House of Hydrangeas

Mom's kitchen renovation starts today!  What a long time coming this has been.  It's going from 1970's down and brown to a clean, white wonder.  I can't wait to show you guys the before and after shots! In the meantime, here is the moodboard of the overall look of the space.  Click on the image in enlarge.

This week I've been working on updating one of the upstairs bathrooms in my mom's house.  And while I was painting away, I realized that I had never shared the final outcome of the last update, the kitchen eating area, in her home.   This is what it looked like the last time I showed you guys.  Much better than the wallpaper room shown here  but still a work in progress. And this is what it looks like today... I turned the table sideways to make room for this beautiful piece my mom inherited from my grandfather. I'm kind of obsessed with all of its beautiful details. On top of the piece is a collection of family heirlooms that have been in storage up until now. A collection of antique racing trophies find a home near an old photo taken of me and my sister during a horse riding adventure when we were younger. The horse theme is carried over into the grouping of art on the left wall. The top three pieces in the grouping are custom artwork o...

Say goodbye to fake greenery and roosters, and add more cabinets on top of your existing kitchen cabinets.  No need to waste that space.  Add glass fronts to show off your best pieces. Dress up typical wooden chairs with monogram covers like these. Happy Endings.  If you're not watching this show, you're missing out on A LOT of laughs. I gave up sweets for Lent so I can't wait to eat something like this very very soon.  Chocolate peanut butter mousse cheesecake...mmmmm. Thankful for my risen Lord. Happy Easter everyone!

Next up on the house tour is our cocina. One of the things I loved most about this house was the open floor plan. The kitchen isn't closed off to the rest of the living space, and because of the all of the recess lights and white cabinets, it seems even more airy and open. I like to keep the front of the refrigerator empty, but I have to keep it real and display some personal pictures and invites on the side.  :) We now have plenty of counter space and storage. Hooray! I got the rug by the sink for $15 from Target right after we moved in.  I love how it compliments the countertops. My mom found that pretty turquoise ceramic bowl on top of the fridge for me at HomeGoods.  I need to find a better place for it though. And last but not least, here is closeup of my favorite part of the kitchen.  The glass front cabinets that allow me to display all of my favorite dishes.  Now even if they don't get used all of the time, they'll still be seen. ...

As I mentioned here , there are a lot of changes coming to my mom's kitchen in the future.  However, they aren't going to happen overnight.  There are several other things on the house "to do" list that currently trump the new cabinets.  So in the meantime, I've made a few FREE adjustments to bring a little life and function to the space. As shown before, there was an awkward and unsable space in the corner of the kitchen.   Luckily, we have a lot of unused furniture pieces in our garage and one of those pieces just happened to be an old buffet we haven't used in years.  I decided to measure the empty space and the buffet, and much to my delight, I realized it would be a pretty good fit for the time being.  So I dusted that baby off, brought it upstairs and started to accessorize. Now the space currently looks like this.  You may notice I also relocated the toaster to another counter.  I like the new, open feel and plan to get some cute gl...

I just love before and afters.  Don't you?  There's nothing more inspiring than seeing something that could use a little help be transformed into something beautiful.   Today that something is my sister's kitchen. The "before" of this kitchen was nothing to write home about.  The lighting, the cabinet layout, the countertops- everything needed a makeover.  And that is exactly what she and her hubby did (along with the help of his dad).  Aside from installing the countertops, they did just about everything themselves.  And I have to say, I think they did a great job!  Before  After The additions include new a countertop, undermount sink, faucet, backsplash, outlet covers, cabinets and extended pantry. Before The kitchen seemed smaller and closed off with the overhead cabinets blocking the view and the fluorescent lights did nothing for the space. After The overhang cabinets are gone and more storage was created by adding cabinets to the ...

This isn't the most exciting post in the world, but it is pretty life changing.  Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but it is really good. Let me preface this by saying I hate doing dishes.  So much so that I told Jon if we ever got a maid, I wouldn't want her to dust or vacuum or do laundry; I would want her to do the dishes.  That's how much I hate it.  I hate touching leftover, soggy food, getting pruned fingers and having my hands feel so dry afterward.  And that is why I LOVE these! Yes, I finally got some dishwashing gloves!  And they're not just any dishwashing gloves--they are the Playtex Living Gloves with the Good Housekeeping seal of approval.  I love them because they are ultra thick, have drip-catch cuffs and are a beautiful shade of purple.  Plus they come in different sizes so you're sure to get a good fit.  I used them for the first time last night, and I have to admit, I did a little dance after I slipped them on.  ...

Martha Stewart is my organization guru.  I am a subscriber to her "Organizing Tip of the Day" Newsletter and am constantly amazed by the ideas generated by her and her team.  It always made me wonder just how organized her house must be. In one of the latest issues of Martha Stewart Living, I got my answer.  Martha opened up her kitchen (in her Bedford, NY home) and all of its glory to her readers.  I consider myself to be a pretty organized person, but let me tell you, when I saw her kitchen drawers, I immediately knew I had some work to do.  Lucky for me, I'll be heading to Dallas, the birthplace of The Container Store, this weekend.  When you see just how well organized a space can be, you don't ever want to go back to that sloppy mess you had before.  Organization is almost a design within itself.  Perhaps that why I like it so. And now I give you Martha's kitchen... Don't you love this pot rack?  I would love to have one in my next...