I love kitchens, don’t you? Growing up, a lot of my family time was spent in kitchens — around the table for dinner, waiting for special weekend breakfast to be finished, talking in the evening. And because I love food and baking so much, it’s only right that I enjoy just *being* in the kitchen. I like standing over the sink, washing dishes, listening to MPR (I want this radio so bad!). Here are a few of my favourite kitchen bits:
Blue jars in my china hutch. I still haven’t progressed any further with painting than the last time I mentioned it, but it will be awfully nice to get the drawers and shelves in it. The little green glass bowls in the foreground are Booty’s food and water dishes — they’re in the hutch so the dog won’t eat his food. I went to Target the other day (narrowly avoiding buying the previously mentioned radio) and picked up a few Tord items at 50% off. Fantastic!
My mom bought me this bowl, also from Target (Target and I are getting married, and we’re going to have stylish yet affordable children). The colour and design remind me of Cally, so it’s like she’s visiting every time I see the bowl, even though it doesn’t really have anything to do with her. Some milk glass dishes snuck into the photo too, tricky things.
The kitchen counter and backsplash. I was unenthusiastic about them when I first moved in, and I’ll eventually replace them both, but the countertop is growing on me. It just gets so shiny when it’s clean! I object to tile countertops (even marble ones) because they’re so impractical — you can’t roll out dough when you’ve got grout lines to contend with! Harrumph. They didn’t get in the way of making oatmeal cookies (in the glass canister) or in the eating of the vast majority of them.
The back door, with its tea towel curtain. It was originally a temporary measure, but I like the colours so much (and the towel itself) that I might have to make it a bit more permanent. This part of the kitchen (it was listed as the dining room when the house was for sale, but it’s completely open to the kitchen) was painted yellow, and you can see that the radiator still matches that old colour. Like the tea towel, it might be another happy mistake. It’s pretty cute, and who’m I kidding by painting it to match the wall? It’s not going to disappear!
Okay, just an excuse to photograph my lunch. I love these plate and bowl/cup sets I got from Ikea a while back. I never used them in London, for some reason, but I’ve been using them quite a lot since I moved in. They’re just the right size for so many things! This is my favourite sort of lunch, by the way — a little bit of lots of different things. Much more satisfying!
And Booty the Cat to end with. He was keeping an eye on Minnie the Dog. They’re still not best friends, but a lot of Booty’s fuss is just for show. Give it a little while longer, and they’ll wonder how they ever survived apart. Maybe. I hope.
I’m sad to see Booty’s food bowl with only some oranges and a banana in it. I know you’re a vegetarian, but it’s different for cats. They have to take bites out of other critters if they’re to grow up big and strong. See how sad he looks in that last photo with only fruit to eat. You should get him some locally caught elk or something as a treat.
Thank you for sharing the pictures, they are all so lovely. I agree with you about tiled counter tops. My counter is blue and white tile and I never feel like the grout is truly clean. Someday after other renovations that are more pressing are complete, the tile will go. My parents had the same Corningware percolator when I was growing up. I remember that during the holidays they would heat up cider with mulling spices in it. Yum!
Lovely photos. The jars are so pretty. I went to Target yesterday and scored some Tord plates for 75% off! I wanted to hoard it all, you know, afraid that someone else might get some, heh.
I’m sorry Target is taken we married last week! =)
Anna, Your photos are so pretty that it makes me want to ditch all the text on my blog and just have photographs. (I’d have to do some cleaning, though, if I wanted to have ones of our house on Goose Lane.)
Ooh Anna you know me so well, that bowl really truly is so ‘me’. Wish there was a Target here, I’d be out like a shot buying one. And Booty’s food/water bowls, so good to see someone else who believes cats deserve gorgeous tableware too!
Actually, there are huge chunks of your bluey heaven home that are me. How I wish I lived near so I could just sit and contemplate your entire utterly gorgeous back door area!
I’m utterly loving the whole radiator, wall, mat, tea towel thing you’ve got happening, it’s SO perfect. I’ve been having, quite frankly a sh*t week but seeing your lovely calming homely photo’s and reading your ever positive words has perked me up between cramps.
I love that you have that square plate in your china hutch. I bought the mugs and saucers the other day and they reminded me of you. Hee.
Kitchens are always where my family seem to end up too! My Mum bought each of her sisters this little plaque that says, It doesn’t matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best!
I love the corningware percolator too! I noticed a while back that you had another peice. I found some in my Grandmother’s cupboard recently and rehomed it! I’d love some more but over here in England you don’t seem to be able to find it anywhere!
Love the yellow radiator with the blue wall. Lovely blue color.