A friend recently asked for a photo of my Bible shelf along with input on my favorite Bibles. I’ve been meaning to do this very thing for my readers for nearly a year. My apologies for the delay!
So here begins a tour. As you can see, my Bibles are shelved more by height than anything else. We’re “reading” from left to right, beginning with The Message, which is an excellent paraphrase.
I had been hearing about The Message for quite a while when I stumbled across a copy in the most unique “resale shop” I’ve ever seen. Everything was literally piled, and you crawled around and climbed over said piles in search of gems. My first copy of The Message was one of those gems, and it instantly went on my readthrough list. By this I mean I read it through from Genesis to Revelation. This is, as the publisher is quick to point out in the introduction, a fantastic “reading” Bible.
Unlike most Bibles, this one bears only one translator’s name: Eugene H. Peterson. His story is exceptional, and a little heartbreaking for people like me. Here’s an excerpt from the introduction that answers the question, “Why him?”
“I began my work life as a teacher and for several years taught the biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek in a theological seminary. I expected to live the rest of my life as a professor and scholar, teaching and writing and studying. But then my life took a sudden turn to pastoring in a congregation.
“I was now plunged into quite a different world. The first noticeable difference was that nobody seemed to care much about the Bible, which so recently people had been paying me to teach them. Many of the people I worked with now knew virtually nothing about it, had never read it, and weren’t interested in learning. Many others had spent years reading it but for them it had gone flat through familiarity, reduced to cliches. Bored, they dropped it. And there weren’t many people in between. Very few were interested in what I considered my primary work, getting the words of the Bible into their heads and hearts, getting the message lived. They found newspapers and magazines, videos and novels more to their taste.”
Sadly, I see the same thing in the church today. It’s one of the reasons I keep coming back to this one topic, leaning hard into the fact that we cannot afford to disregard the Word of God. We CANNOT!
As a pastor, Peterson learned to meld the old with the new – the original, common-man languages of the Bible (Hebrew and Greek) with the common language of today. He made the Bible come alive in such a way that the difference in his congregation was noticed by an editor, and he ended up spending ten years creating The Message, a Bible with a specific purpose.
It is meant to be read. Or, as the publisher expresses it, it is a reading Bible, not a study Bible. It’s a Bible designed specifically to get people into and invested in the Word of God. With this purpose in mind, Peterson crafted it very carefully. Not only did he select just the right words to make God’s Word available to modern readers, he also chose to list verse numbers alongside each paragraph rather than presenting verses individually. This can take getting used to but historically the Bible didn’t even have chapter numbers until early in the 13th century and verse numbers waited another 300 or so years to show up.
While chapters and verses are helpful when seeking specific text, they can also lead to reading passages out of context and, as a result, losing part of their richness and meaning. Not interrupting trains of thought with verse numbers, The Message enables us to grasp a more complete picture and, at times, see what the Bible is really saying as opposed to what we thought it said. This is one of my favorite things about quality, modern translations and paraphrases. They take verses that have become so familiar that, as he pointed out, they’ve reached cliche status and put them into words that wake us up and make us start thinking again.
One more note and I’ll move on. Although it’s not a study Bible, Peterson does offer helpful introductions to sections (i.e., The Books of Moses) and chapters. If you’re one who tends to pass over such introductions, I suggest you make an exception. It often helps to begin a journey, even into a new book, with an idea of what’s to come.
Finally, I do realize there are people who have a problem with any and all modern translations, especially paraphrases, but the intention is to make the text available to the reader. As beautiful as the King James is, and most of the scriptures I’ve memorized come from the KJV, it’s not really the language we speak today. As a result, it can be seriously challenging for modern readers. High quality translations and paraphrases like The Message can make a huge difference in understanding and appreciation.
You’ve probably noticed that Amazon asks you to review pretty much everything you order: I don’t usually. However, when they asked me to review this planner, I decided it was worth telling you about. I’ve used the exact same planner for a full year, you see, and have found it practically perfect (for me) in every way. Not kidding. So I’ll not just review the planner here, but tell you how I use it as well.
It’s by Paperage and comes as a hardcover book that measures 5 1/2″ x 8″ x 1/2″ plus a smidge more. It also comes in a variety of colors, which is perfect for me since I want a different color for every year. Yes, I’ll keep them as part of my business record.
As someone who already has a full-time job, but also blogs, writes books, and has a monthly newsletter, I need something more than the usual scheduling system. I require a planner I can keep as a record of my year. After trying several options, I found this one and I’m officially a customer as long as Paperage continues to make this planner.
Ready for the book tour?
The first two pages, not surprisingly, are 2025 and 2026 calendars; you can guess what they look like, so onward we go. These next two pages are a God-send for me. As you can see, I’ve adapted them. First, I attached a tab at the top that says “Hours Worked.” The tab serves two purposes: It tells what the pages are about and, more importantly, makes it easy to find them. The other modification is boxes I drew into the Sunday lines so that I can keep track of my on-task hours daily, weekly, and monthly. (I write monthly totals at the bottom of each month’s column.)
Why do I track my hours? Because I need accountability. It’s easy, when I come home tired after a workday, to decided not to write, edit, or whatever. It’s easy, on a busy weekend, to do the same. To be totally honest, I look back at my hours from 2024 and am ashamed. While some of the blanks are a result of extended illness and other factors, others are sheer laziness and procrastination on my part. So yes, these two pages are an important motivator.
Next come the monthly calendars. I probably should have chosen a different month to photograph, because you can see my hand drawn blocks from the previous page. The paper being slightly transparent isn’t really a big deal for me. Since I write everything in pencil, I don’t have to worry about bleed through. If you’re a pen person, however, be aware that you might find it somewhat annoying.
This section is where I record my publishing schedule. When I’m on track, I have blog posts scheduled weeks and even months out. One glance at these pages and I know exactly where I stand. As you can tell, I’m not even remotely ahead at the moment. I’m hoping to change that during this holiday week. Maybe.
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. On the right, you see dotted paper. Through 2024, this side of the page served multiple purposes from listing “Must Do” items to recording random thoughts and ideas to holding overflow notes from the daily records to… I don’t even remember what all. It’s versatile, and I’m glad I have it.
On the left side, I record what I do each day. Be it researching, writing, editing, publishing, promoting, or something else, it gets written down here. This way I can remember when I did what and, frankly, it occasionally makes me feel better about myself when I’m feeling like a slouch and shouldn’t.
The planner ends with several more dotted pages that, again, can serve a variety of purposes. I used them in 2024 to help me plan out the devotional I’m writing, to track goals I’d set for the year, and more.
The book also has two ribbon bookmarks, which I use to mark the current month and week; a folder on the back cover that comes with tiny accent stickers and can hold all sorts of things; and an elastic band to keep the book shut.
Bottom Line: This is a quality planner that is small enough to toss into my backpack when I travel, versatile enough to serve in a variety of ways, sturdy enough to stand as a yearly record, and comes in enough colors to keep me happy. I give it five out of five stars, hearts, etc.
I’m a reader from way back. Honestly, from the time the black dots on the page first started making sense, I was reading anything and everything I could. That hasn’t changed much and, with Christmas coming, I decided this was a great time to share my favorite series by one of my all-time favorite romance authors.
Her name is Liz Isaacson. Well, it’s actually Elana Johnson; Liz Isaacson is one of her pen names. Elana is a Christian, and all her Liz Isaacson books are distinctly Christian without being preachy. (If you’ve read much Christian literature, you know what I mean.) Her characters are normal people with real issues, and while some of them have strong relationships with God from the start, others don’t, and they all grow in their faith throughout the series. Much like the rest of us.
Wait, I said they’re normal people. In one aspect, the main characters are far from normal: They’re billionaire cowboys and cowgirls. Yes, I love cowboy romances, and I enjoy the billionaire trope. I also appreciate large, tight-knit families, which is great because there are twelve Glovers and they’re all up in each other’s business. They make you want to be one of them.
Lest you think I’m biased and the series probably not all I think it is, consider this.
So, Sony Affirm, the faith-based arm of Sony Pictures Television, has purchased the rights to the series. As Elana says here, “Sony Television bought the rights to Shiloh Ridge Ranch and they’re going to be writing a pilot episode and a pitch to take out to streaming services, network TV, etc.”
See why I’m encouraging you to buy at least the first of these books for the romance readers on your Christmas list? They’re THAT good!
The Mechanics of Mistletoe, pictured at the top of this article, begins a delightfully full series about the residents of Shiloh Ridge Ranch, a massive family-owned empire. The book launches straight into Bear Glover’s story while he deals with a stressful issue on page one.
Bear felt himself transforming into the grizzly some of his friends and family members often told him he could become. He worked against the instinct, but…
The first time I read it, I had compassion for Bear from the moment I encountered these words in paragraph two. I’m well-acquainted with the challenges of fighting the flesh. At forty-five Bear, the oldest of the Glover clan, is a bit set in his ways, but he’s trying to change. Oh yes, and he’s never been married. He and his cousin, Ranger, took over running the ranch when their fathers passed away far too young, and neither has gone out of his way to find a wife. In fact, none of the siblings and cousins are married and we get the satisfaction of walking through the pleasures and perils of romance with every one of them.
Reading is amazing, but it’s more than just fun or relaxing; it has much power that we usually underestimate. Speaking from experience, my character was developed in large part because of the quality literature I read as a child and teen. Seeing Christians, even fictional followers of Jesus, deal with both life’s challenges and their own weaknesses helped me as I faced mine. Even today, I reflect on things that occur in these books and apply certain lessons to my own life. No, I’m sure that’s not why Elana wrote the books, but it’s a great benefit to me as the reader and one of the reasons I recommend the series to others.
If by chance you’ve read any of Liz’s other books that are set in the small Texas town of Three Rivers, you’ll undoubtedly encounter some of your favorite characters here. She does a fabulous job of building and maintaining community. Yes, that means a true Three Rivers fan has many books to explore and, for a reader like me, that is a very good thing!
I reread the Shiloh Ridge Ranch series at least twice a year. Ok… I’ll be honest. I reread it more often than that: It is my favorite for when I’m in seasons that don’t allow me to read something new that might consume me (I can’t stay up all night anymore.). Revisiting the Glovers is like going home. I know I’m welcome, and that no matter how challenging the day is they’re all in it together. And isn’t that one of the best parts of a good book?
I also suggest wandering around in Feel Good Fiction where you can learn more about Elana/Liz/Jessie and all she has to offer, join her fan group, and discover myriad perks. You can even order directly from her on the site, which would be a true blessing to her since authors don’t make all that much when selling through other companies.
As you gear up for the holidays, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving and a truly blessed Christmas!
Around the beginning of the year, I told my sister Clarissa I was ready for a road trip. We hadn’t done one in forever and I thought we should plan one to celebrate her upcoming birthday. I gave her the choice of destination and she immediately chose Laurel, Mississippi, the home of Ben and Erin Napier and origin of HGTV’s popular Home Town.
I’d never seen an episode at that point, but she took care of my lack of education, and I was immediately hooked. I’ve always been a sucker for revitalizing historic areas, love the show, appreciate the atmosphere you pick up on in their episodes, and was really looking forward to the experience. After the fact, I’m here to say that, of all the vacations we’ve taken together, this was one of the best!
Big picture: Although we did plan for travel to other cities, we focused primarily on the historic part of Laurel, which is where the Napiers and their businesses are, and from the beautiful architecture to the quirky streets to the phenomenal people, we truly felt right at home. Admittedly, this is an area rich in tourists, so obviously the businesses are going to focus more on customer service than the average checker at the big box store. Still, we weren’t the only tourists commenting on how friendly everyone was; I overheard several such conversations. Too, as a Christian, I was delighted by how many of the stores played Christian music.
We did make one major mistake, and I’ll share it right now so you can save yourself the frustration. We planned our trip for Saturday through Thursday. What we didn’t realize is that some of the places we would specifically end up wanting to go are only open Thursday through Saturday. We still had a fantastic time, but it would have been better if we’d done more research. We’ve already decided that, were we to go back, our trip would start on Wednesday.
We also could have attended church Sunday morning if we’d planned ahead. Honestly, it’s amazing what you don’t think about.
We arrived late on Saturday, so that day was a wash as far as Laurel was concerned. Then, on Sunday morning, with almost everything closed while people were in church, we parked downtown and started walking. It was a beautiful day, and we were able to ogle the gorgeous old houses and buildings to our hearts’ content because we pretty much had the streets to ourselves. By the time we got hungry, we found the one place that was open: Grits and Some. If you go to Laurel, plan to eat a meal at Grits and Some. I don’t remember what Clarissa ate, but I had some truly excellent biscuits and sausage gravy (more than I could eat), and the price was good. I paid around $7 before the tip. We fully intended to eat there again later in the week. That didn’t happen for two reasons: We failed to pay attention to their hours of operation, and we found something different for “breakfast” the next morning.
Enter Forever Nutrition. I’d heard of loaded teas before, but didn’t know what they were and this place sells them (and many other things). Since we were alone in the store the owner took time to fill us in on loaded teas and… well, a lot, really. By the time we left on that first day, we felt like we’d found a friend. From that point on, Forever Nutrition was our first stop in the morning. A healthy breakfast? Maybe not so much, but it sure tasted good, and we seriously enjoyed getting to know the owner a little better and hearing her thoughts about the town, and the Napiers.
Speaking of Ben and Erin, we saw them that day at lunch. At our new friend’s suggestion, we went to Wilson’s Commissary (southern cooking), which is what I think of as community dining. Instead of individual tables, you have long rows of tables. It’ an efficient use of space, allowing them to serve quite a few people in a small room, and it’s clearly a popular destination; they need all those chairs. At one point, while I was looking around, I caught a glimpse, only a glimpse, of a woman whose haircut matched Erin’s and who, even more telling, was using her hands the way Erin does when she talks. With people between us, I couldn’t be sure, so I texted Clarissa, who was sitting across from me. (Community tables, remember? I didn’t want to say it out loud and have the local beside me think I was a stalking fan.) She was able to see not only Erin, but Ben sitting beside her.
Did we approach them? Definitely not. We are fans, but not that type of fan. We just thought it was cool that we’d seen them in their normal habitat, so to speak. Interestingly, it seemed like Ben intentionally stuck around for a few minutes after everyone else in their party left, just to make himself available to people. I can’t be sure if that was his purpose, of course, but it was nice to see him shaking hands.
In talking to the owner of Forever Nutrition (Can’t believe I never got her name!), we learned that what we’d expected…hoped…is true. The town is very protective of this family. She didn’t tell us a whole lot, but did share one story that made it clear just how dangerous fame can be and how the town comes together to have their backs. All of which is another reason we had no intention of approaching them.
One last thing on food. We ate well while we were in Mississippi, but our hands down favorite restaurant was the Bird Dog Cafe. This is one of the locations Ben and Erin had worked on, which is why Clarissa knew about it and wanted to go. The atmosphere is phenomenal, but oh, the food! Oh man, the food! I just can’t! They have a great menu with fancier choices, but I opted for a meatball sub that beat every other sub I’ve ever had. My receipt says I also had a salad, and I’m sure it was awesome too, but that sub left an impact. I was so full that I almost didn’t order dessert, but I had a feeling their chocolate peanut butter cheesecake would be equally amazing. I was right. So, if you go to the Bird Dog cafe, get dessert too!
Moving right along, I’m sure it won’t surprise anyone that one of our favorite things to do when on vacation is shop. Even if I don’t have much to spend, as long as I have something budgeted for shopping I’m happy. With that in mind, some of the places that got my money were…
Office Products Center & Gifts Yes, it’s an odd name. I didn’t ask, but suspect it started out as an office supply store and someone was smart enough to start adding gifts. It’s about half and half now, and though there were many things I liked, I settled on long-sleeved, Laurel-themed, Christmas Ts for the two of us. Clarissa found a gorgeous leather purse and a few other things. We were there for a while and had a blast visiting with the owner and other shoppers. It’s what I referred to earlier; even with other shoppers the feeling in downtown Laurel is one of community.
The Remnant As soon as we heard about this resale shop, we knew we had to go, because its profits help fund housing for women and children who are going through truly hard times (think domestic abuse, recovery, etc.). Walking in was a nice surprise, because you don’t get a resale shop vibe at all. I suppose I would call it a resale boutique because they’ve done a beautiful job with the decor, and their staging of the antiques and similar items makes you feel like you’re in an antique store. They also sell clothing, and I did buy some.
The Plaid Pecan Also a resale shop, this one netted me two sweaters and two tops, one of which was new with tags, and even the new top only cost $10. I left happy.
The Scotsman Fans of the show know The Scotsman is Ben’s company. It sells a wide variety of both leather and wood items, as well as other very cool gifts. We shopped there two different days. The first day, I discovered absolutely adorable child-sized wood items: My youngest granddaughter got a maple cutting board, “knife,” and rolling pin for her birthday. They are made for a child, but are adult quality and I can see her using them for a very long time. The children’s section was a definite challenge to my self-control, and it was only one corner in a fabulous store. We spent a lot of time oohing and aahing that day. Then, after he learned about the leather items they offer, my brother-in-law had us go back the next day to shop for him, and we hit the Home Town fan jackpot.
One wall of the Scotsman is a huge window that lets you see into the wood shop where they film episodes. And they were filming! We got to speak with one of his team members while we watched, and learned some really interesting things – like just how grueling the shooting schedule is. We also shopped, and I bought one little thing for me, a leather business card holder. I couldn’t leave without something to help me remember the experience and, besides, I needed it.
Scent Library I tried hard to resist the temptation. The Scent Library is another place we went twice, and the second time was because I could not get the memory of one particular candle out of my head. The Scent Library is Erin’s brainchild. Their tag line is “Every scent tells a story,” and the shop is set up accordingly; it looks like a library. The scent I couldn’t pass up is Leiper’s Fork. It makes me think fall and Christmas. Here’s its story.
On trips to visit friends outside of Nashville, we spent most of it at the hearth of a wood burning fireplace in Leiper’s Fork. After gathering firewood from the dense woods around their house, spending a cold night fireside in flannel pajamas was the best ending to the day. – Erin Napier
Since I was already buying one candle, it didn’t take much for the “Blind Date with a Candle” display to suck me in. One description sounded like it would fit me, and the discounted price was enough to bring me back to that table for the third and fatal…I mean final… time. I ended up with Ouida’s Garden, a luscious floral that I’m really glad I bought.
Hellfighters This place is amazing! At first glance it looks like it would be a motorcycle shop, and it is, but it’s much more. They do custom work on bikes and Jeeps and have quite a few bikes in the showroom/store. They carry a little of everything from clothing in a variety of styles to accessories to fun and funky gifts to… Well, everything. They also have a motorcycle history museum upstairs that we both enjoyed visiting.
And best of all, which we didn’t learn until we checked out, they support Mission At The Cross, a home that helps recovering addicts find victory. We were told that pretty much everyone who works there is someone who has been going through their program, so they’re also being prepared to re-enter the workforce. Definitely pay this place a visit!
You’ll find street after street of shops and places to eat in Laurel. These are just the ones I can remember because I still have the receipts. There are other things to do as well. They have multiple museums, and the visitors center is a must. Not too far down the road is a living history museum that our poor planning kept us from experiencing. As I said earlier, there were several interesting places we missed because of our scheduling mistake.
They also have events throughout the year, and I’m sure the place is beautiful at Christmas. Clarissa is already talking to Brother about going back at some point during the holidays for that very reason. If you’re looking for a road trip, here’s your sign.
They were thoughtful enough to place my light switches so that I could turn lights on and off from bed as well as when walking in the door. I’ve always appreciated this, but eventually got tired of turning the lights on in the “dark” and having to fumble around for the switches. See, between the window and my microwave, which has a clock on it, I have a surprising bit of light in the room, but that didn’t help much with a white plate on a white wall. I needed more contrast.
So to Etsy I did go! I knew I wanted something that would work with the art print I already had hanging over my nightstand, so I looked through hundreds of options and pared it down to half a dozen. In my usual, let’s-overthink-this manner, I printed out screen captures of my favorites and took turns taping them over the switches to get the effect.
Honestly, I knew which one I would choose pretty early, but having gone to the effort I made myself follow through on the plan. I knew from reading the details and reviews that this metal cover would be excellent quality and that it was American made, so once my mind was made up I moved. And I give you, my mini Monet!
Is it not perfect?!
Monet is my favorite artist and his water lilies paintings are almost definitely my favorite of all his works. One of my happy times was when I went with a friend to an Impressionists exhibit and got to stand right in front of one of those paintings. I don’t know how long I stood there, but it was long enough for her to take this picture. And why am I holding my bag behind my back in this photo, you ask? Because, my friends, I was terribly tempted to touch it. I mean, Monet had touched it and I wanted to too!
So, back to Etsy. Pretty much every switch plate cover I liked was from LunaGalleryDesigns. The selection in this shop is amazing and they offer far more than the bajillion switch plate covers I had to choose from! They also have ceramic wall tiles, mosaic wall tiles, and some absolutely beautiful ceramic tile murals. If by chance you wanted this Monet Water Lillies cover specifically, here’s your link! (Nope, I don’t earn anything off this one!)
And here’s a surprise! I let Luna Gallery know about this post and they offered you, for a limited time, an additional 10% off any purchase. Just use code: LIMITEDTIME.
You may be wondering about the art print as well. It was a gift, so all I can tell you is that it’s Jacob’s Ladder and I was told it was by an Israeli artist, though that may or may not be the case. It’s several years old, so I’ve no idea if it would even be available anymore.
And there you have it! I added a perfect tiny piece of art to my perfect tiny house!
And today we reach the end of the kitchen tour, which is pretty much the final part of the house tour, though I will have more things to share. First up, the second built in!
I love how deep they were able to make this cabinet. As you can see, the top shelf is perfect for the two rectangle baskets. As I explained in a previous post, they’re woven rope and are 15x10x10. Because they are flexible and I have my mixing bowls in the one on the right, they’re not decorator rectangles, but they are definitely functional! The basket on the left houses my to-go containers. I’ve made no bones about the fact that I don’t cook, but I do occasionally buy frozen family-sized meals that I can cook in the microwave. Then I freeze leftovers for taking to the office to save money on eating out.
Study the picture again and you’ll see how they used more of the teak countertop to set me up with a microwave shelf. As you can see, they notched the teak to give me space for my fridge. They did this because I needed as many inches as I could possibly get in my closet! Maybe I’ll show you the closet later, but it still has way too much room for improvement.
There is plenty of room on the shelf in front of the microwave, however! And, as I mentioned before, the dryer serves me well as additional counter space.
And now, look at my adorable fridge! Yes, this vintage-style treasure is one of the delights of my life.
We found it at Sam’s Club, but believe it or not you can actually get it on Amazon and it comes in six colors! I chose white because I wanted it to match my washer and dryer, and because white works with pretty much everything, but you can also get it in black, a retro blue, creame, pink, and red. I’m not showing you the inside of mine, but here’s a screen shot from the Amazon ad.
My decorator friend says she’s going to build me some kind of base that we can put under it to raise it up a little bit. It really doesn’t bother me, but she insists someone as tall as me shouldn’t have to bend over so much to reach the freezer. What I’ve not told her is that I usually just scoot over there in my desk chair if I’m going to be doing much in the freezer at all. Just one more advantage of tiny house living!
Ah, and the basket on top of the fridge is something I picked up randomly at T.J. Maxx. I keep my bread products in it: bread loaves, bagels, crackers, tortillas…that sort of thing.
I have one window in my apartment, which isn’t all that surprising given its size. It lets a good bit of natural light into my kitchen area, and is truly a blessing. Due to the construction of the building, the sill is quite deep. That makes it even better!
Obviously, the window is home to my little air conditioner, which though small proved quite sufficient this past summer. The way they built up around the unit not only sealed it in well but provides me so much privacy that I have no need at all for curtains or shades. (I’m pretty high up off the ground at this point.)
That privacy meant I could do whatever I wanted with the window, so I pulled out a stained glass piece that had been in storage. Yes, the colors are more muted than most of the apartment, but not only is it a salute to my love of reading, it is also a gift from two very special people, one of whom has gone on home to Heaven. One thing I learned a long time ago is that surrounding yourself with things that have meaning can trump other rules.
Another thing that has meaning is the hummingbird that hangs to the right of the stained glass. This is my salute to both my mother and grandmother, who shared a love for the little flyers. The crystal that hangs to the left in the window was purchased to balance the bird. It’s very pretty and I’m glad I chose the right thing. It’s the 120mm Crystal Prism Suncatcher and it sells for $10; I paid more for the hummingbird at a craft show years ago!
My decorator friend installed the wooden shelf for me specifically for these two pots of hens and chicks, which originated with my grandmother. If you read Sometimes You Just Need a Do Over you have seen the long planter. These little guys aren’t flourishing greatly, like I wish they were, but they are still alive and I’m taking that as a win.
The bottom shelf was decorated by my talented friend, who also made the little potted cactus for me. Everything else already belonged to me; she just knew how to put them all together. the stack of books includes some antiques from what was once an impressive collection. The glass paperweight was my mother’s and I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it. What I really wish you could see better is the peacock stone that sits between the books and plant. It’s bornite and it’s beautiful. Here’s an example I found online.
And that’s the window. We’re almost finished with the Kitchen tour. Thanks for coming along!
As I’ve mentioned before, at first glance you’d think I have no counter space at all, but if you saw the larger photo of my kitchen area you know the washing machine butts right up against the kitchen counter and it serves me well as extra counter space. So does the dryer, which we’ll get to in another post. So here you go.
Major things first, my sink is huge and I’m so glad. I’d had concerns that I’d be stuck with something small. I should have known better; I’ve said more than once that they tried really hard to make this place as good as they possibly could for me. They weren’t going to let me down and not only gave me a great sink but a fabulous faucet. Second, isn’t this teak countertop amazing? It’s absolutely beautiful and allowed them to bring in a variety of raw woods elsewhere in the kitchen. Seeing them work on all of that was a revelation; wood has gotten so expensive!
They found the countertop at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and it’s a great example of the bargains you can find there. People assume these stores are filled with things that have been pulled out of demolished houses, and there is that, but there are also pallets of factory overstocks and other brand new items. This particular countertop was long enough that they used part of it here and part to build my microwave shelf, which you’ll see soon, and will still be able to make my sis a beautiful, large cutting board.
So, on the counter, left to right…
Fiberwise, by Melaleuca. Not anything you’re probably interested in, but when you hit menopause fiber becomes especially important as it helps with things like cholesterol. (Remember that TIA I had a while back? Right.)
Now, on the sink? That, my friends, is a stainless steel, Roll Up Dish Drying Rack and it is the bomb. I have it rolled out for the benefit of this picture, but I can roll or fold it up as much or as little as I like, or even roll it and store it. I’ve also discovered that if I fold it up in three layers it will hold my lightweight plate as it dries (otherwise the tall thing flops sideways). If you have a small kitchen, this thing is a great! It’s another of those items that I saw and thought, “Hm…” and have been very glad I purchased.
Two other things about the sink. I don’t use bar soaps much, if at all, but was given some soap samples recently. That little, cream-colored block you see in the sink stopper that sits by the Dawn? It’s one of those samples and I discovered that sink stoppers make great small-soap holders. The blue spray bottle is Dawn Powerwash and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s what I usually use to wash my hands, works great as a clothing pre-treat (especially with oil or grease) and of course is fantastic for dishes. It seems like it would be a waste of money, but I find that a bottle lasts a very long time; you just have to avoid the temptation to spray ridiculous amounts.
There are only two other things on the counter that I’ll link to. The trivet in the lower right corner of the photo was a gift and I use it constantly since I don’t risk putting anything hot on those wood counters. The plate on the plate rack is primarily decoration since the plate isn’t microwave safe. One day I’ll find a microwave safe plate I actually like and replace it.
The ZeroWater 6-Cup 5-Stage Water Filter Pitcher has been a fixture in my life for years. I don’t like our city water at all, and it’s best to filter minerals out of the water before using an electric kettle, so this stays on the counter permanently. If I drank my water cold, I would of course keep it in the fridge, but I’m one of those strange people who, while I can drink cold water, am just as happy drinking it at room temp.
And last you see one of my HoShip Silicone Spoon Rests. They’re food grade silicone spoon rests that are lovely, dishwasher safe, and store in a very small area. Highly recommended!
One of the big things about tiny houses is using every inch of space you can. In this case, because my apartment was going inside an existing metal building (a well insulated metal building), they were able to take advantage of a few deep and wide breaks in the framing to make me some built-ins. This one, as you can see in the photo, is at the end of my long shelf. Yes, the shelf runs right up to it, but I don’t care. Again, space is important!
So, the top shelf is kind of a hiding spot for glass measuring cups and that sort of thing; you can barely see them in the back behind the yellow cup I don’t use much. It is a nice tea cup, but I like the infuser on the blue cup from last week just a little better. The other big thing on that shelf is another of my favorite purchases.
I like toast. I like toaster pastries. I like (ok, love) bagels with cream cheese. So yes, I really like my toaster! It’s the iSiLER 2 Slice Toaster. It has extra wide slots for my bagels, multiple darkness adjustments, a cancel button, and an easy-to-clean tray. It also has a place on bottom to wrap your cord for storage, which is awesome for me since I don’t keep it out all the time. And it’s only 9.5 inches long by 5.3 inches wide by 7 inches tall – so it fits!
The second shelf holds sugar in a Kerr jar, a couple of books and a painted pineapple for decoration, and two glasses I got at the dollar store because they were pretty. “Pretty” is also what prompted me to buy the flatware you see in the glass jars on the bottom shelf, and “pretty” is why they’re displayed the way they are. They’re the Kitiok rainbow flatware set and I did buy them off Amazon. Unfortunately, they’re not available anymore and I’m not going to risk linking to a set I’ve not seen for myself.
But if you like color like I do, you may want to look around and find a set that’s similar. I’ve had these for quite a while and they still make me smile every time I pull one out.
And then there’s just the crock with the larger utensils I hardly ever use. The odds are good most of them, like so many other unneeded items, will end up walking to my sister’s kitchen. For a while there, she just looked up and laughed every time I stepped in the back door to drop things on her kitchen island that I’d finally admitted I’ll never use (or could borrow them from her if I needed them).
In retrospect, I could probably have put this information in my last post, but we’ll see. Here’s the other end of the top shelf I showed you last week.
On the far right, you can see the left side of the Monet piece. I’ve mentioned it before, but it and the framed art you can see clearly in this picture are in inexpensive acrylic box frames from Hobby Lobby. They’re lightweight enough that I hang them with pushpins. The art print on the left is just something I cut out of a calendar. Calendars are great resources for art!
You can also, on the right, see part of my blue wire snack basket. This is where I toss candies, toaster pastries, popcorn packets, and other such things. Sometimes it’s mostly empty, and at other times it’s packed, like on Christmas day after I’d opened all of my gifts.
The next thing you see is the green vinyl basket that matches the two in my bathroom. This jewel hides all sorts of things that I don’t use often, including my knives, measuring spoons, plates…and I’m not entirely sure what else is in there. It’s wonderful, though, for keeping things out of reach that I wouldn’t want a child getting their hands on, and I do occasionally have children in the house.
The tin next to the basket is both decorative and practical. I bought it years ago, full of tea bags, and keep my tea in it still. Yes, I enjoy hot tea. I like cold sweet tea too, but don’t do that much at home. Give me a cup of hot tea with honey and sugar and I’m happy. I use both loose leaf and bagged teas. I’ve purchased from several companies, but if you enjoy a cup too, I particularly suggest you check out Adagio Teas. They have some amazing blends!
And then we come to one of my favorite purchases ever! Truly, TikTok made me buy it, and I have never experienced one moment of buyer’s remorse. In following several Europeans on TikTok, I began to see just why they were all about their electric kettles. This one is lightweight, easily pulled down for use and put back up for storage. It heats up super-fast, and sometimes I keep it on the counter for days simply because I use it so much – and it’s pretty. It boils water for my tea, of course, but also for my Solle CinnaMâte, which I like to drink hot, (Check out Tired of Exhaustion? for more info on that), hot cocoa, and such things as ramen noodles, which I enjoy on occasion even though I do know they’re not good for you.
