Dragonfly Mornings

This...

is NOT my kitchen. Too bad really. This is one of my inspiration pictures for my kitchen/dining room remodel. I find it helps me to pick out several photographs of kitchens I like and see what they have in common. Seems that I am attracted to white cabinets, light neutral walls and antiques. Based on my photo journaling I have realized that I had outgrown my dark kitchen.

To know where I am trying to go I think it helps to see where I've been. In these never before seen photos you can witness the insanity that is first time home buyers:

Here is the Kitchen Before (in case you couldn't guess it) as in "on moving day" and NOT move in ready. Turns out that Holly Hobby inspired wall paper was joined by two other layers and one that was directly ON the drywall. Sigh. Luckily for me they had put the paneling up over the drywall so that was a pretty quick fix.


Here is the after, as in what it has looked like (more or less) for the last six years.


My red which I have LOVED (Kensington Red if you want to know) needed two coats of primer...


After two days in painting like a mad woman I had the walls in both areas and the trim in one finished. I thought I'd go ahead and add curtains since that would be fast and make it feel a bit more finished. Easy right?

No. The curtains that I had fallen in love with at a yard sale turned out to be fabric shower curtains. What?! Oh yes. I had looked at them upside down. Sigh. Here is what they look like right side up. See the double fabric at the top. NOT my style.


Never fear. I have a sewing machine. Two hours later I have curtains that look like that I THOUGHT they looked like when I bought them, albeit a little shorter.


I am aware that none of these pictures really show the new color. If you have ever been to my house it is the same color as the living room only several shades lighter. I will get final pictures up when everything is done.


As if all this isn't enough work, Mom and I went to Nathan and Delores' house to pick figs. Glorious, juicy figs! I spent this morning learning how to freeze and preserve them. I think I will try my hand at pickled figs next week if I'm not too busy painting cabinets.