My Love for the Eat in Kitchen

Every home I've ever lived in has had a eat in kitchen. Maybe that's where my love for them comes in. Nothing is as cozy as a table in the kitchen, no matter how big or small your house is. I know the first picture is not a small kitchen but I just had to post it. Its so beautiful!

Letters and Numbers

I don't know how many people enjoy whimsy in their decor styles, but I always have. I love using letters and numbers especially. I have big black letters in my kitchen that say DINE. One of my favorite things are my bright white coffee cups that say COFFEE in type print on them. I recently scored some old enamel hotel room numbers and put them on my hotel cubby box (you can see them in a older post named "Found Space"). I think I'll always like using letters and numbers when I decorate!

Kitchen Help

Another passion of mine is kitchen gadgets. I'm especially drawn to things designed to take up less space or make 2 products work as one. Above are a few items I have recently purchased and LOVE. The sink colander is great because I can let my food rinse and dry without having it touch the bottom of the sink or take up counter space. The dish brush holds liquid soap in the handle and with a push of the button, soap comes out of the brush scrubber. No more soap bottles sitting out! I do have a dishwasher but the over the sink dish holder comes in handy when I only have a few dishes to wash or the dishwasher is in mid wash. I have links to some of the items under stuff to buy.

Baths!

I have such a thing for bathrooms! Sounds rather silly but I do. For some reason, I'm really drawn to a bright white bath. The one room in my house that is way too small is my bath! Most magazines think a small bath is when you can't fit 2 sinks in it! Maybe they just can't get their photographer in a true small bath to take pictures! My friend Linda is working on getting a sink like the one in that top picture. I can't wait to see it! I want one too! So vintage and chic at the same time!

Spring Fever!

Every year around this time I get a major case of spring fever. I cannot get enough pictures of outdoor spaces. The funny thing about my home is, as small as it is, I have a huge backyard. Its part of the reason I don't want to move! Very few new homes have big yards. What really sold me on my home was the 10 x 10 screened in porch it has. As soon as I saw it, I was hooked. One of my greatest pleasures is having a cup of coffee on it in the AM or even better, in a light rain. (my porch is the last picture with the "has been replace Kmart bistro set!) No matter how big or small your yard is, think of it as another room to your house and fix it up to enjoy!

Storage

Storage! The one thing every "smallspacer" needs to ponder! Luckily, storage has become big business and applies also to our larger spaced friends. I love new and cool ways to store things. When coming up with storage in my day to day life, the first thing I ask myself is, do I want this to be stored openly or behind closed doors? Throw in some practicality and it usually turns out fine. For example, my office desk, I tried hard to keep the things on top of it pleasant to look at. This cannot be practical all the time, but for the most part its a good start. If your stapler is boring, put it in the drawer next to you. If its funky or fab, (or you use it every 3 seconds) keep it out! Not a exact science, but it works for me!

Cottage Living

While surfing the net I came across this website with planned community cottages. They are located in Seattle Washington and tout life in the "not so big house". I love the simple but stylish designs of these homes. Check them out at www.cottagecompany.com.