Kitchen : The Reveal

I have been dying to hit publish on this post. 

This one has been a long time coming...months in the works.

Sometime around last Spring Mister and I began tossing the idea around of renovating a few things in the kitchen.   It started with wanting to replace the countertops which lead to a new sink and faucet which led to new cabinets and so on and so on.

Well, we all know how those things go, one things leads to the other and here we are...

New kitchen!!

Mister and I are OVER the moon about it.  

Obsessed.

But to fully appreciate the after, let's take a quick look back at the before.

Ouch.

Let's go back to the pretty

So much better!

I am planning on a few full posts laying out all of the details.

How we lived without a sink and water in our kitchen for 2 months,

the selection process with a resource list, the good the bad and the ugly of the whole process and what is located in each of those new cabinets.

Along with any other questions you may have!

(Mister surprised me with the Charlie jar!! We have been on the hunt for weeks for it!)

But for now, here is the short on the details...

We purchased the cabinets from Ikea, had a sub contractor (provided through Ikea) install them, countertops are Ceaserstone and backsplash is from Overstock that we installed ourselves.

Don't mind me I will just be over here finally cooking up a storm and chuckling at Floyd's Charlie treat jar.

Don't Worry About It

Last week I was talking to my mother in law on the phone and she told me that she had given up worrying for Lent.

And it stopped me in my tracks.

What an awesome idea.

Like, no worrying. She just wasn't going to do it. 

I've always thought of giving up something for Lent meant and actual item, object, food, drink, store, etc.

But when I stopped to think for .2 seconds, that doesn't have to be the case at all.

It is just as challenging to give up a nonphysical item (and maybe even more so).

Whether that's greed, jealously, judging, worrying, guilt, gossip or another emotion that clogs your brain on a daily basis.

I am queen worrier in my house and I would take a guess that a lot of you ladies are as well.

I think it's just in our nature.

I swear I can't help it, worry just fills my brain sometimes. 

I'm not going to list the things I worry about because it will inevitably make the list grow and make those worries worse than they already are.

But just know they range from the silliest things to the worst.

The full spectrum, all day long. 

I will admit that the moment she told me that I immediately that, 'well that is amazing of her but I could never do that.'  It was my first reaction to discount it as something that I would never, ever be able to accomplish.  But the more I thought about it, the more I knew it was something I wanted to at least try.  And maybe I can't stop worrying about every. single. thing that crosses my mind every day but maybe I can stop worrying about a couple of things.  And maybe I can't stop until Easter (or beyond) but maybe tackling it one week at a time is possible.  

Because you know that feeling when you do finally let something go and it's as if the biggest weight is lifted?  Or when you are on vacation and don't have a care in the world because there isn't a thing to worry about but enjoying life? I mean that feeling in itself is worth it.

Mister's mom has also always said (and told us) 'Let go and let God' and I think these two things tie into each other so well.  

We can worry, we can stress, we can try to plan (I am so guilty of this) but life is going to happen like it's going to happen.  And it may not always happen like we've planned or thought it would but it's going to and it will work out in the end.  This is something that Mister has always told me and there may be days I still can't wrap my head around or fully understand but I do know it's true.  

And worrying about certain things isn't going to change the outcome, it ends up just stressing us out more.  I am 100% guilty of this, all the stinkin time BUT I am trying to get better.  

I don't think my worrying will ever go away but I think this is a nice, conscious start.

SO, do you think you could give up worrying? Maybe even for a week or even just about one thing?  I promise, over here in our house, we are surely trying.  

And if you want to try a few other things to give up for Lent, check out this list. 

And if you need a more light hearted list, check out Sarah's here. 

Best. Chili. Ever.

In our house we love big, hearty soups.

And chili is no exception.

I'm the type of person that's never made the same chili twice.

But, after this one I may have to start.

Not to toot my own horn, but this was really good.

And if you don't believe me, here's evidence from Mister when he finished off the leftovers while I was at dinner with friends.

See? It must be good if Mister said so!
(just don't tell his mom because she makes some pretty darn good chili herself!)

I loosely started with this from Skinnytaste and kept adding.

Best Chili Ever (according to Mister)

Ingredients: 

Olive oil
1 lbs ground turkey

1 onion, diced

Red wine (a splash for the meat and enough for a glass or two for you)

1 large sweet potato, chopped

1 can black beans, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can diced tomatoes (chili ready)

1 can 8oz tomato sauce

1 can crushed tomatoes (large)

salt to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp everyday seasoning (Trader Joes, could omit)

1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
1 bay leaf 

1. Coat bottom of soup pot or Dutch oven with olive oil.  Add diced onions and ground turkey.  Cook until onions are translucent and meat is browned.  Add a splash of red wine.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Let simmer for about 30 minutes (or more if you can!), remove the bay leaf and ENJOY!

Delicious and easy! 

With the threat of super cold temperatures and snow (!) in our parts, you can bet this chili will be appearing in our kitchen again very soon!

Recipe : Thai Chicken Saute + Rice

Lately anything Thai related has really been calling my name.
Mister and I have been experimenting with different versions in our house lately.
It's not an experiment I hate ;)

I've told you guys how much I love this version (still do) but over the weekend we made this version and it's safe to say it's being added to the meal plan rotation.

I mean it's pad thai AND Siracha. #winner

Thai Chicken Saute + Rice 

(adapted from Cooking Light)

2 cups rice, cooked (I squeezed a little lime over the rice as it was finishing)

3 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 tablespoons coconut oil

4 teaspoons, oil

1 cup sliced onions

2 bell peppers, sliced

4-6 cloves crushed garlic

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 cup coconut milk

1-2 tablespoons pb2

 Sauce:

2 tablespoons Siracha

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

 Topping:

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

4 lime wedges

Yummy, semi sweet white wine

1. Slice chicken into pieces (fun fact- while doing this I told Mister if I could hire out a service in life I would choose someone to cut up raw chicken for me.  After hair and makeup assistants, of course.)

2. Melt coconut oil in skillet and toss chicken in cornstarch.

3. Once the skillet is hot, add chicken and cook until no longer pink

4. Remove chicken, set aside

5. Add more coconut oil to the pan (eyeball it, to coat) then add onions, peppers, garlic, ginger and saute.

6. Return chicken to pan and add coconut milk

7. Mix up Siracha, sugar and lime juice- add to pan.

8. Add pb2. Stir until heated

9. Serve over rice garnished with lime juice and cilantro

10. EAT! 

*Depending on how hot you like your food, add more or less Siracha. 

I'd make this tonight if I were you ;)

DIY : How to Paint a Front Door (in 5 steps!)

Remember way back when I teased you guys with the idea of painting our front door?

Well it happened (forever ago it feels) and I've yet to blog about it.

(oh the horror!)

So without any further adieu...the painting of the front door.

(please excuse my various outfits in these photos, this was not a quick process and took a few days to complete.  Also I was headed out the door to go shopping in one of the final ones, clearly not in paint clothes.)

 Items needed:

Paint (duh)

Primer

Rubber roller

Tape

Sanding block

Small sponge brush

Vaseline (what?! I'll explain later)

Patience (optional)

Wine (not optional)

Four legged (sleepy) general contractor 

Step 1: Sand, clean and prep the door with tape.  Don't forget to cover your hardware!

Step 2: Paint door with 1-2 coats of primer.  We only did one coat and looking back we really should have done two.  Our door is metal and really absorbed a lot of the paint.

*Tip: use the end of the rubber roller to get the paint the indents and details of the door.

 Step 3: Allow primer to dry completely.  We left ours overnight to ensure it was really dry.

 Step 4: Begin painting! Use the end of the roller or the small sponge to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Be sure you let the paint dry completely between coats! Because of the nature of our door (metal) it really showed roller marks, especially if I started another coat before the first was totally dry (not that I did that or anything...). 

We ended up having to do 4 coats of the red.  I think this was due partially to the red paint, the metal door and that we should have used a second coat of primer.

BUT, I still love the way it looks...just fyi for next time, right?

Step 5: Here's where the Vaseline comes in!

Even if you think your door is 100% dry, this can come in handy.

Smear a small amount of Vaseline around all of the edges of the door before you close it.

(this was 3 coats in, we did one more after this)

 This is so that if the paint is the least bit tacky (or it's humid out) it keeps the paint from sticking to the weather stripping.

Isn't that a handy tip? I can take 0 credit for it because my boss filled me on that BUT it worked like a charm! 

Any questions, feel free to ask!

What do you think?

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I know yesterday I promised a tutu tutorial but turns out I didn't really take any pictures of the process (like I thought I did) SO I'm going to distract you with a delicious recipe.

Look over here...chocolate chips!!

I have now made this recipe three times for weekend guests at our house and it has yet to disappoint us.
And as a warning, this recipe is not totally clean....just fyi...but it's worth it.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
(adapted from Farm to Fork)
 -2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 stick butter, softened
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-4 whole bananas, mashed (yes there are 3 in the picture, banana fail)
-1 cup chocolate chips
-1 cup walnuts (I didn't include)

--Preheat oven to 350
--Mix whole wheat flour and baking soda together
--Cream butter, sugar and eggs
--Add vanilla and dry ingredients together
--Stir in bananas and chocolate chips
--Put in greased 9"x5" pan and bake for 45-50 minutes 

*Warning your house will smell delicious while this is baking and it will seem as if it will never be done. BUT when it is, and you slice into this warm, gooey, chocolatey goodness, the wait will 100% be worth it.

Seriously, make this this weekend. You won't be sorry and your 3 day weekend will be even better!

And if you need a good tutu tutorial, Kait is probably your best bet because girlfriend really loves a good tutu and mine would have been a lot better if she had been helping me.  For quick reference, we used this tutorial.

Workin It

Last week I mentioned that I've been running and loving it more.

A few of you said that you wanted more tips and information on working out.

I am, by far, no expert but I do enjoy working out and getting a sweat on.

Here is what works for me:

--Making Time: This is #1 and most important for me. If I don't schedule out the time, working out won't happen and I will find a million excuses not to lace up my (bright pink) tennis shoes.

Whether that be getting up 30 minutes earlier in the morning or doing it after work, I make sure I have a block of time set aside, even if it's just 30 minutes.  I promise you can work up a great sweat in just 30 minutes.

--Switch It Up: I generally don't do the same thing every day.  Doing the exact same thing for every work out is a sure fire way for me to give up.  

I try to run a few days a week and lift/strength train the others.
I've told you guys before that I love the Tone It Up routines.

I am also a big fan of these Be Fit work outs, TRX routines and random YouTube work outs.

Whatever you do, keep it interesting; your body will thank you.

--Eating: Making sure I have enough protein, substance and water in my body in order to work out is very important to my routine.  If I don't have enough in my system, my work out is completely worthless.  I've tried to work out on days I haven't eaten much and it is a total waste of time.  Your body needs fuel!

--Keep Going: Whether this is in the middle of your work out and you want to quit or in the middle of the week and you feel in a rut...just keep going.  I promise you will happy with the results!! Seeing results is so motivating to me and helps me get right back in to it the next day.  It is very encouraging to me to know that I am making my body stronger and healthier every day.  It isn't always just about your clothes fitting looser.  I promise the more you stick with it, the better your results will be!! 

--Set Goals (and rewards):  Recently my goals have been running focused (10k, maybe a half...) but I also love challenging myself with strength training.  For instance if the routine says 10 push ups? I think I'll try and do 12! You may not be able to do it that on the first day but with practice and persistence you will get stronger!  Just knowing that you can do more than you used to be  able to is very encouraging.

I think it's also important to have rewards for reaching your goals! You are working hard, you deserve a little something ;)  For me, it's usually work out clothes! I love getting new ones (Target had adorable ones right now) and I also love they are practical at the same time.

 (tank: Meijer, headband: Lulu - the one and only thing I own and can afford from there)

And as counterproductive as it may be, ice cream is also a reward for me.  When I run long distances, Mister always treats me to a new ice cream place in town.  So in essence, I run for ice cream...and I'm okay with it.

--Get the Gear:  When I run, I have to have music.  As in I can't run 10 feet with out some jams.  So for me, an iPhone/iPod holder and headphones are 100% necessary.  Also headbands, great shoes and the right clothes make all the difference when you are getting your sweat on.  

Along those same lines, there are some great apps out there for exercise.  For running I use Map My Run and LOVE it.  At every mile it gives you your time, distance ran and your splits and it plays easily over my Pandora.

**As far as dealing with this crazy heat and humidity; my best advice is to make sure you keep hydrated, go slower and take breaks if you need it.

Like I said, I am no expert but above is what works for me.

What works for you?

Any questions, fire away!

Linking up with Shanna!

Recipe: Stuffed Ground Turkey + Quinoa Peppers

I haven't shared a recipe with you in a while and today I have a super simple and delicious one to make you drool.

This recipe is perfect when you need a quick, light meal in the summer time.

As is normal with a lot of my recipes, I made it up as I went and didn't really measure anything.
Super helpful, I know.
But the glory of this recipe is that you can add or subtract whatever you want or whatever you may have in the fridge/pantry.
So the measurements below are my best guesstimates.

Stuffed Ground Turkey + Quinoa Peppers
(serves 4)
-1lbs ground turkey
-4 peppers
-1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
-1 cup chopped onion
-3 garlic cloves (crushed)
-1 can diced tomatoes
-2 teaspoons cumin
-1 teaspoon salt and pepper
-1 teaspoon garlic salt
-1 cup cooked quinoa

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Brown ground turkey and add seasonings and veggies and let simmer for 15 minutes
3. While the turkey and veggies are cooking, cook quinoa.  Once quinoa is cooked, add it to the skillet with the turkey and veggie mixture.
4. Hollow out peppers and fill with turkey/veggie/quiona mix
5. Cook peppers for 20-30 minutes until peppers are tender

Volia, told you super easy!

P.s. the winner of the Dailiy's giveaway is Rachel!
I'll be in touch!

3 Year Wedding Anniversary: Gift Reveal

I know you guys are on pins and needles waiting to see what we gave each other as anniversary gifts.
 But first, the meal.
Mister picked up some yummy steaks and because it was so cold (and we were out of propane...) we decided to do them in the oven.  I don't always mind this method but you just can't beat the taste of the grill.
Also I had the broiler up so high I filled the house with smoke. Ooops.
The saving grace was the truffle butter we had on top of the steaks.
Holy heaven in a little container. 
We also shared some wine that we had been saving forever.
And, looking back, maybe a little too long.
I know wine ages but this bottle had moved a couple times with us and I think it had probably seen better days.
It was good but I'd really love to test it out again as a fresh bottle.

As I mentioned, we stuck with traditional gifts again this year with year 3 being leather.
And for the reveal...

 Headphones for Mister and a passport cover for me!
Mister really loves music, sound and technology.  He has been wanting some nice headphones for awhile now and talks about them often.
Also adding to his obsession, Katie's husband Derek is the headphone master.
Literally Derek knows all there is to know about headphones.
 Turns out, there's a lot to know too.
Derek gets as much credit for this gift as I do.
I emailed back and forth with him and he gave me lots of suggestions and information.

I originally came up with this idea of getting Mister headphones FOREVER ago.  I almost purchased them for Christmas but then remembered the leather theme.
I was envisioning the part that goes across your head being leather and tying into the theme.
When I thought of that I was pretty convinced I had struck gold in my gift giving.
Well, turns out that part is vinyl.
You win some, you lose some...I still thought it was a genius idea.

As for my gift, we had both just renewed our passports (never a fun expense but an adult necessity) because mine still had my maiden name and his was about to expire.  We thought we might as well do it before we were in a bind and actually needed them.  You never know when a fabulous vacation may pop up and you may need them!!
And what fun is traveling if you don't have fun accessories?  I LOVE the case and I am so excited to use it!

3 Year Wedding Anniversary Gift Guide: Leather

Our 3 year anniversary is tomorrow (time flies when you're having fun and hanging out with your BFF every day).

And besides being lovey dovey and looking through our wedding album, gifts are always one of my favorite parts of the day.  That and the steak we are planning on eating.

Starting with our first year of marriage we began giving each other variations of the 'traditional' anniversary gifts each year. 

I like the challenge of finding something within the genre and getting creative with the gifts each year.

Last year the challenge was cotton and I made Mister this.

And for our first year (paper) together I gave him tickets to a comedy show.

Also I like to see what Mister comes up with because he is one heck of a thoughtful gift giver.

 For instance, since last year was 'cotton' he gave me a gift certificate for a manicure/pedicure because they use cotton to take your old polish off.  He's a thoughtful one that Mister.

As I was racking my brain (and the internet) for leather ideas I was finding more and more that there aren't that many out there.

I thought I would put together a list of some ideas that I came across for all of your ladies out there searching for gift ideas.

Phone Case | Travel Kit | Wallet | Shoes | Belt

I think most of these are self explanatory and fit within the 'leather' realm.  I also think that these are things that all guys would love to get.  A few of my guy friends have that J.Crew phone case and love it.  The more you use the it, the better, more worn and broken in it looks.  An idea for the travel kit is to go ahead and fill it with with travel size toiletries and then your man is half way packed for his next trip.  I love the gray boat shoes by Sperry but Target also recently came out with a similar pair that are just as cute.  Nice, classic dress shoes for work are also an option. 

Now, what I got Mister may or may not be on this list.

Time will only tell ;) but I can't spill the beans quite yet. 

I'll share our gifts to each other later this week!

Do you stick to the traditional anniversary gifts?
If so, what did you give as a 'leather' gift?

Recipe: Sweet Potato Banana Waffles

Say what?!

Do those things even go together?

Turns out they do! 

And very well I might add.

In an effort to be evermore healthy, the Mister and I are always looking for new foods and snacks to try that are less processed and incorporate more fresh ingredients.

And things with protein that fill us up with energy instead of junk get major bonus points.

Along came these waffles.

I first saw them on Amazing Paleo and made my first batch just like hers but used oat flour instead of almond flour.

They were fantastic and we devoured the 4 the recipe made in a matter of 24 hours.

I knew I needed to figure out a way to get more out of the recipe or I was going to start feeling like I had picked up a shift at Waffle House.

And in all honesty, the first time I made these I was somewhat (apparently) delirious and ended up mixing all of the components (except the sweet potatoes) in the same bowl instead of separating the dry and wet ingredients as the original recipe suggests.  After a major minor meltdown and questioning of my cooking/reading skills, turns out it works out just fine if you do that. #thankyouforrationalhusbands

So the second time around I had some ripe bananas and thought, 'well self, those would probably be good in those waffles.' 

Self was right.
Delicious in fact. And filling.

So I ended up adding the bananas and doubling the batch and ended up with the lovely stack pictured below.

Want to make your own?

(recipe is for single batch)

Sweet Potato Banana Waffles

1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
1 ripe bananas 

1 1/2 cup(s) oat or almond flour

3 tablespoons (raw) honey

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon (or more) cinnamon

2 eggs

1. Wrap potato(es) in plastic wrap, poke holes and microwave for 6-8 minutes (or until soft)

2. Let potato cool and peel 

3. Chop potato into small chunks and place in food processor

4. Puree the sweet potato
5. Add all of the other ingredients to the food processor and mix together. (Note: if you are double the batch you may need to mix together in a bowl with a hand mixer.)
6. Fire up the waffle maker and get to cookin'!

I made them a little bit smaller than a normal waffle size and we've been eating half of one at a time.

We have been eating them plain (just heated up in the microwave) or they would be delicious with some almond butter or (pure) maple syrup. 

*I recently bought a bag of oat flour at Whole Foods but turns out it's just as easy and WAY cheaper to make your own with a cup of oats and a food processor.

DIY: Glitter Canvas

 Update: I am linking up with Hi Sugarplum and crew for their Christmas Cheer linkup party!

 This may be the easiest and glitteriest (yep made that word up) craft I've ever done and I'm sorta kinda really in love with it.

I first saw this pin

and knew that something similar needed to make it's way in my home.

Christmas decoration covered in glitter?!
Sign me up.

I ran to the Hob Lob and picked up the following:

 8x10 canvas (any size or varying sizes would work!)

red glitter

white glitter

mod podge or regular glue

pencil 

paint brush

and a dash of hair spray

Instead of the reindeer (which is adorable) I decided to go with a different holiday image...Santa hat it was!

 I googled some images and started tracing the outline.

(I've also recently decided that if it can't be found on Google, Amazon or Pinterest it isn't worth finding.)

I then applied a thick coat of mod podge to the red area of the hat

 and GENEROUSLY covered it with glitter. I let the glitter dry all of the way before I shook it off.

 Once that was dry I did the same with the white glitter.

 I then sprayed the whole piece with hair spray.

Why? Because Pinterest told me that would work and hold the glitter in place.

And who am I to argue with Pinterest?

Ho Ho Ho glittertastic!

I love the way this turned out! 

I am thinking these would make great gifts and could be super cute for other holidays as well. 

*for other Christmas crafts, check out my yarn trees here

What's In My Bag?

Make up edition.

I have been trying out some new elf items lately and wanted to let you guys in on my favorites.

I'll show you my every day go to items. 

I don't use every single one of these every day but most days you can find a combination of these on my face. 

1. Elf Mineral Foundation in Warm

Okay, I was skeptical of this but decided to try it out knowing it would be way cheaper than my beloved Bare Minerals.

Verdict: I love it.

I think it is almost identical to BM.

My only complaint would be that it is a little harder to get out (there isn't a dial, just openings)

and they don't carry it at my Target so I had to guess a little with the color.

 I mean, for $5 can you really go wrong?

2. Bare Minerals Warmth

I love love love this bronzer.
This is one BM item I will continue to buy.
I hate when bronzers are sparkly or have glitter so this one is perfect because it has neither, just a great color that is easy to build.

3. Elf Blush in Mellow Mauve

I was using Elf's Pink Passion blush but wanted a more fall/winter color blush.
(that may be the girliest thing I've ever said.)

I ordered Mellow Mauve on a whim and it is perfection.

I think it is the absolute best blush color I have come across in a long time.

4. Elf Eye Brightener
This stuff is downright amazing.
Especially on those mornings you need to feel and look extra awake.
I use it on the inside corners of my eyes and underneath my lower lashes.
Instant wake up!
5. Elf Eyeshadow in Pebble and Oatmeal
Sometimes I use these two together and sometimes I only use the pebble.
The pebble is a great every day, basic brown for your lids.

6. Elf Mineral Eyeshadow in Confident and Temptress
Two more of my favorite colors.
These have a bit of a sheen to them, I usually reserve them for weekend wear.

7. Elf Cream Eyeliner in Black 
I know this eyeliner has been talked about to death but there is a reason for it.
It's amazing!
Many moons ago I had the Stila gel eyeliner and loved it.
I have to say this one is almost identical and way cheaper.
I mean, it's Pink Lou Lou approved, it's gotta be good then, right? 
8. Elf Mineral Eyeshadow Primer in Sheer

This primer is great and really helps their mineral (and regular) eyeshadow stay on all day long.

9. L'oreal Volume Collagen Mascara

I recently purchased this mascara on a trial basis and I am so glad I did!

It is really great at building your lashes up and creating volume.

Those are the 2 things I am always looking for in a mascara and I am so happy to find both in one product.

 10. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil

This is one item that I do not use every day but I still love it.

It is such a great finishing touch and helps your makeup stay set throughout the day.
Again, more of a weekend item.
#whenthingsgetcrazy

11. Elf Makeup Mist and Set

This spray really keeps my makeup in place throughout the day.

If I am feeling crazy I will use the Mineral Veil and the Mist and Set and my face isn't going anywhere!

Honorable Mention:

Elf Lip Exfoliator

I just received this gem and I can't get enough of it. 

I have been using it before bed and letting it work it's magic overnight.

It also tastes delicious so that is just extra bonus points in my book! 

There you have, that is what is in my make up bag!
I have clearly developed a full blown elf addiction.

I mean with their variety of products and their prices who can blame me??

What are some of your favorite elf or make up items?

One last thing!
I am guest posting over at The Daily Tay today.
Please tell me you read Taylor's blog.
If you aren't you are really missing out.
And a special hello to everyone visiting from The Daily Tay!

DIY: Striped Wall

A while ago I spotted this DIY over at Courtney's blog.

I was in love!

It immediately struck me that we have a similar wall in our house that was the perfect canvas.

I thought and thought and thought about what I wanted to do with our wall.

I kept coming back to the idea of big, fat stripes.

I. Love. Stripes.

One look at my closet and you can see that I am mildly obsessed.

I choose Valspar High Speed Steel and got to mapping out my plan

 I knew that I did not want to paint the air register that is on the wall.

The register measured 7 1/2" and I determined that I wanted my stripes to be 8" thick.

I started at the register and measured up and down in 8" increments and made a line with the level.

I found the tips in this post super helpful!

She mentions planning out the stripes so that you do not have to paint one at the top or the bottom.

Duh.

That makes perfect sense but I would have never thought about that before reading her post.

I taped off the stripes using painters tape

(horizontally and also vertically along the sides).

I put BIG pieces of blue tape in the areas I did NOT want to paint.

 

I read quite a few 'painting stripes' articles before I began this adventure.

They all suggested to paint over the taped lines with your base color.

This ensure that if any paint seeps under the tape it will already be sealed with your base color.

Super clear, right?

I used a small foam brush and it worked like a charm.

I had almost 0 bleed through from the stripe color.

Now it was time for the big guns

(excuse that dub chin I have)

 

 (this is a mini house tour for you guys too!)

Once I had the stripes painted I quickly took off the tape before the paint dried.

(another trick I read)

I had quite a bit of paint leftover (could have easily gotten away with a sample jar)

 and while contemplating what to do with it,

the Mister suggested re-painting the frames.

What is your vote?

Leave them cream colored or paint them gray/blue??

And one more for good measure

I really, really love the way this wall turned out.

It was so easy and quick.

I'd say that this project took me less than 3 hours,

you really can't beat that!

What do you think??

*p.s. sorry about some of the spacing and word sizes-blogger is not cooperating at the moment.