My (Cheap) Absolute Beauty Must Haves!

For those of you who know me (in real life), you know that I love anything girly, sparkly, feminine, and I love  beautiful things!

I thought I would do a post for all of you on my absolute favorite beauty products. Some I have been using for years and some more recently. Every single item above can be purchased at your local Walmart, or drug store.

Ok, let's get started!

1. Suave (yes you read that correctly) Keratin Infusions Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner. 

I would recommend the Smoothing kind only, they have a color care and volume line as well and I really don't think they compare to the smoothing one. Now I know everybody has different hair, but if you have heat damaged/colored hair at all I would really suggest this! This is a pretty bold statement but it is really the truth... THIS IS MY FAVORITE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER I HAVE EVER USED. I have used every brand you can imagine Salon brands super fancy included, and yes Suave is my fave. Give it a try. This stuff lives up to it's claims. It has healed my split ends it smooths and I can straighten my hair, or curl it and it manages to still hold curl but be soft and silky as well. I am serious, if you are not addicted to your current Shampoo and Conditioner. Try this!

2. Maybeline BB Cream.

Try this instead of foundation if you want a more natural sheer coverage and a little bit of a glow. There are different brands of BB creams, this one is my personal favorite. They say that it will do all these amazing things, my personal opinion is that it is a tinted moisturizer. I use this during the summer and when I have a tan. It let's freckles etc. show through but makes your skin look more even and natural.

3. Salley Hansen Air Brush Legs.

I have told a lot of friends about this and all of them love this stuff! I use it all year long. During the Fall/Winter if I don't want to wear tights and want my legs bare I use the light glow. It makes your legs look so much nicer. No red splotchy spots, veins etc. It is not a self tanner it just makes your legs looks one color and really nice. I can deal with white legs I just don't want white and red legs. Get me? I use the two other colors if I have a tan at all. Let it dry for a few minutes and this stuff will not rub off on your clothes. 

4. Maybeline Dream Matte Mousse. 

Ok Guys... I don't know what I will do when they stop making this stuff. My mom, my sisters and I all swear by this! I get asked all the time what type of foundation I wear, so do my sisters and my mom. It will give you a flawless finish like no other makeup you have used. I do not recommend the liquid version of this. It's ok but does not work near as well as the mousse. We all wear the same color and that is Nude Light 4. This looks perfect if you have fair skin with olive/yellow undertones. If you have more pink undertones then you might want to try the Ivory or Fair shade. It will give you photoshop face. For real. :)

5. L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray

Best Hairspray. Hands down. This is another thing that lives up to it's name. It will not make your hair crunchy but it hold curl really well. Spray in your hair and then run a brush through your hair will be soft but stay put. It's the best. 

6. L'Oreal Telescopic mascara. 

This stuff does it all. Makes your lashes super long and thickens quite a bit too. That's another question I always get asked. "What mascara do you use?" Well this is it. For years leading up to this I always used Christian Dior. I like this as much. And it doesn't cost near as much. ;) Little warning, it is pretty wet when you first put it on but you will learn how to apply it. 

There you have it. Let me know if you try any of my recommendations. :) 

XO, 

Ash

An online design board for my friend

This is my friend, Bekah. Isn't she absolutely gorgeous?!! And her little babies are so cute too! Bekah and I have known each other for a very long time, and even though we have never lived around each other, we have always remained pen-pals.

I first met Bekah at some Church Revival Meetings in Dillon, MT. I was about 10 years old, she was probably 11 or so, I literally thought she was the coolest human being on the face of this planet. I stayed the week in Dillon, and we hung out every day. At the end of the church meetings, right after the Friday night service, we decided that we were going to hide in the bushes and it seemed like a really good idea at the time because we thought we would probably never see each other again. :) We hid from our families so they couldn't take us away from each other. Well, I think this lasted about 30 minutes before people were yelling our names and I heard a random man mention maybe calling the police, the next thing we know her dad is pulling both of us out of the bush. I was TERRIFIED!! He said Bekah was getting a spanking and was going to tell my dad I needed one too! I am still a little scared  of her dad to this day. :) Kidding kidding! He is a very nice man. Bekah and I didn't lose contact after that. She would write me and my sister a lot of letters and she made necklaces that she would mail us. She was awesome, she still is and has a wonderful family now.

Now that she is all grown up, is married and has little babies of her own, she asked me to give her some opinions on her entry way. And so I created an online design board for her. Here is what her entry way looks like now!

She is renting the house she is currently in, which was built in the 1800's and has tons of character! Lots of molding and unique things, however because she is leasing it, she can't paint. Luckily, it is painted in a really pretty shade of yellow. Here is what I have in mind:

The exact items used in this design board would total about $3500. I am pretty sure that is not what Bekah has in mind for a budget, so here are my suggestions:

• Keep your console table (obviously) that thing is gorgeous!
• Add a lamp for some light. I like the one in the picture because it is mixing a little bit of rustic with other fancy elements. Add a black drum shade. Adds instant drama and sophistication, and will look oh so pretty against your butter colored walls. You can pick up super gorgeous high quality lamps at places like TJ Maxx or Ross. Or get a vintage lamp from a thrift store and add a black shade. You will love it. 
• Plan on spending $40-$50 on a really gorgeous statement mirror. I would go with round because of the character of your house and the shape of your console table, I think it would be so pretty! This will be your biggest expense. But you won't regret it. I know they had mirrors like the one I used at our local TJ Maxx for under $50.00. The one I used in the picture costs $550.00. You can find it here  or you can save $500.00 and go to TJ Maxx ;) A big mirror will open up your whole living space!
• Buy a tray for keys or other misc stuff that might tend to pile up on your entry table. You can find cute trays at walmart and just paint in the color you want with a little spray paint. Put some flowers on the tray to add some flare.
• Introduce aqua onto your console table (since you have that color in your living room) Buy some cheap candle sticks, paint them with Krylon Catalina Mist, it is such a gorgeous soft color.
• Buy a used chair, make it fun....I would personally paint  it in antique gold color. Think of the chair as more of a statement piece, not something that is super practical. You can get used chairs for $5.00 a piece at places like Salvation Army. Look for a chair where the seat can be recovered. It's a really easy project. My favorite spray paint right now is Krylon Champagne Nouveau!! It is the perfect color if you are going for a vintage type of look! To make it extra fun I would cover the seat in a really pretty light blush pink color. It would be a statement and would be oh so pretty! If you are not brave enough to do a pink chair, maybe add a pink pillow just for me. :)

Here are some pictures I found with the color scheme I think would look so beautiful!

Good luck Bekah! Let me know any other questions that you have. Make sure to send me a picture when you have completed your entry. 

XO, 

Ash

Entryway Reveal!

Well hello there. We have been so busy working on our house. No... not the kitchen, sorry :( But the living room, hallway, and entryway! We made our poop rust doors our first priority! (I'll explain below) Anyway, I did the above design board as inspiration for my entry..... How do you think I did, bringing it to reality?!

We are really happy with how everything is coming along. I knew that I wanted the look of the design board, but on the cheap. If I would have purchased the items used in that design board, my entryway would have cost me approximately $3,000. Um, YA RIGHT! There is no way. I pretty much stuck with a $100.00 budget. And that is including the wood that my husband and I used for the molding. Of course we got all the molding at, you will never guess.... Habitat for Humanity! Here is our "Entry" wall before!

No, that is not stained wood, the people that sold us the house actually painted it that color. Weird I know.  Anyway we got busy, painted all the doors in the house a really dark charcoal gray, all the trim white, and then added some trim of our own.

And now we have this.

We wrapped the molding around the hallway along with a gallery that I did with some poster frames for really inexpensive. I added some baskets to keep blankets in, or random junk that I may not want on the top of my pretty styled table.  I love my hallway and entryway now. Before they were the ugliest part of our house. Now with all the paint, pretties and pictures of us and our pets kids, it's my favorite part of our home!

I picked up this vintage lamp at our town garage sale for $1.00! Just added a black shade, instant update to a lamp.

Added some sweaters to my vases. They need clothes too. 

This is what I want to end up with, in my living/entry area:

 

What do you think of my progress so far?

Cracker Barrel/ Texas Roadhouse Green Beans Copy Cat!!

This is my favorite way to cook canned green beans! These are sooooo easy and sooooo delicious. I think maybe those two restaurant chains might used ham hock or something, and that also there green beans are slow cooked. Mine have just a few simple ingredients and I love them just as much! Once you make canned green beans this way you will never go back to your old way again! :)

The original recipe I found here calls for bacon that you fry first, then add the green beans. Well the story goes like this..... One day I wanted these green beans and I didn't have any bacon. I did however have the bacon bits that are made with real bacon.... You know the ones you find in the salad topping section? So I used them instead. Honestly, I like them better with the bacon bits (as long as they are real! Don't get the fake ones!) I am not kidding, these are super good!!

Cracker Barrel/Texas Roadhouse Green Beans Copy Cat

Ingredients

• 2 cans green beans undrained
• 1/4 of a yellow onion chopped
• 1/3 cup real bacon pieces bacon bits
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together in sauce pan.  (This recipe is really flexible. You can add more bacon, seasonings onion etc.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 45 minutes. The simmering is what gives them such a good flavor!
2. Enjoy and serve!

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Crock Pot Salisbury Steak

Do you like Salisbury Steak? If so, I think this could quickly become a staple in your house, and it couldn't be easier to make!  I have tried a lot of different Salisbury steaks and this one is my favorite hands down!

Let me say it was a little difficult to get a "pretty" picture of this stuff. My handsome photographer took this one. He can make even my ugliest food look pretty. :) Don't let this Salisbury's looks deceive you. It is so good in all of it's sloppy glory! Oh and the green beans...... So dang good. I mean really really good. They are a Cracker Barrel/ Texas Roadhouse Copy Cat. I mean they are really good. Click here for the recipe.

Back to the Salisbury Steak. What originally prompted me to try this recipe was that it was made in the Crock Pot. I love using my Crock Pot, anyway I have also made it in a skillet. It's really fast and easy. So do whichever one works better for you. They are both identical in taste and texture. I will give you both methods.

Also, I have been doing Freezer cooking. Cooking for two means that sometimes we waste a lot of food. So I made this full recipe and then I froze what we didn't eat. I have been obsessing over freezer cooking methods, thawing, and reheating techniques because I don't want my food to taste "frozen".  I like to send stuff like this in my husband's lunches. This is one of his favorites.

So here it is:

Crock Pot Salisbury Steak

Adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (1 ounce) packet brown gravy mix
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1-3 tablespoons Worcestershire 

Directions for Crock Pot

1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. (approximately 3 minutes per side) Place browned patties into the slow cooker stacking alternately like a pyramid. 
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, brown gravy mix, beef broth, and however much Worcestershire sauce you want. (We like a lot! Make sure you taste.)  Pour over the meat. Cook on the Low setting for 4 or 5 hours, until ground beef is well done.

Directions for Skillet

1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands. Shape into 8 patties. 
2. Meanwhile In a sauce pan, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, brown gravy mix, beef broth, and however much Worcestershire sauce you want. (We like a lot! Make sure you taste.) Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. (You are going to warm the gravy in a pan first so that you are not dumping cold gravy over the top of your hamburger patties.)
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet. (approximately 3 minutes per side) add warm gravy to skillet. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until ground beef is well done.               

    

   Directions for Freezing

   I freeze in ziploc bags. You can freeze for up to 3 months. For thawing.... put in the fridge the night before. I always try to thaw stuff in fridge. You can either reheat in oven or even in microwave, your gravy might be a little thick so just add some beef broth to it before reheating.                                                                                                                                                                    Linked up to:  Sew Much Ado  

Sea Glass Jar DIY

I just love the way these jars came out. I place them in my kitchen window, and let me say it makes doing all my dishes by hand a lot more enjoyable!

Aren't they pretty? I heart them.

I have seen quite a few tutorials on these aqua colored mason jars. I chose to follow this tutorial because I wanted a true seaglass (frosted) look.  Also, I wanted to be able to fill them up with water so I could put pretty flowers in them! This tutorial is so easy. This is all you need:

That's right.

-Glue  (3 Tablespoons)

-Dish Soap (1 drop)

-Food Coloring (3 drops blue + 1 drop green)

-Paint Brush

-Jars of Your Choice (Got mine at Walmart, super cheap!)

Mix 2 parts glue with 1 part water. Which is homemade modpodge!! Did you know this?? I did not until I did this tutorial. For these jars I used 3 tablespoons glue and 1 1/2 tablespoons water. Add your food coloring drops plus 1 drop of dish soap. This is important! It gave it just the right texture! Stir together until it looks like this:

Use your paint brush to paint one LIGHT coat on the jar. I tend to over-do things. (shocking I know) I tried this a few months ago and I went over and over it trying to make it look even smooth and perfect. They did not turn out well!  Luckily  you can get the food coloring and glue right off with warm soapy water.  I washed them and decided to give it another try! Do not put a thick coat on, do a very thin coat and it will dry evenly I promise! All beautiful and frosty seaglass like. While drying it will look like this:

Don't worry and don't touch it! The streaks will fade, as long as you did one even light coat. Then you should have this!

Do this. Put them in your kitchen window. (if you have one) If you don't put them in any window. You will adore them.....seriously!

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Painted Countertops Q&A

I wanted to answer some questions I have received in response to my Painted "Granite" Countertops Post. I hope this information will be helpful to everybody! If you have any other questions please make sure to let me know!

Are they durable?
When I say they are as hard as a rock I mean they are as hard as a rock. The coat on top is equal to 50 coats of varnish. They are extremely durable!

Do they chip?
Pretty sure the only way to chip them would be to use a hammer and a chizzle! They don't chip.

Is the product that you put on top safe?
It is non-pouress hard as a rock like I said. It doesn't leak into your food, once it cures (for 72 hours) it is super hard. Also it is polyurthane...... which is what they use to seal Granite and Butcher Block and many other types of countertops! So those people that have Granite "sealed" countertops or a "sealed" butcher block countertop, or many other types of fabricated countertops have the same type of top coat as this method! P.S. I don't put raw/bare food on any countertop or surface besides a clean plate or cutting board.


Will it burn my countertop if I put a hot pan directly onto it?
I don't know about this one. There again, I have never put a hot (like fresh off the stove hot) pot or pan on a bare countertop/ table in my life. I always use potholders. That's what they are there for. To protect valuable things. :) So I do not know if it would burn the countertop or not. On the Envirotek instructions it warns that placing a hot item directly onto the countertop can leave an impression. Like I said, I have never tested this to see if it was true or not. I don't need to, I just use potholders like I believe most people do!


Do you have any tips on how to use the Envirotek? 
Yes. First thing my husband and I did was by a simple blow torch ($10.00) and used that for any air bubbles that may happen during the process. Go over them super lightly with the heat and then as soon as they pop remove the heat. We only had two air bubbles. Secondly we bought foam brushes (the small craft kind) For if we had to lightly smooth it out or help it pour over the edges. We didn't have to do this much because it is self leveling. You want it to completely pour over your edges and onto the floor (where you have laid plastic) Once dry you will have hardened drips that you will sand off once cured. We didn't have too many of these!

Is this process difficult to do?
I think you will find that it is a little time consuming in between coats, but it is not difficult at all!


What brands of paint and glitter did you use?
I posted a picture below of the accent paints I used. The paints were purchased at Home Depot and the glitter at Walmart. Yes, just regular craft glitter. I used Martha Stewart brand. The base coat of paint I used was actually the Disney Brand Paint at Home Depot and the color was Mouse Ears. The paint lady there told me it was their truest black.

 Via: Home Depot

How did you paint your cabinets?
I know I have been promising a tutorial of cabinets for a while now. We got so busy when we moved back to Idaho that I haven't painted our cabinets yet. I will tell you this, the only Primer I use on anything is Zinsser. We only used ultra smooth foam rollers (never brushes) and then for the top coat (I know it is wierd but I swear by it) we used Porch and Floor High Gloss paint. The OIL BASED kind.  You will notice that it has  Polyurethane right on the can! :) Painting the cabinets with oil base paint ensures absolute durabilty and such a professional glossy finish. They do not look "hand painted" at all! If you get anything on them the surface is so slick and smooth it will wipe right off! I had the porch and floor paint mixed at Home Depot in a Behr color called Moon Rise.

Via: Home Depot

Has anybody else tried your tutorial on this?
YES! Which makes me really excited! I have been notified by three different people that they did my tutorial and painted their countertops! I will try to gather some pics, I know that they are in love with the way they came out! Here is picture of General Spledour's painted countertop. (Which is where I got the idea from to do mine) Don't hers look awesome?

And here were mine after completion in case you missed the original post:

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Beautiful Outdoor Area On A $100 Budget!

This is our patio area I put together when we lived in Oregon! I was so happy with the way it came out.  I truly believe that you don't have to sacrifice something that is gorgeous just to get something that is cheap. I am so passionate about being thrifty and frugal, but I never want myself or my home to look "thrifty" or "frugal". I spent about $15.00 on stuff I didn't have already. ($100.00 total on everything including the chandelier) I truly believe you can have the best of both worlds. Hopefully this post will give you some guidelines on how I accomplished this when doing our Patio Makeover!

1) Lighting:

I cannot express enough how important lighting is in a room. (outdoor room in this case) You can have gorgeous decor, colors and everything laid out just right, but if you don't have good lighting it throws everything off. Whether the light fixture is ugly, or there is inadequate lighting; you just will not get good results if you do not have "good" lighting. I have seen people spend so much money re-doing a room and then leave a 20 year old ceiling fan as the only lighting in a room. To me, when working on a make over, the first thing I consider is "do I need to change the lighting?" Having proper lighting in a room, or taking it one step further... having beautiful lighting in a room can change everything! 

The chandelier I hung on my patio was actually one I had ordered for our wedding through Koyal Wholesale. It was $60.00 full price, but since I had ordered a bunch of stuff  through them, I ended up getting quite the good discount. It plugs in to the wall which is an awesome choice for outdoor dining because you generally don't want to hard wire anything in. There is another online website called Shop Wild Things, that has awesome, cheap, plug in lights as well. If you have kids and want to do something  more casual they have some great options for that as well.

2) Color Scheme:

I won't get into color theory because it would probably bore most of you to tears. (personally It really excites me, but I am weird ;) I love color!) But I will say this, given a choice between monochromatic neutrals or adding in splashes of color I will, more often than not, choose color. I love using pink and blue/aqua together because they are on opposite sides of the color wheel. (it really does make a difference!) If you want to go with a more monochromatic neutral color scheme than you must add texture, lots and lots of texture, otherwise you will end up with a space that is really not visually appealing at all, it will just look boring. If you want to add in color you can never go wrong using fresh flowers! I ended up getting these flowers and the vases for super cheap at our  local Safeway. The vases are so pretty and I got them for $4.00 a piece. Just in the floral dept. They were marked clear down!

The runner I got at Big Lots! and the wine glasses at Dollar Tree. I know right? I love Dollar Tree! Click here to order them from Dollar Tree online. Did you know you can order from Dollar Tree online? Well now you do!

3) "Window" Treatments:

For this project I used Lill curtains from Ikea that I already had! They are $2.50 per panel. You could not make them for that price! They are huge, and I also use them indoors behind floor to ceiling (96") curtains. They are so cheap. and actually surprisingly durable. All we did with these Lill Curtains is hang them up with thumb tacks. Then tied the middle into a knot. It instantly changed the look of our patio!

4) Candlelight:

I think that typically when the average person tries to pull off the less is more look, they end up with something that looks piddly (is that a word?) and sparse and quite honestly bad. I want you to imagine what this table would look like with just three candles on it. It would not look as nice! Use all the candles that you have, you cannot go wrong with more candles. If you are worried about things looking messy than do a straight line like I did here. But I am telling you Lots of candles = Big impact! Plus candles are so cheap. These votives in glass holders I also got at Big Lots for $6.00.

Here are my sources again:

Chandelier: Koyal Wholesale
Vases and Flowers: Safeway
Sheer panels: Ikea
Runner and Votives: Big Lots
Wine Glasses: Dollar Tree

Now maybe you are looking to do something more family friendly or less romantic for your patio, I still believe that if you follow the basic design principals I have laid out you will be so pleased with the results!

Here's to Happy Outdoor Living!

P.S. The patio set I had got for $25.00 at Fred Meyer it was the floor model. It was 90% off!

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Kitchen Redo Progress > Part 2

I have said it a million times and I will say it again, go to Habitat for Humanity Restore!! Although.... if you live in the Boise area I sorta wanna hog our two local stores all to myself! My husband and I could spend hours and hours in there. Picked up this light at our local on for $6.00! The fixture pictured  on the right is called the Hundi Lantern from Pottery Barn. It retails for $299.00!! Yes, I know the one I purchased is brass,  however, I will paint it! In order to save $294.00... I am game! Be watching for a tutorial!

Pictured above is where I will be hanging the fixture. It drives me crazy how the existing builder grade light is not centered, (not even close)... above the window. Well because my new $6.00 fixture has a chain I will be able to mount it and then center it with a hook. And I am really happy about that!

This is the overall look I am going for above my sink, only with a "Hundi" style fixture instead. I think I will paint it chrome,  to go with the other fixture I talked about it Kitchen Redo Progress > Part 1.

Via: Caitlin Creer

Here are some gorgeous kitchens with the "Hundi" style lantern in them. I am so excited about my awesome find!

Via: 1, 2, 3, 4

Have you been to a Restore?

Kitchen Redo Progress > Part 1

Ok so there actually is no progress. We have been so busy since moving here and had so many things going on we actually haven't really touched our kitchen. I have however, picked out paint colors, purchased a fridge from Craigslist, and also purchased a cabinet to make an island out of from Habitat for Humanity Restore. Have you ever been to a Restore??? Those stores are Legit!! Click here to find a location near you!  We also put our washer and dryer in our kitchen. ....ughhh I hate it's current location.:( As soon as money and time allow I will be moving those to another place! Even if it is into the garage!

 What you see in the above picture is all I have for counter top space and storage. Hence the reason my sweetie is building me an island, which we will do a tutorial of! Here is my list of all we would like to accomplish. I will cross things off as we get to them! Have you seen this done in other places in Blogland? It's kinda the cool thing for bloggers to do. These cool bloggers don't just put a Before and After in a "Reveal Post".....they actually chart their progress. I am just trying to be cool. Bear with me.....

• Purchase Fridge
• INSTALL A DISHWASHER. (Seriously. feel so spoiled. But I miss having a dishwasher!!)
• Make paint and color choices.
• Paint cabinets and COUNTER-TOPS. (Like we did here)
• Purchase used cabinet for to make island out of.
• Finish island, paint it, paint the counter-top for it. (Also, like we did here)
• Change out cabinet and drawer hardware.
• Purchase light fixtures     -------------->
• Install light fixtures.
• Upgrade microwave and stove to stainless. (This will probably happen way later on.)
• Upgrade flooring. 
• Make bar stool covers for chairs for island.
• Relocate washer and dryer to free up some space and add more cabinet space and counter-top in their place.   

Of course you know me, I want to do everything for incredibly cheap. So needless to say that when I found this light fixture (pictured above) for above my island for $69.00 at my local Home Depot, I was very very excited! You see  on HomeDepot.com it is listed for $219.00...... however the manager at the Boise Home Depot said this particular fixture did not sell well in the Boise area, so they marked it way down. I love going and seeing that they still sell it online for so much and I got it for so inexpensive! $150.00 off!

                                                                     

I leave you with some inspirational photos and what I would like to glean from them for my kitchen redo! 

via

This picture is what originally inspired me to incorporate a black drum shade pendant into my kitchen. I also love the white covered chairs!

via

I just love white cabinets with dark counter tops. They are my favorite. Notice the black drum shade pendant as well.

via

I know, I know it's not a kitchen. But I think the shade of blue/green that is on the walls is just perfect and this is what I chose for my walls.

via

Adore that glittery backslash, I love glitter ok?!  I also am really considering painting my island black like this with a white counter-top. Opposite of the back cabinets that have the white cabinets with the black counter-tops. Isn't it pretty??? I really really love the chandelier. Just being honest..... I would have a chandelier in every room in my house, however, I live with this thing called a man, and that would be really sad for him. So I try to add in black. and not too much crystal.

via

I may or may not be planning on painting my ceiling blue, along with my walls. ;) Now all I have to do is convince my husband that we need a colored ceiling. Shouldn't be hard at all!

So, to sum it up: black, white and aqua color scheme. Glittery backsplash, or glitter somewhere. Black pendant shade. I.cannot.wait.to.get it.done.

P.S. To all of you who have expressed concern... I am sorry for silence on here lately, my brother in law passed away four weeks ago, and it has been a really tough time for my family and I. I have been so busy moving my sister here I have not kept on posting as I would like.  Thank you for the prayers and the sweet notes, that many of you have sent. <3