Open Shelving Cabinets

Josh and I moved into our home in 2010 and promptly inherited this ugly kitchen. I drug my feet with this room makeover because I was dreading the wallpaper removal process. (Actually, I am still dragging my feet.) Why anyone would want a red kilt-like kitchen is beyond me. 

(source)

I longed for lovely glass-front kitchen cabinets to show off my collection of white dishes.

I had an aha moment and decided to simply remove the cabinet doors to create open shelving in the kitchen.

This task was super easy. Eight screws and one Phillips screwdriver later, I had open shelving in my kitchen! My eighty-nine year old grandma was convinced it was a joke. Why would anyone take off their cabinet doors?!?!

After a few weeks I set out to make the cabinets look even more shelf like. I removed all of the dishes so I could paint the back of the cabinet the same color (Thunderstorm by Dutch Boy) as the walls.

Although the change is small, the color on the back wall makes our white dishes stand out. 

Slowly but surely our kitchen is evolving into a room that I am no longer embarrassed to bring guests into. After this project, I am really excited to paint our cabinets. I know it is going to be a huge task, so I may drag my feet a bit longer...

House for Sale

My blog posts have been minimal for the last couple of weeks due to a variety of reasons. At the beginning of the month I was on a trip with my mom. While on vacation I received a text message from my husband suggesting that we sell our house. I jumped right on that bandwagon. I have been panged with anxiety just thinking about being a full time graduate student and having an hour commute.  

Once I was back in Indiana, I became a cleaning/organizing machine. In two short weeks we got our house ready to sell. As of today it is officially on the market! Send us some prayers and positive thoughts that our house sells quickly. Unfortunately, I am going to continue being a blogging slacker. At the end of the week I will be on another trip.

I like our house and yard very much and I am going to be sad to leave it behind. I asked Josh if we could take it with us, but to my dismay, buying a new house is going to be easier.

Back yard, complete with apple and cherry trees.

 Living Room. 

 Family Room.

 Kitchen. 

A small glimpse of the master bedroom.  

Marimekko Inspired Curtain Panels

This is a post almost four years in the making. Four exchange students have lived at my parents’ home and we have had the opportunity to visit their homes in Europe.

In 2008, we celebrated Midsummer in Malmo, Sweden. I was enamored with all of the fabulous prints that adorned their windows. 

Ann-Margreth was so sweet and took me to the Marimekko store where she purchased much of her fabric. I was in love. All of the graphic fabrics were amazing. I purchased two meters of this “Putkinotko” print, which was originally manufactured in 1957.

Usually I am pretty adept with mental math; however, on this occasion I miscalculated the conversion rate in my head. I was quite surprised when I arrived home and realized that I spent almost $100 on about two yards of fabric.

Since this is the most expensive fabric I have ever purchased, I set it aside until I could hire somebody to make my curtains. I do not intend to botch my costly souvenir with my basic sewing skills. 

I have yet to find a seamstress to make my curtains, so the Marimekko fabric remains in storage. I found this fabric in the red tag section at Joanns. It was originally $12.99 a yard marked down to $3.50/yard. At this price I had no anxiety about ruining the fabric. (You may recognize the print from my infinity scarf)

Rather than sew crooked seams with my machine, I used this no sew hemming tape I had leftover from various Ikea curtains. I ironed and ironed until the new office curtain panels were complete.

This is what our office looked like before we moved in.

This is the same corner of the room complete with new Marimekko inspired curtain panels. I need to stop procrastinating and quit taking my photos at night.

We replaced the flowery butterfly light fixture and refreshed the room with new paint and carpet. 

I love these little glass candleholders from CB2. I filled them with white beans and dried flowers from our garden. The office is a work in progress, but it has come a long way from the lilac nursery. 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Its So Cheri  ~ Bath Bomb Creations ~ thegingerbreadblog

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft  ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims   ~ itsoverflowing ~ theletter4

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can't Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Answer is Chocolate ~ oneartmama ~  fivedaysfiveways