Today I’ve stood in just about every spot in my kitchen to take photos and show you what’s been done thus far.
Hopefully, I’ll have figured out something with the mirror and light soon.
Teri and I are supposed to put our heads together on this and a few other things today. It’s snowing flurries so I hope that doesn’t mess up our plans for the day.
And to think yesterday I had the air conditioning on!
Friday Supper With Family:
Kendra and the kids came over Friday night to bring supper. At one point Marley, age 13, went to the refrigerator and just stood there staring at it.
I asked her what was wrong. And she said, “I’m just so confused.”
It took me a moment to figure out what was going on. She had never seen a refrigerator that had a freezer at the top and a fridge at the bottom.
I suppose every house she’s ever gone into has had the side-by-side refrigerator or the French doors.
She didn’t even know what to open, poor kid! I had to go in there and show her where the freezer was.
Well, I found that kind of sad.
What Kids Are Accustomed To These Days:
Kids these days are accustomed to all the bells and whistles and she probably found my refrigerator alien to what she’d ever seen before.
When Kendra went into the kitchen to get plates, she stood there a moment and then said: “Oh, it’s so pretty. I don’t want to mess it up.”
She wasn’t going to mess anything up. I have a place for everything in those cabinets.
I know if I had the cabinet doors on in that section of the kitchen, I’d be tempted to just shove things in there and close the door.
Having the doors off makes me more aware of how things look. And I like things to look nice.
Eighteen-year-old Riley will be going to college soon. My, I can recall when he was just a baby and I was watching him one day.
We sat on the porch swing and I held him while we waited for his mom to come home from work. How time flies.
Now he’s very tall. At least a foot and a half taller than Kendra. She kind of looks like a midget next to that boy.
Gracie Doesn’t Come Out For Anyone:
Marley yearns to see Gracie. But Gracie comes out for no one but me. Not even Teri gets to see her.
Marley is totally missing her kitten years. But then, Gracie may always be shy and hide when someone else is here.
But the minute they leave, she’s coming to find me.
See the little red colander hanging on the wall? I found that at Tuesday Morning Sunday afternoon when I went in there. I think it was around $4.99.
Saw it was red and had to have it!
I’m sure enjoying decorating my new home. There’s nothing more fun than walking into a place that is like a blank slate and then transforming it according to your own tastes.
Could you please tell me the name of the vintage plates on the first shelf – with the red flowers.
Darling kitchen 🙂
Everything looks wonderful, Brenda, you’re really making your new place into a cozy home! I love what you did on the wall by the coffee station, hanging the cutting boards with the prints – beautiful!
I’m late here to the kitchen mirror and boob light dilemma. My idea would be to apply peel and stick wallpaper ( not contact) over the mirror. I looked on line and there are so many options all all price points . From plain white to match the walls to very lovely and costly prints. With that , you could probably hang a lightweight canvas painting , using heavyweight Command Strips , on top of the wallpaper. As for the boob light, it’s too large for the space. A smaller fixture would probably be less obtrusive. You can center the fixture, if it’s not too far off by using offset swivel universal crossbar. That is the piece that holds the fixture to the ceiling. You could probably gain a few inches leeway. You might also hang a pendant light. The remains of any hole left in the ceiling could easily be covered by a ceiling medallion of simple design.
Your kitchen is so pretty.
The light in front of the mirror is very bright. Putting a lower wattage bulb in warm vs bright white mugged ease the intensity of glare. A pink hued bulb might help. Is putting a dimmer on the light possible?
Putting a soft neutral balance on a tension rod might further soften. A small scale hanging plant in a plain container so the plants soft green gives you a hint of nature that you love vs the pot or hanging device being the focus. Softening that area might give you some quick relief and time to think about other changes later.
Your cats are so cute and interesting.
I love reading your blog! I have never written a comment before but I have been thinking about your kitchen mirror. What about you put a curtain half way down
(maybe a red check) and then hanging a wreath from the top with a pretty ribbon.
You could change your wreath out when the seasons change. You are doing a beautiful job with your new place.
I cannot wait to see what you do with your backyard. Your plants at the old apartment were so pretty.
Love that you have 2 cats. I am a cat person.
Paula
Go to Home Depot or any home improvement store and buy some of that film you place on windows for privacy. They have many choices. It is easy to remove with no damages.
It’s all come together so beautifully, and it looks like “home.” I especially love the coffee bar area, and of the cutting boards you’ve hung.
Looking good, Brenda! I love the grouping of art and cutting boards you have around your coffee station.
We’ve lived here for almost 32 years and we’ve always had a traditional refrigerator/freezer combination until a couple of years ago when we had to buy a new one. We still chose the traditional design (we both hate side-by-side refrigerator-freezers because they hardly have any room, especially the freezer) but we got the freezer with the pullout drawers on bottom and the refrigerator on top. What a life changer! It’s so much easier to use this way. Everything in the fridge is at eye level. Brian used to have to kneel down just to get produce out of the produce drawers in the older, traditional models.
The kitchen looks incredible! The area around the coffee bar looks amazing.
I hope you and Teri were able to go out today. If so I’m anxious to see what fabulous treasures, you found.
Brenda, I’m glad you got to have a meal with your daughter and her kids. A nice break in the week’s endeavors and a chance to see the grandkids. As they get older they become so much busier sometimes it’s hard to catch a moment together.
Well, dearie, you sure do have a knack with decorating and it’s so much fun watching you make this new nest your own. I so appreciate you sharing it step-by-step with us. For me, it is
so inspiring because the upgrading and redecorating of my own space is daily on my mind, always imagining if I did this or moved that or …..on and on. My visual surroundings are so important to me as they are to you.
That’s funny about Marley not knowing how to open the frig. Are one-door refrigerators w/freezer on top THAT outdated?? So does that make you and me and countless others old, or what? How funny.
I’ve seen white shelving put across the area in front of the mirror. As well the rice paper vinyl that sticks to the windows/mirror by spraying with water, then shelving in front of that.
Love all these pictures of you settling in. It’s so fun living this with you. Now you can use that nice red colander and make Riley a big bowl of spaghetti and sauce in your warm home. He’d probably love that. Kendra will have some adjustments when he leaves for college. Marley was cute saying what she did about the refrigerator. Life is different for younger kids in so many ways and who would have ever thought remote learning would be used.
My grandson in college loves taking his classes remote now versus driving all the way to his campus as it saves gas for him. They have their challenges as much as us older folks do but our lives were a lot simpler back when we were their age.
Your kitchen is so cute and I LOVE your dishes.
Just read yesterday’s and today’s posts. Perhaps to camouflage the light you could put a red and white valance sized curtain on a spring tension rod between the cabinets. Then with the plant shelves suggested in previous posts you will have made the mirror look like a window and people are always looking for a window above the sink on House Hunters!
I so love the pictures you are sharing with us….. Everything is just so beautiful !!! The colors are incredible together !!!
Well, there is this, Brenda…now Marley understands that sometimes things used to be made a different way. One reason I have enjoyed going into antique shops…they always remind me of my great grandparents home…the house of belonging, it was to me!!
Marley sounds like a thoughtful child…worrying about messing things up!! Nice!!
It looks so pretty – and I love how the colors in the fresh produce picture match the colors in the flowers in the green vase painting – perfect!
Little Gracie may always be a shy girl – like us, kitties have such different personalities. And that’s ok.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful adventure with us – I think your blog brightens more people’s day than you could ever know. And really enjoy reading everyone’s comments and suggestions – what a clever team!
Mary
Everything is looking really nice Brenda!!!
Just love the red & white dishes ,,,,, so pretty & cozy! ❤
Funny story re Marley & refrigerator confusion!! 🤣
Well, when we were growing up, it was called “ice box” ,,,,, took me awhile to say refrigerator!!! I’m good with it now though! 🤷♀️
Poor little Gracie. 🐈 She’s afraid of strange voices and obviously people also.
Last week I was trying to find Gracie’s story. How you found the kitten, and how she came to live with you. Can’t recall Ivy’s story either. Getting forgetful these days.
❤ Maybe one day you can remind us. Thanks.
You have such a wonderful eye for adding charm to any space. I love your fresh produce and fresh milk signs, as well as the red colander! I am just trying to de-clutter my home, which is a daunting task after living here 38 years.
Your shelves with the red and white together look so pretty. Also enjoy how you decorated the coffee area. You have a lovely new apartment. Enjoyed seeing all the areas you’ve shown us so far.
Just soooo cozy! I love it😁
Brenda, it is so fun to see you decorating and enjoying your new place. I love the touches or red in the kitchen! And the colander, I have a vintage one that is very similar.
I always have loved your use of red and white in your kitchen. It looks so pretty. Have a great week. xoxo Kris
Your kitchen is ready! Enjoy
Absolutely is ready!!!! 😊
Plan more family get-togethers ,,,,, the best things in life!!!!
Love the looks of your coffee bar. Gracie is used to your voice alone and I’m sure is nervous when she hears others. I can’t wait to see what you and Terri come up with for the mirror situation. And I hope you are still able to get out today for antiquing.
Kitchen looks great! Yes! Kids today are used to all the bells and whistles! It makes it seem that grandparents were brought up in the dark ages! But, that is progress for you! I didn’t get a chance to respond to you yesterday, but I see you had many wonderful ideas!
The red and white floral patterned plates are beautiful, they are my favorite thing in your kitchen display.
I love all the red in your kitchen. It’s so pretty! You’re doing such a good job. Everything is coming along beautifully. Where I live, you can have the heart on in three morning, and the AC on in the afternoon, or thr other way around. It’s crazy. So glad you got to see the grandkids. That’s always special.
Wow, I should have proof read that. Sorry for the typos. My smart phone can’t spell. I hope you can figure out what I meant to say. 😐