Another Kitchen Update

 I’m not sure if it’s the fact that we’ve been home since mid March, or because I’m always in the need of change, but I made a few updates to my kitchen. Remember when I decided to paint my kitchen navy blue? Well I still love the color, but wanted to take a little more modern approach to the rest of the area. HGTV is my own worst enemy in that I want to take all the ideas and apply them to my own home. I have my limitation, however I can paint, change out hardware, and redecorate with accessories like rugs, lamps, and throw pillows.

For my newest kitchen update, paint and hardware were the name of the game. I love the look of contrasting cabinet colors and thought gray lowers and white uppers would be a nice compliment to the navy walls. I headed to Home Depot and picked all the grays I liked best. From there, I narrowed it down to four and taped them against the blue wall, the white cabinets, and our charcoal countertops. I wanted to make sure that the gray played well with all of those surfaces. The family weighed in and the clear winner was French Silver, a subtle light gray. 

When prepping for paint, it’s quite a process. Or at least it should be. I removed all the cabinet doors, one side of the kitchen at a time, and lined them up according to where they hung. I wanted to make sure they lined up when I re-hung them. I cleaned both sides with Simple Green, a great, non-toxic household cleaner, before I began painting. Cleaning prior to painting allows the paint to go on smoothly and you won’t brush in dust and particles along the surface of your project. I also sanded any imperfections, especially along the edges where wear and tear were the worst. Wipe away all debris. Now it’s painting time! I like to cut out along the edges before rolling on the paint. Rolling gives you a smoother look than a brush, I feel like you can see the brush strokes, but the cutting out gives you a nice edge. And always apply two coats for complete coverage. 

And guess what? This girl was going to totally cut corners and not repaint the uppers white. I was going to just leave the old paint that was applied 18 years ago!! But I guilted myself into doing it and so glad I did! It looks so bright and fresh. Word to the wise, don’t cut corners. If you’re going to paint one thing, paint it all! And clean! Good grief! Because my cabinets on the right side of the kitchen are open faced, they were filthy! Not anymore! 

The last change I made to the cabinets was new hardware. Originally, I thought I wanted to go the trendy route with brass. Brass is all the rage and it’s not your Mama’s 90s brass! However, I saw a kitchen remodel on Christina on the Coast where she did all black and I was hooked! Matte black to be exact. These new pulls are substantial too. Heavy and classic. I love it. The next thing I will add is a matte black faucet for the sink, but I can’t find one I want and I’m not going to settle. Also, I don’t really want to hire a plumber right now so that change will have to wait!

So, now I have these gorgeously painted cabinets with amazing new hardware. I have a fabulous kitchen table that’s black and dark brown in tone. And I have this dated brick curved fireplace in the kitchen. It’s red and shiny and doesn’t go at all. So, I had to paint that too. I had to paint it black!! My husband wasn’t terribly excited about it. He was pushing me toward a charcoal gray, but let’s be honest, charcoal gray wasn’t right. Black was what it needed!

 I did so much research! I pinned all the pins on Pinterest, read all the ways to go about painting a brick fireplace, and I found so many different pieces of advice. One was to use a liquid sander to help take the varnish off the brick. That didn’t work! At all! So, I talked to the paint guys at both Home Depot and Sherman Williams and they both said the same thing. Prime it first and then paint. So, I primed it first. I used Kilz, which I had the paint department tint to a dark gray, and applied. That worked in the place of sanding as it provided a matte finish to the brick, which is what I wanted before painting. 

After a very insightful discussion with the paint guy at Home Depot, I decided against using a matte finish  paint and went with eggshell. He said that if I applied a matte paint, the fireplace would look like a black hole in the wall because there wouldn’t be a sheen when light hit it. Always talk with your experts! That’s why they are the experts!

I am so happy with how the whole thing came together! My kitchen may be from the 1960s, but it doesn’t look that way anymore! The cabinet colors are perfect with the navy walls and charcoal countertops. The black fireplace looks like it’s been there the whole time. It’s modern without looking out of place. I never want to leave this kitchen!!

When it comes to home improvement projects, I am here to tell you that you just need to go for it! I was never worried about the gray lower cabinets, but was I was so leery of the black fireplace. Not sure why I ever doubted myself! It all turned out exactly like I had envisioned! Yours will too!

XO,

Andrea

Kids Mask - Charlie Hustle Has You Covered

 Masks are clearly a new way of life for all of us! It’s like the old Amex tag line, we never leave home without one. And when we pack them up, they have to be super cool, a fun design, and match our outfits of course! So when Charlie Hustle reached out to me and asked if we would be interested in styling their kids masks, we shouted yes! I love working with local businesses and I love sharing their products with you. This product is so important right now and every kid needs a super awesome mask!

We may not be going to tons of indoor spaces right now, but we are going out and about. And even while outside, we need to cover our faces. These KC Heart Kids face masks are super soft and made of recycled materials, which I love, because taking care of the environment is also high on our list! They are all color blocked, giving kids a playful look that will jazz up any daily outfit, which also allows them to keep their individuality!

So, where have we been? Well, anywhere that’s outside, really. However, McKinley does attend a private tennis lesson once a week, and after 30 minutes of running, foot drills, and tons of swinging that racket, he’s still able to breath, doesn’t feel too hot, and can communicate easily with his coach. All positives in his book. Mine too! 

For outdoor activities, we’ve been apple picking, on our annual Mama and McKinley back to school Plaza Fountain Tour, Top Golf, and a visit to an alpaca farm. I’ve tried to keep summer busy, fun, and positive, which is all we can do right now, no? And all while social distancing, following city and state guidelines, and smiling through the masks, because you can still smile through the eyes!!

Want some of these stylin’ masks for your kids? Well you are in luck! You can get a three pack of these non-medical, washable/reusable, Supima Cotton masks for 15% off when you spend $25! Just use this link and promo code: KCMAMA 15 https://bit.ly/3iWvCn4. And for every mask sold, Charlie Hustle will donate one mask to the Fox 4 Love Fund for Children campaign to provide 40,000 youth masks to KC Students. (Masks are intended for ages 5-10.) Offer valid until September 30th.

So now the only question are, where will you wear yours and how are you going to style them?

XO,

Andrea

This is a sponsored post, however all opinions expressed are my own.

Cooking from My Loffredo Fresh Produce Boxes

Do you remember when going to the grocery store seemed like a chore? The one weekly errand that seemed dreadful? I know I do! And now, like many others, I find myself struggling with getting anything from my local grocery store. And longing for more fresh produce. I know I'm not alone. So, how happy was I to partner with Loffredo to help spread the word regarding their fresh produce boxes!

Loffredo is a full-line produce and specialty company that services Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, and the Quad Cities. And recently, they have added fresh produce options to the public to their list of growing services. So what does this mean for you? It means you can order fresh produces boxes that contain enough food to feed a family of four for a week! Their produce boxes come in two different options, one fruit or one vegetable, and each box is only $25! 

When they approached me, I told them yes immediately! I wanted to share with all of you the steps involved, what the boxes contained, and how I planned/cooked from these boxes over the course of one week. And cook I did! And baked. What a pleasure it has been to serve fresh foods daily and experiment with new recipes. I'm honestly thinking of ordering another set of each box next week! So how do you order? Read on....

To place your order for a fresh produce box, simply head here to the the Loffredo myshopify link. Scroll through until you find Pick Up in Kansas City. Upon ordering, you can pick up your curbside order at Loffredo Fresh Foods warehouse located at 750 Wyoming St, Kansas City, MO 64101. You will find their schedule for pickup on the site. Once your order has been placed, it will be available based on the schedule provided. Ordering is quick and simple and outlines the contents within each box. Again, you can order one of each box. 

Just check out the amazingness!

I cleaned all of my produce in a water bath of apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. I let them soak for about 15 minutes and I scrubbed the items that have harder exteriors. I let them all air dry on the counter top.

This entire process also lead me to cleaning out my fridge! Man, does stuff get pushed to the back! I threw out all the old, cleaned every single shelf, and then placed all the produce in pretty bowls, if it allowed.

 

The first night I served up leftovers, but cut up one of the heads of lettuce to make wedge salads. I added grape tomatoes I already had on hand, along with some feta cheese, and added the desired dressing. So simple, but so much crunch!

 

And I simply added sliced strawberries to McKinley's plate!

Found out my dad loves blackberries, so I made some blackberry bars for him the next day. I kept a few for us as well. Man, they were so good. A breakfast treat or for a snack during the day. I did both!

For dinner on night two, I made stuffed peppers! I used the Pioneer Woman's recipe, but made modifications based on what I had. I used mild Italian sausage instead of hamburger and the peppers, Roma tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow onion from the box. This was a two night meal that lead into a third day lunch. See below....

Day three, I made apple bread from one of the apples from the box. 

Lettuce from the box made lettuce cups with the extra filling from the stuffed peppers dinner! 

Day Four, Saturday if we're keeping track of days I'm cooking from the box. (This doesn't include leftover days.) I made broccoli salad as a side for our dinner. I used the two heads of broccoli, two apples, and one of the giant carrots.

We eat daily on the grapes, oranges, and grapefruit. I am going to cube up the pineapple and freeze it for smoothies. I made a fruit salad with the cantaloupe, kiwi, and other fruits. And, I plan to make potato boats from the baking potatoes that were in the box as well. Leave your potatoes and onion in a cool, dry space until you plan to use them. This will keep them from rotting. 

Going into this week, I still have a zucchini, that I may use for zucchini bread. I'm using my lemons and limes as add ins when needed. Apples are still being used for snacks. Grapes are almost gone. And a slice of orange, or two, make it into my Blue Moon during much needed Happy Hours! 

Honestly, this box has been a lifesaver this past week. And I'm truly ready to order my next round. I love having fresh fruits and veggies and I've really enjoyed advancing my culinary creations! A huge shout out to Pinterest!! 

If you decided to order, share your recipes and how you used the contents! It's too good an option to pass up!!

XO,

Andrea

*This is a sponsored post, but all opinions expressed are my own. 

From Bedroom to Craft Room

Eighteen years ago this coming May, we moved into our house. And for nearly seventeen of those years, we used one of our three rooms as a spare bedroom. And in those seventeen years, I think I can count on two hands the amount of times it was used it for guests. 

In August of 2018, I was asked by Better Kansas City if I would like to come on their daily morning show and share one of my current projects. I jumped at the opportunity. I went on the show and talked about my kitchen update and how I did it myself. And as fate would have it, I have been on every month for a full year talking about everything from front porch updates, DIY lighting, and craft projects for kids and adults! 

And as I result from this amazing experience, I found that I needed to create a space to call my own for working and finalizing projects. Up until then, I was using either our kitchen table or coffee table in the den, leaving behind a giant mess until the project was complete. Sometimes it would take a few days. Others weeks. Last year I took matters into my own hands, and decided to convert the spare bedroom that no one was using (except for a catch all of all the things) and turn it into my very own work space. I dubbed it, my craft room.

It all started with clearing the entire space out! Ridding ourselves of the iron bed, that's still for sale by the way, gifting the mattress and box springs, cleaning out the chest of drawers and donating/pitching its contents, and selling it to a family for their kids room. We were down to bare bones!

I had a few ideas of what I wanted the space to look like, but I wasn't exactly sure how to make it come to life. I wanted girly glam with pink walls, touches of golds and accents of black. But my husband was not buying into the pink. He kept giving his input on other colors that he thought I would like. Like yellow or lilac. Nope! Not colors I liked or wanted. I wanted pink. Not bubble gum pink. I wanted pale pink. Ballet slippers pink. A hint of pink.

So how I did I decide? I'm a huge fan of the SureSwatch product. It comes with four sheets that you paint with various shades of paint, allow them to dry after two coats, and then hang in the room you are looking to paint. Move them around the room, allowing different light to hit them throughout the day, so you know what shade works best in the space. And for me, it was Barely Blush! The small piece of paper attached to the swatch was a wallpaper I was thinking of using on the accent wall, but instead I went with all painted walls and would later add photos.

Because the room hadn't been touched in seventeen years, the ceiling needed a fresh coat of paint too. And before the paint was barely dry, I was working with my dad to install the antique wire egg basket we turned into a light for a DIY project for Better Kansas City! I had always wanted to create my own light fixture and this was the perfect time to do it! It's amazing what you can do with a light kit and a little imagination. I love this piece. It's probably my favorite DIY to date. And I especially love how the orangy rust patina plays off the pink walls around the room! It's stunning!

Finally, it was time to paint! However, when I applied the first coat, I felt a slight panic. The lighting from the overhead light cast odd shadows and bright highlights. But I continued with my quest. When I turned off the light, and allowed the natural light to flow in from the window, all was calm. All was the perfect shade of pink! This room was knocked it out in a weekend! Walls in a day! The trim, baseboards, and window were bright white and completed by Sunday!

If you remember, several years ago I took a small portion of our den and turned it into my office. I painted one wall grey to give it color. I used a small sofa table as my desk, an antique cabinet for storage, a tufted desk chair, and bright yellow rug for a little pop. For my “new room”, I knew it needed to be a dual purpose room. A craft room yes, but an office as well. So I took the existing desk, chair, and cabinet up to its new home and played around with placement. We ended up putting the desk by the window so that I could look out at the world while lost in what to type next. I placed my yellow cabinet along the "entry" wall, so that when you walked by, it was the first thing that caught your eye. I find it to be the sweetest little cabinet and I love the aged paint. And I added the cutest chair to the mix!! Who doesn't need a shaggy gray chair in the corner to provide a space for reading or just pondering what project to work on next! 

The art deco mirror came from the old office as well. And I finally had a place to hang my wedding bouquet that was under the spare bed for nearly seventeen years! The rug was found in my parents basement and how perfectly does that pink compliment the walls and the green the chair?!? Fate!! 

 

The kitchen island that my husband gave me for Christmas makes the perfect crafting table! It has amazing storage, the middle drawer pulls out on both sides, and the open shelving helps display pretty sequins, glitter, and other shiny objects! 

Some of the little things that helped the room take shape were the addition of bright prints in different shapes and material. The frames were originally a bleached wood, but after covering the glass with paper grocery bags and blue tape, I spray painted them all a glossy black. I dug out my "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" print from the basement and hung it on the wall above my desk. Again, the colors pair perfectly. And lastly, I painted the closet doors with chalkboard paint so that my son can doodle while hanging out with me! It's a craft room after all! 

What I love most about this room is that it’s perfectly me! No, I'm not typically a pink girl, but the color reflects the mood of the room. A calming space for creativity, relaxation, and escaping when I need a little me time! 

When creating a new space within an existing room of your home, it doesn’t have to be costly. Mine all came together with odds and ends of things that I already had around my house. Pieces that worked in a smaller space still work in a "larger" one. I shopped out of my parents basement, and around their home as the yellow cabinet was borrowed from the a long time ago, but purchased new when needed/wanted and I added my own touch to amp up the chicness. And now, when I step into this room, I finally have a space that is just for me.

XO,

Andrea