my next project....

so when we moved from charleston, i sold our china cabinet....now i need one b/c i have no where to store our china, wine glasses, or silver.  yesterday, walker and i were out hunting at a local "junk" store to see what options are out there (don't you love that sexy baby bjorn!!  ha!! it's the only way i can go through an antique store w/ a baby...strollers are just too big for the aisle...we snapped a pic to harass my husband w/ what i do w/ our son while he is working!!)

i don't want anything new b/c a) i am on a budget and b) i like the idea of creating something of my own.  i found tons of china cabinets that are in the $200 range and thanks to all my our blogging friends, i have lots of inspiration....
love how rachel did these two cabinets in her house!!  loving the stripes she painted!!

 and if you haven't seen the before of this beauty, you are missing out!!

bryn definitely caught my eye w/ her 10 minute makeover....using marbleized paper!

and who can get eddie's DIY project out of their head??!!

i found a piece that is going to work...it's heinous, seriously, but has lots of potential!
below, is what it resembles- only think china cabinet-1980, dark, knotty wood, and bad hardware!
i have a pic but i am scared to show y'all b/c you will think i have lost my mind!!  

i want to paint it and either add mirror or a turquoise pop like these two guys.....

now, i just need a truck to go and pick up the piece....hopefully, it's still there!!  my mother-in-law assured me no one would buy it b/c it was so ugly!! ha ha!  hopefully I can get it this weekend and will share pics!

happy weekend.

i feel like this is a good thought to send us off into the weekend....it's easy to get caught up in wanting all the "stuff" and living "the life"...
i need to remind myself that i am ultimately a mom so wiping my children's nose for 100th time is my duty, as well as cleaning spit up off the new rug, hanging out in the doctor's office sick room for 2 hrs, and wearing mix match pj's is just a fact of my life.  even if, in my head, i have a totally different picture!  maybe that is why this blog is such a good outlet :)
*on a side note: since i have been housebound for the last week w/ sick kiddos, i thought i would do something for myself...i got out the real simple i received in the mail yesterday and tried these faces while applying my makeup.  it is suppose to make your makeup look better.  for me, it provided a much needed laugh!  happy weekend.

frozen pizza...

since moving a little over a month ago, our family's nutrition hasn't been the best.  when you are surrounded by boxes and you can't find your silverware, you tend to eat not so good for you things.  i think one of our major food groups was frozen pizza.  i'm over convenient food and craving getting back into the kitchen and cooking.  not necessarily fancy meals, but good for you meals.  i think that is why last night, i was practically drooling on my computer when i randomly found the blog- with style and grace.  it has the best looking pictures of food and healthy ways to eat.  i LOVE it and am dying to try some of the recipes out!!  and to make a vow not to eat anymore frozen pizza!!

*images courtesy of pinecone camp and with style and grace

dream home

today i am over at la dolce vita sharing my idea of a "dream house"....hope to see you over there! thanks so much paloma for letting me dream...it's kind of nice considering currently i am surrounded by runny noses, laundry, and dirty dishes :)

my new "grab bag"

i have something new going on at the Designer's Attic on Fridays now....it's my version of an instant room!  i had a lot of fun making the first one...i hope y'all will enjoy it too!  thanks jenny for the twitter shout out, i'm honored you like it ;)

these past couple of sunny days can do wonders for a girl.  grey days totally mess with my mood!!  i am longing for spring...i hope these pretty days are here to stay...

*images courtesy of suzie beezie, emily henderson, design darling, my home ideas, emily henderson

questions answered...

i had several questions and emails about painting my kitchen so i thought i would do one last post and then you don't have to hear about it anymore :)

painting: while i would love to say that i was cool enough to tackle this project myself, i'm not.  i left it to the professionals but i did buy all of the supplies so i can guide you a little on what they used.  our cabinets were a light stained wood so to get the paint to adhere they first started w/ sanding all of them.  next, they used zinsser cover stain.  this stuff is heavy duty and so we moved out of our house for 4 days while they painted.  it's an oil based primer that covers really well over wood, knots, etc. here is a pic of the can if you need a visual:

my paint colors were Benjamin Moore from the Classic Color collection.  the cabinets were oil base, which is not my favorite thing to use but the durability is a lot better.

cabinets: Vapor Trails 1556 (this is actually one shade lighter then Sally Wheat's kitchen)

and the walls: Northern Cliffs 1536

a lot of people also asked about my chair fabric....its one of my spare DR chairs and the stripe is lulu dk's catwalk light blue w/ brown.  

thanks a million for all of your sweet comments!  it was fun sharing the process and even more fun to get the "after" product!  

and i can't end w/out saying happy valentine's day!!  seriously, can this cake make its way into my kitchen so i can eat it?!! xoxox