Paint Your Kitchen

 

 

(After)

 

 

(Before)

 

When I took this photo we had already removed all of the top cabinets. A bit embarrassing, but you had to see what they looked like before. Our kitchen is a square with three doorways. Very tiny and most of the time it's dark.  We absolutely had to paint it.

 

(During)

 

Each cabinet door had to be removed along with all the hardware.  Then each one was sanded, cleaned and layed out for painting.  We decided to keep the 1980's brass hinges, they have a nice patina to them and brass is so back in style.  The glass knobs were picked out months ago from Anthropology.  I couldn't be happier with the glass knobs, brass hinges, grey painted cabinets and stainless steel appliances.  Our kitchen makes me happy now. Every morning I smile. It's clean, fresh and stylish. No longer in the 80's and fits us and our house just perfect. 

 

 I do have this to say, if you are hesitant to paint your cabinets, don't be. It was such a rewarding project for us. Hard, tedious work, but totally worth it. 

 

 

There is more I'd like to do to my kitchen, but that is for another day and another dollar.  This has been such a simple transformation. 

 

We used Benjamin Moore's Grey Owl in a semi-gloss for both the cabinets and the walls.

 

 

Land of Nod Modern Dollhouse

Hands down the coolest doll house ever.  So cool that I'm pretty sure someone made it for grown-up me to play with.  I want to insert myself in that photo above. Smiling. Laughing. Playing house.  

 

Now all it needs are some cool vintage pieces, dollhouse size. 

 

 

Or maybe some modern art.

 

 

And what's a home without a hipster family?  If that was a Portland family, dad would have a full beard.  And one of the little girls would be wearing a tutu with rain boots.

Buy it here.  Cause it's awesome.

 

*All photos are from Land of Nod.  Visit their website here.*

Our First Turkey

How was your Thanksgiving? I was excited for ours this year, we cooked our first turkey. Both of us were new to this endeavor. There we were standing over the kitchen sink with our raw naked turkey, my husband's hands reaching in for the neck. Out it came and he says, "Ooo that stinks" and I say "I don't smell anything". Feeling a little protective of my turkey and the fact that I didn't want my day potentially ruined by a bad turkey, to which he replies "oh that's you that I smell". "Very funny" I say.

We searched that cavity, hands and wrists deep inside the empty interior of the raw turkey. Ribs and bone, bumpy and cold and empty. Totally empty. "No giblets?" we thought "well this one doesn't have any" (because we are special like that). So we moved on. Bathed it in butter and seasonings, put up the foil tent and slid it into the oven for four hours. Four hours and repeated basting's later, we had quite a gorgeous bird. (See below)

With all of the fix'ns. No, I'm not southern. Just sounded good.

After all that searching and thinking we didn't have any giblets. They were there the whole time, chill'n in a plastic bag in the back end of the turkey. Did my mother gasp in horror that we cooked the turkey with them inside? You bet. Did it matter that we did that? Not one bit. This is my favorite part about cooking. You really can't ruin it. And you learn from your mistakes. So next year...Our turkey will be even better!

We shared one big table in the living room with a side of football.

But we really all came together to celebrate each other and this little guy. Our little ray of sunshine and joy. I'm so thankful for him and for all of my family. Life is amazing.