You already know it’s the little things that can add up to rich joy. We’ll peek at a few pretty new little lovely things in the kitchen and then chat about a new daily practice. Sometimes you develop a new habit, and it takes time to see fruit. And sometimes it takes no time at all. Don’t you love the latter?
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Little Lovely Things in the Kitchen: Early Summer
I think my process for pulling a house together is different in that I take my time with all the finishing touches. Part of the reason for that is that I find those little details important and fun compared to the renovation tasks. So with our bedroom renovation done, now it’s time to focus on details, personalization, and accessorizing.
Amber Lewis x Loloi Rugs
Here’s a new lovely little thing for the kitchen: Zuma rugs in Ocean/Multi from Amber Lewis x Loloi.
This runner is just right for adding a layer of softness and introducing pattern in our serene kitchen.
I’m still hunting for the right accents for the wall above backsplash to flank the range hood:
And maybe I’ll hang decorative plates or art. The thing is, I haven’t even organized all my stuff from the move that is stored in the basement! So I’ll start there, shopping my house.
But these rugs designed by Amber Lewis with Loloi? They were a no brainer!
In addition to the runner, two of the smaller (2’3″ x 3’10”) size are perfect in the laundry area and pantry.
Not sure if I have shown you the laundry area before. It has come a long way. I repurposed cabinets from the kitchen and painted them Sherwin-Williams Eider White.
We left the original floor tile in this area, and it was the right decision since it takes a lot of abuse as the pass through from the garage. Here’s another new little thing that I discovered is useful for all sorts of things…an oven to table serving platter dish with wood trivet.
For around 20 bucks, the platter can become “a beautiful cheese plate, and because it is oven-safe, it is the perfect piece for baking and serving bruschetta, crostini and even a heaping pile of nachos.” The acacia wood stand is one of those little things that is extra lovely since it protects countertops and tables from the hot plate.
Below you can see the relationship between the kitchen and dining/music room.
Above, you can see another Zuma rug in the walk-in pantry. I took the door off not knowing if we would miss it, and we don’t. We would have reconfigured this angled space when we renovated the kitchen, but there is a waste pipe in one of the walls, and as DIYers, we weren’t about to relocate that bad boy.
Although we don’t have an open floor plan, all of the rooms on the main level receive adequate light from multiple directions. It’s a little thing that makes all the difference.
I wasn’t sure the rug was needed in here, but it truly cozies things up. I’m typically barefoot at home so the comfort underfoot is so welcome.
The rugs also make practical sense layered over the LVP. I have mentioned it before, but vinyl is wonderful underfoot and waterproof, but it is not indestructible.
And it’s not dent proof so a rug is a sweet protective friend to LVP.
As far as lovely little new things in the breakfast area, I have actually auditioned a half dozen window treatments in here!
But I haven’t been satisfied with any of them so it’s bare for now!
Just outside the nook?
I have been busy tweaking the deck and railing which was dark chocolate brown.
It wasn’t terrible…until a recent hail storm! Some of the hailstones were three inches, and boy did that storm damage roofs and homes in our neighborhood.
It’s not quite done since the railing needs another coat or two. Covering dark colors is somethin’ else, and the story of my life in this home.
The little bistro set is the same one I bought for our prior home:
As far as the paint color I used for the floor? It is custom to match the siding, but is very similar to Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray.
What a difference to lighten up this deck which is visible from the kitchen sink window, patio doors, upstairs bedroom, and sitting room.
So the freshened look is enjoyed inside and out. And speaking of the view outside…
Our deer friends visit everyday at least once a day. What joy they bring to my everyday!
The hedge you see above on the right is all white lilac (inside the hedge is a secret room and future project). When I was outside the other day, the whole hedge was ALIVE and buzzing with bees and butterflies.
Which brings me to that daily practice I mentioned. I have a delight practice now, and it couldn’t be simpler. I’m simply noticing when I feel delight, and it is happening more often than I imagined.
That afternoon when the lilac fragrance, sound of the bees, and sight of the busy butterflies filled up my senses? What a miracle of delight.
The blessing of all of the trees on our property which shelter singing birds? Delight.
My furry niece who is a city girl and came to stay for a week in the country? Delight.
The delights just keep coming, and though so many spring from nature, there are plenty of others. (Sometimes when plans get cancelled…delight!)
Even blog comments can fill me with a delightful buoyancy. It’s the strangest thing. Here I am, an ordinary woman on a prairie in the heartland. I press keys on an electronic board, and *shazam* somehow little ideas and bits of inspiration travel to faraway lands. They somehow find you. What a blessing.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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Michelle: You are a delight and thanks for making me smile. I too like to take my time with a project to get every detail just right. As I write this I am sipping my coffee on my deck watching the diamonds that fall to the grass from the sprinkler system. Though the sound isn’t a delight the reflection from the sun is and watching the dance is a great way to start the day. And you are too. Thank you
Author
What a gorgeous description of your simple yet beautiful delight. The sun is such a delight for me each day, and I don’t ever want to take any of it for granted. Thank you for blessing me with more delight today, Shelley. xox
I love that word, delight! I find so much delight in my backyard and I’m always looking to be more delighted. My mood can quickly change when I “feed my soul”. In sighting a new bloom, smelling a fragrant blossom, sounds of the birds, even the intricacies of an insect, a bee loaded with pollen almost to heavy to fly, I’m a student of observation. Just look, listen, and smell. We have a newly hatched family of Chickadees delighting me with their antics. The new Downy Woodpecker family delight me with their ferocious appetite at my suet feeder. The blue Jay bravely lands near me for the peanuts I present. And it makes my heart sing!
Author
What delight – you’re speakin’ my heart language, Karen. Those chickadees are making my days too. One flew into the garage yesterday morning, and my husband gently guided it out, a double delight to see his beautiful heart on display with the nervous bird. The birdsong! Can you even? Even the ants can be a source of deep joy when you allow yourself to enter into their realm. I’d love to see your woodpecker family. The giving and taking, feeding and receiving, it’s all a circle of delight. xox
I love your daily delight practice! I’m going to join you in it!! One of our biggest delights on the mountain is at dusk, most every night now, we hear our resident whip-poor-will chanting its name over and over! Truly a summer delight that never grows old!
Author
So happy to have you joining!!! Yay! It’s just the best, and it is adding the richest layer to my summer days, Amy! Your messages continue to resonate with delight – thank you, friend.
Delightful is the perfect word for the content you bring with each day’s post! Ooh, a secret garden room… will look forward to seeing its transformation. This morning as I watered the landscape bed surrounding the front patio, a new summer day filled my senses with 3 bird species coexisting peacefully as they sang in chorus, the bees flitted between the emerging blossoms of azaleas and crape myrtle, and water sprayer rainbows shone in the dappled sunlight. Isn’t it wonderful when we notice simple beauty?
Author
What gorgeous lyrical reflections you are sharing of your world breathing with life and blessing your time. “Water sprayer rainbows” just fills my heart with joy to hear. What a picture of lovely you paint and enjoy. Simple beauty is always the most elegant beauty! xox
It’s the English major, former public relations director in me… emerging from the fog of grief after the passing of my precious Chocolate Lab, Big Love, who blessed my life for almost 14 years. He died unexpectedly from a stroke the week after your son’s blind kitten, as he assisted me gardening on a pretty spring day.
Author
Oh, it’s so hard, Nan. My heart goes out to you as you move through the love that lives on without its object. Why is it that absolutely everything continues to remind me of Snoopy as we continue to grieve? Every song. Every breeze. The color green. Is he now inside those things and loving us? I’d like to think so. Big Love. What a good boy. What a blessing. xox
The morning after Big Love passed, an insistent noise coming from my back patio grabbed my attention indoors. Hesitant to peek out the window, a brilliant crimson cardinal perched on the nearest branch, stared right at me, bowed his head and barked. Not chirp; a bark! No birds ever dared to come near the patio, as that was Big Love’s sunbathing domain. That message from Heaven was balm for my aching soul. When I step outside now, drink in all the signs of life and beauty that Big Love lives on in all this glory.
Thank you for your kindness, Michele.
Author
What a gift of a moment and a testament to beauty revealed when the veil is somehow lifted. I’m so thankful for such balms. Thank you for sharing the beauty of it with us. What comfort that Big Love is near! xox