pioneer ashley

because i've already quit my job, i really don't have much to do these last nine days at united way. i'm working on wrapping up some things and preparing to transfer my workload over to a coworker, but all of my visits have been cancelled and that was basically the bulk of my work. i had a master plan for how i would spend my remaining week and a half, but that was foiled this morning. more on that later.

anyway.

i need to start documenting my home improvement endeavors. my house is super small and already super cute, but there are several little projects i have on my list.

1. paint remaining rooms. the living room is a dark hunter green which looks awesome with my chocolate, tan, and red furniture. i love it. it's so warm and cozy and inviting. my plans for the other rooms are as follows: kitchen (gold), bathroom (brown), master bedroom (grey-blue), guest bedroom (rust).

2. re-tile the kitchen floor. i have a huge kitchen with a white tiled floor that extends from the backdoor entrance, through the laundry room all the way through the "hallway" where my bathroom and two bedrooms are. i have a puppy with black hair who likes to get dirty outside. you do the math on that one. my white tiled floor looks awful all the time - and i vaccuum and mop at least every other day. my plan is to pick out an inexpensive tile, something darker - maybe a terracotta color - and have my uncle, the handyman, install it.

3. decorate the guest bedroom. the bedding is done in this room, but i still need to get curtains up, find a rug, and get a chest of drawers/vanity. it also needs some stuff on the walls.

4. landscaping. this presents the biggest problem for me, as i cannot even remember to water my indoor plants. i need to do a little work on the front of the house, and that includes planting white hydrangea bushes in front of the porch, but the backyard. good grief. i don't even know where to start. well, that's not actually true. i planted some kind of pink flowers in three gigantic pots and put them on my patio. that's all there is out there besides my patio furniture and my grill. i really need to get in the backyard and dig up weeds and plant stuff around the patio, but i have no idea what to do or how to do it. i also need to work on the side of the house. if you have suggestions for easy and inexpensive ways to landscape a pretty good sized backyard (and along a privacy fence), please, let me know!

also, i'm basically obsessed with healthy eating. it pains me to eat junk food. though it may taste good at the time, i always feel guilty after. not to mention it totally affects how i feel. healthy food = feeling good. crappy food = feeling crappy. i don't like eating with people who have poor diets, because they typically pick places to eat that don't have a great health food selection. because of my love for fresh fruits and veggies and organic whole grains and milk, i thought i'd start posting some of my favorite health-conscious recipes.

lemon parmesean pasta:
1 package whole wheat pasta (your choice - i use linguine)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup parmesean cheese
salt and pepper

1. cook pasta.
2. mix lemon juice and olive oil (you may have to play around with amounts to find the right combo to suit your taste). salt and pepper as you desire.
3. strain pasta.
4. toss pasta in lemon juice and olive oil.
5. stir in parmesean cheese.

this is good hot or cold! follow this with my favorite healthy, summer dessert: yogurt pie.

3 containers fat free yogurt (your favorite flavor - i use publix brand passion fruit or mixed berry)
1 container fat free cool whip
1 reduced fat graham cracker crust (i buy pre-made; who has time to make their own?!)

1. mix yogurt and cool whip until well blended.
2. pour in crust.
3. place in freezer until solid.

happy monday, friends!