Thursday, December 29, 2011

TOP 10 posts of 2011!!

Happy Thursday friends!!

I was going to wait until next week to put this post together, but I decided to get on board and do it now!!
I began my blog last February and boy oh boy have I learned ALOT!!.....Here we go...my top 10 viewed posts of 2011 & a some extra photos of my favs from my blog...they include
 "the beach & the burbs"
warning:  photo overload...lol!!

#1
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/03/adding-character-with-molding-and.html
#2
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-love-old-windows.html

#3
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/12/final-reveal-of-our-kitchen.html


#4
                 $40 beach house dresser redo
for some reason, the photo isn't showing...click on the link below to see the post




#5
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/06/our-beach-house-kitchen.html

#6
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/02/transformation-of-500-little-girls.html


#7
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/04/frames-burlap-and-drop-cloth.html

#8
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/03/spring-tables-and-mantels-and-shelvesoh.html

#9

#10
http://cottagelivingfrombeachtoburbs.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-mantel.html


As I said earlier, I've learned so much this year including how to take some decent pictures...this blog and my potography skills are still a work in progress....Here are a some of my favorite photos & projects from my blog this year:









































So that's it friends...a year in review...Cheers & Happy New Year to you all and can't wait to see what 2012 will bring!!
xo, Mariaelena


linking to:
http://southernhospitalityblog.com/link-up-top-projects-of-2011-party/
http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

KITCHEN FEATURED AT 2 OF MY FAVS!!!...thank you..:)

Hi friends...
I just wanted to take a minute to say a HUGE thank you to Kristin of My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and to Roeshel of The DIY Showoff    (2 of my favorite blogs)  for featuring our kitchen today!...If you haven't seen it yet, please scroll down to the "final kitchen reveal post"...After doing DIY projects for the past 22 years, I just began blogging about them last February...so only what we have worked on since then is on my blog...the kitchen is the one I am most proud of this past year....Please go over and visit Kristin and Roeshel at their fabulous blogs...They are truly two extremely inspirational women!!


xo, Mariaelena

Monday, December 26, 2011

Merry Christmas: All of our chicks are in their nest!!

Good morning friends!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!...It is so nice to have our oldest home from college!...I LOVE when all of the chicks are in their nest...:)



Please check out our kitchen redo in the post below...We are really happy with the way it turned out..It was really nice to have it all complete for Christmas.....lots of work painting all of those cabinets, but definitely worth it...lots of photos, but so much to see!...Thanks for following along and enjoy this week off of school with your families...I know we will!

xo, Mariaelena

Friday, December 23, 2011

FINAL REVEAL OF OUR KITCHEN!!!...

Happy holidays to all of my blog friends!!

We took on the task of painting our maple kitchen cabinets right before Thanksgiving...I have shown 2 sneak peeks but am now revealing the finished product!!....I LOVE it!!...all of it....you might want to make yourself a cup of coffee or tea before looking...I probably took too many pictures...trying to get in every detail.....so sit back relax and I hope you enjoy this post as much as I'm enjoying the new kitchen!!...btw:  this is the 3rd time we have redone this kitchen and as my hubby says this will be the last!!

a full view

Below are a few before pics:  we gutted our 1963 kitchen and updated with the maple cider stained cabinets 10 years ago...not bad, but I always loved the eating area of our 10 year old redo more than the work area...now it all blends!!!









about the point where I was hyperventilating


again...couldn't have done this project without my husband...








my little coffee/tea/toast area...love my mini white keurig...





Love the new faucet and extra deep sink...one of my favorite changes... 






I tried to get a closeup of the new quartz countertops....they are  neutral and it's as if I took everything from the rest of our home, mixed it in a bowl and made a countertop out of it...perfect!


As you know from our beach house...I LOVE subway tile.


We are lucky enough to have a double sided fireplace...we use it often...




This picture is the perfect addition to the wall in the new kitchen:  It is an artists rendition of L'Arc de Triomphe in Paris that my daughter brought me back from her trip to France last spring. (maybe someday I'll get to go...lol)



The mercury glass birds & the little boxwood topiaries are new additions!! 
I replaced the old hydrangeas with new ones I had dried in the fall...






My little white kitchen tv was a Christmas present a couple of years ago..


You have seen this before:  the corner built in that my husband built for me in the eating area 10 years ago from a photo I showed him....

Add caption


New base molding on the cabinets...wasn't there before....really finished things off...


I painted our old kitchen stools a muddy brown color...goes really nice with the new earthy countertops...




Thanks for hanging in there with all of the photos and a huge thank you to all of you who follow along.  You have given me so much great inspiration and support!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
XO, Mariaelena



linking to:
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/
http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/
http://verymerryvintagestyle.blogspot.com/
http://adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com/
http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/
http://www.fingerprintsonthefridge.com/
http://www.domestically-speaking.com/
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://www.atthepicketfence.com/
http://houseinroses.blogspot.com/
http://eisymorgan.blogspot.com/
http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/
http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/
http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/
http://happy-go-lucky-harvey.blogspot.com/
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/
http://itssoverycheri.com/2011/12/26/the-best-of-2011-its-party-time/
http://micheleravendesigns.blogspot.com/2011/12/primp-your-stuff-wednesday-linky-party_27.html
http://makinglemonadeblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/its-finally-friday-and-not-only-that.html
http://missmustardseed.com/
http://sassysites.blogspot.com/
http://stylishonceagain.blogspot.com/
http://evolutionofstyleblog.blogspot.com/