Too Good to Last

 I have been savoring our lower than normal temperatures this last week but, I am enough of a realist to know that they wouldn't last forever! This morning summer punched me in the face once again. The cool nights are back to being warm and muggy! I thought I could fool Mother Nature a bit and get some more outdoor chores done-and I did-but, the heat literally took my breath away so my furry friend and I are once again back in the house.

I actually just started a big pot of my favorite Martha Stewart soup, vegetable vermicelli. I know that sounds odd with the temperatures soaring outside but, this soup is so thick with vermicelli that it reads more like a pasta dish and it makes enough that I will be eating on it for quite some time so no more cooking for awhile!

So with all of that under my belt, I thought I would come into my office, sit down for a bit and maybe get another post done. Today we'll head into the kitchen.

My old carpenter's box is once again chock full of handmade items. The glass plates are from gatherings with my grand children. It seems as if we made those plates so many times. It made the perfect gift for family and friends when coupled with any homemade goodie that they would bake. And, truth be told, they still love to make the plates and ask to do one almost every time we can still gather for a holiday weekend. I love it as a craft for younger ones because, they really can't mess them up. Even if there are wrinkles in their napkins or tissue paper, it dries fine and still looks great!

And the beautiful pot holders you see were made for me by my sister-in-law, She knows how much I love my seasonal/holiday decorating and made me sets for a number of holidays. I think she made them because she knew how much trouble I was having finding pot holders to purchase but, these are just too pretty to use so they have now become a favorite part of my decor!

This is where the cutting board ended up.

I did a quick swap of the image on this pallet sign. Last year it had a much more "country" image and just wasn't speaking to me this year. I found this image that I must have printed for something and never used so I basically just soaked the old one off and decoupaged this one in its place. I think I like it better now.

The baker's rack is pretty much as it has been for a few years. I did swap out the picture on the top shelf and added the candle in the starred container. I thought it fit right in with the pottery on the second shelf.

So that is the kitchen for this year. I am still on the look-out for some new craft ideas because even I am getting tired of the same ole', same ole'. But, believe me, they seem to be few and fair between and, as usually happens in the crafting world, bloggers have already done so many patriotic things this year that they are moving on. I persevere and keep thinking I will happen upon the greatest project ever if I just keep looking but so far, no luck. We shall see. Stay safe and stay tuned.