I need this kitchen so I'm making it...

...kind of.

So this winter I'm doing a teensy-weensy renovation to my kitchen. We're talking low, low, low budget stuff here. Of course this means a special Pinboard for the project, but also that I need to track down some things.

My inspiration:

image via House of Turquoise 

My formula is pretty simple:

• Replace my stove and dishwasher with gently used "newish" ones from The Habitat From Humanity ReStore (this will involve a tiny bit of planning), 
• Paint all of my cabinets white (taking huge ques from Marion aka Miss Mustard Seed)
• Cover my counter tops with a stainless steel laminate that a friend is hooking me up with
• Add the hardware you see above
•  Replace my sink with a bib sink (if I can find one with a lip on it) 
• Swap out some cupboards for open shelving
• Add subway tile backsplash 
• Paint my current fridge chalk board paint black because I've wanted to do it ever since I saw this by Lauren Leiss of Pure Style Home
  

image via Pure Style Home

(I wish the open-rafter ceilings were an option, but any noise from upstairs would sound thunderous if I tried to do that so no dice)

Most importantly:

FIND THESE TINS. 

Halp!

In the meantime, I'm doing this:

But, I think we can agree it's not nearly the awesomesauce that it could be. 

I'd love to do this for my countertops, but I doubt I can afford it and I'm trying to keep the elbow grease to a dull roar. But aren't they pretty?

image via Stillwater Story

I usually hate dark wood, but I love just about anything paired with white

I really want THIS sink, but have been told by my pseudo-contractor that I have to have a lip on my sink or it won't work with my pre-existing cabinets

image via Pinterest 

(and the pinner hit my pet-peeve: they didn't pin from the website but from the opened image. Grr)

So I guess now I'm looking for this:

image via House of Turquoise

I love the open shelving from this kitchen so that's on the list. 

I really hope to start this Winter. It depends on a lot, and I have a very, very tiny budget. We'll see how it goes. 

In the mean time, I need to find that sink. And those TINS.

Paint, tables, beach blankets, fairies, cows, camels and vampires, oh my!

I've been slackin' you guys.

But only on you. I realize this isn't much of a consolation, but I knew you would be comforted with the knowledge that every other area of my life is being attended to, but I miss you so! I'd far rather hide in here and play all day (which is not even close to an exaggeration), but I have been busy as all get out making hay and donuts.

I do, however, have a few glimpses into my recent projects. Let's see, I painted my living room and am so happy that's done. The color is Beach Blanket by Valspar. I got the sample during Valspar's free sample promo a few months back:

What do you think? I am SO in love with it. Annnnnd...it reminds me of the color you were helping me try and find back in this post from this photo:

'Cept my new color is a bit more green hued than that room. It has more gray notes to it. It also makes me really happy to end up buying a gallon as a result of their free sample giveaway, to feel like I'm reciprocating not just taking advantage of, if that makes any sense. I'm kind of sappy.

I haven't had time to do much in the way of "staging", not that my living room is one of those spaces that staging would really help, but you work with what'chu got, yanno? I love it 100 times more than I did. At the moment the only thing that drives me bat shit is the TV. :: Le Sigh:: I usually watch stuff on my laptop anyway so I can't really obsess over the small stuff. Well. I can and do, but I try not to.

Remember this post from not too long ago?

So that was then:

and this is now:

I'll post more photos later, but for now, you can see the color at least and some of the pieces I finished. I am still trying to decide if I want to paint my white chair's legs and the table next to it. I bought the table with every intention of painting it until I got the chair and thought it needed a friend with that same shade of dark brown in common. I also realize the scale is a bit off and I have to ignore that until I have a bigger budget. Or any budget for that matter. I've been working with free or dirt cheap pieces and about the only thing I pay for is paint. I will tell you though, since I started using an industrial paint sprayer, it's a brave new world. Which reminds me, you can get your lolz on with this gem:

At least with my ability to laugh at myself, I'll never be truly lonely, right?

So where was I? Oh yes, projects. I also finished my bathroom, which I'll also cover soon, but that went a little like this:  

Old bathroom here:

And new/new bathroom here:

I love it SO much more. It feels so much bigger, calmer, more serene. Oh, and in case you're thinking it, no, I am not painting these rooms again, or every 2 years as some of my friends are theorizing. I haven't even blogged my bedroom or kitchen and by the time I get around to it, I will be on its second make-over. 

I also took care of these nesting tables that I absolutely adore:

if you love my pillows, you can get your own pair:
Layla Grayce

I love the inlay and planned to paint the inside of them white, similar to my beloved Greenwich tables by oomph that I love so much:

image via oomph's blog

At nearly $1,500 a pop, I will quite merrily settle for my own version for the cost of a quart of paint. Which actually got me the equivalent of 2 gallons of paint in this case - but that's another story and you know better than to get me going on a shiny thing.

Initially I was going to go a bit darker green, especially after seeing, coveting and wanting to replicate Natty's lovely green dresser:

image via Natty by Design

Is that not crazy gorgeous?

Then I decided to let them sit it out a bit, get comfy in their new skin...and now I kind of like them the way they are. Of course, I'll change my mind in a week and want to paint them navy. I wish I were kidding. I painted the inside panels of my IKEA Billy bookcases (what a fiasco that was!) and by the time I had finished I decided maybe my accent color should be navy, not pink so my LR didn't feel so watermelony and estrogen filled. I am NOT changing it. Nope. Nuh uh.

It's hard being a girl that can never just relax and be happy with what she has.

Then I knocked out Lilly's chair and it's side table and unfortunately only have the shittiest of before photos for you:

But the after is considerably better:

When I first put it back in its spot, Lilly gave me a look as if to say, "Wait, it's white, am I really allowed to sit on it?"

It went kind of like this:

Not unlike the look my friends give me when they glance back and forth between myself and my white couch. Outside of our little world here where we're all crazy with our slip covered white couches, people think we're kind of insane. You do realize this, don't you?

For now, I gave Lilly a step stool to get up to her bed and she loves it. 

I'm still trying to decide how to arrange the room long-term. It's wide open to the kitchen/dining room so I don't have very many options. I thought of somehow partitioning it, or maybe putting up a folding screen, but I'm not too worried about it at the moment. I'm too busy busting out more of these things:

Obsessing over Marian's cows:

images via Mustard Seed Interiors

Wishing my baby a happy 2 year birthday:

coveting cake plates from Bountiful:

images via Beach Bungalow 8

Having my friends Photoshop me doing fun stuff :

by Sharri Z. Scarlett Pencil Designs

Oh, and listening to this on repeat:

I hope you have an awesome weekend.

Love, Chrissa

OH! P to the Ssssss! Who is rip, roaring and ready to go for Sunday? 

I set up a Facebook group in which to confine our gushing about Eric Northman, so if you'd like to join just clicky clicky and ask to get in. The posts are private so only members can see them.