Well, I suppose the pictures speak for themselves! The cabinets are complete on one side of the kitchen… while the other side still looks like this:
I’m hoping it will be complete by tomorrow… when we will be going from 3 children to 7 children… then 9 on Friday. It will be best to have some cabinet doors that close down low, don’t you think?!
The kitchen is, without a doubt, the place where I spend the most time during the day. To be accurate, our entire family tends to congregate there, despite it being the smallest room on the first floor. There is an eat-in counter, but only one stool (we are saving for ones we love rather than buying more cheap ones that fall apart). There is a giant window that looks out into our back yard so I can see the boys playing while I chop veggies and prepare meals. There are things I love about our kitchen, but mostly it is outdated and strange.
For the past 3 years, Andrew and I have discussed renovating it. And then we realized the renovations we would want to make would be astronomical in expense, and we may as well move if we are going to go down that road.
So, no renovations.
But, as I perused my “Kitchen” board on Pinterest, I started noticing a theme. Simple. White. Wood elements (I would kill for hardwood floors). Subway tiles (maybe). Open shelving. And I decided that there are a few things we can do that don’t cost a lot of money that I feel will make a drastic difference in the space. 
The first, most obvious thing, is paint. We have plenty of windows and natural light in our kitchen, but the medium-finish on the cabinets makes it almost cave-like at certain times of the day… especially in the winter. And let’s face it, the Swedes are onto something with their white walls: I’m figuring that because they must live with so many hours of darkness for part of the year, the white helps tremendously.
And so, with a huge bucket of primer, I have been painting. Every day during Emil’s 2-hour-long nap, I set Milo and Oliver up with an activity (one I will share with you this Thursday) and get to work. As soon as they are in bed for the night, I am back at it, listening to podcasts of This American Life and various music (thanks, Mary) as loud as I dare. It feels really, really good to finally do something to this space that I inhabit so often.
The downside? Everything, I mean everything, is in disarray right now. There are drawers on the dining room table drying, cabinet doors on our back deck and scattered throughout the kitchen, propped up haphazardly against walls, the contents of our cabinets are in the basement or spread out over every available counter space. It’s a wreck. But once it is complete, I think it’s going to look amazing.
P.s.- I will keep you updated on the progress of the kitchen as it comes along. The above paint is just primer. We decided on Martha Stewart’s “Pure White” after trying several different shades and brightness, and I will show you a picture of that once it’s in.
P.p.s.- Do you know how crazy-making it is to try to choose a white? Too bright, too dull, too bluish, too creamy, too stark… aaaaaaaahhhhh!
I’ve shown you the inside of our refrigerator and Andrew’s closet, so I may as well show you into my closet! Just don’t ever ask to see the inside of my car. The answer will be no.
When we first moved into this big old place, I made it my mission to have a nice closet. It was already there, but just needed some little details to make it my own. Plus, it was pretty dirty and scuffed-up. I painted the walls a pale light blue that was leftover from painting Oliver’s nursery at the time, and left the shelves white. I drilled in the hooks for belts, but I only own two belts, so I decided to hang my bathing suits and favorite scarf there instead. 
In the upper left corner, I have a basket filled with rolled stockings, tights, and thigh-highs and I keep some extra bedding on the shelf below. On shoes: having them mostly up off the floor is nice because it makes it much easier to clean around them. Plus, I can see everything and they aren’t smooshed in a shoe rack. Also, if you have tall boots that you love, keep them nice by stuffing an old stocking full of newspaper or tissue inside when you’re not using them. This keeps them from slumping over and creasing too much. 
I also group clothing not only according to type (sweaters with sweaters, jeans and jean shorts, etc.) but also to color. I find it so much easier to choose things this way. I don’t know why, but it’s visually appealing to me and simplifies my life! 
Dresses and long skirts go on one side; shirts and mid- to short-length skirts on the other. I also have recently put lots of family photos in my closet in view when I walk in. We have so much artwork on our walls, but very few family shots. I like to see these first thing in the morning and right before I go to bed at night. It makes the space feel very special to me. 
There’s my closet! What’s in yours?
Andrew and I have this running joke. He walks into his closet, which is right across from mine (identical layouts in a mirror image), walks out, closes the door, and says, “Your closet is SUCH a mess.”
Because, you know, it never is. But his closet…
Let’s just say it’s clean if you can see the floor. And I find it so hilarious. Because this incredibly organized, cleanly man just throws stuff in there and closes the door. But sometimes, just sometimes, I catch him peeking into my closet (which I “prettied up” almost immediately after moving in 3 years ago because HELLO! My own walk-in closet??? Dreamland). I’m pretty sure my husband wanted a nice-looking space too, even though he would never admit it!
So, I “prettied” up his closet. Here are the before and after shots, though I apologize for the quality and lack of good light. Turns out even a walk-in closet is pretty hard to photograph.
Before:
After:
So what did I do?
First, I cleared every mother-loving item out of there (including the shelves), then vacuumed, dusted, and painted the background walls black-ish (it’s Martha Stewart’s Francesca, slightly darker than charcoal grey- find it at Home Depot). I found different homes for the empty guitar cases, empty duffel bags, and extra blankets and pillows for guests, which freed up a lot of space for… dun, dun, dun… clothes!
I brought in one of our wooden crates for storing shoes and drilled in two small hooks for hanging hats or bow ties (he has a pretty crowded tie rack on the back of the door). I added the horns as a joke… he can’t stand them, so I’m sure they will come down after he sees them and groans and laughs.
Then I just organized: sweaters with sweaters, pants with pants, tee shirts with tee shirts, etc. All the pens went into an old mug that used to belong to my dad that Andrew has always loved. All of the miscellaneous items strewn about went into the basket next to it, and that about sums it up! It really wasn’t a very big job, but it made me feel so good to do something nice for him.
And because I’m showing his closet, I only thought it fair to show mine as well… so how about it? Would you like to see my closet tomorrow???
William Christenberry: Red Building in the Forest, Hale County, Alabama, 1994; 1991
Left: Sheron Rupp: Trudy in Annie’s Sunflower Maze, Amherst, MA, 2000; Right: Rhea Garen: Tree/House Freese Rd., Varna, NY, 1993
Left: Rhea Garen: Cascadilla St., Cat, Ithaca, NY, 1992; Right: Jack D. Teemer, Jr.: Columbus, 1984 (my papa!)
Left: Sheron Rupp: Untitled, 2003; Right: Sheron Rupp: Wartrace, Tennessee, 1990
Alex Harris: Onesimo and Eleanor Pacheco’s House, Vallecito, New Mexico, May 1985
Joel Meyerowitz: Fence, Truro, 1976
All from Where We Live, Photographs of America from the Berman Collection
So much of what I’ve been stuck on lately has been internet-based. I took a break the other day to enjoy this book which I adore, and includes several of my father’s photographs among others that I find so inspiring. When I come across my father’s work, I often feel a pang of sadness that he could not continue to do what he loved so much… as childish as this may read: it doesn’t seem fair that his time here on earth was cut so short. Especially as I grow older and closer to his age when he died. I am 33. He was just shy of 43. To imagine only having 10 more years left is just mind-numbing. I am grateful for the time we had him. I am grateful for so much in my life. Grateful also for the inspiration I still feel from my father and his whole body of work.
As Emil napped and the big boys were at preschool, I sat by the big window on our landing as giant snowflakes fell and dreamed of spring.
Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope that inspiration finds you.
P.S.- Find more of my father’s work here.
Just snapped a few pictures from around the house as we have been moving things around a bit. Plus, the light has become so pretty in its early October softness, I couldn’t resist!
After my mom brought us this incredible antique corner cupboard all the way from Ohio on her last visit, we had to find the perfect place for it… which meant the piano got a new home in the living room and we moved a comfy chair into the dining room. It has totally changed the feel of our downstairs in the best way. I think everything feels cozier and warmer. I have never owned a piece of furniture like this before, and I have to say I am totally smitten. Is it wrong to stand and gaze at a piece of furniture just a little too long? And now I can actually see a few of my favorite serving dishes and teacups.
My mama knows me so well. A little over a year ago, she brought me a stick from her woods with amazing little dried mushrooms growing all over it. I keep it on the windowsill above my kitchen sink and look at it every time I do dishes and think of her.
Also, we have been having quite good luck with growing things indoors, thanks to the amazing big windows and tons of natural light we get in our home. We have succulents everywhere (easy to keep alive + don’t need too much water or fussing), but I found this staghorn fern last month and am hoping not to kill it I love it so much!
I think as the weather grows cooler, I tend to refocus my attention on the inside of our house– perhaps because I anticipate we will be stuck inside more frequently in only a month or so! I have a couple of projects up my sleeve in the upcoming months in updating and simplifying a couple of the rooms in the house that could use a few tweaks (for instance, better storage in the boys’ shared room and switching out pictures and perhaps even a fresh coat of paint if I have enough left over in the basement… ). We’ll see how it goes!
Lately, I’ve been really restless. Perhaps in anticipation of the seasons changing, new schedules and routines to follow and figure out, or perhaps just because I have a restless eye that wanders to things unfinished, or in this case, things that didn’t look right to me. So I’ve been painting stuff. The kids’ play table and chairs were a dark red color, but something about that didn’t sit well with me in our bright blue room. So? They are now white. The play kitchen was gray and orange. Now it is gray and white:
Completely happy with the way it all turned out, and I think it will be much more cheerful in the winter when we don’t get as much light in the dining room!
Also getting organized on the money front. Have been sticking to a strict budget for groceries and all the rest since we now have two preschool tuition payments to make instead of one! Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough to be able to keep our nanny, Elisa, which really sucks because she is amazing and with the nearest grandma 6 hours away, we don’t get much of a break. But we vow to keep her in our lives as a friend, at least. She is like family to us and we love her dearly.
The first kale we have bought in over 5 months! Our garden has slowed down quite a bit so we’re giving our kale plants a chance to recuperate from our daily cutting!
So… lots of changes around here. One thing that has not changed: Oliver’s haircut strike. We try to find ways to contain the hair situation, but it’s pretty laughable. There are some things that just aren’t worth the fight.
Today the boys will go to their orientation for preschool. Milo is an old pro: having a late summer birthday means he will be one of the oldest in his class. Oliver is beyond excited and ready. I swear, he would have slept with his backpack on every night this week if we let him!
Have a wonderful weekend!
When we first moved in, we repainted the entire house, including this room. But what I learned in the two years since was that this room, arguably the brightest room in the house, was not conducive to naps. I had painted it a light gray-blue, which did not help the situation. So a couple of months ago, in anticipation of the youngest of our brood kicking his older brother out, I repainted it a dark stone color which happened to be sitting in our basement left over from another project. There was just enough paint for two coats, and voila! A nursery re-do which boasts a much darker, more tranquil atmosphere for the nap-impaired.
We swapped out a few things to personalize it, like this mirror bunting, then it was ready for Emil.
The rug is one of my favorite things in this room; big, round, plush, and BRIGHT! I wanted to keep the rest of the room neutral and calm since the orange is so dominating. We found it at IKEA. The glider has seen much use and has caused many asleep hind-ends over the past 4 1/2 years of near-constant use. The dresser with marble top(!) is an antique gifted from my mom (like much of the furniture in our house)!
Almost all of the artwork in here is from old books which were falling apart, and frames left over from college.
We have plants in nearly every room- I’ve found through trial and error that succulents do best, and they require very little maintenance…
… unlike other things…
A vintage denim shirt found on Etsy which Emil fit into for about one day before outgrowing. Octopus hook found at Anthropologie.
The canvas print above was also found on Etsy- I love this guy‘s stuff! The old tambourine is made from bent wood and flattened bottle caps and makes an awesome sound- I use it to distract Emil during diaper changes… otherwise you don’t want to know what happens.
Where are you going, sir?
Now would someone please baby proof this house already?
1. From the garage looking out 2. Gathered kindling for next season 3. A stroller nap 4. March water weather! 5. Digging in the sand 6, 7, 8, & 9. The Magic House 10. Unexpectedly meeting up with a school friend at the zoo 11. Pelicans 12. Carousel 13. Laundry (what happens when we play outside and neglect the laundry for 10 days) 14, 15, 16, & 17 The Science Center of St. Louis.
Milo was on spring break this week, so we made the most of it and kept busy, busy, busy. Seriously, these kids kicked my a*%! Like, physically beat, fall into bed at the end of the day, marathon-running exhausted. We had so much fun! The best part was watching Milo and Oliver pretend-play and laugh, laugh, laugh. Those two have become the best of friends.
What are your plans for this weekend? If the weather holds up, we have some gardening and yard work to do. Plus, I made a new friend and she is bringing her kids over later today. It’s like a first date. I’m a little nervous, so wish me luck! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Okay, this is intimate. I am going to show you our refrigerator. I mean, I guess I just did. But now, up close. I was inspired by something I read somewhere about people’s refrigerators and how they are like peeking into one’s soul. Or something like that. And no, it wasn’t MTV Cribs.
No, this is more to promote a discussion about food and health and how your refrigerator reflects how you eat.
Admittedly, I took pictures right after having gone grocery shopping, which I do at least two times per week. We eat (and drink) a lot of fresh produce and fish (well, we don’t drink fish), so stocking up on these items and trying to make it through the entire week without going back to the store leaves us with wilted, sick-looking veggies and well, rotten meat. So instead, we stock up for the next 3 or 4 days, then go back for more half-way through the week when our veggie and fruit drawers are all but empty and our milk is gone and our eggs are down to one or two (we eat a lot of eggs).
We store some of our grains in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. From left to right: ground flaxseed (which we use in baked goods as well as sprinkled on cereal or in energy bites), whole flaxseed, ground chia powder, and brown rice (an absolute staple in our house).
Those are portabella mushrooms on the left on top of the corn, which we are going to try grilled with this recipe. Our egg crate is from Anthropologie (and also comes in sky blue!) and I swear it makes life so much easier- no more taking the entire egg container out of the fridge to open it then get an egg then close it and put it back, just grab what you need and go. Perfect for when you are holding a baby on one hip and only have one free hand.
Our cheese drawer always contains grated Parmesan, some kind of sharp cheddar, and a soft goat cheese. Also, salami for Oliver’s meat demands. Below the cheese drawer, leftovers (brown rice and lentil soup), hummus, bags of spinach for juicing, and my current obsession: beets pickled in balsamic vinegar, honey, and ginger. They are amazing and I love them and they are called Love Beets. So eat them.
The staples: Veggie drawer almost always contains: kale, beets, cucumbers, carrots, ginger, and spinach. Fruit (or temperature controlled meats?) drawer must have apples, lemons, and limes, and occasionally has oranges and/or grapes. We eat kale and apples like they are going out of style.
We don’t go through as much milk as one might think with three boys under the age of 5. I probably drink more than they do just on cereal or in tea. We get the good stuff- 100% grass fed. Also, we always have pure maple syrup for pancakes, french toast, sauces, and sweetening things like muffins or breads. Oh, and I like a dash in my coffee sometimes as well. Trying out the Siggi’s drinkable yogurt, though I kind of prefer just plain. Oh! And apple juice for Milo-the-apple-juice-addict. And beer, well, that is not one of our staples, but since the weather has been so nice, I couldn’t resist! Also, fresh buttermilk is great for cornbread and pancakes and it keeps a long time!
We have a ridiculous amount of vinegars and liquid amino acids and different oils. We use them. Oh, and that fig balsamic vinegar is one of my new favorite things to drizzle on top of a plain avocado with some sea salt for a healthy afternoon snack. So good!
Well, there it is! I spared you some of the condiment ramblings, but we do have regular ketsup and mustard and stuff like that too of course. And there is ice cream in our freezer. Always.
So I’m curious… what does your refrigerator say about you? What are your top 5 essentials that are always, always in your fridge?