kitchen update

I am sorry I have not posted in over a week! Things have been very busy. We re-did our kitchen and we adopted a new dog into our family. So, I have been focused on getting Arlo, a two and a half year old Miniature Pinscher, settled in and making sure Rosie Mae is ok with this massive life change. More on that in another post...

Back to the kitchen... Someday we would love to remodel our funky kitchen, but that is financially out of the question at this point. So instead we have finally taken the time to paint it. It's a small kitchen and the only window is on the back wall (not pictured) which is north facing. So, after thinking about lots of different color options, I decided that white would be best to open the space up and give it a clean fresh feel (I know, you're shocked). I also replaced all the hardware on the cabinets with ceramic knobs I bought on sale from Anthropologie nearly a year ago. I wasn't sure at the time what color we would paint things, but I loved them and I knew they would be the right ones.

We did some other little things to update the room. We spray painted all the hinge hardware black as well as the base of the sconce above the kitchen sink. At some point when we re-do the lighting in that room, we will replace it, but until then, it's much nicer black. I also swapped out the art work for some art made by friends and spray painted some letters from the craft store for EAT.

In the end, I am much happier with the kitchen in this state and think the boring gray counter tops even look better. Small progress, but it's a good change, especially during this dark time of year.

Before...

After...

Photos via tidbits

you say tomato, i say shut up

This fall I read a very funny book by Anabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn, called You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up. A love story. This book made me laugh until I cried. It is the true story of the marriage of the authors, and it is written in a he said she said format. I loved hearing both sides, and it was a good reminder to laugh at things that may seem like a big deal in the moment. Marriage is not easy. Anyone who is married knows this (and if they tell you otherwise, they are either totally out of touch or they are lying), but hard does not mean it isn't fun and often very funny. Read this book, it will make you laugh and remind you that being different people from each other is, after all, why you love each other. If you're single, it will remind you that getting married or committing to a serious long term relationship is not something to take lightly. A worthy and very funny read no matter what your relationship status.

yippee, a fancy new light

My sweet husband recently rewired the bedroom so we have a working overhead light with two light switches! Very exciting stuff in our house. However, we have been having a really hard time finding the right light for the room. I was in love with a Capiz shell chandelier from West Elm, but it was too long to fit the space. So, we kept looking and through the wonders of google, we were eventually lead to - and I do realize how ridiculous and shameful this is - Pottery Barn Teen, where we found this awesome chandelier that was affordable, and the right size. Bret just put it up, and I am totally in love with it! Our house will be years and years worth of projects, but the one's you can see are especially fun. Happy Monday!

happy weekend

The holidays have passed. Obligations have slowed. The new year is here. It's dark out, but the light is slowly coming back. Take time to focus on the little things. Take a deep breath and have a wonderful and relaxing weekend my dears. xo

photo via tidbits

a beautiful table

I love this dining room. The table is especially fantastic! Love the super rustic look of the reclaimed wood.

via

a chalk board calendar

Oooo! I love this idea! Another fantastic use for chalk board paint. Since it is the start of a new year, it seems the proper time to share. Check it out. Awesome!

via

lovely wood storage

Just discovered photographer Thrine Thorsen's blog. Lovely. One thing she and her partner have started doing, is building furniture. They built these two beautiful wood storage systems and Thrine photographed them. I love the wheels on the tall one. You could pull it far enough away from the wall to make any wood fit. Assuming the other one has no back, I guess you could do the same with that one. Making it more realistic to have the split wood fit so perfectly in there. I love the fact that the smaller shelf can be used as a display shelf and for wood storage, I also suspect there is less mess with this one, as it is probably more contained. And of course, the look of the wood in both of them is so beautiful in and of itself.

via