kitchens kitchens kitchens

So we're thinking about how we are going to update out kitchen.... we don't want to do too much for fear of really going too far compared to homes around us--and our kitchen has great bones! Here are a couple pictures for you to get an idea of how the kitchen looks... (note these photos are from when we bought the home, the decor belongs to the previous owners but the colors are still the same).





Here are our ideas.... I LOVE blue and white and have white curtains in there already so we want to do a nice glossy cobalt blue on top and white on the bottom with



new countertops courtesy of Ikea:



and new flooring to match the rest of the home...



and I really want this for our pots and pans.... from Crate & Barrell


What do you think? A little hard to manage but of course, living here, I can put it all together :)

healthy cleaning!

Every weekend I do my cleaning and I try to find new items that last and help me stay a little more environmentally friendly. Being married to an environmental engineer who tries to keep the planet clean has helped us be "green" since before it was cool. Now I'm so thankful it's in style because we have more options than EVER before.

The Dish Dumpling

The Dish Dumpling is a sponge in an agave wrapper. It makes removing even baked-on food easy. Best of all, it's dye-free and biodegradable.

Martha Stewart Toilet Bowl Cleaner


No fragrances or colors, just natural cleaning agents. All packaging is recyclable. Sounds great to me!

Bamboo Cloth


This is a great eco-friendly, natural way to wipe, dust and polish.

Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent



Seriously, this line needs their own post but I won't bore all you out there that don't like the clean :) This stuff is Non-toxic & biodegradable, Hypoallergenic, Free of phosphates & optical brighteners, Safe for septic & greywater systems, Not tested on animals, Kosher-certified

Why is this so hard...?

So this weekend my main goal was to find Easter decorations.

Sounds simple, right?

boy was I wrong...

Okay there were some things I liked at JoAnn's but I really didn't want to shell out $30 for a fake egg cone tree--I mean seriously I could make that for like 10 bucks... and then it made me realize, yes I CAN make that!

But of course for me to make it on my own meant I had to do something better so here is my list of items to make for the home :)

Rustic basket and pom-pom chicks:



Grass centerpiece with "chocolate" bunnies (I actually made this already!)



Pussy Willow Nest:



What will you be making this year?

Happy Friday!

I plan on making shower gifts and cleaning this weekend... what about all of you guys?

Maybe you need a make-up Organizing Checklist... from Real Simple (also includes a bathroom organization checklist! Woot Woot!)

hmm... why am I so excited about that?

May you want to try a challenge? Check out the Throw out fifty things challenge over at Makeunder My Life such a great blog with information about EVERYTHING :)

Or maybe you could be like me and update your 101 in 1001 list

Enjoy the weekend!

Do you hear that pitter patter...??

No... Not for me... not yet anyways! I've been caught up in a baby whirlwind. My older brother and his wife are going to be introducing their first child to the world sometime in June and I am SO EXCITED! The Husband is also excited because I can blow off all my I-want-a-baby-steam on someone else :)

All this baby nonsense did get me thinking about what I would want for my future baby... see, I'm not really a big fan of "BABY" labeled stuff. So I would want something that allows me to keep some simple style in my life... luckily so many brands out there allow that!

Petunia Pickle Bottom makes some AMAZING diaper bags, that quite honestly I want just as a purse! So which would I pick for my little one and myself to carry around?

I just love the Cosmopolitan Carryall in Juniper Berry Crumb Cake


When it comes to the baby's room I thought about having something a little more grown up, but still perfectly baby. I found this pic over at the beautiful Let your creativity Flow.



Isn't that chandelier amazing?? I would love that in a baby's room!

and this room by angie hranowsky found via High-Heeled Foot in the Door--isn't it lovely!



I wouldn't mind staying in a baby/guest room like this one :)

What are some not-so-babyish items that you guys have found and loved?

So the shower is coming up soon and I have a few ideas of gifts I want to give... see you guys with more on that after the weekend! :)

Love this...cute for kids... and those of us that are kids at heart!

So, I love looking through online catalogs and imaging things I could do for less. Quite honestly, I have expensive taste but my mind always wins over my heart (in matters involving shopping of course!)


source

This is one thing I saw while browsing the blogroll that just got me excited to try on my own!! a few yards of felt (I'm thinking that'll work the best) and some paint and stiff brushes and I should be go right? Any tips from other crafters? Maybe a different type of fabric would work better?

Catch Up...

So this weekend was going to be the weekend I sat down and gave the world a blog posting to be proud of!

...and then I decided to clean the kitchen and go to ikea for a new table and chairs set. whoops...

Well, this weekend did make me realize that I've been forgetting to share a lot of great, simple insight. I'm proud to be a wife. And I pray that we will be fortunate enough to let me be a stay-at-home mom for at least a couple of years (comfortably, of course!). The biggest thing that I know makes my husband happy (and secretly me too--shh don't tell him!) is a clean house. Now, I'm no Martha but I like the think I've got my own way of doing home cleaning that makes it simple and very effective.

So I wanted to share with you my weekley cleaning list... some items you may notice on other lists are not found here. That's because either a) I don't like doing them or b) it's a daily or monthly cleaning chore!



psst... clicking on the pic will make it larger