How I Set Up My Drink Station

Remember a few posts ago when I mentioned that Spring is coming?  Well, folks, Spring will be here in about 2 weeks!  You know what that means right?  It's time to do some Spring cleaning, or in my house, Spring clearing.

One of the most "done" and yet un-done areas in my home is my kitchen.  I completely remodeled it and everything is shiny and new, but my main focuses for my kitchen are optimal functionality, organization, and of course cleanliness.  As you can see in the picture below, my kitchen didn't look like it was organized, clean, or functional.

A part of the problem?  I lacked countertop space and if I had just put 1 or 2 items on my counter, the kitchen just looked cluttered.  I also had a wall on the other side of the kitchen that just wasn't being utilized.

I was using the area for my dogs' food and water, but realized it was such a big waste of valuable wall space.  Once I realized that the lack of countertop space was the main issue, I decided that if I moved my Keurig, Ninja blender, and microwave off the counter, I would be regaining a lot of that precious real estate.  So, this is how my drink/microwave/blender station was born.

The table is actually a console table from Cost Plus World Market that I used as my entryway table.  Because I built another console table for my entryway, I decided to reuse this one in the kitchen and it actually fit the length of the wall perfectly.  It was meant to be, you see?  The wall shelf was actually a DIY up-cycle project and works great with the space.  I need to work on decorating the shelf, but I just like knowing that it's there for extra storage if I ever need it.

I love that the table gives me so many storage options.  I use the drawers for my K-cups and boxes of tea bags.  The bottom shelf on the table also gives me a place to put my water bottles and I love how organized the bottles look!  Now, realistically, my blender won't be utilized on this table, but its a great place to store my blender out in the open so that I can easily reach for it when I need it. Personal fact:  I'm really short so anything lower to the ground is better than being higher on a second or third shelf!

This is a shot of my counters now!  Isn't there just so much more space to work with?  Yes, there is still a whole rack of mugs right over there in that little corner, but that's only because I have an unhealthy obsession with mugs and I like to display them!

Clearing up my counter made my kitchen way more functional and also gives me less anxiety.  Before I set up my drink station, I was constantly stressed out about cleaning and organizing my kitchen every time  I used it because I felt like I just didn't have enough space.  Now, I still clean and organize my kitchen every time I use it, but I don't feel as stressed about it and I can actually spread out my ingredients while I'm cooking or baking.  If you have space for a drink station or just a makeshift island in your kitchen, I would totally recommend putting one together!  This little project of mine was an eye-opener for how some spaces are/aren't being utilized optimally in my house.

Entry Way Progress

Hey guys!  I just wanted to pop in and share the progress I've made in the entry way so far.  Let's start with a "before" photo so that you have an idea what the space looked like when I got my keys...

As you can see, the floors were in bad shape and there was a door (left) that led from the living room to my bedroom.  One of the first things I decided to do was to close up the doorway to create more wall space and really separate the bedrooms from the common living areas.

Now, this is a shot of my living room today...

My floors are now a dark walnut color and the walls are also a lighter grey instead of the yellowish-tan color they were before.

Here are a few more shots...

Baskets, baskets, and more baskets!  As I've mentioned before, I love using baskets everywhere and anywhere to keep things organized. The basket farthest to the left is my "recycling basket".  I use this basket to toss junk mail in and I usually empty it at the end of every week.  This way, I don't end up with a bunch of junk mail on my coffee table, dining table, desk, bedroom, kitchen, laundry area...you get the point!  The middle basket is the "treat basket".  I had to get a basket with a lid so that my 4 dogs couldn't get into the basket of treats when I wasn't home.  This way, I can give my dogs their daily treats before I leave for work and store the jars of treats in this basket instead of leaving them on top of the entryway table.  Lastly, the black and white basket holds clean blankets and linens that I like to use to snuggle up on the couch with.

Let's get a little more close and personal...

On my entryway table, I just have a bowl that holds a bunch of pens I use for work and headphones I use on my jogs/runs, a couple of pictures of my sisters, a candle (given to me by a co-worker), and a plant (given to me by another co-worker/friend).

So, my entryway doesn't look as sparse as it did they day I moved in, but I still feel like this part of my home needs a few tweaks for this space to be considered "finished".  For starters, I want to add a rug to break up the wood on wood action.

I was thinking about something like this?

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or this?

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Also, I want to switch out the little blue chair I have with this...

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BAM!  This chair screams Wendy!  I love it and can't wait to replace my current blue chair with this because it makes such a bold statement...just what I want for my entryway.

There you have it!  I wanted to give you guys a little tour of my entryway and the plans I have to finish it.  I hope you guys enjoyed!  Have a nice day!

Valentine's Day Decor with....Soap?!?

I like to decorate for different seasons/occasions/holidays with simple items.  I don't believe your decor always has to SCREAM at you to make you feel like its going to be Valentine's Day or Christmas or Spring..ya know?  I also like to keep my decor simple because I'm honestly too lazy to pack and unpack multiple decor items for every occasion.  This is why for Valentine's Day, I like to sprinkle more reds and pinks throughout my home.

While perusing Cost Plus World Market today, I looked through their Valentine's Day section and saw these boxes of rose buds.

I first thought they were potpourri and immediately grabbed them because I thought they would look great in the 2 apothecary jars I have in my home already.  However, when I looked at the label, I realized they were soap!

These boxes of soap petals were from World Market, $7.99 ea.

I put the boxes back on the shelf, but after walking around the store for another 20 minutes I decided to put the boxes back into my cart.  They were just too cute to pass up and if they didn't work in the apothecary jars I had planned for them, I would just put them in a dish to use as decor in the restroom (which is probably what they were really meant for).

So this is how I ended up filling my apothecary jars...

I like the contrast of the delicate rose buds with the pinecones in the apothecary jars.

And this is how my entry way table looks so far...