Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa Throw Star Studded Baby Birthday Bash

Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa threw a huge birthday bash for their son Sebastian recently, and it was a huge backyard blowout birthday party that included some big name guests on the list! Blac Chyna and Lamar Odom were on hand to celebrate with Wiz, Amber, and Sebastian in a superhero themed bash! Sebastian was turning four and the party looks like it was a blast!

The party looked like a ton of fun, however, there was no sign of Blac Chyna's on again/ off again love Rob Kardashian, as rumors swirl that the two, who have an infant daughter Dream together, have split for good this time. Also no sign of Val Chmerkovskiy, after he and Amber Rose split after five months of dating.

The Dancing With The Stars pro revealed on social media that he still cares for Amber, despite the fact that the relationship did not work out the way that either had planned. Amber, for her part, also took to social media to clarify rumors that she and ex husband Wiz Khalifa are back together after they were seen kissing on the red carpet at Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy party a few weeks ago. The gorgeous star revealed that she and Wiz are still very much divorced, but they are great friends, get along well for the sake of Sebastian and that the kiss was definitely “no big deal”. 

My New Pantry Area

If there's one thing in the house that I would like to fix with a little work of art, that's my pantry area! I am a person who hates clutter and I am a big fan of  jars and almost all storage containers. Whenever I have a free time, I used to DIY some storage bins or containers out of recycable materials.  If not, I would normally visit dollar stores or thrift shops for some cute jars made of different materials.

We had the chance to do a "little make over" in our pantry area. We don't have a large space so we are only limited to installing open shelves just enough to hold some canned goods, snacks, baking and some gourmet ingredients.  Normally, when you want to improve a large space, you would have no limits as regards to your creativity, but challenge begins when you have a very limited space.

I have measured the area and requested our handyman to maximize all space available.  Open shelvings would be good for this small space, so that's what we did, however we've managed to have 2 additional shelves with doors at the bottom of the cabinet.  That's good enough for storing additional grocery items like sauces and dips that normally come in large bottles or containers.

I really love this chalkboard art which  we've personally made.  It's good to have artistic kids who could help me out with all the art works.

This is my humble project which we are able to pull off with just minimal expenses. I really love DIY projects, not only it could make your home uniquely presented, you could also save a lot on unnecessary expenses.

I heart DIY!

Home Maintenance: Improve your Curb Appeal

Whether you’re thinking about selling your home or simply want to improve its exterior appearance, you will need to up your curb appeal game. Curb appeal is how your home looks from the street, which is the first impression visitors have of your home. Thankfully, improving your home’s curb appeal is don’t not a difficult task and the following tips will help you get started. 

Make It Pop

One of the easiest and least expensive way to improve the overall look of your home’s exterior is to paint the front door and shutters or time. Choose a bright and bold color to make the area stand out and draw the eye in. Just make sure to properly prepare the surface before painting.

Add Some Plants

The simple action of adding greenery – such as bushes or trees – and flowering plants is one of the most common ways that homeowners increase their curb appeal. When choosing plants, make sure to pick native species, which makes them easier to grow and care for in your area’s environment, and consider the size and affect it will have on your home.

Think Flower Boxes

To go along with the tip above, consider installing flower boxes as a way to add color to your home. The area below windows and on the railings of your front porch are the best locations for these nifty and inexpensive items. Just remember that, no matter where or what you plant, you must maintain them to keep your curb appeal up. Dead or dying plants only reduce the overall look of your home.

See to that Driveway

An asphalt driveway is a wonderful addition to your home, but it doesn’t come without its requirements. Unfortunately, too many people think that, one the driveway is installed, they can leave it and forget it. This isn’t true and any asphalt driveway will need regularly maintenance. If you find that your driveway is in the need of some TLC, consider hiring driveway pavers Arlington TX to get it looking its best. 

Upgrade the Exterior Lighting

Those old, weather-worn exterior lighting does nothing to help the look of your home. Because of this, you should consider upgrading the exterior lighting. Look for light fixtures that are both functional for your needs, which means they provide adequate amount of light, and compliment the style of your house.

A Sudden Transition Of Our Lanai

My creative mind and the overflowing ideas from my kids when it comes to home decorating resulted to the sudden transition of our lanai.  The time difference between the last one and the new one is just about 2 months I think...too soon, right?

Luckily, the first time, I just decorated it with lots of potted plants so giving up some of those plants does not really cause me a lot of pain.  Well, kidding aside, I just actually relocated most of the potted plants in the garage to give way to a tiny display shelf inspired by what we saw from one of the cafes that we have visited more than a month ago.

Actually, the sudden change was also due to our plan of fabricating open shelves for our pantry area. Since we are hiring someone to do this for us, we've decided to have the all the shelves done together for both the pantry area and the lanai.  I thought that that was a good idea, so without much thinking, we have the shelves done and the result was great.

Here are the photos of the lanai before and after.

Before

After

We'll I''m happy with the final outcome as we get to put some of our unused stuff on display instead of just collecting dusts inside the cabinet. :)

The Benefits Of A Good Ventilation

Good ventilation is crucial to having a comfortable home. With proper ventilation keeping air pollutants at bay, you can protect you and your family's health. Not only this, but the right airflow gets rid of unwanted smells that come from cooking and having pets. If this concerns you, consider looking into ventilation services Newport News VA to ensure the airflow is pure and uninterrupted.

Prevent Moisture from Lingering

One of the primary reasons ventilation is so important for your home is it will control the moisture that lingers. If there is adequate airflow throughout your home, including walls and floors, no moisture collects and everything stays dry.

Wood and drywall are prone to rot when exposed to moisture. When this occurs, you run the risk of destroying the integrity of the structure. Not only can this cause structural problems, but this could also lead to mold build up. A negative impact your family's health is likely after long-term exposure.

Ways to Provide Ventilation to Your Home

There are several ways to have proper ventilation. One is natural ventilation that comes from air entering your home. Open windows and doors as often as possible. Even the cracks and holes in walls can help bring in natural ventilation.

Another way to bring ventilation into your home is through spot airflow. This occurs when exhaust fans are used to push air in or out of your home. In most cases, this happens by turning on the exhaust fan in the bathroom or above your stove.

In addition, you can have air ducts professionally installed to provide airflow. Placing these throughout the home provides several ways of ensuring air flows safely and consistently. One part of the airflow system pushes air outside. Another part brings fresh air into the house. There is also a balance between the two where air moves in and out. Use of this system also requires keeping it maintained to avoid the lurking of pollutants.

Although you might not think too much about how well your home is ventilated, it does not change the fact that this could become a problem. Since most people spend a majority of time indoors, you should stay ahead of the situation.

Being exposed to poor air quality due to molds, allergens or even smells introduces harmful substances into your home. Too much accumulation from not having a good ventilation system presents health problems for you and your family. Avoid this by getting a quality system installed today.

My Favorite Comfort Food

When it comes to home cooking, I am very particular about the preparation and cooking time not to mention the cost of the ingredients.  My objective is to be able to prepare foods that are easy on the budget and could be done in less than  no time.  For a busy Mom who takes care of everything in the house and doing freelance works at the same time, it is rather helpful to have ready cooked meals in the fridge whenever you need it.  I am not a fan of instant noodles and although I used to eat canned foods once in a while, I am not keen to having these on a regular basis.  Aside from the fact that this is not healthy, I also crave for something fresh with all the natural ingredients and do you know what is my answer to all these requirements?  Pasta! 

I find that pasta are easy to cook and prepare and its not very hard to stock up on the ingredients. Best of all, you can have a lot of variation, too.  I used to prepare different kinds of pasta dishes...Spaghetti, Tuna pasta, Italian pasta, Pesto Pasta, Chicken and Garlic, Ham and Cheese, Shrimp Pasta, Carbonara, Alfredo, Pasta salad and even Baked Macaroni. I am good at experimenting and this led me to discover a lot of pasta dishes which would suit my taste, and budget of course. :)

Here are some of the pasta dishes I've made at home:

So whenever I do my grocery shopping, these ingredients are always on top of my list:

cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell peppers, parsley, tomato sauces (different kinds), hot sauce, soy sauce, canned Tuna, ground beef, cheese, ham, bacon, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, all purpose cream, milk and all available herbs that are available in the supermarket.

I hope to create more pasta dishes as this is my favorite comfort food, really. :)

5 Tips for a Better Fireplace

If you're anything like most homeowners, you don't even think about your fireplace until something is wrong with it. But why wait until it's damaged or outdated to pay attention? Why not give it a little extra love and transform it into the centerpiece of your den? Here are just a few tips for a cleaner, safer and more stylish fireplace.

1. Replace Your Screen

Did you know that fireplace screens can become less effective over time? They get bent out of shape, resulting in less protection from flying sparks and embers, and they accumulate rust and grime that turns them into a real eyesore. If you're serious about improving the safety and style of your fireplace, replace your screen every now and then.

2. Clean Your Chimney

It may sound like a no-brainer, but this is another thing that homeowners tend to shrug and forget. Experts recommend cleaning your chimney at least 1-2 times a year to remove dirt, dust, cobwebs, bird nests and other animal infestations. Your smoke channel will be much safer without these roadblocks in the way.

3. Replace Your Fender

Fenders are the first things that your guests will see when they look at your fireplace. Make sure that they're attractive enough to merit the attention! An antique fireplace fender will look grand and sophisticated; a minimalist one will look sleek and modern; a crafty one will showcase your DIY skills.

4. Pick Better Wood

You don't have to spend a bundle on high-quality firewood, but you can also do better than the wet, weak branches that you scavenge from your backyard. Aim for a happy medium where your firewood burns bright and hot. You can also buy accelerating agents and special fluids that will give your wood a boost even if it isn't the best.

5. Build Better Fires

Last but certainly not least, a roaring fire will make all of your fireplace decoration worth it. But you'll need the right tricks to build it first! Look into things like andirons that can help you by circulating more air between your logs and improving the intensity of your blaze.

These are just a few tips for a better fireplace. With the right decoration and maintenance, it can become one of the biggest selling points of your home, so stop neglecting it! Take your time, give it a makeover and reap the benefits of a stylish interior design element.

Wooden Shelving Inspirations

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I am fascinated lately with wooden shelving especially those that come in natural wood color.  I have visited several cafes in our place and most of these cafes have incorporated the use of woods in their storage solutions as well as in their interior designs.  I think this is the trend now when it comes to decors and interior design.  As to the cost, I think if you know how to source for good materials and you will have these custom made with the aid of a skilled carpenter, then you will find that this is not really expensive.  You may even find some nice wood pallets that could be made into such cute shelves and those are even available on a dollar or thrift store. 

Proper lighting of course, would be another consideration as this will definitely add elegance to your finished design.

Photos above are some of the nice inspirations when you wish to custom built some for your homes.  the best thing about wood shelving is that, it could be very flexible and easy to do. It could be made to fit every corner in your house without wasting much space.

Lanai's New Look

We've been hopping from one coffee shop to another since my son came from China last December. We both love coffees and we both love to try new things and on one of our cafe visits, we saw some nice wall decors and one thing that caught our attention is the open wooden shelves. We've thought that that would be a nice idea for our lanai and our pantry area, as well, so we immediately started with our weekend project.

The above photo is the final outcome of  the project, you will notice that we have incorporated some string lights for an added drama and effect.  As for the decors, we did not spend much on this as we just gathered everything that we have around the house. We have lots of cute little decors sitting inside the cabinets so we just made of these rather than purchasing new ones.  My son and daughter took turns in completing all the decors on the shelves and it was also a good bonding for the family.

Next will be our new pantry corner. :)