Why I Love My House- The Kitchen

I think what I love the most about my kitchen is how pretty it is. 

Between the cabinets, subway tile and the beautiful granite it’s a place I enjoy just looking at, not to mention all the cooking that will happen here. 

Recently we bought some new barstools and are enjoying sitting at the island for meals. 

Most of all, though, I’m looking forward to all the memories that will be made in this kitchen over the years. 

Why I Love My House- The Carport

The last time I had a carport was when I was ten and living in Florida. Ever since then every house I’ve ever lived in has had a garage. 

You know, a garage that you may or may not be able to fit two cars in, a place full of tools, and castaways that you are not quite ready to part with. Garages definitely come in handy, but since we knew that Chuck was getting a barn there really was no reason to have a garage.

 

Now I may feel a little differently when it’s freezing outside, but so far I’ve loved having a carport. Even in the hottest summer weather the car has remained cool while parked underneath its shelter. 

When I first saw the carport the first thing out of my mouth was, “We could square dance here!” Now to the best of my knowledge I’ve never actually square danced before, but its size was pretty remarkable.

Our carport not only is large in square footage, it is also the height of the house. It does a good job of capturing the breeze, and actually gives a view of the pond in the winter months when the leaves are absent from the trees. 

It looks to be the perfect place for outdoor entertaining, with plenty of room for tables and chairs. 

I like the noncrowded feel of the carport when both vehicles are parked there. The boys have even ridden their bikes here. 

One decision we did make, though, was to place it at the southern end of the house vs the northern end. This required completely flipping the orientation of the original plan, which at first was a little confusing to both Chuck and I. 

You’ve heard the expression about not being able to make heads or tails out of something. That was us for a while!

However, I couldn’t be more pleased with our decision. More to follow later about the barn. 

Why I Love My House- Snack Central

Now you would think with a walk-in pantry there would be no need for additional pantry space. 

Well this would be true for most items, but in our cabinet configuration we went ahead and included an area that could be used as an additional pantry. 

We call this pantry Snack Central since it is closer to the living area. It has several pull out drawers that house snacks, and other items. It’s easily accessible to the grandsons if they get a hankering for superhero fruit snacks or goldfish crackers. 

In addition to a snack shelf another shelf is dedicated to tea. It holds an electric kettle, and a variety of different types of tea. 

A third shelf holds my popcorn popper, popcorn, and dog food and treats. 

What I like about Snack Central is its ease of accessibility. The top cabinet, and the bottom shelf are available for overflow storage as well. 

Snack Central has quickly become a favorite at our house. 

Why I Love My House- The Play Nook

What I love about the Play Nook is that it was a totally unexpected surprise. We had not planned for it at all, and it kind of just happened. 

When we set up our living area we had a section across from the front door where we placed our pew bench. 

This bench in our last house served a dual purpose. It helped fill up the long foyer, and it could also be used for extra seating at our dining room table. 

The living area in our new house is long, and about three quarters of the room is filled with our living room furniture. We were quite pleased with how well our furniture fit, and thanked our daughter Brittany for the room setup suggestion.

 

After we placed the bench against the wall I added the rug that used to be in our foyer. When the boys first pulled out some of the toys from the moving boxes they gravitated to this area to play. 

They had plenty of room, and the living area was separate from the play area so it seemed to make good sense. Brittany suggested putting baskets under the bench for some of their favorite toys for easy accessibility. 

I had two baskets that were in the little mud room bench at our last house that worked beautifully. I added one of my Longaberger baskets for books. 

It warms this Mimi’s heart to see the boys feel comfortable to immediately get to playing when they come to my house. Along with the baskets there are toys in two of the other closets, and they do a good job of dragging them out, and setting them up in the Play Nook. 

Above the bench is a framed photo of the original Republic of Texas, and a Rocking H whiskey barrel lid that was a gift from our friend and realtor Debbie Boyce. 

Each time I walk through the door this is the first thing I see, and it brings a smile to my face. 

Why I Love My House- The Cookbook Bookcase

When we were designing the kitchen with the cabinet maker I knew that I wanted a dedicated place for my cookbooks. 

I had seen many photos over the years of kitchen islands with built-in bookcases for cookbooks. 

Although, I knew I could store them in the pantry, I envisioned sitting at my kitchen desk, and reaching over to grab a cookbook while planning my meals.

Having a dedicated place for them, not only looks good, but is very practical as well. 

I must admit that many of my recipes come off of Pinterest, but I’m still a sucker for a beautiful cookbook. 

In choosing to add the bookshelves it did take away from other storage on the island. Originally, we had considered a cabinet for cookie sheets and cutting boards. 

When we decided the island needed to be a little shorter to allow for adequate flow, I knew that between the cookie sheets and the books there was no way the cookie sheets would win. 

That being said, I do have some nice pull outs inside my cabinets which make retrieving these items quite easy, so I’m pleased with our final decision. 

Why I Love My House- The Desk

               

                One of my favorites parts of my new house is the desk in the kitchen. 

In the original plan that we used as our inspiration there was a coffee bar set up between two sets of cabinets. What really caught my eye, though, was the large window over the coffee bar.

 

Now as little as I drink coffee I knew there was a better use for that space. Instead of a coffee bar, I requested a desk. I also made sure that the window over the desk would provide a view of our property from a sitting position. 

Along with the desk, the cabinet maker suggested adding some floating shelves on either side of the window, which turned out just great! I’ve had fun pulling out some beloved treasures to decorate the desk and the shelves. 

Now the actual desk ended up being larger than I imagined, but I LOVE all the space. I also love how we were able to configure the different sizes of the drawers in the desk. With a total of six drawers there is plenty of room for everything.

Sitting at that desk looking out at the cows grazing in the pasture has made bill paying an actual pleasure. Who knew that the right environment could make a not so pleasant task something to look forward to. 

I’ve also continued the tradition of my old house by keeping a bouquet of flowers on the desk in the Happy Everything  vase that my sister gave me. 

I can’t help but smile when I look over at my desk, and am so glad to have moved from the kitchen table which has served as my work area for the last thirty-six years to this inviting space. 

An added bonus, too, is that I even have a view of the property from the kitchen sink.

Why I Love My House- The Closet

I’ve seen some pretty remarkable closets in my day. Most feature a chandelier, and some sort of island in the middle with wonderful drawers for things like jewelry and scarves. In addition there usually is a plethora of shelves dedicated to an Imelda Marcos sized shoe collection. 

Considering that when my son-in-law was moving boxes for me he noticed about two boxes of shoes, and thirty boxes of books, you can almost guess that the master closet is not my favorite.

Instead, my favorite closet is in the library. It’s a retired teacher’s dream, and in fact it reminds me a little of the supply closet at my first school. As a beginning teacher on a tight budget I loved visiting it to peruse the shelves for supplies to make the things I needed for my classroom. 

Along with floor to ceiling shelves, the size of the closet is almost the size of a small room. In fact, there is even room for a card table in there, which is perfect for two little boys I know who like to do crafts. 

I have an entire section dedicated to “school stuff” for the boys. Last year I did a little homeschooling with the oldest grandson. Alongside the school materials are toys for the boys.

 

I have several tubs filled with memorabilia, lots and lots of notebooks, some Christmas decorations, a file cabinet and an art cart all tucked away inside. 

I also have several tubs full of crafting supplies for some of my hobbies. What I love about this set up is that everything is easily accessible. In the past I’ve had to sift through so many tubs to locate what I was looking for I found myself reluctant to do so because it was too much trouble. 

Even filing has become easier because I actually have a place to hold all my papers, a chair to sit on, and a surface to sort through everything. 

The reality is that because we’ve chosen for this closet to be so big, and have added bookcases to this room, the actually living space is less. That being said, you still don’t have a crowded feel in there, and in fact the other day I moved the card table out to the center of the room for my grandsons, and had plenty of room. 

It worked beautifully, and Chuck said he knew I was in my element as a teacher. Yes, it was kind of like riding a bike...you never forget!

Why I Love My House- The Library

(Photo credit- Herrmann Construction)

When I think of a house having a library I can’t help but think of the game of Clue. You know Mr. Mustard in the Library with the candlestick!

When we began to plan this house, and met with the cabinet maker I mentioned the idea of putting some bookshelves in one of the bedrooms. I’ve been a book lover my entire life, and have always made do with a bookshelf here or there, but never anything built in. 

Most of the time I’ve used extra shelves in a closet to store my overflow of books. In fact over the last four years I’ve given away dozens of books trying to live a more minimalistic life. 

As difficult it was to part with them I knew that someone else would find enjoyment in them rather than me hoarding them on my shelves. 

When the cabinet maker showed me his design for the room I was taken aback. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would have such a lovely place to house my beloved books. 

Each week when we would arrive to check out the progress made on the house I would hurry back to “The Library” as I affectionately named it to see how the bookshelves were coming along. 

They turned out beyond my expectations, and are absolutely gorgeous. As I unpacked all my books they quickly filled up the first three rows of shelves. I then used the fourth level to display some of my favorite things I’ve collected over the years. 

I still have one row completely bare so there is room to grow over the years. 

I enjoyed sorting my books by categories, using the bookstore method over the Dewey decimal system. 

I have children’s books, fiction, books on religion, creativity, personality types, travel, current events, history, and now room for things like high school yearbooks. 

Underneath the shelves are cabinets which house my overflowing collection of photo albums and scrapbooks. They are now easily accessible, as opposed to being stored high on a closet shelf not within reach. 

Between the two shelves is a built in window seat which faces our side pasture. My plan is to have a cushion made to fit this space. 

I’ll share with you in another post the incredible closet in that room as well. 

Each time I enter my library I can’t help but smile. 

Why I Love My House- The Pantry

I mentioned in my post about our floor plan how the large walk-in pantry pretty much sealed the deal in deciding to go with that plan. 

Most of my life I’ve had a basic small pantry, and just made the best of it. At one of my houses Chuck installed some extra shelving on the inside of the door. 

At our last house, though, we were fortunate to have a walk-in pantry. I was overjoyed because not only could I store food, I had a handy place for appliances and for my cookbook collection. 

Over time, though, as I added to my appliances ( instant pot and air fryer to name a few) my pantry began to get awfully crowded. I stored quite a few appliances on the floor, and overtime it became disingenuous to actually call it a walk- in pantry anymore.

The pantry we have now is actually part of the laundry room. Now I’ve seen a lot of fancy laundry rooms with extra sinks, lots of storage, and even a folding table. To be honest laundry is not my favorite thing , and a laundry room is not a place that I want to hang out in. 

So although not my idea, combining the laundry room and the pantry was genius. The pantry is accessible to my kitchen, and the door on the room muffles the sound of the washer and dryer. 

I must say I absolutely love my pantry. It is HUGE and there is a place for everything. With the floor to ceiling shelves I keep a small step stool handy to reach the things on top. 

On one side I have all my appliances, and on the other side the food. It’s easy to keep it organized and helps me not to purchase something I already had, but just couldn’t find. 

One other thing that I love about this room is that it has a large window. When I’m taking clothes out of the dryer I have a beautiful view of the cows grazing contentedly in our pasture. 

Why I Love My House- The Front Porch

I’ve always enjoyed sitting outside. When given the opportunity I’ll always choose outdoor dining if the weather cooperates. 

When we first met with our builder he showed us a house he was building in the area. That particular house had a really deep back porch. I immediately fell in love with it, and knew I wanted it on the front of my house. 

We decided to have a ten foot deep covered porch built on the front of our house that runs its entire length. 

Just last week Chuck and I and our grandsons sat on the porch watching it rain, all the while staying dry. Well that is until the wind starting blowing a mist in our direction. 

Right now we have a small seating area set up using our existing lawn furniture. However, down the road I envision a larger seating area. 

Our porch also has room for a dining area which I’m really looking forward to. I can imagine many a meal served out on the porch. 

Chuck’s even suggested getting a hammock for the far end of the porch. 

I have to agree that it would be the perfect spot for one. 

So far we have spent quite a bit of time out on the porch during the early evening. One night Chuck and I turned off all the lights, and were amazed at the sky. Living in the city with so many lights you lose out on the celestial beauty of a clear, night sky. 

Right now we have a spider who we fondly named Helen, after the children’s book Be Nice to Spiders. She has spun an amazing web whose intricacies defies description. It was blown away from the rain, but she was hard at work the next evening rebuilding it. 

You cant look at a spider, the size of a nickel, as she spins her web so instinctively, and not believe there isn’t a God. 

In addition to our front porch we have a ten foot by ten foot covered porch on the back of the house. We have sat out there primarily in the morning as it’s west exposure makes for a cooler experience in which to drink your morning coffee or tea. 

Life sure has been sweeter with both of these porches. 

Why I Love My House - The Floor Plan

About two years ago Chuck and I began exploring options for the house that would eventually end up on our property. We looked at log cabin builders, a couple of build on your land builders, and even considered a modular home. (A home built off site, but to the standards of stick and brick homes.) 

It was the modular home that really caught our eye because of its unique floor plan. Who am I kidding, it was the giant pantry that caught my eye. That and an oversized walk in closet in one of the extra bedrooms. 

Although, we weren’t completely sold on the modular home it did get us to thinking about our floor plan. We knew we wanted something between 1,800 and 2,000 square feet. 

We had kicked around the idea of a much smaller home, not exactly a tiny home, but at least 500 square feet less. Although, it looks really cute and trendy on TV, we came to the conclusion that we would probably regret building too small of a house. 

When we showed the builder the floor plan he went to work on tweaking it to our liking. To be honest, it turned out so much nicer than the original floor plan. Chuck and I want to make a trip back to Tyler to check out the house that was the inspiration for this one, to see the differences. 

Our floor plan is 2,040 square feet with three bedrooms, and two baths. It has a large combination laundry room/pantry. The bedrooms are split between both sides of house. The kitchen, living area, and dining room are open concept. 

I’ll make a point to go into more detail as I focus on different areas of the house, but we have been very pleased with the flow and the living space of this plan. Along with vaulted ceilings it gives a very spacious feel to the home. 

Our last home was right at 2,000 square feet, but so much of that square footage was in the long foyer that pretty much took up most of the house. It’s a pretty trendy design these days, and looked really nice, but I always thought it wasted an awful lot of usable space. 

So although the two houses are technically about the same size this one feels so much bigger. 

Why I Love My House

(Photo credit: Mike Herrmann Construction)

I’m starting a new series called, Why I Love My House, where each day I’ll focus on some different part of our new house. 

Today I’ll start with the exterior. When Chuck and I decided we were going to build a metal building house I was thinking it would be a light shade of green with a dark green roof, and stone around the bottom third, as well as around the posts on the porch. 

I had seen this exact house online when Brittany had sent it to me, and had fallen in love with it. 

However, when the time came to choose the color of the house I began to think that maybe something that resembled a farmhouse might be better. 

I remember questioning the builder about black roofs, and white metal. He had never built one like that before, but agreed to go ahead. I also knew that I wanted black shutters, and black light fixtures. 

I originally insisted on a black front door, but eventually changed my mind. Although, I think it would have initially looked amazing, I began to wonder how practical it might be living in the country. I knew it would not be forgiving, and would probably show every blade of straw and dust that would eventually make its way onto the door. 

I can honestly say that I love the look of our house. Paired with our awesome red barn it really does look like a traditional farm house with a modern metal building twist. 

As this series continues I’ll focus on some of the different aspects of this house that I love. Tomorrow I’ll write about the front porch. 

The Scenic Route

The view up my driveway. 

Dog Days of August

Trying to acclimate Cooper to the new apartment. I’m using a thunder shirt in hopes that it will help with his separation anxiety.

It’s been hit and miss today, and I’m really uncertain if I’ll be able to leave him without him barking. 

I’m not exactly sure what to do next. 

First Day

Wishing this little guy a wonderful first day of Kindergarten.

Cowtastrophy

Well this morning certainly didn’t start as I had planned. I was driving down the driveway on the way to Brittany’s when I received a phone call from here. 

Apparently the man down the way had called Will to let him know that the cows were on the country road beside our property. 

As I made my way out of the gate I noticed a neighbor making her way up the road. As it turned out she was the one who had noticed the cows, and had called her son, who in turn alerted Will. 

She informed me that my automatic gate was repeatedly opening and closing on its own. Sure enough as we stood there waiting for Will to arrive it kept opening and closing. 

Now at that time she said she had seen two mamas and two babies on the dead end side of our road. It wasn’t until Will arrived and coaxed them back in the gate with the siren on his feed truck that he realized the whole herd was missing. 

About that time I glanced down the opposite side of the road, the one that intersected with the highway that I saw some more cows. Now mind you Will had just come from that direction ten minutes before and had not seen any cows. 

Apparently when they heard the siren on the truck they came running as well. He was able to gather them back in the pasture through the other gate. 

As we thought about where they had been Will stated that they may have been in the other side of the highway. We hoped that maybe they had made their way down the neighbors driveway. 

Either way we were eternally grateful that it ended on a good note. All cows accounted for, and automatic gate disconnected for now. 

Fly Pajamas

The two older grandsons were spending the night for the first time at our new house this past weekend. 

When it was time for bed I told them that I needed to put on my pajamas. 

Now generally I wear the same pajamas any time I’m spending the night at their house so they are quite familiar with them.

As I pulled them out of the drawer the three year old remarked, “Oh, I like your fly pajamas.”

Now technically the pattern is supposed to be flowers, but after closer inspection they do look like flies. 😂

Settling In

Look what I’m going to do today!