The Lemon in LEMONade

Most people who know me well, know that I make (arguably) the best fresh squeezed lemonade.  On any given day, if you come to my house you will find any given variation chilling in the refrigerator.  Peach-Pineapple lemonade is my favorite, but some of my friends will surely beg to differ as some fan favorites are mango-pineapple, strawberry-peach-pineapple, strawberry-watermelon...and the list goes on.  In fact some of my friends insist that if I bottled my tasty concoctions, I would make some serious money.

Well...a little over a month ago I started to think about how much money I spend on lemons in a month.  Then I had the fleeting thought that I should just buy a lemon tree and grow my own lemons.  The thought turned out not to be so fleeting...actually the more I repeated the thought in my head...the more it seemed to be a genius idea. 

I am pretty chummy with a nice gentleman that works on my job.  Our daily kind exchanges often cover travel, fashion, and his love for gardening.  He has over 25 fruit bushes/trees on his property.  I shared my genius idea with him and he immediately lit up.  He was sold and he then gave me the best piece of advice ever.  He told me to go to Watson's nursey just north of the city.  At the time their citrus trees were 50% off.  I took this as sign #1.

So off to Watson's I went...I got the last lemon tree (sign #2) at what I consider a steal...$13 bucks.  Not only did my co-worker give me the great advice to go to Watson's...he also gave me repotting instructions, composte, and his special concoction that he uses for his trees and bushes.  I don't have much of a green thumb...but I'm pretty excited about this project...hopefully that will show through in the successful growth of my tree.  So far, I've already pulled one lemon. :-)

Stay tuned!

Ms. K

(My) Home for the Holidays

Okay...I realize that I have not posted in a very long time...as in, not one post in the entire month of January, long time.  And for that I apologize.  I really have no excuse.  Especially because most of the upcoming posts (including this one) have been partially drafted for quite some time.  *sigh* Life happened...plain and simple, but I'm back and I promise not to stay gone so long the next time. ;-)

As you all know, this past Christmas was my first Christmas in my beloved home.  And in my usual, true OOT (over the top) fashion, I had elaborate plans for decorating the house.  At the cornerstone of my holiday decorating plans...purchase a live Christmas tree.  Something I know absolutely nothing about because by the time I came along, my mother was over live trees.

I purchased the tree on the 2nd Saturday of December with every intention of letting it fall until the following Wednesday at the latest, then decorating it.  Well my crazy work/social calendar threw a slight wrench in my decorating plans.  And Wednesday turned into Saturday.  But then it happened.  I got sick.  Bronchitis/Sinus Infection sick.  I was totally out of commission.  Sick or not, that was the last weekend before Christmas and the last chance for me to decorate.


Mommy was nice enough to volunteer to come over to help me decorate.  She's the best.  We did both outdoor and indoor.  I got a few pics, but I apparently didn't get all of the outside decorations.  But I did get the piece de resistance of the outdoor decorations.


Enjoy!

Ms. K

My Tree (yes I realize it's rather large)

My DIY Wreath! Of course I had to be different!

View of the wreath from afar (and of my new door and welcome sign)

I had to add this pic to complete the experience.  A pic of SOME (yes there were more) of the needles that fell from the tree when we removed it.

 

 

 

DIY To-Do List Revisited

Hello All!  I know I've been slacking on the blog posts lately and for that I apologize.  Life just keeps happening as it often does, but I promise to make an earnest effort to do better.  Now on to the good stuff...the post...

So back in May I did a DIY To-Do-List for the house.  At that time I just moved in to my house and mommy and I were ambitious to say the least when coming up with a to-do list.  Considering I've been here for 7 months now, I decided to revisit the to-do list and see how much progress I've made.  Here we go:

#1 Re-upholstering Chair  - We actually decided not to cover the chair because it matches perfectly with the colors we chose for the lower level.

#2 Sanding and Staining Desk - We did manage to do this and a darn good job at that.  People ALWAYS ask where we got the desk and they are completely stunned to find out the truth!

#3 Painting Bookshelf - This is another item we can check off of the list.  One of my better ideas I must admit. :-)

#4 Upholstered Headboard (for guest room) - We all know how much of a success this project was.  In case you missed it, see it here.  As a result, i have received multiple requests for mommy and I to create one for family and friends alike (I hope HGTV is reading this, that would be a great idea for a new show...a mother/daughter tag team, lol).

#5 Making decor/throw pillows (for the couch) - I really should be ashamed of myself that I have yet to complete this project.  Admittedly, I have all but abandoned this project.  I am going to get back into it though, because I really think the pillows will turn out fab, plus it will really give my beloved couch a little extra umph!

I'm actually pretty impressed.  We managed to complete all but 1 project.  Another project we have yet to complete is the stenciling of the wall in my bedroom.  I really need to do that soon because I am delaying the mountin of my television until I stencil the wall.  Looks like we have another to-do list.

#1 - Finsish decor/throw pillows (for couch)

#2 - Stencil bedroom wall.

I am counting on you all to hold me to a completion date of April 9, 2012.  That is the one year anniversary of my moving into the house. That's totally reasonable.  Right????  :-)

Ms. K

Hot off the presses: HGTV MAGAZINE

The other day while roaming my twitter time line (aka twit hustling, lol) I made a startling...yet exciting, discovery. HGTV is launching a magazine!! Now you all know that ever since I purchased my home I have become obsessed with home decor, especially DIY projects. Hence my fascination with HGTV and it's sister station DIY network. So you can imagine my elation when I found out that I can get a print version of one my fav television station.

Some of you may be wondering why all the excitement for the magazine when I can turn on the channel anytime. Well my excitement stems from a few things.

1- I can't carry my TV everywhere I go...but a magazine I can.
2- One of my ultimate methods of relaxation is flipping through a mag while laying on the couch...and why shouldn't my mag of choice (well one of them) be HGTV
3- With the magazine I can basically access all of HGTV programming all at once

I could go on, but I think I made my point.

Tips on real estate, renovations,home entertainment, and more all at your fingertips. If you ask me...it's a genius idea.

The Magazine is set to hit newsstands October 4th. If you are as excited as i am, head over to the HGTV magazine page and sign up for a free Trial offer and receive the inaugural issue absolutely free!! Of course I already signed up and I can't wait to get my hands on it.


 Ms. K

Living Social

I just had to share this with you all.  It's just that awesome!!!!

By now everyone should be well acquainted with Living Social.  If you aren't lower your head in shame and make it a point to sign up for the site TODAY! In a nutshell, living social offers some pretty amazing deals at uber discounted prices for a limited amount of time.  It's a win-win for the consumer and the company.  Its excellent marketing and exposure for the company and the opportunity to benefit unprecedented deals. 

To date I have purchased deals from Fresh Bakery, Basignani Winery (can't wait to use this one!), and Merritt Athletic Club (allows me to take aqua zumba, yay!).  My latest Living Social steal deal was so awesone, I just had to blog about it.

In this previous post, I blogged about a fab bed I found in the gloriousness that is Nouveau.  Nouveau is a contemporary home furnishings store in  Belvedere Square here in Baltimore.  They have the most unique contemporary pieces.  I love it.  BTW, the bed from the previous post was a little over $4,000, but is now on clearance for a little over $1,300 - unbelievable.

Well imagine my excitement when my daily living social deal came through a week or so ago and it was for Nouveau.  The deal was spend $75 (to purchase the voucher) and get a $200 to spend in the store.  Sounds unbelieveable right?? Well believe it.  I brought one and because mommy is the best she brought one!  She said...and I quote, "I figure $400 is better than $200." Gotta love that little lady. :-)

I have until December 2013 to use the certificates, but of course mommy and I just couldn't help ourselves and we went by the store to see if anything peaked our interests.  Of course a few things caught our eyes, but we decided to hold off for now. 

Do you see now why i say you have to sign up for Living Social???

I will keep you guys posted on what we end up purchasing with the voucher.


Ms. K

A WARM HOME

HELLO ALL!  I'MMMM BACKKKKKKK!!!! Please excuse the delay in posting...I was on Vacay! :-)

Without further delay...here is the post on my housewarming...

This is really a picture heavy post.  My housewarming was so much more than I could have asked for.  The outpouring of love made my home feel like the warmest place on earth (figuretively and literally, lol).  About 100 people came out throughout the evening and there was plenty of food, libations, and love to go around.  I got some really awesome gifts (almost everything on my registry and a whole lot of gift cards to get other stuff that I wanted...and then some).  ;-)

Here are some of the highlights of the evening and some other snapsots of the house (THANKS JAMES!!!!!!):

My Home!

The balloon wreath I made for the festivities.

The beautiful decorated tent that was too hot to occupy (lol).

These lanterns were the inspiration for my party decor.

My office.

Master Bedroom

Kabobs!!!! (This is the only food shot...I didn't want to make your mouth water anymore than it already is, lol.)

Ash's special touch...practical and pretty.

My nieces...my heart!!!

Who knows what this conversation was about, lol.

PEABODY...she made so much possible that day!

The fancy one making a fancy entrance (and the donkey punch bringing up the rear!

Presents!!! (yes that's Christmas wrapping paper...see below)

Hey ladies!

Jordan and Jaylen...such a cute pic!

Yes...that is Al and yes she wrapped her gift in Christmas paper. Gotta love her!

Napstars!!!!!!!

Me and the parental unit...I can honestly say without them...this day would not have been possible.  They worked so hard and I LOVE them for it.

Ms. K

GUEST POST: Operation 1135

Hello All!  I know it's been a while, but I've been uber busy readying the house for my house warming Saturday after next (amongst other things).  So I figured this would be a great opportunity to feature one of my fav bloggers in a get post.  I asked A (from the henna hair challenge with me to write a guest post on the blog...and she did exactly what I thought she would do...show up and show out.

Without further delay...Ms. A...

I was super excited when Ms. K asked me to do a post for Locs and Keys because this is my first guest post! Whoop whoop! I pondered what to write about since Ms. K’s blog has a very specific theme. Then it hit me!

I recently just purchased a home as well. Operation 1135, as I like to call it, was truly one of the most rewarding, blessed, scary, and amazing experiences of my young life.  I have been in my home for only 3 weeks now and I am in love. As much as I love purchasing a good bag, nice top, and earrings (they are my children and each and every single pair holds a special place in my heart) my wallet is totally a slave to furniture and home purchases right now.

After moving out from under mom’s wings, I notice that I moved into my fabulous new home and I need everything. The ongoing list that I have is quite daunting at times. I want to get pass all of the little items and needs and get to the fun stuff  -- DECORATING!!!  I am ready for the fun stuff – painting, reupholstering, etc.

My goal is to go room by room to achieve the look that I want. I have a modern flair with vintage appeal. I don’t know if that makes sense to you guys but it does to me. My first room to tackle would be my bedroom. I want it to be cozy, sexy, sophisticated, and comfortable all at the same time. I am shopping for the focal point now – THE BED! Of course I fall in love with a beauty from Ethan Allen that made my eyes drool and my wallet cry with a $2,000 price tag!

HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE BED: http://www.ethanallen.com/product?productId=3141818&categoryId=8028

Needless to say that I immediately put my BFF up to a search to find a cheaper option with the same appeal and she totally succedded with this beauty available at Macy’s.

HERE IS THE LINK FOR THE BED: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=514774&CategoryID=35420#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D586

After falling in love with my bed I instantly thought, wait…my hair! My precious and luscious curls will destroy this light color fabric in no time! Damn you Chaka (my hair’s name)! So now the hunt is back on for the same look in a leathered upholstered option…

Stay tuned for updates as I continue to decorate 1135…

DIY Project: Upholstered Headboard

One of the projects on my DIY To-Do-List was an upholstered headboard. Yes, I said was. 

The initial plan was for me to get a platform bed from West Elm for my master bedroom and make an upholstered headbord for it.  Well, if you've been following the blog you know that I went to Ashley Furniture and fell in love with another bed and that was all she wrote.

So, I then decided instead of waisting that idea, to just transfer it to another room...the guest room to be exact. :-)

So, my trusty decorating partner in crime (my mommy) and I decided to take on this challenge despite all the naysayers (namely my daddy, lol).

Off we went to Home Depot and picked out some plywood.  We had the nice young chap at Home Depot straight cut the board to the dimensions we needed, strapped the board to the top of MiMi (my mini SUV) and off we went.  Once we got home, mommy free handed some curves on the board with a marker to indicate the shape we wanted the board cut in.  Then we roped daddy in by having him cut the shape of the board using mommy's outline as a guide.

Next we used density foam (purchased from Walmart) to cover the board.  We then secured the density foam to the board using batting (purchased from Michaels).  We used a heavy duty staple gun to staple the batting tightly to the plywood.

Once the batting was secured, we cut the excess batting and covered the entire board with the fabric we purchased from DeBois Textiles.  Once the fabric was secured, we then cut the excess fabric off (mommy is currently deciding what we are going to do with the excess fabric...an accent of some sort).

To finish this off, daddy used D-ring hooks to hang the headboard on the wall.

All of this took a few hours and really was not as labor intensive as I thought it would be.  Mommy and I were very pleased with the results and even daddy was pleasantly surprised.

The finished product and the higlight of my guest room:

I used the instructions found here as a guide.

There's an App for That

I am all to excited to post this blog.  I am an honest believer in the age old adage..."you learn something new everyday."  This weekend I went to visit my bestie Kira in VA.  While having one of what seems like thousands of random conversations this weekend, Kira taught me something new.

She taught me that on the IPhone (this may be an option on other smart phones, but we can only speak for the IPhone) if you go to a web page that you frequent and want to create a shortcut you can add it to your home screen.  By adding the web page to your home screen, you in affect make an App for the web page.

Imagine my delight when she showed me that she has my blog as an App on her IPhone!!!!  Let's just say excited is an understatement, LOL!  It goes without saying that I immediately made my blog an app on my IPhone.  And it also goes without saying that I fully support all of you making my blog an App on your IPhone (or any other smart phone for that matter). ;-)

Ms. K

PSA

I CLOSED ON MY HOUSE TODAY!!!! Words cannot describe the feeling that shot through my body as I stood in my lower level today.  I have stood in that very same spot numerous times before throughout this process, but today...it was a new me standing in that spot.  If you already didn't know...I am a very spiritual person and I credit MY LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST with all of my blessings...including this one!!!!

YAY ME!!!

 

MS. K