I've know I've written dozens of time about the hate/loath relationship I have with my kitchen. It's mostly original to when the house was built in 1956, with a few changes made here and there over the years. It's small, with little room to move around. I can't use the sink and have the dishwasher door open. The range sits in the middle of the room. The refrigerator feels enormous, but probably is a normal size - it hulks on the edge of the counter. There is little storage. Seriously, I could go on for days about how much I dislike the kitchen.

I do like the windows. I like the openness with the living room. Literally, I can stand in the front yard and see through the house to the back yard. In an area where it rains for 9 months solid during the year, light is important. It has good bones. Also, I love my new pantry. It still makes me smile.

For the last six years, I've been trying to decide what to do with this kitchen. Did I mention it's small? Yah... where to put appliances and still have counter space has been the biggest conundrum. Multiple designs have come and gone. I even tried to sit down with a kitchen designer at a local big box store, but they apparently couldn't be bother with selling anything. I've stalked HGTV, despite the incomparable slowness of their site, and when it came along Pinterest, Houzz, etc.

Then I found it!

traditional kitchen design by los angeles interior designer The Old Painted Cottage

 Is it not gorgeous? Light, bright, begging you whip out a loaf of bread. It's the configuration that hopefully will work in my own kitchen (I'm not sure I have that much space - for real). Now that I've found this perfect inspiration, everything else is falling into place. Picked a sink. Chose the flooring, decided what to do with the pass through. It's just all come together in the last two days! After six years of waffling.

Now, I'm just waiting for the contractor to call me back to get started. Yipee!

Spring Break

Last week we were on Spring Break :)  Here's a few highlights:

• our town once again has a place to purchase craft/sewing supplies beyond quilting! It's been so long since I haven't had to hire a babysitter and drive over an hour to shop that I haven't really done anything in a while... that may change soon!
• both children learned how to use the camera on my cell phone. I now have 10 billion photos of the couch and various arms or legs.
• I also have multiple kid games on my phone.
  
• I finished the pantry!!! I now have space to store the extra blankets in an actual linen closet (woot!) instead of Lala's room and see that I went a little overboard buying powdered sugar last Christmas when it was on sale. Also, I don't need pasta for a while.
  

• Two days later, the Cuddler nearly impaled himself when he pulled a bracket out and dropped a shelf on himself.
• Work is still crazy, but in a much more positive way.
• We were gifted with a new-to-us swing set during break and the weather was actually nice enough so the kids could use it! Everyone is so grateful!