Accent Table Love!

I’ve never purchased from Ballard Designs before but when their catalog arrived I was curious about an accent table that was an update on a “classic French gueridon” table. I figured if Ballard Designs was good enough for Suzanne Kasler it was good enough for me. Yes, I did just lump myself in Suzanne Kasler's group...lol. 

Presenting the Olivia Mirrored Side Table

After five and a half months of waiting patiently (think China) my mirrored side tables arrived and I’m so thrilled! The construction is great, loving those claw foot legs.

The top has a wide beveled edge with an antiqued mirror on top. 

The table is the perfect size between two chairs or beside a sofa and works well in any setting. Looks great with antiques too!

Isn't Olivia pretty? What do you think? 

Kitchen Renovation: Part 1, Ideas

When we bought our 18th century home fourteen years ago never in my wildest imagination did I think it would take so long to remodel my kitchen. Being both a Yankee and a New Englander we don’t believe in waste and using things until they literally fall apart. I hated my kitchen and nearly dropped to my knees in thanks when my stove finally became a fire hazard. So when the husband said lets remodel the kitchen images of grandeur floated through my head……..

I dreamed of high ceilings and clean open spaces…….image via Bill Litchfield

I dreamed of tons of cabinet space and seating area....image via Steve Giannetti, Brooke's husband, from Velvet & Linen (I'm in love with this kitchen just move it into my house please!)

I dreamed of large windows with lots of natural light.......image via Belgian Pearls

Lots and lots of light!...........image via Bill Litchfield

I dreamed of using natural materials.......image via Chateau Domingue

I dreamed of using stone........image via Cote de Texas

Image via Chateau Domingue

I dreamed of clean lines...........image via A Life's Design

I dreamed of stainless steel appliances........image via Darryl Carter, love, LOVE this kitchen!

But then reality crept into my world and my dream bubble popped and I was faced with the kitchen from my nightmares! The reality is I have a kitchen that’s only 16’ x 14’, a whole 224 square feet with 8’ 2” ceilings, the lowest ceiling height that could be found in my house. It’s one of those quirks of an 18th century house.

The kitchen did have semi custom built cabinets and corian counters but it had a lot of issues. White counter tops are not my thing, neither is an electric stove with only two burners. No back splash around the sink or the stove. The microwave above the stove would get really hot when I cooked, it being digital you can imagine how well it worked after a few shots of heat. That refrigerator couldn’t hold the makings for a Thanksgiving meal. The faucet had this annoying drip for years on end let alone it didn't reach into the middle of the sink just that one little corner and no sprayer!

The floors were badly worn, wood floors should never be allowed in a hard working kitchen. We made the mistake of using our kitchen as a giant crate for our brand new puppy and he choose to do a little decorating himself…..look at the wall…nice huh? Sheet rock paper ripped off and the sheet rock and baseboards chewed. DO NOT USE YOUR KITCHEN AS A PUPPY CRATE! And I hated the country look but felt tied to it for some reason. Probably because of the elements in the kitchen felt so country.

I had a few restrictions when it came to designing my new kitchen…….I wasn’t allowed to bump walls out in hopes of gaining space, the kitchen is not as wide as my house and I could have gained ten feet in width had I moved those walls. Since we have harsh cold winters we had to have a wood stove for warmth. I wasn’t allowed to change the windows out since they were original to the house and not drafty believe it or not. And our Golden Dylan needed his area. Other then that I had a free hand and boy was I excited!

Fruits of Summer: The Race is on!

It’s that time of year when Mother Nature has been kind enough to bless us once again with a fruit harvest. You might think there’s nothing to picking fruit, picking fruit is the easy part……..

The blueberries are ripe for the picking!

I even get help from this guy, Dylan our Golden, at least he's getting mostly green berries.....

....until he discovered the BOWL!

And than it's a race to beat these wall sitters to the berries.....they can clear a shrub in a single day!

The blackberries are ripening, no help from Dylan dog with these since they have thorns!

Then it was off to see about gathering some peaches....think clobber!

Dylan dog likes picking peaches too.....sorry the picture is a bit fuzzy but the boy was in motion!

.....until he discovers the BUCKET!

Is there anything better than enjoying a fresh picked peach on a warm summer day? Mother Nature has been good to us! Dylan and I hope everyone is enjoying the fruits of summer too!