My not so extreme home makeover: kitchen inspiration

okay so here is my long overdue post on inspiration pics of the kitchen. i wanted to use some photos of fellow bloggers, but lets just be honest i was too lazy to get permission to use the photos. i got these photos from BHG, country living, and potterybarn. to see the before pictures of my kitchen go here. so i have several options for my kitchen so lets begin

EASY AND SAFE opt. #1:
Walls: keep them the same (green)
Cabinets: white
Counters: same or black laminate

this is my dream kitchen! absolute perfection!
i know these two photos have blue walls but lets pretend they are green. or maybe i should consider blue, see why nothing ever gets done at my house decisions, decisions.

SAFE AND MORE WORK opt. #2

Walls: white

Cabinets: white

Counters: same or black laminate

the white on white is just so crisp and clean, i love it!

BOLD AND MORE WORK opt #3

Walls: white

Cabinets: vintage green

Counters: same or black laminate

maybe because its spring, but i am really digging the green cabinets. it would be so cute in my little, old house.

BOLD AND MORE WORK opt. #4

Walls: vintage jade green

Cabinets: white

Counters: same or black laminate

{ i love the flooring in this photo!} {and the vintage appliances and mulitcolored chairs!}

here are some random kitchen photos that i really liked:

this kitchen has the farmhouse feel that i like

i love the bright and bold colors

this is a brilliant idea to hide your grocery list!

chalkboard doors, awesome

maybe i should go all white and bring in the vintage jade green accessories

is it called jadite? or something like that, i don't know but i know i love it
it's probably really expensive

did i mention that i love vintage?

i would love to have a pantry like this, oh wait i would just love to have a pantry period. some day

i am seriously thinking about painting my table and chairs like this

i've been collecting random glass containers to display on shelf like this one in my kitchen

screen door on the pantry, love it!

like the dishes hanging above the cabinets and the love the light fixtures

pretty much love everything about this kitchen, except for the glass door fridge

love the pop of green, the chalkboard fridge, and the wood plank ceiling

wow that was a lot of photos! so tell me what you think, which option do you like best:

opt #1

walls: same (green)

cabinets: white

counters: same or black laminate

opt. #2

walls: white

cabinets: white

counters: same or black laminate

opt #3

walls: white

cabinets: vintage jade green

counters: same or black laminate

opt #4

walls: vintage jade green

cabinets: white

counters: same or black laminate

like i said decisions, decisions!

Cilantro lime coleslaw

Cilantro Lime Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 bag of coleslaw
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 juiced lime
1/8 c. coleslaw dressing
1/4 c. mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Mix coleslaw dressing, mayonnaise and lime juice together, then add coleslaw, chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper. really easy and really delicious!

*added note: can use lite house pineapple coleslaw dressing...yum!

Tip Tuesday { get clothes even cleaner }

this tip is found in First magazine, August 2005 issue.

get clothes even cleaner!
"if your clothing isn't emerging from the washer as spotless and as bright as it used to, it's likely due to the accumulation of soap scum in the washer hoses. to dissolve, simply add one cup of white vinegar to an empty machine and run a small load cycle using the hot water setting. the acetic acid in vinegar dissolves clog causing buildup, so the washing machine runs more smoothly and clothes come out their absolute spiffiest."

Check it out: Easter Edition

are you all ready for the easter weekend? i'm sure not ready but for you last minute people like me here is some things to check out:

*retro mama's fabric easter eggs

*easter egg garland

*working woman's easter decor
*punched paper easter egg

*white chocolate mousse and brownie eggs

*easter tradition
*more easter traditions

*cute little edible nests

*paper bunny garland

*"tie-dyed" easter eggs

*alternative to candy easter basket filler

*modge podge easter eggs

*easter celebration ideas

*coloring easter eggs naturally

*fabric easter baskets

i know it's a little late for these, but go and have a fun easter weekend with your family!

put your records on

Put your records on by Corinne Bailey Rae

lemon-cornmeal cake

i made this lemon cornmeal cake this past weekend and it was delish! i added some sliced fresh strawberries with a little whip cream, you've got to try this one. go here for the recipe.

Tip Tuesday { questions to ask yourself... }

here are some questions to ask yourself to help you declutter and prevent more clutter.
this tip comes from Woman's Day magazine, April 2009 issue:

BEFORE YOU BUY:
* do i absolutely love it?
*do i already own anything that performs the same function?
*does this item save me time or space, or otherwise make my life easier?
*where will i store this?
*is this the best possible price and quality i can get?
*do i need to do more research before i buy?

BEFORE YOU RETURN IT TO THE CLOSET:
*does this item serve a clear purpose in my life?
*do i have another item anywhere in my home that does the same thing?
*have i used this in the last year?
*is it broken, and if so, will i actually get it fixed?
*does it make me happy to look at or use?

Check it out

*square foot gardening
*layla's tips to great design
*felt shopping bag tutorial
*love this kitchen!
*room arrangement by ty
*keeping it together with the family board
*dressing up a tee with fabric
*repurposed crafts
*recommended parenting books
*fabric flowers
*spring spruce up
*tips for organizing your home with peter walsh
*cute quilt tutorial

Neutrals vs. Colors

before i post my inspiration photos for my kitchen, i have to tell you that i have a design dilemma. i can't decide if i'm a lover of neutrals like layla at the lettered cottage or a lover of colors like meg at whatever. if you haven't checked out these blogs you are missing out. layla and meg are my design idols! i can't decide if i want a calm, classic, neutral feeling for my house much like layla's. or if i want a quirky, fun, colorful, not to mention kid friendly feeling like meg's house. i absolutely love both of their homes, but i can't decide which way to go with mine.

so tell me what kind of design do you prefer:

neutrals or colors?

quirky or classic?

calm or fun?

potterybarn or anthropologie?

My not so extreme home makeover: the kitchen { before }

let the games begin. if your just passing by and want to get it on my not so extreme home makeover refer to this post. so i thought i would start the makeover with my kitchen/ eat in dining area. we painted most of the house before we moved in so the kitchen has received a coat of paint. it is a very neutral green almost tan in some lighting. we also had laminate flooring laid through out the dining area and kitchen. it was nasty, nasty blue carpet. i don't know who would put carpet in their kitchen, i spill so much i would have had to have them steamed cleaned on a weekly basis. back to the before tour of my kitchen:

this is the hutch that my mother gave me. i plan to paint it black with either white or the green wall color for the background. similar to this hutch.

across from the hutch is our dining table and window. i used to have a shelf hanging on this wall, but i am going to put up a framed chalkboard.

this other wall i would like to hang three plates. i want to paint the legs and backs of my chairs and table black. i couldn't get a good picture of my window. i took down the vertical blinds and replaced them with bamboo roman shades. i want to find some curtains to hang for more privacy.

i know you are all so jealous of our plywood cupboards! i wish we could replace them and go to town with new cupboads but it's not in the budget so the plan is to paint them most likely white with oil rubbed bronze hardware. i also would love to replace the coutertops with a black laminate and get a white sink with a nickel brushed faucet. i also put roman shades on the kitchen window.

if we get to replace the countertops i would like to put white beaded board or white subway tile for the backsplash. i also need a solution for the icky trashcan hole. probably will end up with fabric to conceal it. there used to be a trash compactor there that we took out. i would love to hear any ideas you have for that trashcan hole.

wow i guess i need to make some banana bread with those very ripe bananas. i would like to hand a couple of white shelves above the microwave to hold glass jars of sugar, oats, noodles, etc.

and there you have it, our lovely kitchen with plywood cabinets. my next post will be on "inspiration photos" of kitchens, following "the plan" post. so i would love to hear any ideas you have for my kitchen, i really need some advice so please tell me what you think.