Thursday, March 29, 2012

And We're Off! Cheers to the Freaking Weekend!

Whoa. Believe it or not, we have both been whisked away for the weekend. 
I'm off to St. Maarten.
Please don't drool. This a trip for the 9 to 5 JOB and so NO fun will be had.
But, while I'm sitting through some very stimulating conferences (yawn, yawn), best believe my mind will wander off to the beach.
Debs is in the big city, as in NYC, for a much needed break from her gazillion jobs.

You know us Jamaicans have an endless stream of jobs so yes, she's in the Big Apple having some down time at last, and shopping of course!
We'll return to our regular posts late next week.
And a fab weekend to all...... 

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Belle the Magazine: Mind-Blowing Aisle Decor

Hellooooooo Wednesday!
With wedding season right around the corner, we thought it only fitting that we share some extraordinarily amazing aisle decor designs. Enjoy.








Images 1,2,3,4 Via


 



Images 5,6 Via

Friday, March 23, 2012

Whisk Me Away Fridays - Hellshire Beach


A few weeks ago, I saw a college friend and his wife in Whole Foods while having lunch. I hadn't seen him since last May, so amid our enthusiastic greetings he asked, as he always does, "When was the last time you went home?" Even though we have both lived in the U.S for almost 20 years, we will always consider Jamaica, the land of our birth, home.  Sadly I answered "It's been a while."

Since then, I've been daydreaming of Hellshire Beach located in St. Catherine, Jamaica.  Hellshire is what's considered a city beach, since it's nestled close to the City of Portmore. Most people visit Hellshire for the fresh seafood than the chance to lay out on the sand or swim in the ocean. It's a weekly escape for locals and has fast become a must do for visitors. Check out Anthony Bourdain's visit to Aunt Merle's Fish Shack on a episode of No Reservations.


Don't be fooled by the look of the parking lot. It's rustic charm is what attracts visitors.
hellshire beach shops, All over, Jamaica
This travel blog photo's source is TravelPod page: BIG time roadtrip
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this is what awaits...
 

 
Source: photo.net via Nicole on Pinterest


A healthy dose of fried fish with bammy and festival.
 

 

Topped with the condiment of choice - onions, scotch bonnet pepper (habanero) & pimento seeds all soaked in white vinegar. 
 

Lawd mi mouth a water! I think it's way past time for a visit home. 
Have you been to Hellshire? If so what's your favorite dish or moment? Do you have a similar rustic place in the world you love? If so, where?

xoxo
Debbie B.





Thursday, March 22, 2012

Kitchen Installation!

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of intensity for yours truly and the NWD team. Losing an hour's sleep as we switched to Day Light Savings time just added insult to injury. My body REALLY needs some sleep. Arrgh. So lets' recap:
Our kitchen reno is winding down and man, has it been a reality show of it's own. If I've said it once, I haven't said it enough - renovations never go as planned.
The good: That dreadful paneling and faux painting have been removed and the walls have a new life and a new color: Hello Bunny Gray! My client opted for crown molding at the 11th hour and I gotta say, it was the right call.


So long faux painting. 

Hello, Bunny Gray
Our amazing tiles have been installed and can we just toot our own horn and say they are amazing?

Away with the old!

In the with the new.

The bad: Our cabinet installation began last week and then came to a screeching halt.


There it is, that pesky light that's too close to the pantry for comfort.
My dearest electrician, Dennis, had installed the recessed lights too close to the pantries.
Arrghhh. Why, Why, Why????

Well, why not just call him in to fix it? No could do, since he was all in the way in freaking Canada vacationing with the family! Ok, so maybe I was more upset that he was on vacation (er, why is Dennis always on vacation when we do kitchen renos?)
An outlet box was also an inch too far to the right and the sink cabinet couldn't be done either which meant we couldn't measure our counter tops which meant a week's delay. Sigh.
It gets worse. The lovely sink we ordered weeks ago? Now on back order and not available 'til late April. Ya gotta be kidding me!
So, I scrambled with the vendor and found another sink - 2 inches smaller but yep, it'll work. It arrives today, just in time for the granite guys to factor in the template for the counter tops. 
Thankfully, our clients are in no rush for this project to end since they've also just decided to have us go ahead and wreak even more havoc, by removing the popcorn ceiling throughout the rest of the house and removing the old tile and installing that fabulous tile pictured above throughout the rest of the house.
So good people, that simply means our amazing kitchen reveal, you know the one that could be fit for HGTV, won't happen for a few more weeks but I'll post pics as we inch our way closer. Just be patient. It'll be worth the wait.

P.S.
Have I mentioned that we all miss my amazing brother Shomari, who visited for a month from Jamaica to help us with this project? Our clients keep asking for him as well. Sounds like my lil brother needs to make a move? Hmmmm...




Monday, March 19, 2012

Heart of the Home..The Kitchen


In homage to our ongoing kitchen renovation project, we've decided to share some kitchens we absolutely adore. The kitchens featured take tremendous risks from black, green and red cabinets, to a stunning red island with audacious curves - that sits on its own special bed of tiles to boot; from bold hoods to glass ceilings, we say hats off to these kitchens. What risk did you take in your kitchen reno or what risk do you plan to take when you finally take the renovation plunge?





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Friday, March 16, 2012

Whisk Me Away Fridays - Bold Colors in Ireland

I know most of us are just counting down the hours, minutes, seconds until we can officially start celebrating St. Patty's Day tomorrow.  So, in honor of our friends across the pond, I thought it would be only fitting to share with you horse riding champion Sasha Stewart's cottage in Ireland.  


 







 





How do not have anything but sweet dreams in a bed like this?






Have a safe and happy St. Patty's weekend. 




xoxo
Debbie B.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Pin Crushing

So like millions of other "pinners" and "re-pinners" We've have become addicted to Pinterest.  Here's a little of what we're "pin crushing" on so far.













Source: decorpad.com via Nicole on Pinterest







































I know..addictive...right? Pinterest is a great place to inspire and be inspired.
Follow our boards at Pinterest, join and share your inspirations with us. 

xoxo 
Debbie B


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