Craigslist Find. . .

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I found this little side table on Craigslist last month for only $15.  I don't usually have much luck on Craigslist, so I was happy to find this!  And for such a reasonable price.

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It will be getting a fresh coat of paint in a new color.  I just need to decide what color!  Part of me wants to be bold and try something fun, but I have a feeling I'll end up painting it a nice creamy white.  If I do paint it white, I'm think I'll have to find a new lamp.  Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

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I love all the little details.

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Be back with a reveal once it warms up enough for me to paint it outside.

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{ If you would like to know more about the chair, please see this post }

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Tasty Tuesdays...Shrimp Pad Thai

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Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

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Can you believe this is the 12th installment of Tasty Tuesdays here @ 33 Shades of Green?  Wow - time is flying.  Thanks so much to all of you who take the time to link up.  It's really fun to see what you all are cooking.

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This weekend I made Shrimp Pad Thai.  Yum - it was delicious!  I've had pad Thai several times out at restaurants but have never made it at home.  I was really surprised at how simple it is to make.  Much simpler than I expected!

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The recipe I used is from the March 2011 issue of Cooking Light Magazine.  For the original recipe and a printable version click here.

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Ingredients:

- 8 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

- 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

- 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce

- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

- 1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce

- 3 tablespoons canola oil

- 1 cup (2-inch) green onion pieces

- 8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp

- 5 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts

- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

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1.  Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

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2.  While water comes to a boil, combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl.

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3.  Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done.

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4.  Add cooked noodles; toss to combine. Stir in sauce; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon peanuts, and 2 teaspoons basil.

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I really enjoyed this dish.  next time I make it I think I'll add a sliced red pepper and maybe more green onions.  This would also be delicious with chicken.

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What did you make this week?

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{ Please remember to add a link in your post back to this post or the Tasty Tuesdays button which can be found on my sidebar.  Thanks! }

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New Look...

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Hi guys - 33 Shades of Green is getting a makeover!  Things will probably look a little strange around here for the next few days until everything is up and running!

Arizona Vacation Recap...

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I had a wonderful time out in Arizona.  The weather was perfect - sunny and 85 everyday.  Only our last day there was cloudy and cooler.

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We spent A LOT of time in the sun and the pool.

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World's Cutest Brother is happy to stay in the pool for hours...

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He was also determined to hold his breath underwater for a really long time and so we kept timing him...

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I love this picture of Baby Sister....this photo is just so her!  It makes me smile when I look at it.  I was laying on a raft in the pool and she handed me my camera and I got this shot.

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We went out for dinner at lots of our favorite places.  One of my favorite meals was at Razz's.  If you are in the Phoenix / Scottsdale area I highly recommend it.  The food is delicious! 

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I forced everyone to pose for photos one night before we left for dinner.

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{ World's Cutest Brother and our Dad }

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{ Me with Baby Sister }

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One morning we went on a hike.  It was beautiful but I was pretty worried we were going to run into some sort of dessert critter.  Luckily the only thing we saw were rabbits.  I'm always worried about rattle snakes, javelinas, and coyotes when I'm out in AZ!

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The scenery was beautiful.  It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.

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This is an old Saguaro - look at all those arms!

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It was St. Patrick's Day, so after our hike we headed down to the fountain in Fountain Hills (Where my Dad's house is) to see the fountain turn green! 

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A little info about the fountain taken from the town's website:  The fountain, built in 1970, sprays water for about 15 minutes every hour at the top of the hour. The plume rises from a concrete water lily sculpture in the center of a large man-made lake.  With all three pumps and under ideal conditions, the fountain reaches 560 feet in height, though in normal operation only two of the pumps are used, with a fountain height of around 300 feet. When built, it was the world's tallest fountain and held that record for over a decade.

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The fountain went from this:

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To this:

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I took a whole series of photos of agave plants.  I'm going to frame them and hang in my bathroom.

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Baby Sister and I each got a pair of cowboy boots.  Yes - real, honest to goodness, made in the U.S.A. cowboy boots!  I've been wanting a pair for a while now and where better to buy them than in AZ?  We went to an authentic western store { Saba's }.  You would not believe all the boots they had - hundreds for sure!

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Other trip highlights:

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: : I tried escargot for the first time @ Razz's.  I can't believe how much I liked it.

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: : We went and saw The Adjustment Bureau at an ipic Theater.  I'm not sure I'll be able to go to a regular movie theater again!  The seats are huge and fully recline, you have a server and full menu { I enjoyed a glass of wine with the movie }, they come around with free popcorn, and pillows and blankets are included.  It was really fun!

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: : Spending time with Dad during his morning ritual - Going to the gym @ Copperwynd and then to Starbucks for his daily Venti Ice Green Tea.

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: : Sitting outside at night with Dad and Baby Sister looking at the stars, talking, and sipping on wine.

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: : I played my first round of golf of 2011 and hit the ball pretty well!

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It was another great trip!

 

Spring Mantel

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I'm back from vacation and slowly catching up on work, emails, blog reading, and laundry.  The hot weather in Arizona was exactly what I needed.  It felt great to get away!
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My Spring mantel was my guest post earlier this month on Remodelaholic.
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Spring is here and my mantel was in need of a new look.  I decided on yellow and green as a theme (because what's more Spring than that?!) and went from there.
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I didn't have to buy a thing for my Spring mantel - everything came from around the house.  I use the apothecary jars on my mantel a lot and just change out the fillers to match the season.
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I printed these botanical images out from Vintage Printable.  If you've never checked out their site, you are in for a treat.  There are thousands of images you can print out for free!
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For fake lemons, I think these look pretty realistic!
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I've had this ivy plant for a while now and have been meaning to replant it to a different container with a topiary form.  But for now I think it looks great on the mantel.
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The little mercury glass votive holders are filled with moss.  I just took a handful and stuffed it in!
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Here's an overall view:

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I think these Spring branches are a nice addition.

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Happy Spring!  I hope it's starting to warm up where you are.  Unfortunately it's a cold week here in Michigan.  It has to warm up soon, right?

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.I've linked this post up to:

Centsational Girl

A Stroll Thru Life