Weekend Bliss

I can happily say this weekend was MUCH better than last!  I did NOT  spend it moping about, or watching Army Wives and getting depressed!  

THANK GOODNESS!  :) 

Instead I spent the weekend enjoying time hanging out with friends, laying out in the sun, enjoying my patio, working out, walking my doggies, and a lot of self reflection!

 I started my weekend off by going to a cute little restaurant called The Vineyard with my sis and a few girlfriends.  The weather was so perfect I decided to get out my new H&M dress I haven't worn yet!

 I don't know why I am so addicted to blue and white stripes suddenly.  They have been around forever and I've NEVER been a fan...until now!  

So when I saw this dress at H&M for only $12.99 (yes, you read that right!) I HAD to get it!

The belt is a last year's Tillys.com purchase for $9.99.

Shoes are from Ross for $12.99.

Total outfit cost: $35.97

Here are some other fabulous blue & white striped looks I love!

via weheartit.com

Fabulous chevron striped dress

via Pinterest

via Pinterest

via Smaggle

 Hope your weekend was lovely!

Kitchen Makeover

So I promised pictures of my kitchen renovation a few days back and here they are!

As you can see from the picture below the kitchen was quite dated. Outdated cabinets, hardware, light fixtures, etc. I desperately needed a quick fix since I can't afford to renovate the whole kitchen right now!

 This kitchen was a nightmare!  At first we thought we could just paint over this dated mustard color....only to find out that there was a layer of wallpaper, drywall mud, and another layer of wallpaper underneath!  It turned into a stripping wallpaper nightmare!

 

Justin attempted to repair the walls after the wallpaper was removed...only to decide they were to bad to save. So yes, a day and a half wasted stripping wallpaper only to decide to rip out all the drywall!  That was not a fun week!

Preparing to paint the cabinets...

 Can I just say I have a fabulous mother-in-law, who worked her booty off painting these cabinets!

 The cabinets were painted a cream, and glazed to give a tea stained effect, to play up the older style of the cabinets. We also updated the hardware to give a more contemporary feel.

 

 We chose Sherwin Williams "Heart of Palm" green for the kitchen. I love green and white kitchens, and the fresh clean vibe they give.

(The green in photo below appears more lime than actual color.)

 A new fridge and pantry door helped update the space. (The old pantry door matched the wood cabinets)

The End Result: What do you think? An improvement?

Here is the before photo of the breakfast room...

 

 The first thing we did was rip out the built in...and you can see all the old trim was dark brown.

 The breakfast room was the same wallpaper removal process as the kitchen...as you can see below it was quite a mess!  The nook in the wall is what seems to be a closed in window. We plan on putting in a double window there in the future.

 Justin added crown throughout the kitchen and breakfast room which makes it look so much better!

I must say, I thoroughly enjoy chilling in my calming tropical breakfast room in the morning sipping my coffee, and enjoying the view outside! It is quite soothing!

~ Elle

It's Friday! But can I really say Hello Happy?

Phew! What a week!  I apologize for not posting much this week.  It has been a little crazy with my 1st home buying process! We are closing a week early...this Monday! So much to do...

This photo pretty much sums up how I feel at the moment!

So my plans for the weekend? Here they go!

Friday night: 

Packing. Ugh...I think I am going to go crazy if I see any more brown boxes! Why can't moving boxes be bright beautiful motivational colors!? 

Saturday afternoon:

Final Walk through! Hallelujah!  Would you like to see my inspiration boards for a few of my rooms?! They are still a work in progress!

1. Living room Inspiration: I love white living rooms with a mixture of old and new elements!

 Originally I had thought about going more tropical in my living room but I think the natural wooden beams in the new home call for the first look!

2. West Indies Dining Room: I am either going to follow a palm or pineapple motif theme about the room and in my dishes but I haven't decided which yet. I am leaning towards pineapple.

3. Southeast Asian/Indonesian Influenced Master Bedroom: My husband made me the most gorgeous bamboo bed to go with this theme. Most Indonesian influenced rooms tend to have spice oranges and red accents, but I love the calming feel of the greens and blues. Makes me think of the palm trees and beautiful ocean.

And here is the bed my wonderful husband made me! Isn't it beautiful?!

And Sunday it is back to packing and prepping for the big close on Monday!

You can view all my Inspiration Boards @ Olioboard!

Delightful Designs: Portuguese Paradise

While browsing for my usual interior inspirations I came across this lovely Portuguese home designed by Marta Mendes Espregueira. I love the mix of rustic and modern this homes displays!

 The clean lines, rustic elements, open space, pops of color on white all make this space alluring.

 The stone walls and all the natural light inside this home are stunning!

I just can't get enough of these walls!

And those wooden doors add so much character...

 

 The simple modern sink on the rustic vanity is a great mix...

 End the day sipping Limoncello while relaxing with friends in this outdoor space...

How can you not fall in love with this beautiful home with so much character?

Dilemma with Decor...

So I hope to be moving out of my rental and into my very first home sometime in September.  So in the meantime I am trying to organize my design ideas for each room.

All year I thought it would be nice and cozy to have a nice Tuscan living room with spicy orange and red accents. However, lately I am finding myself drawn to these beautiful white spaces that have a mixture of contemporary and rustic elements in them.

Classic White

Classic White by Elle Meyers featuring gold jewelry