Store Crashing – World Market Home Edition

By now you’ve probably guessed that I am a fan of window shopping. I love wandering stores for no apparent reason then leaving completely empty-handed. It sounds silly…who would love not buying something? Perhaps I glean some personal satisfaction in seeing wonderful things but having the self-control to not purchase them for myself?

In any event, I wandered around World Market last week with the intention of showing you around. And I didn’t buy a single thing. Yippee!

First off, you have an incredible selection of art for any décor. And they are fairly reasonably-priced, too. I’ve seen versions on this wall of much more expensive pieces. However, since a lot of these hover around $80-$100, I still don’t buy much art here. I’d prefer to make my own and save more money!

Next we have a soap bar in the personal care section. In an embarrassing admission, I hate bar soap. I hate how it leaves a film behind in the shower (because Hubby insists on being Zestfully clean), and I can’t stand how it makes my skin feel afterwards. For some reason, bar soap makes me feel like I didn’t get any dirt off my hands but managed to add some gross film on top of everything.

Maybe I’m alone out there in my soap bar sentiments. I’m a loofa-body-wash-type of gal. Film-free, that’s me!

Random rantings-about-soap-for-no-reason aside, I love how pretty World Market’s soap selection can be. And standing in this general area smells really good, too.

These were yummy. Can you imagine how great spearmint and rosemary would be in a soap? So fresh! I also liked the packaging here, too. It’s a good thing that I don’t buy soap, if at all possible.

This is an area of the store for which World Market is famous. Lots of furniture revampers come here to find cute knobs and handles and pulls for repurposed furniture found in dumpsters. It’s amazing how a little fairly-affordable bling can really make a piece shine!

They have a nice eclectic selection of knobs here. I like to look but have yet to buy. Rude!

I love little things, as you found out when we crashed Target last week. And these bowls just made my heart go pitter-pat. I love the size and shape, but the crazy colors I think would wear me out eventually. And the fact that they go together but don’t completely match each other might be more work than it’s worth.

So I put them back down. But they’re cute, huh?

Shower curtains galore in this place! They have nice window curtains, too, but for some reason I didn’t take a picture to prove that. The curtains from our living room came from this exact store, so I can vouch for their curtain quality and selection.

I love these chairs but think they are just a little too fanshy for my house. We like clean, mid-century lines here, and these two chairs are rather ornate. But I liked them. I even liked the bright fabrics, too.

In between the chairs, however, was this beautiful table on sale for 50% off. I think $99 is still a little much to pay for tiny tables, regardless of how cool they are. This would be a great side table in a reading nook or even outside on a patio!

Have I mentioned that World Market has pillows? Well, they do. In fact, I’m sure that they give the pillow purchasers free reign and half the budget when it comes to bringing in beautiful fabrics from all over the world. I love these happy, fun colors for a happy, fun living room. I am on the hunt for new couch pillows but didn’t want to spend any money today.

They also have rugs in this fine establishment. I’m very particular when it comes to rugs and think that they should be something that bare feet would crave. These itchy sisal rugs, though rugged and very in-style right now, would be too painful to keep around my digs.

My feet deserve better than rough, I guess is what I’m saying.

I loved this wooden drafting desk for an office. I had a cool drafting desk in high school because I liked to draw and work on large projects. Mine wasn’t wooden or fancy-pants like this one, but I doubt we paid $279 for it, either!

I am also still on the hunt for some lighting in the corner of our living room. I am leaning towards a giant chandelier that I can modernize with a fun, bright color and maybe some cool-looking light bulbs. I haven’t found anything close to what I have in mind, so I will continue admiring other lighting solutions until mine presents itself.

These tin cutout lamps were pretty nifty, in my opinion.

Even this trio of burlap lights would be cool in my corner. I love the added texture and the soft glow. And I’m pretty sure that this awesome price of $59 is for all three lights! What a great deal! I guess this can be my fall-back option if the chandelier idea falls through.

This would be a simple solution for that living room corner, but I am really hoping for a ceiling light to drop down. However, a giant arc lamp with a giant shade would also work well, since we wouldn’t have to drill into the ceiling to wire for a hanging light.

And where would I put my Christmas tree if I hung a chandelier in that corner?! At least this lamp is portable and can be moved when move-important items, like lit fake Christmas trees, need a home for a month.

I actually love the giant yellow shade, but they have other options as well. Don’t let color chase you away from these lamps! By the way, all of their lighting is 20% off right, so find a store if you’re looking for a sweet deal!

I loved these cool wire mesh storage carts for an office, but I also think that they would add some pretty nifty dimension to a pantry. Wouldn’t this be a cool way to store potatoes and fruits and veggies? It’s a good thing that I am only now realizing it and not while I’m at the store.

I got all excited when I saw the starting price point for these awesome baskets. Talk about an easy way to add lots of texture and interest to a room!

We could put this by the fireplace and fill it will logs that will never be used. Or we could put it in the living room and fill it with comfy throws and a toss pillow for added warmth in the winter. Or, again, it could add some pretty nature in a pantry to store bags of chips!

I just love baskets like these and am surprised that I don’t have one. Or nine. The small one was only $4.99 while the bigger one was $24.99. I love them both.

Speaking of things that I love, this pillow caught my eye. I love the embroidery and the soft colors. It has lots of color but in a muted tone, which adds to a toned-down look. I think, anyway. But what do I know?!

World Market has a section in the back with hard-to-find exotic foods and treats. Each one of these little bins is filled with a wonder from another part of the world. It’s fun to look at things, but I don’t think I would ever dare purchase a block of pepper jack cheese that was shelf-stable!

Well, hello little owl! I thought this little timer was a cute way to be reminded of cooking times. Luckily, I hate unnecessary items on my countertop and simply use the microwave for my baking timer. But this little guy was pretty fun, for an owl timer.

World Market always has a wonderful selection of vases and displays for flowers. This selection often rotates, so it feels like there is always something new to find. Talk about an easy and colorful way to accessorize a room!

Speaking of perfect, I love their fake flower selection. They look real but don’t require water to survive. So they might actually last in my house, is what I’m trying to say. I think any single one of these flowers here would look wonderful bunched up in a pretty vase!

These were my only temptation in the store today…something that I almost took home. I love these blue plastic footed glasses for outside entertaining. I don’t like paying full-price for anything if I can help it, so maybe I will check back in a month when these will all be on clearance.

I don’t know that I need these to survive, but they could be a pretty addition to our patio table at night!

The only thing that I use mugs for is hot chocolate, and I certainly don’t want any of the hot-drink bidness this time of year! And if I didn’t already have my twelve mugs in white-that-goes-with-everything color, then I would snatch up a few of these pretty yellow butterfly mugs from which to sip my hot chocolate.

In seven months when it starts cooling down.

Oddly enough, we can vouch for their furniture quality as well. We bought our dining chairs here almost two years ago, and they literally still look brand-new despite lots of love and abuse from us.

World Market always has an awesome selection of tables and chairs. We bought our table next door at Pier One because it was a huge size without the bother of a leaf. But World Market is a great place to find dining furniture for a nice price.

These should look familiar to you, since we have six of the Sophia Leather Chairs in brown around our dining table. They are soft and easy to clean and look so nice! I am really happy with our purchase, and even happier that I got them for around $80 a piece with sales and coupons.

Just for the record, I wanted the green ones to the right. I got out-voted from that decision, even by people who don’t live in my house! But I would still love to have the green ones instead. I will just have to find other ways to add color to my kitchen and dining room.

Fraidy-cats of color.

I don’t know if you know this, either, but I dream of updating our laminate countertops someday. And, when that blessed day takes place, I would like to add an overhang to create some stool seating on the opposite side of my prep space.

Wouldn't these industrial stools look cool there? We go for comfort in addition to looks, so maybe these wouldn’t be comfortable enough to fit the bill. But I sure love how they look!

So there you have it! A house tour of the wonders at World Market, one of my favorite window-shopping stores. Tomorrow, I will show you some fun things for the 4th of July from the same store, so make sure you grab some popcorn and tune in then!

Kitchen Karma

Sometimes, good things happen to people with kitchen tool obsessions. Such was the case today when I casually went to Fry's Grocery Store to get some grub for dinner. Hey, it just feels nice to be out of the house after being in bed since last Thursday!

I walked around the entire store. My particular grocery store happens to have a home section as well, and I wandered through their new garden department to admire this year's hottest buys. I walked past many-a-thing that could have made a wonderful difference in our new home, mind you. I do have some semblance of self-control, though it rarely manifests itself when most needed. Just so you know.

Cheese. Great! Milk. Done! Special K cereal on sale. My favorite! My cart filled up with wonderful things for low prices that we use all the time. As I was wheeling around the corner on my way to the produce section, I halted. 

Where did that come from? And how did it get in my cart?

I walked back to housewares and discovered a sale on Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Ovens. What was once $80 was now down to $39. And they just so happened to have it in my favorite color. Now it was starting to make sense how that box had mysteriously ended up in my deal-wheeling cart. I didn't fight it. Sometimes things like this just happen, and you have to roll with it. Life isn't perfect, you know?

When the Sale Fairies speak, I listen. Sometimes.

At the cash register, I paid separately for the new, shiny, blue, perfectly-sized Dutch Oven. Since returning my Kindle Fire, I have a whole lotta cash back with which to play. I didn't want to return the Fire...but a few days after I bought it for free I found out that I was getting an iPad for work. It didn't make sense to keep them both...so back went the one that was from my money. This Dutch Oven can simply come out of that change, without a cent missing from our normal, tight monthly budget. We have financial goals, after all, and I simply can't let pretty pieces of kitchen toolery get me off track.

So it was "paid for" with free money and practically hopped into my car for the ride home. Should I seat-belt this guy in? Of course not, Micah. Besides, he isn't old/big enough to sit up front with you, anyway.

When I got home, I patiently put the groceries away first before opening my new treat. The color on the box is slightly different from the actual color, but I still love it. I was expecting a navy/teal blue, when the pot I opened is more of a navy/periwinkle blue. 

We're naming it Perry.

And by "we," I mean that Hubby is eventually going to notice that I bought this. I wish I could say that my sweet savvy shopping skills astound him, but it hasn't impressed him yet. Luckily, it was free money. He will hesitantly sigh jump on board once I remind him how much I use my Red Dutch Oven and love it to pieces. And after I remind him how I constantly silently wished for a slightly smaller version for other dishes. Viola! Silent wish fulfilled!

Yes, a Red Dutch Oven! Yes, I already own a Dutch Oven! It's kitchen karma...remember! I am just dealing with a wonderful situation the best I know how. I have had this red bad guy for a few years and use it all the time. And look how patriotic my pantry now looks with red and blue Dutch Ovens against white shelves? Who can complain too loudly about that?

It was probably the best decision I made all day.

The Perfect Pantry

Although I was home this week (surprise!), it was a hectic mess. After being gone for a whole month of nonstop work, I had a million projects that were begging for my immediate attention. Towards the top of the list was getting my pantry put together at last.  It has been quite a process getting to this point, and I'm thrilled that it's finally a great, functioning tool in our home. Now that the pantry is done (for now), it's time to reveal the finished product!

I say done for now only because there happens to be lots of excess space that will eventually be filled with more food storage (adding a little more each month with any excess grocery money). It feels wonderful knowing that we won't die next time Phoenix gets hit with a killer blizzard!

This pantry is...heavenly. I know it seems like a long time coming (it was for me, anyway). It took over a month from start to finish. But the wait was certainly worth it as everything came together to create our perfect storage space.

We stacked the dryer on top of the washer to make room for our latest addition...Mr. Free Freezer! We swapped our old dining set for our neighbor's old freezer. After getting the shelves organized, it was time to haul Mr. Freezer into place. Even if it dies next year...it will be a Free Freezer until then! What a blessing!

Just like every room in the house that we finally finish, I find myself walking by just to take a peek and to feel the satisfaction of a job well done (we hired some of it out, so I can brag about how awesome this pantry truly is. Right? Guys?). We couldn't be happier with our new pantry room. It is our last big home project for a while now that all of the excess funds are heading towards my student loans. But it's certainly a project that we get to enjoy every day!

No One Is Timing Us, Right?

It's been hard to focus on our pantry with me working so much these past few weeks. Hubby has been feeling a little under the weather, the poor guy. Despite the schedule difficulties, we managed to paint the first coat of white paint on the shelves last week. Since I had a sick kid on my hands, I painted the second coat alone on Monday while Hubby was at work. I am not a caulker, by any means, so I had to wait for Hubby to feel well enough to caulk all of the shelving. He did one wall on Tuesday and finished the other wall just last night. Now I can finish by cutting the shelf liners to fit and starting to put things back together!

A few weeks ago, I hit IKEA with my sister and Evan to buy my shelf liners. I don't trust much at this store, but these shelf liners are incredible! I also found some wire baskets at TJ Maxx that I finally had time to spray paint. Of course, they went my favorite color from Rustoleum...Lagoon. All of the bits and pieces were ready to go in the pantry, but getting the pantry itself ready took longer than expected. As always!

Taping alone took three hours. With both of us painting, the first coat of white shelves took over three hours. I did the second coat alone in about two (confirmation: Micah hates painting). Caulking took three hours per night for a total of six hours. Everything takes longer when your house is a mess because the pantry is all over the place! I've been a little anxious to get this thing done so this feels like a home again!

Today's plan: touch-up the walls where we got a little carried away with white paint. Then I will measure twice, cut once the shelf liners. Once they're in place, I can start putting things back in the pantry. I hope to have a finished product today! Hubby is leaving for a camping trip with the Scouts this evening, so I can work on it tomorrow, too, if I need.

This has been so fun, but it has dragged out a lot longer than I expected! It will be great to have it done, and I can already imagine how awesome it is going to look with the tan walls, white shelves, perfect shelf liners, green storage containers, and blue wire baskets! A fun, cheerful, clean, NEW pantry! Yippeeeee!

On a side note, I bought forty-eight jars of spaghetti sauce yesterday since we now have the room to store more for a year supply of food. They were on sale for $1.25 a jar, and I simply couldn't resist. Hubby was very encouraging, and I rarely get his support when buying things in bulk! However, I learned a valuable lesson about bulk purchases: don't be the creepy Spaghetti Jar Lady at the grocery store. Next time, I'll buy ten at a time when I'm in the market for a large amount of marinara! You wouldn't believe the awful looks I got as I was filling up my cart. And the conversation was not just a little awkward at the checkout. "Yeah, we'll be through this in a week," said I, jokingly, to my cashier. But he believed me, and then I felt even more creepy. Another lesson learned: when you are the Creepy Spaghetti Jar Lady, don't try to crack jokes with people. You've already been labeled by them as creepy, and failed attempts at humor will only confirm their suspicions.

Let There Be Shelves

I got home very late last night from an awesome week at work. And then I woke up at 5:30 AM to let two strange men into my house. Shelving time had finally arrived! I am tickled that I was home to see it all come together. What started as (beautifully-painted with two coats, ah-thank-you) blank walls this morning became my perfect pantry just two hours later! 

I am elated.

What's left to do: Hubby and I need to sand some of the edges of the shelves to prep them for paint. I bought a gallon of white semi-gloss for the shelves, but I am thinking I should have it tinted to match the walls instead. That is a LOT of taping if we go with white. Shelving Guy also recommended that we caulk all the creases, which will be an additional adhesive to help the nails hold everything together. I think after caulking every single line in that pantry, the last thing we will want to do it tape it all off for paint! 

Although, white would look great against the tan walls and grey shelf liners...

Maybe I will just go to work next week and let Hubby have all the taping fun! Am I a great wife or what?!

Shelving Guy and Son of Shelving Guy did an amazing job. Everything on this pantry has certainly been worth the wait. By Micah Math calculations, we have multiplied our pantry space by seven. Conveniently my lucky number?!

If you ever need a Shelving Guy, who also happens to be a Trim Guy, I can happily recommend this dynamic duo.

To IKEA today to get some shelf liners. It feels amazing to have the shelves up and ready to go! I am in love with the space and how neat everything looks in its final state. Is it weird that the laundry room might be my new favorite in the house?

Awkward!

And The Beat Goes On

No, the pantry isn't finished yet. And yes, we are still working on it. 

Why do you ask?

Just like with any project that drags on for a few weeks, I am very anxious for this one to be over!

The good news is that Shelving Guy is coming tomorrow to install everything!

The bad news is that I painted the walls today and realized that a second coat is necessary. I painted over the new drywall and behind the old cabinet that we tore out. Its new home is in the alleyway to the side of the house and will be Hubby's new outdoor work bench. He wanted to keep it on the patio, but I don't want another thing to clean! How does it get so dusty out there, anyway? 

It's not like we live in the desert or anything.

As for the second coat of paint, I may or may not accidentally be waiting until Hubby gets home from work in an hour so he can help me. It took an hour to paint just the little bit this morning! In my defense, it takes six hours before I can do a second coat on top of the first...and guess what time he happens to get home?

I have had an absolute blast putting things into nice, clean, airtight canisters to get ready to put the pantry back together. All things are well in the world when my Type-A tendencies can be put to such good use. This pantry is going to look so stinkin' nice in addition to offering a ton of storage! Eek! I can't wait until it's done!

The second coat of wall paint is going on tonight. Shelving tomorrow. Painting the shelves white will probably happen on Thursday. Poor Hubby will do that part alone, if I'm gone for work (which is supposed to be happening). Then maybe putting everything back together on Friday after I make an IKEA run for some shelf liners. I don't dare buy much at IKEA, which is Swedish for "crap," but I do love me some of their shelf liners!

Are you tired of pantry posts? I know I am. I just want this puppy done!

What projects have you undertaken this week? It's been tough to do much else here, since we've had record heat for the past six days. It will be nice when Fall arrives, and we get away from these triple-digit temperatures!

Which will happen just two short months from now...

Pantry Progress - Or Not

Getting this pantry finished in a timely manner has been more of a challenge this week than I expected. I feel like I'm back in college again, dreading a group project because I'm the only one who cares enough to not wait until the last minute. Which means I just end up doing all the work to make sure everything looks perfect when turned in. 

Am I the only group-project-hater out there?

I haven't had to do all the work on the pantry, but I have had to wait for other people to fulfill their obligations. And I've been a baby about them not meeting said obligations. 

Boo frickin' hoo.

The Ideal Schedule

Saturday: Shelving Guy comes to cut out the old pantry and prep it for Drywall Guy. I call Drywall Guy to schedule him to come early Monday morning.

Sunday: Enjoy a day of rest by attending church. Dream of my pantry during the Sunday School lesson.

Monday: Drywall Guy shows up early and completes drywall and mud in just a few hours. He laughs at all of my jokes but works hard and does a great job.

Tuesday: Thanks to fans on the mud all night, the drywall is ready for the texture layer by Drywall Guy. He shows up at 6:00 AM and is finished an hour later.

Wednesday: Shelving Guy shows up bright and early to install shelves on three walls in our laundry room. This exposed shelving will now make up a huge pantry that makes my heart go pitter-pat.

Thursday: After the shelves are up and caulking around the edges is dry, it's time for Hubby and I to paint like the wind. It takes just an hour with both of us working hard. 

Friday: Because the paint dried overnight, this day is spent carefully putting together the new pantry! We get to decide what-goes-where in this new huge storage space. This may very well be my favorite part, thanks to being borderline-OCD.

Saturday: Just one week after the project begins, we are finished, in a clean house, with a huge pantry. Dinner guests arrive for a full-house tour but get some stinkin' awesome Pantry Envy as a result.

Being the optimist that I am, I should have known my ideal schedule wouldn't have gone as planned. Here's what really happened, so far.

The Real Schedule

Saturday: Shelving Guy comes to cut down the walls of the old pantry. We're off to a great start! I call the Drywall Guy to schedule his visit early Monday morning. He says he'll be there.

Sunday: No change...enjoy church and get excited about this new pantry addition to our home!

Monday: No show. I wait allllllllllllllll day at home for the Drywall Guy. He doesn't show up, and I am too chicken to call him until the next morning.

Tuesday: I wait until a hospitable hour of 8:00 AM to call the Drywall Guy. He says he can be to the house in just an hour to check things out. After finding out that he needs additional parts, he leaves and says he will be back that afternoon. I wait alllllllllllllllllll day at home for the Drywall Guy to return. He doesn't. I seriously consider skipping Drywall Guy and just have Shelving Guy install a panel to cover the open holes. I baulk because I really want it to look nice, and drywalling is the best solution to that. I am reminded of patience by my ever-patient Hubby, and I fall asleep wondering if we will ever hear from Drywall Guy again.

Wednesday: At 6:30 AM, the doorbell rings. Surprise...Drywall Guy is here! He works on installing wood to attach the drywall, then adds the pieces of drywall to cover the holes. To avoid being in his way, I don't get many "during" pictures. He muds the wall and then leaves, with the promise to return early tomorrow morning for a second coat of mud. If the first coat it dry enough. I feel like an idiot because of my ignorance in drywalling techniques...what second coat? I admire the stinky-because-of-mud walls for the rest of the day. He did a great job, and it looks amazing!

Thursday: Per his request, I call the Drywall Guy at 6:00 AM to let him know that my fingernail test passed, and that the wall is dry enough to do a second coat. He says he is on his way. I wait for three hours before leaving for a day with my sisters. I have a little Cabin Fever going on since I've been trapped at home all week. I love being home, but it changes my outlook when I have to stay home! Thankfully, Hubby is working from home and can answer the door. Around 11:00 AM, Drywall Guy shows up. He spends five minutes applying a second coat of mud to the walls, then leaves. Fans remain on to dry the mud for the next day.

Friday: Drywall Guy arrives around 8:00 AM to apply the first coat of texture. I am bummed yet again that more than one coat is necessary. Luckily, this stuff dries more quickly, and Drywall Guy arrives two hours later to apply the second coat. He then cleans up his week-long mess and leaves me with beautiful, sticky walls ready for shelving.

And that's where I am right now. 

If a miracle happens, we will be able to have Shelving Guy arrive on Monday morning to install all the shelving. If all goes well with that, Hubby and I can paint on Monday evening. Then I can begin putting the pantry back together on Tuesday. And that's all if I don't get called to leave for work, which is a constant threat possibility.

I shouldn't hold my breath for this...since everything else has taken so much longer than I had hoped.

Though it's been frustrating waiting for others, I am glad it's been done right. I know it will all be worth it in the end. I am so excited to get over this group assignment and return to my solo projects instead!

A New Home for Our Food

It's been a tough summer for my blog and I. Because the heat outside has put so many house projects on hold, I don't have much to say! It's been nice to go to work so I can take pictures of flying and post them. So I'm tickled to inform you that we are currently right in the middle of a project in the house that is going to make me so very happy indeed.

Our laundry room is massive, and I love the open feel. After you walk into the room, the washer and dryer are on the right, next to a door that leads outside to the pool. Just to the left of the laundry room entrance was our old pantry. I say "was" because on Saturday, it was torn down!

We had a dinky little pantry with awful, used-before closet shelving. It was hard to get to things tucked away in a corner, and the shelves didn't even reach the back of the wall. Having a huge gap back there gave the opportunity for all sorts of things to fall behind. Perhaps the worst part is that the pantry doesn't live up to its purpose of adequate food storage, and I've been dreaming of a better option for months. 

Because I knew drywall would need to be fixed after the old walls were cut out, I immediately knew this was a job larger than Hubby and I. Luckily, it's still only been the second job we've had hired out. The first was installing the medicine cabinet in the master bathroom. I didn't know how to move an electrical outlet and decided letting a professional play with fire was probably the best option. However, I watched him very closely so I can do it next time! This pantry project was also a perfect time to bring in a professional, and our neighbor just happens to be a general contractor who can have it done this week! Who knows how long it would take us if we attempted to do it on our own. 

On Saturday, Alan showed up with a big electrical saw to cut out the wall and ceiling that formed the tiny pantry. Our goal is to shelve this wall, floor-to-ceiling, more efficiently and with shelves that actually reach the wall. We are also shelving the adjoining wall up to the light switch. Behind the pantry, just to the right of the washer and dryer, we will also be removing the cabinet currently housing things like paint and frequently-used tools. We will be tearing this out to make room for an entire wall of shelving from floor-to-ceiling once again. It will be partitioned off to avoid being seen from the laundry room entrance, and it will also be partitioned off in the middle to provide a barrier between tools and food storage. I can't wait!

We will more than quadruple our food storage space, which will give me plenty of room to acquire the food I want. You never know when food will come in handy! Supposedly it's necessary to sustain life, so I think this is a justifiable desire to have a bigger pantry to store everything.

Today, the drywall professional is coming to patch the walls and ceiling. He will lightly texture it to match the rest of the wall. It might be a two-day process to allow the mud to dry before the texture is applied. Hopefully he will be finished tomorrow, which will allow Alan to return on Wednesday to shelf the entire room. That will allow Hubby and I to paint it all on Thursday, with drying time overnight so I can put everything back in the pantry on Friday. Just in time to host a dinner with neighbors on Saturday! Of course, this is the schedule going on in my brain, and I can only hope it happens. Hubby tried to assure me that it would be fine if people saw a project-in-progress, but I think it's much more fun to show a finished product! Since the timing is out of my hands, I will just relax and enjoy what's done this week. I can hardly wait for the end results!

Knowing what we were about to do, I've spent the past few weeks gathering storage containers, metal baskets (that will be spray-painted, of course), and air-tight canisters to help me pull this pantry together. All of the shelving will be open, but I know that my Type-A skills can make the pantry look neat and organized despite a bunch of cans being exposed to everyday view. All pantry items are currently living in the guest bedroom while construction is in progress. You know that doesn't bother me one bit! (Nervous laugh). It will be amazing when everything has a proper home with room to add even more!

To finish this room, we will eventually stack the dryer on top of the washer to make room for an upright freezer. We are building the shelves to accommodate the freezer down the road.

A new pantry is being born this week, and I'm giddy. Not many homeowners show a pantry on a house tour, but ours will certainly be a highlight after this week!