Pretty Cute Things

{not my kitchen, but I love this look...photo credit unknown}
My kitchen walls are now painted green, Ancestral Gold (Sherwin Williams) a very light creamy green. The house is beginning to come together, I just needed a little break from showing you all of the progression pictures...needed some pretty things to look at, ya know.

{Pottery Barn: Clearance items}

{P. Barn items: clearance of course}

I love the solid colored pillows and the edging on them. These would look fabulous on my slip covered sofas.

{P. Barn again}

I think these zebra cushions would give some pizazz to my dining chairs.

{P. Barn}

Like this red distressed key sign, if I needed anything else on my walls I would seriously consider buying this. Right now my mantra is "GETTING RID of ALL this JUNK in my HOME" and buying more more more is just not in the plan...(even IF it's really inexpensvie). Get it, Got it, Good?!

Off to get the crew ready for church, even though little sis wants to watch Mama Mia right now.

Home Improvement {Episode #6}

My painting ladies {they're awesome} are taking wallpaper down in the formal living room, CANNOT wait to see what the room looks like when it's all said and done. Now, all I have to do is pick a paint color for this room. {that should be easy right?!?} I'm going for the light, airy, fresh look in my living room, but something that will coordinate with my den and kitchen as well.

The den is DONE!!!!!!!!!! I really love the paint and it looks SO much better than it did. {the deer is going away, so say goodbye...sorry honey, it's gone even though you don't know this yet} The small sofa you see over there, the one that is all "santa fe-ish".....GOODBYE, you'll have a nice fresh, new slipcover placed upon thee. Oh, the ideas that I'll be doing in here to freshen this place up. The carpet in here will be leaving as well.......WOO HOO!!!!!! Can anyone say, "area rugs" with me? Good Job!

I'm hanging in there folks....hanging in there. This is a process, but it needed to be done. Really ready to show you guys my "AFTER" photos, it will be a photo frenzy. Not just one room, but 4!

I have a sweet sweet blogging friend that is helping me out in the kitchen designing department...paint colors and such. *sigh*

Send good vibes my way folks, I have a sick girl at home right now and wanting her to feel better.....so, send those vitamin C covered vibes my way. Thanks.

Thanks Dee

Thank you so much Tea with Dee for the Kreativ Blogger award.

Home Improvement {Episode #5}: Design Dilema's and Inspiration Kitchens

I WOULD REALLY LIKE SOME FREE ADVICE HERE.......HELP ME WITH SOME PAINTING DECISIONS IN MY KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM. THANKS.
This is an old picture (from B girls 1st birthday party), but I wanted you to see the dining table and chairs. They're the same color as ALL of the wood in the kitchen and dining area. I'm wanting to paint the table and chairs (probably black or white) to lighten things up a bit.

The above photo is full of inspiration (unknown source unfortunately). I would love the look of white cabs in my kitchen, but don't have the energy to paint right now. I'm also afraid of painting them in fear that they'll be scuffed and scratched by my sweet children. :(

Another unknown source, but I love the green in here and the table, I'd like to keep the top of my table brown like this with the rest painted. See the side table pictured?... That table reminds me of my cabinets and I'm thinking that I could possibly KEEP my orange-ish cabinets as is (with new knobs) b/c I like the look here. What do you think? I'm just absolutely NOT in the mood for painting cabinets right now since I have SO many projects going right now as it is.

Again, love the look of this (unknown) inspiration room. As you can see, I really like tans, greens and whites together.

I am VERY grateful for my large kitchen, just needing to update her a bit. Do you think I can update without painting all of this woodwork? Just so many built-ins. So much wood, so brown, so orange, so NOT cheerful. I'm cheerful and want to reflect that in my kitchen (since this is the room where I am all of the time).

The bar stools will be painted black or white...probably white to brighten the space.

Orangey cabinets with brass hardware that I am tired of, thinking a nice silver would like nice on them.

Lots of space folks. The wooden chair rail on the lower half of the walls will be white and I'd like to paint the walls a shade of green that will look nice with my existing cabs. Should I also paint the brick wall here? White? I like the brick as is, but would it look more updated and fresh w/ white paint?

LOOOOOVE this kitchen.......just more yummy inspiration to gander upon. (unknown source once again)

Like this kitchen as well. I told you that I'm wanting GREEN (not sure what green yet) in my kitchen, but I'll also have a few red accents in here as well. (little kid red vintage chairs)




Here is my plan:
1. Leave orangey cabs as is (b/c I'm worn out and don't want to paint), but change out hardware throughout the kitchen.

2. Paint bar stools, paint dining table and chairs, paint walls and chair rail on wall. Possibly paint brick in kitchen white.

Now, have I over loaded you? Hope not. Tell me what YOU think, throw your advice my way...write me a novel in your comments if you'd like. Thank you in advance. Now.....comment away.

Home Improvement {Episode #4}...help me answer a grout question.

Tile is being laid....happy mama.

I've been going back and forth on painting the cabinets, I seriously cannot make up my mind. I'll post more pictures later when the room is finished and we can talk paint then or possibly sanding and staining. ...we'll talk. So what do you think so far?

I need a little help here:

Question: What color should I use as grout, is light or dark or in between better? Helpy.

Home Makeover {Episode #2 and #3}

Mc walking on the floor after carpet was ripped up in dining room. Everything has been ripped up in kitchen, base boards are off as of last night.

This is what's happening right now, hardiebacker is going down.

Home Improvement With the Baker 5 {Episode #1}

There's a fridge in my living room. There is furniture where it shouldn't be. There are partially primed walls.

There's a chaotic laundry room.

My sweet little china cabinet is not in her regular "home". {even the kitten is confused}

The dining room is quite bare, the walls have just been started, the floors are begging to be pulled up.
Everything is a bit out of whack right now and THIS is just the beginning, I'm already thinking ahead to what the "after" will look like.....instead, I need to just go through this chaos day by day.
Thank you for going through this journey of home improvement with me even if we're only on DAY #1.

What Have I Been up to: Priming, Cleaning, Painting

My inspiration photo: Eddie Bauer, Valspar Paint (from Lowe's). I'll be painting the walls Bungalow Gold and the fireplace in my room will be white like this pic. shown (except I'm using a white I already have from Wal-Mart, called Autumn Breeze). I'm THRILLED that I'm going to have this "look" shown here, because as of right now......this is what I've got........

...partially primed walls. (see my wood ceiling beams, those will stay...not painting them, I like the rustic look)

........partially primed brick.

Here's how it's going down.

1. Walls and brick fireplace are going to hopefully be finished in two days. (crossing fingers)

2. The furniture in here was given to us a while back and will be covered with slipcovers (from JcPenney) in an off white creamy color.

What else am I doing that's keeping me from posting regularly.

1. Children underfoot. (this is a BIG one here)

2. Getting laundry out of the way.

3. Getting closets cleaned out and everything out of them.

4. Fridge, Washer and Dryer will be moved out in a couple of days........Why you ask?????

Answer: Here in a day or two we're having our entire house tiled (everywhere except bathrooms and bedrooms......the bathrooms are already tile).

I'll be (trying) to keep you in the know with pics and such!!!!!!!!!

I'm BEYOND the EXCITEMENT point, we've needed tile in our kitchen since we've lived here (5 years ago). You can drop water on the kitchen or dining carpet and it stains it, plus it's just rightdown GROSS.

(kitchen pics. to come soon)

Please check in us as we go through this "beautifying" process...........hopefully YOU guys can help me with some painting decisions.