Just a little disclaimer before I get going on Day 2: I am not writing about our house because I think it’s oh so cool and worth talking about….and I am not writing about it because it’s done! It is all a work in progress (ie paper blinds, random nails from constantly moving pictures, uncovered vents and plugs…) but it is simply a blessing to us. Not perfect, not brag-worthy, but a blessing.  And it for sure feels vulnerable to let the world into our space, so please go easy on us! The gals around the globe who have agreed to share their spaces are coming from a variety of backgrounds and incomes so you will get the treat of seeing how people have used their spaces both big and small, with zero budget and with abundance.  It’s going to be so neat to see how homes grow into beautiful spaces!

Oh yea, and disclaimer part 2: I went to bed a bit petrified that I thought it was a good idea to challenge myself for 31 days. This will be a growing experience for sure!  I will try to post daily before noon my time so that you ladies across the pond can get in a read before bed.

So, here we go!

I think it makes sense to start our little tour with the kitchen.  The kitchen is for sure the heart of our home. Both literally and figuratively. When you walk into our split foyer house you can go up or down. Most people walk up. And when you walk up you walk right into the entrance into the kitchen.  Today I will share a few pictures that will show you why I love this space. This is the place we all gather. This is where I feel like I do my most “providing” for my family. It’s where I can be creative in a very necessary job of feeding my family.  This is where we talk, laugh, cry, tantrum, slip, fall, get up, burn cookies, smell delightful smells, light a candle that spread a sweet scent throughout the house, open the window to hear the voices of brothers playing, greet daddy after work, store the amazing childhood temptations like scissors, scotch tape and medicines, create things to serve friends and family, make peace offerings and bake celebration treats. See why it’s the heart of the house?!

come on up!

see, work in progress…can you spot the missing drawer?

my husband can attest to the kitchen never being this clean! the counters are sparkly for you, friends!

aprons are always out…they aren’t clutter in this space, for me they add a pop color and they are a sign that we are still cookin’!

I was tempted to keep the new fridge shiny and cleared of papers and such…but this space is about our family and I just couldn’t get used to the blank shiny…this is more us!  I do try to keep the front tidy-ish but the side is covered with pictures of friends and family and magnets from our travels. and those little hand prints…they are just signs of life, right?!

this little corner houses a very important part of the kitchen…this tiny stool. throughout the day little hands lift it and drag it not so gracefully to sneak a peak at what’s cooking, to reach the tall faucet to wash wormy hands, or to attempt to open the fridge. My goal for our kitchen is for it to be a place where the kids can learn to love cooking and to understand more about nutrition….no lies here, this is a challenge. Baking with 2 balancing on this little stool gets interesting. and adding another stool isn’t the issue!

Tomorrow I will share the before pictures and tell you a little of how and why we chose what we did.