Monday, April 27, 2015

Our Kitchen: Reno Series Vol. 2

I'm excited to finally get this post up!

We bought our house last July, literally negotiating the contract while in the hospital after we had Ben. How's that for multi-tasking? We bought it knowing we wanted to renovate, and our first step was the kitchen.

Looking back at the before pictures, I wonder if our friends walked in the house and then nervously wondered what the hell we were thinking. Because it was bad y'all. Truth be told we fell in love with the back wall of windows and the beautiful view, and just figured the rest of it could slowly be updated to the house we love. And, it has!

Here are before pictures from the family room, with a view of that gorgeous yellow wall and the kitchen is just on the other side of it:
This wall blocked tons of natural light and broke up the space. We decided to knock it down to create the open floor plan we wanted. This is a load bearing wall however, so we did have to incorporate column structures in the design.

After:
In addition to the kitchen (and fireplace) demo and reno, you can see all trim was painted white, floors were stained and window coverings installed. It doesn't even look like the same space! (Thankfully).
There was another wall running vertical to the one we knocked down and it separated a small dining room. On the other side of the old dining room was a sitting room; which would equal 4 total sitting rooms in the house, way too many. I decided right away I wanted to extend the kitchen into the "old" dining room, and make that sitting room our "new" dining room. So, we knocked down that wall as well. Why not, right?

After:
Our awesome designer came up with the idea to create a little desk space and a comfy reading nook, I LOVE this space. Behind this wall is a walk in pantry.
Oh my gosh the kitchen looks so bad in this picture. You can see how unnecessary that wall to the right was! We didn't change much logistic-wise on the window side of the kitchen, just everything on it. 
This window is such a special place in the kitchen. And a lifetime dream came true with that farmhouse sink. Best decision I made. 
I hope you liked the tour! 

We are so happy with the room now, the kitchen is the central, most used space in a house - and seeing it come together has been wonderful. Though I'd rather forget the days we used the laundry room to wash dishes and a hot plate to cook meals. Short term pain, long term gain was my motto!

Oh, and if you are in Denver and looking to renovate and need help designing the space, I highly, highly recommend Elizabeth Lord. She rocked, was easy, and did amazing! 

You can check out my Kitchen Inspiration Board here. I'll be linking the kitchen specifics very soon! 

Friday, April 24, 2015

Friday Five: Rompers, fritters, and kitchens.

Well, another week come and gone my friend! I hope it was good to you. We have a jam-packed weekend full of family, friends and baby showers! After a weekend away last weekend I am happy to spend some QT with my favorite men. Let's talk about what I'm loving this week:

one. this romper
It's pretty obvious I'm on a romper kick and y'all, look at this one I found on EDIT BY LAUREN'S Instagram (she's a stylist so if you are looking for awesome fashion finds, I highly recommend following her). She pulls it off better than the model and I want her entire wardrobe.

two. garlicky & cheese zucchini fritters. 
Recipe and image c/o Diet Hood.



















I'm a vegetarian, so I'm always making veggie fritters (quinoa, black bean, etc). But these I could eat all day every day. Delicious with a greek yogurt sauce on the side.

three. missing my friends. 
Fortunately (or unfortunately) I've lived a lot of places, and have friends all over the country. After spending three straight days with ladies I've known for 15+ years last weekend, I'm missing my girls; all over! I wish life allowed more time to see one another, but man am I grateful for each and every one of my amazing friends. Denver included.

four. baby obsession. Listen, I love my three-nager as much as the next guy, but I really am loving this baby. He is so snuggly, cuddly and happy it just makes this mama's heart melt.
five. kitchen reno. The labor of love that is our kitchen is done! Ish. Sharing before and after pictures Monday here on the blog. You will be shocked, of that I am sure. Here's a sneak peak:
Wishing everyone a great weekend, I myself am hoping to squeeze in some R&R! Happy Friday!

LINKING UP TODAY WITH:
and Friday Favorites: Momfessionals

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

My Vegas Style.

I'm having a Vegas hangover y'all; and not the alcohol kind either. 

Oh how times have changed. 

Now in our early-to-mid-thirties, my friends and I are just not as crazy as we used to be. We enjoyed lovely meals, time by the pool, and we took a nap every day. You'll be proud to know that we did get approached each night to go to the crazy pools and clubs where all the youngsters go, which leads me to the obvious end of that story, which is that we didn't go to any of those places.

Seeing Britney Spears before she left Vegas was on my bucket list and I'm so glad we did. It was a blast! Today I thought it'd be fun to share some of my Sin City outfits here on the blog.
Disclaimer: you should know that I don't like to spend too much on "going-out-wear" or "heels" because I don't go out much and heels make my feet want to fall off (every piece of those items is under $100). Also I am still not comfortable with my mid-region so I wanted a sexy alternative to the bikini (splurge). Finally, I really wanted some bright colors to celebrate the season!

And last but certainly not least:
Over-priced tank seen above that I doubt I will EVER wear in public, is unfortunately not sold online; however this is your opportunity to check her out in Vegas with your best girls! Women who take time to nourish friendships equal happier moms, wives and people, I'm sure of it.

WERK!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Ben's 9-Month Update

Ben turned 9-months Sunday!

What is it about the 9-month mark that seems like a turning point? He was super-excited when mom busted in after nap time for an impromptu photo shoot to celebrate the occasion.
Ben, child, you know what you want. You have such a relaxed personality and are go-with-the-flow. You are sweet. When you see a grandparent  or someone new you lean your head shyly to the side and look up at them under your eyelashes. You still love being cheek-to-cheek.













You're busy! You started crawling at 8 1/2 months and you haven't looked back. You are now trying so hard to pull up on things, but so far you can only get to your knees. You are SO busy and curious. You slam your head into everything all the time. Even in places I think you cannot possibly find a way to hurt yourself, you always do. I call you bruiser, because well, the obvious. It's actually concerning.

You have dark hair! And eyebrows, which people comment on all the time: "what great eye brows he has!" Random, I know. You are very, very handsome.
You love your brother something fierce. You love food. And you love being physically active, exploring, on the move, all the time.

When I look at you, I can't imagine not having more of you. I thought the same thing about your brother. You are so easy to love.

Here's the schedule that's working for us right now:

Schedule
7:30- bottle
8- breakfast: scrambled eggs and banana/raspberries
9-11:30- nap (you LOVE this nap)
11:30- bottle
12:30- lunch: oven roasted chicken deli meat, jar of carrots/sweet potatoes, mashed avocado
2- small bottle, and down for a nap with your brother 
3:30-4- up, small bottle, we wait for Coop to wake up
5:30- dinner (*you dropped your cat-nap soon after 8-months, sadly)
6:00- bath-time with Coop
6:30/7- bottle and bed

Ben, I thank God for you. I pray over you all the time, and I hope we are doing right by you. Watching you grow will be our greatest privilege!

Your mommy can't believe you will be one-year-old in three short months. Holy that-went-by-fast!!