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Showing posts from 2020

A New Introduction for the New Year

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  Happy New Year!! "New Year New You" has never felt like it applied to me as much as it does this New Year.  I just turned 40 years old and, for some reason, it feels like my life didn't just turn a page, but that it closed a book and started a new one.  Throughout the year I'll probably blog about what that means and how it came about, but for this blog post I'm here to reintroduce myself to you. Hi!  My name is Kate.  I'm 40 years old, a wife of almost 19 years to my Northman, and mother of 4 (3 boys and a girl).  I am a business owner, I work, and I am currently homeschooling all 4 children (thanks to the pandemic). We live in semi-rural upstate New York.  That means I'm surrounded by farm and woods, but Target is only a short drive away. LOL!  We live in an itty bitty cottage that was built in 1950 on about 1/2 an acre of land in a quiet neighborhood.  Our dear little cottage, named Taigh Beag (pronounced "tie beck," which literally translat

The Psychology of Clutter, Decor, and Accessories

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Well with My Soul Mug   For Christmas I got a Keurig K-Duo !  It was the perfect upgrade for my family.  My daughter and I love flavored coffees, but my husband can only have regular coffee due to allergies.  Only regular coffee goes through the carafe, but my daughter and I can enjoy flavored K-cups, like Starbucks Veranda Blend .  My husband was impressed with the quality of brew the Keurig makes, too!  Once I figured out where to set it in my little cottage kitchen, I was tempted to hop online and search out nifty accessories to go with it, but I really didn't want to clutter up my already small kitchen with more things on surfaces.  So many people I know have those neat carousels and drawers for their coffee pods and if that works for them, I'm very happy!  They do look very nice at a home coffee bar! It got me thinking, though, about clutter, decor, accessories and the psychology behind them.  Keep in mind that I grew up during the consumeristic 80s and 90s.  These were de

My Theme for My Children for 2021

Be the Better Person No, it isn't "be the best." That's not typically helpful and can often leave others harmed in your wake. This isn't about being the person who wins the race. This is about being the person who helps another person cross the finish line. When a group of kids are teasing another, don't join in on the teasing at the very least. Put in the effort to stop the teasing. When everyone is sharing dirty jokes, be the one who doesn't laugh, but shares a funny clean joke, instead. When everyone is talking badly about someone else, be the one who says, "I don't know. I always thought he was smart/funny/clever/nice." Or "I like Mrs. Kane. She's a good teacher, and fair, too." When everyone is calling the President horrible names (Trump or Biden), be the one who calls them by their proper title. When everyone is swearing, be the one who doesn't. When the people in the store are being grumpy with t

Influencers Who Actually Influenced Me

People have varying opinions about this newish line of work called "Social Media Influencer." I'm sure there is a lot of drivel out there, but there are a lot of influencers who actually do positively influence! Today, I share the ones who influenced me in 2020 and why: 1. Lynette Yoder . Lynette is a Mennonite mom and content creator on YouTube and Instagram who vlogs about homemaking, decorating, and her life and family in Sarasota, FL. She influenced me by being a Christian woman who takes time, money, and energy to create a beautiful home. Having lived under a poverty mindset, I discovered that I attached a level of morality around being so frugal that it felt wrong to actually earn and spend money on fixing up a home, as if God would punish me for doing so. Lynette showed me the value in a beautiful space, in organization, and how it helps not only herself, but her family function and grow well. Because she keeps such a nice home, she is able to be hospitab

9 Months into our Two Year Plan

When our oldest turned 14 this past March, I decided to start a 2-year plan. This was a plan of hard work and paying down/off debts and doing DIY fixer upper projects around the house. I didn't make it official because I'm quite used to wrenches being thrown into the gears of my plans, but we, by the grace of God, did better than I thought we would! The two year plan would bring us to our oldest's 16th birthday, which I figured would be another life-changing milestone. We paid off 3 credit cards and a personal loan. Our business grew by leaps and bounds. I hammered out a lot of those little household projects. I reduced about 30 to 40% of our belongings. And we have entered into the very real possibility of not only renovating our little cottage, but putting on an addition!! Thinking about it, I decided it would be a good investment to look into getting a reno done. Hubby has 10 years until he can retire, but I still have 20-25 years. That's plenty of t

I Have Entered My 40's A Different Person

Yesterday, I turned 40 years old. It honestly felt like a page turned in my life. I felt light and excited and like a weight has lifted off my shoulders. I have a new vision, new interests, new likes and dislikes, new thoughts, and a new decade ahead of me. One thing I especially decided to grab this decade is the idea that it is ok to fix up my house. For some reason, I latched onto the idea in the past that it is somehow wrong to, say, take out a loan to fix up a house that is outdated, run down, but still useable. Funny thing is I didn't really think this of other people. I didn't look at people moving into a new home and fixing it up as being wrong of them. In fact, I sighed with a tinge of envy. But, as is common with many people, to feel better about what we can't do, we moralize it. In the past we simply didn't have the funds to put into the house. It was a sacrifice we made so I could stay home when the children were small. So, I semi-consciously c

Decision Fatigue and the Need to Minimize

I was in bed staring at the bookcase on the opposite wall. Along the side were necklaces 3 to 4 deep on hooks, well organized, but annoying me. I got up and opened my jewelry case that my husband got me for Christmas last year. Inside, rows and rows of earrings were neatly arranged and I looked at them with disdain and grabbed the same pair I typically wear. Jewelry is supposed to make us feel good and pretty. Instead, I didn't even bother with it, except for earrings to maintain my piercings. Why couldn't I get my act together to wear any of the pretty jewelry I owned? It actually took several weeks to figure out. It's called "decision fatigue." I had SO MUCH jewelry that it was an added chore just to go through it and pair it with outfits. I also realized that as I work on minimizing and being more intentional with my wardrobe, many pieces of jewelry I owned simply didn't go with what I had left. I kept anything heirloom or precious, of course,

Craving Empty Space

Culturally, or, perhaps, familially, spaces were filled. If you had a flat surface, it needed something on it. A table had a centerpiece, a shelf had decor, countertops held all your kitchen things at the ready. If you had wall space you put up an art piece, or a clock, or family photos. If you had an empty corner or nook, you bought something at a garage sale to fill it: a doll, or knick-knick hutch, an old piece of whatever antique neat-looking thing you could display. Under beds and under sofas were just opportune real estate to store more things. I brought that same lifestyle into my own little home. At first, we had very little and I was eager to fill the spaces. What I had didn't balance well with the rooms and the empty spaces seemed awkward. I tried filling them with whatever I could find inexpensively that I liked, but they didn't necessarily fit the spaces well. Over time, I managed other more aesthetically pleasing pieces, but, eventually, I just ended up

Purging Even the Joy-Bringers

As I whittle more and more out of my house, I find I am actually able to get rid of some things that do bring me joy. I'll talk about two in particular: The first is this beautiful dark red bookcase with lower cabinet I got at Target on clearance for a steal years ago. I remember that day. There were two left and only around $35!! I called my sister and we both bought one. We set them up in our respective houses and loved them ever since. A year or two ago, my sister told me that if I ever wished to part with mine, she'd take it because she'd like to flank her dining room windows and put a window seat between. I loved the idea and told her if she ever spots a similar bookcase, I may consider a trade. Time passed, and try as we might, we never found a suitable bookcase. I loved how mine looked in my house and served its purpose, so I held on to it. My sister never metioned it again, but I knew it would make her so very happy to have it. I kept searching for a boo

Shopping Differently

I noticed as I shopped various stores and yard sales the past couple of weeks that I am shopping differently now that I've minimized so much. As I see tempting things, I find I'm asking myself, "Do I really want to bring this into my house and find a place for it?" The answer is no. I was offered some vintage pyrex for free, but politely declined. In the past I would have grabbed it as if vintage pyrex were a talisman to the rose-colored joys of mid-century Americana. Today, it just looks like useless clutter. I have some vintage pyrex that I do use. I have enough. I don't need a collection, and I can enjoy what I have without feeling overwhelmed by what I do not. This is very refreshing and I find I can walk through stores and sales more intentionally. It is also freeing in that I don't feel sad about buying or not buying the latest trends or cute thing.

Fell Short of a Goal

The smallest bedroom in this cottage has the largest closet. Go figure! Inside this closet is my grandmother's cedar hope chest. Inside the chest is my vintage clothing collection. Well, it mostly goes ignored, so I decided to create a goal of getting rid of most of my vintage clothing collection and using the trunk to store my seasonal clothing, thus eliminating two totes in the basement. I did, indeed, get rid of the majority of my vintage clothing collection, but I still had enough to not leave enough room for my seasonal clothing. I was a little disappointed. In order to make it work, I would have to either capsule my seasonal clothes or get rid of all of my vintage clothing. I wasn't willing to do that, but I was really sad that I fell short of my goal! To make it up to myself, I reasoned that I do have room in the trunk for key pieces of memories that I am saving. I can store my kiddos' baby boxes in it as well as some heirloom and special memory baby cl

You're Probably Going to be Judgemental.

As I've been minimizing and decluttering, I'm noticing a psychological by-product occurring. I wouldn't quite call it being judgemental. Admittedly, that's a bit of a click-baity title, but what I mean is I notice and am more bothered by other people's clutter. Not that I think ill of them! No way! That would be being judgemental and wrongfully so! It's not the people or their circumstances. It's the stuff itself. And it isn't that it upsets or angers me. I'm not bothered in that way. I'm bothered in that I itch to declutter for them! To be honesty, I already clean for friends and family, but if I weren't such a shy violet when it came to confrontational things, I probably could make a good go at hiring myself out to help minimize and declutter! It is normal to notice and even get a bit anxious around other people's clutter. Ignore the clutter of those who are happy as they are and be willing to support those who are seeking

The Stuff that Stays

I went through a dark corner under my basement stairs. It is the forgotten area where we shove things we never use, but are reluctant to get rid of. I was able to eliminate somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3 of the stuff, but it bothers me that I didn't just toss it all. I wouldn't miss it. But, I have to respect where other household members are in their comfort levels in keeping things. And I have to rejoice in what I did get rid of, not focusing on the negative. There is "breathing room" under the stairs, now, which is the goal for our poor basement to reduce dampness, increase airflow, and eliminate mold. Overall, the basement is looking 10x better! I can allow myself to be proud of that, even if there are a few items I am reluctantly holding on to, and areas of other improvements I need to make. I must see what has been done, and not what is left to do.

Minimization and Mental Load

I noticed something recently. As I've been greatly reducing our household inventory, I'm finding I have a reduced mental load as well. Little things I've been meaning to do, but rarely able to, are now achievable! Meal planning, reading, keeping up better on the every day tasks. I'm not as forgetful as I was before. Even my mood is more uplifted. Maybe it's minimizing euphoria or a honeymoon phase, but I'll ride the wave as long as it lasts!

Preparing for the Mind-Shift

Summer holiday is drawing to a close. Just after Labor Day the school year begins. I won't have time to purge, declutter, and reorganize. I will have to work with my home as it is. Honestly, I'm a little worried about the mind-shift. I've spent all summer sorting out my thoughts, feelings, anxiety, and decisions about my little home. Will I be able to put it out of my mind so I can focus my mental energy on homeschooling 4 children? I'll have to. I'll simply have to. A notebook may be the answer. I'll have a notebook to jot down any ideas I have that'll have to wait until next summer. I'll also have to take some time to think about all I have done this year to improve our home, and it's a LOT. Instead of seeing anything still undone, I will focus on the done for a day, perhaps an afternoon, or reflective evening, and then actively shift my mind so I can successfully focus on homeschooling.

What My Daughter Taught Me About Minimalism

My little girl is not quite a teen, yet. She is wonderfully artistic, and as her brain swarms with creative energy, she has little room left for mundane maintanance. To put it not so nicely, she's messy. Like, she could be on one of those reality TV shows where someone comes in to clean and can't even see the floor. In the past, it was a gigantic battle between us. The answer was drill sergant barked orders and taking away her favorite things, right? Right?!! A friend of mine was the first to calmly tell me that this was just my daughter. She has a son who is similar, and what he needs to function well and keep up his room is similicity and minimalism. I bucked at the idea. After all, I grew up with lack compared to my more privileged peers, and I wanted my daughter to have all the things I didn't. That's not reality, though. That's unhealthy projection. A big lightbulb moment was when I discovered that my daughter simply doesn't care about havi

Pen Clutter

I hate pen clutter. And I hate cheap pen clutter even more. This is another throwback to my childhood. In the spirit of household frugality, if cheap or free pens could be had, they were taken. Another thing to remember is our baby boomer parents grew up in an era where you had to purchase things and they were a little harder to come by. By the time they were adults, cheap mass production was growing at a breakneck speed and "freebies" became great ways to advertise and promote. Of course they took the free stuff! It was easy, and free and saved them some jingle and time going to the store to purchase it. By the 1990s, it was coming in in abundance and the habit was set. Going through my own children's things, I have found piles of cheap, free little bits and bobs they've gotten from stores, parties, parades, fairs, school, church, holidays, restaurants, and giveaways. Handfuls of erasers and pencil sharpeners. Crayons, little cheap toys, pencils, tiny

Budget Clutter

Every January I have the good intention of having and keeping a budget and expense book. By February, it is abandoned. As I cleaned out my desk drawers the other day, I came across a two year old budget book that is mostly empty of entries. I asked myself why I could never keep it up. Part of it is just the busy of every day life. Another part is the growing receipt-free culture where receipts are either refused or sent electronically. Also, online purchases are another reason, as they are so easily done and forgotten, the tally never really noticed. Same with bills. Many are automatic or done online. But, the main reason, I concluded, is "budget clutter." Because of the ease of purchasing these days, it's no big deal to "swing into" Target, or the gas station, or a yard sale, or what have you. We end up not seeing the individual purchases and bills; we only see the balance remaining in our accounts. We don't handle tangible money sitting in

Silly Card Games and the Great Debate

We acquire so much stuff for our children based on hopes and dreams rather than reality. Cleaning out a cupboard, I came across a set of cheap card games. The boxes had come unglued and the cards were all mixed up. I began the tedious process of sorting the cards out with the intent to fix the boxes and get them organized so we could play the games. As I sorted, I became more and more stressed and agitated. The cards are very cheaply made and some had some damage. The illustrations and colors used on the cards were croweded and overstimulating and forced you to look carefully at the cards rather than being able to work with them at a glance like traditional cards. I began dread having to count out each set to make sure each game had all their cards. As I got more stressed, I realized that we rarely even played these games. We have other games, and the children are old enough to use traditional cards. We could play most of these card games on a single deck of traditional cards r

The Basement and Our Well-Being

Living in a such a small house, I am very grateful to have a basement.  We do have an attic, but it is very difficult to get to, harder to climate control, and not very big or safe for storage.  As such, our basement became our storage center, but also, I wanted to use it as secondary living space.   In the past, we planned on either adding on to this cottage or moving.  Therefore, I kept pretty much everything so I would have it for that some day.  Unfortunately, that meant that the basement became a cluttered mess.  At worst, we pretty much just had narrow paths to the laundry area and hubby's man cave.  I had to climb over boxes to get to the pantry.  This became a trap for dampness, mold, mildew, and mouse infestations.  Embarrassingly gross and health damaging!!   My house makes me sick. I love my little house, but I found it strange that I would feel tired, anxious, and sickly at home, but if I left the house, I felt better.  My children would slug about the house, but sudden

The Next Ten Years

As I minimize and declutter our stuff, and face my husband's chronic illness, I really have to think realistically concerning our next 10 years.  I can have hopes, dreams, and goals, but, fact is, life is very uncertain.  Even so, the next 10 years will be heavily focused on the children's education, paying off our debt (mortgage and medical-related), fixing up our little house for our elder years, building our business, and planning for hubby's early retirement.  He can retire at age 55 at a reduce pension.  Between his life-long hard labor work and chronic illness, we believe he's going to have to retire ASAP instead of holding out another 5 years to get his full pension.  In the meantime, I will likely have to work part-time to help fill in gaps and pay down the debts.  Life will be busy and family-focused.  So, I am purging many things that will not contribute to a busy modern life for the next 10 years.  That means many of my cute vintage gizmos and gadgets, décor

Setbacks with New Goals

The yard sale went very well!  I made $250 and got rid of most of my stuff!  It felt so good to unload and clear out so much of the clutter in my basement.  In due time, too, because Hurricane Isaias came through and flooded a large part of my basement.  If I had all that stuff in there, it would have been an overwhelming, exhausting, messy problem.   The kitchen is on hold a little longer.  My husband's chronic illness flared up and he spent a week at home in bed.  I didn't want to aggravate any stress or discomfort with paint smells and noise.  Instead, I worked on gathering and organizing our homeschool for the year, and I watched many episodes of The Minimal Mom on YouTube, which segues to: The Minimal Mom has a lot of great advice concerning decluttering and minimizing.  One spot I always have difficulties with is clothing.  Her wardrobe videos really helped me get into a mindset to be ok with a smaller wardrobe and a more realistic, workable one.  I have an irrational fea

Restoring Gut Health: Reducing Stress

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Stress kills the gut, and the unhealthy gut can wreck your life. Life has a way of knowing when I'm trying to reduce stress and it throws a million curveballs at me at once and throws me under the bus. I'm going to have to be a bit selfish. But, I think the biggest stressor is the stuff and clutter.  This comes back full circle to redoing my kitchen, and, by extension, minimizing my stuff and my home. Another thing I need to do is let go of wanting greater success.  It's ok if I need a break and the cucumbers turn yellow in the garden.  I'm sick.  I'm healing.  In the absence of others caring for me, I need to care for myself, and that may mean letting things go.  If anyone criticizes, they can put their words into actions and fix it for me.  Weed the garden, if you're upset that I took a much-needed nap instead of weeding it.  If people won't budge a little for me, now, they'll be forced to take it over completely because I'll be in the h

Restoring My Gut Health: Why Raw Milk

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Usually, when someone has gut health issues, the first thing doctors tell them to do is cut out dairy and gluten.  Typically, that's wise advise, but I have found restoration with raw milk. Raw milk is milk that is fresh from the cow and doesn't go through any treatments (except perhaps filtering).  It is the milk that calves get, not the milk sitting on grocery store shelves.  Therefore, it is chock full of the all the vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes, etc that nourish the body.  It is, by nature, a healing elixir. It is also a liquid, which is easier to digest than solid foods in a troubled digestive system.  Of course, this only works if your body handles dairy well, even when the guts are off.  Thankfully, mine does.  It acts like a newborn receiving mother's milk. Where I live, it isn't too expensive and fairly easily accessible from a state-certified raw milk farm.  It's also just easy.  Reducing stress is very important in restoring gut health. 

A Second Series: Restoring My Gut Health

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Since my kitchen redo is on hold until the yard sale is over, I decided to start a second series. I was doing pretty well over the winter, but once the Covid lockdown hit, the combination of stress and lack of access to foods started making me invisibly ill.  Over time, my symptoms started: Increased Food Intolerances Constipation Bloating and Gas Fatigue and Brain Fog Lower Tolerance to Stimuli Those were ignorable, but then other things started happening: Itchy Flakey, Painful Scalp with Build-Up Increased Acne The Won't Heal, Won't Respond to Treatment, and it Painful Wounds Slower to Heal and More Likely to get Infected Red Nose But Sallow Cheeks Those are obvious signs of gut disorder and lower immune system.  Soon enough, even healthy foods were churning my stomach after I ate.  I would start having these large, painful, (embarrassingly loud) burps and my family would say to me, "Mom!  What did you eat?!"  At first it was my

Slow Going on the Redecorating

Last week was busy and hectic with a few unexpected hiccups. This week is proving the same. Plus, it is hot and humid, and my kitchen bears the brunt of it. We're preparing for a big family yard sale this weekend, so most of my attention is on that.  The kitchen will have to wait, but I will try to accomplish a couple of little things.  Perhaps shore up the table so it'll support the hutch top better.  Also, I can apply the painter's tape around the room to prepare for priming and painting.  If it get very frustrated with the slowness of the project, I have a teenage son who is always looking to earn some extra money.  He's pretty good at painting, too.

That Pesky Junk Drawer

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In a small kitchen, precious real estate shouldn't be taken up by items that better belong in a garage or workshop.  We had one of those junk drawers.  The kind where anything and everything gets thrown in there just to get out of the way.  Instead, I moved an old, clunky dresser to my basement to use as the ultimate junk drawer.  4 drawers worth!!  Now, I have a space for vacuum attachments, extra cords and power strips, paint supplies, and the junk drawer. Some would wonder why I don't just eliminate the junk drawer completely.  I don't because we actually do use and reuse items.  It is a revolving junk drawer and not a static one, therefore it is useful. As for my new and improved kitchen drawer, you might look at it and just say, "well, now it is a cute and organized junk drawer of a different sort!"  Indeed, I suppose it is.  But, it better organizes and eliminates several other drawers used in various furnishings and accessories around the kitchen

Cottage Goal

I'm going to be honest in this post, and it isn't going to be pretty. My house stresses me out and exhausts me.  I feel like I can't catch a deep, refreshing breath in my own home. It's strange, because I do love it here, but it is also agonizing to live here at times.  It takes me forever to wake up.  I feel tired, sore, anxious.  I constantly wonder what is wrong with my health, but the strange thing is, when I leave my house I feel better. My goal is to be able to breathe in my own home.  I'm not sure how to do that, but I feel that decluttering, organizing, minimizing, cleaning, and freshening the place up with small renovations might help me find the answer and be able to sit in my own home, take a deep breath, and feel at peace.

Step 6: The Hutch Project

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This monstrosity was only $10.  After days and days of searching for hutch tops, I settled on this one.  It is the size I wanted, and the price was right.  I am pleased to discover most of it is solid oak.  Unfortunately, the parts that aren't are damaged, but it is still sturdy and usable. I am removing the chunky decorative piece at the top, and just leaving the top scalloped edge.  There's already only one ugly drawer pull, so that'll come off and be replaced with something prettier.  The whole unit will be sanded, primed, and painted.  

The Door

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When my time is limited, I find short, little projects I can do to pretty up my kitchen.  The door is a steel door that needed a good cleaning.  Plus the window trim needed to be painted.  I believe this is still just the primer base from when the previous owners installed the door. I had exterior white paint still on hand from this spring's projects, so a bit of that and a good scrubbing on the door, and it is so much better.  It really is amazing how little things like this make such a big difference.

Painted Metal Cabinets

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I was happy with how the first cabinet turned out that I had to move on to the second one.  You can see the stark contrast, and just how discolored the poor metal cabinet looks! I followed the same method, and am very pleased with how it turned out.  If you nose up to it you can see where spray paint dripped or spattered a little.  I'm no professional, but it really is hardly noticeable, especially from the floor. I love how they look all crisp and clean, especially against the freshly painted ceiling!

Plans for the Dark Corner

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 Before After My galley kitchen has an inset where the refrigerator goes.  That dark corner has become a sort of closet catch-all over the years.  I decided to clean it up and move the microwave and cabinet in there to make room for chairs at a kitchen table.  However, I also decided that I don't like the microwave and cabinet there, and that the space would be better utilized as a sort of broom closet as it always has been, but perhaps improved.  For now, I'll keep the microwave and cabinet in there until the rest of the kitchen furniture and storage gets sorted.  It's at least cleaner and tidier for the time being.

Weekend Projects Completed

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My old electric apartment-sized range had scorch marks and yellowing on the sides.  Even though it is mostly tucked between the counters, just that bit sticking out is an eyesore and adds to an overall appearance of dinginess and dirtiness to the whole kitchen.  I purchased some high heat spray paint meant for heating units and grills.  All it took was one coat to clean up the range. Next project was to find a new home for my vacuum cleaners.  For now, I moved them onto the basement landing, but have since decided that the space next to the fridge will become a broom closet of sorts, if I can manage it looking tidy.  For now, though, I am sick of seeing vacuums in the kitchen and I wanted the space for a chair for the kitchen table.  (Sneak peek at the new kitchen table!)

Reflections on Cottage Renovations

Nothing says cottage more hand-me-downs and homemade. Cottages, by necessity, are small, simple structures meant as a cozy and inexpensive living space for the working class or vacationing middle class.  Historically, they were furnished with second hand pieces and maintained with DIY projects.  I'm keeping this in mind as I redo my kitchen, firstly, out of true cottage necessity, and secondly, as a sort of fun treasure hunt. I spent my budget last week on paint and a table.  (I'll show the table in a future post.)  Now, I have to wait to obtain the next round of income to utilize. As I look for furnishings, I've scoured my own possessions first.  Then, I looked locally.  I've found pieces that I'd have to travel for, but decided against spending the gas money and time to do so.  If I can't get it on the cheap locally, I'll just have to do without for the time being.  Any furnishings I get must be under $100.  Preferably under $50. So far on my kitch

Weekend Projects

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  I don't have a broom closet right now.  It used to be in the closet in the 3 seasons porch, but the 3 seasons porch was redone into a bedroom for our daughter and the closet is hers, now.  So, my vacuum cleaners have resided in my kitchen since. I'm sick of the clutter, though.  I need to create a space for them elsewhere. The second project is getting some high-heat paint and cleaning and repainting my range.  Some day, ho pefully soon, we'll be switching to an LP range, but that doesn't mean I have to put up with an ugly electric range in the meantime.  I can clean it up.  Those little things do add up to making a space feel and look better.

Step 5: Experimenting with painting the cabinets

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My cabinets are original 1950 metal cabinets.  Painting them well is not easy.  I cannot afford to have them properly done, so I either have to leave them marred and scarred or find an adequate way to paint them.  I've been to estate sales where the original metal cabinets were painted and they were horrible!  Another big risk is that while the paint job might look good at first, the paint easily scratches off. A little online research, and I decided to try this method: 1.  Remove hardware and rough up the surface of the cabinet with steel wool. 2.  Thoroughly clean and dry the cabinet. 3.  Spray a layer of metal primer and let dry. 4.  Spray paint the desired color evenly and let dry for 12-24 hours. 5.  Spray paint a second layer and let dry for 12-24 hours. 6.  Spray a layer of clear coat and let dry for 12-24 hours. 7. Replace hardware. It's going to take a very long time to do all my cabinets this way, if it works.  I tried it out on an old, ugly cabinet by

Step 4: Choosing Colors

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Benjamin Moore (not sponsored or affiliated) has a line of historical paint colors from authentic 18th and 19th century paints.  Even though my cottage is 1950, I thought this would be an easy start for choosing paints for my kitchen.  Historical colors are classic, more natural looking, and definitely go with the cottage flow. Here in the picture, you can see my 1950 boomerang countertops with the paint chips I selected.  Since I am currently stuck with the countertops, I wanted my scheme to coordinate without being loud, like my kitchen is now.  You see the blue boomerangs?  That's the color of my walls right now.  Bright, loud, kitschy, mid-century fun.  But, I am ready for a lighter, cleaner, more classic, cottage color palate. My dining room and living room are a sunny cream color.  They are actually two different paints, but I was able to color match them almost seamlessly because they discontinued the dining room cream, then the living room cream.  Now, I need to color ma

Step 3: Paint the Ceiling

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The poor kitchen ceiling!  We had an infestation of flies one year.  Everyone was affected!  It was big news in the neighborhood as we lamented the buzzing and those red speckles they leave behind.  My poor ceiling is no exception.  Plus, we had a roof leak, so there's those stains, and some show-off put boot prints on my ceiling. Then, there was the exploding bottle of wine.... Needless to say, my ceiling needed to be painted!  If I had the budget, I'd pull down the old ceiling, put in something new, and put in two lights instead of the one lone fixture in the middle.  Instead, I simply painted the ceiling I have, cleaned the light fixture, and made sure I had a bright enough bulb in it.  If I have any wiggle room in the budget, I might update the fixture, but really, it's just a basic white kitchen fixture that goes with any style. Although, a low-profile fan light would be nice.  The ceiling is fairly low in my kitchen, though.  Ok for hobbits like my husband and

Step 2: Declutter

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Small, baby steps will be the modus operandi for this project.  My budget is small.  Thus far, I have spent $5 on quality magic erasers for cleaning. As you can see from my previous post, I've worked on decluttering, and, as I stated in the previous post, it still looks cluttered.  So, I'll say that I am still in Step 2.  Continued plans for Step 2 is to take down the kitschy décor, like the cheeky sign, the words over the sink, and a few other things on my walls.  I'll leave the polka dot curtains up because no one wants to see where I keep my trash, compost bucket, and recycling.  I haven't decided on a fabric, yet. That huge bag by the door is a 50 lb bag of flour!  I simply don't have a space for it, so there it sits.  I may have to divide it up into smaller bags so they'll at least fit in a cabinet. Step 3:  Paint the ceiling, clean the light fixture.

Cottage Kitchen Make-Over Step 1

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Now, keep in mind that this isn't going to be a Pinterest/Instagram-worthy display or renovation.  I would LOVE to be all financed and sponsored to turn my humble cottage kitchen into a showpiece, but that's not where I am.  This is AUTHENTIC cottagecore, after all.  That means I really do live in a country cottage, living a humble, rural lifestyle.  This is more about function than aesthetic. A little backstory: In my kitchen, the cabinets, countertops, and backsplash are original 1950.  The countertops are a blue boomerang atomic pattern with stainless steel trim.  Very mid-century.  Between having to work with that, and my love for the mid-century era, I decided to turn my kitchen into a kitschy 50's, cherry-patriotic-themed vibe.  The blue of the walls matches the darker blue boomerangs on my counters.  The aesthetic has been fun and cute, complete with original 1950s tube radio, and retro small appliances. I still like the mid-century era, but I feel like I'm gro

New Direction

Gone is the mid-century kitschy look to my blog, and hopefully soon, gone will be the mid-century kitschy look to my kitchen.  My tastes have turned more towards cottagecore.  After all, I do live in a cottage, and I live in the country.  Our property, our lifestyle, our values all tend organically towards the idea and aesthetic of cottagecore.  The kitchen was the only room in the house, anyway, that I mid-centuried.  The rest of the house is cottagey. Stay tuned for my cottage kitchen redo on a teeny budget.

Real Moment: Am I Enough?

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All of us, at some point in our lives, have words that clutter our minds.  Maybe it was that boy who called you ugly at school when you secretly longed to hear that you were beautiful.  Maybe it is something formed through various life experiences. Mine actually has a name.  I call it, "Poe's Crow."  In Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem, it is the Raven who cries "Nevermore."  My "Poe's Crow" repeats "never enough." I'm never enough.  Never enough faith.  Never enough self-discipline.  Never pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough.  There's never enough money.  Never enough time.  Never enough sleep.  Never enough wakeful hours.  Never healthy enough.  Never good enough.  Never even bad enough to get the help I need!  (I've been told that plenty of times.)  NEVER ENOUGH!! Last week, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber posted for free on YouTube his 25th Anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera at Royal Albert Mus