Mama love and kitchen goes boom

Lumpling pillows in progress!
Yesterday, I received a package from our dear friend Don.

He's a sneaky one...that Don. He somehow managed to have my children put their tiny fingerprints all over this mat, and Finn wrote "we love you mommy" across the bottom.

Don put the mat around one of his very own wonderful paintings for me. He managed to do this all the way from Texas! I know that my mother-in-law was involved in this sneaky love attack, but I still can't get a straight answer from the kids as they say that they are sworn to secrecy still.

But I'm hanging it above my desk, so that I can see it often.

Don's story of how and why he paints is a very special one... if you click on his name it will take you to our Luna7 art pages with his full story.

These are some of the newest items over at the amy rue site!

I'm only adding things that are special to me and my family. Things that we actually use.

Often, when we have visitors, they will ask us where do we get the items in our house. And it's always way too complicated to answer properly! But now we'll be able to offer at least some of what makes our house a home.

I managed to find some more of the tiny vintage glass knobs for the Lumpling cupboards. I'm working on the cupboards and will soon have some available on the site with Lumplings

Speaking of knobs...when Hans and I get a hair up our butts, we usually jump first and groan later. Such is the case with our kitchen. Hans had to have this new fangled induction cooktop, so we ripped out the hulking stove, put in a new cabinet, countertops and a beadboard backsplash.

All of this was with the help of our wonderful handyman, Kirk. Hans and Kirk worked a hard morning in here the other day, and the results are worth it. On Monday, an electrician will come hook up the power for the cooktop. So Hans hasn't actually gotten to use his fancy cooktop yet.

But you know that my foodie boy has to have a fancy spot to cook, because I sure as hell won't be! It's weird to see that picture on that Food Network link, because Hans was 65 pounds heavier then..and that was taken this time last year.

We still have some trim to put up and I need to caulk around the beadboard. Later on, we'll be adding a wall oven on the other side of the kitchen and putting in the new countertop there as well.

Right now it's so lovely to have clutter free countertop. I know that I won't be able to keep it this way. We are a family that makes piles. Magazines, books, toys and anything else that we can stack ends up on any flat surface in the house.