking to create this artfully mixed space. This is his Manhattan Loft featured in Veranda Magazine. I know, I know another loft. What can I say I L O V E this loft.

Check out his website here

Shoe LOVE {Peeptoe}

Shoe Love alert!

I am crushing on both pairs, found at topshop.

xoxo

Fashionista {Blake Lively}

Her style is on point.

This blazer is really cute

I would have a BIG Smile on my face too, if I was carrying CHANEL

images from  flickr