Happy Valentine's Day with a Little Parisian Romance

It's Valentine's Day! I decided to do a little crafting in honor of this day so I could post some things to my badly neglected Etsy shop. These solid wood switch plates were purchased in at a flea market and I made them so pretty with just some chalk paint and ink!

 

Of course, Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world so why not add a touch of romance with stamps?

Hope your day is full of Paris romance and love!

It Started with a New Stove...

Well, readers ...anyone still out there? I am back for a while, I hope. A lot has happened. A couple family things (I'll explain in another post) and the Christmas holiday and work and it's just been a whirlwind.

So, the stove. My 19-year old stove broke in July. I got a new one, which I'm not super happy with -- I mean how do you keep stainless steel and those black glass tops clean? That will be the death of me! Thanks goodness I decided to get a white refrigerator two years ago.

When we got the stove, we had to rip out part of our backsplash so that's when I decided that this 19-year old, formica counter topped, warped beadboard backsplashed kitchen needed to be updated.

Our plans:
Keep the cabinets -- they are in great shape, but probably need to be stained or painted because they are pretty banged up. I think we will paint and I would save a bundle if I did it myself, but I honestly don't have the time.
Get glass for the cabinets -- I never put the glass in 2 of the cabinets -- yep, dusty dishes.
Ditch the formica countertops -- I've longed for marble or granite and I think it's time. But, I have to say, the formica still looks pretty good after all of these years.See the beautiful quartzite to the right? -- our new island top!
Find a compatible, more functional backsplash. Beadboard looked great for about 6 years ... then it started warping behind the sink. It's been that way for a good 15 years.
Change up the island. I want the island to be the centerpiece. We are going to do some fun, inexpensive (except for the countertop) things.
Add cabinets to where the desk is -- We need storage for our waffle maker, mixer, etc. Right now they are stored in our family room. I honestly thought this would be inexpensive, but it is not. The problem -- the cabinet depth is not standard. It has to be under 21 inches. Looking at vanity size cabinets, but most have to be ordered. Kind of expensive -- way more than I thought. Heading to salvage yards this week.
Get a new dishwasher. Ours is almost 20 years old. It does an okay job. I mean, sometimes we have to wash the dishes again, but it's still going. I don't want to let go, but my husband is making me.
Get a new sink -- basic stainless steel. NEVER get a white enamel sink if you have 3 boys and/or well water. Just sayin'
Remove the railing between the family room and kitchen to open up the room a bit.

So stay tuned readers. I will be posting some before and after shots over the next few weeks.