my kitchen counters

Before I get into my counters, I must share that progress was finally made in my half bathroom.  Remember?  The one that was a disaster and True Value came to the rescue?  They've done their part, but it seems like life and my work keep stalling things on our end.  It seems like there are always more pressing things to work on than a half bath in a house with two other toilets.  Last night, those two functioning toilets fell to just one.  The pipe that drains all of the plumbing from the upstairs was clogged and it was beyond our ability to repair, so we needed to bring out a plumber.  I didn't want to miss an opportunity to get something done and suggested we have him install our toilet in the half bath while he was there.  (It was complicated because of the new height added by the tile.)  Surprisingly, my husband agreed and now we are back to three working toilets.  Here's the thing, though.  Someone forgot to buy a toilet seat for the new toilet.  Someone assumed that toilet seats came with toilets.  I...er...I mean...someone didn't realize that toilet seats were an accessory.  Oh well.  We're getting there.  Slowly, but surely. 

Now, from the toilets to the counters. (Boy, this post was poorly planned.)  Anyway, I've received a few e-mails complimenting our counters and asking what they were made from.  I hate to disappoint, but these counters are green laminate. 

Not a hideous green and they are actually OK with the wall color and painted cabinets, but I cannot wait to replace them. I knew the second I walked into that kitchen they would be out at some point. 

I'm not sure if I'm going to replace them with some sort of stone or wood.  It's a toss up right now.  It won't be in the budget for a while, but I'm hoping by next spring this kitchen will have new floors, appliances and counters. 

When I finally do get new counters and, of course, share them on my blog, the preface will not be about toilets.  Promise. 

Green and Glam... a house that proves you can have both

*tip - click on each image if you want a closer view

check out the gorgeous rough backsplash

A clever way to create a laundry room if you don't have one

amazing coffee table, amazing cabinet, amazing floors!

I've been loving navy lately

Not crazy about the laser cut mirrors - but otherwise this foyer is gorgeous...

What do you think about this home?

via Pure Green Living

Rapid removal and destruction of office furniture

A popular piece of office furniture is the president of the mesh. Users are impressed with the design inspired by the squash and breathe ability. They preferred, because on a hot day when you sit on a chair without the functionality of the e-mail, because in this way, a sweating problem would become a problem for you to wear. Modular furniture is the flavor of the season. Modular furniture manufacturer of, consider the demands of your modular office furniture such as modular wall system and a modular table.

Modular office furniture is famous for hand-picked pieces that fit together to give your office a professional look. When you shop for furniture to go, you are actually buying the parts needed to complete your office. The different types of items listed as his office cabinets, desks, chairs, benches and tables.

The modular furniture you can actually modify the look of your office completely changed simply by hosting various types of furniture in one place. The manufacturers of this type of furniture usually include sustainable and environmental friendly materials, such as built-veneer furniture, glass and wood. Chrome plastic, PVC, chrome and glass are used to apply to your furniture modular furniture. These coatings ensure that your furniture lasts a long time, and no amount of problems you during this period. These days, the current trend in fashion and furniture is made of plastic wood, aluminum and plastic coated glasses are also in demand. Today, the factory developed the idea of giving chrome legs, so that an illusion of furniture floating in the air. You can always try the services of office furniture India.

Looking for a company, that is expert in modular partition system. Modular office furniture is a common sight. When loaded into a truck with furniture to safely and carefully wrapped in a thin, hard, and in a separate window.

It's easy, because your mind is clear from the outset of the car, no problems.

You will find a lot of packaging on the market. Make a list before shopping for bubble wrap or other essentials. Do not go for last minute shopping because there is little time on your hands and you will not be able to take full advantage of the opportunity given. The pack furniture should be done with a fresh mind and composed. If you are the work of the movement in a hurry and do not want attention for your valuables they can not bear the burden of your negligence and your furniture would be damaged fragile, which is not a pretty picture. The attractive feature of this furniture is that they are quite easy to handle as the chairs and tables are fairly easy to adjust, and they also come with arm rests give you the much needed comfort at your workplace. Some models are designed in a way that allows you to set the table based on your needs. The cabinets and drawers are easily accessible with ample space in them. The latest innovation in this arena is the small round tables accented comfort and decreased risk of any injuries.

a business purchase

There are times when I see something that is fabulous and I really want it. Now that I have a blog and antiques business, I have a reason to buy some of those "must haves."  Perpetual calendars have been on my radar for a while, but I never felt a burning desire for one until I spotted one on The Savoy Flea.  It was all over after that.  One must be mine.  I needed one.  You know, for photo shoots.  For my business.  Finding one is a part of my job. 

OK, that is a bit of an excuse, but it is partly true.  You are going to see this in a lot of pictures.  I purchased it from the Etsy shop AM Radio. 

 

Sigh.  Love. 

Are there any "must haves" you've been drooling over lately? 

Gorgeous interiors from some of my favorite blogs...

The one thing I miss about the days before I started blogging was that I actually had time to explore the blogs that I love and that inspired me to start blogging in the first place. Well, that's why I started regularly posting groups of images from my favorite blogs - so I get to visit my favorite sites, but still feel like I'm being productive.

In no particular order...

Below are finds from the always elegant Belle Vivir

this is a bathroom!

You can probably tell the 4 yummy images below are Scandinavian interiors, from the wonderfully Scandinavian themed Designpiration

I love this kitchen!!!  It's very rustic, but I think I could manage just fine...

The below are from the lovely "Oh So Beautiful Paper"

these bedrooms are heaven

This amazing cabinet is from the Two's Company display at last year's NYIGF.

4 Beautiful House Elevations

Ground Floor Area : 1614 sqft

First Floor Area : 945 sqft

Total estimated cost: 52 Lakhs

Total plot area : 8 Cent

Ground floor: 2Bed rooms 1 attached &1 C.toilet

First floor: 2Bed rooms attached





Read more »

3D interior designs

Read more »

photo shoots & mini mustard seed

I'm almost done with my HGTV.com projects for fall and Thanksgiving. Here's a peek at a couple of them...

One more left to finish.  So, while I was working on those, my "intern", Charlene, was working on some stripping, sanding and painting.  While getting ready to don a mask, she informed me that she wants to be referred to as Mini Mustard Seed. 

 

She's a hard worker and great at organization, so we're going to work on my office together over the next few weeks.  A part of that plan will include reducing the amount of stuff I have greatly, moving seasonal things to the basement and then using antique pieces to provide beautiful storage.  So, I started her on my French armoire that was hauled all the way up from Florida.  It had a painted design on it that needed to be sanded off before painting, so it wouldn't show through the new coat of paint and distressing. 

 

I also had her clean and stain the mirrored armoire in the foreground. 

 

Lastly, Mini Mustard Seed removed the paint from the top of this dresser and then painted the base in ASCP's Cream.  I have a really beautiful stencil from Royal Design Studios that I'm then going to use on the front.  Oh!  Do you see the ASCP Olive dresser peaking out under that crib sheet?  I'm hoping to haul it up for a photo shoot before I take it to Lucketts.  More to come...

A bright, airy, and elegant home

A lot of super luxe and elegant homes are often done in richer, darker tones, and heavier fabrics. I thought this home was interesting in that it still looks very refined and elegant, but is also very airy and bright.

The ceiling in this bedroom is AMAZING.  Can't beat the light, either.

Another amazing ceiling.  It almost feels like a giant lighthouse!

What do you think?  Do you like this elegant and light look?
via TradHome

3 Beautiful Home Elevations

2150 sqft (200 Square Meter) Single Floor Home



Ground Floor Area : 2150.00 sqft

Total plot area : 38 Cent

3 Bed rooms attached &1 C.toilet

Total estimated cost: 32.5 Lakhs



2475 sqft (230 Square Meter)Home



Ground Floor Area : 1525 sqft

First Floor Area : 950 sqft

Total plot area : 18 Cent

2Bed rooms attached &1 C.toilet in ground floor

First floor 2 bed room attached

Total estimated cost: 28.30 Lakhs



2650 sqft(246 Square Meter) Home



Ground Floor Area : 1550 sqft

First Floor Area : 1100 sqft

Total plot area : 20 Cent

2Bed rooms attached &1 C.toilet in ground floor

First floor 3 bed room 2 attached

Total estimated cost: 39.75 Lakhs



R it designers

Jubilee Complex

Ii Nd Floor, Room No.Cw-35/1651

Onden Road,

Kannur-670 001



Ph:04972763270,9072978281

Email:ritinteriors@gmail.com

fresh pasta, ice cream cake and nutmeg

"So, what would you like to do for your birthday?", I asked one of our graduated youth girls (and babysitter/craft assistant) 

She replied, "Can you just make something for me?  I like your food better than any food I can get at a restaurant."

Well, she certainly knows how to flatter a girl.  I love cooking and it's something she enjoys doing with me, so we made fresh pasta with a creamy chicken, mushroom and Marsala sauce.  She also requested an ice cream cake, which I made yesterday (and it survived through our power outage.)

Something you may not know about me is that I'm a bit of a foodie.  I love baking and cooking things from scratch, so I have awesome kitchen gadgets and great cookbooks.  We used the basic pasta recipe out of the Williams Sonoma Mastering Pasta cook book. 

With a food processor and the pasta attachments for my Kitchen Aid mixer, we were able to make it pretty easily.  It is a bit time consuming to roll out all of the pasta (especially enough for a crowd of teenagers), but it's fun to do a few times a year. 

Fresh pasta is amazing.  It rivals chocolate, hot bread with butter and cream of crab soup in my book of the yummiest things on the planet.  It's soft and melts in your mouth. 

Charlene rolled and cut the pasta while I made the sauce, bread and greens.  A trick I learned from the Food Network is to add a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg on creamy pasta sauces.  If you've never had freshly grated nutmeg...try it.  You will never by pre-ground nutmeg again in your life. 

I didn't get a "beauty shot", because I was serving up teenagers and preschoolers and trying to eat some myself.  Then I had to go school some girls in Just Dance on Wii (I had to work off that pasta and ice cream cake!)

This evening the sun was shining and the weather was perfection.  Cool and breezy and perfect for playing ultimate football outside at youth group.  Aside from the fact that hurricane Irene kept me up most of last night, our power went out and I had to boil my bath water this morning, it was a pretty good day.  Tomorrow it's back to getting things ready for Lucketts and finishing up some freelance articles.