AMBIANCE

check, check, check!

2012-04-30T13:55:00.001-07:00

Morning Everyone!

Remember the post called "Jack of All Trades, Master of none"?..... I wrote about a bunch of little miscellaneous jobs that were on my plate that I hadn't conquered yet.

I finished the Blue Mirror for the Office, and last week I also finished patching & painting the walls in the kitchen, and bathroom. Not that exciting, but it sure FEELS good to have these things off of my to do list!

See those candle sconces on each side of the ladies dresser (left)? They were ok.... just not my thing anymore. I have been wanting to take them down for a while but strongly dislike patching holes so I was avoiding it like the plague.

Turns out.... our patching compound was old and moldy - and it wasn't ME and my patching abilities!! Hurray! So, a few weeks ago, inspired by my sister in law's beautiful patching abilities - I picked up a new product at our local Home Hardware and got to work!

I also primed the spots up with my favorite primer - Zinsser 123 Water Based Cover/Sealer.

(The 2 extra holes in a little further were still there from when 2 photos hung in this spot previously.)

And voila - a nice clean, freshly painted, hole free wall!!

I had to paint this whole wall, since this color went on about 4 years ago, and spot painting wasn't an option because of the natural fading of paint over time.

Looks much nicer.... but maybe slightly bare? I would prefer to have the buffet that's in front of this window on this wall.... with a big starburst mirror over it, and some gorgeous lamps - but that leaves me with no place for the ladies dresser - so for now it'll stay the way it is.

I also finished the bathroom!

There was a large crack on the wall here in the bathroom - from when we had to jack up the floors in the living room (everything shifted) - this crack wasn't as simple as patching & sanding myself - so we had my mother in law's boyfriend (who is a contractor) come in and do it for us. All I had to do was sand it down, prime and paint it.
Click Here to see all of my posts on refinishing hardwood, and jacking up our floors! (scroll down to find the older posts on the hardwood floor)

Much better!! P.s I have to say I am SO IMPRESSED With Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa Paint. First of all I LOVE FLAT PAINT (I believe their bath and spa only comes in flat?), second of all... it covers like a GEM. For example.... when covering those patched spots in the kitchen - I had to paint & let dry, paint & let dry - FOUR TIMES. (Mind you.... that was Martha Stewart's line from Home Hardware. Sorry martha... your paint's no good!! Maybe it's improved since we bought it 4 years ago!). Anyways..... bright white primer as seen above - and that whole space covered in ONE COAT. Dark almost black paint covering over bright WHITE primer, in ONE coat!? I was amazed. I forgot painting this room initially was so easy!! I believe I still did 2 coats just for good measure.... but I recall thinking "I don't really need to be doing this...."

Anyways. The higher grade paints from Benjamin Moore in GENERAL.... are completely amazing. Yes you pay for them (over $60 a gallon. yikes) - but they are like painting with gold. ;)

Let's review my to do list shall we!!?

TO DO OFFICE:

~~Strip & Stain Desk~~

Buy Office Chair

Upholster Louis IV Chair

Add Bookshelves – 2 narrow white billy bookcases (http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/40085714/) – paint the back panel a fun color.

TO DO LIVING ROOM:

~~Sew Drapes~~

Purchase Comfy Chair

Make Ottoman

~~Main Light Fixture~~

~~Hallway Light Fixture~~

~~SPRAYPAINT Side Table~~

~~Upstairs Hallway Paint touch ups~~

~~Install Cold air return grate~~

Buy/Make Sofa Table

Fill Nail Holes

TO DO KITCHEN:

~~Fix Buffet~~

~~Take down sconces & patch holes~~

~~Touch up paint along ceiling.~~

Look into having Dresser re-done

Upholster Chairs

TO DO TOYROOM:

~~Take down shelves, fill holes~~

Repaint

BeanBag chair in corner with tall slim bookshelf (or just baskets?) on each side

Toys - Expedit Shelf with bins?

Craft Station: Strip & repaint little desk. ~~Complete pinned IKEA craft area.~~

Sew window valance

Paint Closet

Inexpensive DIY Light Fixture

TO DO ELSEWHERE:

Repaint Inside of back door

Reorganize Back closet

~~Get rid of cords hanging out under TV~~

Order Throw Pillows for Lexie’s room

ttyl!
xoKahl

Tidbits.

2012-04-27T13:59:00.003-07:00

Before the weekend I just though I'd share a few little tidbits with you:)

I've been sick (Strep Throat) since last weekend - just starting to feel better as of a couple of days ago!
But I have to declare..... being sick is kinda nice. Because when you are sick and you have wonderful people in your life.... who pop in by surprise and bring you wonderful things - it's sort of well... wonderful!
Like these tulips...

From my Stephanie xoxox

Or these from my Mister.....

And nothing like the smell of a roasting chicken wafting from the kitchen.... here's what's going to be on our table tonight..

Source: blogresipi.com via Kahley on Pinterest

I'm hungry!! xoKahl

Interview with my 5 year old.

2012-04-24T10:36:00.002-07:00

So I have been wanting to do an interview with BooBoo for a while now... but he never cooperates me when I try! He always tells me I am asking too many questions and "making him feel frustrated". Right. And how old are you??

Anyways... today I tried again, and he ANSWERED EVERY SINGLE QUESTION! Some of them are pretty cute... Have a look.

How old are you?

4. I mean 5.

Do you like it when it rains outside or when it’s sunny?

Sunny. Cause it’s warm then.

Do you like cleaning your room?

Yes because I like doing it.

Tell me what you do during the day?

Ummmm I play a lot. I do stuff a lot. And I think that’s all I do.

Whats your favorite food?

Ice cream. Chocolates. And I think that’s almost all.

What do you hate to do?

Ummmm. I hate to doo…. Ummm…. I can’t think of anything to do.

Do you like being a kid?

Yea, because it’s pretty fun to do.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A fireman because they put out fires and drive fire trucks back to the station. And use water hoses. That’s all firemans do mom.

Are you excited to go to school tomorrow?

But I had school yesterday!

What is something mom always says to you?
Stop!

What makes mom happy?
Flowers and hugs

What makes mom sad?
ummm I don’t know.

What makes your mom laugh?
a funny video of Jaxson and I…

What was your mom like as a child?
smart. Ya. Happy.

How old is your mom?
8

How tall is your mom?
uhhh can you stand up please? (SO I stood up, and then Noah proceeded to count my body parts until he reached 6) ...... SIX! You’re six mom!!

What is her favorite thing to do?
Go on your computer and play with me.

What does your mom do when you're not around?
Put Lexie to bed and make lunch.

What is your favorite thing about Lexie?

She plays with me. But she hits me. She makes me feel frustrated.

Ho do you feel about picking your nose?

Well it's not good. But I always have boogies in my nose and I have to pick it to get them ok. You know?

If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Doing your computer.

What is your mom really good at?
Picking flowers

What is your mom not very good at?
cutting grass

What does your mom do for her job?
paperwork. And to someone’s house to help people decorate their house.

What is your mom's favorite food?
Salad

What makes you proud of your mom?
Hugs and kisses

If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Toopy. Because Toopy does funny things! And he says funny words! But you use normal words mom.

What do you and your mom do together?
Play, and that’s all I know

How are you and your mom the same?
the same eyes

How are you and your mom different?
God just made us different. Mommy are we done now? I want to go play.

How do you know your mom loves you?
Mommy will you give me a clue? Hugs & kisses. Now can I go?

Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Exercising

And that's my little BooBoo.

MAN I like him!!!

xoKahl

Ya shoulda been my brotha dawg!

2012-04-23T06:23:00.002-07:00

So... I had my nephew Jaxson here for the weekend! He's an absolute hoot - he & BooBoo (born 3 weeks apart) are so similar it's nuts.

This was actually Noah's first sleepover - ever - 2 nights in a row.... with a rambunctious little monkey just like himself! And believe it or not.... they were fast asleep withing 30 minutes of going to bed ...... in the same bed! I. WAS. AMAZED.

I have been having tons of good laughs listening to the two of them chatter over the last few days. I wish I had written down everything. But if I jog my memory a little these are the sorts of things I've been hearing...

Noah & Jax singing: "Old Mc.Farmer had a farm. e i e i FARM. And on that Farm he had a Farm. EIEI Farm." *roll on the floor laughing.*

Burping & tooting at the table while eating popcorn last night. Gutting themselves laughing.

Noah - "Hey Jaxson where did Honey Bee Go??"
Jaxson "Noah. It's BUMBLE bee. And he transformed. The sepicons are coming"
Noah "Sweet. What are the sepicons?"
Jaxson "They're the big ones with the bad eyes"
Noah "Oh."

Noah was leaning against me during the movie, rubbing my arm - and he looks over at Jax and says
"Hey Jaxson. Feel my mom. She feels weally nice".
Jaxson- no response.

Noah "Jaxson. Let's play sector-cons."
Jaxson "Ok when I say switch, we switch k?"
Noah "Ok so I am Honey Bee?"
Jaxson "No. BUMBLE Bee is a good guy. We're the Sepicons. You can be star screen"
Noah "Ok so what do I do?"
Jax "Oh. You just shoot"
*proceed to run around the house yelling POW POW POW!*

Also a lot of this....

Jaxson was here for a very special reason though.

Want a sneak peak?

Somebody very special in my life turned 5 years old last week. ;) More on that later this week.

Right now... I am about to crawl back into bed. Noah is getting over Laryngitis & a sinus infection... and I think the former he's passed onto his mommy. Lucky for me - he's in school all day, and Lexie is at nursery school for the morning.... so I'm about to get a tea... crawl back into bed.... maybe read... mostly sleep.

Why is it that we only do these things when feeling COMPLETELY lousy? *sight* C'est la vie.

xoKahl

What does color say about your personality?

2012-04-16T09:42:00.002-07:00

I follow the blog Centsational Girl on a regular basis - along with Young House Love, Nesting Place, and Restored Style.

A few days ago Kate @ Centsational Girl did a quick post on a Color Personality quiz she came across! I thought it was cute, and I know not all of my readers follow her, so I thought I would pass along this Better Homes & Garden's Quiz to you! Giver a try!

Wondering what my personal color personality was!? Sea Glass! Imagine that. If you read below... and you follow my blog... you know they hit the nail on the head on this one!

Helloooooo Sea Glass (or as I have called it in the past Jadite, or Sea Foam Green) green in my home......

If you haven't read the Tale of the Jadite Collector, check it out it's a good read;)

xoKahl

Feeling Blue

2012-04-13T14:29:00.002-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! I am LOVING that today is Friday, that we have nothing on the go tonight!

I had a great consult this morning, my house is clean, my kids are currently watching Dolphin Tale - and tomorrow I have a crew of girlfriends from my college days coming over for part of the day to hang. Oh HAPPY day :):)

So why the "Feeling Blue" title? I'M not feeling blue - but my mirror is:):) Remember the little sneak peak I gave you yesterday?

See that cute little oval mirror perched in a strange location over a too large for the room burgundy faux leather couch? (lol... I'm so glad this living room is LONG GONE!!) If you've never seen afters of the living room, it's high time you to go for a House Tour!

And note to self.... I'm sort of proud that I've learned to leave more walls empty now - instead of filling them with random things that I have that just don't fit. I always tell my clients that I'd rather see an EMPTY wall - as opposed to one filled with things that are too small, or don't fit the aesthetic of the room. Wait for the perfect fit folks. That's my advice for the day:) As you can see above... that mirror looks all wrong there. Not that anything was right... :P

Anyway. Back to Blue.

This mirror came to me unwanted, from my mom - I don't remember where it hung in our home growing up.... laundry room? Basement Bathroom? Mom, fill us in! Anyways, she was purdy, even in the color she's always been. A cream with a gold leaf on the edges. For whatever reason, I felt she needed a makeover. You know how sometimes you have had something for SO LONG, that you just can't see the beauty in it anymore - that's how I felt with this. I KNEW the details were great, as was the size - but I wanted to reinvent the wheel!

I popped the staples out of the back and took the mirror out of the frame so I could spray paint easily and not risk getting any on the mirror.

One Coat

Two coats.

Aaaaaaand perfection!!!!.......

My office finally has ONE thing on the wall! Oh well... like I said... wait for the perfect fit right? ;)

Have a fabulous weekend, I know I will!

xoKahl
p.s I accomplished a few of the other unfinished business items from yesterday's post too - I will show you those next week!

Jack of all Trades.... Master of None...

2012-04-12T06:03:00.000-07:00

Morning!

So I HAVE been busy, with lots of little things all over the place around here! Problem is.... none of them are finished yet;) surprise surprise.

None the less.... I want to show you a little snippet of whats been going down! Kind of like a game of Name that Project! Let's see how well you do!!!

A new addition to our home.....

A little spray paint makeover....

I FILLED THOSE HOLES! yahoo! Now I just have to paint that entire wall. Fun. ish.

A fun ~~little~~ big piece of art.... that cost me nothing.... you'll have to wait and see;)

Name that Fabric! Anyone remember what it's for?? 2 yards arrived from Tonic Living yesterday in the mail, can't wait to put it to good use!

Remember when we jacked the hardwood floors in the living room? We were about to start refinishing the hardwood in the living room when we realized that floors were PAINFULLY, obviously unlevel. Jacking the floors left cracks in walls - this one finally got repaired - so I sanded & primed it up, now I just need to to get this wall painted again.

Told ya I've been busy! I'm also busy writing up posts on all of the above projects, lucky for you you won't have to be in the dark long!

Have a great Thursday!
xoKahl

The dusty, the crusty, and the ugly.

2012-04-03T11:51:00.001-07:00

More and more these days, bloggers are sharing ONLY THE GOOD, the good side of the room, the clean side of the room. When in reality there is crap piled to the ceiling right behind the camera, and we don't get to see it. I find myself amongst those bloggers.... but in the quest to become REAL to my readers. To take more photos that show the child sprawled across the couch watching TV, and the throw pillows all over the floor. My throw pillows by the way... are only place perfectly on the couch once a day.... for about a half hour. lol.

Today is a post to show the dusty, the unfinished, the unorganized.... the ugly. Today we're going to peruse through some photos of my house in REAL TIME - showing you what my home looks like on the average day. You ready? I'm not;) haha.

But in the name of being real.... let's just be real gosh darnit.
Did I just say gosh darnit?
yes I did.
Well... it's weird, BUT IT'S REAL! I do say that. :p

So... here is my office. Unfinished, boring, too much stained wood, no office chair, no area rug (we're saving!). REAL. I usually just take pictures of the other side of the room. ;)

Cords Everywhere. Not pretty and cordless and wonderful like everyone's office pictures online!

LooLoo color's on EVERYTHING she can get her hands on.

The dungeon stairwell.... where I keep the cleaning supplies and Kraft Dinner lol. Semi-organized but CERTAINLY not pretty!

When it rains.... our basement gets wet.

My stunning laundry room;) Ain't she purrrrrdy?

On any given day.... there are toys strewn about everywhere.

And laundry piled high in corners.

The toy room is rarely ever clean....

And dirty dishes in the sink is a normal sight around here. When you see my sink with no dishes.... that means I've split the pile into 2.... and organized them into two low piles in the bottom of the sinks so the camera doesn't catch them. Fow realz.

My Boot Room never looks like it did in the reveal pics.

Our bedroom is in a constant state of disarray, unless it's bedroom cleaning day then all the junk just goes under the bed. haha I'm joking this time.

Our bedroom furniture dates back to the 70's. And it's falling apart. And we don't have the $ to buy new stuff! *sigh* c'est la vie.

I don't know why on God's Green Earth this is still in a corner of our bedroom. It's just plain ugly.

I painted the railings in our room a couple of years ago. They're not holding up.

"Pee Stickers" can be found on every surface in our home. Oh well. At least she's peeing on the potty!!

The cute little craft station table that you see ~~from afar~~ in the toy room is actually covered in about 12 layers of paint. and very crusty paint at that.

Those are holes I haven't patched yet. Actually.... I haven't even taken out the screws yet. whoops.

Remember how I said LooLoo colors on everything? I wasn't lying. That's permanent marker. Don't ask me why my 2 year old had a permanent marker. I will giggle and put my head under a pillow.

Dust. Everywhere.

I could keep going but the camera got stolen from me by 2 little smurfs named BooBoo & LooLoo;) And... I should probably go dust.

xoKahl

Design My Diggs: My BFF's Living Room

2012-03-29T06:37:00.003-07:00

We're back with another edition of Design My Diggs! If you're unfamiliar with this series, check it out here - and enter a room yourself!

This one actually never got entered to win Design My Diggs... she's my BFF.
Everytime I write or say BFF I feel like a valley girl. It makes me laugh. And it reminds me of the movie Clueless. bahahah.
Shall we??

How I loved that movie once upon a time!! Remember the rotating closet that picked out outfits for her??
.... anyways, she is my BFF, and lucky for her.... she gets my services for free;) And lucky for ME.... she's pretty rad;) And lucky for US.... we're nothing like the clueless girls. *cough*

Anyways.... here is their place on moving day!

They've been in this house for almost a year, and it's definitely not empty like this anymore - so my challenge was working with the furniture they've already purchased - and making this space into something personal for them! I don't have any current pictures, but they have a big beautiful chocolate brown couch & chair, to gave you an idea of where I started.
Wanna see what I've come up with?

Steph & Justin's Open Concept Living Room by ambiancedecor on polyvore.com

They both love the teal color featured above, so I worked that in, they might even be feeling bold enough to do a teal accent wall! But I want to point out that this color could be substituted for ANY color, since their room is so neutral at this point. Ganny Smith Green, a gorgeous purple, a regal golden yellow, anything!

The fabulous Settler entertainment unit from Urban Barn makes a huge statement in the room.

Source: urbanbarn.com via Kahley on Pinterest

As much as I don't love making a TV a focal point in a room, I generally try to make sure that if it HAS to be, at least the piece holding it is fabulous, so the attention goes to the unit, as opposed to the big ol'TV! Here's the even cooler part..... instead of buying this unit, they are eventually having it built by Josh @ Red Seal Renovations (he did our living room fireplace & trim, and then pretty much our entire bathroom! He is also the hubby of my other bff, Jill. Actually.... Jill, Steph & I are kinda like 3 peas in a pod. Cheesy I know.) - and even cooler - they're going to use salvaged barn boards from a barn that was taken down on Stephanie's family heritage farm! What a conversation piece eh!?

They have chocolate brown cabinetry in their kitchen as well, which is right off of the Living Room (Open Concept) - and have already installed white subway tile with a darker putty colored grout, and OH EM GEE.... it's lovely. I want it.

Not actually their kitchen, but similar cabinetry and backsplash.

Source: houzz.com via Kahley on Pinterest

Wondering where you can get the stuff on the board above? Click on each item for a direct link on where to buy!

Check out their Master Bedroom Makeover here too! We used everything they already had from various rooms in their home (you can see the colors are the same, because we stole some stuff from the living room to "complete the look!")

Hope you're having a fabulous day!
xoKahl

Ambiance Bakes: Sunshine Muffins!

2012-03-26T12:49:00.003-07:00

At your request, I am posting this recipe mentioned in my post a couple of days ago!

This recipe goes back to my childhood! My mama made these muffins fairly often - though not as often as some other muffin recipes (Banana Chocolate Chip & Blueberry Muffins with the tops dipped in melted butter and rolled in SUGAR... I KNOW right!?) - but these Sunshine Muffins were my FAVORITE. They still are to this day! Muffins always bring back fond fond memories for me. I remember waking up Sunday morning's to the smell of baking - always ALWAYS muffins - and always moist, melty, deliciousness for breakfast before church. Still makes me smile. And we STILL get muffins on Saturday or Sunday mornings at my parents place if we stay there the night before:)

These Sunshine Muffins are an incredible mix of flavors. A granola bar in the form of a muffin, if you will. Carrots, Apricots, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, banana.... lots of ingredients - and LOTS of flavor!

So with that - I take you back to my childhood. My mama loved, she laughed, she smiled - and boy - could she BAKE! Thanks mama:)

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 cups grated carrots
3/4 cup apricots (cut to desired size)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 banana mashed (I usually add 2)
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Combine flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon in medium mixing bowl - mix until well combined.

2. Add carrots, apricots, seeds, chocolate chips and mashed banana.

I actually use old bananas! When our bananas go black, I put them in the freezer to use for baking at a later date! Works perfectly! Just let them thaw for a few minutes before you try peeling them!

3. Add eggs, oil & vanilla. Stir into mixture until well combined.

4. Spoon into greased muffin pan.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes for large muffins, 10 minutes for mini muffins (I always do mini muffins because otherwise we over eat!). ENJOY!!!

Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Ready in: 20 min

Sunshine Muffins courtesy of Ambiance .

The Tale of the Jadite Collector

2012-03-22T06:33:00.004-07:00

A while ago I did a post on a new color I wanted to incorporate into my kitchen decor. And I am slowly but surely making my way! I painted the back panel of my sideboard, got a new KitchenAid Mixer, and recently (as a birthday gift from my parents!) got some gorgeous new counter top canisters!

I also made a LOVELY ebay purchase last week.
I did.
Can you see it?
Can you find it!!??
I spy with my little eye, something that is milky, sea foamy, gorgeously green!

Mmmm hmmmm mama's got some brand new Jadite side plates! Let me tell you the story. Because I know you're all dying to know. Settle in folks. Get yourself a tea, and hold your laptop like it's a good book. (or don't. holding your laptop like a book might be totally awkward you see)

Last week StevieBoy, and the kids & I stopped in at an antique market in St.Jacobs ON. As much as I loved being there... the prices of things were KILLING me. I've sort of fallen in love with a certain vintage glass collection, that apparently costs you your first born (Like I am talking $68 for a Jadite candy dish). In this post I showed you the .25 cent mug I picked up at a local thrift store, mainly just for the color, at that point I knew nothing about Jadite!

So like I said.... at .25 cents I picked it up for it's color, not knowing I had in fact just STOLEN AN ANTIQUE. These mugs are selling for $28 a pop in antique markets. Yes that's right. I got a $28 mug for a measly .25 cents at a thrift shop!!! I came across an entire display of Jadite Glass while I was at the antique market.... and fell in love with most certainly every piece that was there. Unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to buy even one piece at the listed prices! When I got home, I hopped on Ebay to see what I could come up with. To my SHEER SHOPPING PLEASURE, I came across a listing for 6 saucer plates for $20! SCORE! I bid. I won. I paid. And today friends.... they arrived in my mailbox. *tear*. My Jadite collection has begun... and I sense an addiction.

Funny thing IS... this stuff back in the 60's was the average person's every day dishware. Like... . the Corelle of the 60's. Jadite was actually often even packaged as a GIVEAWAY with cleaning and food products! What!?

Anyways regardless..... I'm officially a collector. I think. "Collector" sounds fancy schmancy doesn't it?! Everyone close your eyes and imagine this scenario (well no don't literally close your eyes.... this story isn't over yet, you will have to keep reading...). So I am standing there at the antique market, all teary eyed and flustered while staring at the Jadite collection, caressing each piece gently - when a woman stops and says "Are you a Jadite collector?". I unwillingly break my longing gaze with a gorgeous milky green batter bowl.... and turn to look at her. Without hesitation I confidently declare "Yes! Yes I am". It was a lie, a complete utter lie. So I am feeling guilty - so now I HAVE to become a collector to make that into an UN-lie. You see the logic here?

So I ask you, how many pieces do you have to have, to be called a collector? I have 7.

In my books that makes me a collector. NOT a liar;)

xoKahl

Operation Toy Room: Craft Station

2012-03-20T12:12:00.002-07:00

I've had a couple of small things come down the pipe in the last week or so, that I thought I might share with you!

A few week's ago I talked about a Toy Room Makeover. Check out that post here. After lots of thought... we've decided to not go that far with the toy room at all. We won't be building the wall of shelves anymore - seen on the design board below. The rest of the changes may come into play slowly.... but I am planning on spending a VERY small amount of money in this room, so things will get picked up here and there - when found at a good price!

BooBoo & LooLoo's Pay Room by ambiancedecor on polyvore.com

Though I love the shelving wall.... and wish for the shelving wall.... I have something EVEN MORE exciting we've been working on.... that erases the need to fix up the toy room to this extreme. But I can't tell you what that is. Sorry. *sheepish grin*. One day!!!!

I did make a FEW small improvements however. I did change the set up, remember this layout I showed you?

I moved the craft station to the wall under the window, which seems to be working perfectly! The little stools are from IKEA.

Remember this photo I showed you with all of the IKEA craft area storage?

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Kahley on Pinterest

I picked up a rail & buckets from IKEA about a month ago (finally just got them installed yesterday) and we picked up the s-hooks from Ideal Supply for mere pennies!

The galvanized steel buckets were in the plants & potting section at IKEA - but I preferred them FAR more than the colored version in the original inspiration photo above - because they go with anything. The only problem was, they didn't have holes for the s-hooks, which is obviously a pretty easy problem to solve! StevieBoy quick drilled a hole in each one for me, and I away I went!

The closet below is FINALLY empty, so the kids can do with it as they please! It is NOT however, painted inside yet! I am undecided on whether or not I'll do this. We'll see... I am not even sure yet if I am going to paint the walls in the toy room like I had planned! I know... you're all wondering WHY!!?? And I desperately wish I could tell you! And no. I am no pregnant. This room is NOT morphing back into a nursery! It's something else:P

That closet spans from the open door on the left, to the open door on the right. But there is a staircase above so it slowly gets shorter in there!

That's all for today folks! I am off to do some baking. Sunshine muffins to be precise. I should totally give you the recipe. Carrot, chocolate chip, banana, sunflower seeds, apricots, whole wheat flour..... who wants it!?

xoKahl

AMBIANCE EATS. Edition 2

2012-03-17T05:40:00.001-07:00

Ambiance Eats is back friends!

From the feedback on my last Ambiance Eats post, you all loved seeing what we're eating around here - and want to see more! So here I am again! Let's get stated shall we?

Source: annies-eats.net via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Spinach Artichoke Dip
Meal: Appetizer
Review: Perfection. I served this as an appetizer for my cousin Steph (love youuu!) and her family a few weeks ago. I can't even remember what I served for dinner that night.... but obviously it wasn't as memorable as the appetizer! I served this dip with those yummy salty blue corn Tostitoes which seemed to be the perfect crunchy match for this gooey, garlicky appetizer! The first thing I noticed is that it was NOT runny. You know when you go to a restaurant and you're CRAVING spinach dip... so you order it... and it comes out all drippy? Hate that. So one big thing I liked about this dip was that it was nice and thick, and scoopable! One recommendation: once it's out of the oven let it SIT to set for at least 10 minutes, if not more. Nothing worse than spinach dip you can't just shove in your mouth over and over cause it's too hot!
Star Rating: ***** 5 stars

Source: savvymom.ca via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Squash & Apple Soup
Meal: Main Course
Review: I LOVE SQUASH SOUP. Love it. Some may hate it, so this one is for you squash lovers out there! This was my first time making a squash soup at home - I got an immersion blender this Christmas so I have been using it as much as possible! This soup was sweet, and smooth, and full bodied... like a fine wine;) The addition of apples give it a nice kick too which was good. First you roast the squash with EVOO and salt & pep in the oven, which gave the soup an earthy roasted taste which was major important! The ONLY thing it was missing was a creaminess factor. And to fix that I just added a hefty dollop of sour cream on top of each bowl - which satisfied that missing element completely! And another SWEET bonus (no pun intended...) was that you get to pour a bit of (real) maple syrup over your soup too!
Note: This made a HUGE batch - almost unnecessarily big. Kids hated it, surprise surprise! I even tried putting it over noodles so they would just think it was a pasta dish. No go. Steve loved it, but wouldn't want it to become one of our family meal staples;)
Review: **** (4 stars without sour cream)

Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Sleepin' In Omelet
Meal: Breakfast (or supper!)
Review: This dish is FABULOUS! Though I must warn you... it's very VERY high in calories! But who are we kidding here... do we really care?! Generally I stay away from HIGH calorie dishes but once in a while we certainly indulge! The mix of warm chunks of cream cheese, soft squishy onion buns, eggy, cheesy goodness is DIVINE! I usually add some fried bacon on top - just so it has the "meat factor" for Stevie Boy & BooBoo. I am not usually one to love the all in one egg dish - but I think the thing that MAKES this dish is the onion bun base, and the cream cheese chunks! SO delish. I want it. now.
Star Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Source: apricosa.com via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Shrimp Scampi on Couscous
Meal: Supper
Review: I was SUPER excited to make this dish, and was unfortunately fairly disappointed! The flavor was just plain lacking. I am not usually a salter, but I had to SALT this meal, just to feel like it had any flavor! The squeezed lemon helped a bit too, and the shrimp was great - can shrimp be bad though, really? I had a nice glass of white wine (Jackson Triggs Sauvignon Blanc Black Label... to be precise) with it which paired quite well with the light taste of the meal. All in all though.... I felt like the dish could have packed some more punch.
Rating:*** (3 stars)

Source: pillsbury.com via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Maple-Cinnamon-Pecan Pull Aparts
Meal: Dessert, or brunch
Review: This dish to start, was EASY. I served it on Christmas Morning with the Sleepin' In Omelet (above). lol... as you can see.... Christmas Morning at out house was pretty calorie packed! Who cares, it's Christmas! And I had to let Santa eat my cookies.... so heck, I can indulge right!?
...Anyways.... store bought Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and a bit of sour cream. I made it the night before which was perfect! Basically you cut the Pillsbury rolls up, throw them in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, stir it up, and then throw it in a loaf pan! I do love me some homemade cinnamon buns, but not always the time it takes to make them! So this was a GREAT make ahead substitution! It was DELICIOUS! One of my favorite things (aside from the brown sugar and pecans of course...) was that they pulled apart... and you got just small pieces at a time. I found I ate LESS, instead of taking a whole cinnamon bun and eating the whole thing... because that's what you DO with a cinnamon bun... right? Instead you only took what you wanted. A couple of suggestions: Add LESS brown sugar, it was a bit TOO sweet - considering the Pillsbury rolls were already filled too. Be SUPER careful not to over bake. The whole outside of our pull aparts were burnt, because I didn't think the middle was baked enough yet - when in fact it was! If the center still looks doughy, and the outside done - take it out!! Or the outside will be crusty and burnt and not enjoyable!

Shiny, Springy Thingys - Spring has arrived in my home!

2012-03-13T06:08:00.004-07:00

So as I am sure you remember in this post, I declared that I would soon have something GOLD in my living room - one way or another. After I wrote that post, I was busy cleaning my living room - and WHAMO... I remembered I HAD something gold stashed away - just WAITING to be put on display. Oh the joy!

Remember this booty post? lol. booty. it gets me every time. Anyways.... I showed you guys these pretty treasures that I came across when I was in at one of our local second hand stores. I paid $4 for this tray.

Anyways.... everything in the photo above has a home now, EXCEPT that tray. It was looking DINNNNNNGY!! So when I remembered that I had it, and that I was craving gold... it was HIGH time to revisit the subject! I got the tray out (it was stashed, uncleaned, in one of my kitchen cabinets with all of my other trays), and googled "Home remedies for cleaning brass" - and came up with the tried & true lemon & salt solution.

Steps:
1. Wash tray in soapy water FIRST... to make sure it's not just dirty. I did this, and it didn't make a hoot of a difference.
2. Confirm that you ARE in fact working with brass - use a magnet, if it doesn't stick its 100% brass - if it does, it's only brass plated.
3. Cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it heavily with salt, and rub. I didn't HAVE a lemon so I just poured a good helping of lemon juice right onto the tray, and dumped a bunch of salt on that. It INSTANTLY lifted the film & tarnish off of the tray, it was kind of amazing!

It took a lot of rubbing, and about 20 minutes but she looks pretty shiny now!! Lets have a look at a before & after!

BEFORE

AFTER

I DEFINITELY could not SEE my reflection before it was all cleaned up! Amazing! Lemon Juice and salt I tell ya. I hear this is good for cleaning tarnish off of silver too? Is that correct, anyone know?

So then.... in good old Kahley fashion... I had to style one small area with my gold tray and some pretty, shiny, springy thingys;) Those tulips came from my mama for my birthday 2 weeks ago - and they lasted until YESTERDAY! Thank you again mama - tulips are my ABSOLUTE favorite! I am considering ordering a dozen delivered to my door every 2 weeks from our local florist. Is that strange?

I had to sneak this one in here... when I vacuum Boo-Boo & Loo-Loo desperately feel the need to vacuum too. And while it sort of drives me crazy (because they drag out every vacuum related item they can find, and don't return them to their proper homes)... this is one of those "choose your battles" moments. Can I get an amen?

Welcome to my living room Turquoise!!!!! Finally some color! These are my outdoor pillows... that I don't have an outdoor living space for;) Why I bought outdoor pillows.... when I really don't have a place for them... I'll never know. They often get covered up with other slipcovers during the winter months - so I thought I'd show them off this Spring!

This is a little $11 Easter bunny I picked up last week from Home Sense! Isn't she darling! And of course, notice the GLIMMERING gold tray... like you could miss it!

So, like we talked about - Gold rocks. Basically. haha. No but really, used in the right amount - it looks very classy! We're not talking about big, gotty gold ornate lamps here - no. Just shiny, sleek, peaks of it!
Anyone out there using Gold in their homes a bit? What do you use to polish tarnish off of your pretties?
Have a fabulous day!
xoKahl

2012 Trends - So you're in "the know"!

2012-03-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

Morning Everyone!

Well.... it's Saturday and I don't have a lot to do today. My kiddos are recovering from a nasty stomach bug which StevieBoy & I haven't gotten yet (fingers crossed), and I don't have a lot on the go today. My hubby is gone to an auction .... and I plan on letting the kids watch tv a lot... lol. SO here I am, writing a blog again finally!

But before I move onto today's topic of conversation... I need your THOUGHTS on stomach bugs!! Ok so... my kids get the flu/stomach bug every fall, and spring - which is pretty normal. BUT.... the way their bug plays out is WEIRD. Here is what a typical stomach bug looks like in my kids...
Night 1: Puke every hour all night.
Day 1: Lethargic in the AM... but slowly get better throughout the day. NO puking all day, HUNGRY all day. But we can barely feed them (just soda crackers/toast and pedialyte)... so all day I hear a LOT of complaining.... you'll understand why we barely feed them on Day 1 in a few seconds.
Night 2: Sleep through the night, NO puking.
Day 2: Normal acting kids, hungry all day. So they have a SEMI NORMAL diet (lotsa soda crackers, toast with Jam, MAYBE a couple of slices of cheese, some apple sauce.... but don't over do it. And I KNOW milk=bad when sick, but they love dairy and I couple of tiny pieces of cheese...? come on!)
Night 3: Puke all night again, every couple of hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Day 3: Start the process all over again with barely any food.

SEE WHAT IM SAYING!? EVERY FLU BUG is like this in our house... my kids will puke one night away, then be fine for a solid 48 hours.... then start all over again. The tough part is... I KNOW it's related to how much food they eat on day 2. BUT THEY'RE HUNGRY. My kids are not the kids who get sick... then refuse to eat for a couple of days. They want to eat ALL day. Which I have learned the hard way, to hold back big time - but even when they barely eat anything on day 2 it still happens. Is this normal!? I need your feedback!!! How soon do you ALLOW your kids to eat some normal foods again.... and do YOUR kids want a lot of food, or refuse food for a while?? I'm not worried about my kids or anything... I just think its weird... and kinda annoying;)

Ok... so let's sail away from the barf topic, shall we?

For a while now, I have been wanting to talk to you guys about 2012 Design Trends! I am looooving the styles I am seeing right now.... bold accent colors paired with creamy pale wall colors, the return of a certain metallic that some are having trouble accepting, the staying power of a wall treatment that many baby boomers are also STILL having trouble accepting.... here's the low down on all things 2012.

Salvaged Materials & Industrial Design, and Vintage Styling
This trend has become more of a staple in today's design world, than a trend. The use of aged barn boards, beams, and salvaged wood pieces of ANY kind is in full swing! We're seeing tons of metals: stainless steel, corrugated steel, Galvanized Steel, you name it. Wood naturally feels warm, but for steel it has to be in the right setting - to feel warm. The resurgence of antiques is in full force as well - personally LOVE a mix of today's traditional design (ie. classic white cabinetry), mixed with elements of modern (like a fantastic modern dining chair, or occasional chair), with a good dollop of vintage/antique (a great vintage styled light fixture) thrown in the mix! Vintage styled lighting is making a big statement right now too.

Source: thedesignerpad.com via Brannon on Pinterest

Source: 79ideas.org via Carin on Pinterest

Source: bywaterboo.blogspot.com via Anna on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Chelsea on Pinterest

Anyone remember the salvaged floor vents we used in the living room?

White
Have you noticed the crazy influx of WHITE ROOMS in the last year?! It's one of those design styles that you either love or hate. Personally, I LOVE white (white seems to be most designers greatest weakness) because it's SO insanely neutral and calm. It can be warm, it can be cool, and it goes with EVERYTHING. Take my living room for example...

The walls are BJ Moore's "Collingwood" - which is an OC color (off white collection) - so it's basically considered a white even though it definitely reads pale grey. It's neutral, its warm - and I can change up my accessories in a moment's notice. Speaking of.... an accent color or 2 in my living room would be nice eh;) shh. Im working on it!!! Let's have a look @ some more white shall we?

Source: theinspiredroom.net via Chaney on Pinterest

Source: designspongeonline.com via Sheryl on Pinterest

Source: designsponge.com via WeeBirdy on Pinterest

Source: decor8blog.com via Julia on Pinterest

Gold
eyyyyyyy. One year ago.... saying gold was majorly BACK IN, would have PAINED ME. Today.... it makes me slightly giddy. It makes me forget my kids were puking for the last 3 days. What? Who's kids were puking?... see. I totally forgot there.
There is something about this timeless gilded finish that makes my heart skip a beat. I have a confession.... I ALMOST bought gold curtain rods for the living room... *bites fingers nervously*. I didn't in the end, but I can promise you this, Gold WILL be making a debut in my living room & office sometime in the near future - just not sure where yet, maybe a large gilded mirror or some gold accessories. None the less.... silver is not as fond of me as it once was;) Gold is warm, inviting, and when administered in the right dose - absolutely stunning and statement making.

Source: lonnymag.com via Stacie on Pinterest

Source: decorpad.com via Caroline on Pinterest

Source: paloma81.blogspot.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: lonnymag.com via Vee+Dee on Pinterest

p.s Gold is making a BIG comeback in fashion too..

Source: sloansymington.tumblr.com via Erica on Pinterest

Wallpaper
It's still here, I know right!!? Do I love wallpaper? Yes! Would I use it in my home..... no:( ONLY because its so much work to take down! And I tend to be VERY low commitment when it comes to my walls. Wallpaper in the right place, makes MUCHOS impact, in a very classy and understated way. It's punchy, and a GREAT way to introduce personal style - since there are SO many different patterns available. Let's have a look at some APPROPRIATE places for wallpaper:

Wallpaper used on ONE wall in an entryway looks fantastic.

Wallpaper used on ONE wall in a bedroom - romantic and pretty. Also notice the gold curtain rod & lamp;) Kind pretty right!?

Wallpaper lining the back panel of a bookshelf

Wallpaper used only on the TOP HALF of a wall, in conjunction with bead board or wainscot on the bottom.

Wallpaper used in a powder bathroom. Ideally on ONLY the wall behind the mirror & sink. I LOVE this pattern but find it slightly too much on all 4 walls. Had they done wainscot on the bottom half it would be gorgeous! Really though... don't we all want this exact powder room in our home?

Source: houzz.com via Heather on Pinterest

Bold Accent Colors
The bold accent color has been around for a couple of years now, and is not on it's way out anytime soon. I LOVE this use of color, mainly because it's NON-COMMITTAL! I love me a good bright blue lamp, an aubergine vase, or some flashy neon yellow toss pillows! Why? Because I can love them today, and replace them tomorrow, that's why:) I also looove how many incredible new colors of spray paint are out there now. Just in case you want those boring brown bookends to be turquoise today;)

Source: allthingsthrifty.com via Mechela on Pinterest

Check out Rustoleum's GREAT line of colors (all available at Home Depot) here.
Let's have a look at some GREAT use of bold color as an accent!

Source: Uploaded by user via MJL on Pinterest

Source: homeits.com via Bobbi on Pinterest

Source: younghouselove.com via Paige on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Laura on Pinterest

Source: thedesignersattic.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Cirila on Pinterest

Can you see what a great (and non committal) statement color can make in your room!?
My personal fav right now is indigo or peacock blue.

Source: emilyaclark.blogspot.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

mmmm peacock blue, so luscious.

So anyways. Whats your fav trend for 2012? Do have a love for salvaged materials, and vintage lighting? Are you dreaming over waking up in a calm, serene, white Master Bedroom? How do you feel about the resurgence of GOLD in many rooms today? And if bold accent colors are your fav, I wanna hear about it! Show me! Post a link in the comment field to a room you're loving right now - that hosts one of these 2012 design trends!

Have a fantastic Saturday, I'm off to do some cleaning!
xoKahl

I'm Blue da-ba-dee daba-da

2012-02-29T11:45:00.001-08:00

Hey friends!

So I know.... I've totally been slacking. I could come up with a BUNCH of excuses of why I have been MIA - but more than ever - women in today's world need to know the REAL reason why life isn't always exactly what you planned it would be.

February sucks. Every year for ME - February sucks. I get moody, tired, unmotivated and generally I just don't feel like myself. I like to call it the February Blues. It's actually fairly common. I have been doing some reading on the subject in the last week or so and I came across some research done in December 2010, by some German Doctors. The research followed approx 2000 people in Germany (mainly women) - having them document on a daily online journal, how they were feeling on each specific day. The research also followed weather trends in those areas - and in the end the two were cross referenced and the results showed a definite link between mood & weather! They also stated that a Vitamin D deficiency can be a root source of the winter blues (I take 2000iu every day right now!), as well as a genetic inheritance from your mother! (I spoke to my mom a few days ago, who said she used to feel this way every now & then - so maybe?!). Another thought behind the winter blues is the reduced sunlight during the fall and winter months. Less sun = a reduced production of serotonin in the the brain. Serotonin in our bodies has a soothing, calming effect. The result of there not being enough serotonin is feelings of depression along with symptoms of fatigue, etc. So this is REAL folks, it's a reality for me!

This made me laugh... tee hee.

Source: weheartit.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

So this folks.. is where I'm at! Is it bad? Absolutely not. Is is bearable? Absolutely. Does it suck. Yep! I have MUCH less patience for my kids, so they're acting out too - which doesn't help anything. I don't have the desire right now to blog, begin projects, finish projects..... really to do anything! I still get everything done around here of course - like laundry and cleaning etc. BUT I have noticed that those same daily mundane chores that used to make me feel accomplished in a typical day - don't make me feel accomplished right now! It's frustrating.... because often on a day I DID actually get a lot done - it still doesn't feel like it.

And since we're being honest - I might as well lay it all out there. Lately I've been disconnected from my Jesus! My prayers are less often, my devotions non existent, and my fire for God is luke warm. But I'll get there:) I have the assurance from the Lord that all I need to do is call out to Him - and he will answer me. So while I am reaching out, trying to dig back into my bible and find some interesting books that light my fire again - you'll all be "in the know". I have a sneaky feeling that this "Winter Blues" is less of a coincidence - and more of a little elbow from the Big Guy saying "Hey! Where have you been Kahls!?"

I'm a stay at home mom - and I'm REAL, so I wanted to share this with you all! I have talked to a NUMBER of other stay at home mom friends of mine recently, and it's crazy how many others are feeling the same way! So if I'm a little (or a lot) MIA lately... you know why:) I'm fine, just needing more "me" time than usual:)

Talk to me - anyone else out there feeling the same!?

xoKahl

BooBoo & LooLoo's Toy Room

2012-02-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

So... as I mentioned in my 2012 Goals Post.... I am wanting to makeover Lexie & Noah's Toy Room during 2012! Let me show you what it looks like now...

So like the caption reads, it's functional - but totally boring. Every piece of furniture in this room is second hand - moved from other rooms in the house or inherited. There's no official book shelf, and most of the toys are kept in random dresser type pieces. This room ACTUALLY used to be our baby nursery.... Que collective awwwwwwww!

And just for fun... let's have a look at what this room looks like RIGHT NOW. lol. be prepared.

Disaster city. Oh well, it's lived in... what can I say!?

So... as much as I have PLANS for this room, I am not making any commitments as to when they'll be completed!! I have so many other little things on the go (aka finishing the office) that I am not ready to allow myself to start a NEW project just yet! I am the type of person that I likes to COMPLETELY finish one project before I move onto the next. That said.... I still just keep right on dreaming of my next project! So that's what I am doing today.... dreaming:)

BooBoo & LooLoo's Pay Room by ambiancedecor on polyvore.com

(click on the small photos above for direct links)

Fun! I am excited to do this playroom on a very small budget, and complete all of the tasks on our own! Let's re-cap what you're seeing in the above Inspiration Board shall we?

1. I would like to fill one full wall with something like you see in this photo. Industrial styled bookshelves using metal brackets and dark stained and lacquered framing lumber.
2. Fun drum pendant fixture, however I don't want to pay this much for it! Thinking I might try to get an inexpensive white drum and hand paint it myself!
3. Fun wall art with "Play Room Rules"
4. A big Bean Bag chair for a reading nook next to the book shelf.
5. More fun and funny wall art. This one I might paint as a big mural on the wall! It reminds me of my children....
6. Super fly area rug!

The desk & IKEA stools I already have. The small black desk in the photos above has about 10 layers of paint on it, so I am thinking about stripping it down and staining it just like we did with my new office desk - because it is well built. I'd like to work in a super functional craft/art station under the window as well (we already have one that's working wonderfully, I just want it organized better!).... like this one I found on pinterest,

Source: modernparentsmessykids.com via Kahley on Pinterest

I already picked up a similar rod with hanging buckets from IKEA a few weeks ago, but I love all of the ideas in this photo so we'll see! I am limited more in this case because I don't have a whole wall to work with above the craft table.

This is the layout I am planning for this small 9x8 space!

oo I forgot to mention the SUPER CUTE under the stairwell closet we have in this room! It's a nightmare of storage since it's not full height, and SUPER deep - BUT IT'S PERFECT FOR KIDS! The door is even kid sized - see photos above! So I am planning on painting the inside of this closet the same as the wall color (Bj Moore Collingwood - same color as we used in the living room - I have 1.5 gallons left!), putting a light in there.... and just letting them do what they want with it! I envision playing house in there?? Right now they just hide in there and slam the door....a lot.

Anyways... happy Monday! I am off to make supper!

xoKahl

Ambiance Eats!

2012-02-11T06:49:00.000-08:00

So - obviously about 99% of my blog posts have been about home decorating and DIY - which is completely my passion! But today I thought I'd go a different route.... and show you some of the things we've been eating around here lately! In fact..... I'm starting a new series! Every once in a while I will post 5 recipes I have tried recently, along with a review! Fun right!? Now ya'll know what AMBIANCE EATS!

Most of you know I am a big Pinterest fan - I go for pinterest for inspiration almost on a daily basis! One of the biggest things I love it for is recipes! And.... maybe that's because recipes are one of the FEW pins I actually complete.... yeesh.

I haven't talked much about my love for cooking on my blog - mostly because when I am cooking, I generally don`t have time to slow down and take photos for food posts - though I`d love to - usually meal time is rushed around here with 2 little ones, so it just doesn't work for me right now!

But this morning I thought... HEY.... you COULD just post the recipes you've been making lately along with links in case they want to make them too! genius! THAT... I have time for!

All of these recipes are from Pinterest (whether someone else pinned them, or I added them to the database myself). Each recipe will have a link to the online recipe, a short review below, and a star rating on the dish.... 0 stars being bad, 5 stars being good.

Let's get it started in here!

Source: savvymom.ca via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Turkey & Kale Enchiladas.
Meal: Supper
Review: These were DIVINE! I loved that this was a healthier version of the traditional cheese enchilada (which isn't my fav) - the corn, coriander, and lesser amount of cheese rolled up inside a whole wheat tortilla was paired down - and perfect! Lexie loved them.... but "the green stuff" was questionable for Noah! Serve with a green salad.
Star Rating: **** (4 stars)

Source: rachaelrayshow.com via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Caramelized Cauliflower & Onion Soup.
Meal: Supper (or lunch!)
Review: This recipe came from my dear friend Shelley - I had it once at her place and fell in love with it. This past Christmas I finally got an immersion blender (I know right!?) so I am now finally able to make soups that require blending! This soup is savory, salty and scrumptious! Oh and more on the healthy side than not - since it's chock full of cauliflower! Homemade garlic bread was the perfect side and the recipe made enough for lunch the next day! The whole family loved it! Thanks Shell! Ohh, we also added a big spoonful of sour cream to up the creaminess factor to ours!
Star Rating: **** (4 stars)

Source: rachaelrayshow.com via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: BLT Guacamole
Meal: Appetizer
Review: A glorious mix of traditional guacamole with the addition of nutty arugula, zippy lemony roma tomatoes, and BACON all piled ontop. mm hmm. I know. Everyone who's ever had this ADORES it - including me. This is a great crowd pleaser, and a welcome spin on the traditional guacamole!
Star Rating: ***** (5 stars)

Source: candcmarriagefactory.com via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: Slow Cooker Glazed Pork Loin
Meal: Supper
Review: I'm always looking for new ways to cook a traditional cut of meat - like the pork loin for example. I came across this recipe on pinterest because I had a pork loin in my freezer needing to be used. I threw it in the slow cooker (love my slowcooker!) and followed the directions and was VERY PLEASANTLY surprised at how incredible it was. It was perfectly moist, and packed with amazing flavor! Try it! Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes - and your favorite veggie side - like steamed broccoli! The whole family loved it and the kids wouldn't stop asking for "mo chickin pease!" - all meat is referred to as chicken by these kiddos... not sure why!
Star Rating: **** (4 stars)

Source: cookingwithphilly.ca via Kahley on Pinterest

Dish: PHILADELPHIA Caramel Mochaccino Cheesecake
Meal: Dessert
Review: Unfortunately not good:( I don't know if we're just not baked cheesecake folks in our house.... or if this dessert just wasn't that fantastic. Every time I do a baked cheesecake - the leftovers get thrown out cause no one wants to eat them - I know... such a shame! So far every time I have done a baked cheesecake I find the consistency a little harder than the traditional "New York Cheesecake" texture that we all know and love. Maybe I am doing something wrong? Try it for yourself and let me know!
Star Rating: ** (2 stars)

That's my 5 for today folks! We have dinner guests coming tonight, so I am off to the kitchen to try some new recipes today..... appetizer tonight is Spinach & Artichoke Dip! Don't worry.... I'll post the review on that one soon too!

Thanks for stopping in for this edition of...

Happy Weekend!
xoKahl

Mama's Trestle Table (aka new office desk!)

2012-02-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

Well it's about that time.... time for a Trestle Table update riiiiiight!? Are you all ITCHING to see the final product?! It turned out INCREDIBLY well, I might be a little in smitten.

So... remember this post where I posted a few before photos of the table? Let's have a look back at those photos again!

You can see the size, and lines of this small dining room table are perfect for the office.... the red's just maybe a little.... jarring. ;)

So as I had said, I spent some time pricing out having this piece dipped (to strip paint), and came to the conclusion that it was madly expensive (between $200-$400) and that we needed to at LEAST TRY ourselves! So that we did.

Originally started using paint stripper.... which worked... very slowly, and we still had to sand after that anyways.

But then said forget the stripper, let's just sand... which was WAY faster thanks to StevieBoy's DeWalt Palm Sander.

I know I've made this sound like it was pretty easy. That's because it was. lol. This piece was pretty basic, no intricate designs - so the sanding was pretty straight forward.
Step 1. Sand until the paint is gone.
Step 2: There is no step 2.

There WERE corners where the paint sat however -and that's where the Ridgid Muli-Max Tool came in.... we bought some 60 grit pads for it's sanding head attachment, stuck them on, and went to town on the corners that the palm sander wouldn't reach! (sorry no pics of this step)

Ridgid Multi-Max

Generic Sanding pads for palm sander, and multi max.

I'd say to get the entire table down to bare wood, it took us about 4 hours. Not straight, cause we's gotts 2 kids ya'all! 4 hours spread over 2 weeks, 15 minute intervals. haha.

I'm not kidding.

At this point we were working with the Ridgid Multi-Max for all of the corners and hard to reach places. Mainly the places in this photo that are still red.

Once the table was down to the bare wood - and I was about to start staining - I had this gut feeling that this wood needed a conditioner of some sort. I don't know anything about conditioner - I just knew the wood on this table was DRY and old - and it needed a drink! So a quick stop at our local Home Hardware, aaaaand enter Minwax Wood Conditioner!

This stuff was SUPER easy to use. I quite literally dipped my paint brush into the can, brushed it on nice and thin (the table drank up the whole small can!) and cleaned the brush with soap & water when I was done - mama likes me some easy clean up!
I only had to let the stuff dry for 5 minutes, so next I was immediately onto THE BEST PART!! We have lots of leftover Old Master's Wiping Stain in Dark Walnut from when we stained our original farmhouse soft maple hardwood floors this past Fall - so we used up another can of that on this table!

Once again, I used my 2.5" edging brush to paint the stain on straight from the can, and then wipe it off with a clean cotton tshirt a few seconds later (sorry no pics of this part!) The can says to let it sit for 5 minutes but this dry table was drinking up the stain so fast I knew if I let it sit, it would stain darker than I wanted! paint on, wipe off, paint on, wipe off..... you get it.

Wanna seeeeeeeee???

Not too shabby right!? The finish is very similar to our finished hardwood floors - rustic, a little blotchy, and perrrrfect in my opinion! I let the stain dry overnight, and the following day I got out a can of Benjamin Moore Stays Clear sealer I had on hand - and applied one coat.

Between sealer coats (dry time: 8 hours), it recommended doing a light sanding - so I quickly sanded the top (and the sides of the top) with 220 grit using the palm sander. Literally took me about 2 minutes.

Then, after a quick wipe down to rid the table of sanding dust - I applied one last thin and even coat of sealer ONLY on the top (and sides of the top). The reason I didn't re coat the whole table was because the top is where most damage/traffic occurs - I didn't feel I needed to re coat the legs etc. more than once. We'll see if I regret that decision;)

These babies need to be reattached once the final seal coat dries!

Reattached here. haha

Maybe some of you noticed my babeskies wandering around in some of these pictures. They were in attendance let me tell you. Here's a little peak...

If this picture had sound.... it would be the sounds of a hissing big brother, and a SHRIEKING little sister. Fo Realzies. Someone was being chased ya'll - the world was coming to an end....apparently....

Tee hee. They are usually great when we want to work in the shed cause there is lots to do out there! Noah has a handmade work bench made by my dad... seen in the background here..

and there are lots of ride on toys etc. It's not problem free though... let me tell you! We do our best;)

A couple quick before and afters before I head out for the day!

Now to get it back into the office and get the room organized and set up.. like this... ish...

Home Office Re-Design by ambiancedecor on polyvore.com

Hope you're all having a fantastic week! Peace Out!
xoKahl

Design My Diggs: (First Edition!) Eclectic/Boho Apartment

2012-02-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Hey All!

So time for my FIRST EDITION of Design My Diggs! Some of you may have noticed the new(ish) tab along the top (far right) called "Design My Diggs" - if not, let me fill you in!!

Design My Diggs is a new series I am starting - maybe monthly - depending on how many entries I get! Basically any of you can email me at designmydiggs@live.ca and submit photos of a room of your choice - that you believe needs a makeover! It can be a room that is completely torn apart and needs EVERYTHING, or it could be finished for the most part - but needs some accessorizing. Maybe paint, maybe not! Maybe some built in cabinetry, or new furniture. Using your photos plus any measurements and specifications you provide (along with a few questions to determine your design aesthetic) I will create an online Design Board for you - FULL of photos & sourcing for all of the pieces and decor elements I recommend for you room!

This package would normally cost my clients $200 (normally included is an in home consult - but in this case we're doing it all virtually!) and this is all for FREEEEE. Sweet right?

SO onto our FIRST EDITION! The first room I did was actually for my little sister! She just moved out on her own - and is wanting to make this sweet little apartment into her own. My sister's design aesthetic was a GREAT challenge for me! I like to call her style "Eclectic Bohemian Chic". Her style is SO different than my own - which was a super super cool, and actually very important challenge for me in my design career- to have to tackle a style that is so drastically different from my own.

Let's have a look at her place a few weeks before she moved in,

Breakfast Nook. Living Room Behind.

Breakfast Nook (bay window to left) Living Room Behind.

Living Room

Breakfast Nook. Kitchen Behind. (landlords were cleaning the place up so the fridge & stove were in the Breakfast area)

So for this edition of Design My Diggs - I focused my time on her Living Room. She has 2 gorgeous large windows where the light flows in freely, and actually quite a lot of space for an apartment. The fixed elements in the room (the pieces she already had & the room itself) were:
-An orange couch which she got off of Kijiji for FREE!
-Clean slate of light colored beigey/cream walls - she is not wanting to paint at this point and the color is actually perfectly neutral.
-Neutral Honey colored laminate flooring, in great shap
Starting off a Eclectic/Bohemian scheme with an orange couch was interesting and fun!

*Please Note, most of the sourcing on this design is NOT local, nor affordable lol! Normally those would be 2 key elements for a design board - but in this case I was just having fun with my sister's style, and pulling in elements that I knew would make a great room! From there - she has the freedom to complete the room on her own - finding similar elements at affordable prices!*

Have a look at
Krysten's Ecectic Bohemian Chic Living Room

Krysten's Eclectic/Boho Apartment by ambiancedecor featuring vintage tops

(Click the small photos above for sourcing)

When I sent this design to Krysten, she loved it! And right now she's in the process of working on her apartment design on her own time - enjoying being on her own!

Hope you're all having a wonderful day, thanks for stopping by to see this first edition of Design my Diggs! I sent my little LooLoo off to nursery school for her first day today! She came home smiling, cheerful, covered in paint - and exhausted! I couldn't get enough of her sweet little smile. Well, I'm off to the barn for an afternoon of straw chopping - FUN... ;)

Check out the Design My Diggs for Details and Entry Requirements.

xoKahl

Trestle Table & Louis XVI Chair

2012-02-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

I am in the midst of a few furniture projects right now! I thought I'd share a bit of progress with you today!
I picked this pretty little feminine Lois XVI Chair up at a flea market a couple of years ago.

It was market for $14 and I only had $7 on me, and lucky for me, he took it! It's been sitting in BooBoo's room (only because I didn't have anywhere to store it!) for a loong time, because I wanted to wait for the perfect place to use it. And now I do! I plan to use it as a filler for the living room and/or office. Not sure which one yet, but since they're pretty much the same room - whatever finishes I choose will work for both. I am planning to re-stain it in the same color it already is in, and I THINK I am leaning towards one of these fabrics...

Right now, my Grandpa is busy repairing a few of the damaged spots for me, since that part of this process is outside of my scope!

She should be a beauty by the time we're done!

The next piece is this WICKED old trestle table! Remember this post where I showed you this photo?

See that fire engine red table? THAT friends.... that little old table that I had completely forgotten about..... one that sat in my basement and gathered dust and lint... and held laundry baskets and thats about it?? That table... is about to become THE MOST FRIGGEN AWSOME DESK. EVER. It really is. I have been inspired over and over lately with office that have a stand alone, no storage desk... let me show you..

You can see, these are the desks that make my heart go pitter patter! I LOVE the look of a stand alone desk that is actually either a writers desk, or a small scale dining room table. They definitely don't offer much in storage - but I already have an IKEA Expedit cabinet in here, and a file cabinet as well. So since all of our farm office related stuff had now been relocated out in StevieBoy's new office - this office is SOLELY a home office for my small business... aka it's MINE.
Let me show you some more up close & personal pics of this desk! Excuse the poor quality photos.

We dragged her up from the basement just to see how she felt in the room. AND.LET.ME.TELL.YOU! IT.FELT.GREAT.TO.REALIZE.I.HAD.THE.PERFECT.TABLE.FOR.FREE! The scale is perfect (3"x5") for a desk - and the lines are lovely! In case you're wondering - this table and the bench in my Boot Room came as a set my parents purchased YEARS ago. They were going to get rid of them (downsizing to a smaller home) so we took the table and used it as a laundry table which was the same thing my mom used it for all those years. Let me tell you, laundry does not do this table justice!

Pretty curved feminine legs!

Decorative accents!

So after some solid research re: stripping wood myself vs. having someone else do it for me.... and coming back with 3 estimates between $200-$400 for someone ELSE to strip for me - we decided to give er' the ol' college try ourselves first. Before we spent that whack of cash of course. We picked up some reputable paint stripper, and some steel wool... and set to work without a clue what was going to happen!

We painted on a thick layer of stripper and waited the 5 minutes as per the directions, then stripped it off with a paint scraper. Did it work? Yes... I guess?? It striped a good layer off but left behind splotchy pink colored wood - as you can see in the photo above. Before going any further we decided to dry down the stripped area, and take StevieBoy's palm sander to it, to see how much it would take to get it down to the bare wood.

It took us about 3.5 seconds to realize we didn't need the stripper AT ALL - and the palm sander plugged directly into the shop vac to control dust worked amazingly well - WAY faster than stripping first. That little sander ROCKED OUR SOCKS OFF! Within about 1.5 hrs we pretty much had the whole table sanded down to bare wood!

So that's where I leave you today friends.... you'll have to wait until the reveal to see the rest!! All I can tell you is... things are looking much less red!!! Hope you're having a great day!

xoKahl

Aqua Honeymoon Cottage REVEAL!

2012-01-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

Back in the day, I blogged about my Parents Aqua Inspired Lakefront Cottage. Most of you were likely not around at that time, so check it out! I laid out a bit of a design board for the ideas regarding the new design scheme of the cottage - but didn't post any current photos of the cottage at that point.

So today ya'll are in for a scrump-diddly-umptios Before & After!

Last year my parents purchased their first cottage ever.

I know. They're insanely cute right?

It was a cute little white box in a PRISTINE LOCATION that DIRELY needed a serious overhaul. And that it got;) Let me show you some before shots..

It's going to be hard for you all to understand the afters - since the place was completely gutted, all walls torn down, windows torn out and relocated - the whole place was redone.

Here's an excerpt from the website description of the cottage now.... just to entice your tastebuds...

"This secluded, romantic spot is situated at “lanes end” on a ravine with a panoramic view of the pristine, turquoise waters of Lake Huron framed by sumac, beech, willow and pine trees. Located minutes north of Bayfield ON.
The sandy beach comes indoors with fresh aqua decor, sandstone and weathered white-board and original, warm, plank stained floors. Open double french doors from the master pine washed suite to view the sunset from your king sized, iron bed or dim pot lights and watch the flames dance in a fireplace framed by the glimmering lake."

My mama can write, ya??

Tell me you're not DYING to see the afters?

You'll have to go to the cottage website to read more and see some images of the finished cottage! Click here to see "Sunset Ridge - At Lane's End"

Isn't it fabulous!? There are still a few little accessorizing finishing touches that need to be finished but oh.em.gee - what a CHANGE eh!? The cottage went from 1 bathroom, 2 SMALL bedrooms, to one larger bathroom, and one King Suite. The kitchen was old, dated and completely uninspiring - and as you can see now - it's a bit of an oasis!

Here are a few good before & after shots too:

The tired 70's inspired waterfront cottage was a mostly second hand furnishings and mixed, dated patterns. The cottage was sold to my parents fully furnished so they had to get rid of a lot.

Refreshed! Instead of being drywalled(and avoiding cracks when the ground shifts) - freshly painted wood wall panels were used - bringing the outdoors in!

A small bathroom, with no shower and dated fixtures.

White wainscott, pedestal sink, & modern fixtures make the new bathroom shine! (Walk-in shower also shown on website)

Faux pine wall paneling run vertically in the Master Bedroom felt oh so 70's.

The new Master hosts beachy textiles, a wrought iron King bed, and weathered white washed cedar plank walls.

Dated kitchen

Martha Stewart inspired Designer Kitchen hosts gorgeous pale aqua walls, rich putty colored cabinetry and all the amenities. Cabinetry by Brian Theissen of Cabinet Effects

So... now.... lucky for you, this cottage can be RENTED!! They're asking $1000 per week during the summer months, and $140 per night for anything less than a week. Wanna go?? Book your week now!

xoKahl

Living Room & Office Curtain Reveal!

2012-01-25T07:29:00.000-08:00

SMACKAROOS - THEY'RE DONE! I love that word, done. It means I can cross something off my to do list - and crossing something off your to do list when you have 2 small munchkins at home is a BIG DEAL ya'll.
These simple living room curtains took me a little over a week to complete - at rate of about 1 panel per day - 8 panels total. I was only able to sew in the afternoons, when LooLoo was sleeping - which gave me about 2 hours each day, minus a few days that I had other things to do! Not bad!

I posted a tutorial on exactly the same style of ring clip curtains here - so check the Boot Room tutorial if you're wondering how!

After lots of pondering, this is the fabric I chose in the end! It's called "Drift, Cloud", and comes from Tonic Living - my absolutely favorite online fabric store in Toronto Ontario. It retails for $14.95 a yard but my blog readers get a 10% discount when you use the discount code AMBIANCE at checkout!

**So incredibly important that you hang your rods as close to the ceiling as possible! Adds height!**

**Also important that you hang your curtains 6"-12" out from the edge of your trim. A good half of your fabric should be hanging in front of the wall, not the window**

Office. I took these a couple of days ago when that last window wasn't done yet.

Remember all of these fabrics I ordered from Tonic, that I was choosing from for curtains & pillows?

Drift Cloud is the far left swatch. I chose this in the end for a few reasons:
1. It's neutral, and blended the soft taupe of my walls, with the soft beige of the stone in my fireplace surround.
2. It's a natural woven fabric, so the texture looks earthy and war - which is my fav
3. It has a light dandelion pattern in it that you can barely make out from afar - but adds some great visual impact and interest! All of the rest of the fabrics were either too bold, too dark, or too light for this use.

Could I have gone with a fun punchy big bold pattern? Absolutely. Would it have looked amazing? Absolutely! It just depends on the type of person you are. For me I had to ask myself: will I want to change this room again in less than 3 years. And for me, the answer is yes. I change things ALL the time, so I RARELY go with punchy patterned curtains in main living spaces because I know I like to change the rest of the room all the time, but I know I like the curtains to stay the same and be oober versatile. I knew that if I went with a neutral curtain with no bright color in it - in the summer I could add turquoise to the room. At Christmas I could take out the turquoise, and add red perhaps. In the winter maybe some warm browns & a gorgeous indigo blue. In the spring, some yellow. I am free as a bird to accessorize however I wish! This, I LOVE.

Now I am moving onto pondering what the plan is for throw pillows. Right now... here's where I'm at for the winter months..

Not sure what will be what yet. 3 fabrics will be for pillows... 1 might be an ottoman! I'll keep you posted!

Here's a quick before & after. You you can see what a HUGE difference a simple homemade custom curtain makes!

Before: No curtains

After

Hope you're having a great week! Stay turned later this week for Before & After COTTAGE photos!

xoKahl

La Cuisine

2012-01-23T06:20:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!

Not AS much on my to do list today, so I thought I'd start out the morning writing a post! It's 8:35am and Lexie is somehow STILL SLEEPING! This used to be the norm for her, but not anymore - so I am enjoying a quiet morning with my coffee & computer while Noah watches cartoons.

As most of you remember - I recently planned a mini makeover for my kitchen. (scroll down to the bottom of that post to see the design board!). I also recently completed one of the items on my 2012 to do list - fixing up the buffet in my kitchen. It was on that post, that I realized that I had never given you all a full tour of my kitchen. Reason for that? I don't love it, simple as that! That said, my kitchen has come a LONG way since we moved in - but at this point it's sort of floating along.... unsure of what is to come. I can tell you, we are not planning anything in here anytime soon. Plans for the future of this house are so up in the air that we aren't spending much money in the back addition on this house, which consists of kitchen & dinette, toy room, Boot room, and Master Bedroom.

None the less - I don't think it's fair to blog ONLY about everything I love in my home, and never show you the things I don't right!? So without further adieu, here is my kitchen!

This is our kitchen before I went to town painting the cabinetry when BooBoo was only 8 months old.

In progress

In Progress

And here is my kitchen now...

The hallway to the right in this photo leads into our newly refinished Living Room & Office

To the left of this photo, is our Bootroom.

Love this corner behind the fridge that hides a multitude of messy sins!

Just being real;) The other side of this photo was a MESS the day I took these!

Toy Room (yellow room) straight ahead, and our Loft Style Master Bedroom up the stairs on the right.

One more quick before & after before I get on my way for the day!

BEFORE

AFTER

Have a great day!
xoKahl

Living Room Before & After - Never been seen!

2012-01-18T14:20:00.000-08:00

So I've been showing you guys all of the progress on my living room - and most recently seen - the Christmas photos of our finished living room. Just the other day I realized that I have never yet done an official before & after post! While the living room is not QUITE done (I am working on sewing the drapes this week, can't wait to show you that, it's looking FABULOUS!) - it sure has come a LONG LONG way. So... let's just see how far it's come shall we?...

BEFORE. Living room in 2009

AFTER: Christmas 2011

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

That's all the time I have for today folks! Hope you're having a wonderful day!

xoKahl