Kitchen floor reveal

Hi you all! I hope you are had a fantastic weekend!

Now it's been a while, but do you remember how I painted our kitchen vinyl floor in May? And I told you I would show you pictures, as soon as we put the molding in?
Uh, well, I am running a little late here!

But better late than never, right? ;)

Well now, a promise is a promise, so...




...here is a shot of most of the kitchen floor, facing toward the living room.




And another...


Now this is the thing...I posted on my floor in it's entirety on Beautiful Nest, the blog my sister and I started, and explained the process from the beginning. There are many more pictures! So instead of completely replicating it here, I thought I would just direct you to our other blog! If you are interested in seeing more pictures of the floor, make sure you head on over there and check it out! Just click here! :)

Thank you for visiting! And have a wonderful night!

Blessings to you,

Italian soda meets vanilla ice cream

There are countless things about summer that I love...the kids splashing in the pool, our family vacation, the longer evenings, pitchers of iced tea at the ready...I could go on and on...So in the spirit of enjoying summer, some evenings this week our family has been having fun making Italian sodas for dessert.

It is addicting, let me tell you! There were three really disappointed kids the couple of nights we didn't do it! :)




One night, I had two requests for coconut flavored Italian sodas. I didn't think it would taste good, but I was wrong!

I sampled a bit of one, and was amazed. Not only was it very, very good, it gave me an idea!

Did you know that if you add crushed pineapple and ice cream to a normal Italian soda, the result is absolute perfection? I didn't either! ;)

So, do you want to make one? Okay then, here is how you do it:

"Island Delight" Italian Soda




Fill a glass 3/4 full of ice (I used crushed, because I think it works better, but that is optional!)

For the standard sized glass, measure in about 3 Tbsp. of syrup flavoring (usually found in the coffee/tea aisle at the grocery store) on top of the ice.

Next add 2-3 Tbsp. of half and half, and then two regular spoonfuls of crushed pineapple. Pour Sprite (or seltzer water) over it, leaving a little room at the top for...vanilla iced cream! Yes, add a large spoonful or two of it to the very top, and there you have it!

I hope you all had a fantastic week! Tomorrow our little chickadees will be off to spend a week with their Nana and Papa. Every year, David and I celebrate our anniversary by going away for a few days...then for the last part of the week, I am home while he goes to work. What will I do with all this time alone, you ask? Well, the list is being made of all I hope to accomplish! We'll see what gets done!

I hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Blessings,

Dressing up the kitchen a little

But don't let this fool you! I am still plugging away at parts of the kitchen I thought would be finished weeks ago! I was planning on taking a break before starting on the island, but changed my mind on that. I could really use the extra working space in our kitchen!

It has been a really long time since we started this main phase of our kitchen overhaul, fifteen months ago! And I am feeling it. The need to be done with it is strong, at least until we do the wood flooring. (Hopefully next spring.)

But... aren't these little pot holders so sweet? I found them at a sweet little fabric store, and couldn't resist!




They aren't old, but they look like they could be!
Now, promise you won't laugh, but they were my Mother's Day gift to myself this year! (Does anyone else do this?) I have been waiting to hang them up because, well~ another slightly embarrassing admission~ here I am, repainting the color of the bead board in the backs of the upper cabinets.


The previous color




(although bright and cheerful)
didn't match the greenish gray I painted the floor, see below:





The color clash was driving me crazy! If you know me, you know color is a very, very serious matter indeed. It cannot be just any green, you see. It has to be the right shade of green. So despite the magnetic repulsion I am developing toward paint brushes, I did the only thing to be done, and began painting them the same mellow green used on our floor. I went back and forth on this color, because what looks perfect on our floor sometimes looked a little too blue inside the cabinets.




But then I remember that perhaps this is a choice that doesn't need to be taken quite so seriously! When we put down wood flooring, I can change the color simply enough if I want! It will only be on the back of three cabinets, and on our island. I also covered over that same first green the was on the half walls in the dining room and part of the kitchen. It is a really pretty white now, and I think it is going to fit just right.


Now regarding the island (are you getting tired of these updates?) it is getting closer to me showing it to you! I am putting bead board on the sides, and need to paint it, but am waiting for it to cool down! It has been hot this week, at least for our little corner of the world! Hardly any homes have air conditioning here, because it is so rarely hot! SO, when it is...you bring out all the fans you own to keep cool! :)

I hope you all are having a fantastic weekend!

Blessings to you,

A Beautiful Nest

I am very excited to tell you this: my sister Christine and I have launched a new blog, A Beautiful Nest. Although we each have our own blogs (and intend to keep them) we felt it would be so fun to do one together! We have countless ideas and plans for this blog, and hope you will join us on this new adventure!

If you would like to visit A Beautiful Nest, just click on the button at the top of this post! And if you have the time, please let us know what you think of it so far! :)

As always, blessings to you all!

Back from summer vacation...

...And getting back into the swing of things here at home. It was such a wonderful vacation!




We had fun, seeing the sights...




Kicking back, relaxing...




Eating good food...




And even enjoying a little crafting and coffee...




Now it's back to the daily grind, but that's okay~







We have wonderful memories and pictures to remind us, should we forget...







I hope you all had a truly blessed Fourth of July! I love this holiday, and always get a little lump in my throat when I hear the old, patriotic songs! I love this country, and am so proud and thankful to be an American!

I hope you are enjoying the summer as well, and staying cool! :)


Blessings,