Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Cleaning & Fluffing My Kitchen


Since I'm feeling a bit better I thought I should actually start cleaning my house again! So I decided to tackle the kitchen in two parts - today and tomorrow. There was a time when I would have worked like a dervish and cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom in a day. But I've realized I don't really need to do that!



Today I cleaned my upper cabinets with white vinegar, a squirt of dishwashing liquid and hot water. I have painted cabinets so I can't use anything too abrasive anyway and those take care of the grease and the spaghetti sauce splatters from the other night (don't' ya hate when that happens).



I made these labels last year for some of my spices that are around the microwave. I covered them with clear packing tape which made it really easy to clean them today. I think I'll make new labels (add that to my mile long Projects List).


I decided to change out this picture behind my sink. If you don't have a window over your sink like me - hang some art work to give yourself something nice to look at while doing the dishes!



This is better don't you think? I found that tray at my favorite store The Classy Flea a few months ago and I knew it would be perfect in my kitchen!



I love my deep sink and gooseneck faucet!



See how it ties into my checkerboard floor - some things were just meant to be!




I took all of my soup tureens down off the top of the cabinets and boy do they need cleaning! A few have cobwebs on them! So I just have to go wash those now and put them back and I'm done for the day.

Now tomorrow I have to do the other side of my kitchen and I want to change my bulletin board around a bit. I need to wash the lower cabinets and I need to scrub my kitchen floor (finally!). So I'll post the rest of the kitchen tomorrow (this is great motivation)!


43 comments:

Kathleen Grace said...

Manuela, your kitchen is so pretty! How do you keep your stainless steel sink looking so nice? Mine looks horrid, I think the term "stainless" is such false advertising:>p I adore that lottle transferware thing-a-ma-jig holding doffodils by your sink!

Debbie said...

Love the tin backsplash. I like the new picture at the sink. The other one seemed to fade into the tin. This one stands out. And almost matching your checkerboard floor - it was made for your kitchen.
Happy cleaning,
Debbie

Anonymous said...

Beautiful kitchen!

Amber B. said...

I love the backsplash in your kitchen! And isn't the Classy Flea wonderful? I always like to go there when we are visiting family over that way!

Salmagundi said...

Isn't it amazing how things in our kitchen that we don't use everyday get so dirty?? I remember when I was 20 I could clean hard all day and accomplish 10 times more than I can in one day now. Thanks for the inspiration - I need to dig into my kitchen, too. Sally

Susan @ A Southern Daydreamer said...

Manuela,you have a beautiful kitchen... I love it!! LOVE love love the soup tureens!!

Heather said...

very pretty! i love your deep sink too!

Lisa said...

Your kitchen is beautiful, and as always, you are such an inspiration Manuela!

I have long struggled with the cleaning mindset that if I couldn't do "IT" all, then I wouldn't do it. Your kitchen looks wonderfully clean even with only half being done!

Love the daffodils by the sink in the brown/white dish. Transferware? Whatever it is, it looks so great. You have the best details!

Susie Homemaker said...

Manuela...I love your faucet too! You have given me some inspiration to clean my kitchen tomorrow...I have been wanting to switch some things out for awhile...stay tuned, I may post about it too!

Blessings,
Susie

Beth at Aunties said...

Your kitchen looks like sunshine itself! The new picture of the lemons is perfect.
I think you are inspiring me to quit blogging and go organize and polish.
Beauitful kitchen and YES, I hate it when the splatters happen:)

Betsy Brock said...

I love little cleaning days like this...everything looks sparkly and fresh when you are done!

Rhonda said...

your tureens are so pretty and look very impressive all together.

how did you end up with such a collection - were they gifts or thrift finds or bought new?

I think they are great

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

I love your backsplash...the tureen holding the daffodils....your new tray about the sink...your faucet...you have a great kitchen!

Sue said...

Hi Manuela...love the tin backsplash and where did you get all those tureens?? They are the best....where do you store them??

Vee said...

I love your kitchen...wouldn't like not having a window over the sink, but everything else is great. I do like the new tray that you put up...those lemons look very bright and cheery. I'll be interested to see what you do about labels. I'd like to do something with my spices, etc.

Lady Katherine said...

The tureens are a lot of work! I love the tin and the pic. looks great with the floor. I love the sea salt and other bottles in the shelves. They look great. Your kitchen is spotless! Last year everything in open shelves were put up. Now its that time, for a deep cleaning! Looks as if you have got a head start! How's the bulbs doing? I loved your planters and looking forward to watch them grow.

sandra/tx said...

Beautiful. I love the paperwhites in the transferware dish.

Ally's Corner said...

I so love your kitchen. Where is The Classy Flea?

Lorri said...

I love the tray. That green really pops. Very pretty!
Lorri

Nicole ~ said...

Your backspash is so cute. The picture works so well with your floors. And, I my favorite picture is of all those soup tureens! They are beautiful.

Sarah Kate said...

The tray is great and it compliments your floors well.

GlorV1 said...

Hi Manuela, I love the gooseneck and the sink. You are always cleaning. I could never do that, I'd probably pass out. :)
Take care.

Angie said...

You just inspire the heck out of me! I have been staring at my dirty cabinets for so long and keep meaning to clean them, and now I am because of you! I love the whole sink area - beautiful!!!

Anonymous said...

Your kitchen is beautiful!

Jen - Balancing Beauty and Bedlam said...

Love your new tray....
Oh, and I wish the first thing I needed to clean was the things up high. :)

Mimi Sue said...

Your sink is gorgeous. And the tray was meant to hang there. Doesn't it feel great to have a clean kitchen? Mimi

Bargain Decorating with Laurie said...

That tray on the tin backsplash looks great! You are so organized, and everything looks so pretty. laurie

Unknown said...

Love that ray. Please come over and clean all my teapots, ect on top of my cupboards. I hate doing it cause i always seem to break something. lol. mishelle

P. said...

Very inspiring.

Alfazema

Terri Steffes said...

Your kitchen is so pretty! I I love your soup tureens. I think they are so pretty. Will you show us how you have them displayed?

Anna Marie said...

Love the sink, love the faucet, love, love, love all the soup tureens!!!

Cyndi said...

Soooo Pretty love the potted flowers what a beautiful touch. Clean is a good feeling isn't it!

Unknown said...

I love the tray, you were right, it's perfect! So colorful, and an awesome match for your floor. Now you've got me thinking I need to clean above my cabinets too, but I don't have anything as beautiful as those soup tureens to dust.

Carla said...

Lovely!!! Glad your feeling better:)

Glenda/MidSouth said...

The tray looks great above the sink, and your kitchen is very pretty.
Glenda

Nancy Rosalina said...

Manuela, what a inspiration you are! love the backsplash! Blessings, Nancy

Susie Q said...

It looks so nice.

I've been painting boards in my company's shop bay to put on the trucks we use for hauling. The boards are for attaching the tarps to so we do not scatter the debris all over the roads. I painted them white....think I can distress them a bit to give them that shabby chic look? Didn't think so.....sigh.

Leigh of Tales from Bloggeritaville said...

Manuela, You so inspire me! I just love your home! And those soup tureens are gorgeous. With or without the webs.

Anonymous said...

I adore your " goose neck" ...... your kitchen is so wonderful..... I love that the tray blends so nicely with the floor..... my crazy bulbs are NOT growing......arrrrgh.... yours look so pretty
HUgs
Linda

Linda said...

It looks like your getting a little bit of spring cleaning done. I did the same to my cabinets a few weeks back. Everything looks great!

Tracey McBride ~ Frugal Luxuries® said...

More Wow! Love all your inspiring photos and ideas Manuela, as always. So glad you're (obviously!) feeling better. Now you've inspired me to get to work!
God Bless.
Warmly,
Traceyxox

P. S. LOVE the picture with the new tray above the sink and the floor (great shot) and it looks fantastic...you are so right...some things just are meant to be LOL!

Anonymous said...

I love your sink and kitchen too!!! It makes me want to redo mine! Thanks for the inspiration. :)

Anonymous said...

Is that a peel and stick floor has it yellowed at all ?

Karen