New Kitchen
Friday, August 15, 2008

I Uploaded this to HGTV's Rate my Space. Please stop by and well, rate my space. Comments appreciated. thanks.







At last our kitchen renovation is finally done....french country style!

  • cabinets - we kept the cabinets as they were still in great shape. formerly honey oak, we painted them white

  • countertop - uba tuba granite with ogee bullnose edge

  • backsplash - gold tumbled travertine with 1 row of 4x4 set straight and 6x6 set diagonally with 2-1/2" granite decos in cut corners

  • sink - Kohler Undertone Series - 1 Bowl Model Number K3183

  • faucet - Price Pfister Ashley Series - T529-YPYSingle Handle Pull-Out Kitchen Faucet

The renovation was a tough process as it was a big inconvenience not having a sink and stove for over a week not to mention the dust. It actually took over 2 weeks (from tear-down) but thank God we have our Union City home where we retired to half of the time.

It was all worth it!

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 8/15/2008 08:03:00 PM 0 comments  

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Center Stage




We just got back from Isabella's play/"sharing" of her summer acting workshop, Center Stage. It was a 4-hr/day week-long acting workshop at her dance school taught by 2 excellent PCPA - Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts graduates. We are so proud of and impressed with the whole group as they were able to showcase an amazing performance. Isabella portrayed the lead role from a play written by one of the teachers. The play is called The Six Companions. It is about a princess duck who found companions to rescue her brother from an evil king. The story is a very clever portrayal of friendship and the moral that we all need each other. It was a great experience for Isabella. She said it was the "funnest" workshop and she's sad it had to end. So I think she will be taking musical theater come fall:)

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 8/15/2008 03:17:00 PM 0 comments  

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Sand Play
Thursday, August 14, 2008



During Immanuel's visit with Krystal and friend Jonick who helped fix our wobbly fence.

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 8/14/2008 06:59:00 PM 1 comments  

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Smiling Indy
Friday, July 25, 2008



We caught him smiling. He likes to sleep on his back. We call it his "bum" position...taking after his owner, Ian.

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 7/25/2008 10:25:00 AM 0 comments  

Studio Show Photos
Thursday, July 24, 2008

now available at Photography by Julie Campbell

Here are the proofs of some of my personal favourites


Isabella's endearing number with dad
her tap choreography to dad's Rhythm of the Rain



Rescue Me

Cooties




JAZZ (Shop Around)





Ballet



TAP (Billy Jean)


Ms. Tara
Isabella's teacher/dance inspiration


Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 7/24/2008 09:18:00 PM 1 comments  

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Red Hot Bathroom




There's no stopping us now....when it comes to decorating, that is. After Isabella's purple and pink bedroom, we moved on to our hallway bathroom. From "victorian grandma" style (sorry no before photo) to grand and red hot design. Isabella and I had so much fun with this project...from choosing the color to the actual painting. I did the top portion while she tackled the bottom section. She said she feels like a "design star" (I think we watch too much HGTV:) Whenever I start to get anxious she reminds me to "breath". I think we inhaled paint fumes that we got silly at times...acting like design stars. Then we forgot to realize that we cannot paint behind the toilet...so comes Phil to the rescue...our toilet engineer/hero:) We finished it in 2 days in time for her dance rehearsals. Then we're off to our next project....back to Isabella's bedroom to paint the walls her fave purple color. The bathroom was our practice run. But I think we might tackle the fence first. We'll see...we just go with the "flow"...of how we feel at the time:) I'll keep you posted.

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 7/24/2008 08:29:00 PM 1 comments  

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Isabella's new bedroom
Saturday, July 19, 2008


It's keeping us excitingly busy these past couple of days. Dancing to the theme of ballerina princess in purple and pink...her favourite colors. Finally a bedroom of her own (not that she sleeps there yet:) Since our move a year and a half ago, we didn't feel a need to decorate a room for her. She sleeps with mommy and daddy still and I like to keep it that way for as long as I can. But this summer she wants to invite some friends and we thought a girl's room is in order. We truly enjoyed shopping together and she is ecstatic at the outcome. She can't wait to have friends over.

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 7/19/2008 03:23:00 PM 0 comments  

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Grand Chandelier
Wednesday, July 9, 2008



I got this from my friend Tessie for almost next to nothing considering it's a one-of-a-kind Kreiss design. Thanks GFF... now my dining room looks grand!

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 7/09/2008 10:04:00 AM 2 comments  

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CDMA Studio Show
Monday, June 30, 2008

CDMA's 2nd annual studio show culminated yesterday, Sunday, June 29th at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts . It was a successful two-hour show featuring all the talented students of CDMA in a myriad of exhilarating dance numbers (jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, hip hop and music). We feel so honoured to be a part of this collaboration of talents headed by CDMA's Director, Kathy Schultz, and Assistant Director, Tara Behnke (Kathy's lovely daughter). We are so grateful to them for bringing out the best in our Isabella.


Isabella was in a total of 8 numbers:

  1. Billy Jean - Tap
  2. Cooties - Repertory Class/Jazz
  3. La Danse Pour Jeunes Filles - Friday Ballet
  4. Shop Around - Jazz
  5. Waiting on the World to Change - Tuesday Ballet
  6. Rhythm of the Rain - tap dance to her dad's guitar accompaniment
  7. All You Need is Love - theatrical dance depicting CDMA's story
  8. You Can't Stop The Beat - Jazz/Tap Finale
She enjoyed and gave her all in every single number. We were stopped on our way to our car in the parking lot by several people, some of them we don't even know, congratulating us on Isabella's superb performance.We are all so proud of her energy, focus and dedication. We truly feel so very grateful for this talent she's blessed with. It is my prayer that she will continue this spirit and someday use it for the glory of the One Who bestowed this incredible talent.

Here are some photos from the dressing room with her wonderful and beautiful friends/dance troupe mates:






Tessie and I were also part of the show. We performed a jazz dance number (Rescue Me) with 3 others from adult jazz dance class.



more photos to follow as they become available.

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 6/30/2008 01:20:00 PM 2 comments  

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Mexican Cruise
Friday, June 20, 2008

We're back from our delightful Mexican cruise. I left my camera so I purchased several professional photos on board. here are the scanned photos for now. Wonderful detailed account to follow....


first day - Saturday, June 14th - Embarkation aboard Carnival Elation
and our 22nd wedding anniversary



2nd day - Sunday, June 15 - Fun day at sea and formal night



3rd day - Monday, June 16 - Cabo San Lucas



4th day - Tuesday, June 17 - Fun Day at Sea

5th day - Wednesday, June 18 - Ensenada (sorry no photo in Ensenada for now but check out who starred as James Brown at the final night main show - Carnival of Legends; check out also who played Ricky Martin and Gloria Estefan)

6th day - Thursday, June 19 - debarkation

a day at Legoland, checked in at Doubletree Hotel in San Diego/Del Mar

Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 6/20/2008 08:55:00 PM 1 comments  

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Last Field Trip
Monday, June 9, 2008

to Shell Beach. We walked from the school to the beach (the beach where I normally stop for meditation after I drop off Isabella). The 3rd graders had fun looking for crabs at the tide pools. I was amused looking for unusual rocks...especially rocks with holes that can serve as pen holders. Even the rocks are all different just like we all are. Amazing Creator...My Rock and Redeemer.


Isabella enjoyed 'model posing',





but not after about the 4th shot....


when she bids "peace out" and was off looking for crabs with her friends.


Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 6/09/2008 07:42:00 PM 1 comments  

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Home Projects Continued
Tuesday, June 3, 2008

writing this while the kids are at the park. Here are some photos to share as I enjoy the fruits of my decorating labor (I moved from the kitchen to the living/dining room while I contemplate granite choices) I was shopping with my GFF Tessie one day and we saw this dining table that I truly love. Tessie is my new shopping buddy. Though we are so different in our shopping "attitudes" (frugal me and the 'not-so-frugal-at-all' Tess) we truly enjoy shopping together. Well, here are some of the photos of the fruits of our shopping escapades.

here is a shot as you come in through the front door. The big iron candle holder was given to me by Tessie. The bookcase is from Costco (thanks to Phil and Ian who helped put it together); the curtain rod is from Pottery Barn and the panel is from a local decorating shop.




Our new sofa and loveseat from Model Home Furnishings. I'm planning on changing the wall sconces to iron ones to reflect a more old world style I'm going for. I'm also planning on doing a different finish on the sofa table behind the sofa (thinking of applying mosaic design on top)


Our new Dining Room old world style


will be changing the chandelier to iron old world/tuscan look.





Here are my 'before' photos of our old formal black and white dining room



and its matching formal black and white living room



Posted byImelda@Inspired Simplicity at 6/03/2008 07:07:00 PM 2 comments  

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