- and a Little Love for the Kitchen!
For most individuals, the bedroom is their sanctuary, their place to go to unwind and to get away from it all. But for me, my sanctuary is easily the kitchen, and I'll tell you why.
For starters, the kitchen is easily the most common room in the house. Cooking at least three meals a day, the constant backdoor traffic, the smells are amazing :) ... you get it. It stays the busiest, and I'm a bit in love with all that it entails. I love to cook for others, but lately though, I've had another itch in the kitchen. One to give it a facelift. If I spend all my time in there (pretty basically), then it should at least have a few touches of our personalities and flare.
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| Skinny galley kitchen, but it's still got potential! |
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| Canisters received as a wedding gift. These will definitely stay! |
Oh yeah. I said it, "flare." Nothing speaks more flare than the
lovely blue wallpaper with the endless green leaves (catch the sarcasm). Don't get me wrong - I love leaves and all, but it's got to go! Yes, this may be a starter home, but it's at least time to dress it up a bit. It's been on hold since Andrew and I became overwhelmed with removing LAYERS of wallpaper in the bathrooms, so we gave up on the kitchen. (That was three years ago).
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| The plate is another piece that I love, but the leaves? Not so much :/ |
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Inspiration? Country homes. Not the themed cows and pigs you're thinking of - I'm drawn to big country kitchens - kitchens of days past with doors left ajar to let the breeze through the screens and large and small stools for grabbing, shelling, and taking a break. Hoosier cabinets, old wooden spoons & cast-iron skillets, mason jars and canisters passed down through generations, and of course, the old wooden highchair of the same. Find me vintage anything for the kitchen and I'm sold (even more so for pieces that tell a story). I yearn for the aged and classic yet simple things in life. Call me old-fashioned.
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| Antique Hoosier cabinet from early 1900s |
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| Hoosier cabinet that I scooped up in antique shop in SAV. Multipurpose! (used as a changing table for now) |
I may not get to have the big kitchen of my dreams just yet, but I have found a few ideas that may just work for our skinny galley kitchen of today. It has to be warm and inviting, since I spend most of my time in there, and I want it to be a cooks kitchen. Everything a cook should need should be within arm's reach...I'm working on it!
A Cook's Kitchen:
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| Everything's within arm's reach, and I'm digging the chalkboard for quick ideas! |
Not only do I love to cook, but I feel as though I can express myself through my food - whether it be a
steak and potatoes chicken divan kind of night to please my man or chili/slaw dogs to embrace and actually feel summer through our food (baseball game, anyone?); EVERYTHING just tastes better homemade! We grill as often as we can in the warm months too, so I am thankful to Andrew for enjoying the cooking process right along with me (I'm no grill gal, that's for sure).
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| Who doesn't love a sink so lovely? |
I don't cook just for the fun of it either (although it can be quite entertaining). Every single one of us cooks to keep ourselves satisfied & content, but there's more to it than just "getting something on the table." I like to escape to the kitchen, to get away from the toys and the TV, put on a good album and put my heart into my food. There's something calming to me about getting in the kitchen, putting thought and love into the food that's going to be served to my family & friends. I strive to bring home the freshest and tastiest seasonable fruits and veggies to compliment a sale meat or fresh slab of fish. Making it taste as good as it looks and smells.. There really ain't nothin' better than coming home to the sweet smells of sumthin' cookin' in the kitchen!
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| Spice rack and the colors! |
When the season's right, you can get some great produce for a steal of a price, and please let
me know if
you know of ANYONE who doesn't like to save money and buy fresh! :) When the pickin's right, scoop up as much as you can! No one with any sense about them would pass up on strawberries and blackberries straight from the farm for pennies on the dollar, and what about the succulent GOLDEN YELLOW summertime squash?! Oh my yall - with all this talk, I gotta get in the kitchen.
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| epitome of a country kitchen - check out the old fridge, sink, and desk! |
Before I'm off to make my mama's tweaked version of banana nut bread (I add banana nut granola & pumpkin pie spices), I'd like to add that cooking should not be considered a chore or taxing event. It's not degrading in the least to cook my man a meal (although some women enthusiasts would disagree), and I take pride in the dishes that I serve. It makes me happy to make others happy, and I am delighted to serve. With these and a few more inspiration pieces, I will soon be able to make my haven the little kitchen that could. :) Happy cookin, yall!
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| LoVe the ceiling beams, island, straw-backed chairs, and the colors. |
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