We've Only Just Begun ...

… to live … white lace and promises …

I like that song. I like the Carpenters. But this post is not about that song, nor about The Carpenters. It's about my kitchen and we've only just begun!

Since this is going to be a loooooooooooooooong process, I'm gonna share in stages. I don't think there will be one final reveal as I am just too darn excited to hold it all in as we go.

So here is our kitchen when we started. I decided not to clean up my kitchen when I took these - this is it in all it's glory as we were beginning the process.

The view from the sink:

The view from the eat-in area:

The kitchen:

The floors:

The eat-in area:

The laundry closet:

The door to the backyard:

The table:

The kitchen stove:

The faucet:

Aaaaaaaand here we go! Ripping up the vinyl:

That vinyl stunk!

And it was messy:

The bare floors:

No stove!

Wowzers at the mess!

The eat-in area and the laundry closet:

The bare floor again … not sure what the deal is with that stain:

Late the same night that ripped out the vinyl and moved out the appliances I thought it best to go ahead and paint the laundry closet. I ♥ it! The color is Behr Fresh Water:

Oooooo ♥ this blue … it's 2 shades darker than the kitchen walls will be:

It's time for the tile to go in:

I must confess that I did not install the tile. It is done now and it looks LOVELY. I adore it. Alas it's time for bed and I have so much more to share! Tomorrow then …

Plastic {free} Pantry

In a very small effort to transform my kitchen, I decided to ditch the plastic in my pantry. I've done this before, but not to this extent. I was in Ace Hardware the other day and noticed that Ball makes ½ gallon jars. I really had no idea. I had just purchased a dozen wide-mouth quart jars for this project, but couldn't resist the ½ gallon ones. So here's what I did:

All traces of plastic are gone. I even put cereal in jars. I used the ½ gallon jars. I ♥ these things! 

This is the sweet side of the pantry … honey, turbinado, cocoa, sugars … ♥

And beans. I am so lazy - I have several cans off to the side that you can't see (of which the cans are surely coated with BPA). I must phase those out and take the time to soak beans when I need or want them. :)

OK … that's it … just sharing the  fun ;)

Inspiration {loves} Pinterest

So I've been seeing Pinterest here and there around the interwebs lately. I finally received my own invite and I am in deep like!! I ♥ Pinterest. While browsing around the other evening I was inspired to finally start working on my kitchen. I had put it on the back burner after completing the living room and reading room (they just need knick-knacks and little touches that only come through a lot of antiquing an thrifting).

My first order of business? Make candle holders, of course! This was so simple and, if you are weird like me and have a stash of paper scraps and jars, it cost virtually nothing.

Some jars, some scraps of cute paper, some double sided tape (or scrapbooking adhesives), some wire, some tea lights and voila!

I promise I DID clean my windows JUST this morning … grrrrrrrr! Does anyone else find it impossible to get them 100% clean? I have literally tried everything. Between those windows and my unfinished window sills it looks quite messy here! Oh well … they're still cute :)

I saw this idea in this great book I picked up at the library:

And my crafting required listening to my newest thrift store find:

More Music for Relaxation … yessssss ♥ ! Now I think I'll go make a sign for the reading room :) … you can see that idea here on my Pinterest ♥

Clickin' Chicks - Week 4 - In the Kitchen

I ♥ strawberries. And I ♥ typewriter fonts. And I ♥ the 2 together on a plate :)

It is Finished!

I know I haven't been posting my daily photos for the project 365, but I have been taking them! Maybe later, but right now I wanted to introduce you to:

She is finished! Remember what she looked like when I first brought her home?


She is so lovely. I couldn't wait to take pictures, so I took them even though the kitchen hasn't been carried up to the bonus room yet. Here are some more shots :)

I've been playing house ...

I have been dreaming of a farmhouse kitchen, of renovating my kitchen to make it fit my style. Well, I have been playing house. Instead of renovating my real kitchen, I am in the process of renovating our new play kitchen. I was at a consignment sale the other day and I found a 4-piece wooden play kitchen set for … $50!! Yes. I said that right. All it needs is some TLC from me :)

oh, and I just wanted to add that my current favorite tool is the sander. I love this thing immensely. So much so that I want to run to the thrift store and see what I can find that needs to be refinished! I'm serious!

Anyway, here is the play kitchen that I bought for $50!!! I still can't believe I got it for such a steal! I was thrilled and snapped this with my camera phone to show my facebook peeps right after I bought it. How cool. Four wood kitchen pieces for $50!

I went right out and purchased primer and paint, new hardware, paper to decoupage on some of the shelves and fabric for a curtain under the sink. All I have left to buy is something for the knobs on the stove, the kitchen faucet (going to put a real one in there) and somthing for the sink itself. I'm still only out $!00 for this fabulous wooden kitchen!

I am giddy and my husband asked if this was for our chilren or for me. I said a little bit of both :)

So I spent Tuesday sanding (at the times I wasn't working with my Dad on the media console) and was done that evening. Here is the result:



Can you say super thrilled? They are ready for some paint, and I am ready to paint them. It's a rainy day here today. Can't think of a better way to spend it that renovating this little farmhouse kitchen!

I'm dreaming of a …. farmhouse kitchen!

I enjoy watching renovation shows and the DIY network. But my taste in kitchens is very different from what I see everyday when watching the professionals. I like farmhouse kitchens. I like farmhouse furniture. I think I just like farmhouses!

But I don't live on a farm. I used to once think that I wanted to live on a farm, but now I am sure that it's just the idea of it that I like. I really can't see myself getting up at the crack of dawn EVERY morning and going out to milk the cow! I think it's the idea of the simple life that makes it so appealing to me, times gone by and all that.

Currently I am still working on my living room. My dad and I are building a media console, which will be huge and lovely when we're done! As a matter of fact I'll be spending all day tomorrow with him working on it and I'm quite excited! And after that we STILL need to buy some new furniture for that room (our couches & chair are, well, quite literally on their last leg!!).

But I have this farmhouse kitchen in my head. I know exactly what I want to do … paint the cabinets white, change all the hardware on the cabinets to black, new countertops that are either black, some mixture of black, grey and white, or greyish, pale yellow walls, beadboard in the eat-in area, a new light fixture … I could go on and on.

We went to a play last night that was set in the 1950's and it had a retro-y kitchen. I liked it. I didn't like the turquoise color, but the elements were cool. It had me dreaming of my kitchen while I watched the play (which was very good by the way!).

So this morning on my favorite site I read this: Farmhouse Kitchen Style In Your Home … perfect! So I'm reading it and I come across the idea for retro appliances. Now, I really don't see me spending the money for them (they are $$$), but I just had to share them, they're so cool!!!

Big Chill Appliances (they sell that yellow fridge above) … very awesome and completely out of my price  range.  But very awesome.

I'm dreaming on ….