Kitchen Counter Coffee Corner...

I'm a bona fide coffee drinker...

Every morning I grab one of my FAVORITE coffee mugs. I'm partial to them because #1) they are oversized and hold a lot of coffee, and #2) they're so pretty, aren't they?

(Christmas Tree Shop has the design on the right in stock now - at least my local CTS did. I just picked up a few last weekend.)

For Christmas, our girls bought their dad and I a Keurig coffee maker 

and an assortment of K-cups to get us started (great gift, girls!!!!)

It snuggles in nicely under my parakeets, as though this spot was just waiting for it!

Me, the coffee drinker, has flipped for Chai Latte's. I'd never had one before and I just love the flavor (hubby, not so much). 

Mmmmm... It's what I'm sipping on right now while I'm writing this.

So this is my simple little kitchen counter coffee corner!

I hope you all have a wonderful week. 

I'm joining Brenda at Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday
and Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday this week.

Stay warm if you're in snow country! Flurries are in the forecast for us over the next few days and we're back to the 20's after a lovely weekend of 50+ degree weather. Brrrrrrrr.

Donna

Summer Salads

We've been eating a LOT of salads this summer; especially in this high humidity, high temp weather.

I make mine with lots of fresh fruit - grapes, blueberries or blackberries, strawberries, but the base is romaine and baby spinach. I also like to add fresh basil from our potted plant on the deck, tomatoes, baby carrots, avocado, feta cheese and some pecan or walnut pieces. I sometimes will also add a can of black beans or kidney beans, or occasionally leftover turkey or chicken.

Hubby likes Bleu Cheese or French dressing on his salads, but I'm hooked on the Good Seasons Garlic & Herb or Basil Vinaigrette salad dressings, so that's what I use on mine. Yummmmy!

I just wish someone sold just the white plastic caps for the cruets. A couple of mine have split over the years, and since I have several of the glass cruets already, I really don't want to buy the whole set. If anyone knows where one can buy just the caps, please let me know!!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Donna

Kitchen Counter... Sentimentality over practicality...

This is the most visible corner in my very small kitchen, and I'm afraid it's always been a bit neglected.... Several weeks ago I purchased this small candle lamp at The Christmas Tree Shop for my countertop, and that got me to thinking about doing a little arrangement of 'favorite things.' Other than the lamp, nothing is practical or 'kitcheny,' but it makes me feel good when I see it!
(click any photos to enlarge)

Do you see the vintage cat planter that I blogged about 2 days ago? And Pete that I wrote about yesterday? There's also another little "Pete the parakeet" hanging from a cabinet.


I should probably turn the light on so you can see them... There, that's better!! The lamp needed a little bit of height in the back corner, so I sat it on the bottom of a green ceramic planter.


Okay, now I turned the lamp off so you can see the pretty blue flowered shade. Hopefully in the near future I'll be priming & painting my beige backsplash tiles, as well as re-caulking above the countertop. (I picked beige when we bought our house back in 1981. It seemed like a good idea at the time.)

Pete is really enjoying this little birdcage from Home Goods (they came in a variety of sizes... I don't have a lot of room so I got the small size... I loved the little legs and the bird finial on the top). Pete told me he feels very safe inside the cage...

... which is a good thing since Sally is constantly gazing at him (and doesn't she look shiny and clean since her bath?)... She assures me the gazing is because she loves how his blue feathers match her blue bow...

Since there's ivy in Pete's cage, and a little potted plant next to Sally, I decided to use Sally as a votive holder rather than a planter. Of course that could change if she ever gets moved to another location (which isn't out of the question since I often move things around!)

This little lamp really gives off a lot of light in an otherwise dark corner, which I now refer to as my little 50's corner since I have the vintage cat planter (that looks like it could have come from my Nana's house in the 50's) and the parakeets (which also remind me of my childhood in the 50's, as I mentioned yesterday)...

I'll be sure to post photos if (when) I get around to painting that backsplash!!

Donna

My Salvation Army shopping spree...

(click any photos to enlarge)

Vintage cat planter, wall frame earring holder, and glittery snowflake candle holder - a great shopping day!


Okay, this little girl needs a bath - pronto! But just look at that sweet little face under all the grime! Little pink ears, a little cottage blue bow... Do vintage planters get any cuter than this?

Hmmm... a votive cup fits perfectly into her little planter area... Definitely something to consider...

But when she has flowers and ivy in her planter, she looks like she came straight out of my Nana's house in the 50's... I'll let you all know which look I decide on and where she ends up!

I love this earring holder! I haven't decided what color to paint it yet, but I'll show the finished product when I do decide. (Of course I might even leave it just as it is!) There are two hangers on the back so it can be hung horizontally or vertically.

The frame is so intricate! If you aren't lucky enough to have one of your own, take a look at this post on Tracey's blog... She just made the cutest earring holder out of a picture frame!! If I hadn't found this one, I'd definitely be copying her idea! I still might use ribbon to hang mine, just like she did!!

This little footed candleholder is so sparkly (unfortunately the sparkle doesn't show up in my photo). And each of the four snowflakes has a rhinestone center... It will be perfect for next Christmas!

You know what they say about cats and curiosity... It didn't take long for Flea Market Cat to come over and check out Salvation Army cat. And I'm happy to report that they have already become the best of friends! I may name my planter cat Sally (since she came from the Salvation Army). I got that idea from a post I just read on Jean's blog, where she named her sweet little bunny Sally because it came from the Salvation Army... Hope you don't mind if I borrow your idea, Jean!!!

Donna