Sparkle in the Kitchen

This week, I've thrown my multi-tasking skills to the wayside and have eating, sleeping, and breathing kitchen prep.  Seriously, I've been dreaming about this kitchen.  Great for progress, but not so great for blog content.  I was scrambling to the finish line- or so I though.  The cabinet install was supposed to be happening as I type this, but at the end of the day yesterday, it got pushed back to Monday <pout>. The good news is that in scrambling to get stuff done, I got all the dirty work accomplished- trim, ceiling, walls are all painted, new light fixtures are installed (including relocating one), floor is patched (the depth difference of the base of the old cabinets vs. the new), and all the appliances are unhooked.  I'm holding on to the little wins right now- if you ignore the boxes on the floor and the exposed vent duct, the room is starting to look pretty snazzy!  I'm so pleased with the light fixtures!

The sexy pendant from Lowe's inspired the lighting.  Before finding this one, I had been looking at comparable lights online with prices from $150 and up.  When I found this guy for $48 it was a no brainer.  I found the other light on Amazon in the same finish and it fits perfectly in the space!

Now, all I have left to do before install is to clean up from my projects, throw down some paper to protect the floor, and start to shop for accessories.  Ok, so maybe the "shop for accessories" part doesn't need to happen before the install, but it's definitely helping to keep me sane through the chaos.

The polished chrome light fixtures will unintentionally match the cabinet hardware, so I'm eager to mix in some other metals.  Who knows what I'll end up getting, but here are just a few of the things that have been catching my eye.

Kitchen goodies 1/2/3/4/5/6

Maybe if I'm stealth about it, I can sneak my vintage owl cookie jar into the decor without hubby noticing.  Think I can pull it off?

Happy Chic

I had some great pictures to show you today (treasure hunting was good to me this weekend), then I left my camera at Clark yesterday with the pictures still on it.  Oh well, I guess I know what I'm posting here Wednesday! With this flip, people keep asking me "how do you know how to do all this stuff?"  Wanna know a secret?

I don't.

But I figure it out or make it up.  That's why I absolutely loved this quote when I came across it on Pinterest.

In other news, did you know that Jonathan Adler now has a budget line for J C Penney??  I've swooned over his collections for a while, but that's all that my wallet would let me do.  Like the amazing non-budget-friendly vignette below.  I think I could die happy with that light in my dining room.  It's only $395.  Very reasonable considering.....

But now my wallet can be happy too!  I still won't be getting that light (sadface), but I have my choice of amazingly budget-friendly Jonathan Adler "Happy Chic" pieces.

My office might need these curtains.  It might need to happen in the near future too.

This lamp is kind of amazing.  If my nephew didn't already have an awesome lamp, I'd require this in his room.

But, thanks to my darling sister, and my impending 29th birthday tomorrow (yes, actual 29th birthday), I am now the proud owner of these Jonathan Adler book ends!

I was originally thinking my office would be their permanent home, but I'm rethinking it.  The white looks so good in the dining room!

images: 1/2/3/4/5

Winter Pinterest Challenge: Chair Sketch Art

I am now the proud owner of a Floor Nailer! In other news, it's Wednesday!  Do you know what that means??

It's Pinterest Challenge Day!!

If you're new to this blog, check out my previous challenge projects here.

When this latest challenge rolled around, I knew that I couldn't take on any big undertakings (since I have my own collection of big undertakings over at Clark the Flip House).  After looking at my collection of pins, I knew exactly which one I wanted to attempt.

I love the informal feel of the sketch and the simple use of color.  So I had to try my hand at it.

Naturally, though, I couldn't stop there.  I decided the chair needed some friends.

The steps were very simple:

• Use a pencil to sketch the desired chair- precision not necessary
• When I was happy with the shape, I used a thin felt-tip pen to trace the outline.  Then erased the pencil guides.
• Then I added color as desired.  Not too saturated, but a little pop of color/pattern in each.

I'm REALLY pleased with the way they came out.  I popped them into some frames I picked up on sale at Michael's and hung them on my office wall (with 3m picture strips so I can change my mind on location if necessary).

This collection adds a nice balance to this wall since to the right is a wall-mounted tv.  I must apologize for the lighting in these pics- it's a dreary, rainy day here in New England and I was forced to turn on the lamps- boo.

So, what do you think of my new artwork?

I'm not worried about my computer blocking the art, since this is only a temporary home for the computer until I get my butt in gear and finish my secretary desk eventually.

Now that I have my picture ledge on the wall and these on the wall, my office is starting to feel like a finished space.  Yay!  Not quite finished yet, but definitely well on it's way!

Go check out the Pinterest Challenge Projects from this season's hosts:

Sherry's Board and Batten

Katie's Growth Chart

Megan's Fabric Ottoman

Michelle's Button Art