playing around with the idea of a pot rack

I have wanted a pot rack in my kitchen my whole adult life. During our remodel I played around with this one. It is so useful for the pans I use daily. It frees up a lot of cabinet space.

When all the countertops are in and everything is basically done I will mount this again.

I can easily reach the pans and it is very sturdy because we were able to affix it to the studs in the wall.

some more photos of our kitchen remodel

Here are some more pictures of the kitchen changes so far. New overhead lighting and we are waiting for under-cabinet lights. I cannot believe how much better the light is in the kitchen already. New microwave (no more "ghetto" microwave as Katie, Emily and John called it) and a new stove.

We are waiting for stainless steel countertops around the sink and butcher block counter tops on the bar and other side.

I love my new towel hooks too. One for a hand towel and one for a dish towel.

Note the new crown moulding (hard to see because it is painted white).

when your dishwasher doesn't blend in-paint it!

As you can see, our lower cabinets are a Martha Stewart teal color. Our white, dated dishwasher stuck out like a sore thumb-- so we painted it the same color as the cabinets.

Now it just "goes away".

New (old) cabinet in laundry room

This cabinet is perfect for the laundry room. It has room for tools and other household stuff that I keep in bins.

My friend who sells antiques had it and so I was excited to buy it from her. I described what I was looking for and she had the perfect thing.

It provides a nice surface for hot glueing or folding towels.

Making room for a bigger refrigerator

Here are some pictures of our kitchen update. Our contractor (Dan) had to take out the wall behind the refrigerator to make room for a bigger fridge. It was worth it!

You can see the lathe and plaster walls.

We had a great delivery crew from Sears too. Very capable and knowledgeable.

It was an exciting day.

Sold our old refrig on Craigslist.

our new utility sink

I LOVE our new utility sink. I posted a wanted ad on Craigslist and within an hour, a nice man told me he had one. It is from the 1950s (we think) and was very dirty. With some Bar Keepers Friend and a putty knife I was able to get it clean.

I also moved all my cleaning supplies, brooms and mops to the laundry room (they had been stored in a kitchen cabinet). What a nice change.

It has been great for rinsing out painting tools, watering plants, soaking white towels and general cleaning.

Martha Stewart would be proud

I took everything out of the bathroom cabinet, cleaned off the shelves, got rid of products that we don't use and put it all back spic and span!

Looks good and feels even better.

Toile Duvet cover

Our bedroom decor is getting closer and closer to what I want. I LOVE the new duvet cover. I am also having a slipcover made for the chair and ottoman. White cotton twill.

Since taking these pictures I also put a black tailored dust ruffle on the bed.

I am looking for a black and white geometric rug.

Taking things slow and easy.

On top of our refrigerator

Here are some chickens sitting on top of our refrigerator. The large soup toureen was a wedding gift from our very talented designer friend. The white one was my grandma's and the syrup holder was also a gift. My mom gave me the antique egg plate.

Scenes from my morning run

Here is the Lucky girl who counts on me to get out and run. She would prefer a daily run but I wouldn't.

The rest of these pictures show my "town loop" run. It is 2 miles and takes me through the center of town, down main street, past the police station, library, 3 banks, a theatre, the arts council and other interesting buildings.

I have been running this loop for over 2 years. I still cannot believe I can run this far. Maybe I am in better shape than I was as a younger person because running 2 miles in high school was laughable for me.

My yoga teacher and good friend (who by the way has run 3 marathons) coached me when I was just starting out and told me to "GO SLOW". Such good advice. Once I slowed down I found it doable. I still would not say I love running but I do love how I feel when I am finished.

Some drugstore products I like

I recently discovered some dry skin products that I like. All three are popular on the skin board at Make Up Alley dot com.

The first smells like butter to me and is called Eucerin Q10 anti-wrinkle for sensitive skin. I put it on after washing my face morning and night. It is formulated in Germany so it has to be good!

Walgreens brand Alpha Hydroxy is an exfoliant creme---costs $5.99---and is excellent for keeping my face soft. I had to search for it in the store--I think it is on the bottom shelf with other face creams. The Walgreens clerk said they can't keep it in stock.

CeraVe is a great creme for dry skin too---face or body---I think it might be my new replacement for Cetaphil creme.

More pictures of our bedroom

Here are some more shots of our master bedroom. The third picture has a really distorted yellow color on the walls (I guess from my camera).

I have been playing around with the bedding trying to come up with a look I like. Using what I have. Not totally sold yet on the bedding.

What I am finding though is this color on the walls is very versatile.

Please offer any changes! I am open to suggestions. HELP!

our kitchen counter today

Here is our kitchen counter today. Our kitchen isn't big, but the size and layout has been a good one for us. If I keep the cupboards weeded out it is pretty easy for cooking. About once a year I go through it and donate any pans or equipment we are not using anymore---or I put things rarely used on a shelf in the garage.

Luckily it has a pantry.

Considering our house was built in 1920, the kitchen functions pretty well.

when you live with a 16 year old girl

Our 16 year old is a very active girl. Very busy and very lively.

This is how our window seat looks most days when she crashes through the front door .

Note the pink "jelly" shoes on the floor, discarded along with a down parka.

Thanksgiving at my Mom and Dad's house

an orchid in the living room

This photo was taken in the morning and the light is just coming in. This orchid seems to like the light situation because it has been alive for quite a few months.

I buy orchids at Costco and for $17 I get much pleasure from them. I figure if it dies in a few months at least I had enjoyment out of having a fresh flower and I replace it as soon as possible.

A friend of mine always has fresh flowers in her kitchen. She buys them weekly when she gets groceries. Love that idea.

I closed off the french door to the sunroom since it is really getting cold at night .

a cornucopia of thanks

I love the tradition of a cornucopia at Thanksgiving. I was first introduced to them as a child either at my Grandma's house or my Mom's. Such a cool way to show our bounty.

Ours is filled with a mix of squash, fruit and nuts and is the centerpiece on our dining room table.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, we are headed to my Mom and Dad's house for the day and night. I am bringing pies and that is all---I am spoiled by my Mom----she does all the rest of the cooking!

Thanks Mom!

we painted our bedroom

For some reason I have been making the decorating of our bedroom a hard project but last weekend I think I had a break-through and had some creativity. We painted our walls Martha Stewart Cornmeal. It is a warm yellow and it really helped make the room feel cozy.

I am playing around with different ideas for bedding. The first picture has a bluish comforter cover and the second one is white.

I have 2 vintage paint by numbers to put on the wall and a monogram W to go over the bed.

I originally thought I might paint the headboard a teal blue. Any comments or ideas are welcome.