A New Look...

This post is about my kitchen, you know, the heart of the home... Well, a while back we "paid" someone to wallpaper our kitchen. My husband and I are really DIYers but were just plain tired and decided to pass this on to a "professional". wrong move. This is what was happening to our lovely kitchen:



and this:



So, we decided to do this:



and this:



We had to repair the drywall in places.





What a mess.

After all repairs were made, we had the walls textured and added the same neutral paint that is in the den. IKEA curtains were temporarily added instead of valances. It was a totally different look.



I liked the long panels but wanted something else. For inspiration, I turned to Blogland and Houzz. After viewing 4 billion windows, I decided to add a bit of color that could still stay neutral. {Does that  make sense?}

I headed to my fabric store and brought home these swatches:



To keep the cost down, I decided to keep the originial tan striped valances, just tweak them a bit, and add the floral and black.

What do you think?





I'm joining Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for her Metamorphosis Monday. Be sure to drop by for loads of inspiration!

A New Friend...

I found out something and thought I'd share...and kudos to you who already knew about this! A friend shared with me that she cleaned some of her silver {or silverplate} with Bon Ami cleaner. I didn't know about using this all~purpose product, in fact, hadn't really thought about it before. I thought Wright's Silver Polish was the end all.

Until, I had this stubborn piece from a shopping trip...

...yes the dark one. I used my "trusty" polish but it wasn't doing the trick. So I pulled out the next best thing to Bon Ami {because I didn't have any}, Bar Keeper's Friend.



It worked like a charm!





I couldn't believe it! I don't think I would use it on my sterling silver, there were precautions on the back of the container.

But for this piece, it was perfect. I was curious of the markings on the back...

1847 Rogers is a division of International Silver

Just thought I'd let you know about this, just in case you're interested.

Quick and Easy...

I found this abandoned clock at a community thrift store for $1.00. I don't need any more clocks but for $1.00, I couldn't refuse a little project. So here it is in its before state:

I wanted to change its face to one with roman numerals so I went to the Graphics Fairy for help. As expected, she had just what I was looking for...thanks Karen!

Quick, easy, and a new little clock for my kitchen!

I'm linking to Linda's Thrifty Tuesday over at Coastal Charm. Be sure to drop in for a visit!

Kiss the Cook!

My sister and I dropped by one of our favorite antique shops and found this recipe holder.



It's simple but oh~so~cute! I'm always on the lookout for silver/silver-plate utensils and this caught my eye.

At the next stop, I found this poor little tray.



The size was perfect...all it needed was a little love...a back...and well, glass. We found it in the most unbelievable place. I would have taken a picture but it was cold and raining. It was an old gas station that was converted into a junk antique shop. There were things outside, getting wet, in the bays, and inside where things could be kept dry. Not much rhyme or reason, just stuff. Across the street was another place, a little neater. The neater side belonged to a woman, the abandoned gas station belonged to a man, her husband. We were told to make of pile of what we wanted and make a bid...no offer would be refused. Well, howdy doody, we were on a hunt! My sister found a load, I came away with more flatware ~ go figure.



It's the pattern that gets me every time!

With the recipe holder as our inspiration, we thought of a great idea for an empty spot in my kitchen...use the little tray with my newly acquired flatware and make a sign. " Kiss the Cook" is always a winner. Hm...the wheels were turning!

Wanting a simple monochromatic look, I chose two brown papers to cover a sturdy piece of cardboard. This would serve as the "back", then glued down a bit of jute to separate the two pieces of scrapbook paper.



Deciding on a font, printing in brown ink, and adding newly cut glass, I was set.



Back to the inspiration piece, I replicated the placement of the flatware and attached them to the top of the try.



She was finished, happy, and displaying a great little message.



Cooking does have its perks!

I'm linking to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch, Stephanie Lynn's Sunday Showcase party over at Under the Table and Dreaming, Carrie at Dittle Dattle for her Amaze Me Monday, and Krista's Ready for Romance over at While He was Napping. Drop by for a visit, won't you?