happily ever after: Tour of the Kitchen & Dining Room

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Tour of the Kitchen & Dining Room


Welcome to my kitchen, sit down and relax, I'll put on some coffee for us.


This is the view from the front door when you walk in, it's a small kitchen, but I love it. I realize looking at the pictures how cluttered and busy it looks. I tend to go that way with things. Though I really appreciate it when I see a house that is decorated all simply. I just can't seem to pull it off myself.

This is the view standing in the kitchen and looking into the dining room. That is MY stool. I sit there to face the family while they sit at the bar to eat, I sit there to work on my computer, do my coupons, make our menu for the week, work on recipes, etc. This is where it all happens. :o)


The view standing in the dining room looking at the kitchen. Those are the bar stools, I love those things, red, the best color. My counter is formica, I don't like it, meaning I don't like the color of it or the edges, but it works and there isn't anything wrong with it, so we'll be keepin' it.


In my old kitchen we had a bookcase built into the end of the cabinets, I just loved having my cookbooks there, so this is one of the first things I bought for this house, was my cookbook bookcase, it tucks right under the edge bar.

Then when that bookcase got filled, I had to get this one. The four cookbook binders on the bottom shelf are what I keep all my recipes in. I started with one and over the years it has grown into four. It makes me look like I know what I'm doing. I've got everyone fooled.


This is the best part of my kitchen, my pantry. It's right in the hallway with the laundry room.



See, it's huge, it's a walk in, it organized, it's full, it's perfection, except for maybe the potato chip and stale chocolate teddy graham that is laying on the floor, all the dust bunnies collecting in the corners and the onion skins that seem to blow around inside everytime I open the door.

This is where the bread making, smoothie whirlin', food prep happens, it ALL seems to happen right in this tight little spot. Oh and I started keepin' my salt and pepper in little bowls so I can just grab pinches at a time.

My kitchen sink. I love that it's stainless steel. I love that it's deep. I LOVE the view I get to see out the window. And I got this idea to keep my soap, lotion pump & sponge right there on a plate by the sink, keeps it tidy and cute.

The coffee corner. My friend Cathi gave me this coffee maker, I think I was watching a baby at the time and sent her and Kati off to go have some girl time, they came home with this coffee maker for me. Too sweet. Those are my canisters that I just love, the little rooster that sits on top makes me smile every morning as I'm scoopin' my coffee grinds out. And look closely, that is one of my under cabinet lights that has come loose and just dangles there, you'd think having an electrician for a husband he could figure out how to fix it, but it still dangles there, it even works...but it just freaks me out to have it on and shining to the side like that, so I don't turn them on.



The vitamin basket, yep, we're a vitamin takin' family, my 'everything' binder, and my fridge. Friends pictures are on one side, family on the front with the calendar and grocery list, then on the other side are the missionaries that we pray for.

Along the top of the cabinets are my water pitchers. I collect them. But I have to stop, seriously, I must stop. One of my favorite Aunts got me started on this. We had the whole family over to our house right after we bought our first home and Calvin was just born, she brought me the cutest little pitcher as a housewarming present, it's been front and center ever since.




This is our dining room/breakfast room/schoolroom. It's got great windows to the backyard and God knew exactly what he was doing when he picked this house for us....this table faces the TV so it makes it an extra nice place for doing the boys schoolwork (they watch their lessons on DVD's). The hutch and chest of drawers were my Grandmother's.

The school corner, it keeps everything right there where we need it...this is everything we use for homeschoolin'.


Another view of the dining room.

And here are our dishes....

These are my chicken dishes, I have hardly nothin' left of these, but I just can't part with them, they are too cute.

And these are what we use everyday, they are pretty new, I got them from Target while they were on clearance. I like white dishes because then they go with any season.

Thanks for visiting, come on back anytime.