Master Bedroom Paint Progress

When we first moved into our house last year I knew I wanted to refresh the paint in our master. It's not that the paint was terrible (I'm actually keeping it for Austin's office) I just didnt love it for a master retreat. Enter the struggle that is paint selection. I must have gotten too excited and didn't take any before pictures of our bedroom, but here is a picture of our neighboring (currently empty) office that has the same wall color.

I previously mentioned on here we were going to go with Benjamin Moore Grey Owl. Well, I began with the first wall and knew it just wasn't right. Our walls felt like concrete slabs. Not the warm yet crisp (if that makes any sense) feeling I was hoping for.

Enter three trips to Sherwin Williams later, and we found a winner. I settled with their Zurich White shade after seeing these photos online that feel crisp and clean but still have warmth to them. I cannot say how pleased I am with the transformation it has given our space. And perfect timing, the new end tables arrived yesterday right as I finished the last coat!

Fiona got relocated and is loving all of the natural light already. Here's to hoping it helps her brown spots! I'm still on the hunt for a fun rug for the foot of the bed as well as some neutral/sheer draperies in addition to a darker headboard. Baby steps, people.

Up next on our painting adventure, the kitchen!

{weekly favorites}

Happy Friday, Friends! We made it. Is it just me or have these past two weeks following the holidays been suuuper long? Anyway, I am very much looking forward to the long weekend approaching!

One of the items on our list this weekend is painting our master bedroom. Finally. Committing to paint colors is no joke. The struggle is real. We are going with Benjamin Moore Grey Owl half tint. We shall see. I picked up these nightstands at Joss & Main. The hunt continues for the perfect upholstered headboard, but they have a lot of great options right now!

Made this recipe this week. It was a hit in our house and will definitely be pulled out again!

Read so many great reviews on this mask I had to give it a try. I will report back soon!

My motto right now. Spring cleaning to the max at our place right now!

I have a hair appointment tomorrow and am loving everything about this style. Now just to gather the nerve to not say "I'll just have the usual!"

TGIF!

-K

{wednesday words}

I love this for so many reasons. Mostly as of late, I've really started taking a new perspective on life. I've always been very appreciative of all that I have been blessed with, but lately more and more (call it "growing up" I guess!) I've really started to appreciate the little things in life. I am so blessed by so many things, and once you really truly take the time to take a step back and take it all in, its pretty amazing. 

Happy Wednesday.

-K

these are a few of my favorite things...

Okay, I know the holidays have been over for awhile now, but the title just popped into my mind! I wanted to share a few products that I literally probably couldn't make it a day without. Now, that may sound a touch dramatic....However, when a girl finds a good beauty product, it needs to be shared. The world of beauty products is a lot of fun...but can be super intimidating if you're anything like myself. Here are a few things on my beauty counter each and every morning.

I love to carry this Oribe Hair Refresher in my purse. Its travel sized and great for a little mid-day spritz to feel refreshed. If you've ever smelled any of the Oribe products, you will know how great they smell! 

You know when people ask you,  "if you could bring just a few essentials on a desert island what would they be?" Yep, the above are my three. I have been addicted to the Smith's Rosebud Salve for years now. I've tried the tube, and I just don't think the texture is the same as the stuff from the pot. Plus, its super cheap! $6 at Anthropologie.

The other two products I have begun using more recently. The Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara is literally exactly that. I don't wear terribly much eye makeup, but I really feel like this mascara makes my eyes pop. I always felt Mascara was one of those beauty essentials you could "skimp" on..until now. It's definitely a must buy!

I am a recent Bobbi Brown convert and I cannot get enough. This Foundation stick I apply daily with their full cover face brush and the coverage is seamless. I wear the shade "Alabaster" which is the lightest shade, but works great on a skin tone like mine in the winter. I especially tend to have oily skin and can notice my makeup is completely gone by 5pm, this has great staying power!

Blonde friends know, washing our hair can really be a love/hate relationship. I love nothing more than fresh blonde locks, but washing everyday can really dull your color. Enter: Batiste. Ya'll, I have probably been through 6 bottles in 6 months. It's that good. And the best part? You can score it for like $6 at TJ Maxx most times. When it's not in stock there, its about $8 at Nordstrom and free shipping. My mom put the scent above in my stocking and I think its my favorite so far! I will however say, the "blonde" version did not work well for my hair color.

Along with being a blonde, damage can always be an outcome. I began using this Bumble & Bumble quenching complex and really noticed a difference in my hair after continued use. It isn't a mask, so it isn't as drastic right off the bat, but more of a hair re-constructor overall. I have been using for roughly 3 years and can really tell how much softer it feels.

Last but certainly not least, is Kiehl's Creme de Corps body lotion. This stuff is GOOD. The body butter is amazing too and the scent is great. It reminds me of a summer vacation. I have super sensitive skin and along with winter it can get really dry. I use this stuff morning and night and swear by it!

-K

{etsy obsessions}

Do ya'll love Etsy as much as I do? I'm working on my love/hate relationship because sometimes it can just be so overwhelming. Unless you really know what you want, there are so many great options that can be really hard to come across!

I love to save sellers that I've purchased from in the past, but love hearing about other great sellers others have worked with! Here are some Etsy items I am loving lately!

I'm currently on a couch pillow overhaul and loved the grosgrain and embroidered monogram detail on this pillow. I ordered recently and can't wait to see how it turns out! The seller, Jennifer is so sweet and easy to work with!

I love the simplicity of this print, which means " I have no regrets." I'm always a fan of simple and think it would look great layered with another print on our bedside.

This 22x18 frame would be so cute as a mirror or holding an over-sized print in a gallery wall.

This custom coordinates gold bar necklace could be such a sentimental gift. I would love it with my hometown of Wilmington's coordinates on it. Its where I grew up and where Austin and I got married. I love it.

I love the colors and pop of gold here in this original painting. Would be great in our kitchen or entry way!

one pot lasagna soup

A few people were interested in a lasagna soup recipe I have been making lately (twice in a month!) so I wanted to share! It couldn't be simpler and is a one pot meal. Anything I can just throw in my dutch oven is perfect for me. 

Lasagna Soup

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 lb lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, diced (2 cups)

3 - 5 garlic cloves, to taste, minced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 3/4 tsp dried basil

3/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 lasagna noodles, broken into bite size pieces (6.5 oz)

1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (5 oz)

1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (2 oz)

8 oz ricotta cheese

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, crumble beef into pot, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Drain majority of fat from beef and set aside (you can drain it all if you want it to be healthier I just like the little bit of flavor a small amount of the fat gives). 

Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in pot, add chopped yellow onion and saute until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Add in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel seeds, thyme, sugar, parsley, the cooked ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare lasagna noodles according to directions listed on package, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining pasta. Add cooked pasta to soup along with 1/2 cup - 1 cup pasta water as desired. In a mixing bowl, using a fork, stir together mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta.

I will say, one time I made this I didn't have ricotta on hand and skipped the cheese mixture and just doused with mozzarella instead on top. The second time I did the cheese mixture and I actually preferred the mozzarella only way. But, that's just me!

Enjoy!

-K

new year : new you : sales edition

Happy New Year, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and hopefully some time off! I can't believe it is 2015! I am the same way every year, and once the holidays are over and the decorations are put up, I am ready for Spring!

Lucky for any of you that are like me and cannot wait for warmer weather, there are some sales right now that have great transitional pieces you can wear now with a cardigan and later once the weather warms up.

Right now, J Crew is offering extra 40% off already reduced sale styles. This is the perfect time to stock up on basics! Here are some pieces I picked up this morning!

1. Leather  Trim Tee  would pair perfectly with white jeans!

2. RayBan ClubMaster - okay they weren't part of the sale but I love them for Spring/Summer!

3. I loved this tassle trim top when it wasn't on sale, and now that its on sale its a no brainer!

4. Love this chiffon back tank to wear now and into the summer!

5. Their linen v neck tees are a favorite of mine!

Happy Shopping!

-K