New Year: Time to Celebrate & “How to & DIY” Party with an Announcement!

Posted on December 28, 2015 by cortneybailey

I am so excited to announce that I have already started accomplishing one of my goals for the New Year by filming my very first Dream Design Dwell video for my YouTube channel!!! Since it is my first video, I decided to throw a party to celebrate the New Year and also my video! Learn how to make easy “1-2-3” Margaritas, healthy Baja Tacos and a simple DIY gift for friends! I hope you all enjoy my tips & ideas for ringing in the NEW YEAR in your home and will join with me in celebration!

Supplies for the “1-2-3” Margaritas:

Silver Tequila, Cointreau or Triple Sec, Fresh squeezed limes, Salt, Lime Wedges, Shaker & Jigger

Details for making Baja Fish Tacos:

2 tablespoons taco seasoning, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice, 1 pound mahimahi or other firm whitefish filets, cute into bite-sized pieces, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 cups pre-chopped green cabbage, 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 1/2 cup light sour cream, 8 corn tortillas, Lime wedges

Combine first 2 ingredients in a bowl. Add fish & toss to coat.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish & saute 5 minutes or until fish is done.

Combine cabbage, onions and sour cream in a bowl.

Warm tortillas according to package directions, spoon about 1/4 cup cabbage mixture down the center of each tortilla, divide fish evenly among tortillas, fold in half & serve with a lime wedge.

Supplies for DIY Gift:

Small Rosemary Tree, Flower/Plant Pot, Twine, Craft store supplies to make your card (Add your personality to your card!)

Shop ideas here for your next party!

Margarita 7-piece glassware set: CLICK HERE

Cocktail Shaker: CLICK HERE

Jigger: CLICK HERE

Mixing Bowls: CLICK HERE & CLICK HERE

Flower/Plant Ceramic Pot: CLICK HERE

I’d LOVE to hear from YOU! What are your tips & ideas celebrate the New Year at home? I’m always looking for new ideas!

Keep Dreaming, Designing & Dwelling…

Cheers!

Cortney

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Rewind: 8 Tips & Ideas for Creating Your Winter Wonderland!

Posted on December 17, 2015 by cortneybailey

We are waist deep in to the holiday season! Parties are being thrown, lights are being strung and gifts are being given but preparing your home for the winter does not stop after the New Year! There are so many great winter options to keep your home cozy & festive until the flowers start blooming again! Today, I am tossing it back and linking to EIGHT past Dream Design Dwell blog posts that will give you eight tips and ideas to turn your home into a welcoming winter wonderland!

Rewind Tips & Ideas ONE: Click Here

Rewind Tips & Ideas TWO: Click Here

Rewind Tips & Ideas THREE: Click Here

Rewind Tips & Ideas FOUR: Click Here

Rewind Tips & Ideas FIVE: Click Here

Rewind Tips & Ideas SIX: Click Here

Rewind Tips & Ideas SEVEN: Click Here

Rewind Tips & Ideas EIGHT: Click Here

Shop easy ideas to make your home it’s best this winter:

Snowflake Doormat: Click HERE

Animal Motifs: Click HERE

Bright Colored Glassware: Click HERE

Humidifier: Click HERE

Cozy Throws: Click HERE & HERE

Natural Winter Decor: Click HERE & HERE & HERE

Candles Flame & Flameless: Click HERE & HERE & HERE

Yummy Snacks: Click HERE & HERE & HERE

I’d LOVE to hear from YOU! What are your tips & ideas to create a Winter Wonderland? I’m always looking for new ideas!

Keep Dreaming, Designing & Dwelling…

Cheers!

Cortney

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Twitter: @CortneyBailey

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Happy New Year 2014!!! Food + Tradition = Lucky Blessings!

Posted on January 1, 2014 by cortneybailey

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year 2014!!! In good ‘ol Southern tradition, I am “fixin'” to make black-eyed-peas, jalapeno cornbread and apple crumble for good luck! Have a blessed year and keep Dreaming +Designing +Dwelling!

What are your traditions for the New Year? I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment below or share on my social media sites listed below!!!

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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Lip-Smacking Good! The Final “Must Have” of Eight for Winter 2013!!!

Posted on December 24, 2013 by cortneybailey

The eighth and final “Must Have” for Winter 2013 are lip-smacking but simple snacks! If it’s just you, yourself and I or if you have an entire heard to feed these munchies will be yummy to everyone’s tummy!!! Don’t forget the presentation of your scrumptious snacks is just important as the treat itself. If you are having a party for one be kind to yourself and put a little effort into the arrangement of your goodies. It goes without saying, if you are having friends or family over, staging your snacks is key to the overall vibe of your event – no matter how casual or grand your get-to-gather may be, remember it’s all about the appearance.

If you pride yourself in your culinary abilities or if you pat yourself on the back for being able to make popcorn I promise, you will be happy with the following ideas and so will everyone else!

Weelicious is a fantastic and over-the-top creative site for delicious, yet easy to follow recipes. Here are a few amazing ideas for this winter!!!

Next, are some of my favorite snacks from Trader Joe’s and everyone loves them.

TJ’s Pizzas are great on a cold night and are super easy to pop in the oven! After the pizza is cooked simply cut it into small slices and believe me, if you are entertaining several people, the slices will be gone before you can pop the next pizza into the over!!!
Raisin Rosemary Crisps are great with cheeses and dips and are a little more unexpected than the normal, ho-hum cracker!
The Three Layer Hummus by TJ’s will bring a little spice to your palate! It’s great with veggies or small pitas or pita chips.
The last favorite item from TJ’s is their fantastic selection of cheeses! My mouth is watering just thinking about their options – make sure you try the Italian Truffle Cheese – OMG it’s amazing!!!

Speaking of cheese…next is a cheese board! If you have always loved cheese boards but are not sure how to put one together you can easily follow the example board posted! The more comfortable you become with boards you can begin to add meats, pastes, honey and various olives!

Last are just a few tools to help make your snack presentation gorgeous! All the items are from Crate & Barrel and obviously they have hundreds of other options for you to choose from. From top to bottom: Olivewood Cheese Board (small slices of pizza would work on this as well.), Set of Six Cheese Markers, Set of Three Cheese Tools and Large Rectangle Slate Board.

Looking for great cheeseboards & tools? Check out some of these great options:

Wood Cheese Board: Click Here

Slate Cheese Board: Click Here

Cheese Board Tools: Click Here

I’d love to hear from you! What are your favorite but easy to make winter snacks? I’m always looking for new ideas so leave me a comment below or follow me on one of the social network sites below and share your ideas!

Keep Dreaming Designing & Dwelling!

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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Let There Be Light! The Seventh “Must Have” of Eight for Winter 2013!

Posted on December 21, 2013 by cortneybailey

The seventh “Must Have” for this winter season is pretty simple, candles! Who does not love a great candle? Not only do they make fantastic gifts, everyone looks like a super model in a candle lit room! If you want to bring a cozy feeling and achieve the look of warmth into your environment during the winter months, then crab your matches and light a candle.

Ideally, I’d love to fill my home with dozens and dozens of candles without having a fire risk, but since that is not possible here is an easy tip. I like to purchase flameless candles and use them in the background or place them in gorgeous votives like mercury glass. Then, I use one good candle in each room of my home to give my “wonderland” a heavenly scent that is not too overpowering. I accomplish the perfect effect without much risk – this is especially important if you have kids, pets or are throwing a holiday party – no fire risk – perfecto!!!

Most of the candles shown in this post were found at Anthropologie, Target or Candle Delirium. The rest can be found at unique boutiques. Costco and Target offer good selections for flameless candles!

Capri Blue from Anthropologie

Flameless Candles great selections at Target & Costco

Aquiesse from Candle Delirium

Melt a Target Exclusive

Voluspa from Candle Delirium

I would love to hear from you!!! Leave me a comment below or on any of the social media sites I’ve listed below and let me know your favorite candle! I am always looking for new ideas.

Keep Dreaming Designing & Dwelling!

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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Natural Beauty! The Sixth “Must Have” of Eight for Winter 2013!

Posted on December 20, 2013 by cortneybailey

Create natural beauty indoors this winter by using influences from the outdoors to create a beautiful homey wonderland indoors. Natural and organic elements now rule the roost! From a single natural object, that can introduce a vignette to the current winter trend to an entire home filled with organic winter influences your house will echo the perfect blend of warmth and style that blur the line between outdoors and indoors! Bringing nature inside is my sixth “Must Have” for Winter 2013!

If you love the Earth’s no-fuss beauty, then simple displays of natural design is perfect! However, if you tend to be drawn to more glitz and glamour then you can easily achieve the natural look by adding some shine – this is simply done by enhancing the natural design with anything from ribbon and bells all the way to glitter and lights! Just like applying make-up to a natural face, you can simply add a little mascara or you can layer on the fake eye-lashes, there is no right or wrong and the sky is the limit!!!

I have pulled all the “Must Haves” for this post from: Save On Crafts.

Tree Slabs Round Natural Wood & Reversible Wood Tree Slices

Preserved Boxwood Garland, Perserved Boxwood Wreath & Perserved Boxwood Topiary

Silver Birch Branches, Curly Willow Branches & Brich Branches with Red Berries

Ponderosa Pine Cones

Birch Bark Tubes

I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment below or follow me on one of the below sites and share what natural designs you bring into your home – I’m always looking for new ideas!!!

Keep Dreaming & Designing & Dwelling!!!

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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Toss Me a Throw! The Fifth “Must Have” of Eight for Winter 2013!

Posted on December 19, 2013 by cortneybailey

Who does not love to snuggle under a warm throw during the winter? Well, I know I sure do! Even in Southern California we have super chilly nights and one of my favorite things to do is to wrap myself up in a cozy throw and either sit by the fire, watch a movie or enjoy a nice glass of wine or a mug of hot chocolate, and yes sometimes I get to do all at the same time!

Having a collection of throws literally tossed around your home is such a great way to embrace winter and is my fifth “Must Have” for the 2013 season! Throws always give a home a comfy feeling and make every one feel welcome. Besides the practical use, throws are a great way to add a pop of color, texture and layering to almost any room.

Below you will find four amazing throws that will dress up a couch or chair! A quick tip is that I love to snatch up throws right after the holiday season is over as many of them will be on sale – score!

CocoCozy Logo, priced at $333.00

Furbish Studio, Herringbone in Pink, priced at $90.00

Serena & Lily, Pom-pom Aqua, priced at $128.00

Jonathan Adler, Zig Zag Alapaca, priced at $295.00

I’d love to hear from YOU! What are some of your favorite ways to cozy up during the winter time? I’d love to hear your ideas so leave me a comment below or on one of the site’s listed below!!!

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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What Does the Fox Say? He Says this is The Second “Must Have” of Eight for Winter 2013!

Posted on December 5, 2013 by cortneybailey

“What Does the Fox Say?” is one of 2013’s most watched videos on You Tube but it is right on trend with this year’s friendly animal must have! That’s right, animal motifs are all the rage this year! From fashion to pop culture to home décor, having a splash of these beautiful creatures displayed in your wonderland is the second winter must have for 2013!

Again, I have found three options for all price ranges but the least expensive is my very favorite – I even own a set!

You can’t help but smile when you see West Elm’s, by designer Rachel Kozlowski, “Dapper Animal Plates!” Seriously how adorable are these little guys? They are all dressed up in their winter best! These plates are perfect to add a lot of character to your table. And here is a fun fact, each animal was designed from real animals. Each plate is $8.00.

Next, is the handmade Fox Pillow by Vixen Goods on Etsty. This accent pillow actually can be left out all year, however this little fox is a great addition to your 2013 winter home. He appears to be finding his way back to his den through the snowy winter forest. This designer also offers an array of various animal motifs including deer, pooches and kitties! The featured Fox Pillow is $65.00.

The last animal motif is more of a reflection, yet it makes a statement! Zinc Door’s “Weathered Resin Buck Antlers” by Lazy Susan come as a set of two. Like the Fox Pillow they can also be left out year round but they should be a focal point for Winter. I would suggest setting them on a show-off place like a coffee table or the mantel. The antlers, set of two are $188.00.

If you have an animal motif in your home that you love to display during the winter let me know! I love seeing new ideas and adore your photos! Also, feel free to leave me a comment below …

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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The First “Must Have” of Eight for Your Winter Home 2013 – You’re Welcome!

Posted on December 4, 2013 by cortneybailey

You don’t have to roll out the “Red Carpet” to make a great impression but you do have to make a great first impression! Your front door really does set the tone to the rest of your home sweet home!

My first must have for Winter 2013 is a fresh doormat! No matter if you are pinching pennies or have a bottomless budget you can make this happen! I promise you, you want all visitors, family, friends and even your delivery person to actually feel welcomed to your home and not think … “oh well” when they set foot on your threshold.

Your home can be perfectly pristine inside but if your doormat is faded or unraveling your first impression may be a flop. Let’s not let that happen! Here are a few ideas for all budgets:

Target‘s Mohawk Home Koora Circles: $9.99:

Amazon $36.00:

Frontgate‘s Lion Crest Monogram Starts at $99.50 & up:

I’d love to see your doormats! Whether they are traditional, seasonal, DYI etc … show me and leave your comments below!

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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Top 8 “Must Have” Items to Make Your Home Ready for Winter 2013!

Posted on December 4, 2013 by cortneybailey

The Winter Season means something different to everyone! Maybe you are looking forward to January 1st when you can start fresh with new goals or perhaps your kiddos will be home for two to four weeks for winter break. Maybe you celebrate Hanukah or Christmas and are looking forward to entertaining family and friends or you simply love to cuddle up by the fire during the plummeting temperatures … or if you are like me who grew up in Northern Texas where it snows and freezes but you now live in Southern California you find any excuse to light a fire and buddle-up in a cozy blanket and create your own winter!

Over the next eight blog posts I will list the top eight items to have to make your home ready for Winter 2013! No matter if you just want to have your home ready for yourself and a couple friends or if you are having a huge winter bash these eight items will leave your home memorable and inviting!

Cheers!

Cortney Bailey

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