Kitchen Vignettes

Recently my sweet blog friend Kelly over at Talk of the House featured some vignettes in her kitchen.   If you missed my post about her gorgeous house, you can see that here.       I have very little counter space in my kitchen but I still like to make them pretty.     I would love to have butcher block counters and new cabinets but since I don’t, and that probably won’t happen anytime soon, I try and make the most of what I do have.     A few years ago we replaced the old Formica counters and added tile floors.   My husband wanted me to use granite but I didn’t want to go that route until I could replace the cabinets and add hardwood floors…maybe one day!

 

Here’s the view when you come into the kitchen….this is the longest counter I have.    We took the doors off one set of cabinets and added the plate rack.    The guy that originally built it made a big ol’ mess out of it so when I had the cabinets painted, another person tried to correct the first mess.    I  want to have them redone because it’s hard to find plates to fit…I plan on having this cabinet reconfigured so that I can use it better and instead of having three openings, I think I’d like to have one for the plates and above that, a larger area for platters, pitchers or other decorative items.  

 

 

I love using trays and/or baskets throughout my house so I set up this little vignette using a silver lamp, old scale and a couple of breadboards.     (Love my tomatoes – from my in-laws garden)

 

I love having family pictures in every area of my home….I placed this one of me and my “babies” here so I can enjoy it every day.    When my husband and I got married 9 years ago, we had family pictures taken at the beach and this is one of my favorite ones from that time.

 

Hand soaps placed nearby on a cute scalloped dish

We had this built over the stove a few years ago for display.    It’s so hard to photograph because it’s painted dark but I enjoy highlighting some of my favorite pieces here.  

Other than two other little countertops (and I do mean little) that’s all the counter space I have.     If you want to see how Kelly decorated areas in her kitchen, you can see that here.

Thanks for dropping by my home this morning, hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

Today I’m sharing a fabulous recipe my daughter recently made.    She found it on Pinterest so I’m linking it to the link on her Pinterest page.    

(source)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler!

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking pwdr
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 quarts strawberries, washed & capped
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cut in small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 F.      Melt butter & pour into a 9x13 baking dish.     In a small bowl, mix egg, milk, flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.     Pour over the butter, but do not stir.    Add the strawberries & cream cheese pieces. Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden.

This stuff is heavenly!    I know it’s too hot to heat up the kitchen but this cobbler is well worth the effort.

 

I’m knee deep in decluttering and getting ready for a yard sale.    I’ve spent the better part of 4 days in my son’s old room (which had become a hoarder’s paradise) throwing out, sorting, and purging.    Last Saturday hubby and I cleaned out our two (!) storage buildings and went to our house in the country which is basically used for MORE storage to get more junk stuff.     We’re staging it at my mom’s empty house so we can go over and set up & get things priced in our spare time.     Now I just have to tackle the closet in son’s room to make it a craft/office storage area, buy a new bed & bedding and I’ll be done with that project.     I’m in  purging mode so I have to take advantage of being in that frame of mind.    Next up will be the laundry room.   

Still haven’t decided on a new chair for our den but I’m really liking the  Jennylund by Ikea (thanks Kelly for the suggestion).   

 

 

I  also like the gray and white checks

AND the dark gray

 

We’ve had so much going on this summer it’s been hard to find time to head to Atlanta to get my sofa but maybe things will slow down in the next few weeks and I can get over there.

Better get off my hiney and get some more purging done!

Searching For The Perfect Chair

Do you find decorating to be a domino effect?   What started out to replace my den sofa has now evolved into getting a new rug (more on that later), a new accent chair and now I’m looking for a replacement chair for my husband’s recliner (he doesn’t know that yet)!     I’m 99% sure I’m getting the Ektorp white slipcovered sofa from Ikea with an additional slipcover in the Svanby beige so I can change up.     We have a very comfy recliner that has seen better days so I’m thinking that I need (want) to replace it with something more stylish but still comfy.     Here’s a few ideas I’ve found:

 

(via overstock.com)

 

(via Overstock.com)

This won’t work but it’s such a pretty chair…much like the one featured in the Southern Living Idea House (which I’ll be reposting about after the August issue of Southern Living comes out)

 

 

(via Overstock.com)

 

(Pottery Barn)

 

(Pottery Barn)

I love this one…it swivels and looks like it would be so comfortable

 

(Pottery Barn)

I love this one too….it reminds me of one I saw in Country Living one time

 

JC Penney's has a line called “Friday” by Linden Street but I couldn’t get a good picture.   One of my sweet blog friends (Kelly) also suggested I might want to consider getting a stripe slipcover for their Friday chair…a good idea since the sofa will be white.

Of course, Ikea has a Ektorp chair that matches the Ektorp sofa but I’ve heard it’s not very comfortable.    Comfort is key as we will be using the chair a lot….like every day and it’s where I blog from.    I love the ones from Pottery Barn but just not the price!

I would love for ya’ll to give me some ideas/suggestions/links for a replacement chair.    

About my new rug mentioned above….I noticed when we were at the Southern Living Idea House they used two 5x7’s (I think that was the size) from Ikea together in the den and I liked that idea so I was planning on buying two when I get my sofa.    But the other day I was in Ross and found one which was just a tad smaller than what I needed (I needed an 8x10) but this was 7.6 x 9.6 so I brought it home and it works beautifully!    The Ikea rugs were $99 each and this one was $89.00!    Even my husband likes it.

 

I don’t know if I’ll leave the faux zebra down but for now it stays until I bring in my new sofa and see how I like it then (can’t wait to put that loveseat back in the sunroom and bring in my new sofa)!

 

 

 

I also picked up a couple of burlap pillows today at T.J. Maxx for two of my kitchen chairs….of course, these are subject to change too!

 

My appeals hearing is set tomorrow via teleconference regarding my job loss in May.    Please keep your fingers crossed things go well….I’ll be posting about the outcome just as soon as I know.    

Talk of the House

Have you met Kelly from the fabulous blog Talk of the House?  If not, let me introduce you to her and her gorgeous home!

 

Kelly is a Southern girl and from the first time we “met” through our blogs, I felt like I’d known her forever.    It’s obvious how passionate she is about her home and family and it shows.    

Here’s Ms. Kelly looking all stylish and cute!

 

This is the home she and her husband built in Georgia….isn’t it just gorgeous?

 

What an inviting porch (I love that door!)

 

Love her bike decked out for the 4th of July

 

 

 

Entry way

 

 

 

Ohhh, I love her kitchen.    She shares how her husband added the transom to join these two areas….Kelly says her kitchen is not as large as her previous one but that she loves the “cottage” feel of it

 

Love her plate rack….here you get a sneak peek into her sunroom

 

Kelly made her curtains…in fact I believe she makes all her own window treatments

 

Wouldn’t you love to have a long soak in this tub at the end of the day?

 

Kelly recently did a post about furniture in the bathroom and then shared hers….don’t you love how cozy this bathroom is?

 

Gorgeous hutch in another area of the bathroom…love how she accessorizes with fluffy towels and family photos…makes such a personal area

 

It would be hard to pick a favorite room in Kelly’s house but if I had to, I’d say it would have to be her sunroom

 

Here she changes things up by adding pops of red with pillows….Kelly loves red!

 

See that cute desk tucked into the corner?    That was her first purchase when she was only 13!    I think it’s great that she had a love for antiques at such a young age

 

I love her wicker furniture and pillows in addition to the lamps that add such ambiance

 

I love this table in her sunroom

In addition to sharing her love of her home, Kelly also shares some yummy sounding recipes and some great travel adventures

Please visit Kelly’s blog and be sure to tell her I said “hey”!

Today Was A Good Day

For starters, it was my son’s birthday!   He turned 38!!!  Of course, now I can no longer say I’m 40, so I’m going to be 42 instead (just joking, of course I didn’t have him when I was 4)!   I usually call him at 8:11 a.m. every year on his birthday (the time he was born) but I slept in and didn’t wake up until 8:50 so I was late calling him…every year he acts like it’s no big deal if I don’t call at 8:11 but today he said “I see you missed the time today”…so maybe he doesn’t mind at all.

Also, on tap today was my lunch with my former boss.    I’m hoping I can share all the drama that occurred 6 weeks ago which caused me to lose my job soon.    I have fretted and worried for days about how to go about this meeting and talked to several friends and my husband about what to say and how to act.    Of course, everything depended on his attitude.    The main thing I did was pray and ask God to give me the words to say and how to say them.     I’m happy to report that our lunch couldn’t have gone better if I’d scripted it myself!     I got to say what needed to be said and he gave me the respect I felt I deserved.     He even went so far as to tell me that he would be calling me to come back to work in the future!    Of course, now that I’m “retired” I’m not so sure I want to go back…but when and if he calls, I will definitely give it some consideration.     Then when I got home he sent me a nice follow up e-mail.    I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders….the next week should bring about some changes I’ve been wanting since my job ended.   Thank you to everyone who encouraged me with your comments.    I am truly blessed to have such wonderful blog friends.

Let’s lighten things up, shall we?    My sweet granddaughter was at church camp this past week.    Last night her mama got a text from one of her camp counselors saying that Taylor had gone up front during the alter call and accepted Jesus!    When I told hubby today, I could tell he teared up.    Tonight we went out to eat with her and her mama and when Pop told her he cried when he heard that, she said “I cried too Pop”.    I’m so proud of her.    

New Chair and Shell Prints

Saturday while we were out thrifting and antiquing we stopped by TJ Maxx so I could show hubby a chair I’d seen in there a while back.    I’d been wanting to replace one in the den with one that would fit in with my white slipcovered sofa (when I get it).    He liked it so we brought it home…it fits perfect!    He doesn’t think we should remove the tag yet as he thinks I’m going to change my mind (he THINKS he knows me – ha!) so I’ll cut it off later.

 

As you can see there are no family picture in the fames behind the chair…something I’m determined to remedy just as soon as I can print some sepia toned pictures of our family.    The color of that lamp base is not gong to stay like it that either…I just haven’t decided what color to use

 

 

 

Then today when I was out and about I stopped by my favorite antique mall looking for a plate rack for a blank wall in my kitchen.    No luck so I’m probably going to sketch out one I have in mind and have our carpenter friend build it.

Although I didn’t find a plate rack I did find these four shell prints for $10.00 each!    I propped them up on our loveseat we brought in from the sunroom since I sold my old sofa on Sunday.    

I first thought I knew where I’d hang them but now that I have them home I think I’ve changed my mind.   I’ll be sure to show where they end up once they get hung.

 

If you follow my blog, you know that I lost my job at the end of May due to some drama at work.     My former boss and I are supposed to meet for lunch on Wednesday and I’m just a little unsettled about how that meeting might go.    He’s reached out to me but there are some other things going on that I can’t share right now that might make the meeting uncomfortable for him, and I hate any kind of confrontation.     I would appreciate your saying a little prayer for me on Wednesday that the meeting goes well, for both of us.    

I have some painting projects I need to get to but it’s toooo hot to be outside…maybe around 9:00 tonight (just joking – maybe) I can stand being outside for more than 5 minutes!

Camp Fire Stories

I never got to go to camp so I don’t have any stories but I’ll be my granddaughter will have some after this week.    Today she left for 3 whole days of camp with a group from her church.     Her mama sent me some pics of her leaving.

 

Here she is in their garage waiting to leave…doesn’t she look excited?     Shannon said she got up at 6:00 a.m. this morning wanting to know if it was time to go!    And this girl loves to sleep in!

 

 

She’s sporting her Elvis sunglasses!

 

As many of you know, Taylor has a twin brother Jackson.    Shannon said they hugged and kissed each other and he said he’d see her on Wednesday.    They share a special bond and are very close but I bet he’ll take advantage of being an “only” child for the next few days.    Tomorrow I’ll pick him up and spoil him just a little bit!

We sold our sofa on Craigs List today!!!  I’ve never used Craigs List before and last night my husband suggested I try it.    This morning I had an inquiry and by 3:30 today she had come by and bought it and we’d delivered to her house!    So today I’ve been searching for other things to put list.    Now I’ve just got to find the time to go to Ikea to buy my new sofa.

Vintage Sailboat

I was lucky that I got to visit a couple of stores at the beach even though I was there only a short while.    I remembered seeing some unique things in a souvenir store last year when I was there so I wanted to go back to see if anything caught my eye.    When I spied this driftwood colored sailboat I knew it would be coming home with me.     No, I’m sure it’s not vintage like my title says, but whateva….

I knew exactly where I would put it….on top of our entertainment unit.    I also bought the lantern you see up there as well

(I don’t know why I have such a hard time getting the wall color to not look washed out or gold-ish….this photo is pretty close to the actual color)

 

The guy that got it down for me said “ma’am, did you know the sail is dirty”?   He gave me a funny look when I said “yes, I know, but that’s part of what I like about it."    And just today my husband asked me if I knew there was “dirt” on the sailboat!  

 

(More washed out wall color!)   I’m going to put some black & white photos of the grand's in the photo frame below the sheet music wreath I made a while back.    Does anyone still decorate with those?

 

Love the gunmetal gray on the lantern.    I got it at Old Time Pottery for $19.00!   This one is pretty big and they had some even bigger ones for $29.00 and $39.00…a great price compared to the ones from Pottery Barn.     I would love to add something to the backs of the bookcase so it doesn’t look like a big black hole but don’t know what I want to use.    I would love to find some old antique maps (reproductions) to wallpaper the back but haven’t really looked into that.    It’s a cheap old bookcase and I don’t know if I could paint the back or not.    As you can tell, hubby has his “man TV” in there…this TV was bought for the bedroom but somehow ended up in the den….I just keep my mouth shut about that TV….gotta pick your battles, right?

Other than the sailboat and lantern, that’s about all I had time to get.    I also picked up two framed monograms with our initials to hang up in our bedroom.    One good thing about not staying at the beach longer than a day and a half is I didn’t spend too much money!

It’s so hot here!   All our ceiling fans are running and I have floor fans going to….I can’t wait to see our power bill this month (not really)!    

Here’s to the weekend….