Kendall's Blessing Day

A tradition of my faith is to give each child a name and a blessing.  We perform this brief ordinance in church on a Sunday in front of the whole congregation. Basically- it's a prayer said over the baby (I hope this is making sense to my non-Mormon friends). My husband, Nic, gave Kendall her blessing and it was a special moment for all of us. It would have been even more special if Kendall did not cry the entire time Nic spoke :). I don't typically get into religious topics on my blog (this blog is mostly just my creative outlet for all things aesthetically beautiful to me) but I thought I'd share some of the photos I took of the brunch we hosted after the blessing and also some of the delicious recipes I used to prepare the food.  As usual I did not take nearly as many photos as I wish I did (especially of the guests and complete buffet set-up). I will be listing all sources at the end of the post as well. Enjoy!

I love hosting events; but hate the stress that comes with it. I can say in 100% honesty that this was the least stressful party I have ever hosted (due in large part to the help of my Mom into the early morning the night before). I chose to prepare a breakfast buffet since the blessing would be over at about 10 am. I made 2 breakfast casseroles, a waffle bar, and purchased some other yummy breakfast treats such as donuts and cinnamon rolls. I like to have a mix of homemade from scratch items and store bought items so that it takes some of the stress off of me but the guests can still tell that I put a lot of effort into preparation. The breakfast casseroles ended up being an amazing idea because I prepared them the night before, threw them in the fridge, and then just popped them in the oven the morning of the blessing and used chafing dishes to keep them warm until the guests arrived.

The waffles were a HUGE hit. I made liege waffles (like the waffluv truck waffles). I will definitely be making this recipe many times in the future. I made the dough the night before and refrigerated it. Then the morning of I used my 6 unit waffle iron to cook them quickly. It only took about 20 minutes to prepare them all (about 40 in total I believe) and they were nice and hot when we were ready. Once again I used a chafing dish to keep them warm. If you plan on entertaining a lot invest in a chafing dish. They have been a complete life saver for me!

I also set the tables, prepped the floral arrangements, and set out all of my serving dishes the night before. This saved me a ton of time in the morning (and we all know I am NOT a morning person). I purchased the flowers from Costco and got the birch vases online.

It ended up being a beautiful morning with family and friends. Thank you to everyone that came to support Kendall in her big moment. We love you all!

If you have any questions about this brunch or are looking for any party planning advice feel free to leave me a comment. I will respond to each of them.

Thanks for reading!

Love- Lea

Decor:

Birch Vases: afloral.com

Flowers: Costco

Tablecloth: Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Runner: fabric via Hobby Lobby cut and ironed to runner dimensions

Chargers: Target (old)

Chafing Dishes: Sam's Club (old) but here's a link to a similar one on Amazon

Recipes:

Liege Waffles (I bought my Pearl Sugar on Amazon)

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Bacon Breakfast Casserole

White Chocolate Milk

My Dress: Trina Turk

Kendall's Dress: Nordstrom

Kendall's 2nd Dress: Nordstrom Rack

Kitchen Remodel

Today I am so excited to finally share with you our completed kitchen. If you've been following the blog for a while you know that our renovation ran VERY much behind schedule. Then by the time everything was complete I was extremely pregnant and too lazy to take photos or post haha. But now that we've adjusted to life with a baby and all the projects in the kitchen have been completed I finally feel ready to share the finished product. 

Below you'll see a photo of the kitchen before we started our remodel:

We wanted to lighten the space and create an elegant yet inviting kitchen. I knew painting the cabinets white would definitely bring the bright airy feel I was looking for. We had our cabinet carpenter match the lacquer he used to paint the cabinets with our trim color in the home which is Sherwin Williams Extra White. We started our search for counter tops by browsing a billion pictures on Houzz.com. I was sold on Carrera marble until I started reading reviews and comments about how porous and high maintenance it can be. Houzz helped me to find a great natural marble alternative called "super white quartzite". We went around to a dozen granite slab yards in Salt Lake and Utah County and finally found the perfect super white slabs at Francini Inc. in Salt Lake.

The next step was finding a backsplash tile that we loved. We went to Westco Carpet & Interiors on a whim one day and ended up getting our carpet, fireplace surround tile, and backsplash tile all from Westco! Our backsplash is actually porcelain that is printed with a marble design; this was a MUCH more cost effective option than using natural stone. It comes in both glossy and honed; we went with honed. The backlash came in a mosaic meaning it is mounted on a sheet and put together like a puzzle when it is installed. This made it easier for our tile installer and cost us less in labor.  The tile inlay above the stove is genuine marble in a basketweave design (this was Nic's contribution to the kitchen design and is one of my favorite features).

The final details were the Pottery Barn pendants installed over the island and the new refrigerator and Wolf rangetop. We specifically wanted a rangetop (as opposed to a drop in stove) for our stove because it has an apron front which gives a built-in look. Also, our refrigerator is counter depth so that it blends into the cabinetry seamlessly.  These are both features that I think make an understated but effective impact on how professional a kitchen looks. Obviously I'd love a nice big built-in Sub-Zero fridge and a 60 inch Wolf range but we'll have to save those wishes for our dream home :). We also replaced the faucets which were purchased from Amazon (details below).

Thank you for stopping by Design, Life, & Style and I hope you'll check in soon to see the rest of the "after" photos of our renovation. If you'd like to take another look at the "before" posts you can find them here and here.

Have a great day!

Product Details:

Refrigerator: LG

Rangetop: Wolf

Double Ovens: KitchenAid

Dishwasher: KitchenAid

Pendants: Pottery Barn (large)

Bar Stools: Restoration Hardware

Prep Sink Faucet: Danze via Amazon

Sink Faucet: Premier via Amazon

Dish Towels: Walmart

Rug: Walmart

Spice Rack: Bed, Bath and Beyond

Knife Block and Set: J.A Henckel via Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Cutting Board: Bed, Bath, and Beyond

French Canisters: Williams Sonoma (no longer available)

Wall Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Mindful Grey

Cabinet Color: Sherwin Williams Extra White

Baby Girl's Nursery

Decorating Kendall's nursery was such a joy. It was so fun using vivid colors and fun prints...something that is definitely a deviance from my typical neutral and understated style. I wanted to create a beautiful space for Kendall without breaking the bank and without doing anything too permanent to the finishes of the room since we are considering selling this home in the summer (more on that later).  

My inspiration for the nursery started with this floral tea party painting from Pottery Barn Kids. I used it as my palette for colors and I drew my ideas for small details around the room from this painting. You'll notice kid sized tea cups on a small side table (this is from my childhood tea set) and delft blue accents here and there. After I found the painting I thought it would be cool and kind of funky to mix it with another bold pattern for the crib sheet. I found this beautiful crib sheet on cadenlane.com and new it was the perfect print for our nursery. 

There are a few more items I'd like to add to the space such as a rug and a different pillow for the glider; but all in all I am happy with the outcome. The photos really do not do it justice because this room has the sweetest and happiest aura in person. I am hoping Kendall will have many joyful and pleasant memories in this room.

Thank you for reading! If you have questions about absolutely anything in this space please do not hesitate to leave me a comment.

Crib: Pottery Barn Kids "Fillmore" Crib

Dresser: RC Willey

Dresser Changing Table Topper: Pottery Barn Kids Catalina Changing Table Topper (extra wide)

Glider: Buy, Buy, Baby

Ottoman: Safavieh via Target.com

Curtain Panels: Target

Lamp: Overstock

Monogram Wall Hanging: Pottery Barn Kids

Floral Painting: Caitlin Mcgauley via Pottery Barn Kids (no longer available)

White Matted Frames: Target

Crib Sheet & Changing Pad Cover: Caden Lane

Crib Skirt: Pottery Barn Kids

Bolster Pillow: Custom (gift from my Mom)

What's in my KusiLife Makeup Bag

Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite new beauty secrets and introduce you to a very special accessory line. KusiLife is a brand new company specializing in handmade accessories. These accessories have a very special significance because the sale of each KusiLife product will help in aiding people in need in the Peruvian community. 

In the words of KusiLife:
"KusiLife is a newly formed start up specializing in the import and selling of Andean handmade accessories in the U.S. Through this we hope to connect continents, giving Americans a taste of indigenous Peruvian culture while also contributing back to the Peruvian community through charitable contributions to socially conscious projects.

The idea for KusiLife sprang from a desire to make beautiful Peruvian artisan goods more attainable not only to Americans but also to Peruvians living abroad who miss the nostalgia of these products.

While traveling to our native Peru this past winter, we began the process of creating KusiLife as a side project and since then the idea has grown. We are now dedicated to bringing KusiLife in its most literal sense which means “happy-life” to everyone by promoting Peruvian products abroad and through charitable contributions to Peruvian social causes.

Peru is a country rich in culture and history but unfortunately statistics show that a third of the population still lives below the national poverty level. Poverty is also the deepest amongst people of indigenous roots living in rural areas. For this reason, migrants travel to Lima, the Peruvian capital in order to seek better opportunities but they often find themselves in similar circumstances. Many resort to creating goods for tourists but their customer base is extremely limited and we hope to broaden their reach.

Every piece that we offer on our site is one of a kind. Each piece is unique and handmade from cotton. Colors and designs will be similar but no piece will be identical.

Kusi means “Happy” in Quechua, the native language of the Incas. It is still spoken by millions of indigenous people throughout the Andean region and presently, Quechua is the official language of Peru alongside Spanish. Therefore, KusiLife means happy-life so remember always Be Kusi. Be happy."

I was eager to partner with a brand that shows so much compassion and attentiveness to societies that are in need. Visit www.kusilife.com to view their for line of products and learn more about their story.

So...what exactly is in my KusiLife makeup bag?

First, my new favorite mascara, Maybelline "Falsies". This is my everyday go-to mascara and you can find it at Target or any drug store. However, when I'm looking to spice things up I have recently started to love applying false eye lashes. You can instantly change the shape and intensity of your eyes with false lashes. The best part is that once you get the hang of applying them they are very, very easy. For this look I used Bullseye "Just a Girl" Joan Lashes.

I have also been loving gel eye liner. It gives a much more polished and defined line than your typical eye liner. Since gel eye liner is a new thing for me I decided to go with a very budget friendly option to try it out. I chose Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner and I absolutely love it! The pigment is defined enough to really make your eyes POP! It is also very easy to apply as it is not thin and runny like you can sometimes find with liquid liners. I totally love it.

Red lips are a favorite of mine for winter and my go-to daytime red is MAC "Everyday Dive". It is there mineralize rich formula which keeps your lips hydrated throughout the day. It is extremely dry here in Utah so having lipstick that keeps my lips moisturized is a must!

Finally, I have a new favorite blush color which is MAC "Fever" Matte Blush. It gives a great deep, rich color and is beautiful if you have a darker skin tone like myself. I am never a girl to shy away from blush so I have TONS of different blushes; but somehow this always seems to be the first one I pick!

I hope you enjoyed this brief beauty post. Click the"Beauty Tips" link below to see some of my other beauty product reviews and suggestions.

Have a fab day! And don't forget to stop by kusilife.com!

Remodel Update 4

Well guys we're in the final stretch! We're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel but we definitely are not done yet.  All of the custom cabinetry still needs to be installed and there is A LOT of touch up work that has to be done (never, ever rush your painters...really bad idea). But we are getting closer and closer. Carpet was installed on Friday (I'll include photos in the next remodel post) and for the most part the painting is done and looks really good. It shouldn't be much longer until we are completely moved in! Last night was actually our first night sleeping in the house and it has started to feel more like home.

The banister was completely redone. If you go back to this post you'll see the original color. BIG change.

The finished product! You'll see it with the new carpet in the next post which really brings it all together.

The color we picked for the walls is a rich warm gray. The colors is called Mindful Gray and it is a Sherwin Williams paint color. It has made the home feel much more elegant and clean than the original tan color.

The color we chose for the master is called Misty and it is a Sherwin Williams colors as well. It is a very calming, relaxing blue which is just what we wanted for our bedroom. It also pulls some gray tones which works well with the rest of the home and the master bathroom which was painted SW Agreeable Gray.

Here's the office and you can see the new color on the floor. I absolutely LOVE it. I actually think refinishing the floors has been the most painless and rewarding project in the house. The company that did it was great to work with and the final product was exactly what we were looking for. They also killed the herringbone inlay in the entry. As you can tell I was really satisfied with them.

Below you can check out how the fireplace is coming along. New limestone tiles have been used for the surround and hearth and we've added some finish work to the top of the shaft. The painters, however, did not realize that the WHOLE shaft should have been painter white. This is one of the lingering paint issues I referred to before. In all honesty though, the majority of the paint looks great. There are just a few areas that need a lot of additional attention. The mantle and bookcases should be coming this week. I'm very excited to get those in!

Here's a brief cameo from Nic! As you can tell he's really excited that the remodel is almost over.

Stay tuned for the next update which will probably be my last before I do all of the finished product photos.

Merry Christmas! I am so excited to go snuggle up with my husband as soon as I get home from work today and start really enjoying my Christmas break. May you and your family be happy and safe during this holiday season. Thanks for reading!