My Vintage Eclectic "Farmhouse" Kitchenette!

Okay, friends.  I have seriously neglected this blog, and I apologize.  I have totally been in school-mode lately.   All school stuff... all the time!  Most of my blogging has been taking place over at One Extra Degree {my teaching blog} as a result ... and even those posts have been pretty scarce lately.  There's just something about starting a new school year that consumes me every single year.  This year, with the new OTES evaluation system, full implementation of the Common Core Standards, the Third Grade Guarantee, switching positions, and beginning my adventure with SDE, I am up to my ears in work 24/7.  I may have shed some tears this year already.  :)  Truly though, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the whole world.  Even when it gets overwhelming, there's still nothing else I'd rather do.

Anyway, this post is all about my kitchenette!  We are fortunate to have a pretty large kitchen, and this is our eat-in area.  It's taken me two years since moving into our home from a 900+ square feet box... but I finally feel like things are starting to fall into place.  I can't wait to make our home even cozier over time.  After teaching, and my husband of course, decorating is my other love.  For sure!

I've joked with my husband before about my style.  I am not sure what it is exactly.  We call it "Vintage Eclectic Industrial Farmhouse Chic".  I think it works!  Truthfully though, about 90% of the stuff in this area was thrifted.  I LOVE a good deal, and I love unique items that tell a story.  So far, I am loving the story this room has to tell. I can't wait to cozy it up even more over time!  As of right now, our chandelier and our barn door are probably my favorite things about this space.

I picked up the bulk cans for $8.00 each!  Hello!!!  Get in my house!!!  I LOVE their simple vintage charm, and I am a big fan of typography, so I couldn't resist.  We use this bookshelf as a makeshift buffet as needed, but truthfully since we have a formal dining room, this piece is mostly a space filler.  :)  I love the glass panes because it allows me to show off a few wicker baskets, a few vintage Pepsi crates (even though we are Coke fans in this house), and an old wire shopping basket.  The mix of materials makes my eclectic heart go pitter-pat!  {Can you tell we're fans of cherry?!}

Unfortunately, I didn't take a very good shot of the galvanized box next to my "buffet", but it is visible in some of the wider views of the room.  It's an old ballot box.  It has absolutely nothing to do with dining or anything... but I love it's simplicity.  The stools are also from a local antique shop, and I think they look SO cute stacked on top of one another.  :)  The chippy paint adds so much character!

I am a "less is more" kind of girl when it comes to my home.  If you have ever looked at my classroom, which is an explosion of pattern and color, you may be surprised by this.  Even so, I am not someone who goes totally crazy decorating for each holiday... except Christmas...of course.  I am still trying to make my house feel cozy and lived in.   Plus we don't have kiddos of our own yet, so this allows me to let myself off of the hook a bit.  At the moment, if I am buying decor items, I want to buy stuff I can enjoy all year.   I just scatter a few seasonal items throughout our home.  This is how I decorated our table for fall.  As you can see, it's very simple.  Nothing fancy!  In fact, to illustrate this fact, the "silver" dish holding our salt and pepper shakers is actually from Dollar Tree!  Ha!  I think it holds its own though... and I love that it keeps the spices from covering our table too!

This area started out with the berry wreath all by itself.  It looked dainty and cute, but I felt like it needed something else.  I just couldn't decide what to do with it until I stumbled upon this cute little red "N" at a local vintage shop.  I just knew it would look so cute tucked into the wreath.  Shortly afterward I found the sifter and pie pan, and I bought them the same weekend.  I love the gradual decrease in the size of the circles, and I love the mix in colors and textures as well.  This wall makes me happy!  

 This shot shows the transition from our living space into our kitchenette.  I scored the apple sign from a vintage shop, and I LOVE the whimsy of it.  The burlap sack is something that I won on E-Bay for a buck!  It's nailed into our wall with little blacksmith tacks for an extra little touch.  The clock above our pantry is an old General Electric clock... minus the hands... and the actual "body" of the clock.  It's just the face, and I think it is precious that way.  The other clock in the shot was a gift from my hubby.  He knew I was stalking the internet for a garden clock, but I didn't want to pay a lot of money for one.  So, he surprised me one day with this baby!  He picked it up at a hardware store for $15.00!!!  Score!!!!  :) 

I just love our home now that it's starting to feel more like us and less like the people who lived here before us.  I am so excited to grow old with the mister here... and someday raise our family here.  It's nice to finally feel SETTLED. They say that "Home is where your heart is", and my heart is definitely here.  :)