Now Look Who Came to Live With Us!

Isn't he (or she) beautiful? I am in love although I think I spent way too much! Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!!

I think I mentioned that I am always looking for ways to get more storage in my house. I have a fairly large house with more than the normal amount of storage. But, on the other hand, I have a LOT of STUFF!!!

I have 9 drawers in my kitchen. That is probably more than most kitchens but I also have 2 full sets of cutlery plus tons of utensils, serving pieces, pot holders, dish towels, junk, etc. I have always had the drawers crammed so full that finding anything when needed was beginning to get to be impossible. A few months ago I did a bit of a re-do and moved some things around so it made more sense (notice I didn't say "got rid of"?) but there was still room for improvement. Now, IF I were ever to get new cabinets, I have all sorts of ideas to solve my problem but short of that, I am always looking for solutions.

Enter one of my favorite blogs, "Dear Lillie". The woman who writes this blog has lovely taste and one day I noticed an antique basket on her kitchen counter that she said she uses for dish towel storage. Light bulb goes off!!!! I did some looking locally and couldn't find a covered basket that fit the bill. Now enter another favorite, Pottery Barn. Just a few seconds searching their site and I found exactly what I wanted!

Aren't these beautiful? They are called Colton Woven Trunks. The small size was EXACTLY what I was looking for and quicker than a wink it was here and on my kitchen counter. It is full of my dish towels-just the seasonal ones of course. The rest get stored away waiting for their turn to shine. By filling this basket with towels, one more drawer was entirely empty. Of course, that didn't last long and it is now the proud home of all of my silver serving pieces. I am so thrilled to be able to open a drawer and find exactly what I want without pulling out a dozen other things.

Because the kitchen was already decorated for the 4th of July, I just put the basket where you see it but once things clear out, I am going to reassess. I am also going to see what else I might be able to store in a basket and where else I might be able to fit one..or two..or-well, you get the picture.

I am going to be getting some outside opinions on kitchen color. My kitchen is currently a tomato red with a white glaze. It is very Tuscan feeling and I love it. It is warm and cozy and works for most seasons. That being said, I think I am just starting to tire of it. I see all of these bright white kitchens on Pinterest and they look so clean. But, I am not a white wall kind of girl so I am having a struggle within. I am going to ask everyone who enters my home this summer and maybe I can come to some kind of decision. My problem? I like all styles and looks. Just don't know if I like them for me. But, after all, it is only paint. Time shall tell. Stay tuned.