Pocket Door

I have an obsession  with pocket doors!!! I love how they hide away and save space. If I Had my way all doors would be pockets! I know sheer madness!

Seriously though they have their place, (and that place is in my heart!)

I wanted to create a division from my kitchen/dining to my living. But I also wanted to keep all of the light flowing through from the new windows.

Solution?:

French door Pocket door!! 2 of my favorite things had a love child!

And it looks like this!

The side that faces my living room is painted with Benjamin Moore White Dove.

The side that faces my kitchen/dining is painted with BM Covington Blue, I also used that on my front door interior.

We don't close the door too often, but surprisingly it blocks out a lot of sound.

And it means if my kitchen is a mess, guests don't need to be invited back there.

Back Splash

Back splashes service both function and form. They make it easy to wipe off spills and drips and provide another area where you get to add great design, texture and color.

 These days the possibilities and products are as endless as your imagination!

Glass, Stone, Mosaics, Ceramic, Marble, Metal and so on....Because there are so many options it made this such a tricky decision for me.

 Eventually I just "bit the bullet" (over-thinking things, again) and went with a hand glazed ceramic.

I had 40 sq Ft to cover and didn't want to break the bank. I found this tile at home depot and it was reasonably priced and pretty! I loved the crackle and variation of tones with in it.

Getting started.

So here is one of my pet peeves.... You have a beautiful new back splash that you have paid a lot of money for and then all these ugly outlets/switches that cover that magnificent work that you just did!

No Thanks!

 I had 10 double outlets/light switches. Don't get me wrong I love a lot of power sources in a kitchen but 10!?

So I had my handyman husband move as many as he could to underneath the overhead cabinets. 

You cant see them but they are still there!

Genius, I know!

Some day I may even touch up the paint under there.

Because we re-wired, we had some patching to do, and we had to remove one of my shelves in order to tile behind it.

Let the fun begin!

I used 1/8" spacers for minimal grout.

The process is much like frosting a cake and anyone can do it.

Kurt placed the tile and I "buttered" them.

Below is what it looked liked before the grout. I have always been the  "designated grouter" with every tile job we've done.

We left off the tiles that needed holes drilled for the shelves. That required special drill bits and a patient husband.

Love that guy!

 Above are the tiles with holes for my shelves.

Below is the finished product with grout and all.

Not a plug in sight!

Below you can see where they are hiding.

With the shelves back up.

Those plugs had no where to hide. I still eliminated one power point above the sink and a phone jack! Imagine 2 more plugs there!

Finally seeing how it all comes together. It really does make the kitchen feel more finished and I think cozier. I couldn't be happier with how well it turned out! What do you think?

Apple Crisp

Its September and suddenly I cant wait to bring on FALL! I love the fall the changing of the leaves, wearing scarves and hats and how everything is pumpkin flavored! There is definitely a crispness in the air and that only makes me feel like baking comfort foods and cozying up with my family.

My Daughter's favorite dessert of all time is apple crisp.

 She told me that she can't even remember how it tastes because it's been soooo long since I last made it! We did make it a LOT last year while we lived with my in-laws, they have an apple tree that was full of apples last year.

So here is my step by step version. A printable version is available HERE

 For this crisp I used a 9x9 pan so I did 6 apples If you do a 9x13 use 8 apples and even double the crisp!
 I always use Granny Smith because I like the contrast of the tart with all of the sweetness of the crisp.

       

Peel and slice 6-8 apples

Mix 1/3 C Sugar 1 tsp Cinnamon 1/2 tsp Salt

Pour over apples and toss until each slice is coated, then transfer to greased baking pan

In a separate bowl combine

 1/2 C Self Raising Flour

 1/2 C Butter

and work it with your fingers until it becomes mealy and resembles Parmesan cheese.

Then add 1/2 C Brown Sugar and 1/2 C Quick Oats.

Mix together and spread over apples.

 Look at that mountain of deliciousness!

Place the crisp on a baking sheet  just in case any crumble bubbles and over flows.
Bake at 350F for 35 mins

                                 

While its baking your house will smell amazing!

When its done serve with your favorite Vanilla ice cream, and savor the first tastes of fall!

Enjoy!