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.

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

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