Beware

Kitchen Kat, originally uploaded by Vera*Smith.

I know I've been gone for a while. Holidays & a birthday, and graduation gift-making, and taxes have taken their toll on me.

Oh - taxes; oh how they make me sigh.

And I've had some business meetings; thankfully they are fun!

And there is my mom's declining health (vision).  No fun for either of us.

Oh - and lots of other stuff keeps getting in the way of blogging.

But I had to post this photo of my son's cat, Moragan. She never and I mean 

NEVAH 

gets on the kitchen counters. But here she was this morning -

 waiting for me.

I finally figured out why. The tax documentation and all sorts of papers are on her favorite bench in the dining room.

 I think she was letting me know it's time to de-clutter!

Anyway - I've been too busy - making trips to out-of-the-way places, etc.

 I most assuredly agree with Socrates:
Beware the barrenness of a busy life

KITCHEN VIGNETTE

These two bowls belonged to my maternal grandmother.

I never knew her as she died before I turned two years old.

There are bits and pieces of her here in the Cozy Little Cabin.

I wonder how I can miss her, having never known her?


http://labs.wanokoto.jp/olds
A Japanese website that ages photos. . . fun!

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.

.

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.