At Home With Coco

What’s on your nightstand? I try to keep it simple. I push the lamp to the far side of the tabletop. Between the bed and lamp I hung a hand drawn charcoal art in a simple gold frame. There are always a couple of books that I’m reading topped with a marble bowl to hold jewelry. I added a small floral to soften the look a little.

Are you looking for the perfect after dinner drink to serve your guests? 🥃

Look no further than Select Club Pecan Praline whisky. It’s a tasty choice for an after dinner drink. It like a New Orleans praline on Bourbon Street. All it needs is ice. My husband got a large round ice cube mold for Christmas so we used a cube in each glass.

See link above to purchase glasses or ice cube mold directly from Amazon. ⬆️ ⬆️ ⬆️

Chicken with Blueberry-Balsamic Sauce and Jalapeño Jasmine Rice

INGREDIENTS
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 sliced sweet onion
2 cups frozen blueberries
½ cup balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup honey
10 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tbsp lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS
-Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; cook in 2 Tbsp hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done. Transfer chicken to a dish; keep warm.

-Cook onion in 2 Tbsp hot oil in same skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Stir in blueberries, vinegar, syrup, and thyme.

-Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove thyme; stir in lemon juice. Serve blueberry sauce over chicken.

RICE INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups jasmine rice
2 jalapeño peppers, minced
½ tsp salt

RICE INSTRUCTIONS
Cook rice according to package directions; toss with jalapeños and salt before serving.

Happy Monday morning!!! Time to rise and shine. I’m having my morning cup of coffee getting ready for my week.

Where do you hide your WiFi modem?

We have a niche in our living room that was originally designed for one of those crazy huge TVs. Remember those? I debated whether or not to have built in cabinets installed or to leave it open. Since my living room isn’t huge I decided to go with a mirror in the niche to give the room more depth. Then I ran into an issue. The internet is wired to that niche. I had to get creative! I went to and found a basket that isn’t terribly solid and would fit under the mirrors. I cut a hole in the back for ventilation and to run wiring and slid the modem inside. Now we don’t have to look at that ugly black modem in my crisp white living room. Problem solved.

Do you have a pair of foo dogs?

Meet Shi & Shi Shi, the foo dog protectors of my home. While my poodle and schnoodle lay in bed and bark when someone rings the doorbell, my foo dogs are always positioned facing the front door to protect our home from negative energy. I love the ancient ideas of feng shui and have implemented many elements in my home. I’ll be sharing more soon.

Such a beautiful winter day. I’m enjoying the sun shining in today.
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Keeping the laundry room organized with these anchor jars. I was able to find the laundry pod and clothes pin labels on Amazon. It looks fantastic and is functional.
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Go big or go home! As if a lighted accent wall of stacked stone wasn’t enough, I went for an oversized piece to add drama to this small powder bath.

My lucky black eyed peas turned out perfectly.

Getting ready for a year of good luck with my black eyed peas.

Happy New Year!

I’m totally obsessed with brass and gold right now. After years of cool gray tones I’m happy warm things up with brass and gold!!!

As a designer I work with many design styles. I opted for the transitional style for my personal home. With this style I’m able to combine what I love about various looks. My home has the traditional marbles, comfortable textures of casual style, clean lines of modern decor and little pop of glam finishes.

Christmas is over and it’s time to get back to normal life. I’m slowly packing up the holiday decorations.

Christmas is over and my home is slowly getting back to normal. I just need to finish wiping the little fingerprints from my dining room mirrors.

It’s almost Christmas. Shopping is complete and now it’s time to start wrapping!

🎄 🎁

Coco’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour¹
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1-Preheat oven to 350F.

2-In a large bowl or mixer, combine butter with the sugars.

3-Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.

4-Add the flour, baking soda, and salt.

5-Mix dough until combined.So not over mid, dough should be soft and a little sticky.

6-Stir in chocolate chips.

7-Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough (medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

8-Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are set.

9-Transfer to cooking rack and enjoy!

Bringing it back to the basics with this country style mudroom. No frills white walls are simple and up to date. The practical coat rack is useful for more than just coats; organize your keys or dog leashes as well. A white shelf is ideal for adding a few simple accessories to make the space feel a little more cozy. Get the look and shop these Amazon items at the link in the bio.

‘Tis the season for houseguests. Here is a quick checklist for getting your guest bath in order.

• Take inventory of your towels. Buy new if yours are worn or tattered. Add some spirit with a holiday hand towel.

• Add fresh flowers. They smell good and look like you’ve put a lot of effort into preparing for your guests.

• Add a tray to the countertop. It is a must have to keep toiletries organized.

• A unique toothbrush holder is a nice way to dress up the vanity top. You don’t have to buy a new one, odds are you have a pretty glass/cup in your cupboards that will work just fine.

• Add a luxury soap and lotion at the sink. You don’t have to spend a lot of money. Hit TJ Maxx or Marshalls for some unique finds.

As a designer a white desktop is essential. It is a great backdrop when selecting paint colors, fabrics and materials. The simplicity also allows for more creativity. Adding the gold accents gives it that little extra touch. Get the look. Check out my website above for a link the products used in this photo.

I got into the holiday spirit today. I’m super excited about my new flocked Christmas tree. This year I’m going with a white and gold color scheme. They are my two favorite colors. Now I need to get shopping! 🎄 🎁

I got into the holiday spirit today. I’m super excited about my new flocked Christmas tree. This year I’m going with a white and gold color scheme. They are my two favorite colors. Now I need to get shopping! 🎄 🎁

@ Houston, Texas

Just finished this well traveled teen’s bedroom. Our goal was to lighten the room and give it a pop of color. I worked closely with her to ensure the design reflected her personality. We selected her favorite color, aqua, as the pop of color and the wall decor to display all of her favorite cities. The modern white bed and nightstands blend into the wall to make the space feel larger than it is. Overall it was a success!

Subway tile. You just can’t go wrong with this simple tile. It lends itself to so many design styles including farmhouse, industrial, transitional and more. Changing up the patterns and grout colors make the subway tile versatile. The black grout, black border tile and modern plumbing fixtures give this shower a contemporary feel.

With so many toxic ingredients in commercial cleansers it is comforting to know exactly what you are using in your home. Here is my recipe for an all purpose cleanser you can use all over your home. You can you any essential oil but I recommend rosemary. It is fresh and herbal as well as naturally antibacterial and anti-fungal.

Ingredients
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
30-45 drops essential oil

Directions
1-Add all ingredients to a 16 oz dark glass spray bottle
2-Shake until combined

Note: Give the mixture a quick shake before each use

Coco’s Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
makes 36 cookies

(see link above for my favorite cookie holiday cutters)

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups flour

INSTRUCTIONS

1-Mix butter and shortening until smooth. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, and cinnamon and continue to beat on medium until mixed and fluffy. Add molasses, vanilla, egg, and vinegar and beat until well combined.

2-Add flour a little at a time until combined. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

4-Roll dough to 1/4″ thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes.

5-Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

6-Allow to cool 2 minutes on the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

7-Decorate with butter cream icing or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Simply white bathroom features a freestanding bathtub offset by dark luxury vinyl floors and pale gray walls.

Good morning. Time to rise and shine. This beehive kettle and glass pour over coffee pot is essential to get the day started.