it's on

i have been threatening to do it for months. i did it. i bought the dvd. 20 minuted a day for 30 days. i start tomorrow.

painted kitchen cabinets

ok. so. we're hoping that our home sells... fingers crossed.... and buy a new home. obviously i do not have endless funds, so any home we purchase WILL be a work in progress. nearly every house we've looked at has had a less the stellar kitchen. some are extremely nice with solid surface counters and 42 inch cabinets... but just not my style.

so until i can afford to tear out an existing kitchen and start from scratch, i will need to make due. one of my ideas for "making due" is to possibly paint the cabinets and possibly replace the counters. until we move, i really won't know what needs to be done. so until then, i'm collecting photos of painted cabinets. here's a few of my favorites...

black cabinets? hmmmmm? i think. i like.

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i love french blue cabinets. i worry they are trendy.

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i like how the wall & cabinet color match. 
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i love these painted white cabinets paired with the wood ceiling.

in this reno they raised the upper cabinets then added the shelf.

awesome. really awesome.

maybe just tear out the upper cabinets and put in shelves!

more painted white cabinets....which i love

i like the blue island with the white cabinets.

also who doesn't love subway tile in a kitchen?

it's only a dream....but what a wonderful dream! right?

straight from heaven.

love the black/white combo.

the lettered cottage before.

the lettered cottage after.
ooh-la-la

the last two photos are likely what will probably happen in our new home. going from really pretty bad, to something very nice.... without a major reno!

holy meatball

yes, i said meatball. my kids are a huge fan of spaghetti and meatballs and i'm always searching for a good, EASY, homemade meatball recipe. i FINALLY found a fantastic recipe. these meatballs are a little spicy but paired with a simple marinara they're perfectly spicy! YUM! oh and the kids and husband loved them too!

 
Meatball Nirvana (source)

ingredients

1 pound ground beef 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (i used kosher salt)

1/2 a medium white onion, diced 

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 

1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

1 dash hot pepper sauce (i used frank's redhot)

1-1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 large egg 

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese 

1/2 cup italian bread crumbs 

directions 

preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)

place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and worcestershire sauce; mix well. add egg, parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. mix until evenly blended, then form into 1-1/2 inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.  

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

playrooms

i've been thinking a lot about playrooms. maybe it's because school is looming or maybe it's because our move is looming.... fingers crossed. anyway. i thought i'd share some of my favorites from my design file.

love the white furniture & colored walls. a good work table is a must

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diggin the white walls & cubbies with pops of color in the accessories & rug

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perfect for a basement. love the swings & gym mats... great for my crazy boys

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like the previous playroom... i love the use of maps

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love the chalkboard wall & pin board

this is a favorite because it's fun yet not over the top kid-like

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a modern playroom... i like it because there are a lot of toys, but it doesn't feel junky

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i think this is a pbk's image... everything they do is great!

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how fantastic is this board & batten with pin boards?

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modern. clean. white. pops of color. yes please!

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i'd probably prefer if this was all white, but i love the wall of storage

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i just think this is pretty :)

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our backyard

with the house on the market and hopefully selling soon...fingers crossed....i'm starting to get a little sentimental about this place. lately my obsession has been with our backyard.

for years is was essentially unusable. very hilly with lots of trees making lots of shade... so we had the hardest time growing grass. frankly, it was icky. but now.... after a lot of hard work, it's beautiful and it will be missed.

our deck with my herb pots, fire pit and pathway to the playset

another view from the deck with our patio furniture

a view of our hammock and super crazy trees

the flat grassy area where the kids run through the sprinklers or we play lawn games

from the outside looking in

the playset that took my husband 3 full days to put together

more crazy trees

another deck shot... fire pit, herb pot, grill

it's clearly not the greatest backyard in the history of backyards, but it has served us well and we love it. trust me it's a far cry from where we started!

bethenny getting married

ok. so i'm sitting here watching last night's episode of bethenny getting married on my dvr and this is all i can think about....

reilly....

 i couldn't believe i was a mommy.... holding my sweet reilly (5 lbs 8 oz)

cooper... 

 reilly was so excited to meet her baby brother cooper (6 lbs 12 oz)

max... 

 so happy to meet #3... my darling max (7 lbs 13 oz)

what a total sap i am! i watch a silly reality tv program then get all weepy about my babies. oh well, what can i do?

happy friday friends! xoxo, erin

my favorite things.... vacation edition

i always go on and on about the time i spend in carmel california. seeing as i often discuss my favorite things on this blog, i thought it only fitting to introduce you to this wonderful town (if you haven't already had the pleasure).

a little background...

Carmel-by-the-Sea, usually called simply Carmel, is a small town in Monterey County, California, founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history. In 1906, the San Francisco Call devoted a full page to the "artists, poets and writers of Carmel-by-the-Sea," and in 1910 it reported that 60 percent of Carmel's houses were built by citizens who were "devoting their lives to work connected to the aesthetic arts." Early City Councils were dominated by artists, and the town has had several mayors who were poets or actors, including Herbert Heron, founder of the Forest Theater, bohemian writer and actor Perry Newberry, and actor-director Clint Eastwood, who was mayor for one term, from 1986 to 1988.

The town is known for being "dog-friendly", with numerous hotels, restaurants and retail establishments admitting guests with dogs. Carmel is also known for several unusual laws, including a prohibition on wearing high-heel shoes without a permit, enacted to prevent lawsuits arising from tripping accidents caused by irregular pavement. These laws, however, are currently not enforced.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is located on the Pacific coast, about 330 miles north of Los Angeles and 120 miles south of San Francisco. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 4,081.

a few photos to ooooh and ahhhh over...

the beach...

ocean avenue and the shopping

the cottages...

the mission (where my hubby and i said "i do")...

dan and i leaving the carmel mission as husband and wife!

there you have it... carmel by the sea. it's so much better in person! hoped you enjoyed my brief tour and i also hope this inspires you to visit. it's totally worth it! promise,

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