The Nesting Hen

I had this akward place between a doorway and my window, and couldn't for the life of me figure out what to put there. In the process of cleaning and trying to find homes for stuff, I came across this old window frame. The frame had been painted black, and was just in general pretty sad looking. I painted it a bright red, the same color as our island, attached a plywood backing that was painted with chalkboard paint, and voila! It's like it was made for that space! It's the perfect space for notes, grocery list, or honey-do lists.  Do you have a unique chalkboard in your kitchen?

Photo courtesy of www.walnutantiqueshow.com I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I LOVE flea markets! My mom and I never miss a What Cheer flea market. My mom has been going there for over 20 years, and as soon as I was old enough to walk the flea market without complaints, I got to go along too. A few years back, we decided that the wait between the May and August What Cheer shows was unbearable, and we needed to find a new show to go to in between. After doing some research, we came across the Walnut Antique Show. Located in Walnut, Iowa (Iowa's Antique City), this small, small town hosts a flea market in Mid June every year. We make a mother daughter weekend out of it, and when she can, my sister joins us a well. We stay overnight at a nearby hotel, and the past few years, we've eaten supper the night before at Mexican restaurant in downtown Harlan. The reason we go back…the cabbage salsa. I know it sounds weird, I had never heard of it before...

Everyone has a collection. Something that you were simply drawn to or something that you have a personal tie with. Mine is a bit of both. My matchbox holder collection reminds me of simpler times that I didn't get to experience. When it was necessary to have matches in the kitchen to light your stove. The silver one in particular holds a special place in my heart. My Great-great-grandfather held a patent for a matchbox holder cut from a single piece of metal. This matchbox is identical to the drawings in his patent. I love the variety of colors, designs, and styles. When we moved into our new house, I couldn't find the right place or method to display them. I wanted to keep them together, as I think they make more of an impact. I finally found the perfect way to display them. This little black shelf houses most of them perfectly, and the space really needed something. I even have room to add more to my collection! (P.S. Don't mind the...

When you live in small town Iowa, we often have to travel and plan trips around shopping. My friend and I have been planning this trip for some time, and were finally able to go. Quite some time ago, we had decided to take   a Saturday and go to….IKEA!!!!!! As we don’t have an IKEA in Iowa, we had to make a decision; go North to Minneapolis, or South to Kansas City . With this lovely polar vortex we’ve all been experiencing, we of course decided KC…the shorter driving distance helped our decision too ;) After weeks of planning our shopping lists, and hours on the road, we have FINALLY made it! I just have to say, I love the IKEA experience. Walking through the show floor, and looking at each room and getting inspiration, then going to the “store” and picking out the items you saw in the showroom (and of course more). Swoon! I luuuuuuuuuv this kitchen. I can picture myself standing at the island, mixing up Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies, with a pot of c...