Kitchen Refashion and Thank You

Be sure to enter my Christmas giveaway here!

Just so you know in advance, this is a super long post! I am sharing long awaited photos from our kitchen refashion! We are soooo blessed to have had friends who are knowledgable in construction, have tools, and a giving heart! This is truly the perfect gift, we where going to paint the cabinets and do a few upgrades; but my dream quickly became reality....THANK YOU to all who have helped make this possible! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Let me share the card details, I played along with SCS Inspiration challenge today and Freshly Made Sketches. I have used the Simon Says Stamp set Sparkle & Shine...LUV...*grin*

Freshly Made Sketches: sketch/FM167
SCS Challenge: IC473...photo

We went with an IKEA kitchen, it is definitely DIY; we had the 213 boxes delivered to our home because we are 2 1/2 hours away from the nearest IKEA. This processes also took about 6 or 7 trips to the store....we could have ordered online for the returns and exchanges but opted to make the trip because we like to go and shop...lol. We have a tri level home...nothing fancy, we had a family room downstairs and a living room we passed through to go to the rest of the house. It has been my dream to make this an open floor plan so that we gather with friends and family near the kitchen.

This is the view from the front door.

The coffee bar.....my favorite part...LUV! The sweet boxwood wreath came from the Etsy shop, QueenBeeWreath...tell her I sent you!

This is the old look, sorry for the mess but I did not take photos until after we had started.

I had a super small U shaped kitchen, even though we did not change the size or shape of this area, it is much nicer and seems bigger. The refrigerator used to be to the left across from the dishwasher....super small.

Here is a photo of the old, again excuse the mess; we where getting started.

I went with industrial items, entryway here. Coat rack, a chippy painted box for shoes, gloves, or shopping bags. The slim line polka dotted mirror...LUV....it is from IKEA. The amazing canvas growth chart, came from this Etsy shop, KimsSister...tell her I sent you!

You can see our hardwood floors here, five inch wide cafe oak...WOW...they are gorgeous...they really make the room. We got them from a local manufacture, picked them up at the factory...save us a lot of money. I used lots of numbers, got the stencil number from this Etsy shop, LucyLews...the est. Kline stencil came from the same shop...tell her I sent you and yes, I LUV Etsy!

I wanted a movable island; found this piece of furniture at TJMaxx, painted it, distressed it with Annie Sloans, and the hubs added wheels, side handles, and a drop leaf stained wood top. You can see the metal bar stools and the drop leaf in the first photo. Bar stools came from Target.

A box of biscotti and iced blue snowflake sugar cookies adorn it for Christmas. The box was red(Target, last year) and I wanted it to match my kitchen, so I painted it and added washi tape...luv the outcome! A rubbermaid plastic container fits perfectly inside so the goodies stay fresh. I can pull them out and add to plate when company comes over. Here are the recipes....Cranberry Brown Butter Biscotti Recipe...this is the best biscotti! 

These are the best sugar cookies too, can make them all year and use any shape you want for the season....these were a big hit!

Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup suagr

 1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp orange rind, grated

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 to 3 tblsp milk

Icing

3 3/4 cup 10x sugar

1 stick butter

3 to 4 tblsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla 

I wanted open shelving over the coffee bar, I have added some of my favorite things, the white globe is gorgeous...it came from TJMaxx. The sifter was a gift, the tiny joy sign came from the Etsy shop ColorMixedTogether....tell her I sent you!

The coffee bar...LUV....coffee, homemade dark chocolate cocoa, wassil, sea salt(for making salted caramel coffee), and a tin of goodies to tempt you. IKEA has drawer organizer...amazing, I can line up the kcups for easy picking!

Of course, new stocking where in line for the new room, these came from the Etsy shop YardsAndYards.....tell her I sent you!

And, lastly but certainly not least is the IKEA pull out drawer storage, no more reaching back into cabinets.....the bestess idea evah! I did not show it in a photo, but I have a 8x8 baking dish that stands on its side and the drawer closes....WOW!

There are still a few things I want to do, need more seating and decor, but I am waiting on the PERFECT pieces! Thanks for looking and commenting, be sure to enter my Christmas giveaway here; I want to share my blessings with YOU!

And, YES feel free to pin and share; that is the best part, sharing with others!

Simon Says Stamp-Anything Goes

Be sure to check out the Simon Says Stamp Store!

Welcome to Wednesday and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge....Merry Christmas Eve, I hope your Christmas is merry & bright and filled is with lots of love, laughter, and joy!

This weeks challenge is Anything Goes and the design team are using goodies from DoCrafts...s many amazing supplies, check'em out!

This week we are giving away not one, but two $50 vouchers to Simon Says Stamp ...you have two weeks to play along. We will return with a new challenge on Wednesday January 7, 2015, a great way to start the new year!

Enter My Christmas Giveaway Here, A Simon Says Stamp Gift Card is one of the Gifts!

I have used the DoCrafts Quilting embossing folder and it is only $3.99, what a great deal! I have also used the gorgeous pink shimmer bling from DoCrafts. I so luv creating freestyle collage cards, adding so many different elements. I have used the gorgeous paper pad from Pink Paislee called Bella Rouge. I cannot wait to see what you create this week, have fun....sparkle & shine!

Let's Go Shopping!

Christmas Giveaway

Merry Christmas

ETA: I am touched by all of you sharing your blessings, it really warms my heart...thank you!

Merry Christmas friends, it would not be Christmas if I did not have a giveaway! I consider myself very blessed and enjoy very much giving to others. I will giveaway three gifts to random winers, including a Simon Says Stamp gift card. All you need to do is leave a comment and share one of your many blessings with us. Also, leave a way for me to contact you. I will try very hard to reach the winners, if I cannot I will pick another winner. You have until Saturday, December 27 at 6:00PM EST time to enter. I will announce the winners on Sunday, December 27 at 6:00PM EST. The gifts will be distributed evenly with both packages having stamps, sequins, chipboard, tags, and dies(I always add more than what is in photo)included in two of them. The third gift will be a $25 Gift card to Simon Says Stamp. I will need to have your name and email for the GC....sparkle & shine!

Mojo Monday/MOJO377-Thoughts & Prayers

Enter My Christmas Giveaway Here

I had such fun with today's Mojo Monday sketch, I need to make a few cards for a basket donation I am giving to my church. I used the colors from The Color Throwdown, I was so intimated at first..lol. But, once I started pulling all of the elements out I really like the color combo. I have used the awesome sentiment stamp from the Verve set Inspire Hope. Hope your Christmas week is an awesome celebration with family and friends....sparkle & shine!

Color Throwdown: colors/CTD323
Mojo Monday: sketch/MOJO377

Winter Wishes

I have played along with Retro Sketches and Card Concept, using the Winnie and Walter set called Big Bold Seasons. I have used a Bazzil chipboard snowflake for the focal point, I covered it with the amazing Tim Holtz Pumice Stone glitter, I adore this color and the shimmer of the TH glitter! I had a blast with this winter glittery snowflake card, I hope to have lots more to share with you over the next two weeks....I do not go back to work until Monday, January 5...YAY....sparkle & shine!

Card Concept: colors/#25...freestyle collage
Retro Sketches: sketch/RS146

Happy Winter Days

hi and happy weekend before Christmas, I am playing along with the Monday Lunchtime Sketch and today's SCS IC472. Today's IC472 is a packaging board from Pinterest...total luv...I am such a dupe when it comes to packaging, gets me every time! I was inspired by the tea cans below, my colors for sure. I used a mix of the patterns with my patterned paper and a lot of bling, luv those silver tins! This gorgeous sentiment stamp is from Lil' Inker, check out all the links below to get yours today, hope you have a super duper week, only five more days until Christmas *grin*....sparkle & shine!

Monday Lunchtime: sketch/TSSC345
SCS Challenge: IC472

Simon Says Stamp Winter Inspiration

Be sure to check out the Simon Says Stamp Store!

it is time for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

This weeks challenge is Winter Inspiration, here is an amazing winter photo collage to get your creativity going. We are also using products from Penny Black.

Don't forget every week at Simon Says Stamp we give away a $50 voucher...woohoo...definitely worth playing for!

I have used the gorgeous Penny Black set called Prancers, so gorgeous. I adore the reindeer, with the fancy swirl antlers. I added stickles to the reindeer images to give a more magical look.....luv! I added hemp twine with a star embellishment and stapled the sentiment. 

Let's Go Shopping!

Mojo Monday/MOJO37-Happy Birthday Hon

Hello and welcome, I cannot believe we are so close to the end of another year....WOW...where does the time go? My dh has a birthday this week and we call each other "hon"...hence the titale, this is his birthday card. He has come to expect a little bling/shimmer for his birthday...teehehehe. I did try to make it masculine, I kept the shimmer low key. I have used one of my all time favorite birthday sentiments, it is the Verve Plain Jane; it is a little larger....perfect for the front of a card. I hope you have a super week, enjoy each moment; they seem to go so fast....sparkle & shine!

Colour Me: colors/CMCC50

Mojo Monday: sketch/MOJO376

Happy Birthday

I so luv the sweet inspiration photo from Cure For The Monday Blues, I do not need anymore Christmas cards; so I created a birthday card. I used a piece of designer paper of the world map, it was inspired by the "not a creature was stirring" statement. I went with kraft, whites, and texture. I discovered the NEW challenge called Show CASe Your Style, wow, what great challenges they are bringing....this weeks is a sketch! I have used lots of great stuff from the Simon Says Stamp Store, click on the links below to check'em out....sparkle & shine!

Cure For The Monday Blues: inspiration photo/#36
Show CASe Your Style: sketch/SYSC4

To/From Tags

I have used the Retro Sketch for the sweet tags, I also played along with a couple of SCS challenges; today's IC and yesterday Ways To Use It. I have used the MFT Tag Builder Blueprints 2, so sweet! I used a chevron stencil from Memory Box and left the embossing paste "chunky"...I luv the depth it gives when it is textured. Hope you are creating something fun today....sparkle & shine!

Retro Sketch: sketch/RS144
SCS Free For All: F4A251/tags
SCS Inspiration: IC471/inspired by a chevron mirror

Simon Says Stamp Better Together

Simon Says Stamp has released a new line of products called Better Together, you have to check all of these out...they are FAB! I have used the Love Makes A Home set, I adore this sweet set, the matching dies are headed to my mailbox as of today...I had to have the dies to go with this amazing set! I used the gorgeous color combo from Simon Says Stamp Color Coordinates 11-29-2014. The sketch is from Splitcoaststampers sketch challenge....pick up your Better Together collection today......sparkle & shine!

Crafty Creations Challenge: something to die for/#278
DL Art: anything goes
Party Time Tuesdays: anything goes/#193
SCS Challenge: sketch/SC518

Snowflake Birthday

I adore the colors from SCS yesterday, soooo gorgeous! I have paired it with the CAS(E) sketch and the Tag You're It challenge. I have used the stunning snowflake die from Simon Says Stamp called Kate, I luv the Simon Says Stamp snowflake dies, there are lots of them to chose from ...so darlin! I had a blast with this card, luv using the Simple Stories DIY Office Tags....sooo cool! Hope you have a wonderful day...sparkle & shine!

CAS(E) this Sketch: sketch/CTS102
SCS Color Challenge: CC508
Tag You're It: tag/#12