Pantry Sign

I have had my eye on this pantry sign at my favorite antique shop for a while now. I love it and the colors are perfect for my kitchen, but I can't make up my mind if it is too small for this space?

 They don't have a bigger one and I can return it for store credit if I decide I can't make it work. I would LOVE your thoughts on this. PLEASE......help......what do you think?

Kitchen Stuff

Before we re-did our kitchen I used my grandmother's fabulous vintage lazy susan-style canister set for my sugar, coffee and flour. However, after the mini-make-over it was too big because I had to move our coffee maker to the corner that it was in so the girls couldn't reach it!! I've since been looking for the perfect canister set and finally found one that I love at Target. I've only purchased one so far but I hope to get two more in the future. 

I think it matches perfectly with the decor of the new kitchen and I love the little chalk board! If you are looking for new canisters I highly recommend these!!

A couple moths ago I spotted a table that someone was getting rid of for free! I couldn't fit it in my car and figured by the time that I could get someone who could pick it up for me it would be gone, so I put it out of my head. But a few days later when my parents were on their way up to visit me and the girls they spotted it  and threw it in the back of their truck. I guess it was meant to be. It needs a little bit of fixing up and I hope to share it with you all soon!!!

(Almost) Finished Kitchen

Although I would have preferred to have "staged" the kitchen for photos, I decided to take advantage of the very RARE opportunity that both of the girls were napping to snap some pictures of the kitchen and even though I don't feel like these photos really do it justice, I just feel like it would be wrong not to share them with you! Some disclaimers...our budget did not allow for new floors (we would like to eventually do a wood color similar to the butcher block counter on our hutch which I think will really pull everything together) and I still have some decorating to do. For example, I really need to find some sort of decoration for above the window. And lastly, still not sure whether or not to paint the walls or leave them, but for right now we are leaving them.

Here is what the kitchen looked like when we moved in...

 

 And here she is now!

 The left wall was empty and we had a large kitchen island there at first and then put two craigslist hutches there. We purchased unfinished cabinets for the bottom and open shelves with a plate wrack for the top. We bought the butcher block counter top at ikea and put up some wainscotting for a backsplash. The corbels really pull the whole piece together. I love being able to have all of the extra storage, but also wanted this side to give the appearance of a hutch rather than just more cabinets.

Kitchen Update

Well, if you thought I was indecisive about a backsplash for the kitchen you should have seen me the past week about a countertop. I really wanted something light and neutral for the counters. I didn't want anything too loud that would make a huge statement. I fell in love with marble, but decided it would be way too difficult with little ones. Then, I fell in love with quartz but it would have taken too long to get in. That left me with granite. I love granite for its durability, but most of the slabs were a bit too loud for the look I was going for. I thought I had finally made up my mind with kashmir white. Then I started looking at pictures online of kasmir white granite with white cabinets and it looked too gray and I got really nervous and freaked out. My mother suggested black and at first I was like NO WAY. Then I started seeing pictures of "honed" black granite which I thought looked really good. So, long story short...I decided on honed absolute black granite. I'm really hoping I can still acheive the "warmth" I was going for in the kitchen with a black countertop. I think the dullness of the honed granite will help. Also, on the empty wall of the kitchen where Shaun added the built in cabinets, we got a butcher block counter which I love and saved us $600 (instead of granite) and adds to the "hutch" look I was going for and I am hoping will also add some warmth! Phew...that was alot of rambling about countertops. I hope it will all make sense to you when I show you the finished product. (It is being installed on the 18th...ahhh I can't wait that long)

 (kashmir white granite with white cabinets. image via Coastal Countertops and Tile)

(honed black granite with white cabinets image via Advanced Kitchens)

Little helpers

Hey everyone...just popping in to say hi. We are still knee deep in kitchen projects. The cabinets are all painted, just waiting to dry and get hung. I am trying to figure out a counter top. Unfortunately, the ones that I love are all marble, but after doing some spill tests on samples of marble we decided against it for our kitchen. I love the durability of granite, but I am not in love with the spottiness. Any advice/suggestions? Anyway, here are some pictures of daddy's little helper!

Even little Claudia wanted to get in on the action...I've never seen two little girls get so excited over power tools in my life! Here's hoping they still want to help us when they get a little older

Kitchen Progress

Finally...progress is being made. Although painting kitchen cabinets is a slow and tedious project (especially when it is raining every day that your husband has off of work) I finally can see a little progress. We are using dover white for the cabinets.

Here is Shaun using his fancy spray painter...

Probably one of my favorite things about re-doing the kitchen is getting to have a plate wrack!!! I have always wanted one of these.

I will keep you posted as we continue our kitchen adventure....wish I could make up my mind about the backsplash....

Backsplash Anyone?

Well...it is almost time to start our mini kitchen make-over. Shaun just has a couple tiny projects he wants to complete before we get started. I am really excited. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do, but there is one thing that I simply can NOT make up my mind on. I literally have been pondering what I want to do for a backsplash for MONTHS now! For our kitchen I know I do not want any kind of extravagant or ornate kind of tiling...I want something simple and clean but still charming. You know what I mean? I can't decide whether I want to do a simple subway tile or wainscoting.

 or...

I would really really really appreciate any of your thoughts or opinions on this matter as my deadline for decision making is creeping up on me!!! Help!!!

Kitchen Hutch

As you may already know we are getting ready to spruce up our kitchen this winter. We have a bare wall in the kitchen that we are considering putting cabinetry that is made to look like a hutch. What I would really LOVE is a hutch like this one to fill up the empty space. 

 

image via Country Living

I also love this table with the mismatched seating. 

Retro Christmas Kitchen

I found this adorable retro Christmas kitchen on Pinterest. Wouldn't you love to have this kitchen this time of year?

p.s. fireplace is finally up hooked up and running...tonight might be the perfect snuggle up to the fire and watch a Christmas movie night! yay