I can not believe that we leave for my show, Steve’s Hall of Fame activities, and the Super Bowl tomorrow.  I still am trying to wrap my head around this crazy journey we have been on and I am just blown away every time I think about it.  Something else that I have been trying to wrap my head around is all the things I have to pack for this trip.  I knew that there were going to be lots of activities surrounding this weekend, but I was totally overwhelmed when I got the itinerary.  To say that I did some panicked shopping this past weekend is an understatement.

While the shopping was a little stressful, I am so glad that the packing doesn’t have to be thanks to the island in my closet.  You guys know that I was hesitant at first over the size of the island.  It just looked SO BIG.  Luckily the immensely talented Mrs. Paranjape talked me down off the ledge and I am so glad she did.  It is one of my favorite features in the space and it is perfect for laying everything out for packing.  You guys know I like to have everything out where I can see it and plan outfits and this island allows for all of that and more.

WHY I CHOSE QUARTZ

I have never given the full details of my Cambria quartz countertops, so I wanted to give you my review on those before I show you everything that I packed in my suitcase for this weekend.  The timing is actually perfect because Cambria is actually headquartered in the #boldnorth, so I will be on their home turf this week.  If you followed my closet reno on Insta-stories, you know that I was originally debating between two different countertops; their Britannica Warm and Delgatie.  They are both new patterns from Cambria’s Marble collection and they were both so gorgeous.  One thing I want to note is how marble-like they are in appearance.  I mean they really look so much like marble it is almost hard to tell the difference.  One way it is easy to tell the difference is in their care and maintenance.  These things are virtually indestructible and require no sealing or polishing like traditional marble.  This is such a huge plus.  I have had Carrerra marble countertops that you can’t even cut a lemon on because the acid will eat away at the finish.  Not with the quartz.  Regular granite is approximately 40-60% quartz that is combined with softer minerals and impurities and it has to be sealed to remain non-porous.  Cambria is pure quartz and is much stronger than granite and doesn’t require any long-term treatments. They would be perfect in a craft room where kids were going to be working and are a must if you are looking at remodeling your kitchen with a more durable surface than marble.

WHAT I WENT WITH

In the end, I went with the Britannica Warm and I am so glad that I did.  It brings so much warmth to the space and really looks amazing against the white countertops.  I actually went with Cambria’s Matte finish and it is beautiful.  Cambria now offers all of their countertops in both a high gloss and matte finish.  I love the matte finish because it has an almost satin like feel to it.  It is just so smooth.  The matte finishes don’t require any special care though, just like the high gloss, so that was a huge selling point for me.  I liked that it was a little bit non-traditional and because the island surface is so large I wanted something that would really stand out in the space.

THE DETAILS

If you are really interested in getting a Cambria countertop, I wanted to share some of the nitty-gritty details with you about how the process works.  Once you pick your surface, you have to find a local dealer in your area who carries Cambria.  Cambria has a dealer locator on their site, where you can check out local dealers in your area.  I ended up choosing Smoky Mountain Tops as my fabricator and installer and I was so pleased with their work.  I got the Brittanica Warm in the 3cm depth (which is about 1 1/8 inches) with an eased edge.  There are tons of different edge profiles that you can choose from; just check here on the Cambria site to see all the options.  We lucked out and even though the island is so large we were able to eek in in all on one solid slab, so there are no seams at all.  The slab came from the manufacturer at 65in x 132in and the island ended up measuring 49 1/8in x 129 3/4 inches.  Basically it was dumb luck.  In all honesty, I can not say enough good things about the entire process.  The countertops are beautiful.  Cambria and Smoky Mountain Tops were a dream to work with and I just LOVE how they turned out.  I can not recommend them enough.

WHAT’S IN MY SUITCASE

I promised you guys in the beginning of the post that I would share with you guys everything that was going in my suitcase for this trip.  I had tons of questions during my dressing room try-on sessions on Saturday + Sunday about where I was getting things.  I have found everything that I bought and things from my closet that are still available online.  I put everything below so that you can find it easily.  Hope this helps! Wish me luck and that I don’t end up paying some obscene BAG FEES for being overweight on my luggage.

Xx
Landyn

Thank you to Cambria for sponsoring this post.  As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.  Thank you to all of you who support the brands that help make Living with Landyn possible.