Kitchen Outfitters: Finishing Touches
As I work on my kitchen cart this week it’s reminded me that I still have a few finishing touches to put on my kitchen. There are items I’ve never had that I need, some that need replacing and others still that just need some uniformity.
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Be sure to check back Friday for my kitchen cart reveal!
Project Looming :: A Cart Makeover
Ever since my Kitchen Facelift completion (here) I’ve not been working on too many projects. And while I’m not quite ready to take on any big projects, I am ready to spiff up some small ones.
Meet my kitchen cart. He belonged to my grandparents, I’m pretty sure they used him in the laundry room for misc. shelving. He now resides in my kitchen, my nicely painted kitchen; needless to say his roughed up paint job sticks out like a sore thumb.
I’ve been eyeing this cart makeover from A Beautiful Mess. The brass and black is a great combo. I can’t decided if I quite like the 2tone or not for my kitchen. Maybe brass and white would be more fitting for my space.
I’m also a fan of the all-over color used on this blue cart from Man Made. I don’t think I’ll go blue since there isn’t an ounce of blue in the room. I kept everything really neutral so most likely I’d paint it black or white. I do like how it pops against the white wall.
I found this all white guy on Little Victorian. I like the idea of all white, it’s simplistic and clean, but I’m not sure he’s quite what I had in mind either.
So, I’m turning to you guys. I’d like you to weigh in on what you think. Do you like the 2tone? Should I incorporate some brass colored paint? I’m pretty sure I won’t be going with a bold color since I don’t really have any in my kitchen. What would you do? I’d love to hear!
Contain Yourself :: Potting 101
I’m a sucker for flowers, and who isn’t ?! They are bright, colorful, alive and smell beautifully. I can’t have flowers inside my home due to my 2 very naughty kitties. They eat and knock over any plant I bring in. So when spring arrives I’m usually bursting at the seams to add flowers to the exterior of my home where they’ll be safe. I’ve been potting plants since my senior year in college and back then I never knew there was an art to planting not to mention potting practices in general. A lot of plants have died at these hands, but I’m happy to say I’ve figured some things out along the way and I’m here to share what I’ve learned. Welcome to container planting 101!
++ FIRST select your container. Big or small, it doesn’t matter just make sure it’s a bit larger than your plant/s so they have room to grow
++ SECOND gather your plants together. I like to make a mock arrangement before actually planting the arrangement. Take a look at your plants, they always have a back and a front. Take note of it’s “best side” and plant it facing out. Rearrange your plants until you like how they look together. It’s easier to do when they are still in their temporary containers.
++ THIRD make sure you have proper drainage. If your pot doesn’t have a hole in the bottom of the pot, don’t be afraid to drill one. Your plants will thank you. To keep the soil you are about to put in the pot from draining out through the hole as well place a piece of an old sponge, moss or even a coffee filter over the hole to allow excess water to drain out.
++ FORTH fill your container with good potting soil. I use Miracle Grow Potting Soil and I’ve never been disappointed. I did however use a cheepo soil one year and it was a mess and my flowers didn’t do as well. There are other great brands out there as well, MG just works well for me.
++ FIFTH remove your plants from their temporary containers. Gently rock the plant back and forth to loosen the roots and shimmy the root ball out so it comes in one piece. Once removed gently rough up the roots to give them air and let them spread out again.
++ SIXTH plant your plants in their new containers in the arrangement you came up with in step two.
++ SEVENTH top the soil with decorative moss or mulch for added moisture protection. You can skip this step if your flowers will cover the soil eventually.
++ EIGHTH elevate your pot or use a pot saucer. This keeps the area around your pot tidy. The excess water from the drain hole can wash away or be contained in the saucer.
That’s it! Enjoy! 
++ Need ideas on what to plant? Here’s a list of great combinations.
And for some more weekend fun check out Katherine of Rhymes with Smile to see how her Nursery rolls. As a style contributor for Simply Baby’s blog, I’m excited to be joining my fellow style contributors again this week for more nursery design fun. Join the blog party here and find out which way Katherine rolls. You can also hop over to my fellow contributors and say hello!
- Beth of Design Post Daily
- Tiffany of Tiffany Leigh Interior Design
- Cindi and Emily of Scrappy Love
- Heather of Vivid Hue Home
- Katherine of Rhymes with Smile
- Kelley of Forever’s Like a Dream
- Elizabeth of Little Black Door
- and me of course
Have a great weekend!
Tread Brightly :: Bringing Your Stairs Up a Notch
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My stairwell is covered in carpet. I dream of the day I can rip it up and decide if my stairs are worthy of being bare. There are so many option beyond the traditional staining or adding a runner. Both are nice, but lets live life dangerously and entertain some painted options!
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Wouldn’t this be a happy sight to come home to every day. These pink treads a begging to be stepped on.
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A faux runner is a great idea. And if you’re not into the lime, how bout a nice gray. I especially like the hairline white stripe. It adds a finished look to the painted runner.
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Painting different patterns in 2 or 3 colors on your risers adds a whimsical touch to any stairwell.
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Color blocking is another great idea for your risers. While a rainbow my be a bit overwhelming for the typical home. Try choosing 1 hues in 3 different values for a toned down expression of color.
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For you shy-guys who keep your color trimmed up like a mullet (business in the front, party in the back.) Paint a stairwell that can suite multiple personalities with ease of closing a door or turning a corner.
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I know we’ve all ridden the ombre train to death! But I still think it looks great on a set of stairs. Just paint every 3 steps with colors from your favorite fan-deck page for a perfect ombre effect.
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And for you show-stoppers out there who aren’t afraid of taking a leap, why not add a different a floral bouquet to each riser for your own indoor garden?! I would have loved this going to my room as a child.
{Source unknown, but the photograph credit goes to Debi Treloar}
So what’s your stairwell personality?
Get to Know Me Better
One of my favorite blogging pals of Meeha Meeha nominated me for a Liebster Award. I’m quite excited she thought of me and my little-ole blog. And to thank her for this honor I’ll be answering the questions she posed here. I think this is a great way to get to know bloggers better and I’m quite excited to share my answers! I’ll also be nominating 5 bloggers to pass the torch along to.
1. A good book or a lovely movie? A good book! I’d much rather read than watch a movie, especially if it’s a movie based on a book.
2. A walk under the sun or a lazy Sunday indoors? I LOVE walking outside! I’m not much of a lazy day kind of girl, unless there is a pool and book involved.
3. Creative chaos or streamlined order? Order. I get a kick out of organizing my closets and drawers. It’s something I’ve done my entire life.
4. Red or blue? Blue. My living room is painted a lovely light-shifting gray-blue and it is the only color I’ve kept in the 5 years we’ve been living there. I’ve always admired red but have never wanted it in my home.
5. A big splurge or wise savings? I’m a saver over a spender, but I’ll buy “the good stuff” to keep from having to buy something twice.
6. Spring or autumn? This one is tricky. I am super allergic to spring time tree pollen so I should say Autumn is my favorite. But I love the feeling of leaving behind winter and starting a new warm colorful season. So in spite of my allergies I still love Spring.
7. Pastels or bold colors? Pastels. If you look at my pin boards they are filled with bright bold colors. They are my favorite eye candy. But for myself I always go with pastels.
8. Handmade or branded? Branded. I don’t really know why…I guess I don’t usually make anything myself unless it’s food.
9. Salty or sweet? Sweet. I couldn’t live without chocolate, caramel and ice cream, preferable all together.
10. Talking out or just observing? Observing. I have 2 very loud and charismatic sisters who put on quite the show. For me it’s always been more fun to watch.
11. Make-up or all natural? Makeup. I can’t leave the house without mascara. But my usual routine is BB cream, eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss.
- Jennifer of Brave New Home
- Olivia of Go for the Glam
- Nadia of Preciously Me
- Brandy of Chateau À Gogo
- Celestine of Java Aficionado
- Where in the world would you build your dream home?
- Favorite color combo that never fails?
- What’s your best hidden talent?
- What drew you to blogging?
- Favorite book you’ve read recently?
- 3 favorite online shopping sites?
- Beauty product you can’t live without?
- What is your favorite season of the year?
- Heals or flats?
- It’s your birthday, What’s for desert?
- What are 3 blogs you read every day?
Dear Spring, Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Life really doesn’t get much better than when spring hits. The drab and dreary landscapes of winter turns a luscious shade of green and the world wakes from their hibernation and delights in the simple joys of spring’s new birth. But for whatever reason trees have decided that they hate me.
Yep, I’m talking allergies in a bad way. I’m a pill poppin’, Darth Vader sounding, tissue-box-a-day mess. So while I’m in this deep pollen fog waiting for the dust to clear you should go and read about this week’s nursery design!
As a style contributor for Simply Baby’s blog, I’m excited to be joining my fellow style contributors for the fourth week in a row! Join the blog party here and find out which way Heather of Vivid Hue Home rolls. She has a beautifully redesigned blog that you will want to go and check out too (here)! You can also hop over to my fellow contributors and say hello!
- Beth of Design Post Daily
- Tiffany of Tiffany Leigh Interior Design
- Cindi and Emily of Scrappy Love
- Heather of Vivid Hue Home
- Katherine of Rhymes with Smile
- Kelley of Forever’s Like a Dream
- Elizabeth of Little Black Door
- and me of course
Have a happy spring filled weekend and a happy Mother’s Day to all my Mamas!
9 Ways to Rock it Out
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I don’t know about you but my obsession over chunky gems and agate is still going strong. I mean, what’s not to love? It’s colorful, each piece is unique and it’s got a little glam to it. What more can you ask for?! I’m especially going crazy over these chunky raw crystal lamps.
How about you? Are you still loving it or totally over it?
