Kitchen Trends for 2012

I wanted to see what the new up and coming trends for this year's kitchens were, and I'm right on board with Trend Blogger's assessment. More than just what new gadgets are being sold and to put LED lights in your cabinets, these are general "movements" that you can incorporate as little or as much as you want into your own space!

Hi- Tech

From ovens to fridges to computers to tvs in the kitchen, technology is making it's mark in the place we prepare meals. HGTV's I Want That showcases all the latest gadgets and gizmos making their way into people's homes making our lives easier with cutting edge technology. If you're not in the market for high priced upgrades like this new gas cooktop, think about keeping your computer work station in the kitchen area, where people tend to gravitate the most.

Eco-Friendly
The "trend" of green living has become a lifestyle choice that everyone can infuse into their life, whether you take small steps or take on entire renovations with earth-concious materials. Trendir Sustainable Home Building is an amazing blog showcasing amazing eco friendly construction options, like this kitchen from Niche Design, an Environmentally Smart Interior Design Group

By using materials "from responsibly managed forests, rapidly renewable resources such as bamboo, reclaimed materials and locally produced materials"{source} ; anyone can take the criteria used in this green design and apply to their own kitchen. 

Colorful
Who doesn't love a little color in their kitchen? Some of my favorite kitchens I've seen on Pinterest are neutral kitchens with pops of bright, energy infusing colors.

Source: layersofmeaning.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: hgtv.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: honestlywtf.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Or you can go bold and splash your whole kitchen with your favorite hue.

Source: casapinka.typepad.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: coastalliving.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: poppytalk.blogspot.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Convenient, Multi-Functional
Having a kitchen that works as hard as you do is become an important commodity in design.

Source: google.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Putting a bookshelf as well as display shelves in the breakfast banquette as well as under seat storage maximizes this kitchen's functionality.

Source: countryliving.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Having your tools that you use everyday, like pots, pans, spoons & knives readily accessible and visible make moving around the kitchen a breeze.

Source: countryliving.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Open cabinet shelves and unique storage solutions are starting to pop up more and more. Use all kinds of vessels for taking your pantry to the next level.

Fresh & Healthy

Source: apartment34.blogspot.com via Hello There! House on Pinterest

Having wall to wall windows in this kitchen gives this space a green house solution for growing herbs and even vegetables right within reach of preparing the food

Last but not least, visit Style At Home to find out more about their 8 steps to designing a healthy kitchen:

1) More light
2) Neutral Palette
3) Use fresh fruit (& veggies or greens) as decor
4) Use glass vessels to double as decor & storage
5) Plant an indoor garden
6) Update appliances & cooking utensils
7) Collect new gadgets for easy fresh food preparation
8) Style the inside of your fridge & pantry

Those are the trends heating up kitchens this year- which one is your favorite? I'm definitely digging the Fresh & Healthy kitchen tips and the COLOR!

Garden Seeds: Planting Guides for Arizona

Are you a Arizona local looking to start your own garden in 2012? Here are a few Planting Calendar resources that might make starting out a little less intimidating:




University of Arizona Master Gardener's Manual
Kelly recommended all the UofA Manuals in her Gardening Virgins class, and they have an awesome Maricopa county calendar. This one is strictly vegetables, so if you're wanting to plant some herbs or fruits intermixed, you'll have to check out some other resources.

The AZ Master Gardener Vegetable Planting Guide is another resource Kelly cited in her class, so give that one a looksie as well.

The Urban Farm Planting Calendar
This is a great resource that I refer to daily- it's great to have when you are perusing around the nursery and want to buy every single gorgeous looking plant you see. The entire Urban Farm website is pretty stuffed with good information for us Desert Urban Farmers!











Gardening in Arizona Blog
This blog is great because it tells you the specific tasks to take on each month for vegetables, fruit, flowers and herbs. If you are looking for more rounded information- this guide is the way to go! The blog is purely informational- there's not a ton of photos or print out lists, but there's a lot of information so make sure to check it out!

Those are my favorites- what resources do you use when it comes time to dig in the dirt?

D.I.Y. Tutorials: Knockoff Anthro Scultped Mums Curtains

Happy Tuesday! I am freaking out right now about today's tutorial. Let me give you a back story: I have a Honeydo list a mile long for Braden to tackle, and last night he informed me that he "will not be doing ANY of those things until you {meaning me} sew a curtain for our laundry closet and make the dogs a bed". 

"Done." I said, with confidence. 

"Wait, and one more thing- you have to make decorations for the kids room" {which I admit is really barren compared to the babies nursery}

"You can't just keep adding to the list until I panic", said I. And he laughed maniacally. 

So, with that I started procrastinating immediately and didn't give those projects another thought until 2:00 pm this afternoon. Once I saw that he really meant business, and was not promptly trimming out my front windows, I ventured out grudgingly to Target for a tension rod. $11 later, I went over to Home Depot and picked up a 6' x 9' canvas drop cloth for $11. 

At 6:00 pm I began searching on Pinterest for the perfect shower curtain to copycat. And lo- this is what I stumbled upon:

Source: anthropologie.com via Rosemary on Pinterest

I. KNOW.

And then to my delight I remembered this dahlia flower tutorial I had pinned ages ago and I knew that this was the one.

So here's the Tutorial for my Mums Curtains that now grace my laundry closet in the hallway. They took me an hour.

1) My space I needed to cover was about 54" wide and 84" high.  I bought a 6' x 9' drop cloth which gave me enough to make the curtain and have some fabric left over for the flowers.

2) I folded the dropcloth in half on the 6' side, snipped and ripped in half. I was left with two 3' x 9' pieces.

3) I folded the tops of the dropcloth over about 4" and pinned. I didn't double fold because the raw edge in the back wouldn't show. Dropcloths are already hemmed so I folded the side over that would make the front hem hidden. After this step you could iron and sew the side hem that is ripped, but I like the frayed hem look. It's more shabby chic that way.

4) I hung up the curtains, and snipped and ripped the bottom hem as well. Again, you can sew the bottom if you want a clean crisp look, but I did not. And VOILA! you have basic dropcloth curtains. Congrats. That's a pretty big accomplishment for 10 minutes of your life.

Now onto the flowers!

1) I wanted some big momma mums to put on the curtains, so I cut large 6" diameter circles out of black felt using chalk to mark and my flour jar lid as a guide. Feel free to go as large or small with your base.

2) After cutting out the circles, I moved on to making the petals out of the excess dropcloth I had. I cut 4" strips, which I then turned into 4" squares, then cut into petal shapes. I repeated this step with 3" strips, 2" strips, then 1" strips. Next, fold the petal shape together, hot glue down, and then hot glue to the black felt circle.

3) Once I had my Big Flower all finished, I just safety pinned it to my curtain for easy removal if my curtain needs to be washed. I have a feeling it will.

I just added one simple flower to my laundry closet curtains, but I'm thinking I may want to add more, I love it so much! Add as many or as few as you want to create your own textile work of art for your home!

DIY Tutorials: New Year's Resolution Art

Lindsee sent me a link to this FABULOUS New Year's Resolution Subway Art Tutorial from Little Blue Boo, that I have been DYING to try.

Source: lilblueboo.com via Mary on Pinterest

Just follow her tutorial to make your own New Year's Resolution art. 

I plan on sticking mine on my mantel shelf above my piano as a daily reminder to work toward my goals. Make one for your house today!

Show & Tell: Our Chicken Run

Today for Show & Tell Monday, I'm sharing the beginning of our Chicken Coop we constructed during the weekend. Our coop is being done in three separate parts: the run, the coop, and the nesting boxes.

This weekend we completed the run, and it is as lovely as I could have hoped for . I had a few different coops I have been coveting that we used for inspiration, so we are planning on combining them to make the perfect coop for us. 

Source: backyardchickens.com via Rosemary on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Rosemary on Pinterest

Source: brookegiannetti.typepad.com via Rosemary on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Rosemary on Pinterest

Source: backyardchickens.com via Rosemary on Pinterest

Source: backyardchickens.com via Rosemary on Pinterest

Braden used 2 x 4's to create the base of the run and we bought more heavy duty wire for our chicken wire so our 115 lb Rottweiler won't be able to kill another one of our ladies.

I think they are really happy with it- it looks a little small, but it's only half the size of what it will be. We'll be doing a raised floor with the run extending underneath the actual coop to give the hens more room, plus we already let them out to roam daily in the yard. Even when they fly over the fence to the front yard, they stay in our yard or under our neighbor's orange trees. I can't wait until we start getting some eggs {and adding more chicks to our flock}

We'd love to see some of your weekend projects-leave a link in the comments if you have something to share for Show & Tell!

New Year, New Space

As I look for new ideas for my garden in 2012, I’ve decided to grow up.  You know - vertical, skyward - up!  Creating vertical space is sometimes challenging, especially in a suburban and/or city environment like Phoenix where square footage is limited.

My goal this year is to not only grow up, but to do it in a new, unconventional way.  I am tired of the typical, store-bought trellis.  Vertical space doesn’t have to be a wall, fence or gate.  It can occur right in the middle of a garden bed via an ornamental spire or handmade tipi.  

On a recent garden tour, I saw a ladder placed right in the middle of a bed.  Another example is this handmade ladder I mounted on a wall at my home with a hyacinth bean vine climbing it:

 You could also use an existing tree by running wire or string up the trunk.   

At our school garden, we have almost no natural vertical space, so we made simple structures for our snap peas:

There are many wonderful plants to grow vertically.  Vertical edibles include snap peas, pole beans, cucumbers, loofah, squash and grapes.  Examples of good climbing vines (zone 9) are: lilac, passion, cat claw, pink trumpet, bougainvillea or hyacinth bean vines.  

For more garden tips, visit my blog Waiting for Tulips

The Watson Abode: Quarter One Deep Cleaning

In an effort to get organized with all aspects of my life, especially my house keeping I have vowed to do a Deep Clean Scrub Down of my entire house this first week of January to start 2012 off right. I decided to combine this effort with another goal of 2012- incorporating more green decisions into my daily routine. I found a TON of fantastic homemade, eco-friendly, non toxic cleaning concoctions on Pinterest, and am sharing the ones that I have been using this weekend with you. My house has never been cleaner!

//via

BATHROOMS
Toilet Cleaner
1/4 cup 20 Mule Team Borax squeezed with lemon juice from 1/3 of a lemon per bowl
or
1/4 cup baking soda and about 1 cup of white vinegar

Sink Drain Cleaner

1/2 cup baking soda down the drain, pour a pot of boiling water down, then pour in 1 cup bleach {not green} or vinegar

Tub Scrub with Grapefruit

Cut a grapefruit in half, sprinkle liberally with coarse salt {about 1/4 cup for an entire tub} and scrub away making sure to squeeeze out juice as you go! Rinse pulp off afterward

Martha Stewart's Tub Scrub

1 tsp liquid soap {castille soap} plus several drops of antibacterial essential oil {rosemary, peppermint, tea trea, eucalyptus} added to one cup of baking soda. Add enough water to form a paste and scrub with a sponge or brush

Tub Drain Cleaner

1 cup baking soda down drain plus 1/2 cup vinegar down drain. Cover with plug to keep it all working for 30 minutes, then pour a pot of boiling water down drain 

//via

BEDROOMS

Mattress Deodorizer

1 cup baking soda in a mason jar with 5 drops of antibacterial essential oil {or lavender for a calming scent}. Shake them up in a jar, then sprinkle over mattress with a strainer. Leave on for about an hour, then vacuum up with a hose upholstery attachment. 

Carpet Deodorizer

Sprinkle baking soda liberally on carpet, leave for 30 minutes, then vacuum up

//via

LIVING AREAS

Microfiber Sofa Cleaner

Vacuum all crumbs out of the sofa, then spray with rubbing alcohol. Scrub off with a white sponge, then fluff material with a bristle brush as it dries.

Furniture Polish

1/2 cup olive oil plus 10 drops of lemon essential oil

//via

KITCHENS

All purpose Cleaner

1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 15 drops tea tree oil

Window Cleaner

1/4 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 2 cups warm water

Oven Cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda all over oven. Mix 1 Tbsp Borax, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/8 cup dish soap, and 1 cup boiling water and spray a thick coat, then sprinkle with more baking soda. Leave overnight and scrub out oven

Dishwasher Cleaner

There's lots of different methods for this one, so follow the link!

Garbage Disposal Deodorizer

Pour ice cubes and 1 cup vinegar down disposal and run

Microwave Cleaner

Put lemon slices in a bowl of warm water and microwave for 1 minute. Leave in for 3 minutes and wipe clean

Tile Floor Cleaner

1 cup white vinegar plus 1/4 up of baking soda plus 7 drops of favorite essential oil

//via

LAUNDRY

Laundry Detergent

Grate one bar of Fels-Naptha soap in a bowl, add 1 cup of washing soda, and 1 cup of borax

Clean Your Washing Machine

Fill up your washing machine with water and add 2 cups of vinegar. Let set for one hour, then run an entire wash cycle with the machine empty. Once drained, scrub out grime with a sponge with more vinegar. Fill machine back up again and add 1 cup of bleach let soak for one hour. Clean all nooks & crannies with all purpose cleaner. Restart machine and run another complete cycle

Oxy Clean

1 cup water, 1/2 cup peroxide, 1/2 cup baking soda. Soak laundry 20 minutes, then wash as usual

Stain Remover

1/2 cup Dawn dishwashing liquid, and 1 cup hydrogen peroxide. Spray directly on stain

Febreeze

1 1/2 cups water, 1 Tbs baking soda, 1-2 Tbs fabric softener. Mix in spray bottle

Laundry Whitener

1/4-1/2 cup of lemon juice to whites instead of bleach

I took a trip to Sam's Club and got a bulk of most of these ingredients, which should keep me stocked for a few months. What could be better than getting your house cleaned, saving money, and stripping your house of nasty toxic chemicals? Are there any other green & homemade cleaning products you use to give your house a deep clean? Do tell! 


***UPDATE*** Due to popular request, I have made a PDF printable for you to print out and stick on your fridge for easy reference! Click here to download the PDF from Scribd