Kitchen Tour -The Scary History of the Fresh Pioneer Kitchen

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and she's ready to show you her kitchen! (I'm popping in a day early because Missy is feeling under the weather. Praying for a quick recovery, Missy!)

Anyway, my tour is some scary stuff, so hold on to your hats. This tour made me face some hard facts about my kitchen. Number one: I've always thought those bright white kitchens with pale cabinets were pretty... but when I get a chance, I go for the COLOR. I will never have a white or cream or even tan kitchen. It's not in me. 

 First of all... some pretty flowers. Try to keep this in mind on the journey. It will relieve the psychological stress.

                                            
When we first moved to this house in the year 2001, for some reason there was a blue outdoor carpet in the kitchen. Don't ask me why. I have no idea. The cabinets were also dark green. The kitchen was small. Maybe (I'm too lazy to get up and find a measuring tape) 16X12. So, imagine stained weird carpet, dark green cabinets. Long winter. But, I was a (relative) newlywed and life was grand so it only depressed me a little! This is Jacob, born in 2003. I thought I had ripped out that carpet right away, but apparently having three kids under 3 made this not a very high priority!  (Oh, this is also my dear friend Eleanor's cat. Pumpkin had been ordered on a diet and she couldn't figure out why he wasn't shedding the weight. Uh huh. I caught Jacob sharing his snacks with Pumpkin.)
                                                       
OK, next shot that I could find: Sammy just learning to walk, clutching the cabinets for dear life. Sammy was born in 2005, so I know that the new floor was in.  One summer day, I ripped out the carpet, bought some industrial tile at a yard sale, painted half of it bright red, and laid a checkerboard floor. Don't ask me why. I had four kids under five and it had to be better than blue carpet. In the background is a drop-in stove my dad gave us when they did a custom remodel on their kitchen. The cabinet Sammy is clutching is also a donation from their house. We only had one counter before, at this point we had three. Heaven!

 This is a newer shot of the counter (Hi, Edna!), but this is relevant, I promise. Originally the counters were a chipped formica. I retiled them in white. I really didn't know what I was doing (even though I checked out several books at the library) so they've got some issues. Mostly the front edges. That was tough. Some day I'll replace them... when I think of it and don't have anything else I'm doing, hahaha.

 A closer look at the tile. Looking back, I wanted something charming, but I should have just picked more formica or stone or something. Tile is a lot of work. I think mainly I just wanted a project and buying a slab of counter wasn't really a project. (This was pre-writing days and I needed to do something.)
Oh, side note. When we built on, our kitchen ceiling fell in and had to be replaced. (They took off the roofing and then it rained for three days and soaked the insulation and... BAM. Fun times.)

 So, here's our second stove. The drop in stove died, so we had to tear our that part of the counter. At the same time, we redid the floor in wood. I still miss my checkerboard floor! We also did the rest of the floors in the house since we had about 5 different kinds of linoleum. This isn't a whole house tour so I won't go there. (Let me just say there was also green carpet in the BATHROOM when we moved in. I can promise you it didn't take me 5 years to rip that stuff out.) By this point, I've painted the cabinets white several times but then decide to go with teal.

This is my friend Lili's baker's rack/ It was green but I painted it red.I love this rack so much!
                                   
I found this random piece of a picture and zoomed in... the rack has doodads and pictures and things on it now. Oh, the picture behind the photos of friends... Our honeymoon site. Let me find a better picture.
                                       
This was my last deadline and I was standing at the kitchen counter because I couldn't SIT IN THAT CHAIR ONE MORE MINUTE. I felt very Mrs. Gaskell-ish, writing at the kitchen counter while kids rampaged through my workspace.
Oh, right. The map in the background. I saw on Pinterest where you take a map of a special place and cut out a heart. I love this little picture because we honeymooned on the coast so our map looks like a broken heart! This is so us. We can't ever do anything the normal way and it shows.
                                     
Oh, I found an old picture of the sink. I did the blue tile in the background. This was before I knew the kitchen would be red. So, then I had a red, white, and blue kitchen. My Mexican husband was not amused. Haha! It's a little less noticeable when I went to teal for the walls and cabinets, but you still feel rather patriotic in that space. I love the old farmhouse sink. There was another in the laundry room when we moved in but we took out it for pantry space.
                                            
I tried to find a picture to show how long the opposite counter/cabinet is. Close to six feet, which is great for our fruit bowls. We eat a lot of fruit. This is the winter edition, but in the summer this is all home grown peaches, plums, grapes and cherries. Soon, it will be fall and we'll have boxes of apples!

 Side note: this came from our peach trees this year! Almost two hundred pounds... but both trees split in a storm. I'm trying not to mourn, but be thankful for what we've been given. Next year I will cry over this picture!
                                    
And our grapes are ripe! Our friend Noe the cellar rat turned vintner says they're Himrod variety.
                                             
I love my kitchen because when I look around I see how very blessed we are. So much fresh food, healthy and ready to eat. Some of our blueberries this year, washed and drying, ready to be frozen for wintertime treats.

 Also, our sunflowers are blooming. This is my kitchen table. (I know we're drifting from the kitchen. I'll head back over there.)

  Random shot of a teacup my friend Christalee sent me for my birthday. And a pepper from the garden. That was my husband's addition.

 I have a collection of old ink bottle vases. I line them up on the counters...

 The fridge is covered with kid art. You actually can't see the fridge. Here's my marriage proposal from a few months ago. Made by my five year old. I love the top hat but am suspicious of the frowny face.

 Every day I get love notes and flower bouquets. I can't save them all but I but a rotating display on the fridge.

 I have plates on the wall from the dollar store. They have no particular meaning but for some reason I liked them... maybe the fruit? Or the red? Or the polka dots? I got these at the same time I did the red tile floor. I know, I know. What can I say? A white show kitchen would drive me batty.

 Apple pie made by my 13 year old. This is what happens in my kitchen. Art, pies, fruit, kids.

 This was a batch of peaches from a few days ago. I had to can a LOT this weekend. I made dark vanilla bean syrup for the sliced peaches. YUM. They won't make it to winter, but I tried.

I love the light in my kitchen. Bright, sunny, welcoming. (More food.)

 Every now and then I find a piece of fruit and decide it needs to be showcased. A freckled pear. It was my dish washing company for several days. Loveliness.

 A freckled green apple. Doesn't this look like it should be a painting?

 In the end, I don't think I'd trade my kitchen for any other. I have wonderful memories of our ten years here. We're a colorful bunch (and maybe a bit fruity) so it fits just perfectly. Add in Miss Edna and Mr. Latte, and we have everything we need (now that the blue rug is gone).

One more picture, not in the kitchen. Looking for old pictures, I found this one. The pine tree was lost in a storm. The little toy car has been given away. That old fence has been replaced. The back of the house was rebuilt when we added two rooms, bathroom, laundry room. This little girl towing a wagon of pumpkins is now 13, and the baby in the background is 11. Things change so quickly, but the people are what matter.

Favorite spot: I like to stand near my coffee cup, which is usually set next to the stove. I think I stand here because there's an odd little cut out area that leads to the living room and I've had 14 years of trying to keep an eye on littles while drinking coffee.

Favorite thing about my kitchen: the people in it!

Favorite kitchen tip: I don't know what to offer as kitchen advice... Maybe use your kitchen to cook. Don't let it hold your junk. Don't make it the mailbox, the library, or the entertainment center. I have to fight to keep mail from creeping into the kitchen. Bring in friends, family, make food, create memories. Also, don't be afraid to make bold decorating choices (unless you're moving and then the next tenants may not enjoy your mural of Paris at night time).

 I hope you enjoyed this tour of my kitchen and are inspired to go make some memories!