my little date "knight" at Chick-fil-a. i feel so safe knowing he has a balloon sword to protect me ;)
this was a really fun thing to do w/ my boy. we rarely have time alone, so i was excited to go out & spend a few hours alone w/ him. we don't spend enough quality time together like we used to. but i am hoping that will change very soon...
xo
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this is our eat in kitchen (amazing how more cluttered it looks in the photo..gosh, LOL). i love the size of it. HOWEVER, i couldn't stand the dark brown cabinets that came w/ our home. but knew we would rid of them someday.
we started backwards...thing is we had plans on just refinishing the wall cabinets & replacing them w/ matching doors to the floor cabinets. but after pricing a variety of styles/colors from different places, we decided to replace them all together, but later. since the man wanted Ikea cabinets i got granite counter tops like i wanted. a happy medium ;)
we were going to go with white. believe me i wanted white cabinets in a seriously bad way. then i thought about the upkeep of having to keep them clean. OMG, i am annoyed at cleaning all the white doors in the house, so i can't imagine having to constantly wipe the cabinets down weekly either.
we spent an entire day removing everything out of the cabinets to putting all the floor cabinets together. OMG, what a daunting task. we were both sore for several days.
after we came home from dinner, kids were placed in their jammies & watched a movie while we finished the rest of the cabinets. by 1030, i walked into the family room & they were quietly asleep. so sweet!
we were up til 1230 am putting the last of the cabinets together & making sure they fit where they will be living permanently.
we ordered our granite on a Saturday & they came to measure that Monday...
then Tuesday, our countertops were installed...only took them about 2 hours. Tim started working on the plumbing later that evening. we ordered a garbage disposal b/c the old one had a broken seal & needed to be replaced.
our appliances will be mixed white & stainless steel until we decide to replace the white one. we did buy a new dishwasher, LOVE it!!!
fast forward....
a two weeks later, we were excited to pickup the wall cabinets!! Tim took an extra day off from work so he could install the brackets & cabinets and make adjustments before installing the doors.
our kitchen table was filled all the way around...
Tim put cabinets together in the garage...
while i put them together in the family room, which is where they lived for a couple of days.
that blank spot on the left, we had a cabinet that was too small, so Tim had to exchange it for a larger one...the hard part of installing the cabinets is over. now the doors, shelves & door handles (my job)
under cabinet lighting installed. we still have to install lighting under the single cabinet by the phone & under the cabinets by the fridge...
as of today, this is what the kitchen looks like...
there is a new stainless steel range hood. since our fridge is only 6 years old, we will keep it for at least another 4 years before replacing it w/ a new stainless french door w/ freezer at the bottom & the stove, well, i am saving up for a double oven flat stove top. i have been wanting one in a bad way! hopefully in the next year or two i will have it ;)
i still have to adjust the cabinet doors & wipe down the cabinets a bit...
the cabinet to the left of the dishwasher was an added bonus...that is where our bakers rack was. adding that has really made the kitchen seem larger & it's nice having the extra counter top space, too.
these new cabinets are much longer. as you can see, we have to readjust a few light switches & outlets so they are not hiding, lol.
under mount sink was a must! i love it. i can fit my largest pampered chef pan in the sink flat!!!!
here is a close up of the granite...
all my spices & some dry herbs sat above my stove, but now they have a happy home inside the cabinet.
adding the corner cabinet was such a good idea...gave us a lot more storage. weird at first w/ having that opening at the very top though. i will find something decorative to put up there later.
we went w/ drawers, too...this was a must. lots of room for all our plates, bowls & the kids cups.
as you can see, we still have to add the kick plates to the floor cabinets & the decorative strip under the wall cabinets. both super easy. we plan on installing tile flooring next year & it's nice to know the kick plates will be really easy to remove once we are ready to replace the vinyl flooring.
this side of the kitchen is used for baking...i like having a separate area in the kitchen we can use for baking cookies & cakes.
i was going to keep the walls blue, but after seeing the new cabinets in place, the blue just doesn't work. so the next big thing is choosing color, more neutral. i am looking at having a painter come in to paint our kitchen & the hall/foyer area, too. the mobile island is also going to be repainted & that won't happen until i figure out the wall color.
the next big challenge is picking the back splash. i know what i want & have a few samples, but i am wanting something different from what i have. i just need to do some shopping around to find the right mix of colors for the style i want & will share pictures when done.
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my Mother's Day began on Friday...
attended a Mother's Day Tea Party at Corinne's pre-school. it was really sweet seeing all the kids sing to the moms & present us with their adorable handmade gifts! i always love that.
no pictures...but on Saturday, after boot camp, Ty & i watched his neighborhood friend play his last soccer game. that was fun & now Ty is ready for outdoor soccer, YAY!!! Corinne made a cake (w/ assistance from Tim) for me and gifted me w/ an adorable photo & flower holder she made at Lowe's Build & Grown, and a new plant for the holder...that made my day!
Sunday, was relaxing! i laid in bed til about 1130am, had breakfast in bed & watched random tv while Corinne colored in the room & Tyler played.
we always have a photo together on Mother's Day...it's great looking back at earlier pictures, seeing how much i have aged & how fast they are growing.
i LOVE LOVE LOVE this photo of Corinne & i. she is so lovable and enjoys having her photos taken. we both LOVE selfies together!!! i hope this tradition w/ her continues for a lifetime...
Ty was in a mood, maybe b/c it wasn't "SON"day, hahaha. not sure what was up w/ him, but he just didn't want to cooperate nor smile. i had to share this photo of the three of us, the not so perfect Mother's Day photo.
i was in the mood to do something fun & something i've never done before. it was too nice of a day to stay home, so we went to ride Go Karts at Funland. that was a rush! i had a blast & Tyler really enjoyed it, too. i was glad b/c i don't like when either of the kids are in a mood, makes the day not so fun. i want to go again. thinking we will be doing this more often this summer.
Ty even rode the smaller karts twice. he is so CUTE posing w/ a smile...he's so cool & HAPPY!!!
we tried to get Corinne to ride but she was too scared, so she was the cheerleader & had fun running & jumping around while we raced.
Tim & Ty raced together before we headed off to dinner at Bravo's. dinner was an hour wait, but well worth it. their food is SOOO delish! i'm beginning to like them more than Carrabbas.
afterwards, we headed home & i went to see a movie, Think Like A Man. yes, i still go see a movie alone on Mother's Day. it's relaxing actually, w/ no interruptions! it was good, hilarious movie, which i liked. there could've been a few choice phrases omitted from the movie, but overall, i enjoyed it & loved watching one of my favorite actresses perform, Taraji Henson.
hope you had a wonderful weekend spent w/ your mom & kids.
tomorrow i will share pictures of the kitche. i was suppose to have them up yesterday, but i usually don't have my computer on over the weekend...xo!
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wow, it's already May & i've not shared anything creative on my blog since March 27th, to be exact. funny thing is, i've also not scrapbooked since the 2nd week of April...i think the last layout i did was right before Easter weekend & worked on a project for friend, which i need to get done like, super fast! upgrading our kitchen is taking up a lot of out our time & my creative energy. but honestly, it's been nice to take a little break from my studio's work table.
i finally did sit down & create a layout for Lily Bee on Sunday night...talk about last minute, haha. but i'm very pleased w/ the outcome.
i had brainstormed this design idea in my head for days...i've been wanting to do this for a long while now & glad i did. makes me love my Cameo more & more. the possibilities are just endless i tell ya. there are definitely more words to describe my daughter, but instead, i went the easy way & used her name as a guide in describing her wonderful qualities. you can read more about the layout here...
these are two projects i've not shared that have since been on the Lily Bee blog last month & thought i'd share them here...
this bracelet was probably the most easiest & simplest piece of jewelry i've ever made...i only had to add the paper & glue. LOVE IT! you can read more about the tutorial here...
one of Lily Bee's focus on weeks was all about chevrons. they are HOT right now & boy are they fun!! i used my Cameo Silhouette to cutout the background for this layout.
lastly, my layout layering lots & lots of Lily Bee's index cards...blog post here...
now that my creative juices are flowing, it's time for me to spend a little more quality time at my worktable making a complete mess...i have missed getting my hands sticky w/ glue, paper cuts from pattern paper & the smell of un-do....
xo!
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i have my copy of the idea book and it's jam packed with creative inspiration. start National Scrapbook Day off with a copy of the Everyday Storyteller e-book. do not miss the launch party tonight @ 830 CDT (930 EST).
hope to see you there, xo!
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(photo courtsey of C&C Marriage Factory blog)
i am diggin using my crockpot more lately. it's just the best thing ever. i mean, i can quickly prepare meat in the morning to put in the crockpot and let cook on low for 6 to 8 hours...OMG, so easy & less mess! i'm so hooked! i love it. i know, i act like it's something that's new, when it's not, LOL. i'm just a girl that really enjoys grilling, roasting & sauteing meat in the oven. but i now have a new love for cooking meat in the crockpot.
i've not bought pork tenderloin, say over a year. i was sooo bored w/ that meat that every time i'd make it just wasn't good to me. while roaming around pinterest, i came across the beautiful image above & clicked on the link to find the recipe here. oh my word, the combination of brown sugar & balsamic vinegar had my mouth salivating beyond belief, LOL. i, of course, pinned it & waited & waited for months before i finally took the plunge to buy some tenderloin. i had to buy two as the store only carried 1lb slabs of meat in a package.
the aroma of sage & garlic together left the house smelling so yum & eight hours later, dinner was served! goodness gracious...the family devoured it. Tim & i even had seconds & honestly, we probably could have eaten it all up if we didn't have side dishes...it was that DAMN good! i don't see myself getting bored w/ this yummy sweetness anymore. something we have added to our menu on the regular & probably the best meal we've eaten this week thus far!
happy friday, xo!
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This looks awesome. The list of contributors is amazing. Can't wait for the party. Thanks for the chance to win. Reply May 01, 2012 at 18:55
CONGRATULATIONS Keianna! Please contact me at fujiwife4@gmail.com to claim your free prize!
thanks to everyone for wonderful comments and making this blog hop a super fun experience!!!
xo
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Hi there! Welcome to the Everyday Storyteller blog hop. As a contributor, I invite you to join me at the VIP Launch Party, which starts Friday, May 4th at 8:30pm CDT (9:30pm EST). There will be more than $700 in prizes given away from our amazing sponsors and we also have party favors ready for you to download here.
Are you an Everyday Storyteller? I scrapbook because I want to remember those everyday moments I capture through the lens. One way I like to document my memories creatively is finding a relationship between a variety of elements and my photos to tell the story. It's a fun way in building a foundation to your design.
I also have one copy of the Everyday Storyteller idea book to giveaway. Leave a comment here between now and 11:59pm CDT (12:59am EST) for a chance to win a copy of the e-book in advance! You have 33 chances to win. Don't forget to join me at the VIP Launch Party. Enjoy the rest of the blog hop & look forward to seeing you at the launch party. XO!
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Sunday was filled with relaxation, baking, puzzles, playing, repairing, organizing, studying, reading...
addicted to this new show, Total Blackout. we watched this before coming down for breakfast. this show will have you laughing your heart out!
mango, carrot & nutmeg smoothie
new garbage disposal (funny, b/c we are starting to use compost now...but bought a new disposal...go figure, LOL)
after watching Total Blackout this morning, Tim & the kids did their own. it was fun watching them. Corinne had no problem, Tyler on the other hand was too scared...hahaha.
added new spice liners to drawers & added drawer liners to cabinets...slowly getting the kitchen back in order & organized...
played a game on cell phone while lounging in a quiet house...
Tim & the kids ran to TRU
made some chocolate chip cookies
Ty preparing for SOL's
another try for Tyler...LOL. he never did touch what he thought was a bug. Tim pulled it out & all it was was a stuffed watermelon toy...LOL.
after dinner clean up
more caterpillars
all eight new cabinets organized out in the garage, ready to piece together this week before we install them next weekend
roma tomato plant grew 1 1/2" taller :)
to end the WITL photos, we did a self family portrait. but not long afterwards...
i couldn't resist the happiness of baby girl swinging all by herself w/out our help. then of course...
the angry look on her face had me rollin'. Ty jumped off the swing, which made the swing knock into her. she made it known quite loudly how upset she was.
see more about Week in the Life on Ali Edwards blog & thanks for taking a peek into our lives these past seven days...xo!
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