Kitchens October 26, 2010

What is it about a kitchen that makes my heart pitter patter? I think it’s the fact that yummy things come from that room and it seems to be the place in the house where everyone gravitates to. I am always in the kitchen. And I really like my kitchen. It’s come a long way. I like that I have white cabinetry that is light and bright. I like the double french doors out to the deck and patio. I like the countertops and their durability. Oh, and our floors are so special! Everyone who comes over comments on them. So obviously, in my next house, the kitchen will be the number one priority to get the whole place up and running.

Yesterday I went to IKEA just to get out of the house and be around people. I love IKEA. I like seeing their concepts for small living. And some of their products are very nice quality, despite things you may have heard. I think I probably have at least one IKEA product in every room of my house. I have been pleased for the most part. So on this particular visit I was checking out the kitchen area, looking at all the little displays that they had lined up along the walls. Their kitchen cabinets actually get good reviews, so I wouldn’t hesitate to put them in a house someday. And if you are an organizational nut (or desperately hope to be), they have fantastic drawer and cabinet bins/baskets/trays to put inside. While I wasn’t in love with any of their displays, it did help me further confirm my taste in cottage kitchens. I can’t wait to put together another kitchen in my style, but this time I would hope to incorporate an island with barstools rather than a kitchen table. I really want to put a dining room to use rather than have this untouchable museum room off to the side of the house. Here are a few pictures of some kitchens I like that I pulled off the internet this morning.

Okay, seriously, do you here the angels bursting out of heaven and singing? 'Cause I do. I hear them. And they are singing that I need a kitchen with an amazing backsplash and island like this. This picture nails my taste, with the exception of the stainless steel appliances. I would definitely go white so that I could match up my Chambers oven with the other appliances.

Not my color scheme, but I like the light and brightness of the sunshine pouring in there. Open shelving is something I will definitely incorporate in the next kitchen and you can bet it all that I will have a double bowl farmhouse sink.

Built-ins, beadboard, sunshine, farmhouse sink? check. I would love to fix my morning coffee in this kitchen.

 

So if you could do it all over again, what would you include in your “new” kitchen?

I’d cry a river, January 11, 2010

but it would probably leak through the ceiling….

Guess what our dirty little secret is? Plumbing. Yes, that’s right. Hiding behind the walls and floors of our house is the most jacked up, screwed up plumbing system. And it leaks. All over the ceiling downstairs. It makes interesting stain marks that form pictures, you know, like looking at clouds on a summer day. Except not as fun. The newest leak wound is coming from the upstairs middle bathroom. The toilet is most likely leaking from a bad seal and the bathtub is clogged up with foul smelling water in it. That could be leaking too. Who knows. We turned off the water valves to that room and sealed off the crime scene.

New little spots along the living room ceiling.

Disaster in the corner of the living room ceiling. Yeah, that's a pretty bad one, courtesy of the toilet.

But you know, it does compliment the stains on the kitchen ceiling from our leaking bathroom a couple of months ago.

And let's not forget this one from our leaking tub upstairs.

Or this one from the shower.

I am guessing that I might have to move some projects around. Sigh. One step backward. Oh well. This will be a brand-new house when we are done with it. I’m going to go cry somewhere now. See y’all later.

I’m so behind October 7, 2009

I am really behind on posting. Lots has been going on and it seems that we have been very busy. Progress on the house, progress with calligraphy, progress with organizing money and kid activities. Summer was so long and lazy and now fall has brought action-packed weeks that leave us wiped out by the weekend. Even the kids get tired.

Little miss #3 is trying to weed out her nap. The obvious happens. Tired baby stays up past naptime so she won’t “miss” anything and then has a temper tantrem and then utter exhaustion ensues. Anyone with a two year old can relate, I’m sure. The following pictures are from a couple of Sundays ago. She wanted “shawshlit” which is “chocolate” in case you didn’t know and mean ole’ mommy wouldn’t give in. She ranted and screamed and kicked for about twenty minutes. After it got quiet I went downstairs to see what was going on (refer to the post “Quiet is Bad”). Here is what I found.

 

 

Yeah, you’re seeing things right. She slept for almost two hours in the middle of the kitchen table- in the bright sunlight. Jeez. What a piece of work!

Quiet is bad August 12, 2009

Our house is NEVER quiet. Someone is always talking, singing, yelling, crying, stomping and the list goes on. Constant drama. So when you sit down and suddenly you realize you only hear crickets and birdchirps, something bad is going on. The kind of bad that involves a major clean up job or the kind of mess that requires a wrecking ball and rebuild. So when things got real quiet this past Sunday afternoon, my brain starting clicking. Husband and I were sitting in the living room chatting when we realized just how quiet it was and that the little ones had not interrupted our conversation. Things went from bad to worse when I called out #2 and #3′s names and no one answered or came running. Uh-oh. Disaster. Well, after walking in the kitchen and seeing flour footprints everywhere, I was a little nervous to even open the laundry room door…… O      M      G.  #2 and #3 were playing in a 25lb bag of flour, spreading it all over the floor and pouring it in her hair. Thank goodness for a wet/dry vac.

Pleased with her work

 

How else do you get a pound of flour out of toddler hair??

 

Mad because she couldn't use the vacuum

Pillow Talk June 13, 2009

Whew! What a busy week it was. Last night, I finished up a calligraphy job so that I would have some time this weekend to get crafty. I purchased some fabric online a couple of weeks ago so that I could make some new pillows for the living room. (This is what poor people do when they want a make-over.) Anyway, after pricing the pillows I wanted at $65 a pop, I decided to make them.

There are going to be two white ones and two aqua ones- and then a white lumbar pillow for the chair.

 

I could only finish three today because I busted the needle on my sewing machine trying to sew that thick piping on.

 

Oh, there was also another little project that I did on a whim. I was picking up junk material in the backyard- since the kids love dragging demo leftovers all over the place. I found pieces of fence from an old project and brought it in, sanded it a little on the surface and then painted some words on it.

I was trying to think of a word that would apply to everyone in the house. "Fresh" milk was my first choice, but hey, our milk is from the grocery- not the backyard cow. I am planning to hang this over the french doors in the kitchen that lead to the back deck.

Progress May 15, 2009

Well, I haven’t blogged much lately due to lack of entertaining material to blog about. Nothing is happening over here. I worked on a few calligraphy jobs, the boys played with the neighbors and husband had to work late a couple of nights. Today, #2 went to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned and liked the feeling so much that he vowed to never eat sugar snacks again. However, when we pulled into our garage, he asked if we still had any marshmallows left…

Just wanted to update everyone on our floor progress. Husband has been working hard to keep things moving, even though he’s wiped out when he gets home in the afternoon. Here are some pics:

 

 

 

This afternoon I also swung by a local antique mall (which I never do) and threatened all the kids within an inch of their life for good behavior while we were in there. You know the routine- “don’t touch ANYTHING!” “Don’t even WALK close to anything!” “And don’t even think to ASK for anything!!”   They actually were good in there, because there was so much crap everywhere, I think they were stunned that there was a place on this earth that looked worse than their rooms at the end of the week. Anyway, I bought the cutest little Dr. Pepper crate. Now at the time, I had no idea what I would use it for, but as soon as I got home it hit me. A spice rack. You should see my spices. Horrible wreck. And on Monday, I bought a $7 jar of ginger (inflation, don’t you think??) because I couldn’t find the one I KNOW I have in there somewhere. So the plan is to hang it on the wall in the kitchen near the stove and fill it with little IKEA glass spice jars.

 

 

And just for your viewing pleasure…

#3 could not keep her hands off the mother's day rose. She sniffed that thing a million times...and poured the water out a million times.

 

Snap peas from the garden!! There were a lot more than this, but me and the neighbors had a few in the driveway. Next year, we will plant a ton of these because the kids love them. They're sweet. (the peas, not the kids...)

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck? April 22, 2009

Ask our dog. He might know.

So for the past couple of days, our little dachshund has been running on the house with wet paws and snout. I wasn’t too suspicious since we have had some rain here. But he had an odd smell. Kinda woody and rotten. Right, so, I didn’t exactly want to snuggle up for some affection. I walked around the yard this morning and caught him in the act. Apparently, he missed his calling in life, and may find joy in moving to a beaver colony.

Gnawing on the old fence that we took down from the side yard.

 

Still going- a few minutes later. Pretty slobbery by now.

 

Here he is - ten minutes later. Man, a tongue splinter would hurt like Hades, wouldn't it?

 

While I was back there in the yard, I noticed that the grass Husband transplanted is actually growing. This is the ONLY patch of grass growing in our back yard. The rest is a pinestraw Dustbowl.

I'm reluctant to mow it. Just like when your hair is finally growing out. It's not like you want to trim it when it is finally growing!

 

Oh, I bought these on sale a month ago for our front porch. I love them. I have not had a chance to put them up with all the comings and goings lately. I think this is the weekend for the installation of these babies!

The new pretty ones...

 

The current hideous builder grade ones, with a million dead bug bodies inside.

 

In case anyone was wondering the status of my Chambers oven project…..weeeelll. It’s going. Slooooooowly. I am scraping rust spots and sanding down the metal so that it can be repainted. I think this is the hardest and most tedious part. The chrome top will have to be sent to an auto shop to be professionally finished and the some of the reporcelain work will also be sent out. I will get there. You know I couldn’t just buy a new stove from Home Depot like the rest of the population. Hmm. I seem to feel that way quite often.

Yes, I am totally aware that this is a giant beast that consumes a fourth of my kitchen's square footage...

Spring bites April 15, 2009

Ever get bit by the spring bug? No, not mosquitos- I mean that little nagging bug that says “clean up this mess!” Well, I get that message AND I get an overwhelming desire to decorate in a lighter and fresher way. Unfortunately, I am bogged down with calligraphy work, so cleaning the woodwork with a toothbrush is not going to happen. But my spare moments have been occupied with daydreaming on Craigslist. I sometimes cannot believe what people are willing to part with. For example, there is an antique front door for sale straight off a Victorian house. It’s fantastic- it has been painted white but could be stripped back to the original wood and has millwork all over it. It also has many mullions of wavy glass and stained glass. Sigh. Care to send a small gift of $300 so I can purchase this gem and put it on my ailing porch?? And then there’s this guy just a few minutes north of me selling two 1920′s clawfoot tubs with a huge pedestal sink thrown in/ $125 for all of it. I would LOVE to be able to soak in a clawfoot tub again instead of this nasty 1985 broken sprayer jet cultured marble beast I currently own. So after rambling on and on about second hand building materials, I realize that I may have something wrong with me. But I think it is a curse that has been passed down from my mother’s side of the family. I’m not sure what the actual condition is called but it definitely involves a lot of pain- the pain that comes with the torture of longing for something that you have no time, energy or money to cultivate into the vision. In my mind, my house will be a replica (mostly) of a 1910 vernacular farmhouse, with a few modern modifications. In reality, my house is a mess of incomplete projects (ie: the completely torn apart Chambers stove still sitting on the sidelines of my kitchen and wrapped in a tarp on the back deck) and spiderwebs- not to mention the clutter that comes with having little kids. Alright, I’m done rambling. I think I’ll just go dust something now…

Just to peak your interests February 5, 2009

I am making plans for our suburban farm for this spring. It entails more than just gardening, but a few new members of the family. I am choosing to become an outlaw and smuggler of live poultry….but that is all I will say for now. When things are up and running, I will submit a full (and secretive) report.

One of the things I have been putting off for awhile because of other projects, is an outdoor kitchen. No, not the kind you see on HGTV for $50000, the poor man’s kind of outdoor kitchen. Basically, I am thinking of putting a metal grate over our built-in brick firepit, so that I can cook out there during the summer. Nothing is worse than sweating in your own kitchen with the air conditioner pumping at full capacity. Besides, I have found a couple of dutch oven recipes for open fires in which I could bake bread or make delicious soups. So if I could use the firepit to supplement a couple of nights a week, that would be great (and save energy!). An herb garden is in the midst, as well, but instead of putting them in raised beds, I will pot them on the back deck. Today, I may go out to our side yard by the fence and start ripping out all the ivy that has completely invaded the ground. That little area will be for berries, strawberries to be exact. And hopefully, this will really get the kids excited about “farming.” (and boy, do I use that term loosely since I am in the learning process)

Cheers to a bountiful harvest!

Our New Old Stove November 3, 2008

There are lots of projects going on around here and I wanted to share progress with everyone. I bought this 1952 Chambers stove after several months of research. I wanted a new stove since my current one is the bottom of the bottom as far as appliances go. I like cooking and lately, I have really gotten into baking, especially breads. So, after looking over the new models at HomeDepot and number crunching, I decided to go with an antique stove because of the craftmanship and the cool features. My model Chambers comes with 3 gas burners, a Thermowell (predecessor to the Crockpot), oven, counterheight broiler and griddle pan. Plus it is “green” in that you fire up the gas for several minutes and then turn it off while the meal continues to cook at the same temperature! There is nothing on the market like that currently- not in my price range anyway. We got a great deal on this one and after some thought, Fletch said we should restore it to new. So the plan is to reporcelain the burners, clean and repaint all the inside parts and rechrome the top.

1952 Chambers before cleaning.