Play Kitchen Renovation

     We were so lucky when our neighbors decided to gift us with a play kitchen that they didn't need anymore! It was a nice, sturdy, wooden kitchen that had tons of potential for fun! Amelia loved it from the first day we put it in our house, but the decision to keep it in the living room, left me wanting it to match my style a little more. There was only one answer and that was to renovate!

     It was pretty cute from the get go, but with a few coats of paint and a little creativity, I turned it into this!

     The first order of business was to remove the cabinet faces and all of the hardware. Next, I spray painted all of the hardware with spray paint. I used Rust-Oleum in Antique Brass (2-3 cans). Then all of the cabinets and bases got two-three coats of white paint. If you have the time and patients, I would recommend sanding before painting. I didn't, but I know it would be greatly beneficial. I used an exterior white  semi-gloss paint. My reasoning for this, was that I thought it would be more resistant to water, scuffs, and stains, we shall see.

     After the white is good and dry (waiting between steps is the worst!), I used 1 inch painters tape to lay out where I wanted my white subway tile. I cut it into 3 inch long strips and laid it out in a brick pattern. After the entire back splash was covered, which is super time consuming, I used gray acrylic paint to 'grout' the tiles.

     Next came the faux marble countertop. My first step here, was putting down a fresh coat of white. This allowed me to blend in the gray really well. This was definitely a learning process, but what it really came down to was layers! I stared by adding the veining of the marble with a small brush. Then I blended lighter grey over that with a foam brush. Immediately add more white paint with the foam brush and keep layering until you get the desired effect. After mine dried, I dry brushed an extra layer of white over the top on the diagonal. This gave it a uniform look and made it seem like it had striations like you would see in stone.

 

     I also added eyes for the stove instead of painting them on. I did this by spray painting some wooded coasters we already had black. I would also suggest using cds or purchasing wooden rounds from the craft store. These were attached using Gorilla Glue.

     The square on the front of the oven is chalkboard paint, although she isn't old enough to use it yet, I'm sure she will have fun with it in the future.

     One of my favorite additions to the kitchen is the metal sheet I put on the fridge. I thought it would be fun for her to actually have magnets on her refrigerator. I bought a 6"x12" galvanized metal sign from Michael's. We drilled holes into the corners and mounted it on the door. She has love playing with the magnets and learning her animals! 

     I'm super happy with the way everything turned out. The project took me about 2 days to complete and you have to be committed to get it finished that quickly! I had my husband watching the baby the whole time, so if you've got to watch your kids as well, it could take much longer. 

     I think, as with anything you do, the attention to detail really makes it. I would recommend looking at real kitchen renovations, picking out what you like, and scaling it down. If you aren't into faux painting, there are plenty of options, from contact paper to furniture appliques. You really just have to get out there to the stores and look for inspiration. Although, I will say, faux is the cheapest way to go! 

Here is what I used for this project:

1 Gallon of White Paint

3 Bottles of Brass Spray Paint

Black Spray Paint (or  any black paint on hand)

Chalkboard Paint (very small amount)

Gray Acrylic Paint

1" Painter's Tape

4 Coasters or Cds

Gorilla Glue

2 Small Foam Rollers

2-3 Foam Brushes

1 Angled Paint Brush (3 inches or so)

Paint Stirrers 

Galvanized Metal Panel

Drill

Screwdriver

4 Small Screws

Rustic Clip Frame

First and foremost, Jeremy and I have no idea how to build anything. We aren't the handiest people on the planet, but I really wanted a frame to go over our bed. I also didn't want to pay a fortune for it. Frames this size are pretty expensive. And, we already had some really cheap wood from a previous project that I wasn't a huge fan of.

We tore that old project up and went to work putting this together. We don't have many tools and definitely not technical skill, which is why this is a "rustic" project. I feel like most people use the word rustic to mean "I just left it rough around the edges instead of really trying." Whatever works! I like the style of most rustic projects.

This frame is 28" x 68" and fits nicely above our king  size bed! We had them cut the boards at Home Depot when we bought them. They charge per cut, but it is cheaper than buying a saw for sure, especially if you don't do this sort of thing often! I'm not going to give you guys instructions, because I wouldn't even know how! Just wanted to share our little project and maybe give you guys a bit of inspiration.

     The beautiful artwork that we built this specifically to display is by Nashville based artist, Kelly Mckernan. Please, please, go check out her work on her website or her Facebook!

Quick Italian Salad

This Italian salad is one of our favorite dinners! We've started making it once a week with garlic bread and it's so delicious. I'm about to put up a blog post with the ingredients list! Link in profile. #salad #dinner #healthy #healthyeating #delicious #fresh #italian #italiansalad

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Apr 17, 2016 at 9:08am PDT

We love this "Italian" salad! It is absolutely on of our favorite meals and it is so easy to put together.
I feel like salads don't really need recipes, just a list of ingredients that you put together according to what you like the most and how many you are serving. So, here is what we throw into ours!

My addition that isn't exactly in the norm, is fried onion straws. In my house, we aren't a huge fan of raw onions. So, I replace what would normally be diced red onions, with the fried variety. I really like it because it adds a nice crunch to the salad and they are so yummy anyway! 

Quick Italian Salad

• Italian Salad Mix, Romaine and Radicchio
• Tomato, diced
• Cucumber, diced
• Kalamata  Olives, sliced
• Delicatessen Style Peperoncini or Banana Peppers, diced
• Crumbled Feta Cheese
• Fried Onions Strings
• Fat Free Italian Dressing
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Mix it all together and eat up! I usually make garlic bread, with whatever bread we have lying around, to make this more of a meal. And, Jeremy loves having the bread for sure! I think it makes up for not having meat in the salad. If you want to add meat, we have done this with grilled chicken or even diced salami and pepperoni! 

Easter in Alabama

We were so excited that we got to go home for Easter. It isn't very often that we can make that trek for a holiday. Most holidays Jeremy either has to work or only has 1 day off. We managed to get 4 vacation days and spend TWO whole days at home. Although it doesn't sound like much, it was great to spend Easter with out family and friends!

I thought the driving (in my case, riding) was going to overpower the trip, but this time it wasn't so bad. Amelia slept most of the way and kept herself fairly entertained while she was awake. She snack a lot and played with her toys. She did great and only fussed a couple of times.

Taking a little mini vacation like this is a great refresher. Which, Jeremy and I need fairly often. We get sort of bogged down with our responsibilities and the monotony of the day to day. We combat this weekly by trying to explore the area around us and go for some pretty long walks. It just doesn't give the same amount of satisfaction as a road trip. I love exploring new places, but lately, going home has been the best. It is an adventure in itself, because Amelia is always learning something new. I love to see things through her eyes. There is a lot to explore in Grandcam's yard, rocks to find and flowers to pick!

She did a good job 'hunting' for Easter eggs. She figured out pretty quick that they needed to go into the basket, but then she wanted everyone else to pick them up for her. It was extremely cute and she had a blast, running and rolling around in the grass. Since she was the only kid there, it was all about her. And, she was totally okay with that!

Back Online

I'm glad to be getting this up and going again. Our "old" computer, wasn't making the cut and we had to take it back after having it for almost a year. We bought the coverage on it and although it was a hassle, ultimately everything worked out. So, I'm writing this blog from our new Surface 3. I have only had it for a few days, but I already am having a wonderful time with it.

I am going to be able to start blogging again, which I am really looking forward to. I'll be able to use Lightroom and Photoshop again, which is a definite plus. And, the most amazing thing of all, is that I can draw straight onto the screen. This is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I have played around in Photoshop for a long time, but I am going to be able to seriously do some digital art. I'm so excited!

I worked on my first drawing for roughly 3 hours yesterday. It took me quite a while to figure out how I wanted everything layered, but I'm super happy with the end result. I can't wait to learn more techniques and hone my skills.

We are heading home for a mini vacation next weekend. Amelia will be getting to spend Easter with her grandparents! You can be sure that there will be a blog about our trip home.

I am also about to undertake a play kitchen remodel. Details on that will be posted periodically. I do so enjoy my projects and this should be a great one!

Creating Inspiration

Work in progress. Calling it quits for the night. Gouache and marker. #art #artist #artwork #painting #drawing #watercolor #gouache #marker #sharpie #texture #wip #workinprogress #paint

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Feb 24, 2016 at 8:16pm PST

I have the hardest time keeping myself inspired to create. I feel like this is something that a lot of artists struggle with. I can't even tell you how many times a week I get everything out to start working, stare at the paper for five minutes, and put everything away. It can be really tough to have this happen over and over again. If you are a creative type, I'm sure you can relate to this sort of frustration.

I came to a realization the other day though. Sitting around and just hoping for my muse to hand me a completed work wasn't going to get me anywhere. It takes actually sitting down and getting started. You have to put in the effort to get going and by doing so, you can create your own inspiration.

I put Amelia in her chair and gave her some art supplies. She got straight to work on her beautiful scribbles and I got to work on mine. I put pencil to paper and before I knew it, I had the entire under-drawing completed.

I had no vision for the piece when I started, although I do have an underlying theme in almost all of my work. Each little part of the sketch led to the next and then I hit a block.  I had a wide expanse of negative space and I had no ideas. And the best advice I can give when this happens is to walk away. Leave the piece unfinished, shut it up in your sketchbook and forget about it for awhile. Coming back to a drawing with "new eyes" is the best thing you can do. I do this also when I am not liking a picture. Often times, when revisited, it isn't as bad or as hopeless as originally thought.I hope I can take my own advice on these things in the future. Always, always try.

I am still learning to watercolor, so the rest of the process was a bit touch and go. I decided to texture all of that negative space. I used a dropper and rubbing alcohol to get a texture I like. I'm honestly super happy with the way it all turned out. The last step in my process involves going back over the painting in marker, to bring out my lines.

If I had never taken it upon myself to get inspired, I would have never created this. I think that would have been a real shame.

Finished this piece this morning. I managed to get up before Amelia, which is incredibly rare, and get a good bit of work in. Now, time to clean. #art #artwork #artist #artistry #gouache #watercolor #marker #sharpie #drawing #painting #reeves #strathmore

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Feb 25, 2016 at 6:30am PST

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

     We took Amelia to the zoo to see the animals for the first time yesterday! We had taken her to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens last Halloween, but none of the animals were really out at night. She really enjoyed looking at everything and spending time outdoors, as did we, even if it was chilly!

     She did really great in and out of her stroller! That's a really surprising statement considering she has always hated to be strapped into that thing. We took her out a couple times to see things where the fences were too tall, but she spent almost all day in there. The zoo was really stroller friendly for the most part, not that it wasn't a workout.

     Now, about the zoo itself. They house over 2,000 wild and exotic animals and over 1,000 types of plants. Some of the larger exhibits include The Range of the Jaguar, Land of the Tiger, Giraffe Outlook, and the Great Apes. The zoo is essentially a safari covering East Africa, Asia, Australia, and more! They have great exhibits on Florida wildlife, amphibians, and birds. Many of the animals were put up during our visit because it was too cold out for them, but we had a great time seeing the ones that were still in their habitats.

     The gardens are beautiful! Many of the plants were actually in bloom, which was a pleasant surprise in February. The Butterfly Hollow is a seasonal exhibit, but the paths through it lead to a beautiful view of the Trout River. There is seating scattered throughout the garden and it was absolutely a lovely space late in the afternoon!

     Another point I would like to hit on is the food. They have pretty standard and yummy fare at their cafes, but their sweet shop is fantastic! They have absolutely amazing fudge, ice cream, and a huge selection of candy. Their fudge is so good that Jeremy actually convinced me to buy this much of it! They have lots of different flavors. We got Rocky Road, Birthday Cake, Heath, Cappuccino, Dulce De Leche, and Butterfinger. He swears it take us a along time to eat it all, but I'm already doubting that!

     We had a great day! It is an absolutely beautiful and fun zoo and we will definitely be making a return visit in the future.

Home

home

hōm

noun

1. 1.

   the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.

     If only it was truly that easy to define it. Home.

     It is weird to live in one place, but have your home be in another entirely. Our house is in Jacksonville. It is, for the time being, our place of residence. It is were our little family lives. But, our home, is in central Alabama. The places we grew up in are about 15 miles apart and the area that surround them will always be home. It is where most of our family lives and where we really feel a deep rooted connection with, well, everything.

     It is also strange that we feel such a strong urge to stay while we are there, considering we always wanted to move away, when we were younger.  We could hardly wait to get out and now, when we are home, we never want to leave. Everyone always asks us, "when are ya'll moving back?" We never have a good answer. We have no idea what our future holds, but we hope it will bring us closer to home again.

     Our visit home is always great, but this one in particular was different, better. I think it was because of Amelia. She had grown so much, in size and personality, since November, that it was all brand new to her again. She warmed up to people faster (besides letting my mom and dad hold her, which we still can't get going) and played more. She babbled peoples ears off and gave everyone tons of hugs and kisses. She loved visiting and it made our being there even more special. 

   

     One of my favorite parts of going home is spending time on the patio at my parent's house. You can't go out there without having a good time! We were lucky to have a night where it was really cold enough to light the fire pit and sit around with family and friends. Jeremy brought out his guitar and played for everyone and let me tell you, that man never ceases to amaze me (or my dad for that matter). My dad was bragging on his "son" the entire night. Jeremy was jamming over backing tracks and it was some of the best playing I had heard from him in quite awhile. He is so talented and I am always astonished by his ability to adapt to different styles. I could probably write an entire blog about his skills (and I just might)! It is nights like that that I miss the most and they are always a treat when we are there. 

     Saying goodbye to everyone and making the trip home is always tough. When we got back to Jacksonville last night, it felt weird and bittersweet. We are home and we aren't... always looking forward to the next visit and counting down the days until we can make the trek again. 

Christmas in January

It is finally time for us to go home for Christmas! We always make the trek towards the end of January, since the holidays are a no vacation time zone for Jeremy. I am so excited to take Amelia home to visit with everyone. We haven't been back since early November and she has changed so much since then!

I am also very excited about the fact that my parents don't have WiFi. That seems crazy, right? But, it allows us to really focus on family time and put our phones down for awhile. That being said, I won't be updating the blog at all next week. I'm sure I will have lots to post when we get back though.

Maybe, I'll have some good toddler car trip advice by then. That little munchkin turns this 6 hour drive into something closer to 7 or 8 hours. Not exactly fun, but totally worth it.

Do you guys have any tips or tricks that you use to keep your little ones happy in the car?

Commissioned Artwork - Oscar

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Jan 21, 2016 at 6:32pm PST

My latest piece of artwork was a commission for a friend. As I'm sure most of you have gathered, I normal just draw female faces. It is sort of my go to theme whenever I pick up a pencil.

I really enjoyed working on this because its subject matter is a bit out of my comfort zone. It was especially challenging because it is supposed to be her cat, Oscar. It is hard for me to stick to reality in my artwork and actually pick up the personality of the subject. Obviously, I was super stoked to hear that she thought the work was spot on.

Her original vision for the work was something a little more dark, but as we started discussing colors it evolved into what you see now. I am over the moon, pun intended, with the colors in this piece. They really pop and play off of each other. I am a big fan of this color combo for sure.

If any of you are interested in purchasing a commissioned piece, contact me on my Facebook page!

Amelia in Wonderland

Back in November, we went home to have Amelia's first birthday party a little early. The theme was Alice in Wonderland, but with a vintage twist that felt more like a baby's party. I made the invites myself in Photoshop and had them printed by Shutterfly. I then cut the corners in the shape of a tea bag, punched a hole in the top and tied a piece of bakers twine through it, they were precious!

Anyone who has ever helped my plan anything knows I get a bit obsessive over little details.Which, lets face it, can be super annoying.  I had to really learn to let people help me. Trying to take care of a baby and put on a great party is not an easy task. 

For months, I had been dropping by craft stores and picking up all sorts of little things and in the end, I was just lucky that most of it went together. I had a lot of help from my family and friends to really make it work and I'm super thankful for that. 

I made all of the decorations, her "high chair" banner, drew the little framed pictures, and did the cakes. This mama was exhausted! We even bought a nicely bound copy of Alice in Wonderland and had the first empty page signed as a guest book. I wanted her to have a keepsake that she would actually want later. I plan to do this for all of her birthday parties. 

The menu was as follows:

Chicken Salad Croissants
Pimento Cheese Finger Sandwiches
Fruit and Veggie Trays
Heart Shaped PB&J
Cucumber Open Faced Sandwiches
Meat and Cheese Tray
Chips and Pretzels in Cupcake Liners
Spinach Dip and French Onion Dip served from Tea Cups

There of course was a sweets table, complete with cake, cookies, pastries, and a candy buffet. I hand stamped the brown favor bags with an "A" and displayed them in a teacup planter. The cakes were based off designs seen here and here.

I have definitely learned a lot so far being a mom, but one of the most important things so far is to just let people help you. They really want to make things easier on you and it can be important to let go of that control sometimes. I let go and got to really enjoy my daughter's first birthday! Instead of being so wrapped up in the details of the party, I got to enjoy the little moments with her that are only going to happen once in a lifetime! Celebrations should bring joy, not stress. Let loose and live a little. 

Beard Balm-Citrus Woods

A photo posted by Gloria Aitken (@gloriaaitken) on Jan 12, 2016 at 4:54pm PST

My husband loves his beard and I have definitely grown to love it too! So, when he was talking about wanting some beard balm the other day, I took to the kitchen and whipped some up! We already had everything I needed from the last time I made a batch of beard oil and it turned out perfect. He has been using it in his beard everyday since. The balm helps to keep his beard tame, as well as acting as leave in conditioner. It had improved the luster and feel of his beard for sure!

The initial investment in ingredients and supplies for this type of thing is totally worth it. It has become very hip to produce and sell products like these and therefore it's often pretty costly to buy them already made. I for one don't want to shell out $30+ dollars every time my husband runs out of this stuff. It is much more cost effective to make it myself. Plus, it is pretty fun too.

I found the recipe here. She gives a great run down of all the components and the purpose they serve within the balm. I tweaked it to go with what I had on hand and added more of the essential oils, because my hubby and I like for the scent to really come through. Here is my take.

Beard Balm: Citrus Woods

Makes around 8 oz.

•  1/2  cup of coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons of grated beeswax
• 1 tablespoon of sweet almond oil 
• 1 teaspoon jojoba oil
• 4-5 drops of sweet orange essential oil
• 4-5 drops of cedarwood essential oil
• 9-10 drops of pine essential oil
• small glass jar

1. Melt grated beeswax and coconut oil over low heat using double boiler method. 

2.  Once completely melted, remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. 

3.  Poor into glass container and allow to cool completely. 

4. Enjoy! 

Time for Blogging

I really wanted this blog thing to work! Man, but with my baby girl, who is 14 months old now and my mission to detox myself from all this tech, things have been looking grim! I've started to have a brief amount of time during the day where it seems possible to do this again. I really hope I can find the time to make it work.

Like I mentioned above, I've been on a tech detox of sorts. I've been keeping the TV off  more during the day and uninstalling apps that kill time (besides Pinterest, because obviously I'm an addict). It has really made a change in my life for the better. We all get so wrapped up in our phones and what have you, that it takes away a lot of our real life experiences and replaces them with virtual ones. I have been a more effective wife and mother since I started to let go of these habits and overall I think I'm happier.

I find myself in front of the computer during my daughter's nap. She's a co-sleeper. I've come to terms with that. I hated it at first, but it's what she wants and I really do love the cuddles. So, when she settles down for her midday nap, I'm stuck in bed with nothing to do. I often browse the web and find new recipes and projects during this time, but I miss writing. I miss it with a passion. Not that I ever really did much with it. I just enjoy having a creative outlet and it's not like I can sketch with one arm stuck under a sleeping baby.

I'm going to make a real effort this time to keep this blog updated. Even if it's only with Instagram photos of my many random projects and adventures. Not everything has to be perfect all of the time. I am so glad my brain is finally starting to accept that notion and I can live in the moment more and worry less.