Our Christmas Kitchen

What all started out with just adding a little blue began a journey at Christmas time.  If you all know my home, you know that our downstairs master is all blue, whites and creams.  I absolutely love blue and have been wanting to add little touches in our living room and kitchen for years now.  If you can believe it or not, our walls used to be red and I had lots of yellows and greens with it along with oak cabinets.  I had wallpaper that had touches of blue in it and that began my yearning for more blue.  Sadly, it didn't happen until a few months ago.

From having all sorts of blue ornaments, many shades, I didn't have to buy one thing to decorate with this year!

So here goes with what I've done.....

It all started at the mantel.

Last year we didn't have this complete piece.  I had a large mirror over the mantel that was an oblong oval one.  I now have it downstairs.  This year, I am loving what we did with this by adding the upper part of a serving hutch.

It's the center that I had been longing for.  It reminded me of when I was a little girl and would visit our elderly neighbor early in the morning.  She had a fireplace in her kitchen and I would sit and talk with her while she made breakfast and her husband would read the newspaper.  I always felt so cozy there...it truly was the best place to be in the whole house.

This little china cabinet used to be my Mammaw's.  She saved really hard to buy this piece.  She went through the depression and knew what it meant to do without so she cherished every little thing she had.  Never any waste either.  I like to think she passed that trait down to me...I cherish every thing in our home from the smallest things like thrift store china to the largest things like our armories found on a yard sale site.  There are so many memories from older things like this piece that are dear to my heart too.  I can just envision Mammaw placing her china meticulously inside and admiring it with a smile.  Just like I do.

It is the center just like the mantel...and the table.  I'll admit, something we rarely do is sit at the table anymore.  We sit at the island.  The table used to be the center of every home in America where families came together at the beginning and end of each day to visit, talk about their day and enjoy a good home cooked meal.  But every special event and holiday we make it a priority to sit and enjoy each others company.

Nothing fancy about the setting...Dollar Tree plates and bowls along with thrift store china.  I wanted a little color so I just added the ornaments and some pine.  Perfect....

I have my little touches of blue and couldn't be any happier!

I love how we can see the tree from both rooms.  

It definitely makes you feel all Christmasy!

My little Santa garland I painted last year are perfect for the backs of the bar chairs.  And the Santa stocking holder on the side of the bar works perfect for pot holders.  I absolutely love poinsettias, so I have have them everywhere!

Lot's of decorating cookies, crafting and story telling goes on at this little island.  Memories, sweet memories are being made each day in our kitchen.

Just like the sign says...

I seem to be here a lot, listening to the girls as they come home from school telling me what all happened.  I know one day I will miss that, but for now I am soaking it all up with a smile.

My little tree with ornaments that we've collected down through the years with our names goes perfectly in a little pink mug.  And the gingerbread stars that have a few bites taken out of them, lol.  I still hear stories from our girls about how they sure didn't taste like they looked.  

The little "Letters to Santa" tin sure have had a lot of wishes from the girls. I painted it last year and have saved most of their wish lists for when they have children of their own.  

My precious husband bought me this little white cabinet many years ago for Christmas one year.  And the pink and cream center plate hanging was from our oldest, Sara.  Back when she bought them, I didn't have any pink in our home, it was still reds, yellows and greens.  So they are so precious to me because she knew her Mama was going to do pink one day.  The hanger was from both girls with little pink and cream bowls.  They both know their Mama so well!

I love our kitchen, it's nothing fancy.  But it is full of sweet memories, hard work and love.

See the sweet little pig on the floor?  My husband bought that for me our first Christmas dating.  While in a store, I spotted it and fell in love.  There were only 3...he thought I was nuts, lol.  I didn't have money to buy it so I went back later and they were all gone.  I spent Christmas day with him and when I opened a large box, I was so tickled to see the pig's sweet little eyes and smiling face peek through the tissue paper.  Then I looked at my soon to be husband as he was smiling from ear to ear telling me the story how he bought it when I was with him that night when I first saw it.  How, I will never truly understand how I didn't catch on...

The small table and chair were Mammaw's and one of the first pieces she gave to me when we were first married.  It's a telephone stand.  I imagine many telephone calls were made at this desk.

I've since changed the sign I made and have it in another spot. (you'll see where later) The hot pink wasn't going with everything else so I repainted it.

I like it so much better!

Thank you so much for taking the tour down memory lane with me in our Christmas Kitchen!

Make sure you go by and visit  ~Far Above Rubies~ and take a look at her beautiful kitchen in pinks and blues too!