Hey there! I don't know if I mentioned that it's my birthday week -- I turn 40 in a few days! Whoot! It doesn't depress me at all, I look forward to the wisdom that age brings. :)
Usually I take it easy my whole birthday week but this one has been a crazy one so far. Along with that I'm starting the kitchen backsplash finally! My plan has totally changed and I'm SO EXCITED about it. I'm not using tile like I planned initially. I hope it will look as good as I'm imagining it and I can show you next week!
So today I'm recapping the months of August and September as I have gotten behind on these. Also I know it makes you weep in a corner when you miss one of my posts so I do this as a service to you. ;)
Just a warning -- I've had a one-track mind lately and that track is the kitchen. :) Lots of things happening after quite a lull throughout the spring and summer! I shared how I organize our pantry (and have stopped filling it with food we never eat) here:
Because we took down some cabinets in the kitchen I wanted to be even smarter about organizing in general in there. I purged and then made good use of the storage I have and the extra storage I've created in the past year.
I did a little decorating. :) Layering really is the key when it comes to a pulled together space, in my opinion. I added a few more "layers" to our home in preparation for fall:
I'm not usually one for a ton of accessories around the house, but this time of year it feels cozy and warm to add a few more touches here and there.
In this post I shared how I hang just about anything:
Finally the kitchen reno kicked off again, and as is the case with any remodeling project, things get worse before they get better:
My Dad and I took down a wall of cabinets (it was really only three smaller ones and one double) and I knew immediately I was going to love it. That's saying a lot when it looked like this. ;) Then we removed all the tile and the drywall, which was my least favorite part so far.
I sold our old above-the-oven microwave and got a smaller one that I installed in the island:
I finished extending that island earlier this year and I was thrilled to finally get that last piece finished up!
So far so good with the microwave being lower -- it doesn't bother me at all. We only use it a few times a week but to me it's just like reaching down into a cabinet. I love being about to put hot food right on the countertop. And I absolutely LOVE that the microwave is no longer the focus of our whole kitchen.
Next up were some boring projects like drywall fixes and our beautiful new wall lights went in:
I really love them! They are back in stock on Amazon (link in that post) if you want to check them out.
Progress was thwarted for over a week when a piece of our granite broke during install. Thankfully all the pain of washing dishes in the tiny bathroom sink went away when it was all finished up last week:
I don't think I could love the stone more! It's going to look SO good with the new cabinet colors too. I also shared the process of picking out granite and getting it installed here and the stones that look like marble here.
I've done most of this kitchen renovation myself and I think I'm most proud of the island and the upper cabinets I built up to the ceiling a couple weeks ago:
I can't wait to see everything painted out! Hopefully it will all be pretty seamless.
If you're interested in seeing more updates (as they happen), follow me on Instagram. I'm hoping to get a chunk of the new backsplash done today so if so I'll share it there.
I did step away from the kitchen a few times! OK this was still part of the kitchen but a different focus at least. I waited for a year to decide what I was doing with our kitchen table and I'm so glad I waited! I absolutely LOVE it in white:
I looks so lovely with the white trim in the room and the dark floors. I take forever to make decisions but when I finally do I am usually really happy with them. :)
I always love the cute seasonal pillows at Pottery Barn (or anywhere) but hate spending so much money for something I'll only have out for a couple months. My solution yet again? Use table linens instead:
These were made from a table runner and I made more with Pottery Barn napkins as well. Love my little pumpkin pillows!
I shared ten free fall printables here:
They are such an easy way to add some fall decor without spending a ton of money!
And finally, one of my favorite DIY projects ever -- the planked wall above our kitchenette in the basement:
I varied the color of the stains to make it looked like a reclaimed wood wall. It cost me about $35 in wood and stain -- not bad at all for such a big impact. Our basement is our hangout spot in the fall and winter so I love having this warm spot finished up.
There you go! Love how accomplished I feel after doing these recaps! Did you miss any? If you have any questions about any of them, feel free to ask. I'm off to work on the kitchen…again. :)
