Sunday Sweet Tooth Satisfier

Sundays are truly simple and a day of rest for Barrett and I. Our Sunday consists of getting up early and cooking breakfast, going to church, eating lunch, taking a nap, then being lazy pretty much the rest of the day. Although simple and relaxing, it is the most satisfying day of the week for us. We spend time with each other and do whatever we enjoy! I love vacuuming on Sundays, which some would see as work, but it is sort of therapeutic to me. Weird, I know! ;) Also, I usually like to bake my hunny a sweet treat on Sundays, (he sure has a sweet tooth!), so I thought I would share a sweet, simple and satisfying dessert recipe this Sunday! Every Sunday I will share a great recipe that will be sure to satisfy your taste buds!

Chocolate Eclair Cake is truly the most simple recipe and is a family favorite! If you ever need to whip up a quick dessert that always gets rave reviews, this one's it!



Chocolate Eclair Cake

1 box graham crackers
2-(3 1/4-ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1 lg. container Cool Whip, thawed
1 container of chocolate frosting

Mix pudding and milk until thickened. Fold in Cool Whip until blended well. Set aside. Layer bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish with whole graham crackers. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Layer again with graham crackers, rest of pudding mixture, then top with whole graham crackers again. Remove foil top from frosting container, and heat in microwave for 15-25 seconds (to melt for easier spreading). Pour icing and spread evenly over top of graham crackers. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!

Psalm 22:26 The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him; may your hearts live forever.

bubbly bar of soap ;)

I really love all kinds of bath & body and beauty products! Another trait inherited by my sweet momma, Lisa B. She always seems to find the "best of the best" when it comes to beauty & body products. Also, ever since opening my store, Lilee's & Co., it's part of my job to research the product and figure out what works, smells, and feels the best!

My husband told me before we got married that after we marry I will have to give up my luxurious bar soaps and switch to his kind... Obviously that did not happen, and now he even steals my soaps! I even stuffed his stocking with his own soaps, so he does not steal mine! Once you use a great soap, you'll see it is truly a treat for your skin!

A few of my favorites:



Fresh bar soaps are a new favorite of Barrett's and mine! They smell sooooo yummy!


Claus Porto soaps just look too beautiful to even use! The boxes are so awesome that I just love setting them out in our bathroom! I just purchased and love the boxes of the two soaps pictured below!




Rose Soap by Claus Porto- I LOVE LOVE LOVE this soap! It truly smells so great!


Roger & Gallet Soaps are some of the best French milled soaps out there. Lotus Bleu and the Lettuce Soap are my 2 favorites! But they are all scrumptious!


Lady Primrose Royal Extract Cream Soap is such a great feeling and moisturizing soap. The smell is very clean and crisp!


Rance Le Vainqueur Soap is one of my all time favorites. Great for a man or woman. The scent is just awesome and Rance soaps lather so great! A must try!

decorative pillows

Ok, so this is my last post about bedding today! Just thought I would share my OBSESSION with decorative pillows! You can use pillows in so many places and they are one of the simplest ways to spruce up a room! Just like my inspiring and ever so talented Aunt Kathy, I too could have 100+ pillows in my house if my pocketbook would allow! ;) Enjoy some of my top picks!












images via www.ankasa.com

Pillows above are made by one of my favorite pillow companies, ANKASA. They are so unique and just gorgeous. Pictures do not do them justice!






images via www.carolinecole.com

Caroline Cole is another great pillow line!


I just love these Sea Life Embroidered Pillows from Pottery Barn! So cute, casual and great for a beach house!







images via www.companyc.com

You always get vibrant, unique and fun pillows from Company C! They just make me happy!

A well dressed bed

Here are the basic elements to a well dressed bed. Very simple and easy to follow and you will be on your way to putting together your dream bed!




*1-2 sets of sheets (fitted and flat sheet)

*A matelasse, coverlet, or quilt (goes over top sheet)

*A duvet, comforter, blanket, or quilt (folded at the foot of the bed)

*Bed Skirt (optional)

Pillows (from back to front, or mix it up & arranged whatever way looks best)

*1-2 Standard Sleeping pillows (Twin-Queen size bed) or
2 King Pillows or 3 standard pillows (King size bed)

*1-2 Euro Pillows (Twin-Queen size bed) or
2-3 Euro Pillows (King size bed)

*Decorative Pillows (Depending upon the bed or bedding, you might need 1-4 decorative pillows. It's really up to you, your taste and what you think looks best. From my last post, you can see that a twin bed only needed 1 pillow, where on a king size bed 4 decorative pillows were used.)

loving linens!

While laying in my bed this morning I thought to myself, why is it so hard for me to get up in the mornings even after 11 hours of sleep!? I know I am not still tired, because I just lay there, yet can not bring myself to get out of the stinking bed! Then the light bulb went off... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my wonderful and ultra plush and comfy bed linens! They literally can keep me in the bed all day long if I'd let them!

I guess you can say my mother instilled in me a deep love for fine bed linens. She loves a well made, beautiful bed that's still comfortable and practical. Even if your wallet can not afford the price tag of fine linens (hello, poor newlywed speaking!), I believe that they are worth saving and splurging on because nice linens are an investment and when properly taken care of, will last you a lifetime!

A few of my personal favorites:


Sferra Bros. Grande Hotel Collection offers the softest, every day bed linens that can be easily mixed and matched with patterned pillows, duvets, etc. I personally own this collection and love it!


Pine Cone Hill is one of my favorite lines for linens! They offer the most beautiful colors and whimsical, girly designs! I love Pine Cone's matelasses and quilts!


Legacy Linens offer elegant and fine custom linens. I love this collection called Riad. So chic and modern.


Pottery Barn linens are wonderful and at such a great price point who wouldn't love the casual feel and great patterns that PB has to offer? I just purchased this Bethany Organic duvet to throw on my bed for spring! Perfectly mixes with the Sferra Hotel Collection already on my bed and goes perfect with our soft blue walls!

The following are some of my favorite beds by Phoebe Howard. So beautiful!






Other wonderful fine linen lines to check out:

www.YvesDelorme.com
www.Matouk.com
www.PeacockAlley.com
www.SDHonline.com

Ashley Brooke Designs

Stationary is a personal LOVE of mine and a while back while Internet searching for wedding ideas I came across the whimsical designs of Ashley Brooke Designs! Not only did the name catch my eye ;) but the fun, custom hand-drawn designs are fabulous!

Here are a few of my favorites!



Perfect Baby Stationary!

just thinking thoughts ...

hello!

I started this blog because sometimes I just feel the need to express my thoughts and the simple, every day things that I find interesting! Since my once crazy life of planning a wedding and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season at Lilee's have all come & gone, I have a lot more time on my hands! Life for me has slowed down tremendously and I ponder a lot about every day life, the future, fun ideas, and unique & beautiful things! This blog is not intended to be about anything in particular, but about things that inspire me daily... Simply put. =)