Grace and Maura
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Let's Link Up!
  • Shop

Easy DIY Pots and Pans CABINET ORGANIZER

3/30/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I remember helping my grandother clean up after Thanksgiving on eyear, and she instsisted on putting everything away herself. At first I thought she was being stubborn, but one year she admitted, "if I don't stack everything just so, it doesn't fit." At the time I didn't understand, but I now have a kitchen built at roughly the same time as my grandmother's. If I don't stack everything "just so" it doesn't fit.

Prior to starting this kitchen remodel, I made a list of all the "problem" areas in my kitchen and vowed to come up with solutions to fix them. One such area was the fact that our pots and pans were stacked and you had to move them all to get at the one you wanted. As I began building the cabinets, I knew their had to be a better way. I turned to an Ana White plan, and I'm thrilled with the results.

Read More
0 Comments

DIY KITCHEN REMODEL PLAN

3/24/2020

3 Comments

 
Picture
I'm in an awkward phase of home ownership that I'm sure many of you can relate to, we're going to renovate in the near future so I don't want to spend money on remodels that are going to be done again...but not so near in the future that I can live with it how it is.

Our hosue has not been updated since the 1950s, the kitchen is original. After emptying our savings to buy our house, there was nothing left for a remodel. So, I slapped white paint on eveyrthing, made faux counters, put some peel and stick down and called it a day. We could revisit in the future when we had more money.

Well, as the countertop slowly warps in and the cabinets no longer close, we're at a precipice. We're still a few years from a big remodel, but we can't live iwth it how it is. I was going over options one night when it came to me, let's just do it ourselves. I mean the whole thing. I could customize it to fit in the small space, make it functional in the mean time, and if/when we remodel I can use what we made here in our planned in-law. Once again the goal is to do it on a very small budget, so I'm going to layout my plans here and I'll let you know how it all plays out. We had planned this prior to social distancing, so we're going to try to make the best of being quite literally stuck at home and use this time to build as many components of the kitchen as possible. 

Read More
3 Comments

5 Things to do while social distancing

3/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

This is not going to be my usual Sunday Coffee post, because these are not usual times. I have been wrestling for the past week with what to do with this little space. Would it be tacky to continue writing blog posts with everything going on in the world?
 
After much thought and discussion, I'm going to keep writing, as more and more people find themselves social distancing, or even quarantined, I think feeling connected is more important than ever. How lucky we are to live in a time when we can still find community through the internet, even when we may not be able to join it in person. 
 
My husband is a Science teacher and has been trying to mentally prepare me that this would happen since the first outbreak in Wuhan. I have to admit that I didn't fully believe him. We are both social creatures, we meet up with friends several times a week and love to host gatherings. We love to go out in the city to dine and shop. It feels all feels so strange. So I hope that you see this, not as me ignoring what's happening in our world, but continuing to connect with the community here.​ Here are 5 things to do while you are social distancing.


Read More
0 Comments

DIY SHELF LIGHTING

3/10/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​I have an affinity for books, and for the past decade I've sadly relegated them to bins and boxes. I recently found an essay I wrote in high school on my love of reading and in it I said that I wanted the "finest thing in my house to be my library." I think high school me would be pretty proud of these book cases. My favorite feature is the lighting. It gives such a nice glow at night, and elevates the whole piece. I was able to find very affordable lighting that was easy to use. If you are illuminating a bookcase or adding under cabinet lighting in a kitchen, you'll want to read on. Here is all the lighting info!

Read More
0 Comments

COOKBOOK REVIEW: DRINKING FRENCH

3/7/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I have been a Francophile since I tasted my first croissant in the second grade. The crusty outside, buttery flaky inside, and the novelty of such wonder at breakfast took my heart and forever endeared me to the allure of the French cafe lifestyle.
 
When I had the chance to visit Paris in 2015, I was so sure it wouldn't live up to decades of hype that I had built up. I'm happy to report it did. The cafes were charming and oh so French. The rows of bottles behind the bar begged to tell their stories.
 
The moment that I truly fell in love with Paris however was at the Place de la Concorde. It was a frigid February night and we had just savored chocolate crepes and been a bit touristy and taken a ride on the Roue de Paris. I was just soaking in all the Parisian magic when we spotted a stand selling Vin Chaud. The Parisian version of mulled wine under the city lights warmed body and soul and I have been seeking to recreate the magic since.
 
When I learned that David Lebovitz, one of my favorite cookbook authors (and the best source for Americans traveling to France) was publishing another cookbook all about the traditions of french cafes with 160 recipes, I knew I had to purchase it.
 
I've just finished devouring Drinking French, so if you'd like more information here it is!

Read More
0 Comments

HOMEMADE LATTES: THE SAME SYRUPS COFFEE HOUSES USE

3/1/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sunday Coffee, it's just so much better than Monday coffee! I'm sure you know by now how much I love coffee in all its many forms. One of my favorite Sunday indulgences is a good coffee shop style flavored latte. I am guilty of marking the changing of the seasons by the Starbucks menu (although if I'm being honest it always seems to be a little ahead for us in New England, I refuse to drink pumpkin until the leaves change). After purchasing my Nespresso and building my coffee bar, I've shifted to almost exclusively making my fancy lattes at home. This means that I've been on a quest to find the best products, the same products they use in coffee shops.
 
There are many ways to achieve flavor in lattes, some healthier than others. Coffee shops primarily use syrups. So when I'm hankering for a truly indulgent seasonally flavored latte, that's what I turn to as well. Now that I've tried allll the syrups, I'm going to share my favorites with you (as well as which ones I avoid). ​

So pour a cup and join me for some Sunday Coffee!

Read More
0 Comments
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017

    Categories

    All
    Camper Remodel
    Cocktails
    Coffee
    DIY
    Diy Kitchen Remodel
    Food
    Holiday
    Home
    Instant Pot
    Word Of The Month

    RSS Feed

    Follow
© Elizabeth Miller and GraceandMaura, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any material found on this site without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Elizabeth Miller and GraceandMaura with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
​
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Let's Link Up!
  • Shop