THE RAINBOW CAKE

I thought I would share this really fun rainbow cake idea.  It's super simple and it's sure to be a big hit!

You start by preparing a white cake mix.

Divide your batter between six different bowls and add your food coloring. 

Pour your batter, one color at a time, into your prepared baking dish.  Each color is poured in the center of the previous color.  I chose to split my colors between two different pans like this...

Swirl the batter a bit.

Bake your cake following the directions on the box.

Then decorate until till your little heart is content. Bear with me here, I know my cake decorating skills could use some work. :)

When you're done, you should end up with something like this! 

Doesn't it look yummy??  Who wouldn't love a cake like this for their next birthday??  I know I would!

CHIP IT

I have been neglecting my bathroom ever since I moved into my house a mere two and a half years ago.  Why you ask?  Because I haven't had a single ounce of inspiration!  Not. A. Drop.  So here it sits, white walls and all just waiting to be made pretty.

  I purchased this shower curtain a few months back, but I didn't even bother to hang it because I wasn't sure what paint color to use.

Enter: Chip It
  

Chip It is this neat little tool I just found.  It takes any image you have and creates a coordinating color pallet.  All you have to do is follow my link below to the Sherwin Williams website, then drag the Chip It button to you toolbar and it's ready to use.  Simple, right?  Let's be honesty here...I figured it out and I didn't even know how to place online orders until last year  :)  Then whenever you see a picture you love just scroll over the image and Chip It will create a color pallet for you!  The possibilities are endless. 

 

I love playing around with it!  It's so much fun!.  Here are a few examples.

TILE BACKSPLASH

The tile is done and I couldn't be happier!  I just love how it turned out.  I took these pictures on my phone, so they aren't the best quality.  I'll be adding more pictures soon.

THE KITCHEN REMODEL

Welcome to my kitchen.  This space was small, cramped, and OLD.  The oven door couldn't open all the way because it hit the refrigerator door and the refrigerator door couldn't open all the way because it hit the stove door.  The flooring wasn't bad, but it was about an inch higher than the floor in my living room.  The space was so awkward and it needed to go.  I love to cook and this kitchen made it difficult.  I knew that someday I would gut this space, but in my mind someday...was a long time from now.  Sure I wanted to have a nice new kitchen, but my tiny budget wouldn't allow for new cabinets, appliances, trim, paint, flooring, etc, etc, etc, right?  Plus I couldn't handle a kitchen remodel, I mean who was I kidding!?!  It's like they say though...all you need is just twenty seconds of insane courage.  That courage came in the form of two hammers- one in my moms hand and one in mine.  Once we started hammering away there was no going back.

 

 This is my sister Allison (aka Heart) rocking some pretty NICE looking safety glasses!

 

 Heart's husband Nick

 

This is my Mom.  She doesn't like having her picture taken ;)

We tore up layer upon layer upon layer of flooring trying to get down to the original oak.  This. Was. A. Project!  I don't even know how many hours I spend on these floors, but I love the end result and I'm so happy I refinished them.  

 Here is the beast like sander that I rented from The Home Depot.  This thing is tough and will tear through just about anything. 

 Drywall is done.

Finally cabinets start to go in!

Countertop and lighting came next :)

New appliances!

 

Next up...tile backsplash.  I love love LOVE how this turned out.

This is the original kitchen door after I sanded and stripped it.  I'm really happy with how it turned out!  Boy was it a lot of work though!

I fell in love with this light fixture and these knobs from Restoration Hardware.  They were a tad...ok a TON over budget but I am so glad I went with them.  I just love how they look in this space.  I'll blame these two purchases on my friend Bryan who encouraged me to "go with what I loved".  When i told him I had gone way over budget he said this was payback for me encouraging him to "go with what he loved" during his basement remodel.  :) 

 

The kitchen is finished now!  Well for the most part...is any room ever really done though??  Sure I need to add curtains to the window, and artwork to the walls, but my house back in order...I have a stove to cook with...a sink to wash dishes in, and...oh...REAL plates, cups and silverware! It's the little things...

So what do you think of the transformation?  It's a big change, right?