November | 2016
Hello lovelies!
This month has been refreshingly calm. We've had several free weekends, few weeknight plans, and a general sense of a "calm before the storm." The next couple of months we have zero free weekends, so we've soaked up this past month pretty nicely, I think. Here's the happenings from our November:
- We had a ton of leftover Halloween candy, so Tom hid it all over our downstairs level one day while I was in the shower. I've been finding it in pockets, my purse, vases, drawer organizers, behind a wall clock (yeah, that was a lucky guess), and I'm still finding them. They're everywhere. And he's been laughing as I make an assessment from across the room like, "Oh. You put a handful in that vase. I can tell by looking at it because the flowers are placed differently than before." ... of course, he's laughing because I'm anal like that and completely spot on. Yes, there was candy in the vase.
- We got our cars washed. This seems trivial, but on our last roadtrip, I dumped orange juice out the window and it sprayed all over the passenger side of Tom's car and got all sticky and disgusting. He wasn't super thrilled with me about that, especially since I had claimed I had done this many times (liar).
- We met some friends at a festival in Atlanta and braved the public transit to and from. I'm weird and actually secretly love janky public transit systems, so it was a fun day with cold beer, good chats, and adventure!
- We had a spontaneous date night at the most precious Italian restaurant ever with live jazz music singers and the yummiest lasagna.
- I tried to dye my hair a shade or two lighter and nothing happened! It looks exactly the same!
- We saw Fantastic Beasts and were.... underwhelmed! Sadly. I think we need to snag the book to get a better feel for the story, but we thought the characters all desperately lacked dimension. There was very little dialogue, and when there was, it was so monotone that we couldn't really fall in love with the story-line.
- I spent a a few hours offering moral support to Autumn while she ran her first booth for Stay Gold Candles and we had a great time! She sold a good amount, and then we went to Waffle House (as usual haha). Seriously, guys, I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but her candles are so amazing and make great stocking stuffers. Plus, I think it's important to support small business owners, so go check out her shop in the link above.
- We snagged a new king duvet and coverlet for our bedroom. This local thrift store carries old Target inventory that didn't sell, so it's all brand new!
- We had a wonderful Thanksgiving as just the two of us. We hung around in our own house, in our comfies, cooked together, and had a genuinely perfect day. Being able to ditch our snug pants after dinner was also a plus - haha! We've been wanting to do cornish hens for some time, now, so it was fun to finally try them. They turned out amazing!
- Stores started carrying Christmas inventory near the beginning of November, so of course my name is predominantly lit everywhere we go... much to my narcissistic pleasure.
- We casually bought a new vacuum on Black Friday to prepare us for a little four legged creature that will come home with us in a few weeks (more on that soon). Then we wandered into Sam's Club where I found a stuffed animal just my size (and no, we did not actually buy it).
- Finally... we got our very first DSLR and we are soooo elated with it. I used to dabble in photography as a hobby, but sold off my little digital camera in college when I needed money more. Then my sweet husband bought me a camera during our engagement, but I never really cared for it, so the poor thing hardly got used and we recently sold it. This new camera was a long time coming, I think, and now we're worried that we're going to have to buy TWO cameras because we have loved shooting with it already and may start fighting over it - haha! I'll post a little review of sorts later on, but if you look in my sidebar, you'll see the camera and one of the lenses we purchased (in case you might be looking for yourselves).
Click the images to enlarge
November was so fun and relaxing. It came with some high and lows, but more than anything I can't wait for January and I am dyingggg to tell you more, but I want to wait. "Fluffy, adorable, and giant" have something to do with it though!
links to explore
- Autumn just shared a hilarious story of some plumbing issues they recently faced and it had me cracking up. Let's just say it involved a lot of pee.
- I've had this song playing on our house speakers super loud for weeks. No regrets.
- This Youtuber absolutely cracks me up. She and her boyfriend are super hilarious and I get excited every time I see a new video by her.
- I love Erin's ideas for creating holiday traditions with your spouse!
How was your month? That busy time of year is upon us, and I've already got almost the entire month scheduled out. No free weekends, weeknights are filling fast, and travel. We look forward to what December will bring :)
When "No" Means "Yes" In Marriage
We've all been there. We've been caught up in the contest, and the pride, and ridden the high horse of it.
The "it" I'm speaking of, is busyness.
Our culture triumphs in words that tout about sleepless nights, hours spent immersed in projects, schedules that overflow, and how even amidst all that, we can still handle more... "of course, I'll be there" we say.
Children are riddled with lessons and practices, spouses maintain office hours beyond what's expected, and little time is left beyond a short meal together or a kiss goodnight.
Until one day it hits you. Like a ton of bricks.
"Why am I letting it rule me? Is it impressive to be this busy? Is it God-pleasing? Or has it become my god?"
Sometimes, it does become our own little-g god. Busyness has become a disease of a culture that constantly grapples for more. A culture that needs to prove something. But what exactly does it prove? In the midst of those days and weeks, or even months, when you're so busy you barely find the time to breathe, have you asked yourself that question and answered it rationally?
Maybe you think it proves determination and stamina.
To who?
To your husband who just wants to hold you for longer than ten minutes before hitting the hay? To your children who didn't get a chance to tell you about their day? To your wife who is drowning in piles of chores and schedules?
Sometimes the busyness is unavoidable, and to those days or weeks or months, I'm sending you a virtual high five and some encouragement to bear it with grace and patience.
What I'm really getting at, is a wake-up call.
It's okay to say no.
Sometimes saying "no" means saying "yes" to the people who matter most. It means saying "yes" to a one-on-one date with one of your children. It means "yes" to snuggling up with your spouse and watching your favorite show with your favorite snacks and laughing off a day's troubles.
We live in a culture where if we say "no" simply to make room for nothing, we're ripping everyone off. We're being selfish.
I'm writing this to say to you, FIGHT IT.
Fight against busyness and all its worthless pride. Who's busier is not a contest. And if it is one, it's one I'd rather lose.
I'd rather lose so that I can catch dinner out with my husband, instead of being the last one to leave the office to prove to no one in particular how dedicated I am. I'd rather "prove" my dedication to my husband.
I'd rather lose, because it does my soul more good to protect my time.
I'd rather lose, because it creates balance, stability, and room to be present instead of distracted.
There is a time and place for busyness, and it's not all bad - don't get me wrong. Busyness can be healthy, even. All I'm getting at in this wake-up call, is to remind you that you can lose the pride in it, and you instead gain the present ability to just. be. To just live in those quiet moments of uninterrupted togetherness.
Say no, my friends, because saying yes to your spouse and family will always be worth losing the busy contest.
Travel Playlist + Wishlist
Since you've heard me talk about restlessness, as well as ways to remedy this without constantly jumping ship, I thought I'd give you a playlist and a dreamy little wishlist of places to visit. Whether by plane, train, roadway, or boat, here are some places I hope to get to in the next century.
But first, some music to set the tone:
(Be aware, I'm big on indie, folksie music with a small smattering of pop. I really held myself back and somehow only included one Coldplay track)
Now for the travel wishlist:
Greece
This has always been my number one. I just feel like the culture, food, views, and history would suit my interests more than anywhere else. Photos of Santorini give me all the heart eyes.
The Italian, French, and UK countrysides
Sure, Rome, Paris, and London would be neat, but I have so much more fascination for the true culture of these places. I picture those larger cities as the equivalent of people visiting New York City and saying they've been to the U.S. They missed the plains, the mountain ranges, desert climates, etc... So if I visit these places, I want to see the real deal.
Alaskan cruise
Honestly, I have no desire to go on any other cruise. I've just heard the Alaskan cruises are phenomenal. They're the only ones I've never heard negative reviews on. Plus, I feel like the fish would be really delicious onboard.
India
Since moving to Atlanta, Tom and I have met a lot of people from India (and we've also fallen in love with their food). Since college, I have wanted to learn more about Indian culture, and we both decided a trip to India would be incredible. On one condition: we'd have to go with Indian friends who could show us real India. We would feel so lost and nervous without a guide of some sort (language barriers, etc..) so having a trusted person there to show us their home country would be fun. Probably for them too!
Australia and New Zealand
My mom was born in Australia so seeing that area would be really amazing. New Zealand, I gotta admit, because I'm a total nerd and I want to see all the Lord of Rings stuff. HAHA. Okay, and it looks so breathtaking.
The East coast of the U.S.
Now that we live near the East coast, I'm hoping we can roadtrip it all the way up through Maine one of these days! There are only about a thousand stops I'd want to make, but I think it would be such a memorable trip. Especially with that playlist!
Finland
I am half Finnish, and I have intense pride about it. Suomalainen sisu! This was a phrase my grandma taught us that is loosely translated into "Finnish guts" or "Finnish perseverance" and I love saying it :) I think the Finnish language is so beautiful and I can always tell when I hear a Finnish accent, because my grandma had one. Here's a video of some guy speaking in Finnish (I believe he's listing 101 reasons why being Finnish is great... but I could be wrong).
The Seychelles Islands
There are numerous beach destinations around the world, but The Seychelles have always drawn me in. It's definitely not the cheapest option, but I can imagine the views would be worth it!
I could add hundreds of other places, so maybe I'll have to release my destination wishlist in volumes. What about you? Where would you most like to travel?
Makeup Favorites : Volume 1
Hi guys!
I'm trying something out today just for kicks.
Little background:
I was looking at old pictures, and started to realize my "evolution of makeup routines." Like, I didn't wear a spot of foundation until late into college - as in, junior or senior year - so really, I've only been wearing a "full face" of makeup for about five or six years! And until recently, I have only ever used ONE brand/type of foundation.
(Can we take a moment to appreciate that dorm photo from just before my 21st birthday? Nothing but some eye makeup and concealer. Those were the days...)
So just for fun, I'm sharing with you the products I use every day, along with a time-lapse video of my routine. Sometimes I skip a step, sometimes I get a little more fancy, but this shows pretty well how I go about makeup right now. The products may change as soon as next month, but so far, I like what I've got. Most of it you can buy at Target or Walgreens, but I must admit, my beauty guru blogging buddy, Christine (Simply Stine), has shown me the dark side of beauty stores like Sephora, The Cosmetic Market, and Ulta. Haha - she's great though, and lets me take baby steps ;)
This will change. Just like it has already changed from six years ago, but even if just for my own reference, it'll be fun to see what happens as the years go on. Like what continues to work for me, what I get better at, and what I leave to the youths. I hope you guys enjoy! Leave me a comment and let me know if you'd like more like this.
I have oily skin, so you may notice in my routine that I use more powder based products, and fewer creamy ones. I've personally found that as the day progresses (or a couple of hours pass) my matte powder look turns dewy... which is fine with me! Creamy based products start to give me shine almost immediately, so I stay away from them since they never last long on me and start melting off.
Anyways, here's the product breakdown:
The order I use them:
- Face primer
- Foundation (with a latex free makeup wedge)
- Under-eye concealer
- Pressed powder
- Bronzer
- Translucent setting powder
- Eye primer
- Eye shadow
- Eyebrows and lower lash line (using shadow)
- Eye liner (upper lash line)
- Mascara
- Lipstick
If I had to choose some favorites, my Smashbox eyeshadow palette is up there. Even though it was far more pricey than I'm normally willing to spend, it's going to last me such a long time, I love the variety of colors that stay within neutral parameters, and it gives me so much to play with! Plus, I use it as a bottom lash liner and eyebrow filler. It rocks my face off. Literally.
My second favorite would be the tubal mascara. My lashes are not long, so I always tend to go for something lengthening. This literally creates "tubes" of mascara on your lash hairs. If you think it's a gimmick, when you wash your face, you can literally gently pull the tubes off and see them in your fingers. Sounds weird, but now I'm kind of addicted. HAHA.
Also, that dang ELF eye primer is THE BOMB. Since I started using it several years ago, I have never gotten a crease. It's amazing.
Here's a little time lapse of me doing my makeup exactly how I normally do:
Thanks for watching and reading, friends! This was fun for me to do, and I hope you enjoyed it - let me know in the comments!
Why The Ring Matters
Fellas, think of this scenario:
You probably have a dream car. It might even be relatively practical. Whatever it is, you are dead-set on having it one day and you are gonna keep it for life and wax it with a baby diaper (Ferris Bueller reference). Let's say it's the 2015 Chevy Corvette as seen below...
Fellas, think of this scenario:
You probably have a dream car. Maybe it's even relatively practical. Whatever it is, you are dead-set on having it one day and you are gonna keep it for life and wax it with a baby diaper (Ferris Bueller reference). Let's say it's the newest Corvette.
Now picture this:
One day, your wife pulls up in the driveway in something else.
It's a brand new Ford Fusion.
"Surprise!" she shouts.
This is the car you will drive everyday for the rest of your life. You are overjoyed! What an incredible surprise! You are overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness, and the car really is not only beautiful, but practical. It was an incredibly sweet thing for her to do and you love her even more for it.
... but you wouldn't have chosen that car.
You are not ungrateful in the slightest, but you quietly wish that she had taken your preferences into account. The surprise was stellar! But part of you feels a little sour that this is the car you have to drive for the rest of your life and it's not really your style. Of course you will graciously accept it, and you can't wait to take her on a trip with it... but having your Corvette would have made that thought complete. It's totally fine though, and you love it nonetheless because it's from your adoring, beautiful wife.
Okay.
Now put that scenario into an engagement ring scenario.
I am not saying all women are shallow about engagement rings. We really aren't. But there is no denying that some may dream about them and pick the kinds they hope to have someday. Like any person, we might even get our heart set on one.
Let me tell you a story.
Here are some photos of what Tom proposed to me with (left) and what he actually had for me (right).
We didn't go ring shopping together. We hardly even talked about rings at all....or engagement for that matter. I simply made a couple of hints towards what I did not like (the cut of the ring on the left I had made very clear was not my taste) and a couple of hints of what I did like. I never showed him pictures of my dream ring, and when he proposed, it blew me out of the water. It was a complete surprise. Had I gone ring shopping with him, I would have gotten my heart set on something, and then been disappointed if that's not what I saw when I opened the box. But that's just me.
I fully trusted him to get me the right style... until I opened the box and saw that first ring.
I'm not gonna lie. My heart saaannkkkk. He looked at me adoringly from across the table, beaming. I put on the ring and my mind was going a million miles a minute...
"Did he not have enough money? Did I push him to do this sooner than he was ready? Wasn't he listening when I said I didn't like this cut? In what world would I EVER say no? This doesn't matter. I LOVE HIM. There is no way I could ever say no... but how does he not realize that I would hate this ring? This is sooo not like him.. he knows me better than this! Oh nooo we don't have to get engaged now if you aren't ready, love!"
He watched me, knowing so clearly that this was the absolute wrong ring for me. He just haaaddddd to test me! Of course I would say yes. I knew it was just a ring. I loved him more than any silly old ring.
He looked at me and asked "Do you love it?" and I peeped out a lie, "Yeah, yeahhhh... I love it!"
Suddenly he dug into his shirt pocket and pulled out the other sparkler.
"Well then what am I going to do with THIS??"
(If you don't know Tom, he's a joker)
*relief*
He DID listen! It was the exact ring I had my heart set on and I never even showed him a picture. He just knew me well enough and picked up on my hints enough to figure out what I liked. The first ring was a $10 fake from K-Mart - haha!
Like the car scenario, it wasn't at all about being ungrateful or not overjoyed.
If you really love this person, feelings of happiness and excitement are most certainly going to trump any disappointment you might have in their ring choice.
While we're on the subject though, let me give you a few pointers to point both gentleman and ladies in the right direction:
Ladies,
leaving this all up to interpretation is going to lead to a ring you probably don't love. My advice? Pony up and say, "Hey, I'm not gonna push the subject any more then this, but can I just show you what ring I like? (Just a picture... no need to find the nearest store) I'd prefer you wouldn't guess or think you know what I like and then it's not. It's a big purchase and it would kinda stink for both of us if I didn't care for it, ya know?" By not making your preferences clear, he's left to interpret what he THINKS you like, which may not be accurate. In that case, sorry, but it's not his fault if you don't like it.
Guys,
listen to her. If you want to propose and she hasn't broken the ice on the subject, maybe she's waiting for you to ask. You don't have take her into the store with you (plus, there's no surprise in that), but ask her for some pointers and note them! Also, if you have the assumption that all "good" rings cost upwards of $20,000, think again. Below is a Tiffany and Co. engagement ring. Tiffany's is all crazy overpriced, right? How much would you guess it costs? At LEAST $10,000, right?
It's $2,950. Less than you thought, huh?
Don't be afraid of ring shopping, guys. It's pretty painless. And if she shows you a picture of a ring, she may be giving you hours of breakdown in precisely what she wants. Don't treat it like a "guide." Take me as an example: I did NOT want diamonds down the band, but I did want a halo. Almost all rings with halos have diamonds down the band. How Tom knew exactly what I wanted is a mystery to me, but I am not complaining.
All I'm trying to say is that this woman has to wear this ring for the rest of her life. If you had to drive one car for the rest of your life, you would certainly want it to be "you," so keep the same in mind when getting her an engagement ring. You wouldn't want her to spend thousands on that car you didn't like, would you? Same is true in the ring department. Who knows, maybe she would have even preferred something CHEAPER and there you are with a hefty bill and a girl that's a tad disappointed. Learn what she really wants, that's all I'm saying!
Please don't mistake this post for being materialistic or shallow. It's just something that Tom and I have talked about (I even gave him the car scenario before we got engaged and it kind of clicked for him) and I wondered if other couples have had the same scenario cross their minds.
I would have married Tom if he had given me a rubber band. It's the marriage that's important, not the ring... but I'll tell you this, I STILL thank him regularly for giving me the ring I wanted. I never look at it and wish it was different.
So, is it going to be the Corvette or the Fusion for you? :)
October | 2016
Hey guys!
I'm back with my monthly update for October! I don't have a video this month because things were a little too busy - which is also why I had a fewer number of posts. However, it has been an awesome month and I'm excited to share with you all the happenings. Here's what's been up:
- Went walking and brunching with my blogging buddies Alex (The Berger Bungalow) and Autumn (Stay Gold Autumn).
- Took a road trip up to Indiana for the baptism of our newest godchild, had a great time seeing our close friends and their families, and enjoyed some fall weather and activities.
- I continued on a solo trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin to spend some time at my parent's new house and to see my sisters for a couple of days. It was so precious to be together as the opportunity is rare and has never actually happened before!
- Before leaving the Midwest I got to indulge on a Pizza Ranch buffet with my mom. Hahaha - this may sound trivial, but it's a Midwest chain that I grew up on and it was fun to have it again!
- I baked my very first artisanal, no-knead, bread loaf! It was crazy simple and SO good. Here's the recipe.
- My darling husband turned the big 2-7 and we had a low key day... until December when we see the 49ers play! Neither of us have been to an NFL game, so we're very much looking forward to it.
- We almost got a pet guinea pig. It all happened so fast! One day I just really wanted to get a small pet, so Autumn met me at a Petsmart and long story short... I held one, Tom gave a very surprising go-ahead on the insane idea, and I nearly walked out of the store with the poor thing in a cardboard box. Thankfully Autumn and the worker talked me out of it, at least until Tom and I could give it more than a five minute thought, and as expected, we are no longer entertaining the idea of a pet... for now. Autumn and I had a pretty great laugh over the spontaneity though, and I'm pretty sure she's relieved for the poor thing (that is hopefully gracing a better prepared home by now).
- Started researching semi-pro cameras! From one crazy purchase to the next, right? This one is more realistic, though. Anyone have some camera recommendations? I lean towards the DSLRs, but Tom is leaning mirrorless. I'd love some tips or things to think about from my readers/photographer friends!
- We had a typical grocery shopping date night that ended in basically a cart full of junk food. I love being a grown-up with my best friend. The photo below of me running down the aisle over Tom's shoulder cracks me up. Because TOTS.
- Said we'd try being active morning people, and promptly woke up late the next day.
- Carved nerdy pumpkins (Tom's won a prize at his work!) and dressed as a hunter and a doe for trick-or-treaters (see my Instagram for more). We've never had trick-or-treaters, so we thoroughly enjoyed being home last night.
This was a month for the books. It was busy, but 95% of it was positive and fun. We've had some personal things going on lately that have been really difficult, but we're doing great otherwise (just being real). Also, I give MAJOR props to make-up artists. My Halloween make-up took an ungodly amount of time for an "okay" result - hahaha - but it was fun!
The one downer is that just as it was starting to feel like fall here, it cranked back up to the 80's! I know, I know... first world problems. But come on - a hot cider just doesn't have the same effect when you're sweating!
blogs to explore
The Confused Millennial - Rachel is funny, relatable, creative, and informative. There is something for everyone on her blog and you can tell she is so genuine. I love getting trapped in her content for entirely too long.
Brittany L Bergman - Previously The Nested Nomad, Brittany recently underwent a little rebrand and it looks beautiful! She's been a great blogging buddy the last couple of years, and I'm so happy to see her space better suit her. She talks living simply, motherhood, and more - go see!
Em Writes - Not only is her blog so beautiful in aesthetics, but her posts are often fun and easy to love. Such a lovely soul!
I hope you all had a marvelous October and are looking forward to November. I can't believe we're there already! Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, so Tom and I better get serious about becoming active morning people before all the holidays hit. I say this at 12:30AM. We never learn.
Much love, readers - Happy November!
Embarrassing Moments | 2
It's been a while, guys.
I haven't shared my most memorable embarrassing moments in quite some time (part 1 here). Now keep in mind, I am not really one to get embarrassed easily, so it took me a long time to conjure these back up from the repressed sectors of my mind. Since I put my foot in my mouth so often, humiliation is a distant memory. That being said, I'm pleased to bring you some of those rare memories today. For the sake of your entertainment and good humored fun, here are my embarrassing moments. Enjoy!
The Panicked-Mother-Call
My freshmen year of college, I was dating this guy.
We weren't together more than three months, I think, but in that time span I had told my mom, sisters, and one of my brothers (who thoroughly did not approve hahahaha) about him....
Anyways, it was spring break and I had to stay at school the entire week because my classes at the art institute were not on the same spring break, and we weren't allowed to miss any classes there. My mother was not a big fan of me being all alone, on a nearly empty campus, in a strange city for a week. She was constantly checking in and worrying about me. CONSTANTLY.
One evening after class and work, I dropped by this boyfriend's parent's house (where he was living) to say hi. He and I had gone outside for a while, and I had left my phone in my purse on silent in the foyer. I was only there for thirty minutes or so. No big deal. When I got to my car and looked at my phone, I had two or three missed calls from my mother. I called her back right away, and she proclaimed,
"Gosh, honey, I was so worried about you! I called his house and talked to his mom. You need to keep your phone on you!"
Of course, she was joking... right?
"She seemed like a really nice lady,"
She wasn't joking. She had actually Googled their names and found a phone number.
I. Was. Mortified.
"Mother, I can NOT even TALK to you right now!!!"
I promptly hung up and called my sisters. They, of course, empathized deeply.
The next day he visited me at work and brought up how weird it was (agreed, buddy, agreed).
As a bonus embarrassment, I should add that on this little work visit, I had a child on my lap (I worked in a daycare). While we were quietly talking over the previous night's event, the little one on my lap was facing me and asking what "these were"... while poking me in the chest. I awkwardly tried to steer her attention elsewhere - to no avail - and she thought it was even more hilarious to keep poking and ask louder what "these were" as my boyfriend of like two nano-seconds looked on in horror. In the child's defense I'm pretty sure I was wearing a white shirt with a bright undergarment, so... just one of many outfit faux pas in college (hint: read on).
Needless to say, things didn't work out with that guy. Although, on the bright side, I did spend that terrible, lonely, spring break week carpooling to my class with my tall, debonaire, handsome, lithe, thoughtful, kind, chiseled-chin, huba-huba of a future husband, so all’s well that ends well.
Wedding Trippin'
This isn't too big of a deal, but I did trip going up to the front of the church after my dad passed me off. Thankfully he passed his clutzy daughter off to a guy that can handle her missteps, and Tom kept me from full-out face planting, but it was enough to elicit a gasp from the guests. It may have had something to do with my shoes being too big. The toes were stuffed with Kleenex! But they were super pretty, so #YOLO
Awkward Outfit
College. A time for testing all the boundaries.
I was fearless, you guys. And I had no shame whatsoever. And also the cutest little figure known to man, so I happened to be able to pull a lot of weird things off.
This was not one of those times.
One night, there was a basketball game going on. All my friends were going, but I needed to finish studying one last thing and do my laundry, so I said I'd try to get there for the second half. Our basketball teams were legitimately good, so the games were usually pretty well attended for a smaller university. Well, since I had no normal looking clean clothes, I showed up in knee-high socks with some weird pattern on them, neon green pajama short-shorts, a tank top, slide-on furry slippers (admittedly, I totally still rock these), and my hair in pigtails. I think I thought my tall socks paired with my short-shorts added up to full pants, but of course, that's not even remotely logical.
I walked across the gym like this and every single person in the stands had their mouths gaping open at the sight I was to behold. Cheerfully, I climbed up to my friends (guys and girls alike) as they all quietly huddled around me, inquiring about my thought process, while offering me clothing because I looked like a cold, immodest, clown. Hahaha I can still hear them..
"Joy. What the heck are you wearing?! Those are barely shorts?! Why didn't you just wear a sweatshirt?! Here, take my hoodie."
And my perfectly acceptable response...
"Sorry guys, it's laundry day."
It was one of my shining moments.
I hope that's enough to fill your cup for now, friends, and I hope this post started your week off right. Maybe things at home or work have felt a little overwhelming or you're crumbling under the stress of something. Hopefully this lightened your day and helped you feel like less of a disaster in comparison :)
IKEA Kitchen Features We Love
I am not receiving any commission for this post. These are truly my honest opinions, and I want to clarify that before I speak super highly of IKEA's kitchen system :)
Remember when I told you how much our kitchen/downstairs reno ended up costing us? It was less than $8,000 for a total gut job (here's the breakdown post). I'm sure some people would read that and think, "Well, that's because you're totally sacrificing quality!" but I want to take today to bust that myth and share with you our favorite features of IKEA kitchens. To be completely honest, we would 100% go with the IKEA kitchen systems again. The pros FAR outweighed the cons and we have been thoroughly impressed. I'm not just saying that now, when we have a great kitchen to get all *heart eyes* over, but the entire process from beginning to end was just smart, efficient, and great for those of us who are control freaks. Let me just jump right in:
Modular System + Online Design Tool
Not only are IKEA systems completely modular - meaning, they have enough dimensional diversity to be mixed and matched to fit any requirements - the online design tool allows you to create your kitchen entirely from scratch (or from a template). I have tried the design tools for other large home improvement stores, and I can tell you that none of them can beat IKEA in terms of ease of use and functionality. Sure, sometimes it's slow and freezes up, but it's not nearly as rip-your-hair-out annoying as the other places. Plus, based on your room measurements, you'll see notifications when one cabinet is too close to another and may cause doors to hit something or not open properly. You can also change door fronts, countertops, handles, etc... in one fell swoop and see your itemized list and total cost whenever you like. The modular system came in very handy when we made a measurement mistake and one of our cabinets wouldn't fit. We simply took back the one that wouldn't fit, and bought a different size - voila! - crisis averted.
(I should also mention, they even have a design tool for bathroom and office renovations)
Cost
Obviously. We did our renovation - cabinets, countertops, lighting, everything - for under 8K. When we had a similar, smaller layout quoted at Home Depot, it clocked in at 12K.... just for the cabinets... which were lesser in quality to the ones we got from IKEA. Yeesh. Which brings me to my next point...
Quality
The quality of IKEA cabinets is not the highest on the market, of course, but they are really sturdy. We're not at all worried about the wear and tear. And even then, if one of the fronts gets wobbly or a drawer track breaks, you can easily buy replacements or let it fall under IKEA's 25 year limited warranty. But again, they don't at all feel "cheap" and we love the quality.
Ordering, Set-up, and Rail System
When you make your order in-store, the workers are knowledgable and will go through each and every piece to make sure you will have everything you need. It takes a couple hours to go through it with them, but considering it costs nothing extra to have an experienced worker make sure your design is okay, the time spent is fine by me. They tell you about shipping options or pick-up FYI's and it's very smooth sailing.
It's also super nice to have your entire kitchen before you even start your demo work, just waiting to be put together. Which by the way, though time consuming, is SUPER easy and helps save you moolah.
The rail system is amazing. Ever thought about that fact that wall cabinets are actually hung on a wall one at a time? Getting them all to line up and not start sloping down or up can be really hard. IKEA comes with these long rails that you simply screw into some studs, make sure it's level, and then slide your cabinets on. It makes it so easy and less stressful. Of course it still takes some measuring to be sure your cabinets are the right height from the counters, but it's much nicer than their competitors. Oh, and the base cabinets are rail-hung too!
Door Hinges
I'm not all that great with power tools, but IKEA's hinges are so ingenious. The holes on the frame of the cabinet are already there which makes screwing in the hinge a piece of cake. On the door front, you just push a metal piece in place (no tools required) and it tightens itself. The piece on the front, snaps easily into the piece on the frame, and you're done. Once it's on, you can use a small screw driver via two holes on each hinge to adjust the door front so it's exactly centered on the frame or lined up with the other cabinet doors. Then, you can add a small "soft close" clip to one of the hinges to finish it off. We probably put all our door fronts on in less than twenty minutes. If you're curious about what I mean, this guy's 2 minute video shows you how easy it is. Honestly, it's almost therapeutic to put on these hinges because it's so painless.
No Gaps, Lips, or Separators
No gaps, meaning all your doors are flush with one another. There are no wood gaps that show between the door fronts.
Along with that, there are also no lips on the insides of the cabinets. So when you pull a glass off a shelf, it will slide right out instead of hitting a lip on the bottom of the shelf or on the side of the cabinet.
Have a two-door cabinet? There won't be a piece of wood running down the center. I love this feature especially under our sink as it makes organization super clean and simple. Tom loves it because if he needs to work on plumbing under the sink, he doesn't have to squeeze into one side. He can open both doors and have free range to lay underneath!
Wall Cabinet Depth of 15"
The standard depth of most wall cabinets is 12-13" (I believe) but IKEA's are 15". Meaning, I can fit one stack of plates in the back of a cabinet, and still fit another stack in front of them. If we didn't have a pantry, the depth of those cabinets would be such a life-saver in terms of storage. I absolutely LOVE the added depth.
Drawers, Drawers, and More Drawers
Our base cabinet drawers. I am in love. Nothing like not having to dig to the back of a cabinet on your hands and knees to reach that big stock pot. Guys, they come all the way out. It doesn't stop with 2 inches left to go, they go all the way. Drawer organizers, corner pull-out lazy susan, etc. The organization of the base cabinets is the greatest. They are also soft close and can come with hidden internal drawers too. Endless options and combinations. Which again, on that subject...
Easy To Change
Don't like the door style or colors? Just get some new fronts instead of scrapping the whole thing. Not crazy about the drawer configurations? We could swap the drawers of our two 30" wide base cabinets anytime, or just go buy entirely new drawer combos in that width whenever we'd like. No problem! Anything can be undone with such ease and adjusted after the fact with no repercussions.
Countertops
We paid only $250 for probably 45 linear feet of counterspace... which is amazing. Most of IKEA's countertops would require you either cut and install their laminate options yourself, or hire someone to do it for you. We honestly love the quality of their laminate. We cut and installed ourselves, and it doesn't look cheapy to us at all. I think if you live in a great big home with top tier features, a stone or solid surface would make sense, but not in our little starter home :) We also don't give two hoots about the hoopla behind granite, so we'll gladly stick with a nicely done laminate. Plus, if it gets ruined, or we tire from the look, it's only $250 to replace or update!
However, IKEA does offer quartz and acrylic options that they do through area third parties who will measure, cut, and install for you.
I'm sure once I hit publish I'll think of even more reasons we love our IKEA kitchen, but this is what I've got for now. We are so happy and grateful to have this wonderful kitchen at our fingertips each day. We feel like home chefs and somehow even just pouring a bowl of cereal feels fancier now! As I read this post over to Tom a few moments ago, he said he would add that even if IKEA were more expensive than their competition (Home Depot, Lowes, etc) he would still get IKEA again. The quality is better and the overall features and how it's put together are just smart.
Looking to do a kitchen renovation with IKEA and have some questions? Leave me a comment!