Crown Molding In The Kitchen And Other Changes

Bill and I are trying to make good use of the extra time at home by finishing the projects we started when we got the new floors last August. He is completely bummed that he is missing the spring fishing season here in Texas. He could go out as per the stay at home order but he is worried the lakes will be unbelievably crowded since there is not much else to do. I'm fine with that. We just had an alligator sighting at the lake closest to us anyway.

He is working from home during the week. Our weekends have been busy with "honey dos".

The detail of the crown molding in the living and dining rooms is so gorgeous that we wanted to install it in the kitchen too. We did the molding in those rooms back in March.

Bill was able to get two walls done in the kitchen on Saturday. While he was cutting and nailing, I was caulking. 

The biggest hurdle was the faux vent hood box. We both love it and didn't want to lose it. It breaks up the line of open space above the cabinets. It's a look that was very 1990s.
The box already had crown molding but it didn't match the new molding so he removed it before starting on that wall. 

We DIYed the faux vent hood in this post. 

He had one more wall to complete on Sunday. 

While he did that, I finished caulking and re-painted it. I had pre-painted it but I used the wrong color.
It didn't really matter because I can see that the paint has yellowed a bit on the vent hood and cabinets. I guess I'll tackle that at some point. Oil based paint is a pain in the neck.

The crown molding looks so pretty in our kitchen. There is something about it that brings dimension and definition to a space. 

There were a lot of angles to cut in this room which is why it's good we saved it for last.

I love the corner over the sink.

A Waterford vase with blue plumbago rests on the window sill. The vase was a birthday gift card purchase last year.

You may remember that I made some cafe´curtains a few weeks ago. 

They are made out of a very light semi-sheer batiste type of fabric. 

They have darling embroidery and other cutwork detail.

I am so in love with them but I wasn't loving the black and white check valances with them.
I had some ticking fabric left over from a slipcover so I sewed up some valances. 

I've loved ticking for many years. It is blue and white but it reads gray. 

It's a perfect neutral that differs in feel from other whites, off whites and creams.

The pie safe got ticking curtains earlier this year.

My copper accents are still giving me all the French farmhouse feels.

I'd planned to spend the summer volunteering in a French Chateau, but that plan is off due to Covid-19. Of course, Bill had no knowledge of the plan and I was still working so...

 I would love to do that, someday. I'd teach them how to make Chicken Fried Steak.

Everyone in the world needs to experience that once in their life. 

I'd also make homemade tortillas for them but Bill pointed out that they are close to Spain so they may already know how to make those themselves. 

PARTY POOPER!

I put away my early spring dishes and filled the niches with white ironstone except for a few cornflower blue accents. 

This type of blue transferware is sometimes called pearlware depending on the glaze.
I had no idea.

The niches finally got side boards that fit properly. 

When I created the niches out of two closed cabinets, they were oak with paper type sides.

The only fake oak that I could find was from book cases from Big Lots but the boards never fit snuggly into the cabinets.  There was a small gap at the front of each board. No one could really see the gaps but they would get bumped occasionally.

Those side pieces got painted when we painted the cabinets 2012. It finally dawned on me the other day that we could cut proper wood to fit. Bill cut them last week and I caulked and painted them this weekend.
They won't budge anymore.

I adore having these open shelves to show off dishes. 

The niches are filled with pieces from my pitcher collection.

When I added a new pitcher last week in the dining room, it prompted me to count the pitchers currently on display in the living, dining, entry, kitchen, powder bath, and laundry. I counted 43 pitchers. I decided to group some of the white ones in the kitchen so that visitors, (should we ever have them again) don't think I'm a hoarder.
A deep dive into my blog might let them know otherwise.

I am loving this periwinkle shade of blue these days.
It will be a wonderful cool tone for summer.

It's a tad lighter than cobalt.

We love this DIY.
That is about it for me.
How are you?
Katie 

Linking with,
Follow the Yellow Brick Home
A Stroll Thru Life
Between Naps On The Porch 

Creating A Cozy French Inspired Kitchen

We're in the middle of a shelter in place order and my kitchen is getting a work out.

 I've been at this five weeks. Bill a little less than that because he had to go into work on the 16th of March. 

  

That means that we've made 95 meals in this kitchen since the lock down. 

I've done some fun and cozy French inspired things to make my kitchen a sweet place to hang out.

I made some darling café curtains out of an old and torn tablecloth. 

These are so fun and vintage looking. 

The windows are worn out and don't open but I would love to see these gauzy little café curtains fluttering in the spring breeze. That's not going to happen though. New windows and window repair were on our to do list before the lock down. 

We got two darling Limoges plates from Bill's Granny Vi. They were packed up and had been slated for the give away box but I'm shopping the give away box these days.
I pulled them out to use for our breakfast or lunch. 

I love the sweet blue and green color scheme. 

Correction: The plates are English not French. 

The old dish rack is out since we are washing so many dishes even with a dish washer. 

A fragrant sprig of Rosemary tied with grosgrain ribbon rests on the marble cutting board. I hung up our copper pots. One pot French. The other is Revere Ware.
All the copper got a good cleaning and polishing this morning.

Nothing says French Country Kitchen like copper. 

I clean ours with Bar Keeper's Friend. 

The Salt or Sel box is reproduction because I am too cheap to pay for a real French antique. 

In cold and damp climates, salt could clump. Hanging boxes of this type kept salt near the stove so that it would stay dry and clump free. My Sel box is empty but it's cute.

I've thought a lot of about my grandmother in last few weeks. 

She and my grandfather were teens during the great pandemic of 1917 and 1918. They also lived through the great depression yet they never talked about those times.

 I think that they lived differently as a result of weathering those two trials. 

There were instinctive things that they did to conserve and reduce waste. I want to emulate that instead of returning the some of the wasteful habits of my past. I was very convicted that we have thrown away a lot of uneaten food over the years. I cannot even be trusted near a roll of paper towels. 

We are using cloth dish towels and napkins instead of paper.  

Different napkin rings help us know whose napkin is whose in between meal times.  

Most of the time we use placemats but we've enjoyed a table cloth or two the last few weeks. 

I think this vintage one was a thrift store find. 

Clipped wax leaf ligustrum in a crock is the current centerpiece since I can't get to the store for flowers.

An old white linen dish towel with pretty embroidery is draped next to newer IKEA dish towels.

Since we are home all the time and I'm not working, some French inspired details have made our kitchen a warm and cozy place to be.
It has gotten a lot of use the last few weeks.
It brings me joy to be in it.
How about you? Are you doing a lot of cooking?
Katie

Linking with:
Common Ground 
A Stroll Thru Life 

Blue and White Buffalo Check Valances

Hi guys, 

I wanted to pop in really quick and show you our new valances for the kitchen windows. 

It's been about a year since I pulled all of our blue and white china pieces out of the nooks and crannies around here. Subsequently, I've been on the hunt for more blue and white to add to our decor. 

Our Christmas tree had a cute blue and white checked fabric detail. 

I could see both the tree and the kitchen window from my recliner. It dawned on me that some checked fabric in the kitchen window would be darling. 

I've been watching a fun YouTuber - here's the link.

Liz found some darling valances at Walmart so I decided to have a look there. 

I really couldn't believe that they had exactly what I was looking for. 

This valance came with a pair of Navy blue cafe curtains as well. Each Better Homes and Gardens set was $14.99. The cafe pairs were much too long for my windows. They would also block my view. I love looking out when I do the dishes so I don't think I'll hem them and put them up but I may use them for something else.

They look pretty cute. 

My tiered tray got a pig and cow that was sold in the craft area. 

They were already stained. 

They're darling! 

I found a blue enamelware pot at the thrift store for $3.00. 

It was sale day so I only paid $2.25. 

What a deal. 

A spice jar from Pioneer Woman sits next to it.

 

The clock is from Walmart. The bird is from Target.
The market bag is from Hobby Lobby. The flowers were from Joann's.
The heart is from my favorite crafter.

That's what's going on in the kitchen.
What do you think? What a cute Walmart find.
Have a great weekend.
Katie