Everything AND the Kitchen Sink

 I'm not sure how many pictures a person can look at of a kitchen sink; or for that matter, if it is worthy of a single pic! But, I LOVE my new kitchen sink and felt it was worthy of its own post. 

 My new sink is even in its own island. Well it has to share the island with the dishwasher, but the sink still manages to be the star of the kitchen. 

 Who would have thought the most used item in the kitchen would make me so happy? Let me just say that I went from the World's Smallest Kitchen Sink to the World's Biggest Kitchen Sink (all in my own mind you realize). Just look at the size of the sink though! 

One day I will do a post on the whole kitchen remodel, but I'll give you some highlights (or lowlights I'm sure the Hubs would say). When we moved into this house two years ago, the only thing in the kitchen were four cabinets (two upper and two lower) and a kitchen sink. The sink was an old (very-stained) white cast iron sink, double-bowl-no-garbage disposal and all of 5 (yes 5!!!!) inches deep. It was also only 22 inches wide. No typo's. You could basically get a couple of plates in it to wash them off...if you tilted the plates sideways! We started taking the kitchen apart one night, completely unplanned. In the pics above you can see where we are in the midst of taking the kitchen apart and putting the new kitchen back together. In the first three pics, the mini-sink is still hooked up so we could continue to use it, right up until we replaced it. Then if you will notice the fourth picture, the new sink base is in and it is ready for the new (and MUCH improved sink). I can't find a pic where we actually had the new sink in, but do have one somewhere. We (as in Hubs did the work and I told him what to do(!!!!)). Anyway, the sink was all the way in, but (luckily) we had not had the counter tops cut yet....and I looked at the new kitchen and it was wonderful...and I turned to the Hubs and said, "Ummm...How much work would it be to put the new kitchen sink right here (as I pointed to where the butcher block island was)...and make the island our new sink and the dishwaher?" (You can see where the dishwasher was already in above as well. 

 The Hubs looked at me and never even attempted to strangle me, beat me over the head, or duct tape my mouth. He just (calm as could be) answered, "It wouldn't be hard at all. It will just take a little time." I'm not even kidding. He had it ALL the way installed on the other wall and I asked him to move it. And he did. 

 He moved the entire sink base to the middle, rerouted all the plumbing, moved the dishwasher, rerouted that plumbing and electricity, redid the garbage disposal AND built an entire case to go around it all. He framed the whole new island around the sink base and dishwasher, covered it in beadboard, trimmed it in great trim, and hid the new garbage disposal switch so the grandbabies could not find it. All without every muttering a word! 

 He even picked out the faucet without my help. I told him what I was looking for and he bought one that he thought I would like. And I do! The new sink is He installed the countertops too. The sink now looks out at our front yard and our beautiful historic neighborhood. I can see the trolley drive by and all the neighbors as they go for their daily walks. It is wonderful. 

 I was determined to get a single bowl sink this time. I wavered back and forth between a very dark gray (almost black) sink and a white one. I finally picked white, mainly because it was on sale. I have not regretted it. The bowl is 10 inches deep. That is right, TWICE as deep as my old mini-sink. This one is 22 x 33 inches wide. It is SO much bigger than the old one. At Thanksgiving and Christmas we piled it with the dishes of our large family and there was STILL room. The sink, faucet and counter tops were all purchased at Lowe's. They have a great selection of single bowl sinks. I think the 10 inch one is the deepest. 

 And it sits in the middle of the room. Which is just perfect. By moving the sink, it actually allowed us to put a couple of more cabinets in on the other side. Of course, nothing is ever easy, and we ended up moving the base cabinets all around from when we (thought) we had it finished, but it all worked out in the end. 

And I am the proud owner of the World's Biggest Sink and the proud wife of the World's Most Patient Hubs.

(By the way, I still need to paint the new island. The Hubs finished it the night before Thanksgiving and it has been non-stop kitchen-activity since then. My goal is to get it painted before January is over.) (And those spots in the sink are reflections from the drain and faucet. No stains!) 
Linking with:
Fabulously Creative Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
Between Naps on the Porch
The Scoop
Wow Us Wednesday

Hey Y'all

 As I have written many times, I was born and raised in Oklahoma. "Hey y'all" was something we said a thousand times a day. So when I moved to northern-most Kansas and lived there for 17 years, I just took that greeting with me, never thinking twice about how it might sound to others. 

 I remember in high school our English teacher would have us say "Get ten men and send them anywhere." She would go over and over that with us, since most of us said, "Git tin min an' sind them anywhere(s)." She had her work cut out for herself trying to rope in our Okie drawl and twang. She told us that Kansas people have the perfect dialect. They don't have any accents and they enunciate their words perfectly. Well she had worked so hard with us on the "Get ten men and send them anywhere", that I never forgot that lesson. Nonetheless, when living in Kansas, I was still surprised when people would look at me with a funny look or a sly grin on their face when I would announce, "Hey ya'll" upon my arrival anywhere. 

 Remember when I showed you this collage wall that I did not plan out, but shopped the house  spontaneously one afternoon and arranged the wall? Well ever since I did that wall, I knew I needed to do something on the other side of the door to "even it out" (at least somewhat). 

 And because I had put gold accents on the left side, I wanted something gold to go on the right side as well. So one day while on the internet, I saw the print that said, "Hey ya'll" and I knew I had found the beginning of the right wall collage. (Here is the link to the print: http://www.etsy.com/shop/StephanieCreekmur?page=1). 

 I had an old frame that wasn't being used, so I spray painted it gold. I also had a white mat that wasn't being used, so I put that around the print. Then just because I was so anxious to get up the cute print, I put the (faux) matted print in the very gold frame and hung it up. If you look closely, you will see the mat is sitting on top of a piece of foam board that I used to back the entire project! 

 My intentions are to get the print framed professionally. Really. But I hung it up in September and have not taken it down since. I thought the gold frame and the gold letters were too much when I put them together and now they have grown on me completely. When I do get it framed (professionally) I might just get a gold frame! 

 But when you look at it (like above) I think it looks good. It kind of looks like a floating mat/print in a big frame. (I guess it looks like that, because it is!) 

 Since the "Hey y'all" was so Oklahoma (and/or Southern) to me, I looked around for other things to hang around it, that would match the print. (Like how my typography with letters and numbers worked together on the other side.) I realize no one else thinks about these things when they are in my house, but I know!! Once again shopped the house and came up with this Oklahoma flag that I kept under a glass dome. (It was originally a Christmas ornament.) I took a small white plate and painted the outside edge gold with Rub and Buff. I just glued the ornament to the plate.  The other plate is one my Hubs and I got in New Orleans when the two of us were on vacation there many years ago. (It had the gold rim, so it got the nod!) 

 Then this past September I was lucky enough to be honored by the State at a banquet for a teaching honor. At the banquet I was given several gifts and a certificate from the State of Oklahoma. The certificate was nondescript. It was just a run-of-the-mill certificate. (Plus I really never considered putting up a certificate about myself in our (not-really-formal) living room. But I really liked the folder the certificate came in. It was navy and gold and had the embossed seal. So I decided to use it! I got another old frame out and painted it black. I then used Rub and Buff on the inside edge to put some gold into it. I spray painted the green mat with a gold paint. The green and gold together makes it a more muted gold, which I was really happy about. 

 Then I just glued the folder (with the certificate still inside!) into the middle of the too-big mat. Once again I used white foam board behind the whole deal. You can see it a little around the edges of the folder. And once again, I thought I would leave that up until I came up with another picture to replace it. That was clear back in September and it still remains just like the day I nailed it up. 

 Only my mother has asked me about my unusual "picture" and of course she was as proud as could be when I told her what it really was. HA! (Notice the box and the clean laundry that needs to be taken upstairs in the reflection? Real life.) 

 We have noticed as we have (slowly) decorated this house that many of the things we decorate with, reflect our Oklahoma roots. It was unintentional, but must be (subliminally) because of living away from our state for so long. 

 Many of the rooms have Oklahoma items in them. Some times it might be pictures of the farm or the cattle, and sometimes it might be in a fabric that celebrates our Native American roots. So the fact that little collage ended up being an Oklahoma tribute is really not surprising. 

 What is surprising is how quickly it all came together once I saw and purchased the print. Soooo, because I shopped the house and used old frames (and did it elcheapo) the whole wall only cost me $20. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

 I really do intend to have the print framed professionally. And I really do intend to replace my certificate folder with some other Oklahoma picture or item. But until then, it stays as is. 

When I look at the two walls on each side of the front door, I like that they are both collage walls, but not the same. They both have gold, but in different ways. Alike, but different. By the way, I took the pics at dusk one day and I noticed in some the gold looked a little bright. It is not. All the gold is very similar in color and is an old muted gold. I have been looking for a similar table to go on the right side of the wall. If I find one it would be great. If I don't, I am fine with that too. Hey y'all, it's just evolving, a little at a time! 

Linking with:

Wow Us Wednesdays
Feathered Nest Friday
Funky Junk Interiors
Fabulously Creative Friday
Between Naps on the Porch
The Scoop

New Years Glamour on the Mantel

 Did you see my post from a couple of days ago when I showed you how to set a great New Years tablescape on a slim budget? Well I've moved the same elements to the fireplace. 

 Many people might not want to host a formal sit down dinner. Or they might have too many people for a decorated table. This mantelscape lets everyone enjoy the same elements, just on a different level. 

 I literally moved the decorations from the table, into the living room and on  the mantel. (Hello me, mirror-photobomber.) 

I did add a little Christmas tinsel to the mantel. I only put a small piece in the middle.

 Depending upon the size of your mantel, you might have to take some of your table elements away, or add a few, such as I did with the damask-like candles. My mantel is almost 8 feet long. It take a lot to cover it. 

 I still love the idea of a clock or clocks as the focal point of New Years decor. I have seen pictures where people had multiple clocks on the mantel. I love that idea too, but I just don't have that many cool clocks. (But I sure wish I did!!) 

 I took all these pictures at night. Some with the lights on, and some with just the candlelight of the mantel. That way it would give you an idea of how things would look during a real New Years party. Keep that in mind when decorating! 

 You want to be able to enjoy the beauty of your hard work in the dim light as well! 

 I used candle votives of different sizes and textures to put some of the Christmas bulbs on. I didn't want them all sitting at the same height! 

 I even pulled out some crystal salt-cellars to use to hold Christmas bulbs. (Do you know what a salt-cellar is?) 

 Unintentional decorating tip (especially using candles). Put your candles in front of a mirror and get twice the beauty!!  (Unintentional because the gianormous mirror came with the house and I have a love/hate relationship with it!!  Tonight it is a love relationship!) 

 See what I mean? 

 See how I have used the same elements, just in a different place? I even used the curly tree ornaments and clipped them on to a little stand that is holding some round ornaments. 

 Look at all those candles!!! (But you know the secret now!) 

 I think the key to this (cheap) glamour is concentrating on three (or four) colors and using many different shapes and textures in those color wheels. It just makes it interesting and fun. 

 Time's a wastin'!  Have you gone after-Christmas shopping or gone through your Christmas bins?  Just look at the fun you can have! 

Linking with:

Metamorphosis Monday

Wow Us Wednesday