Back Door Entryway

Our back door entryway is right off of the kitchen.  Here's what it looked like when we first moved in.

The first little update we did was to add bamboo paneling.  (The post on this DIY project can be found here.)  We had ceiling damage and instead of tackling the daunting task of skim-coating the plaster, we decided to just cover it up.

Then we decided to add some board and batten to the walls to add some visual appeal.  But it could also be very functional by adding hooks for coats and bags.  Here's a look at the start of the project when we were working on our kitchen re-do.

And finally, here is the reveal.

We added the board and batten, hooks from Ikea, and carried the same paint colors from the kitchen.

We also replaced the original door with this full glass door.  It adds so much light to this previously dark nook.

This is the best look- functionality for little backpacks :)

Thrify Decor Chick

Kitchen Featured on Remodelaholic

 Today my kitchen makeover is being featured by Remodelaholic.  Hop on over to read all about the process and to see more kitchens with two-tone cabinets.

Homemade Ninja Turtle Costume

My son knew right away that he wanted to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for Halloween this year.  So I immediately started to brainstorm how to make that costume.  I was so happy with how last year's piñata costume came out that I knew I wanted to make a homemade costume again.  Here's how it turned out.

Raphael!

And here's a quick breakdown:

And know that garden tools can be TMNT weapons too :)

Hiiii-yaaa!

Linking up with Friday Favs Party at Nap Time Crafters

DIY Kitchen Redo

I have been absent from blogging for way too long!  But I'm back with an awesome project.  My husband had the summer off from school and on day one he began demo on our kitchen.

This is what our kitchen used to look like.

The cabinets, countertops and floor were all the same orangey-brown.

And now looking back, it was so dark.

Our plan was to replace the countertops and floor but to keep the cabinets and paint them.  So in preparation, we disassembled the cabinets and trim and labeled each piece.

Next up, we did lots of sanding and de-glossing.

We put up a plastic curtain to try to keep the dust out of the rest of the house...but that dust somehow finds its way everywhere!

And after many weeks of hard work here is the BEAUTIFUL after!  So bright and clean looking.

We decided to have hardwood floors put in to warm up the room and look more cohesive with the rest of the house.  And being in a kitchen, the floors have an extra layer of polyurethane.

I really loved the look of two toned cabinets so we went with a white for the uppers and a blue/gray for the lowers.

 I especially love our full wall of tile.  It really sparkles at night  :)

We replaced the original glass with seedy glass to give it a little more texture and dimension.

And since we have so much pattern with the tiled wall/backsplash we decided to go with a solid color Corian countertop.

Here's a look at the breakfast bar leading into the dining room.

The breakfast nook is so inviting now.

I found these two chairs on Craigslist for only $60.  I just had to reupholster the seats.

I already had this bench cushion made a few years ago...

...and then found this fabric at JoAnn's.  I think it matches perfectly!

This view shows our new back door and our final project of adding batten board to the back hallway.  All it needs is some paint and coat hooks.

I love the look of our integrated sink.  No seams!

As for the cabinet paint, we went with a satin finish and used 2-3 coats on top of a primer layer.  It was a long process but a necessary one to withstand its constant use.

The upper cabinet color is Muslin White by Glidden and the bottom color is Pencil Point by Behr.

I'm in love!

Linking up with Thrifty Decor Chick



Linking up with Between Naps on the Porch



Valentine's Day for Boys

My son is OBSESSED with dinosaurs.  So it was a done deal when I came across this DIY valentine on Pinterest:

Here is my version:

I used stationary cards that I already had and traced a clipart image of a cute dinosaur onto construction paper.  A few Brach's heart candies are the dino's spikes.

Here's the inside...complete with my son's "signature."

Here he is working hard :)  Isn't he cute??

Just be careful that they don't try to pick the candies off :)

Have a DINO-MITE Valentine's Day!