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October 25, 2016

Plans for Our Kitchen


Good morning everyone!  How was your weekend?  Ours was the same busy kid activity filled weekend plus a good dose of college football.  The fun Fall weekends that we've come accustom to!  And our weather was absolutely gorgeous, so we spent a lot of time outside soaking it up. 

Today I wanted to share a little about our kitchen plans.  I have been so anxious to redo our kitchen ever since we moved in.  When we moved in May, we had all the walls and ceilings painted and I picked out paint for our kitchen cabinets.  The painters painted all the walls one weekend and then they were supposed to come back the next weekend and do the kitchen cabinets, but I had them hold off.  Here's why - our cabinets our currently painted a dark brown almost black color, so I was hesitant to paint over them again especially a white color.  So we started toying around with the idea of replacing them.  I also wasn't sure if our granite would pair with the white cabinets and still give the kitchen the white look I wanted.  So we thought replacing the cabinets and granite would be the way to go.  But once we started down that path, it snowballed into also doing the floors because the new cabinets may not line up exactly, which then lead to if we do the floors in the kitchen, we really needed to do the whole downstairs so it would all flow.  And then some of the appliances would need to be replaced and so on and so on.  So I kind of put the kitchen on the back burner and we carried on with our other projects, which were mostly outside this summer.

Then a month ago, I had a girlfriend over and shared my thoughts on our kitchen and her response was why not just paint the cabinets now, even if you know one day you want to remodel the whole kitchen and do the floors.  She knows that I love a white kitchen and she said that it's better then living with the dark cabinets, until you're ready to do the full remodel.  Yes it is!

Rewind a few weeks ago when I came across Sita's kitchen and it seriously all came to me.  Her countertops are actually a similar color as ours and pairs beautifully with the white.  And her island is about the size of ours, which made me think pendant lanterns could work over my smaller island (which at one point I thought would not be the case.)  And then I came across this kitchen makeover which sourced out these mini lanterns, which are just a slightly smaller version of Sita's that I loved so much, but would be a better fit for the size of my island!  Finding these two sources really got my mind thinking hard again about our kitchen update.  I could finally see how it could all come together without doing a full remodel, but a face lift instead.  Sometimes having an inspiration picture is so helpful.  So we are penciled in to have our cabinets painted the first part of November and then hopefully move on from there with the finishes.  So, while I very anxiously wait for the painters to finish, here's what I have picked out:

Riviera Stripe Cordless Roman Shade in Navy - I've always wanted a window in the kitchen and we got lucky with one in this home.  I have plans to frame/trim out the window and then add a window treatment.  I love Roman Shades and this casual navy striped shade will pull in the blues I'm using in our family room which opens up to the kitchen.

Darlana Mini Lantern in Gilded Iron - I have been pinning several white kitchen images lately and there is always one common denominator in them - gold finishes.  So I knew when we painted ours, I would be adding some gold finishes.  At first I thought our kitchen island was too small for the size pendants I was finding.  But then I came across these and I think they will be the perfect size.
 
Brushed Brass Pull Bar - Excited to add these to the cabinets to tie in the lanterns.

Simply White by Benjamin Moore - A fresh, white color for the cabinets.  Our walls are painted Palomino Gray by PPG, which is a very, very light gray (almost white) color and I think this bright white color on the cabinets will look great against the walls.

White Subway Tile Herringbone Pattern - I love classic white subway tile.  Thinking about installing it in a herringbone pattern to change it up a bit from our last kitchen

Riviera Backlless Counter Stool in Navy - I have been in love with the Riviera style barstools and chairs ever since Serena and Lily first showcased them.  Because our island is smaller size, I'm thinking 3 backless barstools will be a better fit then two with backs and three will off set the two pendants.

When I put this design board together yesterday and I saw everything grouped together it made me so happy!  Besides painting, we will be doing the backsplash, lighting and hardware installations ourselves so hopefully by the end of the year we will be finished.  I would love it all done by Christmas, but we'll see.  At least there is a plan.  Having a plan and vision is a good thing.  Have a wonderful day!


October 20, 2016

October Style Finds


While we are still not at temps that are even close to wearing a peacoat, it's always nice to be ready when the cold weather hits.  I have this coat in white and love it!  I've had it for two seasons now and it's still going strong.  I really love this camel color and considering getting it as well since it's on sale for $38.  Yep, you read that right!  Such a great deal! 

And the black booties are so cute.  I really didn't think I needed a new pair this winter, but I don't have any in black.  I'm usually more of a neutral color bootie lover, but I'm really drawn to black color in this style.  Do any of you have them?  Would love to know your thoughts.


October 19, 2016

Serena and Lily Sale

Good morning everyone!  I hope your week is going well.  Just dropping in to let you know about the Serena and Lily Sale going on until October 24th.  I'm a big fan of S&L, and there are a few items I've had my eye on, but I've been patiently waiting for a sale.  And it's finally arrived and everything is 20% off!  Use the code GETCREATIVE to receive your discount.  I've rounded up a few of my favorites that are on my wishlist.



You can also shop more décor in my home or other wishlist items under my "SHOP" tab.  I hope you have the best day!


October 14, 2016

Houston Charity Event | Wine, Jewelry and Diapers


Switching gears a little today to share about a charity event I recently attended.  You may remember last month I featured Laura J Finery jewelry.  A semi-precious and fine jewelry line, hand-crafted and thoughtfully curated in Houston, Texas by designer Laura Jorn.  This reputable and popular brand caters to women seeking jewelry that is feminine yet refined.  Laura is an amazing talent and creates beautiful one of a kind pieces.  While I was communicating with Laura about her line, I also learned that she was hosting a fundraiser benefiting a children's charity called The Diaper Foundation.  Laura collaborated the event with Erin from One Hope Wine creating a fun afternoon of mingling, shopping and wine tasting with part of the proceeds benefiting a great cause


One Hope Wine's goal is to make it easy for individuals to give back through their everyday purchases with built-in donations to meaningful cause partners.  Their mission is to bring people together to celebrate and serve the world.  Primarily produced in collaboration with Rob Mondavi Jr., One Hope provides award-winning wine with a measurable social impact.  They are a California based wine company and after sampling several varieties, I quickly placed my order!  Their glitter bottles are so fun too for special occasions or to give as a gift.  You can learn more about One Hope Wine here.


I was so happy Laura asked me to attend the event, as it was such an eye opening experience to speak with one of the board of directors and the founder/CEO of the foundation about the babies and families they help.  The Diaper Foundation was founded in 2009 here in Houston by Hope Ewing.  It is a non-profit organization that helps underprivileged families acquire adequate diapering supplies for their children.  In addition to diaper assistance, the organization focuses on raising awareness on poverty issues, and providing families with hope for the future.  Their mission is to empower women and their families to live healthily, and help them build a firm foundation of character principles that will support them throughout their lives.  You can find out more about the foundation and how you can help by going here.


The event was held at Bar Bleu, which is a chic lounge located in Rice Village in Houston.  If you're local, it's definitely a place to check out.  Working with Laura on this event were her talented stylist, Lori and Luisa, the owners of Flora + Mia clothing.  They provide in-house personal styling and hand-picked pieces.  You can shop their fashion collections here.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Alley, a fellow Houston blogger.  She will be launching her new site next week and is sure to be one of my frequent reads.  She was also photographing the event and all the photos are her beautiful work.  You can follow Alley on her Instagram @lifeofalley.


October 10, 2016

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies


Are you ready to taste the most delicious cookie ever?  A thick, chewy chocolate chip cookie stuffed with a rolo and then topped with sea salt, yes please!  This recipe is really amazing without the candy and salt, but add those two ingredients and it takes it to a whole new level of goodness.


Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted softened butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (Gold Medal is the best)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 30 pieces of rolos, frozen for at least 2 hours
  • sea salt to sprinkle on top

Method
  1. Freeze candy for at least 2 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed or stir with a spoon until light and fluffy.  Mix in flour, baking soda and salt.  Add chocolate chips and combine.
  3. Roll about 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball and then flatten and place on pan lined with parchment paper.
  4. Place frozen rolo in the center of the flattened dough balls and then add a little dough over the top of the candy to completely cover it.
  5. Sprinkle sea salt on top of dough.
  6. Place pan back in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.
  7. Remove from freezer and bake for 11-13 minutes or until light brown.  Cool and remove from pan and place on cooling rack.
*recipe adapted from here


This recipe yields a pretty large batch of cookies, even after I ate several spoonfuls of the dough.  But they still didn't last long in our house.


October 7, 2016

Today


I LOVE this new song and video by Brad Paisley!  So beautiful.  Grab a tissue before you hit play :) 
Happy Friday Friends!

October 5, 2016

Outfit on Repeat

jeans (similar) | top | booties | sunglasses (similar) | watch (similar) | necklace

Even though we are into October and our temps are much more pleasant, it's still on the warm side.  Cooler mornings, but warming up to the 80's by the afternoon, so this outfit has been my go to lately.  I feel like I'm ready for Fall with the plaid print, but still cool and comfortable for our current weather.  I shared this photo on IG, but wanted to share here today because I noticed this top is marked down to $26 and then you get an extra 25% off with the code TREAT bringing it to $19!  It also comes in two colors.  My booties are from last season, but they are still available and have held up well.

You can find more of my favorite home and fashion pieces here.


October 3, 2016

October Home

one | two | three | four | five

It's always refreshing to start a new season.  There's something so energizing about change for me, whether it's a new season or new life experience.  When I think about Fall, here are a few things that come to mind...cozy clothing, warm blankets, fragrant candles and yummy comfort foods.  As you saw from my fall home tour, my fall décor is pretty simple.  I like to add a few touches to bring in some warmth and coziness, but it's minimal.  We've had a few cool mornings and evenings this past week and it has been so welcomed.  Above are few things I things I love for the home this time of the year.  I hope you're enjoying the new season!