Not Great Before and Afters!

I have been working  on a  kitchen design project that I am going to share with you. I started the job  helping the clients pick out  a new sink and stainless appliances, thinking that's  all I was going to  be doing. UNFORTUNATELY :(  I  did not take very many "before" pictures.  So you'll have to rely on my explanations.  I had done their kitchen some 13 years ago and now they were ready for an update.
We purchased new stainless appliances and a sink to begin... changed the brass cabinet knobes to stainless and instant update.

Here was their wallpaper  & chair rail  on the main kitchen wall...  BEFORE

I added beadboard wainscotting to the bottom of the wall & painted the wall two tones of a sage green, painted the chair rail cream to match the ceiling,

added a beautiful border and... WOW

AFTER

I also added a darling new mini chandelier with lamp shades and some decorative plates to the back wall.

To the side wall we replaced her shelf with a fresh coat of cream paint and added some of her favorite
antique kitchen pieces.  I also added a black tin with white flowers and a bunch of dried florals tied with a bow...all to mimic what was going on in the border.  this green color was such a great choice as it adds a freshness and a very new updated feeling to their tired kitchen.

To the front window wall we added a beautiful valance in shades of blue, green, and white.

You will also notice the new granite countertops, faucet, & stainless sink in this photo. 

More decorative plates above.

(The setting on my camera did not do a good job of capturing the colors here,

but I think you can get the idea).

I would have loved to show you the rest of the job, but just didn't get the photos to do it.

All the years I have been doing design I have not bothered to take before and after pictures...well in this job.

I learned a big lesson ...plan to take Great Before and After photos!

Hope you enjoyed a small piece of my summer design job.

Design Work From the Heart!

My Very Own Pumpkin Patch!

In the early part of August I noticed that those pumpkin seeds that I had planted in July were actually producing A pumpkin.  I was so excited that I might have a pumpkin for  the Fall.  Well as time has gone by that one pumpkin has turned into My Very Own Pumpkin Patch.  Who Hoo!   As you may have seen from my earlier summer posts I am by no means a gardener.  Well What  do you know... the Good Lord sent Rain and Gorgeous Weather and gave me a pumkin patch of 8-10 pumpkins growning in my garden.

Here are a few of them...

Aren't they awesome!

Stay tuned.....hopefully they will turn that beautiful fall orange color in a couple of weeks and I'll share them with you again

What to do with all that Plastic?

I have been trying to take my own grocery bags to the grocery store these days.  I must admit I often forget and have to use the plastic bags offered by the store.  And thats not all that bad either as I do recycle them for other uses in my home.  However  I didn't really have a place for them and I ended up stuffing them  under my sink. When I would open the cabinet door they would fall out. Well I am happy to say I found a nice solution, neat and orderly, the way I like it my under sink area .

the bags are folded much the same way you fold a flag.

Lay the bag flat and the fold each side in.... and then in a third time...

Then fold diagonally like you would a flag...back and forth...

then tuck the last little flap in...

they come out so nice and neat.  I just threw them in a little plastic container and was amased at how little space they took. 

Love, love, LOVE organization!  It makes me happy!