New Kitchen Backsplash with Floor & Decor

This post is sponsored by Floor & Decor, but all opinions are my own.

It’s been six years since we moved into our home. When we were building I wanted to upgrade the kitchen backsplash tile, but did not like the builder’s choices and premiums. So we went with a standard option and planned on doing it after we moved in. Well, life happened and it wasn’t until now that we were ready to do it!

Floor & Decor was the first place that came to mind! I remember going there a few years back with my mom to help her pick out new tile for her kitchen. I remember she had such a positive experience, and to this day still loves her tile from Floor & Decor.

So I went to the Floor & Decor Store in Plano, Texas, and met with the Pro Sales Manager Shelly. I had so many questions and needed lots of direction. Shelly was so wonderful and showed me around the store. I was grateful for her wealth of knowledge!

Shelly suggested we start by going to the Floor & Decor Inspiration Center. Every store has one located at the front of the store. It’s a showroom full of inspirational ideas to help one see how different materials will look together. Each Inspiration Center is staffed with knowledgeable design consultants. At the Plano store Shelly introduced me to Renee, one of the design consultants. Renee shared with me that there is a design consultant on hand seven days a week, and sometimes two or three available during busy days. Design services are free to all shoppers. And it’s very easy to make an appointment. One can call or request a free consultation online! Renee also let me know Floor & Decor offers financing programs - which is a wonderful option.

As we were walking away from the Inspiration Center to the decorative tile section, Shelly also told me to always look at the signs and labels on each product because they tell you everything you need to know about the product. It tells you price, if it can be used indoors or outdoors and how it’s laid. Once we were in the decorative tile section, I was amazed at the different shapes, textures, and patterns. Floor & Decor has such a wide range of styles and so many top notch in-stock products to choose from! I was just in awe of the gorgeous tile available. They even had tiles with gold inlays that were waterjet cut!

Picking out the Carrara White Brick Marble Mosaic 12x12 tile.

After looking around, I was drawn to the grey marble mosaic tiles, particularly the Carrara White Brick Marble Mosaic 12x12 . I showed Shelly a photo on my phone of my kitchen, to see if she thought the Carrara White brick tile would work. She thought it was a wonderful choice for my kitchen backsplash. We both agreed it would fit well because of the beautiful mix of gray, white, and cream colors that come through with this natural stone. The mosaic would also compliment my existing gray speckled granite countertops and white cabinets. And as a added bonus, I was so pleased with the price! I had looked at other marble tiles online and at other stores, and Floor & Decor definitely had the best prices around! I picked up a sample to bring home with me, as I wanted to double check that it would work in my kitchen. Plus I needed to go home and measure to determine how much product I would need.

So many options of wood tile planks!

With my kitchen backsplash tile picked out, I was super excited and wanted to explore other parts of the store with Shelly. I was truly amazed by the selection and organization of the store! We looked at different types of flooring options such as wood tile planks, laminate, wood vinyl, engineered hardwood, solid wood, and Bamboo products. (Shelly said Bamboo is so trendy right now because it’s used a lot on TV home decorating shows!) I also learned Floor & Decor offers countertops as well, and they come in a variety of materials; quartz, marble, granite, and even butcher block. Seriously, Floor & Decor is a one stop shop for an entire remodel!

I also learned that Floor & Decor has a Pro Services Department. This department is dedicated to builders, realtors, investors, remodelers, owners of rental properties, or anyone that does remodeling for a living. I learned that if you have an order you need filled, the Floor & Decor team can pull your needed items and store it for you, free, up to fourteen days!  

After having a great time exploring the store, I went home with the 12x12 sample tile, to measure how many square feet my existing kitchen backsplash was. Once I saw that it was going to work perfect, I then called and scheduled an appointment with Renee - so she could help me pick out the other supplies I needed to get ready for installation. A few days later I went in and sat down with Renee and we discussed the tile lay out, supplies, and if I wanted to add any finishing edge pieces to my new backsplash. She suggested doing a pencil trim in marble to match the mosaic tile. She explained to me that a pencil trim is a thin piece of tile placed along the edges of your mosaic tiles. That sounded great to me and together we selected the Carrara White Marble Pencil ½ x 12 to go along with the Carrara White Brick Marble Mosaic 12x12 Mosaic tile I was using. She also helped me choose the grout color, which grout would work best for our space, and how many bags of grout we needed. She knew all the answers to my questions and I felt so confident in my choices. I was ready for the tile to be installed! Having an expert guide me through this process made all the difference! She took the guesswork out of selecting the products and quantities needs.

Carrara White Marble Pencil ½ x 12 used to make the edges look more finished.

This before with the old brown tile backsplash and old stove.

This is the new updated backsplash using the Carrara White Brick Marble Mosaic 12x12 Mosaic tiles and Carrara White Marble Pencil ½ pieces for the finishing edges. I LOVE how it turned out!

After my appointment with Renee, we took home all the boxes of tile and grout, and had the backsplash installed. We couldn't be happier! The tile backsplash looks perfect and changes the entire look of our kitchen! I had the best experience with Floor & Decor and would recommend them to anyone. It made this remodel project go so smoothly!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Floor & Decor. The opinions and text are all mine.

Bedding My Older Boys are Obsessed with!

This post is sponsored by Beddy’s, but all opinions are my own.

A few months ago my two younger children, ages seven and two, received Beddy’s for each of twin beds. Well, after seeing how easy it was for the littles to make their beds, and how soft and cozy the fabric was, my two older sons, ages fourteen and eleven, wanted Beddy’s too! (Seriously my fourteen year old was begging me to get a set for him! It was quite humorous.) Then once I placed the order to get the older boys a set for each of their beds, my fourteen year old kept asking me every day when they were coming!

Now you’re probably wondering why these older boys wanted this bedding so badly!? Let me explain why we love Beddy’s so much, and why we are a Beddy’s family through and through! It has really has changed our lives!

My husband Justin designed and customer built the board of button style back wall. He did an amazing job!

First off, Beddy’s has zippers all the way down both sides and across the bottom, so it’s easy for kids to make their beds - all they have to do is zip them up! As a mom, I love it because my kids don’t complain about making their beds anymore, and there are no more sheets and blankets all over the floor. The sides are quilted all around so it looks like the bedding is always tucked in, without the hassle of doing it yourself like real sheets or quilts. Beddy’s also has elastic along the bottom edge so it doesn't come off like a lot of sheets sets do.

My Dad just retired from working in the NFL for the past twenty years. He was a scout for several teams, and has two Super Bowl rings and a Scout of the Year ring. The autographed footballs came from him.

My boys love the minky fabric (100% polyester), because it’s extremely soft. The outer quilt fabric is 100% cotton. That’s important to me because my boys get hot - especially during Texas summer nights. Cotton is more breathable than other fabrics - which helps keeps their body temperatures down during the night and I don’t have to spend a fortune keeping the AC way down. Win-Win!

An upclose look at Beddy’s zipper enclosure. The distressed letter A came from Hobby Lobby.

My two smaller children have Game On Gray, a gray rugby stripe, which goes great in their Americana/car themed room. For the older boys I chose Game On, a blue rugby stripe, to go with their NFL football themed room. I like the blue stripes in the Game On because it’s a classic look that goes with anything. The blue really compliments my son’s existing NFL decor, rug and wood furniture.

You can see the inside of the Beddy’s bedding. The internal fabric is so plush.

The Beddy’s are so stylish and are perfect for all ages, as well different styled bedrooms. In my case Beddy’s was perfect for my younger two children and my for teens! I have to tell you, when I was shopping on the Beddy’s website, I was floored with all the wonderful patterns and styles they offer. They also have a fantastic selection of matching pillows and blankets to go with their bedding!

You’ll always grin trophies in boys’ rooms. These sit on a white dresser from Ikea.

The rug, lamp, and locker nightstand came from target.

I want everyone to know that Beddy’s is the greatest invention ever made in the bed making world!

A New Faucet Makes a Difference!

As a mother of five kids, I use my kitchen faucet a lot! My old kitchen faucet was leaking and having problems with the sprayer retracting back into the faucet. It was also very hard to maneuver. So needless to say, I was getting frustrated and it was definitely time for a new one. I knew I wanted stainless steel to match my kitchen cabinet hardware and appliances. I also knew I wanted a faucet with an easy to use pull down sprayer, and a soap dispenser. Pfister Faucets came to the rescue! I chose Pfister for its design, quality brand name, and great reviews. My husband installed it last weekend and I love how it looks and how easy it is to use! What a HUGE difference! 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

We chose a faucet named the Wheaton. 

A few tips when installing a new faucet:

1. Clean out everything under sink.

2. Turn water off under the sink.

3. Have a large bowl to catch the water when you disconnect the
water lines. (You will have some water come out even with the
water off.) A hand towel will be very helpful as well to dry your
hands and any drips.

4. Disconnect the water lines and remove the old faucet. From here
follow the instructions that came with your new one.

FYI: Newer homes usually have plastic water lines, so be careful not to cross thread the connection when installing the new faucet.

As my husband was finishing installing the new faucet he said, and I quote, “This is actually quite simple. It’s awkward getting under the sink, but the process is quite simple.”

With the faucet installed, it was time to put it to the test! The first thing you want to do is turn the water on and check for leaks. I ran the water and we had no leaks so I started doing some  dishes. The faucet worked amazingly!! The pull-down sprayer was so easy use and I felt with the high arch I had so much more room in my sink! And I loved the soap dispenser it came with!

Seriously this is a game changer! Anything that can help a mom out is definitely worth it! And this new faucet does just that! Plus Pfizer has its Pforever Warranty that cover finish and function for life! If you're wanting to refresh your kitchen or need to replace a broken faucet - a Psfier is a great way to go!

*I received free product from Spectrum Brands, but the opinions expressed here are my own.

Spring Fun with Mackenzie-Childs

 I’m thrilled to be teasing up with this darling company called MacKenzie-Childs! Their products are so whimsical, creative, and fun! They sent me a few pieces that I will cherish for years to come! 

The Morning Glory Pitcher is my favorite! The colors are so bright and cheerful! It’s a fun contrast next to the black and white egg plate, which has the signature MacKenzie-Child's Courtly Check design.  To carry on the black and white look, I added  a black and white dot ribbon to my cake stands. (And the cake plate stands are at Home Goods right now - I just saw them in their stores!) Going back to the ribbon, it also goes great with the adorable Easter Chicks!! They too have have the Courtly Check design and are too cute for words! (I'm constantly taking them out of the hands of my two year old because she wants to play with them!) I love the love the turquoise color the bottom half of the chicks so I added the turquoise napkins to match their chevron pattern, and add a pop of color. The white bunnies and gold colored eggs are from Target. The carrots are from Hobby Lobby, but I got them forever ago.

And being a gardening lover, I was very grateful to receive this darling gardening tool set from MacKezie-Childs. The tools are sturdy and comfortable to use. Plus, they're pink and black - my favorite colors! Thank you!

Hope you have a wonderful time decorating for Spring like I did! And have an enjoyable 

Easter with family and friends. 

Santa Clause is Coming to Town!

I'm super excited to share with you what I call my winter white living room! I received so many wonderful compliments about my living room, as well as lots of positive questions about how I decorated this space. But the best compliment of all was having this photo featured on several of Better Homes and Gardens social media sites! Thank you for the love!

I'm to happy to share all the details with y'all!

The darling Santa Clause Decor came from http://www.krumpetshome.com Their Santa Clause collection is so magical!

Design Tip:  It's important to get some classic decor pieces that you love and fit your personal style.  This will save you money because you could refinish or repurpose those pieces in the future for an  to updated look - instead of buying new. My coffee table of 12 years is a great example. It's solid wood with a classic design. I've painted it several times to update it - instead of buying new!

Christmas Tree Detail
This year I had the privilege of receiving a 9 foot Flocked Christmas tree from King of Christmas. It gave me a whole new direction for decorating my living room! Since my flocked tree is such a natural beauty I chose to keep the decor simple and stately. I opted for larger round ornaments rather than many small ones. 

When decorating my tree the first thing I do is put on the ribbon. I cut about 5-6 foot strips, a little longer than the length of the tree. Then I start from the top and tuck about ever 3-6 inches it into the center of the tree - making it "bubble out." I repeat these streps until I reach the bottom of the tree. Then I cut 12 inch strips of another patterned ribbons and place those around the tree to fill in empty spaces.  I add sprigs of frosted sticks and silver was stems throughout. For a tree skirt I just added white fabric and an old white curtain I had in my decorator closet! Crazy huh? 

The Santa Claus boxes under the tree were a new addition this year! They were sent to me by a darling home decor shop called Krumpets Home Decor. The white candle sticks on the hearth I've had forever! I bought them from Hobby Lobby 8 years ago when they were black. I painted them white to give them a fresh new look.

Garland and Wreath

I purchased the garland on my fireplace about five years ago from Hobby Lobby. (I also have the same garland on my stairs.) The garland was originally just green. I added flocked pieces or stems, to brighten it up and give it an updated snowy look. 

Mantle Decor

The mecury glass vases and candles sticks, and cathedral mirror, are part of my everyday decor and are up on my mantle year round. Most times I like to mix holiday decor with my everyday decor. I also change out my Christmas signs as find new ones.

Here are the references to where my decor is from:

Silver trees - Home Goods.

Large Decorative Truck Figurine came from Target.   

Decorative white deer - ZGallerie. 

Believe Sign- Kirklands

Mercury Glass- At Home

Woodland Elegance

I am so honored and excited to be on the 2017 Treetopia Design Council! 

I was given the wonderful opportunity to select several products of my choice from Treetopia.com. The products I chose were perfect for the "Woodland Elegance" theme I had in mind for my dining room. I wanted the room to be elegant, cozy, traditional, and stylish - as my dining room takes center stage on Christmas Eve.  My family's greatest Christmas Eve tradition is dressing in our Sunday best, having a delicious formal dinner, followed by attending a candlelight church service. It's a tradition my grandparents started long ago when my mother was young - and now has been passed down to my children. 

For starters, I wanted a traditional Christmas tree to be the focal point of the room and that would capture the woodland theme. The 7.5 Noble Fir Tree  did just that with its perfect color, texture, size and shape! 

This tree represents the magic of Christmas to me with its sparkling glitter, gold ornaments, and whimsical reindeer, coupled with natural pinecones. It is reminiscent of my childhood when we as a family would cut down our tree in the snowy Minnesota forest. We would bring it home and decorate to resemble a tree like in a department store window. I wanted to recreate that feeling for my own children so that they too can have the wonder and awe that accompanies the majesty of the holiday season.

The Gemmed Up Pearl Ornaments I picked out are a dream! They add such sparkle and elegance, and remind me of the vintage handmade ornaments my grandmother used to make by hand for us years ago. In fact, I can still visualize her pushing straight pins delicately as to place each piece of sequence and pearl by hand. 

Keeping with the neutral color scheme, I also added different gold textured balls, because a variety of textures helps create visual interest as well as a customized look. 

I also chose the Harvest Pine 10' Garland and Harvest Pine 24" Wreath to compliment my buffet table. The intricate details of the pine and fur foliage mixed with the green and white berries, make this wreath and garland truly magical! I love how there are lights on both the garland and wreath - adding more magic! I did add a few layers of ribbon and placed a few gold ball ornaments around, but I didn't want to take away from the wreath and garland's natural beauty and unique texture! 

This room, now dressed in the Woodland Elegance theme, is ready to usher in a magical Christmas Eve to be enjoyed by friends and family! 

Make sure to stop by the Treetopia Blog and see all the amazing trees from the rest of the 
2017 Treetopia Design Council!

Cupcakes With a Cause

Who doesn't love cupcakes? Especially cupcakes with a cause! I had the wonderful opportunity to be part of something super special sponsored by Nebraska Furniture Mart, who has partnered with Kitchen Aid and the Susan G. Komen Foundation on a campaign to support the fight against breast cancer. During the month of October, Kitchen Aid will donate $1, up to $10,000, for every original picture of a cupcake baked and shared on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags: #10000cupcakes and #donate #NFMofTX

Being able to support the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and helping in the fight against breast cancer has a special place in my heart. My grandmother developed breast cancer in the 1960's, when she was in her 50's, but with the help cutting edge surgery she was able to beat it! Years later when she was in her 90's she was recognized as the longest living breast cancer survivor in the state of Michigan.

Ten years ago her daughter, my Aunt Dee, and daughter-in-law, my Aunt Nancy, also contracted breast cancer at around the same time while in their 50's. Unfortunately the cancer spread too quickly and Aunt Dee didn't not have the same positive outcome that her mother did. The cancer took her life a few years after she was diagnosed. My Aunt Nancy, on the other hand, beat the cancer and is still living today!

That's why baking these pink cupcakes makes me so happy. It reminds my of courageous family members and the other women who have gone through similar trials.

You know what else makes me happy? Baking cupcakes and then cleaning up with this new Kitchen Aid stainless steel dishwasher that I got at Nebraska Furniture Mart! It makes clean up a snap! This Kitchen Aid dishwasher model has a Proscrub/Prowash cycle. That means there is no pre-washing needed! You simply scrape the loose food into the trash and put the dish in the dishwasher. And that's exactly what I did with my mixing bowl, spatula and cupcake tins after baking these cupcakes. As the mother of four children, and one on the way, not having to prewash dirty dishes saves me time and energy! Here's another really neat feature - this dishwasher comes with a three racks. Two of which are adjustable. The top rack is great for putting spatulas or other loose larger utensils. I also use it to put container lids, so they don't bounce around during the wash cycle. Plus, I have to say I've never had my glasses come out so clean.

How grateful I am for such outstanding companies such as Nebraska Furniture Mart and Kitchen Aid teaming up to help in the fight against this horrible disease. Because of more research and technical advances in the medical field, more and more women are having a better chance in their fight against cancer and living happier lives!

Products with Unique Textures and Materials!

This world is full of different textures, from fabrics and textiles, to furniture and consumer products. In my profession as an interior decorator I deal with these elements daily. Along with color different materials and textures make life so much more interesting. Right now in the design world haptic textures are one of the hot topics. It's all about how we interact with products, the way they feel and the response those textures and products cause. 

I love it when I find unusual textures used in a different way! So when an original object catches my eye, I have to mention it. Like this watch from JORD WOOD Watches! I have never heard of, let alone seen a wooden watch before! When my husband saw this men's zebrawood watch from their Frankie series, he fell in love with it and had to have it! 

The first thing we noticed was the stunning wood box the watch came in. It even had a tiny drawer at the bottom. The attention to detail and materials was very unique and refreshing when compared to the usual plastic or paper of common consumer products. You can find more information about this unique watch here. 

And right now they're offering a giveaway! The contest winner will automatically be emailed a $75.00 e-gift code to the JORD shop. All other entrants will automatically be emailed a $20.00 e-gift code just for entering! So click on the the JORD Giveaway link to enter today! 

You'll want to hurry- the contest closes on September 7th, 11:59 pm Central Time.

This post was sponsored by JORD Wood Watches #jordwatch #woodwatch #fallaccessories
Wooden Wristwatch