My love affair... with turquoise.

I have so many neutrals in my house that I feel like I should have to go to a meeting:

"Hi, my name is Lynlee and I am addicted to brown..."

 However, there is one other color that I have always been addicted to - turquoise.  I have always had different shades of it in my wardrobe, especially with jewelry.

I love the way that the color is fresh and bright, but still moody and deep.  I know - contradictory crazy talk... But, it's true.

So, I started thinking, if turquoise makes me so happy in jewelry and clothes, why in the world would I not surround myself with it in my home.  It lends itself so well to the western/rustic/shabby chic/country type thingy that we are working toward.  So, I started out with my front door... A cheery and beautiful way to greet visitors and guests.

So, then I walked around the house, just searching for more places to implement this color that makes me so happy.  Everyone knows that anything that stands still in my house is in extreme high danger of getting covered in a coat of paint - if this obsession with blue isn't over by October, my children will definitely be smurfs for Halloween.

So in my ravenous scavenge for something to paint, I found a cabinet that I bought a few months ago from a friend.  At the time, I had no idea how I was going to use it, but it was so cheap that I took it anyway.  I will never be accused of being a girl that passes up a good deal.

I originally H-A-T-E-D the finish, but her legs were beautiful and the hardware was to die for...

So, I got out my handy-dandy paint brush and did something about it.  I used a color called Plumage by Martha Stewart from The Home Depot.  Fabulous.

The results might be a little too rustic for some people but I am in love.

I wiped the whole piece with a stripper (not the high heel wearing kind...) to take the varnish off and then dry brushed with plumage.  Then, I sanded to remove some of the paint and waxed with a tinted wax to finish.  Finally, I replaced the original hardware that I loved so much.

And check out those legs.  This cabinet turned out to be one attractive lady...

Hmmmm... what next?!?!?

Granite and cinnamon rolls...

First, I have an announcement...

we finished our project of a house!

We are exhausted, tired, worn out, pooped, drained and fatigued.  I would go on, but I am too tired to think of any more synonyms.  I will post pictures of the transformation as we weed through the sea of boxes and try to find some semblance of order.

..........

The one thing I could not wait to do was break in my new kitchen.  And, let's be honest, after hours of cleaning and unpacking, a girl needs some comfort food.

I have wanted granite countertops for like forever.  Not because they are the bees-knees according to everyone else.  Not for the resale value.  Not even because of the way it looks.  For me, it is all about the bread.  I wanted the cool, smooth surface to knead and mix pastries and make treats that would be yummy in the tummy...

 So, it is only fitting that I would break in the counters with sinful pastries.  I should have been cleaning, unpacking, sorting or organizing but, I am a naughty, naughty girl so I made cinnamon rolls instead.  

The dough rolled out nicely and unlike my old crappy laminates, it did not stick.  I can hear the choruses singing- "hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah"

I use the recipe from The Pioneer Woman. I have to say that that woman is my hero.  Anyone who can come up with how to make something like this deserves adoration.  After rolling the dough, stuffing it with unspeakable amounts of butter, sugar, and cinnamon you roll, slice and place in the pan.  This is the little lovelies before rising.  

I ignored them for a little while (like long enough to watch a DVR episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey) and they looked much nicer.  However, I was suddenly and inexplicably disappointed they weren't pasta.  Hmmmm... wonder why?

 

While baking them, I whipped up the icing.  My hero uses maple flavoring and coffee, but I could not pass up a chance to use my yummy vanilla (Heche en Mexico, of course) so I used it instead of the Maple. 

The end result was so yummy that I forgot the whole point of this was to test out the counters. 

Granite. Cinnamon rolls.  Life is yummy.

..........