by jenn_davis | featured guests
Today we are so happy to have Courtney from
Charming Little Nest here to share with us how, with a little savvy, was able to create her dream kitchen!
When we built our first home, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted the kitchen to look like. I wanted white cabinets, black granite counter tops, and espresso colored wooden floors. Unfortunately, the white painted cabinets offered by our builder were much more than we had planned to spend. So we decided to paint them ourselves. I know it seems crazy to paint BRAND NEW cabinets, but I was pretty stuck on getting the look I wanted, and my husband was pretty stuck on staying within budget. We chose maple cabinets so that the final look would be smooth and white after some elbow grease.
Steps to Painting Our Cabinets
1.We removed all of the doors and drawers. (We hadn’t put the hardware on yet.)
2. We sanded everything, then applied two coats of primer. (I used Gripper primer. If you are going to paint your cabinets, make SURE that you paint the primer on very smoothly. Even though it will be covered in paint, this is crucial to a smooth finish.)
3. We applied two coats of white “Painter’s Touch” by Rust-oleum paint. (With lots of dry time between all of these coats!) I used a foam roller brush for the larger areas and a very high quality synthetic brush for the detailed areas. Spend the money on good tools people….it will pay off!
4. I put two coats of Minwax Polycrylic on as a final step. (I waited for the paint to cure overnight before applying the Polycrylic.)
The paint on the walls is “Lauren’s Surprise” by Sherwin Williams.
We fell in love with the Lansa handles at Ikea. Not the obvious choice for a “French Country” kitchen, but we loved them and they added lots of character.
I love to be in my kitchen. I only wish it always looked this clean!
by Mandi | featured guests
This week our guest blogger is Abbi (Mandi’s sister) from yachting yogini. Her blog is a journal of “Stories of the small-town southern belle who’s hung up the towel on corporate america and set sail to travel the world…” Welcome, Abbi….
My life as a “yachti” is often labeled as being on a permanent vacation, but I’ll be the first to tell you this job is hard work! It’s not the job itself that makes me feel like I’m on vacation, but it’s the fact that I have the option to choose exactly where I want to wake up every single day as opposed to the average 2 weeks (“vacay”) per year. I’ve just simply chosen a profession that allows for travel while earning a living. I do recognize that one of the most amazing benefits of working in the yachting industry is the sense of freedom and exploration it offers, similar to what a vacation or holiday offers. So I understand the assumption that my life may seem like I’m on constant “vacay”, but I often wonder what seems so attractive to everyone about this vacation or escape, anyway. Is it the “disconnection” from our lives that makes us feel like we are finally taking a break…. and finally getting to our happy place? Or is it rather the “connection” to one’s higher self and one’s own desires that helps us feel like we are in our happy place? Tough question, but I do know this: here on the boat, when we set sail out on the open ocean, a place where solitude and silence are overpowering, my heart sings with excitement. The feeling of existing exactly where I am, exactly as I am, in the moment, with no concern for what’s going on anywhere else is so very, very charming. One could never put a price tag on this feeling, certainly not a price comparable to that of an all-inclusive resort-spa-casino.
Ever notice that we are always waiting on the next trip, the next time-off or next vacation to take us away from our daily lives? The funny thing is the fact that we are looking to escape a life of which we’ve created for ourselves…. No one else is responsible. However, there’s a constant search for a way to disconnect from this so-called “grid”, when in actuality, I believe it’s the opportunity to truly connect that we are lacking.
Creatures of habit, we slam our daily lives so full of errands, jobs, and honey-do’s that we hardly ever make time just to slow down and enjoy life. As soon as we feel a tad bit burnt out, we go directly to travelzoo.com searching for a way to disconnect. If you ask me, it’s all backwards. At what age do we get so busy that we forget to spend time on ourselves? We become so accustomed to our routines (again, self-created routines) that we end up completely unaware that we aren’t really enjoying this gift of life. And, at which point do we consider it all too much to handle, and it’s right back to the all too familiar, “God, I need a vacation”, pity party of one.
My point is this: It’s important to finally discover that quiet time, and that happy place for each one of us. This can look completely different than the next person’s, but what matters is that it works for you. It could be painting, drawing, journaling, or even a proper cross-legged meditation session. For me, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s not some trip to a deserted island (I’ve had those), it’s not some log cabin over looking the south pacific (I own one of those), it’s not some party-boat booze cruise (haven’t we all been there?), it’s not a romantic getaway with a lover (no comment), nor is it any form of disconnection from the things that I’ve created and attracted into my life, but it’s actually the connection instead. It’s the connection I cultivate with my own desires, my higher self, my spirit, my heart, me. It’s the time that I spend in silence, where the physical and mental activity slow down. It’s the time that I can spend off of “the grid” and in a state of peace. After all, isn’t that what we all are looking for anyway…. Just a bit of peace? So when asked what does vacation mean to me? It’s just that, it’s the point where I am OK with just being. Ok with being me, exactly as I am, with no anticipation and no expectation of anything to come…. Everything just is. There’s always going to be some job or some hurdle to get over, but my vacation from all this is simple, inexpensive, and abundant…. It’s my connection, not my disconnection, to my “happy place”. Bon Voyage!
“There’s more to life than increasing it’s speed” – Gandhi
~Abbi Heilig
Yachting Yogini
by jenn_davis | featured guests
introducing Emily from Beware the Kudzu….
I was so grateful when my friend Jenn asked me to pen a guest post for her new collaborative endeavor Sunny Slide Up. I was extra excited when I learned that this week’s focus was on the subject of humor. Humor is held in pretty high regard in our family. In fact one of my favorite quotes is:
“Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now that’s a real treat.” – Joanne Woodward
It’s true. I tell people all the time how the hubs laughed the panties right off of me and we’ve been together ever since 😉 It would seem our daughter has inherited the family funny bone. Her comedic timing is uncanny; to the point where she will begin a maniacal laugh at just the right time during some highly inappropriate programming.
I hope that she stays funny and dare I say it, cultivates her comedic abilities. While most mothers have dreams of their children growing up to become educators, doctors, or the first female president I have much loftier ambitions for my darling girl. I desperately want her to join the ranks of Tina Fey, Mya Rudolph and my beloved Amy Poehler. Yes, I want my daughter to be a cast member on SNL. Ms. Fey’s book Bossy Pants, much like the complete works of Judy Blume, needs to be required reading for all girls before graduating high school if for no other reason than it teaches the lessons “Do your thing and don’t care if they like it” and “Bitches get stuff done”.
And before all you Kristen Wiig fans get up in arms about her absence from my list ~ the only reason I didn’t include her is because she is just coming into her own. She’s a baby compared to the holy trinity mentioned above but it’s only a matter of time before she fully joins their ranks. And I bet her mama is damn proud of her girl!
So if some day in the not too distance future Quinn comes to tell her dad and I that she is moving to Chicago to join Second City I’ll support her 110%. Or more so because I’ll probably be sending her rent money each month. I hope her spirit is adventurous enough to allow her to live her life in a YES, AND fashion and that the fear of failing never stops her from trying. And if she goes after her dreams with a heart full of gusto only to fall short, I hope she has a healthy sense of humor to see her through the harder times life has to offer. Because we all get knocked down throughout our journey and the next best thing to making the world laugh is the ability to laugh at yourself.
~ Peace
Em xoxo
I love to be in my kitchen. I only wish it always looked this clean!
