TIME'S A WASTIN'

Well, there may be lots to write about today but I really, really need to wrap presents!  And then I'll need to snap some pics of them beneath the little Christmas tree. . .. so today is just a quick note!  After all - no matter the title of this photo - we all can tell my youngest grandson is not naughty & I really need to wrap his presents - right?

After a cup of tea or hot chocolate I'll get started on the wrapping.  BTW - today's predicted high is 76 degrees. . . . maybe I'll have iced tea instead!  LOL 

In the meantime - can you spy me, spying on you?  

Thanks for stopping by!

CHRISTMAS BITS AND PIECES

Here are a couple more shots of the Nature Room. One would think I haven't decorated any other room in the house, but I have! It's just that this small room has the most concentrated amount of decor & I guess that's why I keep posting pics.
One thing I've observed: I don't have any really large pieces of Christmas decorations & I don't have large collections of Christmas stuff. . . . except for a lot of nativities. But mainly it's just a lot of small-medium sized things placed out & about. Because the cabin is so small I definitely don't merely add Christmas stuff to the existing decor! All of the everyday (& most favorite) items are boxed up!
I'm relatively happy with how everything turned out. . . . except for the mantle. . . but I'm not so dissatisfied that I'm willing to redo it! I'll just try something different next year!


I'm finding myself getting a bit weary of all the bright colors . . . so this is processed a bit on the muted side of things!
Like most of you, it's filled with stuff that holds memories. I could describe each and every one & tell you why a particular item is special . . . but I think you would get tired & not finish reading!

This little scene below really cheers me. I love the book - it's filled with beautiful illustrations & the wee little nativity was given to me by my childhood friend, Brenda. We were born 1 day apart & met when 13 years old. She was a treasured friend. . . . and I love the simple, nativity. I would have sworn she said they were made from pecan hulls, but I'm not certain that's the case. And yes, those are tree ornaments in a large pickle jar! I've collected the balls over the years from thrift stores so I don't know if they're really vintage or designed to look old. . . but I do like the worn patina of old ornaments

Red Santa hat, waiting for our overweight golden retriever to model for a photo shoot. As a flicker friend commented: "there is definitely a story waiting to be told here"





















So this is it for today for I still have laundry to wash, gifts to wrap & a few, blessed few, errands to run. Thanks for stopping by. . .

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

I do intend to post more Christmas photos of the little cabin, but thought I'd share something a wee bit different today. Even though the decorations, ornaments, gifts & fragrances are all very lovely this time of year. . . the best ornamentation of all are friends & family we get to spend time with.

Above photo is of youngest grand-daughter. For the complete story, click here!

BTW - she doesn't look very convinced that hot dogs taste best cooked on a campfire, does she?!

IT'S LOOKING A BIT LIKE CHRISTMAS

Here's a little glimpse of another corner of the Nature Room. The shutters were snatched from the curb decades ago. And yes, they really are that dingy. And nope - it doesn't bother me too very much! I have no intention of painting them or sprucing them up. I like them just the way they are.

And I'm too lazy to mess with them!

Oh - and that is not a *switch* resting on top of the shutters . . . . it's a bois d'arc branch a little child gave me in April when camping w/the Cub Scouts. She noticed me gathering rocks, etc. & gifted me w/it. Sweet!

I'm linking to Perfectly Imperfect: Christmas Cheer Challenge

CHRISTMAS AT THE COZY LITTLE CABIN

I can't believe I haven't posted any Thanksgiving decor pix - I certainly intend to do that. After all, it IS my favorite holiday!

In the meantime, here's a few shots of what's happening this Christmas at the Cozy Little Cabin! Nothing spectacular. . . . . just spending time trying to determine what stays & what goes. After all, the cabin is smaller than the other house & not everything will *make the cut*!

For starters we have a new down-sized tree because there's no room for a big one. Of course we could put one out on the porch, but this year it feels like too much work & we're just not up to it. Maybe next year . . . .

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree.
In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.”
– Larry Wilde

A quiet little corner in the Nature Room.

Christmas decorations waiting for
me to find a place for them

I so very much enjoy reading every one's blog. . . . .I admire your creativity & energy! If I don't make it back to Blogland before December 25. . . . I hope you have a blessed Christmas!

Linking w/Thrifty Decor Chick's Christmas Tree Party!

and also linking w/My French Country Home

FAVORITE CHRISTMAS CARD OF 2010

FANCY Christmas cards are nice.

NEWSY letters of the past year's adventures are interesting.

But THIS. . .
this original Christmas card
designed by 7 year old Dalton

is the BEST we've received so far!!!!

Merry Christmas to us all!

I'M IN LOVE WITH THE LIGHT

Dresser Detail

I love the light in this room. At certain times of day it is just breathtaking. Of course it changes throughout the year . . . but there is always a time of day when it's just magical!

If you look closely you'll notice that the only photographs in here are of hubby & me. There are no photos of children, ancestors or even pets. It gives me the creeps to have others' eyes in my bedroom. Or bathroom. There is an Audubon reproduction hanging over the bed. . . but no photos of anyone other than hubby and me!

Bedroom Corner, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith

PS - I think this lovely bust looks SO much better wearing my straw hat, instead of the black cowboy hat. Don't you?

BEDROOM IN THE SETTING SUN

I thought I'd post a photo of our bedroom. I know I haven't posted many of them & don't know why not, other than the fact that life has been wonderfully busy. Anyway - here is a pic of my side of the bed. I recently walked in there & since the lighting was so wonderful, had to grab the camera & take a quick shot.

Notice there are books, magazines & articles in the basket. What you don't see are even more books stacked on the floor near my side of the bed! That's how I fall asleep: reading non-fiction. I'm currently reading Chemistry Of Essential Oils Made Simple: God's Love Manifest in Molecules which has a total of 876 pages! I'm not certain it's simple enough for me to understand. . . am guessing I'll have to read it more than once . . . but I am really, really enjoying it.
That's it for now. It's time to go make some homemade lasagna for my daughter & her hubby & some *adopted* friends. You know what I mean . . . people that you love so much you're thrilled to claim them as your own! You can read a bit more about that here.

NOT LOOKING TOO PROMISING

Well, what can I say? The new floor may not happen anytime too soon. I went to two stores & picked out 4 different ceramic tiles that were on sale & that might work in my dining room. I brought home the samples & from the 4 quickly had a "hands down" favorite! No questions asked & no doubt in my mind that I had found the perfect one! It has a relative low sheen & lots of texture. . . . actually looks like stone! Oh my - how perfect is this?

Then my husband came home.

And I showed him my favorite.

And he said, "there's only 4 boxes of that tile".

And we need 17 boxes. And he knew that when I picked out the tiles. And brought the samples home from his store! Why didn't he tell me when I was there that there aren't enough boxes? Why? I have no idea. None. We've been married over 40 years & there are days when I don't have a clue about that man!

So - there may not be any new dining room flooring in my near future. Wah. . . .

OK - no sense crying over spilt milk, so to speak. Here is a photo of one wall in the Nature Room. This wall is a changing, seasonal display area. Oh, the old treadle machine & mirror stay here. . . . but the other elements change.

This is my dad's Choral Shirt & Vest. Don't you think the colors are perfect for Autumn? The little ceramic lady came from a thrift store years ago. . . .and the binoculars. . . . well, who doesn't have binoculars hanging all around the house?

Until later - please enjoy this marvelous weather we've been having!

I'M KNOCKING ON WOOD & WALKING ON AIR

Woo hoo! I might, just might, be getting new ceramic flooring in the dining room before Thanksgiving! It's a really BIG *maybe*. . . . . but it's hubby's idea, so it might actually happen!

My youngest son, when just a young boy, had this door knocker on his bedroom door. Now it's to the side of the guest room door.

Lots of praying, knocking on wood & crossing fingers that it may actually happen!

WE FOUND THE ONE - ONE YEAR LATER

I'm beginning to think I'm not cut out to be a blogger! I find it difficult to remember to take plenty of *before* pix & even more difficult to put into words what I'm doing & thinking about this little cabin.

But not today. Today I know what to write about. You see, tomorrow is the one year anniversary of finding this little place we now call home.

I readily admit it's not heaven: there is an extraordinary amount of traffic for being out in the middle of nowhere with no neighbors! Our closest neighbors are cattle. . . . on two sides of us there is nothing but cattle. But yet cars & logging trucks come speeding by. . . .

The owner of the nearby bovine doesn't live on the property; he leases it from a very, very nice couple. I have to admit that the renter is not a very good cattleman. Time after time his cattle have gotten out of the pastures and into the street. And into my yard. And one time his longhorn moseyed up to my van! I was not happy. Not happy at all. Sometimes my sweet hubby just puts them back into the pasture himself. Other times the not-so-very-good cattleman comes and takes care of them.

Yesterday evening I called to tell him it looked as if he had a dead steer in the pasture. He said it must be the one that had recently gotten into the pond & I told him I didn't know about that - but it most definitely was down. Then he asked if there were any other dead ones! What's up with that? How would I know? I didn't go looking for dead cattle in the pasture! I merely called him because we have our windows open & I didn't want the eventual bad odor coming into the house! Fortunately for him, he quickly came and hauled off the poor thing.

I said all that to let you know that I know we don't live in heaven. It's not even the Garden of Eden. But it is still perfect for us!

Last year, Oct 24, 4:18 PM is the day & time I sent the following text message to our kids, "We found the one!" (Yes, I really have saved that text in my cell!)

And a year later we're still saying, "We found the one!". . . . the perfect place for us!

This is the porch in front of the guest/laundry room. Originally, way back when, it was the detached kitchen so as not to burn down the entire house if a kitchen fire got out of control. The place has gone through several transformations . . . not all of them for good! But we love it anyway.

One year later & we're still loving it!

THE REASON FOR MY ABSENCE

Here's another reason I haven't blogged much the last couple of weeks. I was asked to take photos of this wonderful family over at Diamond B Ranch Since I am not a professional photographer, it's taken me a while to edit the photos. It's been a very, very fun learning experience! The best kind! And if you're in the area, be sure to try their yummy, healthy grass-fed beef!!!!

In the meantime, hubby has taken down the ugly wall board from the world's ugliest and smallest bathroom and will start putting up beadboard tonight! Yay!

NATURE ROOM REVISITED

It's been almost a month since I've posted anything & for that I apologize. Life has gotten busier & busier & on top of that I changed things up a bit in the Nature Room. I still have a cozy little corner, but even that has changed, as well as some of the counter space across from it

Here is one photo of the end of that counter which really represents my serendipitous life. I would not at all be able to *plan* a decorating scheme! I'm happiest using what we love. . . what we have. Vases & prints were thrifted. Shelf was pulled from a garbage pile & refinished. The piece of French drain pipe was dug up from the yard at the old house; & the mushroom given to me by a young friend. . . .

I got the idea for the twiggy drawer pulls from Recaptured Charm I think she has the dandiest of ideas - and these pulls work really well in here.
There is nothing at all special about this except that it works for us!

Today is hubby's & my 41st wedding. How will we celebrate? By eating organic grass-fed steaks that were partial payment for a recent photo shoot, as well as organic fruit & veggies. AND by tearing out ugly wall board from the guest bathroom in preparation of putting in the beadboard! Yay!

Oh. And I've been thinking about changing all the colors of the Cozy Little Cabin.

And in case you don't click on the above link - - - here's a wedding pic from August 2, 1969!

INDEPENDENCE DAY - 2010

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.

Ronald Reagan
40th president of US (1911 - 2004)

COZY LITTLE CABIN COZY LITTLE CORNER

Here it is - a glimpse of the Nature Room. I thought I was done, but then hubby discovered $80 bead-board on clearance for $10. . . so one wall, that's been giving me fits, will hopefully soon be covered in bead-board.

In the meantime - here's one little corner of the Nature Room

This little corner is full of memories. In fact, most of the cabin is filled with memories. Is your home like that? Do you look at a corner & smile just because it's filled with things that are special to you, even though they might not get a second glance from someone else? That's how the Nature Room is. . . every corner holds a memory.

The chair was my grand-dad's that mama recovered years ago.
The bookcase was hubby's parents'.
The little peek of the deacon's bench (to the right of the chair) came from a tiny little church that hubby's dad once preached at. In fact, he was preaching the Christmas Eve sermon when hubby decided to make his appearance! I wonder if the Preacher Man broke any speed laws getting to the hospital??:)

Oh what else is there? The shutters were bought on a street corner in Magnolia, TX for $3. The antique/junque shop would drag some items to the corner sidewalk & offer items for $3. Whatever was out there was $3. I would go past this on my way to my friend's house in Plantersville, so the shutters remind me of Melissa.

On the shutters are some of my favorite nature photos & couple of wasp nests. I hate wasps, they are so aggressive & their sting is so painful . . . but I like their abandoned nest with the little hexagonal cells.

You can't tell, but there's pieces of driftwood & a piece of petrified wood on the top shelf. The PW came from my grand-dad. . . I think he gave it to me when he stayed with our family when I was a child.

And the Shiner Beer calender covers up the electrical box! My uncle used to work at the brewery & he was married to one of my favorite aunts. She was my mom's sister & oh, how they would laugh! Laughter is important to me. It's real important.

So tell me about your special "cozy corner" as Mary Engelbreit likes to call them. What makes them so very special to you?

Alrighty - that's about it for today - thanks for stopping by!

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR

This is cozy little cabin decorating at its simplest! We spent Friday afternoon & all day Saturday out of town with our grandchildren. My hubby went to Boy Scout Twilight Camp with our youngest grandson & had a blast! The girls & I stayed home & watched movies & played many, many, many hands of "Go Fish". Our son, his wife & our oldest grandson went out-of-state to get all registered for college. It's hard to believe he's old enough for college - but it's true.

We got home late last night & I hadn't really made a lot of plans for my sweet mama's 89th birthday. We had gone out for a fabulous shrimp dinner on Wednesday but I wanted to do something a little special for today.

Soooo - I made a special lunch for her: salad, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans & lemon cake (thank you Pepperidge Farms!). We had balloons & a card for her & this simple, simple flower arrangement.

Directions (as if you need them) ;)

Empty bottles and/or jars
Peel N' Stick type of numbers/letters. These are nothing fancy, the inexpensive kind you buy at the discount store or hobby store. They're the type you use to put on a mail box. These are 2" high.

1. Wash jars, scouring off glue if necessary, and dry.
2. Adhere numbers!
3. Fill with flowers or even candles!

Could anything be easier? I'm thinking "1776" w/flags for the 4th of July!

I have very few creative bones in my body & blatantly stole the idea from the very creative Candy at Junk Sophisticates & thank her once again for sharing her great ideas. I love all the things she has embellished with sticky numbers & letters!

I hope you all had a great weekend & I wish there was some way to let you know how much I appreciate you sharing your creativity with me!

Happy birthday, mama. We love you!

See y'all later in the week,
Vera

PERILS OF INSOMNIA

This is what happens when one tries to fiddle w/a blog design in the middle of the night. I woke up around 3 AM & decided to just play with the new design options from google. But this is not what I want. The design and colors are not right. And since I never *saved* anything, I thought I was just trying it on for size & could just revert to my old design. But wah, wah, wah - - - it's not true. My old design, lovingly designed by my daughter, appears to be gone. Gone forever. And here is this. . . . just something I was messing around with in the middle of the night with just a few hours sleep. And not liking it. Not liking it at all.

You know - I was just fiddling around w/it. Just enough fiddling until I got tired enough to go back to sleep.

I bet this will keep me up for the rest of the night!

RHINESTONE COWBOY

I so very much apologize for being gone for over a month! This little cabin & its yard are taking much work, plus I had a few days of needing to cater to my almost 89 year old mom. Not to worry - all is well with her now. There were meetings with United Way, drumming up donations for our little food pantry, Good Samaritan. Add to that a holiday weekend, etc., & I've gotten so very behind in blog-land! But life has been, and continues to be very good!

In spite of that I have been busy & the Nature Room is almost done, having gotten inspiration for dealing w/a long wall over a counter, from this photo (if this is yours, please let me know so I can give you credit)

I also got much needed inspiration from Recaptured Charm

& I promise I will soon post pix of the room! I think it will be my most favorite spot in the cabin!

I have also gotten inspiration from so many of you who have mastered spray painting, turning your ugly ducklings into the proverbial swans. I can't remember all who have inspired me, but I can remember this one - White Spray Paint!

Here's an example of one of my very own UGLY ducklings!

.

This seemed like a good idea since I'm not a jewelry person, preferring truckloads of mulch or pea gravel, or better yet a new camera lens. Because of that quirk in my female personality, I don't actually own much jewelry. Except for my wedding ring, 99% of it is just cheap costume jewelry & that suits me just fine. I had this old bust that I thought I could use to drape the necklaces on, but as you can see - - - it's just plain, down-right UGLY!

Oh - but I'm not doomed. The bust is not doomed. The necklaces are not doomed to live in a tangled dresser drawer mess because I have been reading your blogs & looking at your transformations & I knew immediately what needed to be done: white spray paint to the rescue!

!

Isn't this so very much better? I now have my very own "Rhinestone Cowboy"! LOL

Please let me know of your latest painting project - I'm always in need of inspiration! And you have no idea how much you all have helped me in putting together the little cabin!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMANDA

Happy Birthday, Amanda!, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith@cozylittlecabin.blogspot.com.

There's been an extra washer & dryer on the porch since we moved in the end of January. Friends of ours house burned down & they were going to need them. So we held on to them until they were ready for them! Yay for Mark & Mary Beth - they moved this past weekend & Mark's son & friend came for the appliances!

With those gone, we no longer have an excuse not to continue with the painting! Hubby took adavantage of the good weather & was able to replace the attic door. All in just a few hours! He's my home repair super hero!

Other than that, not much got done on the cozy little cabin this past weekend, after-all - it was Mother's Day weekend! AND my daughter's birthday! She was born on Mother's Day - how wonderful is that? I can't imagine ever getting a more wonderful MD gift than that - - - but I wouldn't care if hubby at least tried!

Amanda wanted an homemade cheesecake & can you believe it? I've never made one? I've made plenty of blender cheesecakes - but never a homemade, bake in the oven cheesecake. I have to admit - it turned out pretty good for my first try.

Here's a collage of Saturday & Sunday, using bighugelabs.com Mosaic Maker.

Have a great Monday & I'll be back later!!!

WHY I HAVE GRAY HAIR

The cozy little cabin came with some ramshackled rain gutters. Hubby has already replaced the ones in the front & is in the process of replacing the ones in the back.

There is one part that is difficult to reach with just a ladder. So, being the problem solver that he is, he has improvised.

Not only is the ladder on a picnic table but a kiddie picnic table that's at least 20 years old!

Some people blame their gray hair on their kids. I got mine from being married to this guy for 40+ years!

GARDENING INSTEAD OF DECORATING

Good morning Sunshine! Once again I've neglected blogging in favor of gardening! I've transplanted some day-lilies & have been falling in love with my hydrangeas even thought they are not yet blooming! I've never had enough shade to grow them, so we've planted quite a few here...knowing there should be more than enough shade!

This is a scene that greets me every morning that the sun is shining. Admit it - it's hard not to get up & get outside before the heat hits! Speaking of - today's predicted high is 91. :(

I saw a quote the other day, "God made rainy days so gardeners could get housework done" Fortunately/unfortunately there's no rain predicted until the middle of next week!

I promise I'll be back before then!

Happy Mother's Day!

WEEKEND UPDATE

Oh - I'm so sorry for being gone so long! But I promise I have very good reasons. And you'll be proud of me.

For one - I spent a lot of time earlier in the week tending to a little stray dog. It appears that after all is said and done she has decided to go back to her pack. . . as we haven't seen her for days :(

I also spent a lot of time finding the perfect porch ceiling blue, which by the way, is Martha Stewart's, Porch Ceiling Blue C-26!

Porch ceiling is now painted.

Walls are now painted.

Trim is also painted!

The porch posts have one coat of sealant on them . . . leaving them all natural looking! Beautiful!

All of the porch that can be painted, is painted! Yay! The breezeway part still has appliances on it, waiting for a friend whose house burned down, to come & get them. Once they are gone, we'll get it painted & then I'll be able to really start decorating the porch, treating it as another room.

Here's a pic of a well-deserved glass of wine I enjoyed on the front porch swing. We just moved the plinth at the end of the swing, using it for a little drink table. Shortly after I shot the pic it started raining. Finally! After two days of swamp-like mugginess, it finally rained! What a joy the smell of rain is on fallen leaves. And the sound of rain on the metal roof & the screen door slapping shut. Shrimp fried rice & a glass of wine. This is front porch dining at its best! And this is where you insert a very contented sigh!

DECORATING & DOWNSIZING THE KITCHEN - PART II - MORE DETAILS

Don't let this sunny shot fool you it is a chilly morning in east TX!
We're keeping the windows open as much as possible before the hot weather arrives and it appears that as long as the nights are cool, the house stays mighty pleasant during the day without air conditioning. I did a search at my other blog, mylisteningheart.blogspot.com for "air" & "central". And through the years I've written a lot about enjoying them both because there are 8 pages of *air* & 3 pages of "central". I really, really, liked my central air & heat. We'll see how we do this summer with two little window units in the main house.

Anyway - back to the kitchen!

This china hutch stands where the water heater used to be. . .and was visible from the front door of the house! While some might not like looking into an area of the kitchen from the front door- - - this is so much better than a water heater! And besides that, it does a great job of providing more kitchen storage.

Back story about the hutch. We first saw it when I was pregnant with our first son, and he turned 40 this year! We saw an ad in the paper for an antique store going out of business sale and even though we were skeptical, we went anyway. And we are so glad we did! There we found what we think is an Eastlake Victorian bedroom set: bed, dresser, & wash stand for $84. All three pieces for only $84!

We also fell in love with this old hall-tree, also $84.

I just ran over to an inflation calculator & if we were buying those same pieces in 2009, they would cost $486.05. I'm thinking in 2010, that $84 would be at least $500. And of course they're that much older & that would jack up the price even more. Even so. . . very good bargains, but a lot of money for a young married couple right out of high school!


We also fell in love with the china hutch but just couldn't afford it (also $84). We were telling hubby's mom our new *old* furniture & about the china hutch & she too fell in love with it & bought it, assuring us if she ever got rid of it she'd give it to us. And she did exactly that. When they moved from Houston to Alabama, hubby's dad wanted all new stuff & out went the china hutch - - - right to us, just as she promised!

All of these pieces have moved a bazillion times & we are blessed that the glass & mirror have stayed whole. And the plan is for them to never be moved again! They, like we, are finally home.

As you can see, there's lots of storage going on in the china hutch. . .
once again using things we had on hand, things we love & those $5 canvas bins from Wal Mart.


From top: Coca Cola crate (from my folks) holds cookbooks & when having picnics here, will use to hold plastic-ware, napkins & condiments! Everything on that top shelf is either used or has special meaning to me.
Inside top: More cookbooks! :)
Next Shelf: Holds scales first used to weigh oldest son when he was a baby! Flour canister acquired decades ago was my grandmother's. The sugar canister is new.
Second from Bottom: Those wonderful, washable canvas bins they hold a multitude of kitchen *stuff*.
Bottom Shelf: A variety of bowls - some were given as a wedding gift way back when, one from hubby's aunt, one from my grandmother. The others collected along the way .
Which brings us to the Bottom Left - the turquoise cake carrier. I know where it came from - the thrift store & I fell in love with it & gladly gave 25 cents for it!
Anyway, I started to write just now that I really didn't know what was in it & how I was too lazy to get up & look. But curiosity got the best of me & I did go look & lo & behold! There were the 4 missing blue/white plates from my mom!
How serendipitous is that? I found 4 of my favorite plates & now I have more room for storage! That's just how it goes sometimes!
And that's how downsizing & decorating the kitchen has been for me: just doing it a little bit at a time. . . not rushing into anything. . . just waiting for the perfect items to show up. Tell me about your serendipitous decorating moment! I know you have at least one!
Later,
Vera

DECORATING & DOWNSIZING THE KITCHEN PART II DETAILS

I'm so glad you stopped by today even though it's chilly & dreary. Would you care for a

Blueberry Danish?

This is a modification of Hungry Girl's Danish recipe.
Instead of cherries, I used blueberries.
Instead of Splenda I use stevia.
And instead of soy/skim milk, I use whatever I have on hand!

I have a chef friend who says if you make three changes to a recipe it becomes a completely different recipe, so you can just call this, Vera's Blueberry Danish! LOL I'll put on the tea pot & continue telling you about the area right above the stove.

This area hold more than mere kitchen *stuff* . . .
It also holds lots of memories!

First, as you can see there is no vent. If the kitchen gets smoky, we just open the kitchen windows & backdoor & let the fresh air clear the air!
Very Top: The clock is a long ago acquisition & I can't remember for certain where it came from, but I like it anyway.Top - from left: Slap Ya Mama Creole Seasoning. It's right out here in the open because I use is a lot & I love the colors! We first learned about it on our first cruise (definitely a great memory) from an Oklahoma couple who brought it along with them! Now we're hooked!The 3 red/white bowls ($7.99 for all 3) & black pitcher ($7.99) are from Marshall's HomeGoods store & Debby was with me when I bought them - definitely a good memory! The striped bowl holds colorful seasoning tins & the Old Bay reminds me of our dear friends, Mike & Linda. She always used it in her seafood dishes & now I do, too! The black pitcher has some long-handled utensils & I'm guessing it will collect more as we continue cooking & baking here.The two thrifted chickens remind me of my hubby's chicken days. He really loves raising chickens & as soon as we can put up a properly safeguarded coop, I'm sure he'll be back in the egg business. The one nesting on the red & white polka dotted bowl store tea bags.
The cookie tin is from long ago & is currently empty, but I'm sure will soon storage something! And the yellow cat is from a vacation trip to Baltimore when I was 13.
Hanging items: I don't remember where the silver pitcher came from - I'm guessing a thrift store and it almost didn't move to the cabin with us because I NEVER use silver. But then I had a thought: why should I continue using an old, cracked plastic pitcher to refill the dog's water bowl? So the plastic went out & the silver stayed! And I'm glad! BTW - the dog's water bowl is a 4 pound cut glass bowl that we never used at the table because it's too heavy before we even put food in it! Yeah - the dog has it good!
The white wall pocket was my grandmother's, but since she died when I was a toddler, I associate it with my grandpa. He had it hanging near the kitchen sink, probably leaving it where my grandma hung it. He had it empty, like this. I think it needs some flowers in it - don't you?
The teapot is merely a teapot that get's used many times a day. It is beginning to wear out & will need to be replaced soon. I'm hoping to find one the same size as I don't need nor want a big, ginormous one! I wouldn't be able to lift it when full & where would I hang it?
The mug hanging with it is from my dearest of friend, Debby.
And my pots: I cannot say enough nice things about my pots and pans which are 7 ply, 304 surgical grade stainless steel cookware. I love them. I will write some day about those pots. . . they were a long time coming!
I don't think I ever mentioned that when we painted the shelf, we also replaced the sturdy, but ugly cup hooks with new & attractive double hooks. Because these are double, there's more than a single layer of pots. Behind the Dutch Oven on the left is a stainless steel colander. And so on down the line, one pot hanging over another. It really works well & I'm so glad it all hangs on a sturdy, solid wood wall!

"Made In Occupied Japan" is what the cute little Scottie dogs say on the bottom. I came across them the other day & knew they had to perch right here. . . they too are from my childhood.

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See? It says so right here

And I took my own advice & put some flowers in the wall pocket. The white azaleas are newly acquired & the pink roses more than survived the move from the old house. Thank you Kevin for moving them for me!!!

Life is Good Today

Surround yourself with beautiful, practical things you love. Do not rush out to the nearest Dollar Store to buy something you think you need. Just wait. You may discover you already have something that works wonderfully well and you already love it. Or the thing you want/need will just come to you. It will. I know.

DECORATING AND DOWNSIZING THE KITCHEN PART II

Okey dokey - you've seen most of one end of the kitchen, today we're going to look at another area. And speaking of - did you read my comment to Marie? 54" of counter space. That's it, folks.

Here's the kitchen, as it appeared on realtors.com.

As you can see, it was a bit of a jumbled mess!

We hope someday to move the stove to another area & take down part of the wall behind it, opening it up into the center hall, making for a larger kitchen area. But not for now. For now we deal w/54 linear inches of counter space; two upper cabinets, two drawers, & four lower cabinets.

First things first. We were very glad she took her little rolling carts with her. There were two. The one you see didn't allow for opening the bottom cabinet.
Too, too much stuff! I realize with a small kitchen you just have to make do, but this is way too much.

Anyway - we painted it a new color, added new hardware (still not too sure about it) & did the unthinkable & replaced that horrible florescent lighting! And we kept the pot rack....this was a major surprise to me! Oh how I hated that & in fact it stayed outside in the weather, waiting for hubby to decide if it was going in outdoor storage or the burn bin! I hoped to have a metal pot rack, but I don't the the ceiling is high enough. . .what to do?

My dear friend Debby came the first week we were in the cabin, to help make some order out of all the chaos. We were walking in the yard when we both spied the ugly shelf & at almost the same moment we asked, "Why not just paint it black"? I realized it really was that horrible color that I hated so much & now I wonder what would we do without it?

As you can see, the main thing we did minimize some of the visual clutter - putting the smaller items in drawers or bins or canisters. Keeping less things on the counters, etc. Hanging a large print, instead of a clock, pot holders, etc.

I don't have a lot of time right now to write more about this mini transformation, but you can read about all the details of the "stuff" right here.

I hope to soon include some more photos of the kitchen. . . it has turned out to be very homey & very functional. And a bit pretty, too.

Have a good, good day - - - & go declutter some "stuff" from your kitchen! You know you want to. Really you do. I know it! And post a pix of when you do!