tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47293770319523498262024-03-13T20:24:17.190-07:00Live Laugh L♥veaLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-2980223532157738662011-11-07T17:04:00.000-08:002011-11-07T17:06:11.189-08:0011.07.11 House Updates<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A lot of exciting things have been happening around here lately. First off we've been working our bums off all weekend to get the kitchen backsplash done. So far have most of the tile up and just a few pieces left to go. Planning on maybe even starting the grouting today, and hopefully have the range hood up by Friday!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">In other news, our family room is finally starting to come together ... well at least in my mind. We haven't actually purchased any new furniture yet, but we did put in an order on saturday for this leather studded bad boy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We had to take a drive down all the way to the <a href="http://www.roomservicestore.com/">Room Service Store</a> in SF, but it was well worth the drive considering we'll probably have our custom sofa sometime at the end of this month. I am in l-o-v-e with all of their furniture, which btw can be custom made to fit any room! Can't wait to get my sofa and finally order some fun winter pillows that I've been eyeing for quite some time now. The great thing about this sofa is that it's very deep and comfortable so the more pillows the better!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here's a few rooms that I've been inspired by lately!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Love how white and airy this room is except for the bright pillows and lamps!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">And here's a few more pictures from Nuevo Estillo. Love the soft grey colors with black and gold accents!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> And a little more ... been trying to figure out the furniture placement for the family room so will be needing all the inspiration I can get!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQf29RBbn1FRp5KExcb358AellOdX04fIj7goWz7w7eAM4yB9bJ5UmxaXOCNjpCpoST6GKqxlsTZpxhawggCtOTRZzFc6BSBOO2AON3T3EBp53mRlQR2F4Bri7Jl1Hlp4Yptx5q0YAUk/s1600/living-room-design-ideas-ED0110-Gambrel-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQf29RBbn1FRp5KExcb358AellOdX04fIj7goWz7w7eAM4yB9bJ5UmxaXOCNjpCpoST6GKqxlsTZpxhawggCtOTRZzFc6BSBOO2AON3T3EBp53mRlQR2F4Bri7Jl1Hlp4Yptx5q0YAUk/s640/living-room-design-ideas-ED0110-Gambrel-04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5GavZfj7fNu8uovF0Li3OUFFzy2xU7DzHRXKww6cboLEnzy-1PKAse8O4D8G3csedaarbkpw8aF0eSu-D9XUOGhZ6zVf-Hwwl70K63zw_4IldzkrNdiU-JKK4b1lEiICpVcycjrOYjE/s1600/LRScreenChangePinkTongue-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5GavZfj7fNu8uovF0Li3OUFFzy2xU7DzHRXKww6cboLEnzy-1PKAse8O4D8G3csedaarbkpw8aF0eSu-D9XUOGhZ6zVf-Hwwl70K63zw_4IldzkrNdiU-JKK4b1lEiICpVcycjrOYjE/s640/LRScreenChangePinkTongue-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-35813450164322222802011-11-04T12:28:00.000-07:002011-11-04T12:28:06.437-07:00Visits from the Mailmain<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The mailman had a special delivery for us last week, and not just 1 but 2 very special deliveries. We started off the week with a fabulous Crema Marfil Trellis gracing our kitchen backsplash. As soon as the FedEx guy left, I rushed to rip the boxes apart and throw together a sneak peak of what the tiles will potentially look like once installed.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpxGMEIY4Twr7AjgyelcVWulyKq-L5Wj56hKPMnYytX2wXGKNlVYkY_ZQMTg0O-yb2WeYtg9Ykc6bQApk1-LI4zzsQT5OPk6bGswAW009_RTwC30EsHgS8fdxb-OZUEA83eBI43doHTo/s1600/white+crema+marfil+trellis+backsplash+white+kitchen+beautiful.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpxGMEIY4Twr7AjgyelcVWulyKq-L5Wj56hKPMnYytX2wXGKNlVYkY_ZQMTg0O-yb2WeYtg9Ykc6bQApk1-LI4zzsQT5OPk6bGswAW009_RTwC30EsHgS8fdxb-OZUEA83eBI43doHTo/s640/white+crema+marfil+trellis+backsplash+white+kitchen+beautiful.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know I went back and forth with the backsplash decision for more months than I want to count ... but once it was ordered, I never looked back. I'm glad that I went with a big statement that hopefully I can love for many more years to come!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrPKxcv4_ORc50WYtZQKnyryQXIMMIkN4RFD-k9Ll9LxR419A0RaC8i51aoG4nGKF3SZ9YlBp0Ux4q0_VptOTWch7zqvGdI7yij4Gb-3s2CB6DuLomsgIIM0Bh0Ajs0czQGFYDsU6xJI/s1600/Gorgeous+white+kitchen%252C+grey+stripes%252C+white+marble.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrPKxcv4_ORc50WYtZQKnyryQXIMMIkN4RFD-k9Ll9LxR419A0RaC8i51aoG4nGKF3SZ9YlBp0Ux4q0_VptOTWch7zqvGdI7yij4Gb-3s2CB6DuLomsgIIM0Bh0Ajs0czQGFYDsU6xJI/s640/Gorgeous+white+kitchen%252C+grey+stripes%252C+white+marble.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And to finish off this productive week, FedEx decided to stop by again ... this time with a gorgeous black Bertazzoni range hood!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpix_FtKi7xzgQege4jrVktSFTekJbjLWtNpfOGF2mg3466HfpHCMmB72K7TbdeMwlyAJyEc_UwHo8AQgB-lupA4FoZm3SiH-UZELDPCMtRkTCiK4GTHHe1bwp2zpk4fUKLHS1ss5vB8/s1600/Black+Bertazzoni+Kitchen+Range+Hood+Beautiful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpix_FtKi7xzgQege4jrVktSFTekJbjLWtNpfOGF2mg3466HfpHCMmB72K7TbdeMwlyAJyEc_UwHo8AQgB-lupA4FoZm3SiH-UZELDPCMtRkTCiK4GTHHe1bwp2zpk4fUKLHS1ss5vB8/s640/Black+Bertazzoni+Kitchen+Range+Hood+Beautiful.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This wasn't my original choice & I was totally freaked out at the thought of ordering a breakin-my-bank range hood just from a single picture I've seen online... But no regrets here whatsoever!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The backsplash is going up tonight so hopefully more pics to come!</span>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-6807503859887831202011-09-30T18:11:00.000-07:002011-09-30T18:11:29.199-07:00Vintage FindsI have been doing a lot of craigslist/estate sale/consignment store shopping lately ... and have been finding quite a variety of interesting treasures. I just bought this adorable vintage tea cart from a lady on craiglist, she was moving out of state and wanted to get rid of it for only $20! Lately I have seen many similar carts for $150-$250 so I think I got a pretty awesome deal ... just need to spend a little more time accessorizing and deciding where it's going to stay. Tea/bar carts are very versatile and can pretty much work in any room ... I'm considering using it as extra storage in my office, or maybe a side table in the family room if it doesn't work out in the dining room.<br />
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Just last week I discovered an amazing consignment store in my area ... I know I must have drove past it at least 100 times without ever thinking to stop by but last Friday driving home after a doctor's appointment just seemed like the right time ... I found so many interesting options but nothing really jumped out at me. The only thing I ended up buying was an art deco/hollywood regency magazine stand, which at a $25 price tag I just couldn't resist. And again with this piece too, I think it's pretty versatile and can look good in any setting ... as of right now I just threw together a couple of accessories and left it in our living room.<br />
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I'm thinking to do some estate sale shopping tomorrow morning, so hopefully I can score a few more interesting pieces and come back with some house updates and pictures from our Hawaii vacation!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-8791124646060258492011-08-05T12:03:00.000-07:002011-08-05T12:03:52.279-07:00State Fair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4D-uNVnw3cmc3XZ7sLkmhEX2FMLXFeNQ_9XM7rlbXdxdnbBFLXzAr3WPeWO_9YokvckrgMoXHiRHLqS7Ku0X7dHp1J0JoRM_1Xx2uY8faGN3_l-3BPDTsl-BNqKT0x5Z6LBfv-T47Go/s1600/state+fair+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf4D-uNVnw3cmc3XZ7sLkmhEX2FMLXFeNQ_9XM7rlbXdxdnbBFLXzAr3WPeWO_9YokvckrgMoXHiRHLqS7Ku0X7dHp1J0JoRM_1Xx2uY8faGN3_l-3BPDTsl-BNqKT0x5Z6LBfv-T47Go/s640/state+fair+6.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
Going to the state fair has become an annual tradition for us .. and this year was no exception! We went with our friends Tim and Alena and had a blast checking out the animal exhibits, braving the state fair rides, and getting a little exotic with the food!<br />
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Although I was not really impressed with the fried Snickers and oreos ... I am completely in LOVE with their baked potatoes ... haha I must sound like a big fatty ... but actually I've been really good for the past maybe month and 1/2 and lost 7 lbs! I haven't been doing any crazy dieting or exercising daily ... Just been trying to make smarter food choices, eating smaller portions, and doing 2-3 jogs a week. Hopefully I can keep it up, because with all the stress of remodeling a house, working 40 hours, and trying to fit everything else in between ... I've been gaining and need to finally get back in control!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-50843572861287411262011-07-24T16:04:00.000-07:002011-07-24T16:04:39.796-07:00Backsplash Bold?I've been having a dilemma over our kitchen backsplash for over 2 months now and I'm here to admit that I still haven't decided on anything for sure. Incase you forgot, this is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYSxf9XnKMY&feature=player_detailpage">what my kitchen currently looks like</a> .... It's very <span style="font-size: large;">white</span>, clean and airy ... which is not necessarily bad, but I do want to add a little more interest and pattern to the mix. Recently we added some<a href="http://alenamanuylov.blogspot.com/2011/06/stripped-sophistication.html"> grey stripes</a> to our breakfast nook and will eventually be adding either brown or black bench seating around the window. We sort of decided on our hood and will probably going with this <a href="http://www.vikingrange.com/consumer/products/product.jsp?skuPassthru=false&id=prod180245">viking range hood</a>.<br />
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Now the last major thing left and probably the biggest statement piece in our kitchen is the backsplash!<br />
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I originally wanted to go with all Calcutta marble so that the counters would continue into the backsplash like these inspiration pics. I love that the marble is both very graphic and calming at the same time, but it just seemed a little too overdone for our kitchen and would probably end up more expensive than planned.<br />
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The second option that I really considered was a herringbone pattern ... something that always makes me happy when I see it in design! I was especially inspired by these images from deco pad that look very sophisticated and well traveled.<br />
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While browsing at many tile stores, I have seen various versions of the herringbone pattern, but nothing exactly like this. The color and beautiful texture is exactly what was missing from my kitchen. So on a late Saturday afternoon, hours and hours into my quest to find the perfect herringbone, I found long limestone strips that are usually used for exteriors and decided to buy a 1 sq ft sample.<br />
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I knew it would be loooooooooong and agonizing process to create a herringbone pattern with these tiles, but I was willing to do whatever it took to get the look that I was going for. After all the trouble it took to temporarily tape these suckers to my kitchen wall, I think I am a little over them. They are very textured, maybe a little more than I'd like, and just seem way too rustic for my kitchen. Maybe I am wrong ... I am open to suggestions.<br />
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Currently the tile that I am stuck on is a very patterned and <span style="font-size: large;">bold </span>trellis pattern.<br />
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I know that the trellis pattern is very overdone in the blogging community and may just become a trend that will be over in a few years. To me however, it seems like a classic, beautifully symmetric lines that will never go out of style.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqjuvFiEB5wouZMaednGUCA9wvsCdkJGwpMTNNQvjF5kOzimCruao7YS2zfoBviwHj5p1mVl0MWbLdYqd5edfmFueZAaQLuKgvSaFj65V0YFWIMb1NiMg4Htowuw9MPbOa2Ygx8IJQUg/s1600/chinoserie-851x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqjuvFiEB5wouZMaednGUCA9wvsCdkJGwpMTNNQvjF5kOzimCruao7YS2zfoBviwHj5p1mVl0MWbLdYqd5edfmFueZAaQLuKgvSaFj65V0YFWIMb1NiMg4Htowuw9MPbOa2Ygx8IJQUg/s640/chinoserie-851x1024.jpg" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.missionstonetile.com/blog/tag/mosaic-tile/">Mission Stone Tile</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Personally, I have never seen the trellis pattern in a REAL home, so I think it will definitely be the wow factor in my kitchen and will hopefully make me smile every time I walk by. I still haven't decided whether I prefer the cream and white or the brown and white for my kitchen. I know that my hubby likes the toned down cream version, which if we go with, I will probably have to pair with a dark maybe faux wood wallpaper in the open cabinetry to add a little contrast. The brown will add a ton of contrast and extra interest to our kitchen, but I don't know if it will be soo much that I will get tired of it in a few years. Please help, any suggestions welcome!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-28192158805150589942011-07-01T17:07:00.000-07:002011-07-01T17:09:51.933-07:00Cabana Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjZsYNdzcUEXYUrp1-iennUV7oXz9M_WP-0OJK5tcbRX3-lH9Q0IbP8PiRcX-X-68rlqlFHH_xatsQeehZpUiTm97guTJWQGttCz0Q1QkEOiNER3tWDXo15PdQ1u0ahtKBO8Uwf9DSoA/s1600/oceanside+cabana+pergola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjZsYNdzcUEXYUrp1-iennUV7oXz9M_WP-0OJK5tcbRX3-lH9Q0IbP8PiRcX-X-68rlqlFHH_xatsQeehZpUiTm97guTJWQGttCz0Q1QkEOiNER3tWDXo15PdQ1u0ahtKBO8Uwf9DSoA/s640/oceanside+cabana+pergola.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br />
We've been having beautiful weather for the past few days ... making me wish that summer lasted forever! I'm especially enjoying the extra sunshine in our secret garden-esque backyard - which seems like it was perfectly designed for those long lazy summer days! From our sparkling pool to the serene atmosphere of lush bushes and trees ... it's almost perfect expect for the small eye sore of a spot around the corner of the left side of our house.<br />
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Our house came with quite a surprise - a built-in wooden pergola with an above ground spa jacuzzi hidden inside ... what's wrong with that you may say ... I guess not much other than a probably disease infected 15 year old jacuzzi and a rotting deck underneath ... Once removed, it's actually the perfect spot for my dream cabana oasis!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM1wGYE-VEYej3L3mXOvzpSATSI06f8TKv5hHyEu577KiEgOevA8RWBEBIjNcYZFuMiqPPSCiHJJLRXTp3tpeDiO1fCekz9NJo3xfhTi6VPlmV2r-iJPgtVCMF6NyrKVTZpR0avG1QD8/s1600/brown+summer+cabana+with+green+and+orange+accents.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM1wGYE-VEYej3L3mXOvzpSATSI06f8TKv5hHyEu577KiEgOevA8RWBEBIjNcYZFuMiqPPSCiHJJLRXTp3tpeDiO1fCekz9NJo3xfhTi6VPlmV2r-iJPgtVCMF6NyrKVTZpR0avG1QD8/s640/brown+summer+cabana+with+green+and+orange+accents.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
All of our resources are 100% dedicated to the interior of our home ... so for now a little dreaming will have to go a long way ....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaAalAxlBRa8fO_ENtzSIVn7Jta3yowUTC4fthyphenhyphenP2cfuZruwVOia41j98c2-cBPdM1RKg6oMnDsxFg90CT7-AIK84h1B63Hibdi2KDh0NUwS4NaNYvyZOEE5zul3_Xwp3WmvNPLEmY2w/s1600/bliis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaAalAxlBRa8fO_ENtzSIVn7Jta3yowUTC4fthyphenhyphenP2cfuZruwVOia41j98c2-cBPdM1RKg6oMnDsxFg90CT7-AIK84h1B63Hibdi2KDh0NUwS4NaNYvyZOEE5zul3_Xwp3WmvNPLEmY2w/s640/bliis.png" width="640" /></a></div>Can you think of a more perfect way to spend a summer afternoon than taking a mid-day nap underneath a whimsical canopy? ... did I mention warm fuzzy kittens included?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-1630H00NGgZxRugzwbEJ9Xm4QH2VMJAzNL-tBfN9L8NHAfaIoyqmElDkhNrAr9sJqxwLVr7emfTCfCIV-yHEo6ZFKO4gm2qxw2jmKA01ZdTdctcdzW3wzXlT7WwEENxqRmDqpp13dA/s1600/oranage+and+white+sophisticated+cabana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-1630H00NGgZxRugzwbEJ9Xm4QH2VMJAzNL-tBfN9L8NHAfaIoyqmElDkhNrAr9sJqxwLVr7emfTCfCIV-yHEo6ZFKO4gm2qxw2jmKA01ZdTdctcdzW3wzXlT7WwEENxqRmDqpp13dA/s640/oranage+and+white+sophisticated+cabana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWJFtlB8qycomZADZmvCPXQ6bNl-T73lJ9SXhixpiIQRGYLiGUt5ugX9tLaX7QdBcDF37RJ4ySbpishYo-kvSXpF2C8yBv8gIj0Gkx6_9wU8ovfr9jXGjyedGHGoIWqW50Sj9zRXpNHs/s1600/pink+and+white+outdoor+living.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWJFtlB8qycomZADZmvCPXQ6bNl-T73lJ9SXhixpiIQRGYLiGUt5ugX9tLaX7QdBcDF37RJ4ySbpishYo-kvSXpF2C8yBv8gIj0Gkx6_9wU8ovfr9jXGjyedGHGoIWqW50Sj9zRXpNHs/s640/pink+and+white+outdoor+living.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>What could be more fun that having brunch or some afternoon drinks with your favorite people in this ultra sexy coral oasis!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaF3_bNpUOeq5Dp9bdcFw8F81oYRIFZWdgWtczmoodd3uZ6_3MChgQdJ1CuNRXOKc0tLtzsWmkjoMeq_BfEdf0AjOuAixAfanJrzP86cp-L3R_5CtyIK_8ObErgnr1iSTduNF1qlGFRE/s1600/pbhome2_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaF3_bNpUOeq5Dp9bdcFw8F81oYRIFZWdgWtczmoodd3uZ6_3MChgQdJ1CuNRXOKc0tLtzsWmkjoMeq_BfEdf0AjOuAixAfanJrzP86cp-L3R_5CtyIK_8ObErgnr1iSTduNF1qlGFRE/s640/pbhome2_6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF37ZbStKvgt2zEfwyyAb8707yQyGXD9k5NiJW0tRZyxpzLkOxDt_XomdrDUqUg0F_a1U_9boPQP-MF1AgDwQfAjrnR3GTAZKenFjJENI3JUCPvRtHx8cD0ENbOf32n_QOAO4AjhcVVWE/s1600/four+seasons+lime+cabana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF37ZbStKvgt2zEfwyyAb8707yQyGXD9k5NiJW0tRZyxpzLkOxDt_XomdrDUqUg0F_a1U_9boPQP-MF1AgDwQfAjrnR3GTAZKenFjJENI3JUCPvRtHx8cD0ENbOf32n_QOAO4AjhcVVWE/s640/four+seasons+lime+cabana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Although these rainbow cabanas are breath taking ... I think I would prefer the simple sophistication of white and black for my own backyard!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6fysP27ectf0GVlgSm1MujuBZY_7RyyO4UtR9RrFLJUubhJITGKe_iTP_AwD03OjX5XSwSF1G4j6ND2XTq9q09PKnpta0gKMrI5PfKDQ7KMnAwqM1hl8FvD3ofk8QRqMssF6g0J6WPU/s1600/black+and+white+pavilion+caban+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6fysP27ectf0GVlgSm1MujuBZY_7RyyO4UtR9RrFLJUubhJITGKe_iTP_AwD03OjX5XSwSF1G4j6ND2XTq9q09PKnpta0gKMrI5PfKDQ7KMnAwqM1hl8FvD3ofk8QRqMssF6g0J6WPU/s640/black+and+white+pavilion+caban+pool.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPox_ohqXihyRBja8N2mEkLol77uuhf_zBPvZ_tq3IC3hyphenhyphenpMHbRGGqkqsbqYwKYR9Eu1jm-YS7JmStEuVL1sqzsGC1CfJ_wRXgZx9xVxJfFfXLvt64JDUFdWMXTk-L5XtHFp5OMqfAGY/s1600/black+and+white+cabana+by+pool.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigPox_ohqXihyRBja8N2mEkLol77uuhf_zBPvZ_tq3IC3hyphenhyphenpMHbRGGqkqsbqYwKYR9Eu1jm-YS7JmStEuVL1sqzsGC1CfJ_wRXgZx9xVxJfFfXLvt64JDUFdWMXTk-L5XtHFp5OMqfAGY/s640/black+and+white+cabana+by+pool.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
In particular, I've had my eye on this bold black & white stripped beauty from ZGallerie -although the pattern is very in your face ... it's still very classic and would go well with any color palette. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwOOhRQWKM5Bh2bfuZytoNzi_a0fwKdDqzF4L3vUidb8Z6HySlbzSIrRN7Nu9IoraVSaWfCU3HHShyphenhyphenJTCdpmFq7vw1rTPGv4fOf2_0PPooFu_EdTMHVnvM7Sey1yc3y_6keDw9Tnpo48/s1600/venezia-pavilion_zgallerie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwOOhRQWKM5Bh2bfuZytoNzi_a0fwKdDqzF4L3vUidb8Z6HySlbzSIrRN7Nu9IoraVSaWfCU3HHShyphenhyphenJTCdpmFq7vw1rTPGv4fOf2_0PPooFu_EdTMHVnvM7Sey1yc3y_6keDw9Tnpo48/s640/venezia-pavilion_zgallerie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-73268279397595030722011-06-26T12:55:00.000-07:002011-06-26T12:57:26.304-07:00Tulips & LionsLately I'm inspired by so many things and have so much on my mind .. but I can't seem to get anything straightened out enough to actually get any work done around the house. After finally finishing the touch ups in our stripped eating nook ... I've been stuck trying to figure out what to tackle next. At this point there seems to be too much to do and I need to just settle down and concentrate on a couple of major things instead of trying to do everything at once!<br />
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So instead of tackling the big things I keep distracting myself with cute little treasures that I seem to be finding so easily. Like these vintage tulip bowls I found at an antique store ... which by the way pier 1 now carries almost an exact version of.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2F7gHFTUHnDzbyD7gonxHAoyoJtrk2jmQGDjq9wAl7eagn3qpQwQKdWqtiozWKLaC2Si33w2t8ruAR7pUR7VSr2esQjAlxK5I4NHsXXeb6n8ulUtFM9n-034IoTkN8Bo3m52gvcR7c8/s1600/locus+tullip+bowls+gold+vase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2F7gHFTUHnDzbyD7gonxHAoyoJtrk2jmQGDjq9wAl7eagn3qpQwQKdWqtiozWKLaC2Si33w2t8ruAR7pUR7VSr2esQjAlxK5I4NHsXXeb6n8ulUtFM9n-034IoTkN8Bo3m52gvcR7c8/s640/locus+tullip+bowls+gold+vase.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
And these adorable lions head soup bowls that I found at Home Goods for a steal<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjma7eUyKn2xpFthK1nEEnnVoszd6xSe8XztuDdUG9TGaTsK1Sct67t_KpN2craXCW0HAGiXJx_65OXXyPZbmAz2TX_mlG6qNJw3uZ62yaEiAe3otKosWULVvc_FJQganphp4LZCQi38Tw/s1600/white+lions+bowls+antique+platter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjma7eUyKn2xpFthK1nEEnnVoszd6xSe8XztuDdUG9TGaTsK1Sct67t_KpN2craXCW0HAGiXJx_65OXXyPZbmAz2TX_mlG6qNJw3uZ62yaEiAe3otKosWULVvc_FJQganphp4LZCQi38Tw/s640/white+lions+bowls+antique+platter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I really wanted to get at least 6 of these but sadly with Home Goods every thing is in limited supply and unless you get there 1st you end up getting the left overs. Luckily after a little research, I was able to find almost identical bowls at shopko.com and ordered 4 more ... they should be arriving sometime early this week so fingers crossed that they'll be a match!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-53432790833727150312011-06-12T09:59:00.000-07:002011-06-12T09:59:33.848-07:00Stripped SophisticationI knew I wanted to add beautiful bold but still sophisticated stripes somewhere in my new house ... just a little something to make me smile every time I walked by. My choice for white & grey stripes in our kitchen nook became obvious after falling in L-O-V-E with these gorgeously understated inspiration pics quite some time ago<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CRSiGoDcU9pcrMMP1V13aTgBxOHNzAHQKC4Xek13w1RIJmEy8uPG0YfREYE0Dy3c5s8lxne2ELLK91HXJD6TdrB_NLzZAv5W-Nc-aihimL6CjDqavX5Iopr8zX4YiRcyxmh-_jwq0KU/s1600/1095042995_d35m9-O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CRSiGoDcU9pcrMMP1V13aTgBxOHNzAHQKC4Xek13w1RIJmEy8uPG0YfREYE0Dy3c5s8lxne2ELLK91HXJD6TdrB_NLzZAv5W-Nc-aihimL6CjDqavX5Iopr8zX4YiRcyxmh-_jwq0KU/s640/1095042995_d35m9-O.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8o19dNjDnRcSmQBMfi9tEagLt-ktB7bNXHN_a1ixaifIb4GcVOH_PHu4qIU-ViYsZUnLe9wBr2BHJP9W_lCeA_O2gGjd8WCv86lohLxSBlGWaf1ph2kyWoargT5hK_lQeFR8dNDY7Kg/s1600/1095043027_vShAu-O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv8o19dNjDnRcSmQBMfi9tEagLt-ktB7bNXHN_a1ixaifIb4GcVOH_PHu4qIU-ViYsZUnLe9wBr2BHJP9W_lCeA_O2gGjd8WCv86lohLxSBlGWaf1ph2kyWoargT5hK_lQeFR8dNDY7Kg/s640/1095043027_vShAu-O.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />
These stripes are the super start of the room for me and create a really interesting layer in the room! And then the dilemma began ... should I do horizontal or vertical stripes?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-CdbgyamXN-etUR67VAq5t0oOaH_VFrfFUQgwRoNMRLvREcX7J9iv10iz_PGBN0T68PStsm0oJTfPVc-6lCX0p2gFGALOgIMS9i8sX0grDz-0-debcNWdZbkZEsrgr0VBHlp_OlCKHs/s1600/lavendar-and-cream-striped-walls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ-CdbgyamXN-etUR67VAq5t0oOaH_VFrfFUQgwRoNMRLvREcX7J9iv10iz_PGBN0T68PStsm0oJTfPVc-6lCX0p2gFGALOgIMS9i8sX0grDz-0-debcNWdZbkZEsrgr0VBHlp_OlCKHs/s640/lavendar-and-cream-striped-walls.jpg" width="512" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>Should I go for a bright bold color ....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2lwNa1H0aVmZ2-GtQP12E8_dNp5ApLmJ0vEBLls2on6peoUeVTZ8KaIOhAAxh225uo2RhYA_K6n1lmUaWLxdXaZHCI6vfyoz5fY-NZP3vYTc7kQLtzB1A8rEQqlxJqqdcW_xfCvfo7E/s1600/styleathome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2lwNa1H0aVmZ2-GtQP12E8_dNp5ApLmJ0vEBLls2on6peoUeVTZ8KaIOhAAxh225uo2RhYA_K6n1lmUaWLxdXaZHCI6vfyoz5fY-NZP3vYTc7kQLtzB1A8rEQqlxJqqdcW_xfCvfo7E/s640/styleathome.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCH7r0NSPI7GOUozqjGKPsCBqnGwWqkwKXhWm8as5XtieKcocPKMKUvG-q8yi3r0S9TRDUVjFkgkW5SB8a_nQyhO3AnGe0U9CczUIgpWDu8PDf7RZKrpE817CA3oPOJiUJ29UxdzQqG18/s1600/4380651372_92af6ccc17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCH7r0NSPI7GOUozqjGKPsCBqnGwWqkwKXhWm8as5XtieKcocPKMKUvG-q8yi3r0S9TRDUVjFkgkW5SB8a_nQyhO3AnGe0U9CczUIgpWDu8PDf7RZKrpE817CA3oPOJiUJ29UxdzQqG18/s640/4380651372_92af6ccc17.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QNraLk6ISTaCRH-cr6qnnDmQB-3ZFeqiiAHDSbD-NzZgf9HSkRYyKzDRA_9SYsRnEDZ_EmeuaWHIItrIVLtH5VqKtPCvD30nfoSH4daHxcIt8x2gm17_gTcXG0mLH2Y_Ft-1OwNQ7us/s1600/inspiration-snapshot_striped-hallway_country-living.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QNraLk6ISTaCRH-cr6qnnDmQB-3ZFeqiiAHDSbD-NzZgf9HSkRYyKzDRA_9SYsRnEDZ_EmeuaWHIItrIVLtH5VqKtPCvD30nfoSH4daHxcIt8x2gm17_gTcXG0mLH2Y_Ft-1OwNQ7us/s640/inspiration-snapshot_striped-hallway_country-living.jpg" width="544" /></a></div><br />
Or create a neutral relaxing palette to which I can later add bold colors and fun patterns!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeS2o7JhhlGxiUL44lWhn_a9cjA3s0rPqJK41T_XfILHFgyiBOh8z_-hRx2jmXETutiwvmnFL1uMe75By0JjeC_gRtbBPP3Tq3RCF3MXNDWzLjqOZtNaXsvHghYa85aiBFPbz_LzLhEmY/s1600/e469f100d093.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeS2o7JhhlGxiUL44lWhn_a9cjA3s0rPqJK41T_XfILHFgyiBOh8z_-hRx2jmXETutiwvmnFL1uMe75By0JjeC_gRtbBPP3Tq3RCF3MXNDWzLjqOZtNaXsvHghYa85aiBFPbz_LzLhEmY/s640/e469f100d093.png" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45XOQIhaEi8qtDMqS3QHDICANaQ1OUj4Zjpj35EPajHr0B_hxYcItWieV83PdT4nupAUGUBUcJTFpxRYEPlHhJrbJKxdvwn8kIdjhZbvp1UfJpk5wNODSP4QGL3l9wSS5nAkJIqV6hIU/s1600/id2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45XOQIhaEi8qtDMqS3QHDICANaQ1OUj4Zjpj35EPajHr0B_hxYcItWieV83PdT4nupAUGUBUcJTFpxRYEPlHhJrbJKxdvwn8kIdjhZbvp1UfJpk5wNODSP4QGL3l9wSS5nAkJIqV6hIU/s640/id2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Overtime I noticed that I really gravitated more towards the grey stripes for everyday home living ... especially in the kitchen ... I room that I frequent the most often in our house .. so here is my creation {with the help of my wonderful hubby and a new laser projector from home depot of course}<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOA_0tuh_61gUXjvtFnwdTnAPnRz413dGq8H1WyAPUka5L52ZxKjP0W-0lXNaw0-jbUkCCWCtf0nuQ36ihzD3frmM9eFOgXmmd9ivezATOUsKHoxD-as-Yv2HGLRdYQwhlXtZLLB06j0/s1600/Grey+White+Stripes+Capiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOA_0tuh_61gUXjvtFnwdTnAPnRz413dGq8H1WyAPUka5L52ZxKjP0W-0lXNaw0-jbUkCCWCtf0nuQ36ihzD3frmM9eFOgXmmd9ivezATOUsKHoxD-as-Yv2HGLRdYQwhlXtZLLB06j0/s640/Grey+White+Stripes+Capiz.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
This project has been in the works since at least we purchased our house in December so glad we finally got it accomplished {still need to do a few touch-ups here and there, but you get the overall picture} Ohh and by the way we got this beauty of a chandelier from craiglist ... I happen to LOVE capiz chandeliers and can't wait to order a huge 6-footer from the Philippines for our entry way!<br />
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Now I definitely need to go a little more industrial with our pendant lighting in the kitchen ... otherwise the space seems a little too feminine and polished ... open to suggestions ... we've been looking but haven't found the right pieces yet!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-49944615074813125192011-06-02T22:21:00.000-07:002011-06-02T22:21:48.591-07:00Gold & White<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I may or may have not went shopping after work and my hubby may or may not be mad when he checks our bank account today {which by the way he has an iphone app for & checks like its second nature to him}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I guess I'm willing to face the consequences cuz today I walked off with a shopping cart full of gorgeous goodies from HomeGoods ...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FhFH56ny4Om1Ksehg4PGyTzUgK1SJ6E68SPU7jZ3Wh7LMhm_FIZRbT2s2cuGJWQJmyxfP1-YpP33BfmZxZGPs3lSSRn1uVqeGWdlWdmcntabD2HJ9isaGZ_HkcC5-BhEwMb2YlrUWe0/s1600/photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5FhFH56ny4Om1Ksehg4PGyTzUgK1SJ6E68SPU7jZ3Wh7LMhm_FIZRbT2s2cuGJWQJmyxfP1-YpP33BfmZxZGPs3lSSRn1uVqeGWdlWdmcntabD2HJ9isaGZ_HkcC5-BhEwMb2YlrUWe0/s640/photo+1.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><br />
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<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> Seriously that store is messing with my budget ... yeah I know it's supposed to be great design accessories for bargain prices, but that's exactly the issue that I have with this place... <span style="font-size: large;">everything</span> looks great and <span style="font-size: large;">everything</span> is a super good bargain!</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">...Like these white quatrefoil vases ... they're neutral in color while screaming of gorgeousness in design ... how can you take just one, why not two? and at $30 a piece how can I wait until next week or until I know for sure I will use them ... somebody will snatch them up within a day if I don't buy them.</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">...or these Gold garden stools ... I was planning to wait on accessories until I bought all of my larger scale items first ... but how can I resist and at such great prices?</div><div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">And of course what else is a girl to do when she comes home with tons of fabulous accessories .... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">These books by the way I bought at an estate sale for 50 cents each ... I was completely intrigued by the beautiful hard covers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">After having so much luck the 1st time, I am tempted to start a colorful vintage book collection ... just imagine the possibilities!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPv_XCvgsbTAMVnnMF0XCNHLSosn2MaZgZAEKkcIUNrwEmhVYcZ9XU6jiL2Jv3o16i2dYrGVVrtYBJRFzqWHf0nvebVoyeOp9r5NXD6GViDUXehNB5fXRjKJxS3UwqQv1jyTBJ_z3AOc/s1600/colorful+bookcase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPv_XCvgsbTAMVnnMF0XCNHLSosn2MaZgZAEKkcIUNrwEmhVYcZ9XU6jiL2Jv3o16i2dYrGVVrtYBJRFzqWHf0nvebVoyeOp9r5NXD6GViDUXehNB5fXRjKJxS3UwqQv1jyTBJ_z3AOc/s640/colorful+bookcase.jpg" width="484" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92PPZHQqo7w7UUmilDOXthUQ7NoM5y5dv1DMEYAcDtvbqQi-uOMY0jy1061jMy-hVDAFkd_uXAPkc2bMTbP45aiRqgzjZjoG6UMcMkUngPTiDqLENLvHexZyUKGE89VaKChtq9huexNo/s1600/colorful+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92PPZHQqo7w7UUmilDOXthUQ7NoM5y5dv1DMEYAcDtvbqQi-uOMY0jy1061jMy-hVDAFkd_uXAPkc2bMTbP45aiRqgzjZjoG6UMcMkUngPTiDqLENLvHexZyUKGE89VaKChtq9huexNo/s640/colorful+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I'm happy that my lonely Lucite table finally found some friends ... although the look is not complete and still lacking some art work ... I'm thinking it looks pretty good so far ... by the way the orange tulips were an accident, but I'm starting to really like it there now ... maybe I just need a little inspiration for my orange console table...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AhYnghJmtLNu7T3yPNcCbIOzdd4D5nagU0x7In7n_clFk-GJ10AkSC0fj2cgxQ7uNYUrekkwRQthdsM6CDXzZN35bir5zPERDn5deBrt1cnngH4pIpIBKVH4Qi38C_oKHCiYX4b2DQY/s1600/563342_S7Z5n2W9_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AhYnghJmtLNu7T3yPNcCbIOzdd4D5nagU0x7In7n_clFk-GJ10AkSC0fj2cgxQ7uNYUrekkwRQthdsM6CDXzZN35bir5zPERDn5deBrt1cnngH4pIpIBKVH4Qi38C_oKHCiYX4b2DQY/s640/563342_S7Z5n2W9_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Either way I'm in no hurry to finish my foyer, so this will have to do for now!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-25154719421044868022011-05-24T06:34:00.000-07:002011-05-24T06:34:00.628-07:00raspberry mango lemonadeMother's Day came and went very fast this year, but the memories of gorgeous spring flowers will last forever! I went with a <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">raspberry mango lemonade</span></span> theme this year ... Loved those couple of days right before Mother's Day ... when every corner of my house was filled with colorful spring flowers {by the way I volunteered to buy flowers for all the mothers at our church this year so I had over 100 roses scattered throughout my house}<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Uyxp8DGi8F7wNgzkwPwnjfqvMyQP8F2Cz_KA471QW2DW3pVjaqEjg4vG6saGv5KMdYMdnH9_jAUqLykg-VwWrdsfuiIaRsFO8S3Go31wNMQ1pFg_IRShmj5L9CG0pa0qgFlddg9W_xw/s1600/pink+%2526+orange+roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Uyxp8DGi8F7wNgzkwPwnjfqvMyQP8F2Cz_KA471QW2DW3pVjaqEjg4vG6saGv5KMdYMdnH9_jAUqLykg-VwWrdsfuiIaRsFO8S3Go31wNMQ1pFg_IRShmj5L9CG0pa0qgFlddg9W_xw/s640/pink+%2526+orange+roses.jpg" width="478" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And of course my hubby knows about my love affair with spring roses ... & has learned after 3 wonderful years of marriage exactly what will make me happy on a random spring afternoon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej8uwfD9EhzyNNs1JjdlOAEkTQy5AehKSvUAFyqOfBmpcSusGhM76ZS9TcaKEQRs2xXO8N5nNSIE3cVqlVi0bS4zlN7dqJrrpgYqjC3f1QmEVLqzaNArH9CKyWV_FGxuSjU388tbYqEQ/s1600/IMG_0972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej8uwfD9EhzyNNs1JjdlOAEkTQy5AehKSvUAFyqOfBmpcSusGhM76ZS9TcaKEQRs2xXO8N5nNSIE3cVqlVi0bS4zlN7dqJrrpgYqjC3f1QmEVLqzaNArH9CKyWV_FGxuSjU388tbYqEQ/s640/IMG_0972.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-30875988427392630932011-05-22T07:24:00.000-07:002011-05-23T07:43:25.473-07:005.23.11It's been a busy month ... I'd say a little too busy for my liking ...This whole month just feels like a big blur ... time keeps flying away and we're still so behind on our remodel! Just been feeling so tired lately and wish I could just take a whole week off from everything and concentrate on our house and nothing else ... Just imagine ....<br />
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not waking up at 5am every morning<br />
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not driving 35-55 min {depending on traffic} to work and back everyday<br />
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not working overtime for the next 2 months to save enough money for a professional new camera <br />
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not coming home tired and cooking dinner at 4pm<br />
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no church events or family obligations in the evening<br />
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and definitely not trying to be in bed by 10pm {while still somehow dragging it out till at least 12am}<br />
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ok so I think that was more than enough venting for one blog post ... now back to what's really important ... the <span style="font-size: large;">kitchen remodel <span style="font-size: small;">... I think that's probably the only room we've really been concentrating on and its definitely the closest one to completion. I even finally got around to taking some updated pics </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqJaFXA6f0HtKDR48caEVrjLYNSDW-Oe-6zQdEpIoXF2cT4djSBjkvq3DJqnUUGuZIfKtbEfcWjs5h7JWUkGakuEkRUKpdmbTE3udO5CMnWLtRGfbtRLPgJZLwSIVEPE58zX-R1jDg3g/s1600/IMG_0961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqJaFXA6f0HtKDR48caEVrjLYNSDW-Oe-6zQdEpIoXF2cT4djSBjkvq3DJqnUUGuZIfKtbEfcWjs5h7JWUkGakuEkRUKpdmbTE3udO5CMnWLtRGfbtRLPgJZLwSIVEPE58zX-R1jDg3g/s640/IMG_0961.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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As you can tell we're still missing a vent hood .. and the backsplash is no where to be found<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQ2zmYJSdlNwi9zDaKBsa-pE1W-3zLN51mHmYFWtKQy1SXFKNNUGuB8v_uL2zDnrWPFiuaVoZ0SSDvlie1capkUOVDuB_d2H8j6ffQGzwrmlcsohy6JxuQN9ZvnAEvDQcl7vJnSQLi3k/s1600/IMG_0962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQ2zmYJSdlNwi9zDaKBsa-pE1W-3zLN51mHmYFWtKQy1SXFKNNUGuB8v_uL2zDnrWPFiuaVoZ0SSDvlie1capkUOVDuB_d2H8j6ffQGzwrmlcsohy6JxuQN9ZvnAEvDQcl7vJnSQLi3k/s640/IMG_0962.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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I love how our extra chunky moldings turned out ... it took 3 separate molding pieces to accomplish this look ... it originally started as a diy project but after hours and hours of suffering with the baseboards, we decided it would be much more cost effective to hire someone who actually knew what they were doing and could knock the project out in a day!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuk3rWT7C6HgN7K5v_2RVsRqHE4_Jnm0ReBqvVcerfM3KZz1bHAIBw0F-0l5MEXeUNI62KvXxMocsMYT0_zgOdoAvhaOnrDnRuFTjU8XthragCNmLcnVYAiiM16_lkM2ZdaGSrEKPA2vk/s1600/IMG_0968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuk3rWT7C6HgN7K5v_2RVsRqHE4_Jnm0ReBqvVcerfM3KZz1bHAIBw0F-0l5MEXeUNI62KvXxMocsMYT0_zgOdoAvhaOnrDnRuFTjU8XthragCNmLcnVYAiiM16_lkM2ZdaGSrEKPA2vk/s640/IMG_0968.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
When we first started our kitchen remodel I didn't really think a pot filler was needed ... plus it would probably be in the way of my backsplash tiles and mess with my design .... or so I thought<br />
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I'm glad my hubby has been persistent, and we still ended up ordering one online from Lowes ... we just got it a few days ago and it should be going in today ... although the sink is not extremely far away from the stove, I know it will save me a lot of time and potential disasters in the future :)<br />
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Now if only I could decide whether I want it exactly in the middle or maybe a little more to the right and so on ... decisions decisions .. so tired of them ... And speaking of decisions ... we still haven't decided on the cabinet color size or anything else for the matter regarding the built-in seating we will be doing in front of our window ... I have a ton of inspiration pics that I'll be posting soon so hopefully that'll help me make up my mind faster.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-51051265068341210732011-04-26T23:55:00.000-07:002011-04-26T23:56:28.824-07:00la vintageOur home remodel has lately been taking a huge toll on my blogging and I definitely have been slacking more than usual. We finally moved into our new house a few weeks back {which by the way doesn't necessarily mean we are anywhere close to being done with the remodel} We still have so much left to do, but it's definitely starting to at least feel somewhat like a home now.<br />
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Our kitchen is the closest to being done at this point, with only the 1. backsplash 2. knobs & handles 3. vent hood and 4. built-in banquet left to do ... we are at least 80% done at this point or so it seems. I'm waiting for a good sunny day to take updated pictures and will post as soon as possible!<br />
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On another note, last week we went on a much needed vacation to Los Angeles ... nothing particularly special planned, just a week of beach football, tanning, and eating out!<br />
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and the fun continued with a large dose of antique shopping ... I went a little crazy with the accessories and bought this adorable vintage gold-rimmed mirror platter to display all of my perfumes on<br />
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I really wasn't too sure about these lamps when I first spotted them... but at only $7 a piece, I couldn't pass these lovelies up ... Navy blue makes my heart flutter & with a pair of new drum lampshades these babies will sparkle in no time!<br />
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Some additional vintage finds and a couple of not-so-antique accessories found at an awesome lamp store!<br />
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Now on to some of the bigger finds ... & by bigger I really do mean BIGGER .. .big enough to have to rent a Uhaul truck and drive it all of the way from LA to Sacramento<br />
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I'm mostly referring to this amazing Victorian mantel we found on Craigslist which I absolutely had to have despite the additional $350 we had to pay in hauling fees just to get it home! It's not in perfect condition since it was originally removed from an older Victorian home, but with a few touch-ups from a pro it will be restored to its original glory!<br />
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I purchased this unique Lucite X base console from a local LA interior decorator {also off Craigslist} ... he had an amazing home full of beautifully unique furniture and accessories!<br />
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And finally my last Craigslist purchase of the week was a pair of early 1920s or 30s antique armchairs! The frame itself is in excellent condition, but the upholstering can definitely use a little help! I have big plans for these chairs once I actually settle on a pattern and color.<br />
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And that was the end of my relaxing vacation ... now back to reality and back to a full 40 hour work week ...aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-13316766536595032622011-03-12T00:29:00.000-08:002011-03-12T00:29:53.774-08:0023<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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I celebrated my birthday with my favorite person in the world ... although the weather outside was storming ... we decided to brave the rain and head to San Francisco.<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our day started out with some gorgeous - in your face architecture</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJt5B8t_pVS5TDFlcW0N6-F5kpclB5i7GehT4t_K4L9hbpRfuZg6L7-W44gEMiVzDdCBoCsyZyFRkX4rAwzz4zlaNbR_ba-Qb5MHTZ5U9fo6Af__wRKL2-bCARd_miJZ91ggokk9-5vA/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJt5B8t_pVS5TDFlcW0N6-F5kpclB5i7GehT4t_K4L9hbpRfuZg6L7-W44gEMiVzDdCBoCsyZyFRkX4rAwzz4zlaNbR_ba-Qb5MHTZ5U9fo6Af__wRKL2-bCARd_miJZ91ggokk9-5vA/s640/IMG_0880.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">… and some antique shopping {note that I use that word lightly since many of the antiques we saw were worth more than our yearly income!!!} … yet still so gorgeous and would look sooo PERFECT in our entrance … Love vintage chandeliers, but think we are going with something a little more modern in our foyer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZEqjVknNFC7AjqCbVJGBu4cNpAJMnH2PW76Alq-xiYoZZrNvi9ocVJQMaSHFmaBM5Smjjz-KBbvJW5j_S91UX2TkdWYFSVqRFCTFa6-d5Rh5ZcP-EdlI7002qD0Qx_FPMeumvXR6-6s/s1600/IMG_0881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZEqjVknNFC7AjqCbVJGBu4cNpAJMnH2PW76Alq-xiYoZZrNvi9ocVJQMaSHFmaBM5Smjjz-KBbvJW5j_S91UX2TkdWYFSVqRFCTFa6-d5Rh5ZcP-EdlI7002qD0Qx_FPMeumvXR6-6s/s640/IMG_0881.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgGaKsZJ0Ayq7LjmjGpQ19TPGkLUN86zSYJLGaR1jpNOV_pDAEFPNhNiSFAN6dkst8StBo6EvyqvyFpp_EZAcjzCZ6elr-nER3GKp1PZH7bY-CjRb9PdmfHI-sSY63grqyc0GrYMc0zg/s1600/IMG_0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgGaKsZJ0Ayq7LjmjGpQ19TPGkLUN86zSYJLGaR1jpNOV_pDAEFPNhNiSFAN6dkst8StBo6EvyqvyFpp_EZAcjzCZ6elr-nER3GKp1PZH7bY-CjRb9PdmfHI-sSY63grqyc0GrYMc0zg/s640/IMG_0882.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next stop … the beach … we made friends with the seagulls & had a lovely picnic in our car since it was too wet to eat at the beach.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzTKDhI0LevBP-M08X-hs7EuGuOFRUjaewQhO_9wzKkv1jmZyQg6Fe_HD7EJxJDe4BCsNcuh_h8CS7iHV8ykgjW3tBQnTi69qTBt0qnMIzGouPiR2sU5EsmADZwD86kCu4UA-OQNYhW8/s1600/IMG_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzTKDhI0LevBP-M08X-hs7EuGuOFRUjaewQhO_9wzKkv1jmZyQg6Fe_HD7EJxJDe4BCsNcuh_h8CS7iHV8ykgjW3tBQnTi69qTBt0qnMIzGouPiR2sU5EsmADZwD86kCu4UA-OQNYhW8/s640/IMG_0884.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By the time we finally made it to the Pier, it was really starting to rain, but definitely didn’t stop us from taking some pics and exploring all the old ships & boats!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qI2WOx-BUqlFbakO6Vb0hZXPo8JMWbiz9XZ2BVVPDV64w29NcFCE71f5TxN6yxE_KLNfITLfPnOJvfkRj9o5w-fJHu0ypf4rpU3k94cscot_24oD6ub0bSZvZqMnGNf24ndM3kRnCV0/s1600/IMG_0886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qI2WOx-BUqlFbakO6Vb0hZXPo8JMWbiz9XZ2BVVPDV64w29NcFCE71f5TxN6yxE_KLNfITLfPnOJvfkRj9o5w-fJHu0ypf4rpU3k94cscot_24oD6ub0bSZvZqMnGNf24ndM3kRnCV0/s640/IMG_0886.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KkJUkKjDesUTq79NKdO8FRgasv4KVuG8Uut_CvSCXodeelzNZgBYDBAnz3tdk_scRSZG8DRrD6-U_7Q2uATptMt0a4QsQmIR6SOwUWTujg0upA21ZshmXTsJPkn79bX9aX_416NiZgM/s1600/IMG_0889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KkJUkKjDesUTq79NKdO8FRgasv4KVuG8Uut_CvSCXodeelzNZgBYDBAnz3tdk_scRSZG8DRrD6-U_7Q2uATptMt0a4QsQmIR6SOwUWTujg0upA21ZshmXTsJPkn79bX9aX_416NiZgM/s640/IMG_0889.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXF2udp292Kga6eUHxBhh2YD0286hukE4pePjBSwoIf9gOZHoaYSlGGHP4X4DfKr5njiVzl5plqbRVD2IPCLTRWyRkRj8m_DkP32ffSfX-M4BCerF5zkPUdW_EILcTyBVlq-9xsVl9vg/s1600/IMG_0890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXF2udp292Kga6eUHxBhh2YD0286hukE4pePjBSwoIf9gOZHoaYSlGGHP4X4DfKr5njiVzl5plqbRVD2IPCLTRWyRkRj8m_DkP32ffSfX-M4BCerF5zkPUdW_EILcTyBVlq-9xsVl9vg/s640/IMG_0890.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R9iI6AzpYk2EgGNgAjgPR-D3L_1buZBSpuNt2Ite9QWCMzlfLhY5epHTFrKZ88cfwBiBTuRx-Ul6rR9LWLzKUGu-s8MMmlPyegqwyG8hEu5_5P2ra_AYsgzFl5AxzByRk6L9bWFkDKQ/s1600/IMG_0891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_R9iI6AzpYk2EgGNgAjgPR-D3L_1buZBSpuNt2Ite9QWCMzlfLhY5epHTFrKZ88cfwBiBTuRx-Ul6rR9LWLzKUGu-s8MMmlPyegqwyG8hEu5_5P2ra_AYsgzFl5AxzByRk6L9bWFkDKQ/s640/IMG_0891.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our day ended with some delish crab pasta at Francisco’s and lovely presents including a new Iphone 4G from the hubby {finally! My screen has been cracked for far too long} … a couple of cute PINK outfits and nude stilettos from my sisters and beautiful vases & a gorgeous white fur rug from my mommas!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Had such a blessed day & can’t wait to see what else this new year brings!</div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-74099135583588833492011-03-10T00:52:00.000-08:002011-03-10T01:01:37.270-08:00Beautiful Time<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">One lazy afternoon, one yellow convertible mustang, and two mountain bikes later ... two very lucky sisters spent a beautiful moment having an improv photo shoot in the middle of a bike trail.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzbc4Aaq_phiFbZ1SsqJqgLSFJcRBZFksu5smOppiAfIB-ojVjieVTQIRKffsWLdDxJ8XIEWFXbgBR2Xl2lEsmTac8niWKjqwqDnPXz9AtyjaTBpjX3A829UFbki6nvqNXkdu9uH7aK8/s1600/IMG_0839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzbc4Aaq_phiFbZ1SsqJqgLSFJcRBZFksu5smOppiAfIB-ojVjieVTQIRKffsWLdDxJ8XIEWFXbgBR2Xl2lEsmTac8niWKjqwqDnPXz9AtyjaTBpjX3A829UFbki6nvqNXkdu9uH7aK8/s640/IMG_0839.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-39621490048588233002011-03-02T18:11:00.000-08:002011-03-02T18:11:02.622-08:00Lunch TimeI had an interesting lunch yesterday ... instead of my usual chicken salad, chocolate oatmeal bar, and fruit punch Capri Sun ... I had a large order of beautiful white Calcutta and a side of glamorous shell mosaics!<br />
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With all the bad weather that we've been having lately, we didn't get a chance to pick up our slabs till yesterday afternoon ... but now that they're paid for and off to the fabricator ... I'm anxiously awaiting their arrival in our kitchen!<br />
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The fabricator stopped by our house last night to make final measurements & templates ... he ended up tweaking our bar a little bit, but other than that everything seems perfect and ready to go with the countertops! This gave us a chance to dry fit our extra large, extra perfect ;) farmhouse sink, which I'm absolutely lovin'! {incase you can't tell by now} Everything is coming together so beautifully and I'm finally starting to see the full picture {even though there's still plenty to do in the kitchen before it's fully complete}<br />
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Now lets play a little game of "what's the big freakin difference"! Here's a pic of our kitchen from last week & one from yesterday {and NO the bad photo quality is not the only difference}<br />
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As you can see, hopefully quite clearly, we finally got the doors on our upper cabinets up ... unfortunately this process was a lot more complicated and pain-staking than we originally planned for ... it all started when we first picked out our creamy white cabinets from a long line of kitchen cabinets in various shades and styles ... Once we had our vision planned out to the very last drawer ... we realized that our specific cabinet style only comes with one type of glass door....<br />
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Not to say that this is a bad choice, but it was definintely a little more "country" than we were willing to go ... Lucky for me ... I have a very handy hubby who was able to take a solid door and cut it out ever so perfectly to get it ready for custom glass installation! As you can see from our kitchen picture above ... one of the doors got damaged in the process {a first attempt} but now that he got the technique down it should be smooth sailing from here.<br />
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We still have no clue what we are doing for the back splash, but spotted these beautiful shell mosaic tiles while waiting for my fabricator at the tile place.<br />
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My plan is to wait until after the marble is in ... so it can "speak" to me ... funny yeah I know ... I think I need to find some back splash inspirations to share later, but for now off to the house to finish grouting in the master shower!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-49420555366604544622011-02-23T20:58:00.000-08:002011-02-26T23:42:37.996-08:00inspirations to get me through the day...<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's only been 6 short months since its happened, but boy did I fall hard ... fell hard in L-O-V-E that is ... I feel like it's grade school all over again ... my first crush & that anxious, sweaty all over feeling just doesn't seem to want to go away ... spending sleepless nights & lazy afternoons daydreaming and making plans ... is it just me or am i crazy in love with marble?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hahaha yeah me & my insane marble talk again ... it's finally happening ... we went marble shopping today and officially put 3 GORGEOUS, beautifully veined, white Calcutta Oro marble slabs on hold! Now that we're finally moving along in the process, I'm starting to get serious doubts and that scary, twisted, butterflies in your tummy feeling ... Why is it always like that, as soon as you get something that you want ... you're not sure if you want it anymore ... Don't get me wrong, I can't get enough of marble in my house but I think all those warnings and lectures that we've been getting from our manufacturer, sales clerks, friends & family, and online forums are finally getting to me ... But you know what, I gotta stay consistent with my last post and just go with it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After months & months of research I think we're ready to handle anything these countertops throw at us lol ... so here's some pretties from our shopping trip. Won't tell you which one we chose, but it's definintely one of these ... or maybe I'm just indecisive and waiting to actually pay for and pick them up before knowing that they're officially ours ... either way, we'll see on Saturday!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And as always ... what is a post about marble without gorgeous eye candy to get me through the day ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Love the gray shelving and cabinets with the white marble ... but too late now ... already got my white cabinets installed ... either way white is more classic and never goes out of style so it's a win-win situation!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is it ok to admit that I have a huge crush on these barstools? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A little too modern for my taste but still ohh so gorgeous ... that view ... don't get me started!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The perfect inspiration for my open shelving ... not necessarily lovin' the color for my kitchen in particular ... but definintely the concept is amazing! I would love to get my hands on some funky wall paper to put inside my cabinets ... and white dishware ... yes please!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7bnYIejB_CeUkZ2JnzHPX81GPUYO1Tc_xYmVJtupkd1Uj5U-aRA7lY-MsCavdcGRlFORW9iQEEFNLmktDrEViWTle0-MJ2gq6EWw2t7j3qYzYZWkFeCy-FBc9eNhc-SZWq-P8dEej1w/s1600/White+Calcutta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7bnYIejB_CeUkZ2JnzHPX81GPUYO1Tc_xYmVJtupkd1Uj5U-aRA7lY-MsCavdcGRlFORW9iQEEFNLmktDrEViWTle0-MJ2gq6EWw2t7j3qYzYZWkFeCy-FBc9eNhc-SZWq-P8dEej1w/s640/White+Calcutta.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hopefully I'll have time this week to actually bring my camera during the day to take some real pictures of our progress ... we're soo close that I can taste it ... 2 more weeks and we'll hopefully be in!</span></div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-65509307817083122272011-02-21T22:41:00.000-08:002011-02-21T22:53:49.116-08:0002.21.11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSodhV7Dip-RKEpHfTCfrP_rsIIPALeVplUXLLJaZ8_eigi7QqJpsKG-NQZg2DIKJ3mDfZhafge6RcaknNdqEnF4mHbZ3Iq5kzbGDkiqFgBlO6Nfw0caVfAtbi4if6dCnZdgHb9RDez6g/s1600/photo3.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSodhV7Dip-RKEpHfTCfrP_rsIIPALeVplUXLLJaZ8_eigi7QqJpsKG-NQZg2DIKJ3mDfZhafge6RcaknNdqEnF4mHbZ3Iq5kzbGDkiqFgBlO6Nfw0caVfAtbi4if6dCnZdgHb9RDez6g/s640/photo3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This quote by Benjamin Franklin {currently hanging in my cube at work} is quickly turning into my new life motto ... in more ways than one!<br />
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Lets start with the most obvious ... On Monday I just randomly decided to dye all my hair back to brunette {turned out a little darker than expected ... looks almost black!} Don't know what I was thinking .. but I guess just been itching for a change and it was time to try something new. Can't really say that I hate it ... but definintely been missing the blond. Still getting weird looks in the halls at work lol ... so hopefully this week everyone will finally get over it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKjOEiZbLjAZj-8t86xKCNTaKN-H92JdM8GzMNIHl1kTaGveBuhySVN-Po-uhaFbsdGyh9P0WeaGWH_sAHp91M-sg9oJPs1zMeAZBlt0wBq13vkryitkSkB4OiRMY5Zx_EjMawzXzg-U/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKjOEiZbLjAZj-8t86xKCNTaKN-H92JdM8GzMNIHl1kTaGveBuhySVN-Po-uhaFbsdGyh9P0WeaGWH_sAHp91M-sg9oJPs1zMeAZBlt0wBq13vkryitkSkB4OiRMY5Zx_EjMawzXzg-U/s640/photo.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Both hubby & I have been sick on and off again all last week so not too much remodeling progress to speak of ... we pretty much took most of the week off, which gave me tons of time to reflect on everything we've done up until now! I've realized just how much of an influence different people have been in our design choices throughout the house ... & I think it's time to quit my indecisiveness and stand by my decisions {even if sometimes they do end up being failures}<br />
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I know our friends and family only have our best interest at heart but they are not US and definintely won't be the ones living in OUR house ... So who cares if I want a glass staircase, or marble countertops in the kitchen, or the white leather couch that I'm still thinking about. My point is ... all the compromises that I've made so far, left me with regrets ... so from now on, as long as the hubster is on board ... we're going all out and being as "different" as we want to be!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-78930123778206780982011-02-13T23:12:00.000-08:002011-02-13T23:12:52.828-08:00{sweet} surprisesValentine's Day came a little early this year ... and what a sweet chocolate covered surprise it was!<br />
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My hubby and a bunch of our guy friends have been planning a Valentine's Day surprise for the wifeys since New Years ... they rented a restaurant ... decorated their hearts out ... & gave us the sweetest compliments ever. It turned out great and we all had a ton of fun ... so glad we all have such amazing hubbys & so much to be thankful for!<br />
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Some pics from our night out ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsNuykYKVJXH_XxXChSGNW_oom2IzerwEcHlFnke8P2W8oL5AoQ9BFnk3PsMbNPi8-8Q-Nmny26ls9dtIMI7cRIfmdvDNtx6eJoPsWgyBRwvcdkcm_CwYCqhcYyl9-l7gO8JaBRC37xo/s1600/IMG_0535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsNuykYKVJXH_XxXChSGNW_oom2IzerwEcHlFnke8P2W8oL5AoQ9BFnk3PsMbNPi8-8Q-Nmny26ls9dtIMI7cRIfmdvDNtx6eJoPsWgyBRwvcdkcm_CwYCqhcYyl9-l7gO8JaBRC37xo/s640/IMG_0535.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just got this cute skirt from Forever 21 ... I am totally in LOVE with flowery prints right now ... makes me feel so summery ... although the forecast for tomorrow is rain & more rain for the rest of the week ... sooo tired of cold weather and can't wait to finally be able to wear shorts and minis every day! Hopefully this will be the last storm for the season ... although winter went by way too quickly this year ... with all of this house work, we haven't even had a chance to go to the snow this year {secretly hoping I can talk my hubby into a quick getaway to Tahoe this week}</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fVvPuxsdeJCMvOWbEyobnNQlM1cmn0zhrFqEwiEROGw_OjkjVd1XrFmqBw_bm_DO2jMUMaz3lzI3SKBKI2imWvAPeTVIifV0reBDpXM5imnU1LhJQvVQo5xXN_HMNoKe5uU8nvE32g8/s1600/IMG_0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fVvPuxsdeJCMvOWbEyobnNQlM1cmn0zhrFqEwiEROGw_OjkjVd1XrFmqBw_bm_DO2jMUMaz3lzI3SKBKI2imWvAPeTVIifV0reBDpXM5imnU1LhJQvVQo5xXN_HMNoKe5uU8nvE32g8/s640/IMG_0533.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-45557905187810098282011-01-27T19:10:00.000-08:002011-01-27T19:10:22.998-08:00Visions in {white}Visions of glamorous bathrooms have been dancing around in my head for far too long & I think its time to finally get some concrete ideas down in writing. Our master bathroom remodel is well on its way & I hate to brag but so far its looking GORGEOUS! I'm using tons and tons of marble ... everything from beautiful white Carrara marble in the shower, bath, and countertops to the lovely Bianco Luna on the floors. So far we only have the bath and shower done, but it should be smooth sailing from here since that was the hardest & most time consuming part.<br />
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Don't want to give away too much until it's a little closer to completion, but heres a little sneak peek of the bathtub as of right now ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKw2ZYc3kkzyLJ9IQvIG1RbmXCTQDFZd_lGyvitwYwuNriY3c5UgYO21roaAZMDwc4Wpj8I2JV07irhUikb7735D1A-iCrmiA_d1Ig2JWmyLSziBfCYZOdC7f6M3e-QRO8UvVtTNuT9M/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKw2ZYc3kkzyLJ9IQvIG1RbmXCTQDFZd_lGyvitwYwuNriY3c5UgYO21roaAZMDwc4Wpj8I2JV07irhUikb7735D1A-iCrmiA_d1Ig2JWmyLSziBfCYZOdC7f6M3e-QRO8UvVtTNuT9M/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
and on to the inspirations ... this image is absolutely my favorite ... this bathroom looks so elegant with the clean white lines, silver accents, & vintage chandelier, but the beautiful teal pop of color is what really makes this space so unique and inviting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XMxORascGUaZPEnPWsQjDZ3gtc9nQN4YnZvNWJYpeQHDm6eo3en06hC63UpW398xaqS_oZICftudJ7QDv_DxwG-TB7dLD2kqo0IjquKoyAbyHqlUmW8GBOJ1Ht1UhnCUc0lVgxUWU0s/s1600/1014562284_4w98K-O.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XMxORascGUaZPEnPWsQjDZ3gtc9nQN4YnZvNWJYpeQHDm6eo3en06hC63UpW398xaqS_oZICftudJ7QDv_DxwG-TB7dLD2kqo0IjquKoyAbyHqlUmW8GBOJ1Ht1UhnCUc0lVgxUWU0s/s640/1014562284_4w98K-O.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This freestanding bathtub is absolute eye candy ... too bad we already have a perfectly working bathtub so no excuse to buy a new one ...<br />
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Love the BOLD black & white stripes ... but maybe a little too much drama for me in the bathroom...<br />
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I think these white & gray stripes a little more my style ... I Love stripes as accents so you will definintely be seeing more of these in my new home!<br />
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Now this is something a little more relaxing ... I think I could practically live in this bathroom!<br />
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Love the beautiful white sinks ... I want something similar in our master, but maybe not as high.<br />
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Now here's something that speaks a little more to my high fashion side ... I adore the framed Chanel ad & the feminine white, pink, & silver accents!<br />
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Still not 100% sure whether I want to go with a white or dark vanity, but as of right now I'm leaning a little more towards the chocolate vanities ...<br />
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Beautiful vanity, but not too sure about the wallpaper ... might be a little too busy for our master, since it's already going to full of beautiful patterns from all of the different marble ;)<br />
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& finally I want to finish off with a little sparkly, glittery, & ohh so glamorous icing on the cake! <br />
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Now off to the house to check on the progress ... the hubby was supposed to start laying down the hardwood floors today ... so hopefully everything is going to plans!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-56495027915656507482011-01-26T22:53:00.000-08:002011-01-26T22:53:38.543-08:00fly away homeThese past 2 weeks have flown by faster than I ever imagined they would. I've been busier than ever trying to manage whatever little remodeling we were able to finish while the hubby was gone in addition to exploring the new neighborhood, getting back to a somewhat normal workout routine, & spending time with my favorite sis!<br />
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The weather has finally been getting slightly warmer so had a chance to go bike riding in the neighborhood. We even had some time to a do a quick weekend getaway to SF, but didn't do much there other than play some racquetball, go to the beach, and stop by for some yummy baked goods at our fav Russian Bakery. It's been a roller coaster but definintely loved every moment. Now that the hubs is back its all down to business in order to get the house complete enough to finally move in.<br />
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... and speaking of the hubby, he got back safe and sound looking cuter than I remember. It was a challenge but he absolutely fell in love with the people and they are already planning to go back again next year. Hopefully I can tag along on the next trip ... although I doubt I'll be much of a help with my lack of medical experience. I guess that's it for now, will be back with remodeling updates and hopefully some pics from the Philippenes!aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-8193360638630607962011-01-13T21:17:00.000-08:002011-01-13T21:17:23.011-08:00tears today to bring smiles tomorrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMPvL7p03Jz3pXReMoFKjCSqo0Xu4kQ08ECsKylcBFidg4JAzrVr40O4fLVUYYUiAs3RfoA3kFU_2vNi93py5UtOP5Oe4ttjMRRWmKivni66jboHPvNEVQ1WRv-ovqWNn102FFkedcrk/s1600/hope+street+sign+hi+contrast+black+and+white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMPvL7p03Jz3pXReMoFKjCSqo0Xu4kQ08ECsKylcBFidg4JAzrVr40O4fLVUYYUiAs3RfoA3kFU_2vNi93py5UtOP5Oe4ttjMRRWmKivni66jboHPvNEVQ1WRv-ovqWNn102FFkedcrk/s640/hope+street+sign+hi+contrast+black+and+white.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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It was an early morning, not uncommon for us ... but it felt a little different this time, knowing that I wouldn't be seeing my hubby for another 10 days after today. This trip has been planned since roughly around January of last year, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it would come this soon.<br />
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I may have mentioned this before, but my hubby is a surgical tech and was given an amazing opportunity to be part of an even more amazing organization, <a href="http://www.facesoftomorrow.org/">Faces of Tomorrow (FOT)</a>. They travel to 3rd world countries every year to give children with various facial deformities a second chance at happiness and a new beginning. <br />
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This is Larry's second trip and this year they will be flying to the Philippines. It's a 14 hour trip and I'm very nervous for him ... I know it hasn't even been a full day yet and I'm already going crazy missing him. Just thinking about it brings me to tears ... luckily I wasn't a complete emotional wreck when I dropped him off today ... I tried to hold it in as much as possible and have stayed composed until now. At night everything always sets in .... unfortunately that includes emotions too ... so I'm going to try to do my best holding down the fort while he's gone and praying for his safe return.aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-19359146304500873072011-01-11T21:46:00.000-08:002011-01-11T21:48:02.171-08:00a kitchen in progressOhh how I long for the day our kitchen will look as breath taking as one of these inspiration photos. I am in L-O-V-E with beautiful white cabinets and gorgeous marble countertops. We already bought our cabinets and are in the process of installing ... however no tiles or countertops yet ... I know picking out the perfect marble slab takes forever so really need to get out there and start looking ... I haven't even officially decided on whether I want Carrara or Calacatta yet ... I think I prefer the look of Calacatta but need to make sure I can afford it before we make any big decisions...<br />
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I love the thickness of the marble on the island ... especially the contrast between the dark cabinets and the rest of the creamy white Kitchen. Too bad we don't have room in our kitchen for an island ... otherwise I would have totally went with 2 colors for the cabinets.<br />
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Farmhouse sinks always make me smile ... can't wait to get ours! Love how pronounced the veining on the marble island is.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> I like how with a neutral kitchen any color you add will absolutely just pop .. </div><br />
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Gorgeous calacatta veining ... makes my heart skip a beat ;)<br />
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</div>We decided to go with dark hardwood floors throughout the house including the kitchen ... I think it'll be a nice contrast against our all white kitchen.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDbeZJlySsVxT7mSoYJLJFkXiux5xwGO4GnMwoJefzp1RpAOAJ6VIZ9_A0Pg7KRDESvYEeUT7jJNT5UhkzWPpO2GJoVuZ17fi3szYPOyE64htSPoQlGeGJN9NvRGtVhmTdFrvxF8tLmw/s1600/4626198047_bf8494a00c_o1_thumb1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDbeZJlySsVxT7mSoYJLJFkXiux5xwGO4GnMwoJefzp1RpAOAJ6VIZ9_A0Pg7KRDESvYEeUT7jJNT5UhkzWPpO2GJoVuZ17fi3szYPOyE64htSPoQlGeGJN9NvRGtVhmTdFrvxF8tLmw/s640/4626198047_bf8494a00c_o1_thumb1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have a peninsula in our kitchen so I'm really considering halving the marble go all the way down the side like in these pics ... I think it'll look really unique and give my kitchen that extra modern edge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_sqCKueogWMaQc-tbhyphenhypheny8OQ3Y0lPSRaTSO8-6sYXTV93W7xg9CawxLNYbWEM-DlFqyw12l2TGDnRcBpAavOpg_wl8aso9KCZZaBbKA-l2T5VEMwchEo5iWhuWWCMCe0Mro-8tcQ3cCo/s1600/MGS+by+Design-Job+Pics+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_sqCKueogWMaQc-tbhyphenhypheny8OQ3Y0lPSRaTSO8-6sYXTV93W7xg9CawxLNYbWEM-DlFqyw12l2TGDnRcBpAavOpg_wl8aso9KCZZaBbKA-l2T5VEMwchEo5iWhuWWCMCe0Mro-8tcQ3cCo/s640/MGS+by+Design-Job+Pics+023.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtaUIMT28y1vAnF0nqF5ZZdqq0xe0OmYFoPmIJ9ML49c7raoGSNlk_Gnn-tVs6YdstZgDyqPIPYzIjQkCm8W-aH4RKA8Zt72W3INmgUXAWuScXIXbY0rsG1T5PDdXM1Yy09-J5r1kI7Hw/s1600/image_thumb%255B3%255D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhS2YACVC3LzzgAd8YOf3t6_QzsORKlwg-zE_B9pX9z-r0IqPfhg1WCXXliL2ATQBmkvURzBoZIimlN9zaL1X8OaWxvb3wyg_FuiPKD4Wr7IKoJNi7ILtub17qMM3k5ZySg0P5_kC3dY/s1600/Candice-Olson-White-Kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhS2YACVC3LzzgAd8YOf3t6_QzsORKlwg-zE_B9pX9z-r0IqPfhg1WCXXliL2ATQBmkvURzBoZIimlN9zaL1X8OaWxvb3wyg_FuiPKD4Wr7IKoJNi7ILtub17qMM3k5ZySg0P5_kC3dY/s640/Candice-Olson-White-Kitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div> I guess that's enough rambling for now ... I'll post more kitchen inspirations later on, but for now here's an idea of what stage our kitchen is currently in...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-8qpqMuX2aYTFH-5CdHUGszdc7jLP8RQ-XliodZnnUoeBsXhi_RUg9Qyhln-NermapZ0415vRKwG4iWqJV60O6MBDuWpVuJMo4WB-Ibs3cjUJur_XdzBeUsxLyJPwI1StLEnZU1mhrc/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-8qpqMuX2aYTFH-5CdHUGszdc7jLP8RQ-XliodZnnUoeBsXhi_RUg9Qyhln-NermapZ0415vRKwG4iWqJV60O6MBDuWpVuJMo4WB-Ibs3cjUJur_XdzBeUsxLyJPwI1StLEnZU1mhrc/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Not much to see yet .. but trust me there's progress and I'll be updating soon!<br />
<span id="goog_1902475479"></span><span id="goog_1902475480"></span>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-65620231695116174062010-12-23T20:14:00.000-08:002010-12-23T20:14:03.600-08:00the presents are wrapped ...<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">... but there's no tree to put them under!</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X3_BFPkKEJuk28XRYkmUgkGUu0TqWmSm8Sh8VOxOmk_6fBsVVdhyphenhyphenU7CDjV5_EYv9yrArGVIxJRxdJA8k4bRkWIt7mQrZPt8FqoDANdl20fdes5m8wJcYTW0e8-SB4RH-Cq2A9vohnuc/s1600/Christmas+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7X3_BFPkKEJuk28XRYkmUgkGUu0TqWmSm8Sh8VOxOmk_6fBsVVdhyphenhyphenU7CDjV5_EYv9yrArGVIxJRxdJA8k4bRkWIt7mQrZPt8FqoDANdl20fdes5m8wJcYTW0e8-SB4RH-Cq2A9vohnuc/s640/Christmas+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: justify;"> Thank goodness we're doing Secret Santa this year because there's no way I'd be able to find the time & strength to go shopping for everyone this year. To give you a little idea of how bad its been ... instead of Christmas decorations, we have boxes and packing material in every nook and cranny ... we don't even have a Christmas Tree this year! I knew we'd be spending the last couple of weeks packing and fixing up our condo so having a tree would just be an extra headache and more things to pack. Yeah it's pretty sad ... but lets just say I have BIG plans for next year ... can't wait for after Christmas sales ... I'll be stocking up for sure!</div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-247571418069454942010-12-23T17:17:00.000-08:002010-12-23T17:22:35.370-08:00I'll be home for Christmas...... If only in my dreams ;)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHH_6l6PBd1Voi5vv2KyyXDVL0VUhpINrwjaxQCnopV5jScRzm-F_YlE6wKDxboYM_XUZpKWlg1JliXoxnXTETuo4kiiIG01gmAzE2EflHGNqEwx29n6R72ET4sKD8CHNoXKE-XMPcB8/s1600/IMG_0862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHH_6l6PBd1Voi5vv2KyyXDVL0VUhpINrwjaxQCnopV5jScRzm-F_YlE6wKDxboYM_XUZpKWlg1JliXoxnXTETuo4kiiIG01gmAzE2EflHGNqEwx29n6R72ET4sKD8CHNoXKE-XMPcB8/s640/IMG_0862.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am soo excited to announce that we finally got the keys to our long awaited dream home! {and by "long awaited" I really do mean Looooooong ... it took us almost 2 years to find a keeper}</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's actually a really interesting story ... we first saw this house in fall 09 and totally and completely fell in love with the gorgeous windows, tall ceilings, and fabulous pool in the backyard ... so obviously we put in an offer over the asking price ... however we still got outbid ... we were completely devastated, well mostly me cuz I really had my heart set on it ... for months and months after I would still go online and check the status of the sale... hoping and praying for a miracle, that somehow things wouldn't work out with the other buyer ... I know funny huh? ... well that miracle came in September when magically the house went back on the market! I contacted the listing agent early the next morning ... it took months of negotiating back and forth with the banks but our real estate agent has been really great and made it work ... so here we are 3 months later with a brand new home!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our house was in good condition and move in ready when we bought it ... notice how I'm using "was" in the past tense, because right now it's completely unlivable. We still had a month left in our condo and have been saving for a while so we naively decided to do a complete overhaul to really make the house our own. Right now it feels like a big mistake since we only have a week left in our condo and this is what our house currently looks like...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRymyMB9RrXImJtiFhaO4YVwiIvkj0P_CzFuSq-wBeb4Tj_BoNU5W1MezmqkKaf_OyTxj4QsnXqs7wwe8Yj_4Jld0famkUsb3mu8twvbuCPqRXgqcoSP4SkkDQFXJTcWtx46rekBSJ6g/s1600/102_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRymyMB9RrXImJtiFhaO4YVwiIvkj0P_CzFuSq-wBeb4Tj_BoNU5W1MezmqkKaf_OyTxj4QsnXqs7wwe8Yj_4Jld0famkUsb3mu8twvbuCPqRXgqcoSP4SkkDQFXJTcWtx46rekBSJ6g/s640/102_1447.JPG" width="480" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Actually I'm lying, because the staircase is not there anymore... I have big plans for that staircase and will have to share more once we actually have some progress. I gotta keep telling myself that it'll all be worth it in the end to keep myself from going insane ... but at this point it's still kind of hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The painters started today so hopefully by Monday I'll have an update!</div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4729377031952349826.post-12300307894696326912010-11-27T12:59:00.000-08:002010-11-27T12:59:14.782-08:00Baby if I've got you I don't need a {parachute}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8YTv41hK3lDG6zXwZnUl47CBx-xDqNPbwyKN99n2GmbQnWB85u8iPMQLhMo2ycIKQpKxV__BE5Y5CCE6LuEczXF-ucvg4NcKPs37Yw-aLaCFJ-ouEDfDfHEYuKXI9twip3ZTrnpAc58/s1600/11q32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8YTv41hK3lDG6zXwZnUl47CBx-xDqNPbwyKN99n2GmbQnWB85u8iPMQLhMo2ycIKQpKxV__BE5Y5CCE6LuEczXF-ucvg4NcKPs37Yw-aLaCFJ-ouEDfDfHEYuKXI9twip3ZTrnpAc58/s640/11q32.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: #e06666; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="color: #4c1130; text-align: center;">I don't need a parachute <br />
Baby, if I've got you <br />
Baby, if I've got you <br />
I don't need a parachute <br />
You're gonna catch me <br />
You're gonna catch if I fall <br />
Down, down, down</div><div style="color: #4c1130; text-align: center;"> </div><div style="color: #4c1130; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">These aren't just the lyrics to my new favorite song ... I actually went sky diving in Las Vegas for our 3 year anniversary!!! Yes you heard me right SKY DIVING ... something I've always wanted to do but never thought I'd have the chance!</span></div><div style="color: #4c1130; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #4c1130; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;">It was the best experience of my life and definitely will be one of the most memorable</span><span style="color: black;">. We went up to 15,000 ft in the air before taking the plunge and free falling for almost a whole minute. It felt like everything was in slow motion while we were falling, and honestly it felt more like flying even at speeds of 130 mph! Once the parachute deployed, I finally had a change to get a look at the beautiful view while gliding through the vast Nevada desert ... a feeling that's definitely priceless!</span><br />
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</div>aLenahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00629586227682173668noreply@blogger.com1