Introducing Me

At work today I had the perfectly dreadful task of talking about myself for almost a full hour. One of my team projects was getting to know each other better, so my managers and I took turns sharing 3 pages worth of  "All About Me" questions. It was very embarrassing and I'm glad it's over, but it did occur to me that it might be nice to share some of those "About Me" questions here on this blog. So I don't come across as entirely psycho when you read my impromptu ramblings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

So hello. My name is Kelci, and I have a daughter, Peyton, who is 8. We currently reside in a split-level house somewhere in the middle of Iowa (I promise, I do know my own address!), with our dog Boo-boo and a guinea pig named Bugsy.  As a single mom, I am super-paranoid about stalkers and crazies (something about it takes one to know one, right...) so I do prefer to keep some things private.  Plus, I lived in Rochester, New York for five years, and paranoia about that kind of thing is kind of the norm up there. And even though I didn't see the movie about the Craigslist Killer, I heard the title and that's enough for me.

Here are some other things you may not know about me.

I'm Deaf. My mom had a virus when she was pregnant with me, and so I was born with a non-working right ear and severe hearing loss in my left ear. Being Deaf has presented several never-ending challenges in my life, but it has also given me a true appreciation for what I can hear, and a true appreciation for the friendships I have made with other Deaf people in my life. But that may be a story for another day.

I am currently a manager within a mortgage company, but my true passion is Interior Design, decorating and painting the heck outta things. I like change in my environment around me-it's what keeps me engaged and creating.

I love to read--anything and everything. I really enjoy reading young adult Sci Fi books- the City of Bones series by Cassandra Clare; the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer; the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, to name a few. My favorite way to relax is with a stack of books or magazines and a glass of Moscato and read the afternoon away.

I'm not a huge fan of TV. If the TV is on in our house, it's on Disney (for Peyton). I use Netflix to catch up on series because I hate the suspense of waiting for the next piece of the story line each week. So I'm usually 3 years behind on the popular television series and I also usually get bored with the story lines after one or two season's worth.

My favorite drink is coffee. I drink coffee every day, and pretty much all day. I don't have a favorite food, though I could live off of bread and chocolate alone. I tend to go through weird food phases where I get on a food kick and eat the same food non-stop for a week and then I won't eat it again for 2 years. Yeah, I'm weird. I'm also allergic to exercise. I was very active in high school- I danced for 14 years, I did a round with tennis, tried track, played volleyball, did cheer-leading, etc. But then my knees started giving me grief and I became allergic to pain. So now I enjoy Kyaking and Horseback riding, because there's no impact to my knees.

I hate wearing shoes. And socks. I would prefer to be barefoot all day if I had my way. And I hate shoe-shopping. The apple must not really fall far from the tree because Peyton is the same way. I get cold in 70-degree weather. I don't have much (ok, I don't have any) body fat, and I get chilled very easily. Many days my gas fireplace is my best friend.

My favorite color is teal, but it's followed pretty closely right now by emerald and magenta. And yellow. And I've found myself flirting with coral. Basically, if the color wheel spit up in my house I probably wouldn't mind too much. Sometimes, though, I can be a little anal with details and I like things perfect and uniform--Peyton calls it "matchy-matchy." When we installed the marble tile around my fireplace, we ran out of tiles, so we had to go back to the store and buy additional tiles. But the pattern didn't match exactly, and ever since it has driven me nuts. 

And the last fun fact of the day...

I'm not really a collector because I usually see it as clutter.  The only thing I truly do collect is books, because I have always wanted a library in my house.  But my Nook has led me into the electronic era and there's just no stepping back from that edge.  But last year, I did start collecting Disco Balls. I used to constantly joke about wanting a disco ball in my office, and my friend found me a big one and got it for me. And the sparkles hooked me. So now, every time I see a disco ball I have to buy it. And then, I saw a pretty image of Jadeite dishes on Pinterest and I decided to start collecting Jadeite dishes to fill up my new dining room Hutch/Command Center. Oh, it's a slippery, slippery slope, my friends.

So there you have it. A few fun and random facts about me. What about you, have you slid down any slippery slopes lately?

Making Progress and an Impulse Buy

So today there were strange men in my house. I don't know who and I don't know when, but when I came home, there was drywall tape all over the place downstairs. It's exciting times, folks.

Ok, not really. Taping and mudding drywall is about as exciting as watching a snail slinch itself ever. so. slowly. down. the. sidewalk. (Yes, I did, I just made that word up.) 

But it's ,/progress,/,/ Here are a few snapshots of what progress looks like. 

 

Just think, in three days (give or take) I will have new walls to paint! And then the exciting stuff happens, like new floors and a new bathroom with a second toilet back in the house! And then, for the really exciting part--decorating it!  

In other news, today I stopped at a consignment store over lunch and did some browsing. I might have been naughty. Ok, yes, I was naughty. 

I spied these babies: 

And even though they weren't in the best of shape, I kind of just had to have them.  I had sugarplums images like these scrolling through my head: 

Image found on Pinterest here

Image found on Pinterest here

Image found on Pinterest here

Bamboo is very popular in interior design right now. Purchasing new, however, can be very costly. And since Bamboo is not the most uh, comfortable, type of seating, I thought it made sense to keep the trendy spending thrifty.   So one of these puppies came home with me, since I could only get one in my car at a time; and tomorrow over lunch I will have to pick up the second. So exciting! (On a side note, every time someone says "So exciting!" I hear the song from Moulin Rouge in my head and it automatically completes that sentence with ",/it will run for fifty years...,/")

So, to wrap this post up, here is a sneak peek of one of the chairs in its new (less than permanent) home: 

Any votes on color? Emerald? Coral? Teal? 

My Top 5 Favorites from Birchbox

I thought I would do a quick post today about my favorite items I've discovered through Birchbox.   I've been with Birchbox for around 10 or 11 months now, and as I have shared in the past, Peyton and I get a kick out of the small samples we get each month. It's always fun getting something in the mail, even if it ends up being a product you don't use or love. (Hey, I never claimed to be rational.)

But I thought I would share the top 5 (well, ok, six) that I loved. I say 5 because I consider the Shampoo and Conditioner a set. (I'm logical like that. Sometimes.)

1. Whish Three Wishes Body Butter in Pomegranate.  I loved this lotion. Besides a nifty name that fits right up my alley (Three wishes? Genies? Anyone have one I can borrow?), the pomegranate scent was yummy. As a lotion, it did pretty well with absorbing into my skin and fighting the dryness. I drink a lot of coffee and keep my house super warm, so my skin is always dry.  (You think I'm joking. Hint. I'm not.) It does come in several other scents, which I've not tried, if pomegranate is not your thing. 
2. Eyeko Black Magic Mascara. I have thin, but slightly longish, lashes, so having mascara to define the lashes is always a good thing. I have tried a lot of mascara brands and this one has kicked all of the others out of my very cute Vera Bradley bag.  For interested parties, this is the cosmetic bag I keep all my stuff in. Isn't she cute?! 

   

   Vera Bradley Large Cosmetic Bag in Plum Crazy

3. 12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment. I used to use It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product, and that stuff is also amazing.  When Peyton's hair was longer, we would use it almost daily and it helped get her tangles out and reduce the tears. But then I got a sample of 12 Benefits and the scent is ahhhmazing and it seemed to make my hair SO silky and smooth. Same detangling benefits as we had with the It's a 10 product, but a yummier smell, so I am now a fan of 12 Benefits. 
4. Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle. This is another detangler that I ended up liking--it had a fabulous fruity smell that lingered for a very long time. It was a bit heavier on my fine hair than the 12 Benefits, and my hair wasn't as silky as with the 12 Benefits, but the scent definitely puts it in my top two for hair detanglers. 
5. The last (two) items are Davines Love Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner.  I think this is another case where the gorgeous fig smell pulls these two items into my favorites. Technically, this shampoo and conditioner set is designed to reduce frizz and detangle hair into smoother strands, and since I have fine, straight hair, I don't really need this type of shampoo/conditioner line. But the Indian Fig scent is amazing-definitely worth the investment. Oh, yeah, and my hair was pretty smooth when using it. It just reduced the body and volume that I normally strive to inject into my hair. Some days, my nose wins the battle over good hair days.

So there you have it-my top favorites from Birchbox.  What about you? Do you subscribe to any makeup sample mailing services? I've heard there are several good options out there. And of course, Peyton is always looking for more perfume and nail polish samples!  

Turtle on the Wall

It's the little things sometimes. For over a year I've had Nate Berkus's huge white lacquer turtle shell boxed up. I bought it from Target when the turtle craze exploded onto the scene (the scene being Nate Berkus + Target = mad dash to Target) and had to have one. On a side note-how insane-I just Googled Ebay for the shell and one recently sold for $132.50! I think I paid $19.99 (and it might have even been on clearance when I finally got it!).

I tried it on the entry wall. And it looked odd and not at all inspiring. I immediately took it down and didn't even bother to snap a picture.

Then, I tried to include it in the initial stages of my gallery wall.  And while it did add that extra touch of non-art that every gallery wall needs, I couldn't find a layout that really worked with it.  The layout below was the closest I found to a happy path with Mr. Berkus's turtle and it just wasn't happening for me.

Fast-forward one year to today. I stubbed my toe on the turtle box again and I hauled it out, determined to find a home for it.  I finally landed in the loo-dark navy walls and white lacquer just seemed to be fated. 

Now he's a happy shell. And truly, every time I'm in the loo now I get a ridiculous smile on my face. 

Blogger Inspired Project: Lacquer Boxes

I missed yesterday's post because Peyton was sick and it seemed I was hit with the same bug she got. Over the weekend I started in on my kitchen wall--I sanded down the stripes and primed over them. Then I did one coat of paint (Sherwin William's Harmony paint, color-matched to Glidden's Silver Birch, which is the same color in the adjacent dining and living room). After the first coat went on, I had to sand down some areas where the stripes were still visible. (Painting over stripes is. a. pain.)  Then Peyton got sick. So my kitchen is currently a disaster zone and still needs one, maybe two more coats of Silver Birch before I can stick a pin in it.

So, in lieu of an actual planned post, I thought I would share another blogger-inspired project that I started last week and finished over the weekend.  I was inspired by Jen of the IHeart Organizing blog.  Jen's blog has quickly become my favorite blog lately--her posts sharing tips on organizing, cleaning and projects have inspired me on several occasions to get up and clean or organize something.

With my love of color and anything lacquered, one of her projects really inspired me- her take on Stacking Boxes. Check her full post out here-I promise, you won't stop with just one post!!!

In any case, I followed her suggestion and stopped by Michael's and grabbed a couple of wooden photo boxes (actually, I'm not sure she used wood--but these were all I could find at my Michael's!). I got lucky because the day I stumbled into Michael's happened to be a BOGO sale. Which worked out very nicely since I bought two photo boxes, two tubes of Martha Stewart High Gloss Acrylic Craft Paint in Beach Glass and Scottish Highlands, and the Martha Stewart Crafts roller and tray kit.

On a side note-ever since I read this blog post  about Martha Stewart talking trash about bloggers, I haven't been a huge fan of hers. And I absolutely hate contributing to her bottom line when she talks bad about the people she uses to promote her products.  But my absolute favorite paint color is her Beach Glass. Such a conundrum. 

But I digress. Back to the project. I primed the boxes before I slicked on two coats of paint, followed by two coats of Poly. I ended with sticking on self-adhesive clear rubber bumpers to the base of the boxes, so the painted finish didn't stick to anything (I learned that the hard way from setting my painted tray on a painted table... ouch. Let's just say the table needs repainted now.) I also didn't add the gold tape that Jen used in hers, so I may still order a roll and add that down the line. For now, the boxes add the pop of color I wanted.  

Here is where I tell you two tubes (not four) are all that is needed to cover both boxes. Here is also where I tell you the roller and tray kit did not work for me at all. I followed the kit instructions and lightly spritzed the roller with water, dried it ever so slightly with a towel and then loaded it up with the paint. And the paint just created bubbles all over the surface. Fail. So I switched to paint brush. What I was hoping to avoid with the paint brush were brush lines. So the end result is not a perfect finish, but it will do.  If I were doing the project again I would go out and buy one of the small foam rollers from Home Depot since Martha's roller just created bubbles.  (Which, actually, I might, because I am really crushing on coral and pink together right now....ooh, and white lacquer with gold polka dots may be in the near future...) 

Still, for the first take, the end result isn't bad at all.  I snapped a few shots of the completed boxes on the completely unstyled shelves in my dining room.  I have a lot of space to fill.  I also still need to figure out how to turn the flash off on my camera. ,/,DA-da-dum,/,/ So much to do, so little time. I'll shut up now and let you look. 

You can also see the beginnings of my Jadeite collection... but that is a story for another time.  So what about you, are you inspired by other bloggers and bringing their look into your home? 

Plans for the Weekend

This weekend I will be working on my kitchen. I need to erase this.

Ah, Chevron Wall, you will be missed. It was my first blogger-inspired project and it was incredibly frustrating trying to figure out the measurements (math dunce) and took hours of taping it out. It's been up since October of 2012 (check out the first post I ever wrote!), which for me, is like dog years in paint age. I'm actually surprised I kept it up so long, but I think one of the features that made it stick so long is I am rarely ever in my kitchen and you only see the wall if you are in the dining room or kitchen. Since I don't entertain a lot, it was one of those "oh, hello" moments every time I walked in.  And I truly do love it.

I'll be sad to see it go, but it doesn't fit in with my new vision of rustic modern. It's a smidge louder than what my vision is seeking.

The other week, in the interests of seeing if I would like a gray island, I grabbed the remaining Sherwin Williams Ire Ore paint I had on hand and tried it out on the island. I also went ahead and installed the new brass pulls and knobs I bought for the island. (Sorry for the terribly overexposed iPhone photo-this was before I bought the new camera!)

Notice one pull is missing. For some reason, even though the old pull fit perfectly in that third drawer, none of the new pulls would fit. The holes must be off... just a smidge.   I am hoping my dad can teach me how to use a drill to fix it.  (Kelci with power tools... that's kind of a scary image. Like this one..) 

Yes, that is me, using a nail gun, on a scaffold, putting on siding for Habitat for Humanity. Only one of my friends was brave enough to be near me with that puppy.

I'm not sure I'm in love with the Iron Ore color--just as it was on the wall, in some lights it appears more brown than gray to me, so I may just go with my initial color preference and grab a small quart of Benjamin Moore's Kendall Charcoal. I have seen this in so many rooms and have always loved the color.  So that may be in the agenda for this weekend as well.

So here is the plan for this Phase 1 Redecoration:

1. Sand, prime and paint Chevron wall. 
2. Decide if I'm not cuckoo for Iron Ore and paint island in Kendall Charcoal
3. Fix island drawer so new pull will fit (STAT!)
4. Fix drawers on kitchen cabinets that are crooked
5. Close up the hole/space over the microwave
6. Paint kitchen cabinets
7. Replace counters (island and perimeter)
8. Replace window (it has a crack in the glass)
9. Replace window roman shades (they are old, food splattered and falling apart)
10. Install Wall Paper
11. Do happy dance. 

I would love, if the budget allows, to replace my refrigerator because it is old and tired, and my dishwasher because it won't open easily; but I want stainless steel appliances and I am slightly obsessive about fixtures and finishes being consistent with appliances, so I'm not sure I can handle  some white and some silver. If I were patient and could wait and upgrade over time, sure no problem. But let's be honest. That's not me. 

But I really want to finish the basement media room, which still requires mudding the drywall, replacing the floors and getting a new couch in down there (there's nothing down there now!) So I feel that takes priority over the kitchen appliances for now. 

So that's where I'm headed this weekend. How about you? 

The Command Center (not overly commanding at this time.)

So in this picture you get a peek of my new "Command Center," (the white desk/hutch combo on the far right) which has a long ways to go before I can stick a pin in it.

I found this desk/hutch combo at a furniture consignment store and had to have it. It was a beast getting it home. The desk just barely fit into my dad's van and we were able to haul it back to my place. My legs are still lightly dotted with some colorful cheetah spots. This puppy is one heavy piece of work.  The hutch, on the other hand, would not fit into my dad's van. So there was some discussion about renting a u-haul or having my dad go out to his brother's farm to grab the trailer. But then the weather conspired and a potential snowstorm had us re-thinking the option of an open trailer. So we asked for delivery, but the furniture delivery man wanted an exorbitant price, so we went back to the open trailer and prayed. Finally, after much ado, the hutch came home.

She needs a good coat of paint as the paint is scratched off in some areas and there are crayon marks all over the desk (it appears it used to be a girl's desk and there is much suspicion her crayons marched to a different drummer...). But until it is warmer out, I am not inspired to slap a paint of coat on yet. So in the interim, I loaded up a few shelves with books and some knick-knacks. The books bother me a little bit, as it makes it feel more office/desk-like. And, seeing as it's in my dining room, it is really intended to be more of a display hutch/Command Center.  But I am not overly much a knick-knack (paddy whack...) girl, so I find myself suddenly in need of a collection. Other than books.

Enter inspiration. From Pinterest. Of course. Where else. 

Image found here

I am LOVING the mix of Jadeite and Opaline dishes (and while I'm at it, someone needs to get me those super-high ceilings and that ahhhmazing pendant light). And while the image above does slant towards a countryish-french look, I am thinking I may have found something to dress up my hutch with. The trick will be to keep it somewhat more rustic-modern. Not sure if I can pull that off. Because honestly, that display above is gorgeous!!!

Now, does anyone have an insta-Jadeite collection for sale, since you know.. I'm kind of fickle. Who knows what bent I'll be on next week.