Kitchen Island Legacies

 

Yesterday I told you about the Hoosier cabinet we got from my parents’ house about a year and a half ago – and how it now has new life as a coffee station. Today I want to tell you about another new-to-us piece that came to our house recently.

            Mom and Dad’s new apartment has significantly less square footage than their house, so they needed to be selective about what they would take with them. Mom did a great job, I thought, choosing pieces from their house that were high quality, solid pieces with meaning to their life and story. Some of the pieces they didn’t take ended up in the rummage sale. Some went to their neighbor’s daughter, who is starting out on her own. But there was one piece that Mom and Dad didn’t have room for, and Mom didn’t want it to end up in a random home.

            So it came here.

            I had told Ryan early on in this moving process that I wasn’t planning on taking much from their downsizing adventures, because our house is full, and I didn’t want to add clutter. I would only take something if we truly had room for it and if it was important to me.

            This mattered.

            What was it?

            The kitchen island.

            I wish I remembered more of the timing of the island’s arrival in their home, but I don’t – and they don’t remember either. But I do remember enough to know why it matters.

            When I was growing up, Mom and Dad had the tiniest kitchen – and no dining room. Their now-vintage-style kitchen table sat in the only space available in that kitchen and was a jack of all trades. We ate our meals at the table. Mom made noodles and cookies and pies on the table. She poured fondant and dipped chocolate on that table.

            When she made the pies and noodles she would pull out a giant butcher-block cutting board and heft it up on the table. When she made the chocolate, she would pull out a giant slab of marble and heft it up on the table. No wonder she was always going to the chiropractor!

            After Mom and Dad added an all-purpose room to the back of the house, Dad commissioned this island from one of their good friends, who was an amazing woodworker. He custom-crafted the island to provide drawer and cabinet storage on the lower half, and the top provided a permanent home to the marble slab and butcher block. They sat side by side, eliminating the need to drag them in and out of cabinets with each use.

            The island sat at a height perfect for Mom and rested on wheels to be rolled around the room to whatever location suited best at the moment.

            And so she baked pies and rolled out noodles and poured fondant and dipped chocolate and served soups and holiday meals – all from the island.

            One day, as she mentally sorted through her furniture, she texted to ask me if I would take the island.

            Ryan and I had an island – a rather cheap (aka affordable) find from Amazon we purchased when we moved into this lake house. It has a drop leaf top that made it a perfect size for our little kitchen. It expanded and contracted as needed. It served beautifully and we overlooked its lack of quality in favor of its affordability.

            Keep the Amazon cheapie or make room for the memory-soaked custom piece? Not a hard choice at all.

            I texted back quickly – Of course!

            So on moving day, the island came here and sat in the garage for a while, until we had time to sort through our own island, clean up theirs, and make the swap. Speaking of hefting…Ryan and I each grabbed and end of that solid, heavy piece and managed to get it up a flight of stairs and into the house. It fits in our kitchen perfectly.

            And the bonus? The Amazon cheapie fits perfectly too – right inside the closet in our office. It holds office supplies and when I need to do a project, I can roll it out, flip up the drop leaf, and have a whole extra working surface. Double win.

            But back in the kitchen, we have the marble slab, so we can try our hand at Christmas chocolates. We have the butcher block for cooking adventures. And we have the memories, which matter more than any marble slab or butcher block.

            Maybe, down the road, we’ll figure out a way to add some block legs to the bottom to make it a tiny bit taller, but even the way it is, it feels perfect. It’s home.

House Re-Visions: The Coffee Bar

 

Back in January I shared with you how I’m slowly re-seeing the spaces in our home to evaluate their usefulness and tweak as needed. These re-vision, moments are not grandiose. They’re small adjustments usually using things we already own or things I find at thrift stores.

            One of my favorite projects was our living room, and right after I finished it, we had some water damage and now it’s somewhat torn up again. Character building!

            But my most recent project is one that has been marinating for a while, and I just love how it came together, so I want to tell you all about it today.

            When Ryan and I moved to the lake, we didn’t really get many (any?) new pieces of furniture. We were excited and grateful that what we had worked in this space too! But while it isn’t new by a long shot, we did get a new-to-us piece when we moved here: a Hoosier Cabinet that used to belong to my Grandma Freelan. Grandma died when I was in high school, and Mom and Dad ended up having this cabinet refinished and kept it in their house. I thought it would fit pretty perfectly here, and I knew Mom was on a mission to weed things out of her house, so I asked if we could have it.

            She was thrilled to have it out of her house and staying in the family! We moved it here before we even moved in ourselves, and while it fit perfectly in its spot, it never had a specific job of what it held. A few months ago, I came up with the idea to transform it into a coffee bar, and last month I made it happen.

            Here it is in its big-picture glory.

            Now let me tell you the story of the little pieces and parts.

            The plant that trails down the side was so little when we first got it. (It’s about two years old now and thriving.) This cabinet sits near a window and the plant seems really happy there! And then of course there’s Brutus, Ryan’s rhino I gave him a few years ago. Brutus has traveled to many homes with us and always has a place of honor. The monogram was one I bought not long after we were married, and it’s also traveled with us to every home. The little coffee sign was a recent gift from Ryan’s step-mom and is pretty perfect for me.

            Also on the top shelf? This photo from our engagement shoot. It’s one of my favorites and a nod to Ryan’s mom who took it for us!

            We keep our main coffee pot in the kitchen, but we brought the espresso/latter maker downstairs, since we don’t use it every single day. I found these sugar-free syrups at TJ Maxx on my birthday when I was shopping with gift cards. I think I’m set for a while!

            Another sign from Ryan’s step-mom – a nod to my book!

            We still use the underside of the cabinet for storing random things, but this main part is the perfect coffee bar. I absolutely love how it turned out and am excited to make some tasty coffee in this little corner of our home!

Thoughts on a Spring Capsule

 

Well, you all are so very kind to tag along with me (as if you have a choice) on my capsule wardrobe adventures this year. Back in March, when I wrapped up my winter capsule, I shared with yous ome of the thoughts I had on that leg of the journey, and now I want to do the same regarding my spring capsule choices.

            One of the biggest things I noticed in the spring capsule was that I started to feel more comfortable mixing and matching on my own. In the winter version, I was sticking so closely to the inspiration capsule, trying to copy everything she did. In this one, I was more willing to try my own mixes and matches.

            The spring capsule almost felt like two separate groupings: one for cold weather and one for warm. Welcome to spring in Indiana! I kept some sweaters and warmer pieces because I started this capsule mid-March, when we still have plenty of cooler days. But we also had a lot of really hot days between that day and May 31 when it ended, so I felt like I switched back and forth between the two a lot.

            I loved the new colors. My winter capsule had been heavy on the darker colors. This one was much more about pinks and navy and light green. I liked it very much. I’m starting to learn more about the colors I like and that work with my hair and skin tones.

            Layering in spring is not as easy as winter…and I fear summer is going to be more challenging yet! I tried to add some sweaters/jackets/vests and then just take them off if I got too warm.

            Much like the winter capsule, I loved almost everything I chose. There are a couple that I didn’t 100% love and I might not keep in a future year, but  most things were a win!

            Scarves are harder in spring. I had one that was lighter in weight and color, but I only wore it once. (I think that was mostly because I forgot I had it. It was hidden.)

            I’m starting to learn (probably for the first time ever in my whole life) what feels like my own actual style. It’s pretty exciting!

            Here are the spring pictures! (You already saw all of them in the weekly recaps, but here they are all together.)

            The summer capsule is underway, and I’ll be sharing it soon!

Adventures in Wedding Photography

 

It’s been a little over a week since we served as photographers at Ryan’s cousin’s wedding, and I wanted to tell you a little more about that adventure!

            Gabrielle messaged me several weeks ago to tell me she was getting married and asked if I would be willing to be her wedding photographer. I was absolutely honored to be considered, but I quickly told her I’m not a real photographer, and I was pretty sure she would probably want to entrust her day to the pros. She assured me that she wanted me there and it was okay that I wasn’t a full-time photographer.

            I immediately made myself an inspiration board on Pinterest and spent weeks researching poses and ideas, as well as lists of things I wanted to make sure I didn’t forget.

            (Note: I have completed my editing of all the pictures and sent them to the happy couple, but since I don’t know how much they plan to share online, I’ll mostly show some of the behind-the-scenes pieces from our day, rather than actual wedding pictures.)

            We had to travel a couple of hours to the wedding – so of course, an obligatory car selfie!

            Ryan helped me take pictures, so we had to do some practicing when we arrived.

            The photography duo! Excited and nervous!

            I just took this one with my phone, but doesn’t it look yummy?? They got their cakes from The Cake Bake Shop, which might only mean something to you if you’re from Indiana. But their cakes are so, so good.

            A peek at the sanctuary:

            I did get pictures of Ryan with a few of his family members. This is his Aunt Ruthie and Aunt Sandy. Aunt Ruthie and Ryan’s mom were sisters, and Aunt Sandy is actually a great-aunt. She used to babysit Ryan when he was little!

            Ryan with his Uncle Dave – father of the bride! (But he didn’t put on a navy blue tuxedo and wander around a grocery store complaining about superfluous buns.)

            If you’ve been reading here a very very long time, you might remember that when we went on vacation to Gatlinburg years ago, we found this old church in Cades Cove. Ryan had a little Michael W. Smith wannabe moment that has always cracked us up. He told me he wanted to recreate it, so who was I to deny him?

            This is what happens after the reception when the kids (big and small) are waiting for cleanup to be over…

            Ryan got a couple of pictures of me taking pictures. I was really excited about how one of them turned out…

            This is one of my favorite funnies from the day: Ryan was pretending to eat cake straight from the full cake, and the groom’s sister photobombed. She apologized for it later, but I think it’s the best picture ever! Ryan is always the one photobombing everyone else – so this is PERFECT!

            So that’s a glimpse behind the scenes. And I will share this picture I particularly loved!

Sunday Sentiments: Thank You for Saying No

 

Earlier this week, I read a question that stuck with me: If God had answered all my 18-year-old self prayers with a yes, what would my life look like right now?

            I thought about it for a while. I thought about my 18-year-old self and my 21-year-old self. I thought of all the prayers I prayed in those days, and they were many.

            I thought of the relationships I wished to be in, the jobs I wished to have, and the dreams I would have loved to see come true.

            The no answers were hard, disappointing, and even devastating at times.

            But as I look back now, I am so grateful for the no answers. I am grateful God didn’t give me all the things I asked for. I’m grateful He asked me to wait, to grow, to mature. I’m grateful some of those no answers led to a richer yes.

            It’s also true that some of the no answers have never made sense to me. I don’t know why they weren’t permitted, but I also know I am seemingly no worse off without them.

            God sees such a bigger picture than we do at any given time, and we can’t possibly know His reasons.

            But today I say thanks for saying no.

Saturday Suggestions: Ideas for Your Weekend

 

Good morning! Happy Saturday to you! Hope your day is restful and joy-filled today. Ryan and I are looking forward to a great day together – and while we enjoy today, I hope you enjoy these ideas!

ONE. 

This month our Sunday School class is studying Scripture passages about stillness and rest. Isn’t it interesting to see how a topic keeps popping in front of your face anytime you’re intentionally studying it? Monday morning, I opened my inbox and found this devo about removing the badge of busyness from our lives. Though I realize it sure doesn’t appear to be true from recaps of our days, Ryan and I really are working to “unbusy” our days so we can enjoy rest and stillness. These words were so encouraging to me, and I hope they will be to you as well!

TWO.

Last summer, one of the couples in our small group hosted an outdoor meal that was SO BEAUTIFUL. They set up a pretty table outside and decorated it all fancy. It was one of my favorite outdoor dining experiences, and it was just in a backyard in the middle of town. I saw this post this week and am reminded that it will be fun to host an outdoor meal at our own house this summer…and we already own all the things, I’m sure, to make it pretty. I just have to round them up!

THREE. 

This post is intended to teach kids how to pack their own balanced lunches, but I think it could double as a great thing for adults, too. I pack Ryan’s lunch every morning, and whenever I have the chance, I try to pre-pack some of it the night before, so I can grab and go early in the morning. It’s just easier when you’re in a hurry (and sleepy)! If mornings are a rush for you too, packaging your food this way after you buy or prep it can make those morning lunch-packing events go much more smoothly.

FOUR. 

In my sorting through tubs from the attic, I’ve found a couple of notebooks I kept while on vacations with my parents. I was little and my journaling skills were limited, but I love it that I have these specific memories recorded. Even if you’re not a big into journaling, these ideas can help you know what kinds of little tidbits to grab to help you remember what happened each day! BONUS! No link for this one, but just an idea for you. When we travel, we use our phones for some photos, but we also use our DSLR cameras too. At the start of each travel day, I take pictures of our chalkboard with the date and location written on them so as I scroll, I can easily tell when we’ve changed days, which day it is, and where we were. Sure, that information is captured on the photo, but it makes it faster for me to see to have those “intro” pictures each day.

FIVE. 

We’ve done a better job with our front porch this year than we did last year, I think. I haven’t told you all about our porch, but in short – it’s amazing and under-utilized. We have a glider out there – one that we purchased back in our Kokomo days. I love it. We have a little coffee table out there, but I haven’t 100% figured out how to make it pretty, because things blow off the porch easily. Anything I put on there needs to have some staying power. I did get some great pillows on end-of-year clearance last fall, and I love the color they bring. We added some hanging baskets this year, and that has made a HUGE difference, but it still needs some more love. Maybe not this year, but in years to come. This post was very inspirational in giving me ideas. Maybe a few more plants…a rug…some lights. When I figure it out, it’ll be pretty! How about you? Are you a front-porch dweller?

SIX. 

And to round out this week’s list…awhole post of ways you can use muffin tins. I’ve seen some of these ideas before, but others were new to me! My favorite, I think, was using it to prop up stuffed peppers! Brilliant!

BONUS:

I’m officially into my summer capsule wardrobe! Here is the first week of outfits!

Saturday, June 01, 2024

Sunday, June 02, 2024

Monday, June 03, 2024

Tuesday, June 04, 2024

Wednesday, June 05, 2024

Thursday, June 06, 2024

Friday, June 07, 2024

Flashback Friday: Writing Your Story One Week at a Time

 

It’s Friday! On Fridays we talk about what it looks like to write our story – one little piece at a time. This week’s prompt is a little bit different from some of the others we’ve done.

            When you capture your story for the generations that come behind, you offer your own perspective on the life you’ve lived. You share what you see in ways that others cannot. And today’s question is part of that.

            Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

            This one might surprise the people who read about you, and that’s why it’s such a great question to explore.

            I’m an introvert. Sometimes people don’t guess that about me, because I share so much of my life in this space and from platforms. (And from behind a radio microphone before that.) I spend great amounts of time talking with people in groups and at events. And in truth, I love all those moments. I love meeting people. I love talking to them and with them. I find great purpose and fulfillment in life in those moments!

            But when those moments end, I need to be at home by myself. (And by myself, I mean with Ryan, Braeya, and Lexi.) I need evenings…and full days…with no one around so I can recharge and be creative and brainstorm. I need large sections of time with no plans at all – people notwithstanding – so I can refill my tank and give again.

            I love quietness. I love nothingness. I love creativity that can only happen in solitude.

            And while I love talking TO a big group of people, trying to find my place IN a big group of people creates so much anxiety in my heart. Ryan has noted before that if I’m going to be in a crowd, I need a job. If I have a job and a purpose, I’m fine. That’s one reason I love it when people task me with taking pictures at an event. I can hide behind my camera and have a purpose – and that makes the social situation more palatable. I don’t feel lost in between conversations.

            So that’s my introverted story. What’s yours? Are you an extrovert or introvert? And would that surprise the people reading about you?