Late for the Party....My Kitchen Reveal

I know, I know - I can hear you now.

I said I would reveal my kitchen next week.

To be honest, I wanted to get a few details completed

 before I did. Such as changing the curtains,  painting my

breakfast room table,  sewing a new runner,

etc, etc, etc.

DETAILS!

It's what makes a room....and drives us nutty!

:)

But, today is the last day of the magazine search at
Whisperwood Cottage for the

Cottages and Bungalows Magazine.

Wouldn't you know?  I woke up this morning,

the sun was shining brightly into my kitchen like it does

every morning (well, when its not raining)...

and lo and behold my kitchen was WHITE!

(and clean. That helps when photographing a room)

So, I took some quick shots and although I am coming to the
 party extra, extra tardy - I come wearing my best party dress.

"The Everyday Home Kitchen -

Dressed in Her Best White Party Dress!"

You saw the pics I posted previously, showcasing my new
 silver water pitcher overflowing with fresh cut 
honeysuckle and grapevine...

The pic above was taken later in the afternoon.

Here is another shot from this morning.  The sun wakes

us up every morning, well....maybe its the cats but

"the sun" sounds so much prettier.

I haven't changed my copper sink yet, but its on the list of

"still to do."  That, and adding carerra.  

(note to self: buy more lottery tickets)

I love the play of this white Italian platter against 

the white painted brick.

(Did you know this was "faux" brick? I will repost

details later.)

I added a shelf to the open niche where we had previously

taken down some cabinet doors.  It is stained to match the

wood countertops.

I use some of my blue and white cups inside my 

glass canisters as scoops.

You saw my new/old basket which I filled with Cookbooks

and then added one of my vintage scales filled to the brim

with speckled-brown and white farm eggs.

In many ways, I feel our new white kitchen has brought me back

to my Farm Girl Roots.  I wouldn't say I have a 

Farm-style Kitchen, per say -

but there are definitely small touches here and there.

Simple, white pitchers hold cooking utensils.

And on now to the favorite side of my kitchen...

The Breakfast Area...

This is where we eat 99.9% of our meals,

We do homework and color with our grandsons, 

its where I sit and blog, and where I have sat up all hours of

the night waiting for a phone call from my son in Iraq, whom

I hadn't heard from in over a week.

In some ways, its the favorite part of our home.

My black painted hutch, which used to be filled with

my collection of pink and white Staffordshire,

but now runneth over with Blue and White pieces,

mostly collected in England.

This cute little blue cabinet was recently purchased at

Kirkland's, and I love it.

It's the perfect size for holding linens.

It is also the color inspiration which I will soon be painting 

my Dining Room.  I absolutely adore it.

I love how the blue picks up on the subtle tones in

the new paisley parsons chairs.  I have two of these, 

one on each end.

And to keep from being so matchy-matchy-

...I added four of these.  I love the large nail-head

details of these chairs.

I guess in some ways, this room should be called

The Memory Room

instead of a breakfast room.

Laughing, tear-wiping, recipe planning, goal setting...

...a room filled with life and made for living...

It's just an Everyday Home.

Thanks for letting me share.

I will be joining

The competition is fierce. And by "fierce" I mean there are

some BEAUTIFUL kitchens on display.

Please check them all out you will be glad you did.

www.whisperwoodcottage.com



I am joining the following Linky Parties:
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After MonMary at Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece MondaySusan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met MondayMarty at A Stroll Thru Life Tabletop TuesdayLinda at Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty TuesdayErin at How to Nest for Less for Party with My PeepsKim at Savvy Southern Style Wow Us WednesdayJill at French 23EWDCupboard French Inspiration on Thursdays Gina at The Chabby Chic Cottage Transformation ThursdayStacy at Embracing Change for Creative InspirationsDebra at Common Ground for Vintage InspirationCindy at My Romantic Home Show and Tell FridayCourtney at French Country Cottage Feathered Nest FridayHeather and Vanessa at the picket fence Inspiration FridaySherry at The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home FridayWendy at The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday
Have a Blessed Week!....Barb, The Everyday Decorator

Two Thrifty Finds & A Kitchen Sneakie-Peakie!

I moved to a larger office building this past weekend.

If you looked up the word "Exhausted" in the dictionary,

I'm pretty sure you would see a picture of me as

reference.  Glad that is done.

I stopped by a second-hand store to pick up a few

extra file cabinets.  I didn't get any cabinets, but I found

two items which I heart!

The first is this metal pitcher for $1.

I am beginning to realize I have a fetish for pitchers.  :)

I had in mind the perfect addition for this find.

Honeysuckle!

Our whole yard smells sweet and fragrant as soon as

you step out the door.  

Here is a closer shot so you can get a good whiff...

Doesn't that smell fabulous!!

I also cut some wild grapevine which is growing like 

crazy around our property right now.

Doesn't it go beautifully with the honeysuckle?

I love the wild look of this arrangement.

"Arrangement" is such a loose term, since there really

wasn't anything involved but clipping and gathering.

The second find was this basket for $4!

Can I just say it was LOVE at first site.

Look at its beautiful patina.

I was going to oil it down but decided against it.

But it did need a good cleaning.  

Otherwise, I knew where this beauty was also going.

A cookbook holder!

I own far too many cookbooks, but I like to keep a 

few of my faves on display.

I have to laugh at this pic.  The placement of the cookbooks

was totally unplanned, but I giggled when I was 

downloading these pics.

Notice how my "Low-Carb" cookbook is right next to

Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Somehow I doubt that JC had these two books together 

on her shelf, don't you? :)

I placed one of my vintage kitchen scales in front with white

and brown-speckled farm eggs.

This is a favorite scales from my collection, and the eggs just seemed to go with the Farmhouse basket.

Even as tired as I was from moving a huge office, these simple

and inexpensive pieces inspired me to come home and

make a few simple changes in my kitchen.

Remember just a few months ago it was red, yellow and sage?

Here it is with newly painted white cabinets and khaki walls.

and the best part...

...it smells HEAVENLY!

Hope you have a wonderful week! 

I will reveal my ENTIRE kitchen next Monday.  :)

I am joining the following Linky Parties:
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Thrifty TreasuresThe Tablescaper for Seasonal SundaySephanie Lyn for Under the Table and Dreaming - Sun ShowcaseSarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After MonMary at Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece MondaySusan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met MondayMarty at A Stroll Thru Life Tabletop TuesdayLinda at Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty TuesdayErin at How to Nest for Less for Party with My PeepsKim at Savvy Southern Style Wow Us WednesdayJill at French 23EWDCupboard French Inspiration on Thursdays Gina at The Chabby Chic Cottage Transformation ThursdayStacy at Embracing Change for Creative InspirationsDebra at Common Ground for Vintage InspirationCindy at My Romantic Home Show and Tell FridayCourtney at French Country Cottage Feathered Nest FridayHeather and Vanessa at the picket fence Inspiration FridaySherry at The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home FridayWendy at The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday
Have a Blessed Week!....Barb, The Everyday Decorator

Back Door Friends Are Best!

I used to have a sign in my home that read...

"Back Door Friends Are Best."

I couldn't agree more.  I have a secret confession.

Whenever the door bell rings unexpectedly, 

I almost cringe.

:)

I am NOT a fan of unannounced guests.

A while back, I did a post about

"Making an Entrance."

Even though I think the entrance of your home is

important in setting the stage, I also feel the

backdoor, or back entrance is just as important.

Generally, your back door leads to your garden or

a back porch.  Mine leads to a back deck

which I will share with you in a week or so.

Until then, I found these wonderful inspirational

pics on (where else) Pinterest.

What does your back door say about your home?

Source: bystephanielynn.com via Barbara on Pinterest

I love this catch-all coat rack.

Every back door needs a place to throw shoes and coats.

Source: Uploaded by user via Barbara on Pinterest

This back door is also a pass-through to the laundry room. 

But what a sunny, lovely space this is.

Source: Uploaded by user via Barbara on Pinterest

How perfect is this custom built-in space for a large, busy family?

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Even a simple bench with baskets tucked underneath 

becomes a clever catch-all and storage unit.

Source: homebunch.com via Barbara on Pinterest

How beautiful is this brick floor?

And who wouldn't want this extra storage space?

On a slightly different note, don't you just love the idea

of having a small herb garden just out your back door?

I have a few herb plants which I use the most, such as my chives.

Source: marthastewart.com via Barbara on Pinterest

I love the idea of adding unique artwork at the back door.

Source: barnlightelectric.com via Barbara on Pinterest

These are two pictures which I would consider my

 idyllic "back doors"...

Source: cocokelley.blogspot.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Barbara on Pinterest

I don't know that I have ever seen a prettier door.

In fact, every single detail about this space makes

my heart flutter just a bit.

And when I saw this pic, my first thoughts were...

Source: houzz.com via Barbara on Pinterest

YES, please.   :)

So many design details I could go on and on.

Have you given much thought to your own back door?

Is your back door used more than your front door?

Back door friends are best...because they know you

by name. :)

Hope you are having a blessed weekend, Barb

My Living Room Reveal

Several months ago, as many of you remember -

we had a large section of our home painted.

I called it the "De-Red-ifying Movement."

Here are a few random pics of my Living Room 
before it was painted....

Here is the Living Room just a few days after it was painted....

The color is Laura Ashley Navy.


Although at first I loved the color, there was something 
which wasn't quite "right."


It wasn't the look and feel I was going for.


I was beginning to think that my 
"Decorating Fickleness" didn't even know what 
I wanted.


Until I saw this picture on Pinterest...

Seeing this picture also correlated with finding and 
ultimately buying a cabinet for my breakfast room 
which featured this same Robin's Egg Blue color, 
and I fell in love.


So, in a few weeks my "new" dining room will get 
ANOTHER fresh coat of paint (much to The Hubbs chagrin) 
which will better compliment the softer colors of the 
Kitchen and Dining Room.


It suddenly dawned on me that "softness" was the
key word.  Light and wispy and soft.

So, here is the reveal of the Living Room...

but please don't settle in and get too comfortable because 

this look will be gone soon.  :)

I decided to leave the windows blank.  

I love the arched window, and to be honest I tried adding

some panels to the side windows, but took them down.

You may remember my Pier1 tray of moss orbs my 
daughter-in-law and I made one Sunday and I featured in a 
"Wild About Mother Nature" Party.
You can see that post HERE.

I love the way the sunlight streams through in the morning.
Its one of my favorite places to have morning coffee.

Needless to say, its also one of the favorite napping places
 for my cats.  LOL

The English hutch is now filled with ironstone and assorted 

white dishes I have gathered here and there.

The large platter, gravy boat and matching pieces 

were inherited from The Hubbs' mother.

This foot stool and oversized chair will be slipcovered eventually. 

 I added some remnant fringe to dress it up a bit.

Strangely enough, as bright as this room is, I had a difficult time photographing it and not getting dark pictures.

This vintage drop-leaf desk is one of my favorite pieces.
I bought this in England.

The self-portrait is of The Hubbs' late Aunt.

She graduated from Julliard and sang opera on Broadway

before marrying her husband, who also performed on

Broadway and at one time dated Ingrid Bergman.

Blue and white hydrangeas on the glass and metal coffee table.

I can't wait until it gets re-painted and I get to do another
"Living Room Reveal."


:)

I hope you enjoyed this tour.


I will be sharing this post with:

I am joining the following Linky Parties:
The Tablescaper for Seasonal SundaySephanie Lyn for Under the Table and Dreaming - Sunday ShowcaseSarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After MonMary at Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece MondaySusan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met MondayMarty at A Stroll Thru Life Tabletop TuesdayLinda at Coastal Charm Nifty Thrifty TuesdayErin at How to Nest for Less for Party with My PeepsKim at Savvy Southern Style Wow Us WednesdayJill at French 23EWDCupboard French Inspiration on Thursdays Gina at The Chabby Chic Cottage Transformation ThursdayStacy at Embracing Change for Creative InspirationsDebra at Common Ground for Vintage InspirationCindy at My Romantic Home Show and Tell FridayCourtney at French Country Cottage Feathered Nest FridayHeather and Vanessa at the picket fence Inspiration FridaySherry at The Charm of Home Home Sweet Home FridayWendy at The Shabby Nest for Frugal Friday
Have a Blessed Week!....barb