kitchen tour..

here's a little picture tour of the kitchen in our crown point home. although it's not really any bigger than the kitchens at our three other apartments, something about the layout makes it a lot more functional for me. i'm so thankful for this (as are d & r, i'm sure) because i'm in there (and enjoying it) a lot more often than i was in the other kitchens. that keeps us well fed and out of restaurants. win, win.

 view from the hallway.. it's organized, somewhat cluttered, chaos.. just how i like it. :)

 pot rack and bread shelf both from my mama's house.. thankful she's willing to pass on things to me that help with organization in our small living spaces. even though it takes up a lot of room, we keep a highchair for rubes in the kitchen as well as in the (carpeted) dining room. she has her (often messy) breakfast in here with me while i tidy up the kitchen in the morning.

 this is my first experience cooking on a gas stove, and just like my mom said, i love it. quick, even heat.. expect for the broiler. i've burnt the bagels every time!

 a little spot for some favorite (and somewhat useful) things. a kitchen cat from daniel's gammmie, as well as the birdie s&p shakers. secret smartie stash when i'm in need of bribery or a treat reward for rubes, and an old butter urn and potato chips tin from my mom, as well. these are the kinds of things that keep me feeling close to people i love even when we're this far away, and always work as good reminders to say a prayer for them when they come to mind.

 the window cutout works great for us too.. i can see ruby if i need to start cleaning up the kitchen while she talks to me or looks at a book after dinner, and it's great for passing dishes right out to the table. my mom's hard work of hanging hooks above our coffee pot cleared a lot of space in our (very few) cabinets.

you would think that since we finally have a dishwasher again, this wouldn't always be full, but it always is.. along with the token just-rinsed clothes from ruby's last meal.

so, there it is.. the kitchen.. our new, and beautiful, mess.

surprised?

i'm sure you're not.. i feel like i'm constantly changing the look of the blog, and i'm at it again with a little "fall" feel for ya. i've felt inspired to find out more about "blog design" lately.. i'd love to get my space here looking at legit as some of my favorites. here are a few of those to give you an idea of what i'm talking about..

naptime diares.

i love jessi's blog a lot. so fresh and dynamic looking, i think. don't you love that silhouette of her beside her blog title? and here's a little secret, she's going to be doing a guest post right here within the next couple weeks! i asked her to share some about what she and her family have learned and grown from because of some transition that the Lord has brought, and is continuing to bring, them through recently. i'm sure whatever she has to say will encourage and challenge a lot in me, and i'm hoping it will do the same for you too. can't wait!

take heart.

two things i love about danielle's blog.. one. coral! i love this color so much, so of course i loved when she brought it into her blog design recently. two, she and her family are in the process of adopting AND she's pregnant. she shares a lot about what God is doing through all that happening for them right now, and it's a joy to read.

letters to ames.

rachel's blog is another frequent spot for me. i like the vintage feel she has in her design, and since she's running a "blogspot" as well, it gives me hope that i can have something that cute going on here too. she's the a young mama of five little ones, and i'm always learning a ton from her posts about being constantly transparent, healthful living, and giving glory to Him for just making it through each day. hm, come to think of it, maybe i'll put in a little "guest post" request to her too. :) 

i know i've given "shout outs" to these ladies before, but i knew i had to do so again when it came to talking about prettying up the blog.. it's just an added bonus that they're great enough for me to have more to brag on them about than their style!

enjoy your tuesday!

oh, and since i'm not keen on a picture-less post, here's a little shot of my loves and me on a recent trip we took into the city. feeling thankful everyday that we're reunited and already learning and seeing so many evidences of God's goodness to us here in indiana.