November 1, 2019 | girl & grey

2019 Holiday Gift Guide…A little something for everyone

November 28, 2019 No Comments

Hi friends! Thought I would try something new this year and put together a little gift guide to (hopefully) help you guys come up with some ideas if you find yourself scratching your head when it comes time to start that Holiday shopping! This guide is for everyone, and I included a few ideas for Him, Her, and the kids as well. Also, I only included items that I either own and love or am hoping to see under the tree on Christmas morning…Nate, are you reading this? Well, let’s see if he does! Here’s my round-up!

Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue cologne for men – This is Nate’s favorite cologne and prefers it over all others. I’ve tried to switch it up and buy him something different, but he always goes back to this scent. It’s fresh and not too cologne-y…I’m not a fan of those super heavy scents. $68-$116
Women’s Herschel Mini Backpack – I own this backpack and it’s my favorite! I love having my hands free to wrangle kiddos and it’s mini size is just too cute. $50
Men’s Fossil Neutra Chronograph Leather Strap Watch – Nate loves wearing a watch and this one feels just right with it’s blue face and casual leather strap. $90
The Essential A&F Sherpa Pullover – I’ve been watching everyone scoop these cozy pullovers up and I’m thinking I need one in my life ASAP. Super good price too! $39
Iconic Brick fitted two-piece pajamas – My two little boys would go crazy for these and I think everyone loves a new set of pajamas at Christmas. $39
Prancing Reindeer fitted two-piece pajamas – I went crazy for the pink and red design on these jams. So cute for girls! $39
Ugg scuffette Lil Leopard slipper – I don’t have these adorable and cozy slippers, but I WANT them and Ugg slippers always seem like the best quality! $94.95
Women’s Teva Convertible Slip-on – I just bought these sneakers (in the green color) and I have been wearing them non-stop…they are so cute, so warm, and feels like you’re wearing a slipper. I’m thinking about getting the purple color next! $74.95
Voluspa Candle – As a candle hoarder, I can say with confidence that these might be the best smelling candles around. I’ve tried lots of their scents and this one might be my fave. These also make great gifts! $33

And I think that’s it for now. I had so much fun rounding these up! Leave me comment below and let me know what you think! Happy Shopping! XOXO

kitchen remodel, one room challenge

Our new CAFE Appliances: Dishwasher and Refrigerator Edition

November 22, 2019 4 Comments

This post is sponsored by CAFE

Hi guys! I’m back this week to talk kitchen appliances. When I first started planning my kitchen, the first thing I put on my wishlist were Cafe appliances. I had been seeing them pop up when I was purusing pinterest for inspo pics. Every time I spotted one of their gorgeous appliances in a kitchen, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Seriously, they are show-stoppers!

If you aren’t familiar with GE’s Cafe line, it’s unlike any other appliances around. They have everything you need to plan your kitchen from any and all sizes of refrigerators, ranges with many styles of range hoods to match, dishwashers, and even microwaves. But my favorite thing about their appliances is that you can customize the color and hardware combinations. Isn’t that exciting? ps…you know your adulting HARD when kitchen appliances really get your blood flowing. HA!

But for each piece, you decide the base color you’d like–we chose their Matte White. And the white is AMAZING! We had a stainless steel refrigerator in our last house and with our three kids running around, I had to wipe the refrigerator clean from fingerprints and smudges every. single. day. Cafe’s matte white doesn’t smudge. I swear that I haven’t even cleaned the front once since we installed them over four weeks ago. Life changing!!!! They also have stainless and matte black options which I really liked as well. After you’ve decided on your base color, you get to choose your hardware color. They have brushed bronze, black, copper, and stainless. I chose the brushed bronze because it’s just so beautiful. It’s like jewelry for your kitchen appliances!

For the refrigerator, I wanted a clean front and didn’t want the water dispenser on the outside. Our kitchen is pretty small, and I didn’t want that visual distraction. I went with this one. But with Cafe, it doesn’t mean that you lose the convenience of a water dispenser. They put it on the inside! Isn’t that genius? That’s what I call thoughtful design, amiright? It also connects to your wifi so you have the power to control your refrigerator from your phone. They have thought of everything.

Another nifty perk is that the refrigerator door has an alarm that dings in case you too, have an absent minded kiddo who is constantly leaving the doors wide open.

The dishwasher is a little power house and washes our dishes until they sparkle…literally, they actually sparkle. Nate has been teasing me all week because I actually get excited to load and start the dishwasher. This baby has adjustable racks, controllable wash zones to save water, and enough room to even fit larger trays and pots. The LCD screen that displays the dishwasher cycle status is one of my favorite features.

I’m just loving these appliances and would like to thank the kind folks at Cafe (a BIG thank you to Megan who rushed a new range hood to us when I discovered that I ordered the wrong one just days before the big ORC reveal) for entrusting me with this sponsorship. I am very grateful. I’ll be back next week to give you guys all the deets on the range and range hood because those babies deserve their own post…heck, they deserve a song written about them!

Decorating, Living Room, one room challenge

The New Kid in Town…Aka Our New Sectional

November 13, 2019 No Comments

This post is sponsored by Rove Concepts

Whew…now that the One Room Challenge has wrapped up, I’m so excited to give you guys some more details about the some of the products and companies that I was SO lucky to partner with to make this massive project come to life. I’ve been busy putting in a lot of sofa time (jk…not busy at all) since we finished up the ORC last week…I swear, it feels like I haven’t sat down in six weeks! After breaking in our new sectional for the past week, I feel confident that I can give you guys an honest opinion of the sofa, how the ordering experience was, and what I thought of it in person! Am I the only one who gets nervous about ordering a sofa online when you can’t see it in person or sit on the cushions? Eek!

We have had a fabric sectional for years, and I felt like it was a good time to switch things up! So, I started considering leathers for the new sectional. When I started poking around the Rove Concepts website, I found the Luca Sectional and it was love at first sight. It comes in three shades of leather and countless fabric/velvet options, as well. I went with the Palermo Caramel leather. It is a dream!

Right away, I was struck by the sleek, mid-century inspired lines of the legs and sofa. Something about a mid-century inspired sofa that feels so classic. I am confident that even as trends in furniture and decor change, this sofa will never go out of style.

Rove Concepts also allows you to customize your sectional, and add a chaise on whichever side works best for your living space. I wanted the chaise to be on the left side (between the dining space and living space) as it would allow me to add a couple of extra chairs on the window side of the living room for additional seating. But, every living space is different, so having this option is a big bonus. If you have a keen eye, then you might have noticed the tufting on the seats and the piping around the edges. Just a few of the details that make this sectional feel so special. Another customizing option is the color of leg. I chose their brown option, but you could also select the natural or black colors.

Another great feature about this particular leather is that it has natural color and marking variations that can vary, making each piece of furniture unique. The soft surface will scuff and a beautiful vintage patina will develop over time. I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve never owned a piece of furniture that actually improves over time! Especially in a house full of kids, like mine.

I was also pleasantly surprised with the customer service at Rove Concepts. If you’ve ever had a bad customer service experience (I know that I have, unfortunately), you know the importance of a company that communicates clearly and stands behind their product. During the ordering process, I received emails letting me know the status of my order, and then again when my order was ready to be shipped. They also provided shipping notifications and set up a time that was convenient for delivery. Since ordering a sectional is a big deal (at least it is for me), I found that these updates were both reassuring and helpful. They even sent a survey after delivery to rate their customer service, and to gauge how I was liking (ummmm LOVING) the new sectional.

In person, this leather is soft and the seat is deep and comfortable. My favorite spot is the chaise at night for cozy TV watching. It smells so good too, and serves as a reminder as to what good quality the leather is. It was also important to me that the sectional didn’t feel overwhelming in our small-ish living space, and I think the low lines of the back gives it a lower profile, which is perfect.

All in all, I’m so happy to have went with a Rove Concepts sectional, and I couldn’t love it more! I’ll be back next week to talk kitchen appliances. I’ve been getting lots of questions about how we like them and I’m gonna dish allll the details for you guys then! But, in the meantime, if you have any questions about our new Luca Sectional or about Rove Concepts, leave me a comment and I’ll be happy to help! See you next week! XOXO

one room challenge

One Room Challenge – Modern Mountain Kitchen and Family Room – The Reveal

November 6, 2019 54 Comments

OH MY GOSH WE MADE IT! It’s reveal day for the One Room Challenge and I am so excited that I couldn’t even sleep…and I’m one tired lady too! Let’s get right into it, shall we?!

And just in case you’re new here, here are links to Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, and Week Five so you can catch up on all the craziness that has been my life during these last six weeks.

I am dyyyyyyying to show you all the After pics that I snapped yesterday (nothing like waiting until the last minute, right?), but first, let’s take a walk down memory lane and have a look back at where we started. Here is the moodboard from which I planned the space. Also, peep these before pics…this place has come a long ways, guys.

How about these…

Did I scare you away, yet? We fell in love with this home (even in its very sad state) and hoped that we could turn this home into something that was beautiful and comfortable for our family. Well, here’s how we’re looking now!!!

I couldn’t be happier with how this new kitchen turned out. And did you notice the green? My kitchen at our last house was green as well, and when I was planning this new kitchen, I kept trying to plan something that was different than my last so I could surprise you guys with something fresh and new. But the heart wants what the heart wants!!! Also, don’t you think these green cabinets suit this NW style house???

The kitchen cabinets and countertops are from a local business here in Bend, called Nelson Tile and Stone. We have been planning this kitchen for months and Chris and Jennifer have been there to help us every step of the way. I can’t recommend them enough and would go back to them for any of our future projects. The cabinet hardware is from EMTEK from their Trail Line.

The sink and faucet are both from Krauss and are both beautiful and I loved mixing the white apron sink with a black faucet. Such a cool combo!

The windows are from Sierra Pacific Windows and you guys already know how much I love them as I’ve been gushing about them for weeks.

The appliances are all from CAFE and are amazing! We just discovered last night that we can preheat our oven via voice command. Tech-y type stuff doesn’t usually impress me, but that is just too cool! I love the white, matte finish and the coordinating brush handles. It feels special, almost like jewelry. I’ll be writing a few more blog posts about them in the coming weeks and I will show you guys some more of their cool features!

All of the lighting in the kitchen is by Blue Print Lighting and couldn’t love them more! The flush mount is such a statement maker and gives the kitchen a certain something. And I love the sconces above the open shelving…white and brass have my heart forever.

The barstools and dining chairs are both from Overstock. I love how they coordinate with their black legs and modern lines. The chandelier above the dining table is also by Hudson Valley Lighting and it’s called the Ace….appropriate, huh?

The art in the kitchen is from Minted and adds such a cute touch. I’ll show you some close ups very soon.

The family room didn’t change much with the exception of a fireplace upgrade, some snazzy new cement tiles from Zia Tile, new wood floors, and the most fabulous chandelier from Hudson Valley Lighting.

The new gorgeous leather sectional is from Rove Concepts and it is a beaut! I was a little worried about how leather and kids would mix but this sucker is durable and SO wipable…and let’s not forget, so beautiful! The rug is from Loloi and is a part of their Skye collection in grey and apricot color option. LJ Smith came to the rescue with some new stair parts that aren’t quite finished so I will show you guys in a few days, but they are looking SO GOOD!

If I may, I’d like to get personal for a sec and just tell you guys what this has meant to me, personally. There was never a moment during this giant project, where I took this opportunity for granted. I feel so lucky to have had the privilege to work with so many amazing sponsors during this project and will be writing lots of blog posts in the coming weeks about these partnerships, but I wanted to mention how grateful I am to have had this opportunity, and will do my best to make them all proud. I’m not crying, I swear.

On to the thank you’s now…

Thank you so much to all of you who sent messages of encouragement, cheered us on, and followed along throughout this process. Your kindness and support really means the world to me. A big hug and kiss goes out to my mom and dad who came to our house almost every weekend to help…love you, Mom and Dad. And my sister and brother in-law who were also here almost every weekend and kept me calm (sort of calm, anyways). A BIG thank you goes out to Linda for allowing me to be a part of such an amazing event and answering my thousands of questions over email. Finally, an ENORMOUS thank you goes out to all of the sponsors who put their faith in me and this project. We couldn’t have done it without you…really! XOXO

Be sure to check out all the amazing work from the other designers too! So amazing!

At Charlotte’s House | Design Addict Mom | Erika Ward Interiors | Erin Kestenbaum | Girl & Grey

Nicole White Designs | Old Brand New | Oscar Bravo Home | Place of My Taste | The Rath Project