Fence me in... please.

I had no clue that paint choices would elicit such a response from my audience. It's awesome. Thanks to everyone who chimed in. It looks like paint option number 1 is the winner. I sure wish the process was as easy as it is with photoshop.

Our fence project has been at the forefront of the spring season.

A very busy road goes in front of our house. It hasn't been a problem in the past, especially since Emma saw our cat run over by a car 3 years ago. She's been especially cautious. Mandy on the other hand, has no concept of the danger and likes to play chicken. Add one very quick little boy who is crawling at 5 months, and you've got one super nervous mommy.

Jeff saw my concerns and we worked a fence into the budget now instead of 5 years from now.

Thanks to my blog audience who gave us sound advice and we chose a 4 foot narrow picket vinyl fence. We ended up ordering it from an online source called USA Fence. It wasn't necessarily the cheapest of the cheap (Home Depot has that corner on the market), but it was the best quality for our money. The 8 foot sections are reinforced so they won't sag. Also there are no external brackets that end up rusting.

We did lots of driving around looking at terribly installed vinyl fences. That's what we really didn't want. Our new fence has a job to do (keep the kids in) and it also needs to look great for a long time. Jeff did research online about how to do everything "right." I assured him that I watched at least 5 fences being put in on This Old House or other HGTV type shows. That makes me almost an expert.

The fence arrived in a big pallet of pieces a few weeks later. My husband is so hard core. He started the project in the rain, digging the two holes for the driveway posts right away by hand. We planned on a gate, so he welded up some iron posts for the white vinyl post to slide over the top. The base of the posts are buried 3 feet with a 2 foot iron base and buried in twice as much cement as recommended. Just don't back into our end posts. You'll hurt yourself.

(Can you even believe someone gave these boots away for free at the MOPS swap?)

I was actually working, people. I ran the post hole digger!

The fence system is really ingenious (it just took me 3 times through spell check to spell "ingenious").

It integrates, each piece building upon the next. It allows for a lot of flex so we could level and re-level as we went.

The first 4 holes went beautifully smooth with the post hole digging attachment on the tractor. But then we got closer to the big Black Walnut tree and encountered these:

The roots were everywhere. We didn't find any advice in our research, so Jeff attacked this problem with a chain saw.

I love this man.

In all my years of This Old House watching, I've never seen them cut tree roots in a 3 foot deep hole with a chain saw. I'm really not sure what they would do....

Not put a fence near a tree?

Even with our complications, all 8 of our posts and rail sections were in by the end of the afternoon. A wind and rain storm were predicted, so we quickly filled in the holes enough to hold (or so we thought) the posts in place.

The next morning the fence was all out of whack. I was seriously worried. It looked like one of the awful, Home Depot, DIY specials we made fun of during our research process. The rain made the ground incredibly soft and the posts settled and the rain twisted them to and fro. Jeff came in after surveying the damage and said, "Well, the fence fell over."

We learned a lot during this process. First, the ground was really too saturated and the project would have been much more fool proof in the Fall or Summer. Secondly, we also learned that the fence system is very forgiving. With a bit of bracketing and tweaking, the fence looked as good as new. Which is good since it was new. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Jeff anchored some things in place, waiting for the water to go out of the holes, and the job took a bit longer than we planned. But the finished project look like this:

I look out the window now and see this view and think it was worth the effort.

It totally fits the style of the house and I'm glad we didn't go with the swoop as I originally wanted.

(The Fence Company website photo)

What would I do without my faithful blog audience? Make terrible fencing choices, that's what.

Since this picture was taken, Jeff installed the two white rail gates that close off the driveway. No more playing chicken.

It's coming time to paint the house. I knew it. My painter man extraordinaire knew it. But it wasn't until we saw this picture that we realized that the brand new, spankin' white fence makes the house look really in need of paint. 

And that's where you come in. 

Do you want to come paint my house? I make stellar oatmeal cookies as payment.

No, no, really, I just need you to lend your expertise on a color scheme:

Option number one is to paint the house light brown with white shutters, white trim, and a red front door.

Option number two is to paint the house a lighter brown, call it "taupe," with white trim, dark green to black shutters, and a dark red front door.

Option three is a lighter taupe, brown shutters, and a white front door.

There you have it. Make sure to vote. And schedule a work day. I'm joking. Totally joking. Sorta.

Our fence project was really a lot of fun. I would encourage all you DIYers to give fencing a try.

* Beware that if you google "fencing" you'll get results of white suited figures jabbing pointed sticks at each other. *

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This Week

I'm heading out for a work trip again this week, so posting will be light-to-none... I have been amassing a large collection of fun things to blog about with not enough time to do it... So, to get you excited for the future, here are a few upcoming posts: On Hats (still on the hunt), On Celebrity Style (seriously, we need to talk about this), New Designer Bios (yep, awesome).

And in the meantime, have a great week!

xo, Roberta Jane

(photo by Jody Rogac) Read More.. Read More..

In Real Life

Blogging is funny sometimes... Yeah, we fashion/style-bloggers all talk a good talk... But at the end of the day, most of the images/products on this blog are for inspiration (read: I don't actually buy everything I blog about, because that would be crazy!)


(Illustration and Outfit by Caroline)

So, I felt very inspired by one of Caroline's recent posts on blogging about clothes you actually wear!

I think Caroline must be one of my kindred-style-spirits.... I mean: stripes, skinnies, clogs, denim jacket, pop of color... EXACTLY what I wear daily (sometimes switch out the clogs for Converse). Here's a look at one of my go-to outfits (see the similarities??):


Topshop Black Skinnies ($80), Steven Alan Striped Top ($168), Timex Watch ($35), JCrew Denim Jacket ($98), Converse Chuck Taylor ($45).

P.S. I might have mentioned this before... but Looks Good To Me is one of my absolute favorite blogs! Caroline has an amazing skill at turning lust-worthy style finds & inspiration into equally adorable illustrations. Check it out (seriously)! Read More.. Read More..

An ordinary day with a better outcome.... plus a GIVEAWAY.

It's easy to appear perfect here. So white and bright and clean on my blog. I never post pictures of the nastiness (except if it is Bag Balm related). And I never, never yell at my kids. I never say nasty things to them. You think you know me... the perfect me.... but you don't.

This is what today looked like:

• Good morning world. Fed the baby at 7am. He spit up all over me and the sheets.
• I put on exercise clothes and made oatmeal for breakfast.
• I ate my oatmeal while feeding Rem some baby oatmeal with peach puree. Yum.
• Cleaned off the table while amazing husband loaded the dishwasher and started it.
• Picked-up the garbage around the house and found 15 dirty diapers sitting in the hallway where the garage can is supposed to be.
• Wondered where the garage can went.
• Said goodbye to my husband and sent the girls upstairs to get dressed, make their beds, and clean their room and put Rem in bed for a morning nap.
• Started the Shred DVD and began a very intense workout.
• Was interrupted by the girls coming down, one very smelly and one very unhappy with the smelly one. The girls started exercising with me, running through my legs during lunges and sitting on me when I did sit-ups. I endured the stench from Mandy's poopy diaper, then she decided to change her own dirty diaper and I paused the DVD to intervene.
• While I dealt with that mess, I wiped out the sink and cleaned the toilet because they were on my list for today from the motivated moms checklist.
• Rem was crying in his crib after hearing all the ruckus from dirty diaper #1 and I found that he had a dirty diaper too. Changed it making 2 for the morning.
• Tried to pick up the living room floor so I could vacuum and realized I forgot to give Rem his bottle. Sat down to feed him.
• Heard screaming from upstairs, "Mandy is cleaning the toilet and licking her hands!" I put the baby back in bed and ran upstairs to find not too bad of a mess, but plenty of germs ingested by Mandy. Gross.
• I encouraged the bed making, dressing, and room cleaning while I wiped out the sink and cleaned the toilet, changed the hand towel, and replenished the TP stash in the upstairs bathroom.
• Came back downstairs with a basket full of pink dirty clothes and vacuumed the living room, throwing everything from the floor onto the chair and couches. Another task to cross off my list.
• Ran to the basement and started a load of laundry and brought up 3 loads of clean and dry clothes to be folded. Added them to the couch to be folded later.
• Smelled something icky and realized it was me. Thought about taking a shower.
• Told Mandy to go to the potty and she did it. Amazing. Yay for dry underwear!
• Let the girls choose a Christian movie to watch on YouTube. They chose Adventures In Odessey. 
• I changed the sheets on the bed in my room where Rem puked on them and then stretched out on the comfy bed to take in some of God's Word. I read in Micah and then prayed for patience, endurance, and joy. Reminded me of an old cartoon called Anamaniacs: Pinky would ask Brain, "What are we going to do today Brain?" He would answer, "Same thing we do every day Pinky. Try and take over the world." That's my life. Every day: try to take over the world with patience, endurance, and joy. I also prayed for focus of thought as I banished the Anamaniacs and tried to pray again.
• Started another 10 minute continuation of movie for the girls and once again thought about a shower. The dishwasher was still running AND the washing machine. The combination would have been horrible, so instead I called my sister to see if she had done the Shred and more importantly to gloat that I had. While chatting, I swept the floor in the dining room, kitchen, and entryway.
• Another 10 minutes gone. The girls then watched a really strange, but Biblically accurate portrayal of Adam and Eve and I ran to take a shower. Hot/cold, hot/cold, hot/cold. Love water fluctuation in old houses! I was in and out and dressed in 5 minutes, face moisturized, and moose in my hair, hoping for the best.
• I found a wall in the hall covered in blue ink. I called for Mandy and she claimed she drew me a pretty picture. I got out the soft scrub and she scrubbed (to no avail). 
• I realized I was almost done with my extra chores for today and quickly did the last thing on the list, clean out the freezer. I got sloppy joes out for lunch.
• Moving on, I encouraged the girls to help me fold three loads of laundry by paying them with one piece of candy when they were finished. Both helped and folded with beautiful attitudes. 
• UNTIL we were done and I asked Mandy to go use the potty. She threw a royal fit, screaming, and throwing herself around. I left her alone to work out her frustrations until I heard, "Stupid mommy. Stupid." At that point she was made to change locations to the time-out chair where she encountered some "picy" on her tongue and other discipline. She also lost all chances of a candy prize.
• We then attempted school. Emma got out her book and reviewed the last letter while I talked with Mandy. She wanted to play Play-doh and I said sure, as soon as you go use the potty. She obediently walked into the bathroom and went with no complaint and dry underwear. Strange child.
• Rem woke up from his nap and had a poopy diaper. Changed #3 for the day.
• Rem played on the floor, Mandy played with Doh, and repeated everything I said while I talked with Emma about "C" "O" and "Q." Such similar looking letters, but are oh, so different.
• Almost time for lunch, I put carrots in the oven to roast with seasoning salt, salt, and pepper. 
• Made the girls set the table.
• Was thankful for hard to break Corel dishes.
• Nursed the baby who was far more interested in the dish breaking attempts in the dining room.
• Got a call from my husband saying he would be late for lunch.
• Smelled something gross and realized it was Mandy in her nice, clean (formerly) underwear. Changed #4 for the day.
• The baby cried for more food.
• Finally sat everyone down for lunch. Sloppy joes and carrots for us, oatmeal and apple sauce for the baby.

And here I sit, the house quiet with all three napping. My list isn't all that impressive, although I was a tad more motivated than usual. Moms have a constant "to-do" that look like this. Finish one thing, just to realize there is more to be done somewhere else. It is a relentless job.

I really reached a low this last Fall. The relentless, all consuming push of motherhood had taken the best of me and I was beaten. Although I had a new baby, it wasn't post-partum depression. I was void of joy. It was a bad attitude leaving me irritated with life 24/7. One morning in particular I woke up with dread like any other morning. My loving husband kissed me and tried to snuggle as I tried to hovel deeper under the covers, "What do you have going on today," He pleasantly asked. And I snapped back, "The same horrible day I always have. The children will make messes and be naughty, the house will be a filthy mess. I DON'T WANT THIS DAY!" And he was sorry for asking and happy he got to go to work.

On that morning, I finally grumped out of bed at the last possible moment and turned on the computer. A friend posted on Facebook that Dobson had a great podcast to listen to called, "Real Help for Angry Moms." I knew I needed to listen to it. I put a movie on for the girls and found the podcast on and listened while I cleaned a really yucky kitchen. I cried all the way through both episodes. The speaker, Julie Ann Barnhill talked about the frustrations of motherhood. Yes, they are normal. Yes, it's hard. And here is how to get through it without the anger. Without the stress and irritation that robs all the joy from the process.

I immediately ordered her book, "She's Gonna Blow, real help for moms dealing with anger." When it arrived in the mail a few days later, I devoured the contents. For so long I had known that I had a problem with anger, even reached out to a few other moms asking how they dealt with it, but received no real help. This book gave me real help.  Julie Ann defines the anger moms feel and then shows how to overcome it and change. Along the way, she gives concrete ideas based on Scripture. The book was just what I needed.

All this happened in early December and the road to change has come very, very hard for me. There are 40,000 things a day that are irritating. If you made it through my to-do list for today, you saw that I didn't finish my work-out, I had to change 4 gross poops (one being in underwear), found ink pen on my wall, was called "stupid" by a child, taught school, potty trained a 2 year old, and had a husband who was late for a meal I prepared. All of those things are reasons for me to simmer, be irritated and snappy and/or explode. But I didn't. By the grace of God and his ever sufficient grace, I am gaining ground and changing. I found joy and pleasure with my children like I've only heard about on blogs. My God is so good.

I know I'm not alone, but it is not an easy thing to talk about. Although I don't expect lots of comments saying, "I totally understand," I hope to lure you in with the promise of a free book. So, I'm giving away a "She's Gonna Blow," book to one lucky mom who is ready to read it. Enter to win by leaving a comment and I will randomly draw a winner on Thursday, April 29th. My only condition is that you are willing to read the book and that you think you might learn something. If your greatest life's stress is whether you should pick your toenails or watch Oprah today, then you need not apply.

Have a joy filled day,

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Too Cute

A few too-cute-for-words looks from Lauren Moffatt's Spring 2010 collection to start your Monday off right...



Yep, I'm ready for Summer!

P.S. I am on the search for the ultimate Summer hat... More on that to come... Read More.. Read More..

Ask Camp Comfort: Weekend Trip

It's been a while since I answered one of your Ask Camp Comfort questions... And truthfully work & life are so busy for me right now that I hardly have time to read your style-inquiry emails. So, I have resolved to temporarily remove the Ask Camp Comfort feature from the blog. No worries, it will be back as soon as I have the time to thoughtfully and thoroughly answer your questions.

That being said... Here's a parting Ask Camp Comfort post:


{click for larger view}

Since I get a lot of emails asking about packing for trips, I thought I'd show you what I took for my recent 3-day work trip to LA. For short trips, my packing philosophy is Keep It Simple... staples, neutrals and a few hits of color. And my carry-on bag of choice: LeSportSac Large Weekender


Packed: Gap Jeans ($69.50), Karen Walker Sunglasses ($170), Swedish Hasbeens ($162), Steven Alan Shirt ($158), A.P.C. Top ($70), BDG Ankle Skinny Jean ($54), F21 Sweatshirt ($10.20), AG Pixie Shorts (which are apparently sold out), TOM'S ($44), Pendleton Dopp Bag ($48), F21 Tee ($6.80). Read More.. Read More..

A letter to his sisters....

Dear Emma and Mandy,




First I want to say how much I appreciate you welcoming me so wholeheartedly since my arrival. Your unconditional love is a huge part of what makes me enjoy it so much here. I can't imagine more devoted sisters.


You are also very tolerant. I've repeatedly puked on both of you and you don't carry on for very long about how disgusting it is. It is kind of you to understand my limitations. When I pee in the bath, you don't freak out. Emma, thanks for bringing it up in your Sunday School prayer time. I can use all the help I can get with my problems.


You are my best friends and will be until I gain some independence and make other friends. A lock on my bedroom door will also change things, but that won't be for awhile unfortunately. 


I love you so much and that's why I'm writing this. My cries and screams don't seem to be making the point. This has been weighing on me physically, mentally, and spiritually for sometime now: I need more space.

You treat me a like a baby doll, but that needs to change. I don't appreciate being dressed up like a girl or wearing fur hats. Last time I checked you had 8  real dolls ready and willing to play dress up. They miss you.


Although my manliness isn't always apparent, there will be a day when I am bigger and stronger than you. I will be tough and burly and have hair on my chest. Let me be a man. Sometimes I need time to myself to do manly things. Legos = good. Tea parties and My Little Pony = not my idea of a good time.

Our interaction is fun and all, but we need some boundaries. The kissing and hugging, tickling, and being hauled around can go too far. I've felt smothered and in physical danger on more than one occasion.

(This picture pretty much sums it up)

Please remember I'm saying these things in love. Thank you for taking my feelings to heart.






Affectionately,


Remington Read More.. Read More..

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Teaching my children to act with civility toward one another is a difficult job. You would think they were auditioning for a reality tv show the way they carry on at times. I tell the girls constantly to talk through their differences, "Use your words," I say 1,400 times per day. The goal is to love your neighbor as yourself. I don't need them to be best friends, just civil. 

We have 2 basic rules in our house:

• Be kind. In action and in deed. No screaming, grabbing, or other rude behavior.

• No personal injury related activity or retaliation. That covers biting, slapping or hitting, sucker punches, hair pulling.

We have good days and bad days. A fantastic moment is followed by a moment worthy of the WWF. There are times I rejoice in the girls' relational progress and times I shudder at how far they have to go. And time-out and perhaps duct tape are appropriate.

On one of our sunny days, the girls were playing out in the yard. I was trying to read a novel -- a novel and crazy idea in anyone's book (pun intended). I sat and watched them while reading and they were fighting about climbing a tree. Emma could get herself into the tree and was hogging it. Mandy wanted to get in the tree, but couldn't get up. Fight, fight, fight. It's my turn, no it's my turn. I said, "Use your words," "Share," and "Be nice," a dozen times or more from my sunny perch on the front porch.


Eventually it was quiet for a bit and I read more than just a paragraph. I looked up to see this....

It was a proud mommy moment. Big sister helping little sister. It became far more fascinating to watch their interaction than my book about a street wise girl from NYC hiding out with the Amish. As interesting as it was.


Maybe we're making more progress than I thought. I pray for more of this...

I like this picture so, so, so much. I could stare at it all day. I'm thinking about printing it off as a poster for the girls' room. I added a quote to it. Which one do you like best?

A great quote from Anne Frank. "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no one can sincerely try to help another without helping himself." Ralph is a wise guy.

And there is always this Scripture: And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the great and first commandment. And second is like it, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39




Leave me a comment and let me know which one you like the best. Or a different quote that you think would be perfect with this picture.

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Scout It Out

New necklaces from Scout Holiday - Love!


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How I tried to trip the Pioneer Woman with a stroller.

My sister had the great idea to go to PW's book signing in Portland yesterday. My sis, me, and PW have a bit of history if you remember the great cookbook debacle at Christmastime: click here. Suffice to say, I have a PW cookbook from my friend Laura, signed in Nashville, and my sister has a plain old unsigned copy I bought on Amazon.

My mom stayed in town an extra 2 days so she could kindly watch our 4 children and we could go up to the big city to see Ree. Andrea wanted her cookbook signed and well, I just wanted to see Ree in person. And get my cookbook signed again. 

(This super fun event was the highlight of Remi's year for sure)

We expected this signing to be as popular as all the others around the country and so we arrived at Powell's at 4pm for the 6pm start time. We stood in a long, meandering line to get tickets and were 121 and 122 for the book signing. Ree planned on talking to the group, so we really wanted seats. The store opened seating in another part of the store and we rushed over to get seats for the next hour and a half of waiting.

It was really fun chatting with all the people around us, all PW fans, cookbook lovers, and many photography lovers as well. I don't think I've ever seen so many digital SLRs in one place. There were seats for about 200 and at least that many standing here there and everywhere while we waited for Ree to arrive.

Rem started to get fussy -- even Mr. Come-What-May doesn't do well with no naps, hungry, strapped in a stroller, and too many people. I tried nursing him and he would have none of it. How embarrassing mom! I also tried a bottle, applesauce, and rice crackers. Nothing would do and I finally got him rocked to sleep at 6:00pm on the nose. The MC announced that Ree was running late, so I continued to sooth the baby into what I hoped was a deep, contented sleep while we waited. Then Ree came sneaking in the back and nearly tripped on MY STROLLER, 2 feet from where my sister and I sat. The crowd gasped, cheered, and applauded and that was the end of Rem's nap. Thankfully he didn't cry after that and we sat back to enjoy Ree's question/answer time.

She's funny, refreshingly real, taller than I imagined, genuinely humble, and even flustered by the crowd. I was nervous for her! She talked for about 15 or 20 minutes and then the book signing began with numbers being called like airline seating assignments. Now signing numbers 20-30 and so on. It took until almost 8:00pm for my sister's and my numbers to be called. As we sat, Ree's oldest daughter and mother-in-law walked around Powell's shopping and talking. Crazy!


I was so excited and jittery to finally meet Ree. It wasn't like I was seeing the Pope or something, but Ree is now quite famous with millions checking out her blog every day. I was so nervous, I handed her my cookbook upside down with the post-it-note of what I wanted her to write positioned right on a picture of her husband's wrangler clad behind. She said, "Well, that's a good page..." giggled and then turned the book over to write, "Hi again Alysun, Ree/PW (April 2010)."

(I'm especially proud that my shoulders look as wide as an offensive linesman and that I had the worst hair day on record).

Ree looked up and saw the baby and appropriately oohed and awed saying he was just the most darling boy she'd ever seen (truly). She asked his name and then, get this, she picked up her smashingly beautiful camera and took a picture of us. US. ME AND REMINGTON! And you know I've already checked her blog 46 times since last night to see if she publishes anything about last night's event and a certain super cute baby named Remington and maybe his mother who has shoulders like an offensive linesman.

(I'm pretty sure that is a Nikon D2X on the table beside her)

My sister got in on the action and we chatted with Ree for about 42 seconds like we were old friends. She sure is a friendly one. While we were there, a lady came in and interrupted, giving Ree 2 cups of Dutch Brother's coffee -- one decaf and one regular -- saying this was a NW staple that Ree just HAD to try. It was funny because those 2 beverages joined at least 8 other drinks obviously brought by adoring fans. There would be a lot of pressure being famous, but at least you would be well hydrated.

Well, that sums up the afternoon/evening with PW. Andrea and I ate a quick dinner at Pastini's and then headed back to her place where I drug the girls from the slumber party and back home to reality. Thanks mom for watching the big kids. Thank Andee for having the great idea to go on this outing. This morning the girls are playing loudly in their room, making an atrocious mess and I'm blogging in my bathrobe. Just another day in Paradise for the un-famous.

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In LA

I am in Los Angeles for a few days... Retail inspiration trip (yeah, my day-job is awesome.)

Be back on Thursday!

xo, Roberta Jane

(sorry, slow free internet = no pretty picture for today) Read More.. Read More..

Wren Summer 10

Two absolute must-have dresses from Wren's Summer 10 collection... Love me some textured stripes! I can just imagine living in both of these striped dresses all Summer long...


Oh and hello sparkle tank + military shorts!


Here's what Wren's designer/founder, Melissa Coker, had to say about the inspiration behind her Summer line:
"It was an evolution from spring which had a traveler theme. I took some of my favorite bodies and reinterpreted them in fabrics I want to wear this summer... organic textured stripes, heavily washed silks + over-dyed embroidered cottons, mixed with crisp poplins and a touch of colorful shine. All of the various elements are meant to be paired together to create an unexpected mix. My favorite example of this is the multi colored sequin tank worn tucked into crisp cotton shorts in a military green."

Stay tuned to Wren's site for more info on their Summer line!

And thanks Melissa! Read More.. Read More..

Ask the audience [kitchen edition] + update

Update:

It is fun reading through your ideas. Keep them coming by leaving a comment -- I read them all.  From those who commented so far, I heard, "no to the curtains," "for the love of all that is good and holy, get rid of the soffit," "try an island," and "yes, paint the cabinets a darker color." Good, good ideas here.

Jeff also enjoyed reading your comments. We had a very calm and introspective conversation about the kitchen. He understands my complaints. I've got a good man here. Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are in the oven as we speak to reward that good man for having an hour long conversation about my kitchen woes -- a conversation that ended with him agreeing to back-breaking work. The Handy Man said he thought skinnying up the cabinets and taking out the soffit are do-able. I am sure he would swim through shark infested waters to get me a lemonaid. Stay tuned for "How Blogging Saved My Marriage," coming soon in paperback.

As we speak (hypothetically speaking), I'm trying out an island. I have a small table that and I'm trying it now in the middle of my kitchen. The jury is still out and my hips are bruised from crashing into it 147 times already today. Another ideas we tossed around are to move the computer desk to the back hallway and add a work station to the kitchen for baking.

I'll have more questions for you soon, oh wise blog audience.

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There is no way to more quickly strike fear and trepidation into my husband's heart than for me to say, "I've been thinking about changing some things in the ______ room." Whether the living room, the bathroom, a bedroom, or the kitchen, he knows that all my thinking amounts to a whole lot of work for him. Dreams come cheap.

So, I've been dreaming about my kitchen. And my husband is quaking in his strong, manly boots. This is what I've been dreaming about:

(photo credit from Better Homes and Gardens)

Interestingly enough, a $50,000 kitchen remodel is not in the budget right now. No kitchen remodel is in the budget right now.

My kitchen is not super functional and is showing the wear and tear of a busy and not-so-clean family.  I would like to, ehem, make some changes. Small changes that would make the space more inviting, more functional, and not a lot of work for the hard-working man of the house.

Here is what we are working with, oh smart, creative, and amazing audience:

The issues:

• Cabinets painted white are chipping and show every dirty paw print. There are a lot of dirty paw prints around here.

• The top cabinets sticks out nearly as far as the bottom counter making the space very cramped. For a prep space, it doesn't work because I can't see what I am doing. Not sure what the builder was thinking there.

Those are really my only problem. Small, right? No $50,000 kitchen makeover required. I've been throwing ideas around in my head.

I ended up with something like this:

Open shelves on the left, take out the soffit, add pendant lights, paint bottom cabinets brown, replace the doors on the left cabinets with a fun, changeable fabric, (maybe make the top cabinets less deep if I sweet talk the contractor) and add another row of white tiles on the backsplash.

Okay, now it is your turn. Leave a comment with an idea to make this space better-homes-and-garden worthy on a bologna budget. Post a link if you have a great idea too! Thanks for your help. My husband thanks you too...

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Minty Fresh

Minty-teal-green is a major color on my Spring/Summer radar. I don't think I own anything in this color-family, so it feel so nice and fresh!




Levis x Opening Ceremony Cord Jacket ($175), RGB Nail Polish in Minty ($14), Topshop Eyelet Dress ($70). Read More.. Read More..