Share Our Lives

 

Happy Monday, friends! I'm linking up with Jen and friends for the July edition of Share Our Lives. This month the topic is our favorite room at home. I'll jump right in! 

The kitchen has always been more than just a place to cook; it's the heart of my home. It's where conversations linger over drinks after dinner, where meals bring people together, where laughter fills the room, and where memories are made one ordinary moment at a time. It witnesses celebrations, quiet mornings, laughter, tears, Bible reading, simple conversations, a full table, and an empty table. It reminds me that love is often found in the simplest acts of sharing meals, and gathering around the table. To me, the kitchen isn't just a room; it's where my home feels most alive. 

On a lighter note...

I shared this picture above last week, but it's worth repeating. I bought this piece of furniture last year to help keep the kitchen counters free of clutter, and I still love it today as much as I did the day I decided to make the purchase. This was something I found on Facebook Marketplace; I may not love Facebook, but I love Marketplace! I paid about $50 for this heavy piece of furniture.

I also love having a freshly painted kitchen, even though it's been a little over a year ago since I painted the room. For reference, please note what it used to look like before I decided to make the downstairs all neutral.

I love a good before and after pic; do you? I love seeing it in transition as well! I remember being giddy at this point in the process of painting; I took a three days the week I painted to do this. A half day was spent on trim alone, then I did the wall you see painted lighter above, then on a Friday (my off day that year as I was working in the church bookstore still) I finished it all. I even hung things up before the sun went down that night! I could barely move the next day, but I was proud of myself for getting so much done that day.

I remember after it was finished, wanting to make it less cluttered; even today, I don't want a lot out on the counters, and I don't want a lot of things hanging on the walls. I am keeping things simpler and more neutral, because I really do plan on selling my home in a few years to downsize. It turns out that I love it more minimally decorated than I ever thought I would. Some people are maximalists, some are minimalists. I'm not totally minimal, but I definitely lean more towards that that being a maximalist. You know John Mark here in town that I always share about? He is a maximalist! 

Here's the proof of that in his store; and here I am when I met him for the first time. He's a phenomenal and talented young man, and he has created an empire! He's famous all over the world as he travels fairly often to cities both near and far. 

The cabinets in the kitchen used to be the natural oak color that they are; I am glad they're white now. They need some touching up at the least, but I'd love to sand and repaint them since they weren't done right the first time. I won't complain about them, because I've seen far worse, but I'm just talking and dreaming here. I'd love to have them as a color instead of white, maybe a pretty blue gray color. 

I love a tea towel! I use them often when I make sourdough bread; a few years ago I bought these towel rods that are hung with peel and stick tape. I love changing out the towels for whatever season it is at the moment. These got changed Friday, because I needed to wash the other ones that had been hanging there. 

I have had a love/hate relationship with this table and chairs; I am currently in love with it, though. I'm so glad I didn't get rid of it when I wanted to years ago! Now it's the only table with chairs that are in my home. I have a leaf to add to it when I have more than a few people here, but I love that it was given to me by Mom. It used to have a hutch, but I sold it a couple of years ago, and I'm glad I didn't keep that one heavy piece of furniture.

I love cooking for people I love, it's one reason why I love this room. I made breakfast Saturday morning! I made scrambled eggs with cheese, and air fried pork chops. This was delicious!

The reason I love it the most is because of the people I often see in there. I love it when Chris cooks for me, or when I cook for him or my sons. It's not at all the room or how prettily decorated it is, it's about the people who fill the space. 

What's your favorite room in your home? I'd love to hear from you! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends. Love to all!

Jen