Friday, May 01, 2009

The Kitchen Tour!



This post is dedicated to my sweet 13-year old daughter Caroline, who has a heart of gold. We saw Kelly's blog today and thought it would be fun since we love seeing other people's kitchens. However, we had one major problem in doing that. Our kitchen was not what you'd call, ahem, photo ready. In fact it rarely is. Just keeping it real here! We have four children, and three of them are teenagers. Our kitchen is the center of our home...we live in it! And I generallly have papers, papers everywhere (one of the "joys" of homeschooling, for sure!). I wish each of you had a Caroline in your home. She's not the kind of kid who needs to be asked or told to do anything -- she sees a need and takes care of it. So after seeing Kelly's post she said "Let's do it!" We put some fun music on and went to work -- the two of us got the kitchen ready for pictures and in doing so we were able to give our kitchen one big Spring cleaning! And now it is looking fine and what a joy to prepare a wonderful meal to enjoy when Alan gets home from work. On second thought, the kitchen's so clean I think we should eat out!

We live in a 200-year old farmhouse in the heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and I love our old brick house. The only problem with it when we bought it was the kitchen was a TINY galley-style kitchen and the six of us would continually bump into each other. So after saving up for it for 7 years we had plenty of time to read all those kitchen magazines and dream about what I wanted. Finally in 2004 we did it! It was hard to make the addition blend in to keep it looking like it was always part of the farmhouse but I was really pleased with how it turned out. And it's so funny now, when people come to our home for the first time they say, "Oh this is what I love about old farmhouses -- the huge kitchens!" And I smile and show them what the "real" kitchen was for this old farmhouse - a tiny room that is now my mudroom, which I'd love to show you pictures of, but then you'd see all the papers I just took out of the kitchen to make it look so sparkly clean! Haha....Kelly, maybe sometime you could do a tour of mudrooms so I could get that photo-ready as well!


I love my black buffet...bought it and the frame above it from Ballard Designs. Since I don't have the type of fridge that you can cover with pictures I love posting them all on our bulletin board. I save the pictures from all the Christmas cards and love to be reminded of my friends & their families when I see their pictures.

Coleman wrote "Bless God" on our blackboard a year or two ago and I can't bear to erase it. So many people say "God Bless" and I always tell my kids to Bless God!

Enjoy this May weekend everyone!

Fiffer

19 comments:

Twice as Nice said...

You have a beautiful large kitchen. You also have the same bar stools as me! It's been fun checking out kitchens and seeing similarities. Someone else has the same valances as me, although I'm looking to change mine.

Rachel said...

WOW! This kitchen is a-ma-zing!

Allyson said...

I'm loving your kitchen. Looks like some great memories are made in that room!

Can't wait to see the rest of your farmhouse! I have family in Reading and Reinholds, so it makes it extra special.

beckylbranch said...

I love how open your kitchen is! Very Traditional Home style...love it!

sportzmom said...

I love your kitchen and I love the Bless God. How perfect!

 The Morris Family said...

Beautiful and so fresh and homey!! Looks like a bed and breakfast type!
Cindy

Sue said...

I feel like I am looking at a kitchen in a magazine...beautiful and cozy!!
Blessings~LillySue

P.S. Click the "LillySue" link at Kelly's and come visit my kitchen!

Heather said...

Your kitchen is so gorgeous!! I love how open it is!! Thanks for sharing!

Cheri said...

Gorgeous! Love your style!

Ashley said...

I LOVE your hard wood floors!!! Thank you for sharing.
-Ash-

Unknown said...

Stunning! I love it!

Jessica said...

Love the color of the island!!!

Pam Bowers said...

I love old farmhouses...and I love your new kitchen too.

Angie Seaman said...

Pretty kitchen! Love your counter stools! Found you thru Kelly's blog. Just got my kitchen tour post up today. Better late than never, eh? :) Thanks for sharing!
Blessings, Angie Seaman
www.angelicagracedesigns.com/blog/ (blog)
www.angelicagracedesigns.com (website)
www.angieseamanphotography.blogspot.com/ (photography blog)

Elizabeth said...

Your kitchen is beautiful!

Anonymous said...

i love this kitchen. i live in florida and no one has kitchens like yours. i hope you will post the rest of your house as kelly does the tour. personally, i would love to see a floor plan of your house if you have one or could sketch one out. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your kitchen. i showed it to my husband this am and said I WANT THIS!!!

mellybean said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE - my absolute favorite by far!!

Canadian Mom said...

Hello...
Just dropping by......your kitchen reminds me of mine! Only yours would be the Remodeled version. Having said that; our "taste" in style is certainly the same! Also, your daughter sounds like my 15 year old Ali. She is the kind of kid that will pick-up and do whatever needs to be done...baking, cooking, cleaning etc, etc. Thank-you Jesus for kids like that! BTW, did you see Beth Moore??

Smiles & Blessings

Sharon said...

I've been browsing the kitchens from Kelly's blog for a couple of days. I saw your first pic and thought, "Ok, that's the kitchen I like best." Then I read on a bit and discovered that we have much in common. We are fellow homeschoolers, and I have a sweet 10 year old Rachel who is a blessing in the same way your daughter is. We live in a 106 year old folk Victorian house in northwest Arkansas. They don't come much older around here. Like you, we've done some renovating, but have plenty more to do. Oh, and I love your "Bless God" sign. I have a "Happy Thanksgiving" sign hanging in the dining room that my son put up 3 years ago when he was 5. He wrote it so neatly and carefully, then climbed on a chair to attach it near the top of the doorway. It might stay there till the glue on the tape gives out.