The bad news is that I’m having serious website issues so please excuse any mess while we try to fix mistakes we didn’t ourselves make to begin with but are sure to add to as we muck about in mires we are mostly clueless about. If you really want to know what’s going on, sign up for my email list because if this site tanks I can at least keep you posted about probable comical somersaults in trying to repair things. Like, for a small instance, what happened to spellcheck? Or, for a bigger instance, why can’t I log in–what’s with the blank screen? And why have my social media links disappeared *again*?? Oy, the bane of bloggers…
The good news (for us all) is that I’m able to (for now) put up a post that might inspire you to sweeten up your kitchen for the holidays. Every other room in my house says “fall-leaves-Thanksgiving-crafts-autumn-pumpkins everywhere-please clean me mess”. But my kitchen, the one room I spend most of my time in, says, “please come in here and make some rich hot cocoa and put on some Christmas music and sit and sigh and think about Advent”. Maybe I let the kids decorate the rest of the house while I’m sipping out of my Christmas mug, sitting on the kitchen countertop, *not* trying to think of another way to fix my website mess.
Anyhoooo, here is what I did with one area. And I don’t recommend tearing up your own at 10:00 at night. Just sayin’.
BEFORE
The first thing I did was remove everything to get a feel for it as a blank canvas. Then I removed the shelves, put up a background of wrapping paper, and replaced the shelves (all cleaned of course!). I decided I wanted a more spacious look, with less on the shelves, and of course for the area to remain useful. I put the drinking glasses and some of the bowls into another cabinet. And then I shopped in the bulk foods at my local market and filled mason jars with pretty Christmas candies that we could use for decorating, for mixing into hot cocoa, and for eating then and again. Like while grumbling about techie stuff.
I propped up a plate, taped up some mini ornaments, and displayed ribbons and sprinkles and honey sticks and little happy things.
This “mug holder” has a funny story. I once saw a gorgeous French bottle dryer in a book and thought it was amazing. My son and I looked around online and finally found one for sale. For $400. Yes, four hunnnnndred dollars. Later that weekend we stopped in at a vintage holiday shop (or shoppe…) and my eye caught this little one, a replica of course, but it was $22. SOLD! These little mugs fit perfectly. One of my daughters and I rummaged through our cookie cutters and pulled out the Christmasy ones, stuck them in a jar and topped it all with a doily. It reminds us to use them, like for pancake shapes or for tracing.
And you can either ignore that broken outlet in the background, or allow it to give you some comfort that things around here break just like they do at your house.
Of course we needed Christmas lights. I mean, really. If you do nothing else at all in your kitchen but add a strand or two of Christmas lights, you, too, may want to keep them up until Valentine’s Day. It offers an instant cafe look (just add some chalkboard to your kitchen and you are there). Now that I think of it, it might be fun to *wrap* my white cabinet with other gift wrap or ribbon.
AFTER
Perhaps now I go work on the other side of the kitchen. (UPDATE: You can see the other half here)
Happy decorating!
Blessings,
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