She Knows Feature

Happy New Week!

I WAS HONORED WHEN JANA RANDALL ASKED ME TO IF SHE COULD FEATURE MY KITCHEN AS ONE OF THE WONDERFUL KITCHENS IN HER ONLINE MAGAZINE SERIES.  I AM POSTING THE FEATURE HERE SO YOU CAN ENJOY ALL THE WONDERFUL INSPIRATIONAL KITCHENS THEY ARE FEATURING.  I WAS HONORED TO BE AMOUNgst THEM.  ENJOY SEEING ALL THE BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN INSPIRATION.  THANK YOU JANA FOR THE HONOR.  Grab a cup of your fave beverage there is a lot of inspiration here!
JANA RANDALL
Home & Living Assigning Editor

RENOVATION MADE EASY

This guide is chock-full of all the information you need to renovate your kitchen. Save it, pin it or print it so that you have what you need before you start the big demo.
Teapot on kitchen counter
Photo credit: Kaneko Ryo/Moment/Getty images

Kitchen renovation

Renovating your kitchen
Photo credit: Manhattan Nest
Homeowners make the decision to renovate a kitchen for many reasons — the kitchen may be outdated, they dislike the design made by a previous owner, they need more space, etc. But for whichever reason you had for renovating your kitchen, one simple idea comes to mind: "to minimize the bad and maximize the good." This quote, taken directly from the blog Manhattan Nest, is a great philosophy to keep in mind when designing and creating the kitchen of your dreams.
If you're using a contractor, you'll want to know how to tell him what you want.

Renovation 101: Conveying your vision to the contractor >>

Before you get started, check out a few of our favorite renovations.

Top kitchen renovations of all time >>

Have a family? Here are tips to survive a kitchen remodel.

RENOVATION MADE EASY

This guide is chock-full of all the information you need to renovate your kitchen. Save it, pin it or print it so that you have what you need before you start the big demo.
(page 2 of 3)

Tips & tricks

There's no doubt that we've got plenty of tips and tricks up our sleeves to help you with your remodel. Here are some of the best points of advice from SheKnows writers, experts and some of our favorite bloggers.

Budget

Renovating your kitchen Tips & Tricks: budget

Photo credit: Elissa from Our House

Before you go shopping or looking for inspiration for your kitchen renovation, it is essential that you sit down and figure out your budget. It would also help if you have a needs and wants list. This will act as the core of your remodel, helping you know where you can spend and where you can and should penny pinch. Elissa at Our House did just this. By making "save" and "splurge" lists, she and her husband had a backbone before they even started renovating.

Design

Renovating your kitchen Tips & Tricks: Design

Photo credit: Deuce Cities Hen House

Depending on the square footage of your home or the year that it was built, space may not be on your side. When designing your new kitchen, it is vital for you to think of the functionality of your kitchen. If you want more space or organizing options, you will want to add this into your plans from the get-go. Alison at Deuce Cities Hen House's kitchen was built in the early 1900s, giving her an outdated and very small space. Going with a minimalist design, she was able to create a statement kitchen with a lot of personality and functionality.
Read about four staples you need for a modern kitchen design.

Color

Renovating your kitchen Tips & Tricks: Color

Photo credit: It's a Wannabe Decorator's Life

The color that you choose for your kitchen is one of the most vital decisions that you will make for your renovation. This is because a color can change the entire feel of the room, and since most kitchen concepts are open, it also has to blend well with the rest of the home. Erin at It's a Wannabe Decorator's Life chose to keep her kitchen a beige hue while painting a selection of her cabinets a unique shade of green. In her opinion, the painted cabinets "open and brighten up a space," and we couldn't agree more.

Personality

Renovating your kitchen Tips & Tricks: Personality

Photo credit: The Inspired Room

Your kitchen is easily the most lived in room of your home, so allow it to have a bit of your own personality and style. Use creative color, architecture and patterns to create a space that you can enjoy spending time in. Melissa at The Inspired Room allowed room in her budget to add two-toned cabinetry and a baking center, something that is absolutely essential to her in the kitchen.
Learn how to make a white kitchen show off your personality.

Storage

Renovating your kitchen Tips & Tricks: Storage 1

Photo credit: Everyday Enchanting

Your kitchen needs to store a lot of items: plates, bowls, serve ware, baking ware, glassware, utensils, decorative items and, of course, food. Therefore, you want to ensure that you have a lot of space for storage in your kitchen. When renovating, think of clever spaces and ideas that you can use for storage in your new space. Turning an otherwise unused space into something functional, Nina, from Everyday Enchanting, and her husband turned their hood into a storage area with this simple guide.
Renovating your kitchen Tips & Tricks: Storage 2

Photo credit: Everyday Enchanting

Appliances

Renovating your kitchen Tips & Tricks: Appliances

Photo credit: Fisherman's Wife Furniture

Believe it or not, many kitchen renovations begin with appliances. Realizing that their appliances are either outdated or do not fit the home's style, homeowners will opt to remodel the entire space to fit their new modern appliances. Due to the cost of new appliances, they do take up a good portion of the renovation's budget. With this in mind, before you go shopping, get educated. Kaylor, the blogger behind Fisherman's Wife Furniture, gives a great list of advice to help you snag a deal on appliances that will last.

RENOVATION MADE EASY

This guide is chock-full of all the information you need to renovate your kitchen. Save it, pin it or print it so that you have what you need before you start the big demo.
(page 3 of 3)

Inspiration

Looking for a bit of inspiration before you head out to your favorite home store? Here are some of our most-loved kitchen renovations and remodels from around the web.

Light & airy

Renovating your kitchen Inspiration: Light & airy

Photo credit: Young House Love

Using a bright color combination with modern fixtures, this kitchen is filled with personality and light.

French country

Renovating your kitchen Inspiration: French country

Photo credit: Junk Chic Cottage

It's hard to believe that this shabby chic beauty is located in the heart of Illinois.
I have added some of the new changes to my kitchen since this article was done.  So I have posted those pictures here.


















You can click on the photo credits below each kitchen in the feature to visit their sites for more pictures of each of the kitchens featured here.

Enjoy all the inspiration.

Farmhouse delight

Renovating your kitchen Inspiration: Farmhouse delight
Photo credit: Miss Mustard Seed

Taking a modern twist on the farmhouse kitchen, this beautiful kitchen features a full-length chalkboard wall.

Sleek & sophisticated

Renovating your kitchen Inspiration: Sleek & sophisticated

Photo credit: Blog the New Black

Black is back with this sleek kitchen accented with black cabinets, white subway tiles and small pops of color.

Checkered charm

Renovating your kitchen Inspiration: Checkered charm

Photo credit: A Lo and Behold Life

Looking charming with black-and-white tiled flooring, this kitchen has an endearing vintage appeal.

Simply stated

Renovating your kitchen Inspiration: Simply stated

Photo credit: The Mustard Ceiling

A kitchen with a very simple style, this space has a rare and fascinating allure to it.

It's in the details

Renovating your kitchen Inspiration: It's in the details
Photo credit: B in Real Life

This is a modest kitchen that screams personality thanks to the small, yet significant, red vintage details.

Woooo that is a whole lot of inspiration.  Hope you can take some time and visit all the pretty kitchens featured here.  Have a wonderful start to the new week.
Kris
:)

Happy Dad's Day

Good Sunday Morning.  It has been a beautiful sun filled week end here in the Midwest.  Loving every minute.


Hope all the wonderful dads have a great day today.



My hubby is on the golf course this morning and then our two daughters and granddaughter will join us later for dinner.


  Tim our son in law is working at his firefighter job today.  So I wish him a great Dad's day.  We hope to stop by the firehouse later to give him some hugs.  


 Terry is a wonderful husband and father and now grandfather and of course the most wonderful Mr. Junk Chic Cottage Ever!!!!!!



So Today I dedicate this post to him and all the  wonderful dads everywhere.

Thanks Terry for all you do for me, the girls, the community and our home.  You are a blessing in our lives.



Happy Father's Day
Kris
:)

Saturday Spotlight: Life Behind The Blogger


Susan from Must Love Junk, and myself wanted to do a regular feature on our blogs, something unique that hasn't been done before.   So we came up with an idea to 'spotlight the real life behind the blogger' in a more personal way.
There is so much talent and inspiration in blogland, and we thought it would be fun to bring you a closer look at the person behind the blog.

Every week on Saturday we will spotlight a blogger and have them tell us a little bit about themselves and their blogs.  You will be able to see and read about each of the bloggers on both Susan's and my blog. 
Ana A Petite Cottage
June 14th 



Hi Everyone.

First and foremost I would like to thank Kris for the honor of "spotlighting" little ol' me in this week's Saturday Spotlights. Thank you Ms. Kris, it is truly an honor.


So here we go...

My name is Ana and I blog over at A Petite Cottage. I am currently majoring in domestic engineering and minoring as a Roadside Acquisition Specialist at the University of Life...Hee, Hee, Hee.



I have been married to Jose, the love of my life for 21 wonderful years this past May and we have a beautiful, smart and super funny daughter (currently attaining college but still living at home...Yay!!!) whose name is Briana.
The above is our most recent family portrait, commissioned and painted by me...It was just way too hard with work and school schedules, to get all of us together to get our picture taken in a studio so, I decided to take matters into my own hands. The only one missing from our family portrait is....
Cookie, our petite, 14 year old fur baby. She's soooo cute,  isn't she?
Anyway, we all share our very petite but very comfy and full of love cottage overlooking the bay. Over the years it has under gone many transformations...transforming from a simple little house to our Cottage Sweet Cottage.
Living room one side
Living room opposite side
Dining room.
Master bedroom one side.
Master bedroom opposite side.
Kitchen.
Computer room/petite den.
Little corner out on our front porch.
I am truly the happiest when I am with my family and when I am being creative and/or creating. I have a Fashion Design and Merchandise degree from FCC, so I guess you can say design has always been in my blood. Although I am a stay at home mom and wife...by choice I may add...I can still put into practice a lot of what I learned in my own home. I love to decorate and redecorate our home. There is truly nothing better than watching my family's expressions when they walk into a newly reorganized and redecorated room.
A few years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and even though my condition prevents me a majority of the time from doing as much as I was able to do before, it hasn't stopped me completely. I love creating, decorating, sewing, crocheting and crafting way too much to let it stop me...I've just had to learned to rely more on God, less on me and to work around it. 
Some of my other loves include blogging, of course, thrift shopping and stopping at yard sales...Ooh, love the thrill of the hunt. I love, love, love Mexican food, the spicier the better, I always say :-) And on my down time I love to sit and watch television with my hubby. Criminal investigation/Detective and Sci Fi shows are our favorites. But above all and over anything else I love, love, love being a Wife, Mother and a Child of God.
As I close off, I would like to say that I have been blogging for 5 years and the friends I have made along the way have brought so much joy to my life. Never in a million years did I ever think I would have met so many kindred spirits, kind, caring supportive souls who I feel very blessed to be able to call friends.
Thank you all for stopping by and thank you again Kris for this opportunity. 

Wishing everyone a wonderfully creative day.


Hugs and Kisses,
❤️Ana


Thank you Ana.  I love your blog and was so excited you said yes to sharing yourself with all of us.  It was fun to get to know you better.  Your hubby, daughter and fur baby family are adorable.  Love the self portrait you did.  It is beautiful.

Now that you have gotten to know Ana please hope over to Susan's blog and meet another wonderful blogger Cindy from Cynthia Lee Designs.  Enjoy the week end.
Kris
:)

Midwest Summer

It has been a beautiful Midwest Summer week.

Hope your summer is fabulous so far.


My blooms in the garden are really taking hold.  They are loving this milder weather and lots of sunshine.


Loving my time spent on my deck lounger reading and soaking up some sun.


Midwest summers are the best.  After the harsh winter it is so nice to have our summer finally.



FYI:
A lot of you have emailed me about what kind of plants I have in some of my planters.

They are all sun loving annuals that need 6+ hours a day of sun.  My deck gets sun almost all day and all afternoon.   The front of the house is Western exposure so it gets sun from noon till sun set.  So both the back of the home and the front need sun loving flowers and plants.

Most of the flowers are Bidens, Petunias and Verbena.  They mix very well together and enjoy each other's company.

Some of the front and back of the house have Lantana and Golden Stars.
Most of the flowers I pick have to be full sun plants and live amongst each other nicely.
So far so good and they are thriving.
Good meal of Miracle Grow plant food and bloom booster at least once a week helps them to get such beautiful color and size.

The colors are just so vibrant this season.








Hoping your summer is wonderful so far.  Make sure you come back Saturday for Spotlight.  Susan and I have two wonderful bloggers for you to get to know better.

Enjoy the week end.
Kris


Sharing with Fabulously Creative Friday Party

Casa da Sogno Feature

I wanted to share some exciting international news I received.  I was honored to have my home featured in the Italian version of Romantic Homes called Casa da Sogno. 
I was hoping when Francesca asked me to be interviewed for the feature it would involve some airline tickets!  Nope, we did it through the modern convenience of email.  Darn!



 You cannot get a copy of this here in the US but Francesca the editor sent me this pdf so I could view my magazine feature.  So I will share it with you what she sent me.























Grazie! Casa da Sogno and Francesca.    I translated some of the feature and Francesca said really nice things about my style and home.  So now I am feeling so international! 

  I just find it so amazing that we can all come from different life styles and customs, speak different languages and still share in common, the love of chippy and shabby treasures and we share the appeal of re-loving these wonderful things into our homes. 

Have a great day and thank you for your visit.  I am feeling the need to go now and cook some spaghetti and meat balls!
Kris
:)

Update On Painted Blue Porch

Hi Everyone.  Hope the new week is starting out great for all of you.

Just wanted to show a little update to the new painted pretty blue porch.  You can see the post on the painted porch here.

Painted the ugly cement porch blue over the week end and it needed a new rug.

Found this cute yellow and white one at Home Goods.



Yep I am liking the way it sets off the blue porch and brings out the yellow in the front cottage door.


Gotta Love Home Goods.  Only $9.99 for this great rug.

Have a great start to the new week.  It was so pretty today.  Sunshine and 80.  Gorgeous summer time weather for us.
Have a wonderful week.
Kris
:)


When Is A Porch Just A Porch And When Is A Porch Just Pretty



While I was out watering I
 looked at my front porch and thought to myself wow it is so boring and no character or personality to it.  I have all these pretty flowers, a yellow front door that screams summer and then this cement porch that is just, well a cement porch.




This porch is nothing special actually pretty dull and boring.  I hate to use this word but just Ugly!




This porch needs a little pizzaz to show off the chippy bench and flowers. 






Step One:  Power washed the porch and steps.




Then went to Home Depot and found some Behr restoration paint for decks and porches.




This is the product we used.  I was in no way given any compensation for showing you this. I wish Behr would since I use so much of their paints LOL!  We just loved how easy it went on and how well it covered.  So wanted to show you what we used.


I had yellow in mind with the yellow front door but could not get this product in yellow so went with Colony Blue that is almost the same color as the Vintage Cottage Nest Door with planter.  No primmer needed with this product which saved a step of having to prime the cement. This porch paint is just applied onto a clean
 dry surface.

This is the first coat.  It went on very easy and then we let it dry for a few hours before the final coat.
Pretty easy peasy to get a little bit nicer look on the porch.






There you have it.  Just a easy little spruce up to a dull cement front porch.
I need to find a cute rug now.  I will be off to HomeGoods and Target to see what I might find.


Love how the painted porch sets off the chippy bench.

Summer Bike Rental is available.









Oh how I love summer.


Just a little FYI before I say good bye.  There is a lovely family of baby sparrows living in my birdhouse.  I hear their little voices chirping in there.

This is Dad he watches intently to what is going on around his little family.  He is pretty good and leaves the roof of the birdhouse to sit on the roof of our home while I water.  Then when I am done he is back to guarding his wife and new babies.
Love all the new life in the summer garden.





Have a good Sunday and great start to the new week.
Kris
:)




Parties this week:
Show and Share with Linda Coastal Charm
Inspire Me Tuesday with Marty
Amaze Me Mondays with Cindy






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