Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday September 6, 2009

Welcome to my spiritual & inspirational Sunday post. Having collected quotes and scripture for over 25 years, my hope is that by sharing these quotes it will cause you to pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share a quote with someone who is in need of reading that very quote or inspirational message. I am on the Cumberland Plateau in middle Tennessee. I volunteered to dog sit my friend’s three dogs. I spent many many hours yesterday scanning magazine and book pictures to use in my posts. I think each picture takes approximately two minutes to scan, crop, and transfer to a file on my computer which eventually will be uploaded to my post. It is a bit tedious but I will be grateful to have these when I write my next post.

As I create this post, it is 6:00 am- a cool overcast morning with a sprinkle of rain falling. As I drink some green tea, my view off the back porch is a glorious one for a Sunday morning. My friend’s home sits on ridge where their grass lawn ends about 10 yards from the house and the woods begin. I can see a farm off in the distance below. Along the horizon I see rolling hills blanketed with the morning mist. The wonderful sound of birds chirping is the only noise I hear. Last night it was the sound of crickets! 

Below is a photo of my friend’s home which was designed by Bobby McAlpine. At some point I will feature their home on my blog.

I plan to use their long winding rock driveway to do my interval runs this morning paying close attention to where I step as copperheads live in the area. Fortunately, I have avoided any encounters with sssnnnnaakkkees-it is hard for me to even pronounce that word without emotional repercussions! Later today I will head to the vegetable garden and pick tomatoes so I can make homemade pasta sauce. Trust me, I will be on heighten alert!

Today’s spiritual & inspirational post comes from an email forward I received from my friend Nigel. It is the empowering quote of the week from Dr. Ola Madsen. I believe that the most important conversation we have is between our two ears. Are your conversations with yourself optimistic or pessimistic?

Optimism

"The optimist proclaims we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true." - James Cabell, American novelist and journalist (1879-1958)

What is optimism?
It is a belief that things in our past were good for us and taught us lessons even if they were hard. It is also the belief that things will be better in the future.

Contrasts between optimism and pessimism:
Optimism breathes life into you each day.

Pessimism drains you.
Optimism helps you to take needed risks.

Pessimism plays it safe and never accomplishes much.
Optimism empowers those around you.

Pessimism drags them down.
Optimism inspires people to greater heights.

Pessimism deflates people to new lows.
The only way that optimism and pessimism are the same is that they are both self-fulfilled.
We choose to look at the world the way we want.

Have you ever met a successful pessimist?
Become an optimist and see your world change before your eyes.  Blessings!  …susan

 

Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part Three- Storing Dish Towels

Welcome to Part Three of my Vertical Storage Option Series. To see Part One, click here and for Part Two here.  In this post, I want to share some photos I have collected showing dish towel storage options for you to consider when designing your dream kitchen.  

^In the photo above, attached to the inside of the pull out cabinet front, is a metal dish for holding a sponge or other type of soap pad.  Next to it are some metal rods for hanging dish towels. There appears to be a shelf at the bottom which would be a great  place for dish detergent and dishwasher detergent.  It looks like a fixed panel above which leads me to believe this very functional pull out cabinet front is located directly under the kitchen sink.

Source: Beautiful Kitchens Summer 2009

^The pull out cabinet front shown above has the capacity to store numerous folded dish towels. It also includes several wooden bars which give you the option to fold dish towels over these bars.

Source: Great Kitchen Ideas

 

^Similar to the previous cabinet front pull out, this one has three shelves to place folded dish towels.

Source: Kitchen Ideas That Work by Beth Veillette

^My first inclination after looking at this photo is to say the opening to this cabinet front pull out should be facing the other direction; towards the kitchen sink. Upon further review,  I realize there is a sink to the right of the drawer.  Still, I am thinking one would need a towel at the kitchen sink more than one at the second sink. Perhaps a master craftsman could figure out a design which would eliminate the side wall which would make this pull out functional from both directions.

Source: The Smart Approach to Kitchen Design

^ Above is a convenient option for a towel bar, however, make sure your towel bar does not protrude too far out from the cabinet. If it protrudes too far out you might find it is uncomfortable in your belly or hip region. 

Source unknown: if you know the source of this photo, please contact me and I will note it.

 

^For some reason, I am having trouble wrapping my mind around the above photo. There appears to be high end beautiful cabinetry, yet this opening and plastic coated rods look cheap.  I am not seeing any kind of door to cover the opening when the rods are pushed back into the cabinet.  What do you think?

Source: Kitchen Ideas That Work by Beth Veillette

^An interesting built in towel hook. As I study this photo, it appears to me that these hooks are on the low side. What do you think?

Source: Taunton’s Home Storage Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight

 

^The dish towels hanging on the island in the photo above are both functional and decorative.

Source unknown: If you know the source of this photo, please contact me and I will note it.

^This island design gives you a decorative area to hang your dish towel.

Source: Tauton’s Home Storage Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight

Please check back for more posts in my Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series. Blessings.  …susan

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday August 30, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected various spiritual and  inspirational quotes and messages. My hope is that when you read these, you will pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share this with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading what I am sharing today.

Below is something I picked up somewhere along the way. I don’t know if it was in a magazine, newspaper, or in an email forward. I found it in the drawer where I put quotes, articles, poems, emails, etc. that I run across and save. Fortunately, this one had the author’s name. 

When I turned 40 years old, I did not dread it or think twice about it. But out of nowhere, a voice began to appear in my head. A voice that would say to me-“You’re 40 now and you don’t have to put up with THAT”  You’re 40 now and you no longer have to do THAT.”  You’re 40 now and you don’t have to worry about THAT.”  “That” being something that annoyed me, I thought was required of me, or caused me pressure.  For me, turning 40 was freeing. It was a right of passage into acceptance of who I am. 

So, as I approached 50, another voice came into my head. All of a sudden I was questioning my life. I kept thinking to myself, “Ok, you’re going to be 50, what kind of imprint have you left on this world? What is your legacy?” I knew I had given birth and raised two outstanding children which gave me great pride and joy. But I still questioned myself about what else have I done to give back? What have I done to make the world a better place? What can I still do at this point in my life? It was during this period of personal self exploration that I decided I could make this world a better place by sharing the knowledge and experience I had gained and the lessons I had learned through remodeling and consulting on homes. I could make a difference in lives of people who are going through the process of building or remodeling; save a marriage, save time and money, empower the homeowner, and reduce stress.  I could make a difference by preventing a mistake that would long haunt someone living in their dream home; a mistake that would be present for the life of that home and for all who happen to live there. Yes, writing a book, (Designing Your Dream Home) would be one of my contributions in making this world a better place. So I embarked on the journey of becoming a published author. That was realized in April of 2008. As a result of writing this book, I am now blogging and hopefully my posts will continue in the same spirit in which I wrote my book. Have you thought about the legacy or imprint you will leave behind? 

What Will Matter

By Michael Josephson

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no days, no hours, or minutes.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevant.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will all expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you come from, or on what side of the tracks you lived.

It won’t matter whether you are beautiful or brilliant.

Your gender, skin color, ethnicity will be irrelevant.

So, what will matter?

How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people knew you, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories of those who loved you.

What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters. 

Blessings.  …susan

 

Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part Two – Cabinet Vertical Storage

Welcome to Part Two of my Vertical Storage Option Series. To see part one, click here. Part two will focus on vertical storage shelves located in cabinets. As shown in the photos below, these can be found in upper and lower cabinets.  I am joining Julia’s Hooked on Friday blog party.  Click here to join her party. Enjoy!

^Above is an example of vertical storage behind a lower cabinet door. I like the width of the compartments as well as the fact a narrower piece of wood is used as the divider. 

^Above, it appears this cabinet is located above the refrigerator.  Being tall, that would not be a problem for me but a shorter person may need a step ladder. I like the generous amount of compartments and the width of these compartments. I also like having a couple of horizontal shelves above.

^In the photo above, I do like the pull out method for storing these platters and trays, however, I think that this design could be improved by having the cabinet door attached to the front of the pull out. In the use shown above, you would have to fully open the cabinet door in order to pull out the the wooden apparatus holding the platters. That makes it a two step process. I  am wondering if you have to bend down and grab onto the lower front piece of the apparatus to pull it out? Comments anyone?

^ Looking at the photo above and seeing the open drawers next to the vertical tray storage, it appears this homeowner likes open drawers and shelves. My personal preference is to have a cabinet door hiding the trays. I think the thickness of the solid wood dividers is over kill.

^The illustration above shows several options for vertical storage which include wire dividers, short wood dividers, wooden dowel dividers, and solid wood panels.

Source of these illustrations is the book Kitchen Storage Ideas. The sources for the photos in this post is unknown at this time. If you know the source, please contact me and I will note it. If I run across the source, I will add it.

After publishing the first post in this series, I ran across this photo below which fits that post. I decided to add it here.  This pull out drawer holding vertically stacking platters and trays is very functional. Unlike the photo shown in the first post, this one has solid wood dividers instead of wooden dowel rods. I would recommend heavy duty drawer runners for this particular drawer due to the weight of the drawer itself and the items stored in it.

Your observations and comments are welcome!  Blessings.  …susan

Kitchen: Vertical Storage Option Series Part one -pullout drawer storage

Welcome to my vertical storage option series!  Instead of the traditional way of storing kitchen items stacked on a shelf or stacked in a drawer, let’s think outside the box and look at vertical  storage options. 

When I ran across this photo a few years back, I was instantly drawn to the unique and functional idea for storing kitchen items vertically in a pullout drawer instead of horizontally on a shelf. What I like about it is you can see what you are looking for and the ease in which you can remove an item. Traditionally, these types of items are stacked on top of each other on a shelf or in a pantry. Many times there is a small cabinet under the double ovens which requires you to get on your hands and knees to find what you are looking for and to remove it. The photo below is a great idea for vertical storage.

As I study this photo, it looks like on the right side there is one solid divider creating two compartments equal in size. The rest of the drawer has wooden dowel rods used as dividers within the drawer. In the front right compartment it appears something is hanging over the dowel, perhaps pastry bags. I see a muffin tin, roasting pan, rectangular pyrex baking dish, cooling racks, cookie sheets, and a broiling pan.

A note of caution, depending on the size of the drawer and the weight of the items you might need heavy duty drawer runners.

If I were designing my dream kitchen, I would want to have several vertical storage drawers. One would be designated for baking items such as cookie sheets, muffin tins, cooling racks, cake pans, pastry bags, and maybe even have an area to be able vertically stand a rolling pin.  Another drawer would be designated for cutting boards and platters. Another could be for glass bakeware such as pyrex dishes which  would not have to be as tall as those for cookie sheets and cutting boards.  I really do like the idea of vertical storage in a drawer vs horizontal storage on a shelf! Leave me a comment and tell me what do you think of vertical storage in a drawer? What would you want to store vertically in a drawer?  Blessings.  …susan

Source of the photo is unknown. If you know the source please contact me and I will note it.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday August 23, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. Having collected quotes and scripture for over 25 years, my hope is that by sharing these quotes it will cause you to pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share a quote with someone who is in need of reading that very quote.

A friend was telling me recently that she had said something she regretted saying. It was said in anger therefore it was full of venom. She was really upset with herself and remorseful.  I think all of us have from time to time said something we wish we had not said.  With that in mind, I want to share some quotes I have collected regarding speaking/communicating.

Your words are a window to your heart  -unknown

Ignorance is always swift to speak -unknown

Never pass up a chance to keep your mouth shut -unknown

A shut mouth gathers no foot (paraphrase Proverbs 13:3)

A soft tongue breaks hard bones (Proverbs 15:1)

Swallowing angry words is much better than having to eat them  -unknown

Have a blessed week!  …susan

Kitchen Utensil Storage: Mistakes to Avoid

As a follow up to my post on Kitchen Utensil Storage Options (which you can scroll down to read), here is a list of Mistakes to Avoid when designing your dream kitchen. By providing this list, it is my hope that I have stimulated your thought process and helped prevent avoidable mistakes. My goal is for you to end up with a functioning and aesthetically beautiful home, avoiding mistakes that might become a daily irritant.

Mistakes to Avoid

Before you begin designing your kitchen, identify all of your kitchen utensils. The best way is to lay all of them on your counter. Decide how they need to be grouped together, i.e. all wooden utensils, all baking utensils, etc. Then decide the type storage option you want to use and the location of the storage option. Will you store them in a drawer or drawers, in a container on the counter, hanging on the wall, hanging vertically behind a pull out cabinet door, in a basket under the counter, etc.  Next, decide the area of the kitchen where the storage option will be located. Keep in mind their use and then determine the location of the drawer(s), container(s), wall hanger(s), baskets, etc. so that the utensils are handy. For those items used when cooking on the stovetop, you would want the drawer or container near the stovetop.  For those items used when baking, you will want them stored near the counter where you will prepare the food for baking. I am sure you get the idea.

Storage in Drawers-Mistakes to Avoid

1. Make sure the drawer is tall enough so that the utensils will not jam when opening and closing the drawer. Don’t you just hate it when a ladle, large whisk, or rolling pin get jammed in your drawer and you cannot open it!  I usually add at least a half inch to the standard measurement for drawer height.. However, it is best to take the actual measurement of the tallest utensil you plan to store in the drawer.  I like how deep the drawer is in the photo under number four below.

I am a huge fan of having drawers in a kitchen instead of lower cabinet doors. You might want an extra tall drawer to hold items such as a sifter, four-sided grater, and other items requiring extra drawer height.  Perhaps you have a drawer for mixing bowls and a divider in the back of the drawer for some taller items such as the sifter.  I recommend putting the actual items you plan to store in each drawer on your counter and take measurements for your cabinet maker.  Then take a photograph of each group. Print the photograph on regular paper and fill in the measurements. 

2. Don’t waste valuable storage space with thick drawer dividers. Looking at both the photo below and the photo after item four, doesn’t it make you wonder why the dividers are so thick?

Source unknown: If you know the source of the photo above, please contact me and I will note it. 

3. Discuss with your cabinet maker if the drawer can be built so that the dividers can be moved around or removed to accommodate new items you might pick up. I can see grooves being cut in the drawer bottom and being able to lift the dividers and move them into another groove to change the configuration.

4. Think about the use of the utensils and the drawer being close to that area. If the utensils are for cooking on the stove, when designing your kitchen cabinet layout, put the drawer either under the stovetop or next to the stove so that they are an easy reach when cooking.  If the utensils are used when baking, put the drawer near the counter where you will prepare the food for baking. If  you own quite a few utensils, you might need more than one drawer stacked on top of each other that are designated for utensils.

Source: Tauton’s Home Storage Idea Book by Joanne Kellar Bouknight

5. Make sure the drawer runners you select are adequate for the weight of the drawer and the items you will be storing.  Decide if you want self-closing drawer runners. 

Storage in a Container-Mistakes to Avoid

1. Make sure the container when filled with utensils will still fit under the upper cabinets. I love using an urn in the photo below. The height  works because  it is located under the vent hood. 

Source: Great Kitchen Ideas

Storage on a Wall-Mistakes to Avoid

1. Hanging utensils from a wall rack creates the look of a professional kitchen and can be handy for the gourmet chef.  However, if you do not cook often, the utensils will gather dust.  

Source: Great Kitchen Ideas

Vertical Storage in a Pull Out Cabinet-Mistakes to Avoid

When looking at the photo below I can see several advantages of this type of storage. First, the metal peg board gives you the great flexibility in the configuration of the utensils. It also allows you to easily see the utensils.

For some reason, this option does not appeal to me. Maybe it is because I have not personally used this type of storage option? I keep imagining the utensils swinging around and clanging when I open and close the cabinet. I am not even sure that would actually happen.  The photo makes me think I would do a lot of stooping over or squatting to remove or replace the utensils. I would like to hear your thoughts in a comment if you have used or are using this type of storage option.

I do like the design of the cabinet front on the pull out in the photo below because when closed, it blends into the cabinet design. Because the design goes to the floor, it gives extra support when it is open. I like the idea of leaving it pulled out while cooking. Make sure if it is left pulled out there is room to walk around it.

Source unknown: if you know the source of this photo, please contact me and I will note it.

Blessings.  …susan