Kitchen Talk

Pretty things in the kitchen

 I'm obsessed with Kitchen stuff.

I go to sleep at night dreaming about 

how I want to redo my kitchen.  

I moved into my house almost 15 years ago.

When I moved in the kitchen was painted red and 

the backsplash was black and white tile.

I quickly painted the walls a cream color and later

covered the black tiles with white vinyl cut to fit.

That immediately made me like my kitchen. 

I hated those black tiles.

I quickly learned those black laminate counter tops would

dictate my decorating choices in here.

As far as laminate goes they could be much worse.

They look like dark soap stone.

But I soon realized nothing looked good on them except

white and silver and a little wood.

I have embraced them and enjoy having little vignettes.

A tray under a group of objects immediately elevates those items.

It makes for a much more pleasing arrangement.

 

 A few weeks ago I shared how I made a lamp for this room.

I love having little lamps on my counter top since I don't

have under cabinet lighting.

I was having a hard time finding small lamps so I made one.

But a couple of weeks ago I found this one at Hobby Lobby.

 It looked like this when I bought.

Of course I had to make it over...it was too drab like that.

A little chalk paint and sanding and I had 

the perfect little lamp.

Now I am thinking I might need one more.

 These dark counters drive me mad. 

I wipe them down and instantly there are little white flecks

of this and that on them. 

They show everything.

So recently my Mom sold some land and she said

that money was going to go towards fixing up my house

and her's. She has been getting a lot of things done 

at her house. 

She told me to make a list.

Of course this has to be a reasonable list.

We can't go crazy.

I have areas on the brick outside that need to be repointed.

(new mortar put in)

That was priority one. Then the garage desperately needs

new garage doors and some other repairs.

But the floor in my kitchen is a disaster.

It's falling apart. It's a linoleum stick down tile

and it's just cracking up in little and small chunks.

So I will be getting a new floor.

Mom knows I have never liked these dark counters

and every time we are in open houses with white marble or 

quartz counters...I ooooh and ahhhhh.

So she said..."Plan on getting new counters too."

But if I get new counters...I want a new sink while doing it.

And a new faucet of course.

And new counter means I must have a new backsplash.

If I do floors - I eventually want a freestanding stove.

So that means changing the cabinets which would change the 

floor. So it would be a good idea to get a new stove now.

But I don't want a $700 stove. I want a $3,500 stove

or I'd rather not bother.

Remember this one?

 I also want new cabinet doors and to add moldings up to the ceiling.

A new dishwasher (cause the current one is black).

I could just cover the door with something till it eventually quits working.  

Anyway...I have no problem with letting my Mom get me a 

new floor and maybe a new counter top but the rest is just too

much. 

But all the little things arranged on the counter make me happy.

Perhaps all the big things will eventually happen a little at a time.

I usually don't like things in my house with sayings on them cause

I don't like anyone telling me what to do...especially a sign

in my house. 

But this little platter spoke to me because I so 

believe it's the simple things that make a life meaningful

and happy.

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Let's Make a Lamp!

Cloudy day here...the perfect day to make a little lamp 

for the kitchen counter.

I said the other day that I've been looking for a tiny

lamp for awhile to go with the other two tiny lamps

on my kitchen counter. I don't have under cabinet lighting and 

need the extra lighting there. 

I needed one more little lamp to place in a corner 

on the other side of the sink.

I could not find a tiny lamp anywhere but found this 

Christmas candle at Joann's for $3.99 and knew I could make it work.

 

 Here's my lamp parts. 

I bought that little ironstone creamer a couple of years ago 

and knew it was just the thing today for the base.

I will miss it on the kitchen shelf but hey...an excuse to find another!

 Just in case I decide I don't want to use this creamer as a lamp 

in the future I decided to attach the candle with double stick tape

instead of using a permanent method such as glue.

I have used this incredible heavy duty double stick tape on several projects

and it is a game changer!

 

 I made a trellis for my climbing rose with it. 

Sticks to bricks! 

But does not harm bricks!

See that post here.

 I also used it to secure the mailbox on my house.

I had hung this box but it would move and fall off

if the postman wasn't careful. And of course he

wasn't careful. A few pieces of this tape on the back

side and it's stuck tight. Never moves. And again it does

not damage the bricks. I could take it off if I wanted.

The trellis and the mailbox have been up since August

and doing great.

You can order this tape here.  

I am in no way affiliated with that company I just think it's a great product. 

 

So back to the lamp. 

The candle was not as tall as I'd like so I stuck a small cap from

a hairspray can to the bottom of it. 

I ended up removing the felt from the bottom. 

Tape did not want to stick to the felt.

 

Then a couple pieces of the tape on the bottom of the lid.

And stuck it inside the creamer.

 There you go!

 Stuck tight!

And finished lamp.

 Easiest project I've done... maybe ever.

Now I want to turn everything into lamps.

I know you can buy a lamp kit and make things into lamps.

I've done that before but this was even easier than that.

Of course this little candle only does a 7 watt bulb but

that's enough for my countertop.

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It's My Life!

 You know how at the end of the year you feel like 

everything will be changed in the New Year?

Anything is possible. 

All the things you couldn't get done...

You'll some how be able to do everything in 2020.

Then come the middle of January the cruel realization 

comes in...that this is it. 

Things go the way they always go.

I did get my Xmas down and a little winter decor up. Very little.

I'm looking forward to Valentines stuff and especially Easter stuff.

Next weekend I think Mom and I are going to hit the Home and Garden Show

at the Fairgrounds. 

I love thinking about Spring.

 I bought this little snowy fox several years ago.

It reminded me of Franklin. 

I bought it shortly after he'd had back surgery. 

I tell Franklin he's my little fox.

 I've been trying to get a good photo of him but 

he doesn't like his photo taken.

Snapped this one real quick earlier today. But he was sleepy.

He is fully recuperated from when he had 

three exploding discs in his back. That was back in 2015.

I wish he'd take it easy. I'm scared to death he'll hurt himself again.

His latest thing he likes to do is run and jump up on the bathtub 

and hoist himself over into it.

I've found him sitting in the bathtub a lot 

over the past couple of weeks.

A very silly boy.

I'll be looking for him and pull back the shower curtain and 

there he is! Crazy pup.

 The other day I decided I needed a small lamp to go on 

my kitchen counter under the upper cabinets. 

I don't have under cabinet lighting but instead 

I have two small lamps under there and they make me very happy. 

You can see a bit of one behind that image above. 

I realized the other day I need one more to fully light my counters.

Well, you used to be able to find these

mini lamps everywhere. 

But now I can't find them anywhere at all.

All the ones I am finding use regular bulbs 

and are just a little too tall.

I have been all over town and can't find a little lamp.

Then I was at JoAnn's yesterday seeing if they might 

have something when I saw these Christmas candles and thought - 

"Hey that will work!" 

Regularly $9.99 but on clearance for $3.99.

I am going to use something around the house to turn it into a lamp.

Perhaps a sugar bowl, flower pot, gravy boat? Not sure what will be the base yet

but am pretty sure it will turn out nice. I'll post when I do.

And then...I found this stove online when 

 was looking up Vintage Look Stoves.

The brand is Hollman and it's available through Home Depot.

Priced under $3,000 for a 30 inch gas. 

I might need a 36 which would be more. 

Anyway...I want to upgrade my kitchen so badly and 

this would give me the french vintage look I crave at half the price. 

Mom recently said she wanted to help me fix up my kitchen. 

That would be money wise.

But I think she means new floor. Which is badly in need. 

Definitely not a complete overhaul.

But when I think of what I want redone in there it's 

stove, dishwasher, counters, sink, faucet, and backsplash

Way more than just a floor. 

So I think just do the floor but if I just do the floor it will have to be changed again 

when I eventually get the stove of my dreams. 

That is my rational for thinking I need a new stove now. 

I hope you are accomplishing more than I am in this New Year.

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On the Subject of Kitchens

 That kitchen above is Vanessa's of Vintage Whites Market Blog.

I LOVED this kitchen. I adored that big turquoise vintage cabinet and the cubby hole shelves above it.

 

But look what Vanessa went and did! 

She stripped the paint from the cabinet and changed things up.

I thought I didn't like it...I missed the old version.

 But after viewing both versions back and forth...I've decided......

I like the new version better! This really shocks me cause I loved it as it was soooo much!

A big plus are the windows they added which really brings light into the room.

Ok...which do you prefer?

The original kitchen with the turquoise cabinet - we'll call Version1

or

Version 2 with the new changes?

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Kitchens

In Blue

I don't know if I love this kitchen because of it's mint cabinets or because of those big pink
hydrangeas surrounded by all that mint.
I do think it has to do with the touch of brass in the lanterns too.

I'm loving pink with brass these days.

So I haven't been getting much done around the house currently.

I'm busy selling furniture and helping others make their houses look great and so mine 

is on the back burner....
but the other night I started installing these bin pulls on my kitchen cabinets.

It was going pretty good until one of the drawers had a hole that wasn't quite in the right spot.

Meaning I needed to adjust the hole with my drill and that is where I stopped.

Because my drill was not charged. I'm charging now and hope to get back on track.

 But I'm not feeling my bin pulls. 

I had to get the ones I got cause they were the only ones that fit my existing holes. 

I'd rather have had some like above. 

I'm hoping this will not end up being a case of that I'll never like them because they weren't exactly 

what I wanted. Might be! 

I'm hoping I'll like them more once all are on.

 I was going through some of my kitchen pins on Pinterest and noticed that I'd pinned several with 

blue walls. 
My kitchen walls need a change...and perhaps this is the direction I will go.

 I love the nook that the sink sets in on this one. I have a sink faucet just like that one -

waiting to be installed. I hesitate cause I want a new sink and a new backsplash to go with it.

And how long will that be?

I know I just need to go ahead and install it!

 See more pretty kitchens on my Pinterest Kitchen Board.

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Build.com

Just a Little Update

 

(aren't I cute?)

 I got an email the other day from a nice lady asking if I'd be interested in blogging

about my experience shopping and using Build.com's products.

She asked me to view the site and let her know which items I might want.
Well, I wrote back and said I could redo my whole kitchen with what is on Build.com.
Let's start with a farmhouse sink, new appliances, etc....

She wrote back and gave me a budget.
So I'm starting small....

 

New cabinet pulls. I've wanted bin pulls for my drawers for ages but could never find 

any the right size. I wanted some that would not involve me drilling new holes.

On Build.com you can search by style, color, metal and measurement!

That led me to several options including the one pictured above.

14 please! 

I'm keeping my existing knobs as they are perfectly fine and anything new

I would want, would look pretty much the same.

 

(Can you imagine it with the bin pulls instead?)

Not a big changed but I have just always wanted bin pulls.

 

So since I didn't spend much on the kitchen...and I already have a new kitchen faucet 

just waiting to be installed...I turned my attention to the master bath.

I like my faucet just ok in there....so a new one seemed like a good choice.

 

Pretty...right?

And it says HOT and COLD...I always like that vintage touch.

As I typed this the door bell range and it was Fed Ex with my bin pulls!
Faucet is coming, separately.

I can't believe how fast the shipping was.
I chose like last Friday and here it is Wednesday and they are here already.

I can't wait to get in there and do the ol'switcheroo.

But first today on my day off...I'm going to the vet to pick up more
antibiotics for Violet.

Last Wednesday she had another seizure.
Scared me bad and I called my Vet at home.

He said just to watch her and if she has a third...we'll do something.
Next night...Thursday...she has another!

So painful to see her struggle afterwards.

As I sat with her after the third one...I thought about is there anything different in her life
that might be causing this...since the vet did blood tests and couldn't find anything wrong?

The only thing different in her life was a new food I'd fed her.

I'd bought on a whim Iams dog food...dry...naturals with no grain or chicken.
Violet has been eating canned food for the last three years because she does better on it.
She is allergic to grain and chicken.
Every once in awhile I'll buy a dry food to try her on...and she usually gets stuffed up in her nose and coughs a lot!

So I tried this new food and she seemed to do well.
She ate it and her canned food off and on for about maybe a week.
Then she had the seizure.

I took her to the vet and he said her teeth needed to be cleaned and she had an infection.
He put her on an antibiotic which I had to feed mixed in the canned food.

So she only ate canned food for a week.

A week goes by...no seizures.
Then last Wednesday, I had a doctor's appointment and I was running late...so I just poured out
some dry for them to eat until I could get home and properly feed.
That night she has a seizure!

The next day...I fed as usual...then they acted like they were hungry later in the day so I poured out
some of the dry. That night Violet had another seizure!
All three of these seizures have happened while she was sleeping.
But afterwards she cannot sleep and she is totally out of it and crying and it takes hours for her to settle down and go to sleep.

So I looked up on the internet to see if seizures can be related to food and read that they can be.

So....I called my vet yesterday to tell him what I think and he says I could be right.

So now...she's going to have another week of antibiotics and I'll watch her and then we'll decide
if we'll do the teeth cleaning or not.

She needs the teeth cleaning cause we don't want the infection to spread to her organs.

For a few days she seemed a little unsteady on her feet but she seems to have recovered from that.

The vet said she could just have been sore from the actual seizure.

Plus she seemed like she couldn't see well...he said that too can be an after affect but that hopefully her
eyesight would return.
I think it has.

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