wednesday catch all...

So- I have been a busy girl lately... as all of you Abode Lovers know, I have been working on my kitchen (check out these old posts here, here and here) for quite some time. I have even had some of my readers ask about my slow (and not so steady) progress. Want to know my excuse? Well, Colonel Dad isn't available very often- and he knows everything about everything. He has expertise in tile, sheetrock, mudding, lighting, electrical stuff, you name it, he's got the knowledge and the gusto to get it all done. He is slightly short on time... so, I sit around waiting for him to call me (which is fine by me, I am just so thankful to snag him when I can!). My mom also has a long honey-do list at her lovely abode... so, as you can probably figure... we tend to argue over who gets custody of our handyman over the weekend. I am crossing my fingers that I can gain custody for a few hours in the next two weeks... with a wife, 5 kids, 2 dogs, 1 grandson and the travel that goes along with the day job... Colonel Dad stays busy, and wanted. (Can you even imagine how full my mother's plate is!?!) 


Anyhow, I have really wanted to give all of you a little update on my kitchen status- along with a few things I have picked up and received in the spirit of the fall season.

we created a stencil to trace out the outlets easily-

 using ceramic tile adhesive-

 Colonel Dad placing the first square foot of tile on the backsplash! woohoo! After this sheet, it was all me. Colonel Dad cut the tiles non-stop while I placed the tiles on the wall. I really enjoyed the process!

 measure twice.... cut once. 

This is about as far as we went for one evening- we had sheetrock mud that was still drying, so we had to stop, bummer. BUT I really do LOVE the way it's looking! I still just adore the shape of the tiles- and I really love the bright white glossy ceramic against the creamy, eggshell cabinets. I think that the granite ties all of the colors together- I am so pleased! (note: I am thinking the grout will be pale gray... like the color of the island)

and this is me- attempting to decorate for the fall season despite my kitchen being in shambles... don't you just love the background? 

The awesome orange twig bowl comes from my super-fab mother-in-law. She grabbed this pretty bowl for me along with the stripey orange and white dishtowels at Scott's Antiques in Atlanta. I absolutely adore them... so perfect for fall! I went to my local grocery store and stocked up on sweet, little colorful pumpkins to fill it... love!

 

here are my latest magazines that have been inspiring me daily... Anthropologie, West Elm, and last but not least.... RESTORATION HARDWARE (swoon). And what better to indulge in while flipping through fall inspired magazines than caramel apples!? yum!

I am looking forward to finishing my kitchen so that I can share it with all of my Abode Lovers! I will keep you all updated. Enjoy your Wednesday evening (I'll be watching Modern Family, flipping through those fabulous magazines... and munching on those caramel apples!)