My New Kitchen Rugs

FINALLY I have made a decision on new kitchen runners...I am thrilled with this purchase, and can't wait until my new rugs arrive! I ordered two 'Painted Desert Rugs' from Lulu & Georgia. I'll post photos as soon as they're here! 

This rug also comes in two other sizes...I love this 8x10 - would be great for a dining room! 

And here is my mood board for the surrounding areas - mixing the old & the new...what do you think? 

It's almost Friday - woohoo! 

Bikini Weenie

Bikini season is around the corner...which reminds me, I need to get my booty in gear, or I'll be lounging poolside in a moo moo  ;). There are so many suits I am loving at the moment, here are a few I've got my eye on. I also love, love, LOVE Acacia Swimwear - if you want to take a walk on the pretty much thong status 'wild' side.  

1 - Vix/ 2 - Zimmermann/ 3 - Mara Hoffman/ 4 - Mara Hoffman/ 5 - Zimmermann

New Bootie Love

I am a lover of booties - they go with everything from jeans to dresses...what's not to love? These little beauties are on my birthday wish list. I may, or may not have already received them in the mail ;). 

Sam Edelman, Petty  

I was at Target the other day, and these babies caught my eye - I can't tell you the last time I bought shoes from Target (I never think to look for some reason), but after walking in these for an entire day, I can say woah! I'll be back. These are super comfortable, cute, and only $34 - you really can't go wrong for that price. Buy them here.

Hope you had a nice weekend, happy Monday! 

1

FINALLY! My Kitchen Reveal

As promised, I have finnnalllly photographed my kitchen to share with you all. Like I mentioned last week, the kitchen is still not completely done - I am ordering new rugs, bar stools (we have none right now), and I'd like to add a chandelier or pendents - still trying to decide which way to go (suggestions welcome). I have always dreamed of having a white kitchen, and while this is not our 'forever' home, I was bound and determined to make that happen - and it did ;). 

The renovation only took two weeks (luckily, because I was 38 weeks pregnant!). We were not living here at the time, but my husband was over here every three hours (literally) checking on the progress since we were on such a tight timeline. 

Here's a breakdown of what we did: 

- demo: counters, backsplash 

- painted existing cabinets

- installed new cabinet hardware

- installed new marble counters

- installed new roman shades 

- installed a subway tile backsplash to the ceiling (although it's hard to tell in some photos) 

- new refrigerator

- new sink

- new faucet 

- new paint 

Here's a look at our kitchen before: 

...and after:

here you can see the subway tile - to the ceiling 

What do you think of the results? 

Have a fab weekend! 

Let's Talk Nightstands

I am not a huge fan of nightstands...I'm just not. These small, awkward tables just don't appeal to me, and I have a hard time finding a nightstand I actually enjoy (and when I do, it usually costs a LOT more than I want to spend on a nightstand). 

I've been in search of new nightstands for our bedroom, and as you could probably guess, I'm struggling. I have found a few inspiring photos, but I'm just not falling head over heels for any I can find. Bone inlay chests are probably at the top of my list, but I'm not exactly thrilled when I think about spending over $2000 for ONE nightstand...uhg. A lot of the photos I've compiled are actually images of chests, not traditional nightstands - maybe I should give that a try, thoughts? 

Houzz

Do you have any suggestions for me? 

Sunnies

I'm in need of some new sunnies for spring/summer. I don't know about you, but I pretty much wear  sunglasses every time I step outside - my eyes are so sensitive. I am a total lover of sunglasses...may be considered hoarder status, but recently I've been living on one pair since breaking 3 of my favorites :(. As I was on the hunt, I came across so many great pairs - both saves and splurges, and had to share my finds with you! I really love each pair on here, and wouldn't mind one of each - the 'save' pairs I have listed are all under $50! 

Skinny Pesto Shrimp Linguine

I love a great pesto dish, but hate the calories and fat grams that come along with it. I did a little research, and came across this pesto recipe on skinnytaste. I tweaked it a tiny bit and added a dash of cayenne pepper and fresh lemon juice (to taste). Although it still has some fat, it's not nearly as much as you would find in a similar dish at a restaurant (or pre-made pesto sauce).  The shrimp marinade I sort of made up on my own, and it made a huge difference in the taste of the shrimp - SO delish! 

Ingredients:

Linguine

Shrimp (the larger/fresher, the better) 

Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup

basil - 1 cup

lemon

minced garlic (I used 2 cloves in the pesto, and 2 for the shrimp marinade) 

cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

olive oil 

Skinny Basil Pesto Directions: 

In a food processor pulse basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, cayenne, lemon, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil while pulsing, until desired consistency is met. Once pasta has been cooked and strained, simply pour pesto sauce over pasta, and mix well to ensure even distribution of pesto. 

Shrimp Marinade: 

In a small bowl, add freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used the juice of one lemon), 2 cloves minced garlic, a dash of cayenne, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt together. Add shrimp to the bowl and massage marinade into shrimp with hands for a few minutes. Let sit (covered) at room temp for 30 minutes. If you want to let it sit longer, place in refrigerator. To cook shrimp, pour shrimp and marinade into small saute pan, and saute until shrimp is pink and marinade has evaporated. 

Top pesto linguine with shrimp, and add freshly grated Parmesan, ENJOY! 

Wishing for: Wishbone Chairs

I would adore new dining chairs - you may remember the ones I found on Craigslist last year - GREAT deal, and I put a TON of work into them to make them look the way they do today...but I'm itching for a change (this seems to be a theme in my life lately - at least when it comes to my home). 

I have looked at a few options, but am really loving wishbone (or 'Y') chairs. I know the 'real deal' costs upwards of $1,000/chair, but high-quality reproductions are available for around $200/chair - a much better deal, if you ask me! I'm not one to splurge on something like this - I'd rather save the splurge for something that adds a little more punch - like a rug. 

I'm hoping to make this purchase soon...but that means I'll have to sell my current chairs first. Here are some photos that are inspiring me. 

all images via Houzz

What do you think of the wishbone chair?