Kitchen Redo

I've been meaning to post some photos of my kitchen since we re-did the lighting a few months ago but had been waiting until I found a photo of what it looked like when we first moved in so it would be a bit more dramatic. Well I finally found a 'before' shot this weekend, so here it is with the gorgeous (gag) oak cabinets, fluorescent light fixture (not shown, but it was centered on the ceiling), and totally mismatched window treatment:

And here it is now:

We spruced the kitchen up on a pretty tight budget because we don't plan on staying in this house for too long and didn't want to make a big investment, but clearly some things needed to change to make this more livable. We painted the walls a neutral shade, painted the cabinets white, added some cabinet hardware, took down all window treatments (we have block walls in the backyard), got a new faucet, and most importantly, took down the the fluorescent fixture and added some recessed lights and a pendant over the dining table.

Of course there are things I would love to change (like the appliances & formica) but overall I am very happy with how it turned out!

Black and White Friday

I opened up my e-mail box this morning and saw this super cute dress and had to share. I love the graphic zig zag pattern and classic silhouette, it would be perfect for spring with a colorful cardi and some cute flats. Over the last few years I have become much more of a "dress" girl, mostly because of our extremely hot summer temps here in the desert, but also because of the ease of getting dressed and looking put together. Many times you can find a pretty dress for the same price as shirt, so why not go for the dress and have your whole outfit complete!

What is your favorite spring outfit?

*dress here

Ready for Spring

This room is really doing it for me today, folks. I don't know if it's all of the natural light, the bright turquoise pillows, or the black & white fireplace details, but it's working for me. We've had beautiful weather here lately (in the mid-70's) and it's getting me in the mood to spruce things up around the house for spring. This photo makes me want to sew some new pillows for my sofas (and move to a house with really high ceilings)...

*via decorpad

Rainy Days

I had a great weekend shopping with the girls, although it was a little rainy. Perhaps we should have been wearing these tights...

*via ffffound

Black and White Friday

I'm off to so some wedding dress shopping with my bff's today. Have a great weekend!

*via country living

Organization

Over Christmas I did some organizing in my studio/workspace. I have tons of fabric, craft items, and books and I needed to get it all organized so that I could actually get some work done in there. I wanted to be frugal about it, so I bought all of my plastic storage at Target while everything was on sale over the holidays. I decided to go with clear boxes because it was important that I be able to see everything and know which box I need to grab for my various projects. I wish I had some 'before' shots to share, but I can't seem to find any, but trust me...it was bad.

My husband built this desk for me a few years ago, it definitely helps to keep me organized...

Lots of fabric & shipping supplies...

Misc. crafty goodness...

I decided to put this paper tablecloth (from Ikea) underneath the plexiglass top which adds a nice dose of pattern to the room...

I'm very happy with the end result, it's so much easier to find things now and the room is much more functional. Do you have any organizing projects going on right now?

Black and White Friday

Just a little goes a long way...

*via style at home