I planned to share this in April, but here we are, almost through December and I'm finally sharing some of the hidden storage in this kitchen. I really enjoyed the problem solving aspect of designing this kitchen. What did I need storage for? Where could I put that storage in a very small space? One thing I couldn't work around was the fact that there will only be three drawers. At first I was worried, but I had three drawers in the kitchen before I demo'd and one was completely inaccessible. We made due with just two, and after pairing down a lot of useless equipment, I realized that's all I needed.

We also spend all summer in an RV where we only have one drawer, so I think this helped to make me feel better about the design! That being said, two of the drawers in my design are really deep, and it felt like a waste (not to mention an organizational nightmare) to have them be left as they are.

I used an Ana White plan to create my own version of a double drawer. The double drawer allowed me to put baking utensils in the lower part, and smaller gadgets (peelers, presses, etc) easy to reach on the top. We've been using it for a few months and I really love it. Perhaps I will finally get rid of my potato masher as the only thing it does is prevent drawers from opening. Perhaps...

Here's how I did it.

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.

As part of my "I was Influenced" series I not only wanted to look at products, but also ideas that have gained popularity in the blog-o-insta-sphere. This one isn't new, for the past few years giant engineered print photos have graced home decor blogs. I had read that they don't come out as great as people think they do, but I was curious to try for myself. Here's how I made this 24" x 36" large scale photo and frame for a little under $15. ​

My house is not a "sparkly" house. Most things are cozy and frankly a little worn down. However I like my dining room to have a little shine and pizzazz. I'm always looking for new candle holders to add to my tablescape, unfortunately that can add up quick. I've been fooling around with some DIY wedding decor and stumbled across ways to combine glass vases and candlesticks from the Dollar Tree. This super easy DIY yields awesome results and the combinations are endless.

I recently undertook a "room of doom" challenge on Instagram. It involved tackling that room (we all have one) that is out of control. I decided to tackle my "office." At least that's what we'd always intended it to be, an office/guest room. It has ended up being a storage shed for our camper equipment, an extra closet, a craft room, a recycling bin, and many other things, but it has not been an office or a guest room. I've long said that the trick to getting stuff done around the house is to throw a party or invite a guest. We have a guest coming in February, so the need for an actual guest room become unavoidable. As part of the makeover I swapped out the curtains. I am trying to do this makeover for as little money as possible. Drop cloth curtains are all over the decor community, so these are not new, but if you don't know how to do them..here ya go! They are super easy, super cheap, and very versatile. Here's what you need....

​Sometimes I get the urge to create. I just have to do a project. I had already set aside time this weekend to make bookshelves for our living room, but the below zero temperatures, snow, and wind decided to get in the way of that. So with the prospect of facing a few days of being snowed-in I knew I needed another project to keep me busy. So I did a little challenge. Change something in the house, using only the supplies that I have on hand that could be completed in a few hours. I was washing the dishes and it came to me....backsplash! If you have some paint and a few hours, here's how to do it...

Why isn't there such a thing as a marble fridge? There should be! Or maybe there is and I just don't know about it yet. Have you ever seen an RV fridge? All I can say is why? WHY? They are usually some kind of oaky yellowish brownish wood. Yuck. I have seen lots of people paint them with much success. My friend Sarah actually painted hers with Chalkboard Paint which is a super cute idea. I had this marble fridge idea in my head and I just wanted to try something different. So this happened. It cost me $7 (including the paint). While this is an RV fridge, you could use this same technique on a dorm fridge, an old built in panel fridge, or really anything that you cant to cover! It's fun and affordable and the possibilities are endless.

This is one of those DIY projects that can be addicting because there are so many possibilities. They are also really affordable. I definitely went through a phase where I was making them all the time. Which was great for our table tops, but not so much for storage. If you're looking for a fun, quick DIY project, or a great gift, these are super easy and fun to make!
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​When I first moved into my house, the floors were orange. Yep, you read that right, orange. Don’t worry they were tempered by the red countertops. What can I say, the 70’s were a weird time for decor. I knew I couldn’t live with them for long. I’m kind of a hot mess the majority of the time, so I need my house (at least in terms of decor) to be calming. Orange floors don’t do that for me. I quickly painted the cabinets white and did a faux marble top counter. Next up were the floors. After a lot of research, I decided to use a peel and stick vinyl. Some people were horrified when I mentioned this, as they were picturing the vinyl tiles of old. I ended up doing my dining room, kitchen, and bathroom in peel and stick vinyl, you could say I’ve become a bit of an expert. I assumed when I did the camper floors I would use them again, but the previous owner had partially installed a floating laminate wood floor. BF loved the particular look, so rather than cover over it, I found matching flooring and one Sunday my dad and I did the camper floors. 
 
I will say that both types of flooring are easy enough for a beginner and both give you a great finish, depending on what you are looking for. There are some differences, which I’ll get into, and I would use them depending on the situations. I am in no way a professional, and the opinions that follow are just based on my own experience. I just know that I hemmed and hawed about what to use in my own home, and this information would have been helpful to me.