Kitchen Organization

As many of you know, I'm quite obsessed with keeping organized.  I love things all neat and tidy, not just for prettiness' sake, but also for efficiency and general ease of life.  I'm showing you today how I keep my most frequently used kitchen essentials close at hand near my stove top.

I'm using two silver containers from Bed, Bath and Beyond to hold my kitchen tools- wooden spoons and whisks in one and spatulas and tongs in the other.  I find myself reaching for these tools all the time when I'm cooking so I don't like to keep them buried away in the drawer.  Salt and pepper is also close at hand as is the olive oil and spoon holder.  I like the bigger salt containers for when I need a "pinch" or a wide mouth to dip a measuring spoon in.  The cute salt and pepper labels were graciously given to me by House of Smiths and you can order them here.  The simple wooden tray from Container Store keeps things looking neat and clean.   

Hope this gives you a quick little organization fix to kick off your weekend!

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How happy are you for the weekend?!  My honey and I are planning to spend some alone adult time together and I couldn't be more excited- it's been a long time!!  What are y'all up to??

The Nursery- The Big Board

Yesterday I was on the ground playing with HBS and randomly snapped these pictures. I will post details of the board we made next week. I designed it, Patrick made it, but of course it wasn't that simple....More to come as well as nursery pictures, I promise! I am waiting for pictures that are better than ones I can take. In case you were wondering why I had a camera while lying on the ground this was the reason...

Love The One You're With- The Newlywed Diaries

I am thrilled to have a fellow Birmingham blogger and friend Jennifer as a guest blogger.The Newlywed Diaries is one of the first blogs I read, even before I knew Jennifer. I have loved following along with her life from the changes to her house to the birth of her sweet girl. I am so excited to have her here today!

This series has really taken on new meaning in the last year, as we became parents and I left my full-time career to stay at home with our little girl. Dropping my income has been an adjustment, and the projects around our 1959 rancher have taken a backseat to oh, say DIAPERS. We are definitely learning to love the one we're with - for better or worse. Here are a few things that keep me in love with our imperfect - yet perfect for us - little home.


Learn to admire without the need to acquire. I can't take credit for this one; Erika wrote about hearing that phrase during a sermon a couple of years ago, and it still resonates with me. I'll admit that I like to shop, but have found that it can be just as fun to get out and about, look around, get ideas and go home without the anxiety that would come with spending money needlessly.


Keep a "have list," instead of a "wish list." Don't get me wrong, wish lists are great. Goals and priorities are important, but it can be so easy to get caught up in what you wish you had, that you lose appreciation for what you already have. It's hard, believe me. These days there is a design blog on every corner, and it seems that every minute there is something new to love on Pinterest.


I read once that comparison kills contentment, and find it to be more than true. I may wake up feeling completely content and happy, and one look at a friend's stinkin' fabulous new kitchen or something beautiful I've pinned, and suddenly, nothing I have is good enough. Sure, there are always improvements that we can make, but the truth is, when I look at what we have and have been blessed with without the but-everyone-else-has-more goggles, I am moved to tears. We have so much. And it is enough.

Thanks Marianne for having me, and for a great - and timely! - series.

Thank you Jennifer! Wow, this was timely for me, I think I needed to read this more than anyone. I am going to memorize each of these points and take them to heart. What a great post, I am blown away!

New at Schu

One of my favorite times in regards to work is when companies come out with new lines/collections. It is easy to get bored with the current fabrics and wallpapers when you see them all the time so it is nice when something fresh comes along. I missed Schumacher's latest collection introduction recently being preoccupied with other matters but thankfully my fabulous rep kept me in the loop...

I do love a good paisley which is funny because the decorator I started with did not and I always think of her when the scrolly (I know not a real word) pattern pops up.
Texture, color, pattern, oh my...
Thank you Cecily! All fabrics, wallpapers, images Schumacher.

Alphabet Print for Baby/Kid Room

A few weeks ago on a visit to Z Gallerie, I spotted a really cute alphabet print that I thought would be perfect for my son's room.  It's a good size, but $99, so I refrained from purchasing it.  When I saw the framed print again last weekend, I loved it as much as the first time so I went ahead and brought it home.

I needed something for the wall above James' crib. I originally had my DIY book art up there, but it was hung with Command hooks and 2 of the prints ended up falling after nearly a year.  (They fell to the floor, not into the crib, which is about a foot from the wall, and no one was hurt).  I could've ruhung them, but I was ready for something new and will probably move the book art to James' bathroom.

James loves to sing the A-B-C's so I thought this art was particularly appropriate for his age.  Also, I love that it has animals depicting each letter.  So cute!!

A few new things

Hi guys!  How was your weekend?  Is there ever enough weekend time?  I think not!  I had planned to go to High Fashion Home to look for fabric, but didn't make it.  I managed to get a couple of hours to myself on a particularly beautiful Saturday afternoon while James was napping and do some shopping at Houston's Highland Village.  It's a stretch of road near the Galleria that houses some great restaurants and stores.  On  such a gorgeous day, it's great to get to enjoy outdoor shopping, going from place to place.

Of course, I started at Starbuck's with a little caffeine to fuel the trip:)  Here are some of the goodies I scored:

How cute are these mini potted boxwood plants from Crate & Barrel?  They are only $6.95 each.  I originally thought they'd go in the living room media center, but for now I like them in the kitchen.

And from Pottery Barn, I added two new small cable knit throw pillows (similar to these) and a cable knit throw blanket.  I'm ready for those cozy nights!

Also from PB, is this round mother of pearl frame.  My photo doesn't do it justice, but I couldn't find it on their website.  

I also found something for James' room that I'll have to show you tomorrow! 

Quiet Time