Recently, Michael and I took Riley to visit the Texas A&M University campus for the first time, since we're both alumni and met each other while attending college.  As you can see from this picture, Riley was less than enthused!  :bored:

I love dabbling with interior design and decorating!  It's definitely a passion of mine and if I had more training and money that I didn't care about losing, it would be my dream to have my own interior decorating company!  Every since I was a child, I've poured through home decor magazines, analyzing why some things worked and others did not.  So, I was THRILLED when my husband and I finally moved into our first house!  I couldn't believe that I finally had a blank slate with which to try out all of my interior design "know-how".  We've renovated almost every room in our house, except the kitchen, living room, guest room and backyard area.  The kitchen is actually partially completed and what I'd like to talk about today is something that most people overlook, yet can make a HUGE difference in the look and feel of a room...LIGHTING!

When we first moved into our house, I absolutely loved the kitchen!  It has a huge island and an adjoining breakfast nook, so the space is massive!  There are also a ton of cabinets which I have already filled with plenty of gadgets and appliances.  The one thing that I thought was a total eyesore though, was the large fluorescent lighting above the island.  Fluorescent lights are so cold and uninviting and I hated the patterned screens that were used up there as well.  Take a look and tell me what you think:

But wait, there`s more! »

I wish I could get this excited when I watched a program on TV!