[Kitchen Clean Up] All Done - Before & Afters

The kitchen makeover is finally complete!

Here's some before and afters... (picture overload... sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Side by Side:

The Extended View:

Now:

Up Next:  Striping the Living Room....

Goin' Goin' Back Back to Cali Cali

So after we arrived in LA, we picked up the car, dropped our stuff at the hotel, and headed to dinner at our favorite Mexican Restaurant.... Don Antonio's.

Sound familiar?... yeah, its also a favorite spot of the couple everyone loves to hate - Speidi.

'The Hills' Guide to Los Angeles

After some yummy fish tacos, we moved on to the Westside Pavilion.  It's a small-ish (for L.A.) mall, but it's close to Grandma's and there is a Nordstrom and a See's Candy so it works for us.

My mom was hunt for.... god, what wasn't she on the hunt for - shoes, jeans, handbag, bracelet you name it!...   I stuck to my shopping ban only buying a box of See's Lollis and small box of truffles to "share" with the husband.  A good wife can't come home without some treats, right??

My mom was able to make a few scores.  A marked down summery yellow handbag at Macy's and some jewelry at F21 (at my request).  I'm not a lover of F21 clothing, but you can't be the prices on the cute and trendy jewelry.  Costume jewelry at Nordies or Macy's will run you 2-3x the amount you can pick up something for play at F21.  My mom was running around like a tween picking up the "SOOO Cool" necklaces, bracelets, and rings....  Valley Girl at heart...

Franco Sarto Chelsea II Tote

Forever 21 - Beaded Tribal Bib Necklace $10.80

Forever 21 - Beatriz Metal Bracelet Set $8.80

Forever 21 - Layered Floral Ring $4.80

After spanning the mall we made our way back to the hotel, it was getting close to midnight EST which is way past our nerdy bedtime.

Friday morning we woke up early and I got dressed in my pre-planned polyvore travel set....

Melanie Button Cuff Cardigan - J.Crew

Liquid Bouquet Tank - Anthropologie

JBrand Skinnies - TJ Maxx (seriously!)

Metallic Blush Majorie Flats - J.Crew

Stormy Grey Morning After Mini - Rebecca Minkoff

Opal Disc Stretch Bracelet - South Moon Under

Coral and Gold Earring (can't see) - Banana Republic (no longer available)

A quick stop to Hillside Memorial Park, then we headed to Junior's Deli for breakfast.

Filled up on too many cups of coffee, chocolate chip pancakes (I'm a kid and can't resist), and some scrambled eggs, onion, and lox - which was sooo good.  I forget how much I love Jewish food sometimes... 

Cali Deli's are like NJ Diners... but only better!

After filling up we headed over to Century City, where the shopping far exceeds the Westside Pavillon.  I had a hard time resisting making a purchase in Zara, but the few things I would have broken the ban for weren't in my size - crisis diverted.  I did however by my mom her Mother's Day Present early, after she was happy with trying on some "Not Your Daughter's" Jeans (snicker) at Macy's.  We continued to walk off breakfast and enjoy the California sunshine.

After that we finally headed to Grandma's spent some time visiting then headed back to Don Antonio's to catch up with my mom's bestie since 8th grade and another middle school classmate.

Alas, no Speidi sighting this time either....

[Kitchen Clean Up] Come Together...

After the plane landed, I like everyone else on board, turned on my phone.  In my inbox, a picture message from the Husband....

Evidence that our contractor had gotten back to work - cabinet doors!!

crappy discolored text pic

The backordered backsplash (say that 10x fast) tiles came in on Friday. 

Here is what the kitchen looks like as of yesterday evening....

He still needs to cut the very last row of tiles to reach up to the underside of the cabinets, then he'll grout (which should be happening as I type!).  The remaining cabinet doors and drawers should hopefully be returned tomorrow.

Aside from decorative things, like potentially added some crown molding to the top cabinets, under cabinet lighting, and little things like some counter stools - we are almost done readers! 

Piss off pink purplish kitchen...

Packing Light & Celebrity Sight

Well, I did it.  I packed one bag... and not a rolly-small suitcase carry-on style bag (that would have been too easy), but a backpack bag.

Seriously.

large backpack and oversized handbag - CHECK!

Since I strategically pre-planned my packing list (catch up here), I knew there wasn't too much to bring along.

the daily breakdown

I also packed up some baubles and reduced my toiletries to samples and 'travel' sizes.

 

 

It was a heavy back pack, but it sure was nice not having to drag wheeled luggage around through crowded terminals and narrow plane aisles. 

I met my momma at the airport, we snacked on some iced lattes and baked goods before boarding our non-stop flight to LAX.  I saved my InStyle when it arrived last week, so I would have something to read.

InStyle May 2010 Issue (image via JustJared.com)

Typically I skip the "beauty" reads.  Articles touting $150 eye creams and hair serums for 'perfect curls' just aren't something I'm vastly interested in - show me the latest handbags, heels, and hot pants (?) sorry, I'm a sucker for alliteration if you haven't noticed.  However the leading article "150 Best Beauty Buys" was a great read.  Admittedly, I do use a lot products they ranked since I obsessively check reviews on websites, blogs, and message boards before committing to new products, but it was nice to read that other (ahem.. cheaper) items made their list too.

Ironically enough, as I was flipping through my read and debating over swiping my credit card for $6 (live!)DirectTV, an older flight attendant decided that "I look like I would know..."

....don't you just hate questions that begin that way?  You know you're being profiled for something, but you're so embarrassed about what the person is potentially thinking... you know what I mean??

...well, the flight attendant thought 'I looked like I might know.... what movies Scarlett Johansson has been in?'

As I immediately drew a blank (from the aforementioned fear of what in the world a 60something woman thought a 20something -alright potentially teen-aged looking to her -would 'look like she would know') she proceeds to mention that SHE'S SITTING IN FIRST CLASS!

I always peek around when flying from the NYC area to LAX, but I've never noticed anyone famous before.  So as I'm trying to come up with movies that the lady has heard of, I looked down and saw Miss Johansson staring back at me.  I pulled up my magazine and said - "Oh! She's on the cover of my magazine..." and the flight attendant reaches in and says "I'll see if she'll sign it for you".

At this point, I'm kinda confused.  As a 27 year old, I'd never really ask a celebrity for their autograph (or picture for that matter) unless they were working.  I feel like the paparazzi is intrusive enough, that I don't need to be bothering them on their personal down time.

I also was wondering if the flight attendant thought I was a kid  ??

... and do I look like I would be a human database of celebrity movie trivia - because I totally am, if by celebrity movie trivia you mean celebrity gossip junkie...

She returned back and said she was told she couldn't ask.

It's too bad I didn't get to see a sighting, and even worse that I'm still unsure if her hunky husband was traveling with her!

Back [to the] Feature

Hi Readers!  I'm back from the left coast... but even more more exciting is that I've been featured on Gigi's Gone Shopping as one of the "5 Minutes with" bloggers!


I was super excited when Gigi asked me to participate.  I'm sure lots of you already follow her fabulous blog, but if not, definitely subscribe.  She is the QUEEN of fitting room reviews, which is super helpful when you are unsure of quality and fit when shopping online.  She also posts great deals and does extensive reviews during sale time...

Thanks Gigi!!





Happy Monday!

So Fetch!

Recently some bloggers have been posting about Balmain's $1625 Slashed Army T-Shirt (true story)...

Net-A-Porter $1625

Aside from the water-spitting price tag, does this come to anyone's mind?

... it's probably due to my Mean Girls obsession (fav movie ever... seriously).

Check out.....

The Look 4 Less - for a MUCH cheaper alternative

...Love Maegan - for how to DIY your own Balmain inspired top

CocoPerez - general reaction of the overpriced tee

[Piperlime Perk] It's Baaaackk

That's right, the monthly Piperlime Perk has changed again.


It appears to be back to giving you a 20% Coupon Code when you sign up for emails.

Click HERE

Type "HOORAY" in the search box to take you to the secret offer.   In my 20% Coupon Code experience, after signing up you will be given the code in your confirmation, then the code will be emailed to you the next day.  Valid for first time registrants only!



Happy Shopping!

Because cuteness should be shared....

Carry on.....

Muchas Gracias

 I've recently been nominated the Sunshine Award by two Fab Bloggers...

Kelsey at Kesley Lately & Kimberlee at Live and Love Beauty

I'm a goon and don't like playing by the rules (and a lot of the bloggers I'd select have recently been awarded themselves...)

so instead, I ask you readers to check these lovely ladies out!