Apartment Tour: The Kitchen

Since Luke and I have moved to New Jersey, I've had many people ask me to post about our apartment. I've wanted to, but with my crazy work/travel schedule and just never feeling like my apartment was as decorated or put together as well as I'd like, I just haven't. But Sunday afternoon, Luke and I were washing the dishes, I thought to myself, "Why not now? At least the kitchen it clean." Ha!

So, here begins my first installment of the "The Hinton's New (And Significantly Smaller) Home in NJ Tour," starting with: the kitchen.

Here is our little dining area. Being that we live in a pre-war apartment building, there are a lot of quirky characteristics about our apartment. The first being the built-in cabinets that you see behind the kitchen table {which I happen to love!}. 

I love my little "coffee bar" that I've set up on one of the kitchen windowsills. It's just the right size and I steal a few minutes in the morning, sitting at the table, acting as my own barista. {Side note: See the unpainted part of the wall behind the heater? It was like that when we moved in. I plan on painting it, but ya know...}

An opposite view of the dining area. I love the old window screen I have hanging on the wall, but I'm not sure what I'm doing with it. I might try to hang a free kitchen printable from Pinterest on it, but I haven't decided. Suggestions?

Quirky characteristic #2: Look at this tiny stove! Seriously, none of my cooking sheets that I was gifted from our wedding fit inside that thing. It actually came with a baking sheet that fits inside, thank goodness! And notice all the white? It drives me nuts! But I haven't decided whether or not I want to paint a wall or if we'll be in this apartment long enough for it to matter. Think I should?

Quirky characteristic #3: This sink. I've just never seen anything like it, except maybe in an old county home. The cabinets are metal painted, what else but, white. And the sink is like ceramic or something. But one think I love about this sink is the detachable sprayer thing. The water pressure is strong and makes doing the dishes a lot easier, especially since you don't see a dish washer anywhere.

We don't have a pantry, so we bought this big ol' guy at Target when we first moved in and I'm so glad we did! We normally put extra paper towels and laundry soap on the bottom shelf. Just ignore that third shelf. That is where all of Luke's work papers and other crap go to get forgotten about, ha!

And last, but certainly not least, my little family in the kitchen. I told Luke, "Babe, move out of my shot. I'm blogging about the kitchen and I need to get some pics," and he said, "Take our picture!" He's such a blogger's husband. :)

So, there it is. The Hinton's tiny kitchen. I know I keep saying tiny like it's a bad thing, but you know, I'll never forget this kitchen. So much character; such a fun little place to sit, drink coffee and blog. I will try to do a few more posts about out apartment, but don't hold me to any type of schedule. I have a few more things I'd like to do to both the living room and our bedroom before I share.

Have a blessed Tuesday!

Christmas Reflections

{Christmas Eve 2010} 

I feel like I haven't blogged in forever, even though it has only been a little over a week. But I mean, I guess I should cut myself some slack. It has been a little crazy with Christmas and all! I just want to start this post out by saying that I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and are looking forward to a blessed and happy new year. Both accompanied by family, friends, and other loved ones, of course. :)

The last few days have been filled with of some of the best food I've ever eaten in my life, holiday traditions that have continued to be some of the last constants from my childhood to now, my four "sides" of the family (including Luke's), and I must admit, some very fabulous Christmas presents! It has always been a personal goal of mine to take some time alone during the holidays to reflect on what this time of the year truly represents for us as Christians. More than good food, family, traditions, or presents, I'm in awe that God would so perfectly plant Himself in our flesh on Earth to save a people that didn't understand or want to accept who He was and still is. This love moves my soul and overwhelms me in a way that nothing else can. Most of all, I have been thankful for God's perfect gift this holiday season.

This year, I can proudly say that this was a Christmas full of "grown-up" presents! Luke and I had a great time opening joint gifts that will go in our future house! My parents bought us a flat-screen TV that Luke has (of course) already set up and plugged his Xbox in to at my apartment (don't even get me started, ha!). I was also given a wonderful vacuum that has worked wonders in my apartment already. Thanks mom!! Emily bought me the most perfect wine rack and Claire gave me a bunch of knick knacks for my kitchen from Ikea. My Aunt Amy gave me a gift card to Bed Bath & Beyond, which I proceeded to spend the day after Christmas. It was already burning a whole in my pocket! I bought a blender and some organizing racks for my kitchen cabinets. Don't worry now. I know that I need to be patient because with getting married comes wedding showers with which you receive many of these gifts. But these were a couple of things I've been needing for a while. Just call me Susie Homemaker. :)

Speaking of wedding, Christmas day was exactly 6 months until mine and Luke's wedding!!! Mom and I did a little wedding planning/talking over the break, so be looking for some wedding updates soon! I'm getting really excited because all of my ideas are coming together. Now, I just need to get some of my to-do list checked off!

For those of you that still have more time off from work or school, consider yourselves extra blessed (and envied!). For those of you who, like me, have to go back to work tomorrow, God bless us all. I know I'm going to need an extra boost in the morning! It's always so hard to go back to work or school after such a fun holiday.

Have a blessed last week of 2010!!!