Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Kitchen Spring Cleaning

inspired me to do a little Spring cleaning!
And by Spring cleaning, I mean...
Moving it all out of the kitchen and painting the walls too!
I decided to change up the décor over the bean chest too...
As much as I loved displaying a sampling of my Martha's book collection, I
was bitten by the spring cleaning bug, so the whole scene suddenly began to
feel cluttered and bug me. Besides, ever since I saw the pot rack over the
stove in this kitchen from the movie It's Complicated, I've wanted one!
Now... I'm no stranger to the convenience of having a pot rack in the
kitchen. As you can plainly see from this photo of my California kitchen!
In fact, my pot rack was the first thing I wanted to
hang up after we tore everything down in this kitchen!
I tried to love it. But it just didn't feel right here...
So I had it taken down and got comfy with stacking my pots and pans in the
cabinets. But that didn't stop me from wanting a pot rack like the one in the
movie. And then it happened! I was standing at the island thinking about how
great a pot rack would look over my bean chest and it hit me! I've walked past a
pot rack very nearly similar to the one I've been pining for a hundred times at the
Antiques Marketplace in Greensboro! When the planets finally aligned for me,
I grabbed the phone and called to see if the pot rack was still there. And, it was!
I asked them to hold it for me because although my pot rack has been hanging
in this vendor's booth waiting for me to make the connection for two years, I
didn't want it to sell in the thirty minutes it would take me to get there!
So last Sunday during my cleaning spree, we decided to take
it one step further and repaint the kitchen and redecorate too!
But before the walls could be painted I had some major cleaning and
de-cluttering to do. And, it all began right here with the refrigerator!
I mean, seriously... How did this happen?!
Of course, there are a couple of things here I cannot imagine not seeing
every day. Such as this note my dad left on our door one morning when
he and my mom dropped off some magazines to me. I cut it out and taped
it to our refrigerator. That was 1996 and two houses ago. It was also back
during a time when there were still four of us living at home. Four. Sigh...
Then there is this little gem, which ironically still looks just like me!
But while the memories are very sweet, I felt it was time
for a change... Of the spring-cleaning, clean-slate variety!
But I didn't go crazy and get rid of everything. I decided to keep the
first magnet I bought after we married in 1985. Because after all...
There must be some common sense left in the kitchen!
So while the man I love painted the kitchen and, reminded me over and over again
that he has yet to meet another husband who has painted his wife's kitchen five
times in as many years, I cleaned and organized. Has it really been five times?
Actually, it has. There was the yellow, which lasted all of five minutes...
Which is also about as long as the tile counter tops lasted...
Which I loved in my California kitchen and said I would love
forever here, if only he would replace the Formica with it!
Hey! A girl will say anything to get rid of Formica! Especially when her choices
were building a swimming pool and getting a mini make-over in the kitchen,
or doing a full kitchen remodel without the swimming pool option. Besides...
Summer was coming at the time and I knew I would
eventually get everything I wanted in the kitchen!
It's the difference between getting it all now...
Or getting it all in stages! 
Fortunately, I like things to evolve and change
so getting what I want in stages works for us!
After the kitchen was painted and everything was washed...
I changed a few things up and, even decided to
eliminate a few things. Just to lighten it up a little!
Sadly, my vintage pink Toledo candy scale didn't make the cut...
SpaBoy has moved back to High Point and has been downsizing from
his storage so we are considering throwing a tag sale next month...
Which could be fun. Because you know what they say... Out with the old means...
In with the new!
And the more pot racks I hang drawers I clean out...
The more room I have for new stuff!

So where are you in this season of Spring cleaning?

10 comments:

  1. I love your kitchen so much!

    How fun to get all that painting done and I LOVE the pot rack!! Had to comment on your magnets -- I have so many similar ones as I always bought a magnet at whatever city/state we visited. I've kept all mine on my metal cabinet in my office and just last week I decided to take them down. For awhile anyway. :)

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  2. I love this! It's perfect! (We live in a old house in the BV that needs to be completely gutted, but first the mechanicals need to be taken care of. I told my sweet husband I was too old to remodel yet another house, but...)

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  3. First time here. Love the white kitchen. Enjoy.

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  4. This really puts me in the mood, Janet! I also have a bathroom that needs a fresh coat, but my kitchen is always my priority.
    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  5. I am actually considering driving across the country just to come to your tag sale- I can only imagine all the great goodies to be found!!!!

    I LOVE reading your blog- you make me 'almost' inspired to go clean and redecorate my kitchen. Almost.

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  6. Can I just say your kitchen and your goodies are AMAZING!!!! You have awesome taste!

    Are you going to keep the milk bottle that hung on your wall? I have searched the internet high and low for one of those! If you decide to sell, please let me know! I would love to buy it! Please shoot me a email, if so!

    Take care!
    Jennifer

    allthatglitters20099(AT)yahoo dot com

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  7. That's awesome! I love the pot rack! My version this year is packing up and moving and boy have I pared down! It feels good though...

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  8. I love cleaning, organizing, painting, reorganizing etc., etc. I love the *new* kitchen and your pot rack. I can't have a pot rack because I would need a stool to reach the hanging pots :(

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  9. Love the look of the wall mounted pot rack. Might need to keep that in mind for our upcoming kitchen remodel.

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  10. If you decide to sell your toledo scale, I would LOVE to buy it (for the right price). <3

    Toni

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xo