The Kitchen Pics

Oh boy..it's kinda weird to go back and see the "before" photos--hard to remember my kitchen looking like this! We bought our house in 1998, and i was all about the country look back then. While i still love some of the country decor, i definitely appreciate a more simplistic style now--i.e. a lot less cluttered! I loved all of my apple stuff, but boy did it overwhelm the place.

See what i mean?!

So the "after" has been done a little over a year now, and i'm much happier w/the look. These were taken right after we painted, so i've since added a little more decor, but not enough to take all new pics. The color is Behr Mulling Spice (satin). We moved our dining room table into the kitchen, and i'll tell ya--we eat there more than we ever did when it was in the dining room! The island was moved over to another corner, to serve as extra counter space.
Here's the island. We painted the base a different color--it's actually not the same as the wall, but a bit darker (hard to tell in the photo)
Ditched the bench and got this awesome cabinet at TJ Maxx. Marked down, of course! I only paid $40! (originally $80). Also got rid of the old-fashioned phone. How i loved that phone when we first got it! Just went w/something simple, as a backup for the cordless.

And just a closeup of an under-cabinet detail. Wine rack from Ikea.


Big improvement or what??!!

Thanks for looking :)

She's Crafty.....

Here are some crafty things i've recently put together. I was having a Lia Sophia Jewelry Party, and thought it'd be cute to make a chalkboard (i've been a little obsessed w/them lately!) that listed the drinks i had available.

So this:

Became this:



I purchased everything at JoAnn's (except the ribbon, which i already had--think that was from Michaels). The flowers come already painted. Just had to paint the frame around the chalkboard white, size and cut the ribbon, and glue everything on.

Speaking of my chalkboard fetish, i picked this up at Marshalls last month (for only $16.99--wow!) and just love it! I keep it in the yard and write different sayings on it. I have a plant that goes on the little bottom shelf. My friend borrowed it for her wine tasting party, so i wrote something pertaining to that:


I needed some decor for a new bench my MIL picked up for me. This is on our front porch.

So this:


Became this:



Everything was purchased at JoAnns (except the letter "B" and sign on the bottom shelf, which i already had). I just painted the clay pot white, stuck some floral foam in the bottom, added the greenery, stuck it in the birdcage and voila!

Lastly, here are some cards that i made last weekend. From left to right--Fathers Day Card for FIL, Birthday card for my Sister, Fathers Day card for DH, Fathers Day card for my Dad.



What kinds of crafts are you working on?

Chair Re-cover-y!

I hope to share the pics of my kitchen re-do soon. While we didn't do any *major* work (would like a new floor, maybe cabinets/countertops), just taking the steps to "de-country" it were huge! We've lived in our house going on 11 years (oh the work we've done!), and i was very into the whole country look for awhile. The main decorating item being Apples. I'm sure you all know what a popular trend that was. I had anything and everything apple in there. I still have a love for country decor in my heart--but times change, as did my taste. It's so freeing to get rid of all that stuff! It really can look cluttered and over-decorated if you're not careful. I feel i'm moving on to a new phase of a cleaner, more modern design taste. Though i've reserved my porch for a bit of a country-ish look, since i can't escape it entirely! (pics to come)

What finally kicked my butt into changing the kitchen? The purchase of a new stainless steel fridge. My old one was black and on it's way out. The trouble began when it started to freeze the veggies--in the fridge! So we got a great deal on an LG side-by-side, which is something i've always wanted. I'm a huge water drinker, so it has been wonderful having the dispenser. It's also encouraged the kids and the hubby to drink more water, which is definitely a good thing!

(fyi: SS appliances are hard to photograph! But you get the idea. Get a sneak peek of the country-ish stuff to the right, above the window)

The first change after choosing the paint color were the chair cushions. Here is a side by side shot. You can see my old, country-ish one on the left. I was (and still am--shhh!) a plaid lover....i can't help it! The very first couch fabric we selected was plaid and i just always loved that look. On the right is the new pattern, which is now on all of the chairs. This is so easy to do--just a couple yards of fabric and a staple gun!

More pics to come soon!

Hello!

Well after being inspired by many other blogs, i've decided to share my love of decorating. I love finding perfect pieces for my home, to bring it all together, design-wise. I like focusing on the little details, which are so important in pulling a room together. And i especially love finding a good deal--who doesn't?

So sit back and enjoy the ride!

I hope to meet new people who also take pride in creating a beautiful home! Please feel free to comment so that we can become acquainted. I'd love to hear about your decorating ideas too!

PS--i also have a product review blog at http://www.shoulditryit.blogspot.com . Check it out!