Hey friends, happy weekend and welcome to today’s Kitchen Reveal party. Wish I’d baked gingersnaps and made party punch for the occasion. We started kitchen remodeling back in February and finally, we’re crossing the finish line.

A few little odds and ends remain, like finishing the trim paint, ceiling touch up, cabinet lighting etc. But nothing major. The last cabinet door was hung on Wednesday, so woohoo!

You may remember what our kitchen looked like before. (This picture was taken in January.)

And then we had a family demolition derby day in February and it looked like this. (All the holes in the wall are where the former backsplash was. The sheetrock had to be CUT out, as we couldn’t pry the tiles off the wall, no matter how hard we tried.)

We sold the cabinets on Craig’s List and almost got scammed in the process. Almost being the operative word. We learned a lot.

And now… it looks like this! It came out very close to how I imagined it would. (Guessing my Jon is just sighing with relief to see these words, lol.)

We ripped out this side counter and cabinets. Then extended the doorframe to the right by just a few inches so it would accommodate a pantry six inches wider. That’s a lot of extra storage space floor to ceiling, and so glad we went that route.

AND HERE’S THE DOUBLE WALL OVEN AND PANTRY!!!! (I’m not excited or anything.)

We went back and forth about getting a single or double wall oven, but I’m so glad we went with the double.

I’ve already used both wall ovens simultaneously a number of times. We were also able to find a much better deal on a double wall oven and separate 36″ gas cooktop, rather than a single wall oven plus a 36″ slide-in range with gas cooktop, which was the alternative. We managed to save several thousand dollars doing it this way and still got the two ovens and a cooktop, just a different configuration.

An awesome pantry feature is the slide out drawers inside, so it’s easy and convenient to find things. Though I do need a step stool to reach the upper cabinet shelves.

The original stainless slide-in range we sold on Craigslist. It was in great shape, but I was itching for a gas cooktop like we had at our previous home. I really prefer cooking with gas. Thankfully we already have a gas line for the furnace and hot water heater, so it was just a matter of diverting it to the new cooktop.

So I’m thrilled with the new gas cooktop. It’s 36″ wide, which is 6″ wider than the previous 30″ slide-in range was. It’s amazing how spacious that extra 6″ on the cooktop makes it feel. Plus an extra burner in the middle. The double wall oven freed up the space below this cooktop for storage drawers underneath for pots and pans.

Note the pot filler above the cooktop, on the back wall to the right. This was very inexpensive, less than a $100, and a no brainer once the sheetrock was already cut out because of the backsplash. You do have to get behind the sheetrock to plumb a pot filler, so it may not be an option for everyone, unless you can get behind your wall to plumb.

I’ve already used the pot filler numerous times, most recently when making a big pot of pea soup with our leftover Easter ham bone, which is actually cooking in the pot above. It was very delicious with homemade johnny cake FYI.

There was an extra three inches of cabinet space underneath the cooktop counter. Our cabinet guy suggested we put in a filler panel, but we’d seen this neat slide-out spice drawer which only takes, drumroll please…. exactly 3″ of space! YES!!!

I’m not necessarily an organized person (I see those smirks) but I’d like to be. And this spice rack is a move in the right direction!

I sold my former KitchenAid stand mixer (from the late 90’s) in a local Facebook yard sale group, and got one a little bigger and more powerful. KitchenAids are a great investment for your kitchen and really hold their value, FYI.

(I found this out when I had more than 25 on-line offers for my old KitchenAid, which was already refurbished when I bought it.)

We chose brushed nickel for most of the fixtures and kept an industrial feel. Some of my favorite features are the pot filler, the faucet, the amazing light over the kitchen sink, handmade by MoonStone Fox, and the pedestal lights suspended over the island.

We also installed a hot water dispenser, so now we can have tea, oatmeal and hot chocolate in an instant without putting on the kettle.

We were able to tie in the breakfast nook on the opposite end of the kitchen, using this scratch and dent kitchen armoire we bought years ago at the Williams Sonoma outlet in SC.

I’ve  always loved the clean look, and chose the shaker white kitchen cabinets based on the armoire lines. (Auntie M, note your Thistle Hill Pottery plate on upper left.  )

Love this pendant fixture. Found it online at Pottery Barn and scooped it up on a one day clearance sale in January. Score! I spend a lot of time working at this table because the lighting is great and the bird feeder isn’t far. I can’t resist a free show!

Love having my feathered friends nearby. Re: the light fixture above: be warned. It’s a serious dust catcher, but worth it (to me anyway) for the look.

Things we learned:

• We tried not to reinvent the wheel. In other words, the overall layout of the kitchen was already a good design and worked well, so we didn’t mess with it.
• You’ll note there are very few cabinets with doors, mostly pull-out drawers. That’s what’s recommended these days. So much easier to access the prized skillet rolling out a drawer than getting down on your hands and knees, peering into dark cabinet shelves.
• Our subscription to Consumer Reports was helpful, but nowhere near as helpful as just looking things up on Amazon and other sites. Consumer Reports was limited to just the models that they had tested.
• Do your homework ahead of time and always always always compare prices, especially for the bigger ticket items. We compared prices for cabinets and checked out reviews. And we had the quartz countertops quoted at four different shops. It was the fourth one, Granite Plus in Chelmsford, MA we visited that was $1K cheaper, and we got excellent customer service from start to finish.
• There’s a big difference between granite, quartz and quartzite in the countertop world. Granite is a natural stone, less expensive but porous and requires occasional sealing. Quartz is more expensive than granite, man-made, but more durable and virtually maintenance free. And quartzite is natural stone but more expensive than quartz. (Soapstone is beautiful too but out of our budget.) We also considered butcher block, but didn’t want the maintenance.
• We shopped around and shopped around, and Sears was by far the most competitively priced option for the wall ovens and gas cooktop. The customer service however, was a nightmare. Bear that in mind. So frustrating. Sale prices online wouldn’t show up in the online cart, and it ended up being weeks before we finally got everything straightened out with multiple phone calls, talking to people halfway around the world. Sears online and in-store seem to be in competition with each other, making it nearly impossible to resolve anything locally if you have an on-line issue.
• We were committed to doing this project for cash, so we set a budget and stuck with it. While I love how everything turned out, there were many more expensive options and I had to resist splurging. Like a copper hammered range hood for example. Lol. Maybe someday. I did however splurge on a smaller item, the handmade industrial light fixture above the kitchen sink. It was definitely worth the splurge and makes a statement, but wasn’t a huge ticket item.
• So glad we sold everything we could from the old kitchen on-line: stove, cabinets, microwave, etc. That hugely helped reduce our overall cost.
• We were able to avoid replacing the flooring, refrigerator and dishwasher (which was fairly new anyway.) This was a big savings!
• You can pay a lot for Italian subway tile online. It’s lovely, but we didn’t want to spend the pesos there. We got ours inexpensively at Home Depot and used gray grout (rather than white) because it’s easier to keep clean.
• I’m glad we had the cabinets built all the way to the ceiling. It cuts down on dust, and is a cleaner classic look, with great storage in the upper cabinets for things we don’t often use.

What we would have done differently:

• Thankfully, not too much! We did our homework first.
• When the dishwasher is open and the trash drawer on the island is open simultaneously, it’s tight. It works, but we should’ve staggered those better.
• The pot filler should have been installed a little lower, though it works perfectly. I probably would have mounted it one row of subway tile down. It’s tough to figure out where to mount, because you have to plumb it and set the height before you even have countertops or the range top installed. It’s a guessing game. I think we were afraid it might land too low, so ended up overcompensating and mounting it a little high. That’s ok, it still works great, but might be helpful for you to know.
• We would have found a way to make the microwave a built-in, rather than sitting on a shelf. There were many options we looked at, but in retrospect, I think we could have installed it from above, attached underneath a cabinet, as if it were installed over a range. That would have given a cleaner look.

How we saved $:

• Didn’t hire a designer.
• Contracted it ourselves.
• Removed the old cabinets and backsplash ourselves.
• Jon did all the painting.
• Spent time and shopped around for the best prices and value.
• Sold everything we could from our old kitchen to help finance the new one.
• Didn’t get derailed from our budget and splurged on just a few key items: countertops and lighting.
• Amazon was the best for shopping, comparison pricing and on-line reviews. We bought most of the kitchen fixtures, including the stainless range hood on Amazon. Prices were excellent and shipping was free with Amazon prime.
• Kept several existing appliances and the wood flooring.

I’m so glad we kept the kitchen island countertop free of sinks, cooktop, etc. A lot of designs featured built-ins like that. But our kitchen island is invaluable for entertaining with extra seating and space for food. It’s also perfect for rolling out cookies and pie dough. We installed outlets on either end and that works great for mixers/blenders and plugging in my photography lighting.

Jon and I also recently discovered late one night last week that the island makes an awesome laundry folding station when we’re working in tandem on mega laundry.

All along, we kept in mind that a kitchen remodel is one of the best investments you can make in a home. You nearly always get your money back in the long run. And since I’m a food blogger, it was a no brainer for us.

I’ve had friends ask, after seeing the finished kitchen – ‘how in the world did you even know where to start?’ Well, we just went step by step, like everything else, in layers.

Looked at design pics. first to figure out what we liked. Then started with pricing the biggest pieces of the puzzle: the cabinets, appliances, countertops and contractor labor.

Once we found our contractor, we talked through timing, pricing and availability. Once we had those big pieces in place, I started shopping on-line for lighting fixtures, sink, sink fixtures, cabinet hardware, etc. So we went from broad to narrow, and that worked well for us.

We also ordered everything ahead of time and had it here waiting in the garage before the contractor even arrived, with just a few exceptions. This saved time, money, and kept us from wasting the contractor’s time too.

Many thanks to everyone who has been cheering us on during this project, thank you. It’s been fun cataloguing the journey here.

It was quite a marathon, but is already making such a huge difference to work/live in a light and airy, bright kitchen with great storage. We’re thankful and blessed.

Please don’t hesitate to ask questions about the process or share your thoughts. Always love hearing from you.

Wishing you a peaceful, joyful spring weekend doing whatever you love. (I’m potting pansies today.)

XOXO,

allie

The post Real Deal: Kitchen Reveal! Before & After appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hey friends – happy weekend to you! Hope it’s a great one. We continue forward with our kitchen renovations here – and it won’t be long ’til running water, gas cooktop and ovens happen. (Translation: a real meal that doesn’t involve the electric griddle.) Hopefully this coming week, fingers crossed. And no. more. blizzards.

Posting Kitchen Ideas here to give you hints of our kitchen reno if you’re into that kind of thing. Especially if you’ve got a remodel on the horizon or are on the fence about it.

Truth is, I’ve felt like a crazy woman these last few weeks. Yesterday I made a beef stew with the electric griddle and slow cooker balanced on a plywood plank stretched between counter frames. A balancing act. Just call me Pioneer Woman.

That same day the big nor’easter hit us hard, and I was bundled up to my eyes refilling the backyard feeder in 18″ of white for my feathered friends. That would be Tundra Woman. Me.

Then my asthma kicked in with all the mudding, spackling, sanding etc. and I had to wear a ridiculous white dust mask around my own house for days. Bird Flu Woman? LOL. (I’ll answer to plain Crazy too.)

Jon and I were in the paint store yesterday picking out the wall color and the guy at the counter mentions the coming storm.

Naive me: What storm?

Him: You didn’t hear? Another nor’easter’s on the way, arriving Monday or Tuesday.

Me: For real? (Jaw drops a mile. Or three.)

And all I can muster back: “So don’t shoot the messenger, right?”

Folks, it’s MARCH. April showers bring… May flowers. So what do March blizzards bring? Give it time. Then mud. M-U-D. In my sparkling white kitchen no less. Funny. (Or not.) The grand prize for March blizzards is mud.

Posting some Kitchen Ideas and pics about the journey today, sharing some of our choices. It’s amazing, there are SO MANY choices out there and it’s dizzying even knowing where to begin.

Pot fillers are a fun new accessory. Install above your stove top for effortless pot and kettle filling.

If you’re thinking about kitchen remodeling, start looking at kitchen ideas in home decorating magazines, online decorating sites and Pinterest.

Shaker white cabinets by Forevermark. (This isn’t our kitchen, but similar cabinets.)

Pore over lots of kitchen pictures to see what you like. Think of kitchens you’ve been in and love – family and friends’ kitchens. Even kitchens you don’t like. (Why don’t you like it?) The tough thing then, is to break down the why. Why do you like a particular look? What reels you in? Is it color? Style? Cabinets? Appliances? Floor? Lighting? And then note the individual components that contribute towards the look and feel you like.

For instance, do you like wood cabinets? Dark or light? Painted? Stained? Or maybe you’re drawn to white? Do you like lots of moldings and bevels? Or simple clean lines. Do you like living with neutrals and muted colors, or color drama?

When I was in my twenties, I loved bold color and lots of it. But as we were looking at homes for sale last year, I found I’m drawn to quieter, more muted color palettes now, with color pops here and there.

My girlfriend J put this fixture in her kitchen (different finish) and I love it! (Photo creds: thanks Moonstone Fox !)

Not sure if it’s my age or styles have changed dramatically. But with this kitchen remodel, I’m going for light and bright, clean, classic lines, neutral colors and an industrial flavor.

My sister has a hot water dispenser and finds it… indispensable! Make tea, hot cocoa or oatmeal at a moment’s notice, no stovetop necessary. Mounts next to the kitchen sink faucet.

And I have to say, as it’s all coming together… I’m loving it! I know this farmhouse/industrial mix was the right choice for us, but everyone has different tastes and house style to work with. So first you have to figure out what works best for your scene.

You can always hire a designer, but if you already know what you like and have experienced contractors to lean on – why not save the pesos and go for it? I think I can. I think I can. The little blue engine, chugging right along.

The web is a great source of design inspiration. And if you happen to have a friend who dabbles in interior design like me, I’m sure they’ll be happy to steer you in the right direction.

In case you missed it, here are my previous posts on our kitchen remodel:

Don’t Get Scammed On Craig’s List Like I (Almost) Did

Kitchen Demolition Derby

My next kitchen-related post will be the kitchen reveal. Can’t wait!

What’s going on in your world? Would love to hear from you. Have a beautiful weekend.

XOXO,

Allie

The post Kitchen Ideas Board appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hope you’re having a great weekend and welcome to the chaos! (Like you needed more, right?) Chaos with a capital C. I’ve mentioned we’re in kitchen remodeling mode around here. We’ve been selling off our current kitchen piece by piece on Craig’s List and the stove went Friday. Buh bye.

My dining room table…

So how do you feed a mess of boys and write a food blog without a stove and countertops? Great question. And I’m about to find out! LOL. I’m sure it will take creativity. (I’m all ears for ideas – TIA!)

The good news is a local friend knew our plight and offered the propane fueled stove top they used during their recent kitchen remodel. Plus we borrowed a six foot table and put that in the middle where the island was. So it’ll be camp style cooking for a while, which is certainly better than a fire pit out back I’m thinking.

So we’re getting ready to install our new kitchen. The contractors arrive tomorrow to start wiring, connecting the gas line and repairing sheet rock. Jon has carefully ripped out all the old kitchen cabinets and tile backsplash and they’ve been clogging up the garage. Yesterday the cabinets departed (as I cheered!) with a Craig’s List buyer. The new ones arrive tomorrow. Timing is everything, yes?

Today I’m sharing some random pics and thoughts, and in a few weeks when we’re finished I’ll share more. It’ll be a fun kitchen reveal and the truth is… I can’t wait to see how it turns out myself!

Before….

I’ve had some ask why we’re doing a remodel since the kitchen is functional. Yes, it’s functional. I, however, am not a utilitarian girl. Form over function. Big surprise. (And why not form AND function anyway?) I’m a lover of beauty with a B.A. in interior design who enjoys hunting down a good deal and transforming old and outdated to fresh and new. I’ve dreamed for a long time of designing a kitchen from the top down, and finally after a lot of research – it’s time!

My kitchen as of today…. (!) Wish me luck.

When we lived in the south in the 90’s, we bought a fixer-upper house by silent auction. The entire house needed attention, but especially the kitchen. As newlyweds, and no kiddos yet, we didn’t plan on being in the house longterm. So we installed inexpensive appliances, painted the cabinets white, added new MDF cabinet doors and hardware, and replaced the laminate flooring.

It was a cut and dry, simple kitchen update. And it helped us get top dollar when we put our house on the market in 2003 to move back to New England. With the cost of housing up here, we needed every penny. There’s no doubt about it, updating a kitchen adds significant worth and value to a home. Check out which home remodel projects add the most value to your home.

When we moved to New Hampshire in 2004, we rented for a while, then bought a sweet little ’40’s cape with a somewhat updated kitchen. The cabinets were custom, built by a local NH shop, Crown Point Cabinetry. I loved those cherry cabinets.

There was also a pantry built off the kitchen, an eclectic little jut-out from the back of the house with great storage. (You can see the pantry door to the right in the pic. below.)

The negative of that kitchen was the green laminate countertops, which also darkened (and dated) the kitchen. But I loved that kitchen. The old, original wooden floors discovered by the previous owners underneath the laminate flooring contributed to the character.

Because we were short on space and bedrooms, we finally made the difficult decision to put our cape on the market FSBO last spring. The housing market was pretty crazy at the time. When flighty buyers pulled out from buying our cape at the last second, we lost a beautiful home we had a contract on. I won’t lie, it was pretty heartbreaking.

The kitchen in the house we lost was light, airy and beautifully appointed. (Above.) The lighting was perfect for my blog photographs. I lost a few tears when we lost the contract on that house. Read: buckets. My sweet Jon promised we’d find another beautiful house.

And if it didn’t have a pretty kitchen like the one we lost (above), he said we’d remodel it. So that’s what brings us to our kitchen remodel. (And hoping he’s not regretting that promise now!)

We moved into our new-to-us house in July of last summer and have been living here for eight months now. I highly recommend living in a space for a while before starting any major remodeling project. Living in the space helps you figure out whether or not it works well for you and your family, work (esp. if you work at home like me) and entertaining needs. Helps you know what you like and what you don’t. And what needs to change.

The kitchen in our new house is adequate, but needs updating. The oak cabinets are builder grade from ’96. Some of the roll-out drawers didn’t. roll. out. LOL. There’s a small pantry 18″ wide for our family of six. The cabinets weren’t in terrible shape, but there just weren’t enough of them to store all the dishes, pots and pans. The ceilings are tall, over nine feet, but the cabinets only went up about 2/3 of the way to the ceiling, wasting space. The tile backsplash above the countertops were neutral, but dated, as were the laminate kitchen counters.

The kitchen sink was dented, with shallow bowls. And don’t even get me started on the faucet sprayer. The button was permanently stuck on spray, nailing you in the face whenever the faucet turned on. Think (ice cold) wake up call first thing in the morning before coffee. Eek. (I finally got wise and rubber-banded a plastic bag over the sprayer.) I’m not sorry to say goodbye to that unpleasant Gestapo greeting.

So for these reasons and many more, we’re excited to begin. I’m looking forward to a lighter, brighter look and feel in our new kitchen. I’ll post a kitchen idea board so stay tuned if you like that kind of thing.

Remodeling is a lot like wallpapering. It has to get worse before it gets better. You gotta strip down the old before you can prepare surfaces and get rolling with the new.

Have a great weekend and hope things are more peaceful at your house. (That you’re not cooking on a kitchen camp stove like me!)

XOXO,

Allie

The post Kitchen Demolition Derby (You’re Invited!) appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

This Willy Wonka Christmas Ball Wreath is a fun and sparkly way to welcome the Christmas holidays. Easy to make too. Just hot glue Christmas ornaments of various colors, shapes and sizes onto a styrofoam wreath form. Add a bow and hang to dispense instant Christmas cheer.

I know, I know. Why am I posting a Christmas Ball Wreath tutorial in January? “I must be off my marbles.” (Name that movie. Gotta squeeze in George Bailey when I can.  Yep, we watched It’s a Wonderful Life over the holidays.)

Anyway, the holidays are over and here I am posting a Christmas wreath. I haven’t posted a craft here in over a year. But I made this fun Christmas ball wreath back in December and wanted to tell you all about it and make sure it gets posted for next Christmas.

I ran out of time to write it up last month. All that baking. And knowing me, I’ll forget about posting it later. So instead of being late, humor me and imagine I’m three hundred plus days early.

So why Willy Wonka? It just so happened that my wreath making this past December coincided with my Charlie (10) reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at school. I’ve always loved the vivid imagery and colors in that book. Not to mention the fantastic character Willy Wonka that Roald Dahl dreamed up. So when I saw some candy stripe ornaments at my local craft store, I knew this time around I’d make a whimsical Willy Wonka Christmas Ball Wreath.

Years ago when we still lived in the south, I made a Martha Stewart Christmas Ball Wreath. She called it a Gaudy Wreath. And I can see why. These wreaths made from shiny Christmas ball ornaments might be considered gaudy by some.

But hang it on a front door in the spotlight at night, and it’s gorgeous. Cute and festive in the daytime too. Shiny, sparkly, and very fun. If you’re someone who likes a little sparkle and whimsy, this is an easy and fun wreath to make.

Keep in mind if you use glass ornaments you’ll need to hang it inside or in a protected area outside. (Mine is hanging on my front door, behind the glass storm door.)

Over the years my first gaudy wreath didn’t age so well. A few of the balls broke during our move to NH. I replaced those, and then some of the ornaments faded through the years and it was just time to replace the whole thing.

Come to think of it, now might be a good time to get some of these ornaments on clearance. (If there are any left!)

Materials:

• Styrofoam wreath form – whatever size you choose (I made a very large wreath using an 18″ wreath form. The wreath turned out about 24″ in diameter once the ornament balls were glued on.)
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Various sizes of plastic or glass Christmas ball ornaments ( I used about 100 various sized glass ball ornaments for my large 24″ wreath.)
• Optional: ribbon (and wire for attaching the ribbon)
• rope or twine for hanging

Instructions:

1. Place your wreath form flat on top of a thickly newspaper-lined table or counter.
2. Using your hot glue gun, glue Christmas ball ornaments to the form.
3. Please be very careful. It’s very easy to burn your fingers with this particular project.
4. Start by glueing ornament balls around the inside of the wreath form, and then along the outer edge of the form. Use bigger balls first.
5. Fill in between with ornaments until all the foam wreath form is covered. Glue bigger balls behind and save the smaller ones to fill in out front. (You may need to glue some ornaments onto other ornaments, filling in as you run out of space on the form.)
6. Keep in mind how many inches you need from front to back if you’re sandwiching it in between a front door with a storm door over it like mine.
7. Optional: Make a bow with your ribbon and attach it with wire.
8. Tie a loose loop of rope or twine around the wreath and hang your wreath on a nail or suction cup. I recommend a sturdy nail in case the suction cup comes loose. It would be a very sad day if your glass ornament wreath came crashing down.
9. This is a fragile wreath, so be sure to package and store very carefully off-season. Use lots of bubble wrap and keep in a sturdy box. Each season check carefully before hanging for loose ornaments and repair as needed.

I hope you enjoy making this Willy Wonka Christmas Ball Wreath. It’s a great piece to add to your Christmas decorating tradition. FYI, I estimate mine cost about $50 to make total because I got all the ornaments 50% off at my local craft store (Michael’s) and used a 40% off coupon on the styrofoam wreath form.

You may also like: DIY Clementine Gift Boxes

The post Willy Wonka Christmas Ball Wreath appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Friends, Romans, countrymen! (Countrywomen too.) Lend me your ears. It’s an exciting weekend around here. First off, a Whole Foods  store is opening in town. (Yay and double yay!) Second, there’s no snow in NH’s forecast this weekend. Woot woot. (But I’m not packing away the snow boots just yet, I’ve been tricked before.)

Third, if you read my Stealing Ain’t Nice post last weekend, that huge issue was resolved with a positive outcome. BY YOU! So thanks a bundle, I owe ya big time. Check it out here. (Scroll to the end of that post for the update.) And finally: I’ve got the absolute best Eclectic Mother’s Day Gift Ideas to share today. Also a delicious recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes. Yep, it’s exciting alright.

*A big shout out to UncommonGoods for providing the beautiful pottery items reviewed today. All opinions are my own. Please support the wonderful businesses that partner with THLG and keep folks peeking Through Her Looking Glass. 

As you know, Mother’s Day is right around the corner. I’m happy to share some Eclectic Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from UncommonGoods Mother’s Day gift collection found here. Their handmade jewelry, designer decor, and handcrafted gifts are produced by artisans all around the country.

Founded in 1999, UncommonGoods’ mission is to provide a platform for artists and designers, working in harmony with the environment and without harm to people or animals.

UncommonGoods is one of the coolest companies with the coolest philosophy. (Also the coolest stuff.)  “At the core of our company is a great respect for the integrity of the creative individual and the belief that it is our responsibility to use our business to impact the world in a positive way.”

I like that. While I’ve always loved the artsy, eclectic gifts from UncommonGoods, even more I appreciate that their products are handmade by real people. Real people with real faces, real stories. And a boatload of real talent!For instance, click here to check out this gorgeous Nesting Stoneware Mixing Bowl Set hand thrown by potter Maggy Ames at her clay studio in Manhattan. Maggy studied law at Skidmore College, then advocated for people with developmental disabilities as an attorney in New York City for 35 years. In 2009, Maggy retired from her law practice and began working full-time in her clay studio.

I can’t say enough good things about this unique stoneware nesting bowl set. The glazing and colors are exquisite. They nest beautifully. Pouring batter for Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes and muffins right from the bowl is a breeze. The ergonomic design and craftsmanship is one-of-a-kind and represents exactly why I love UncommonGoods so much. Moms spend a ton of time in the kitchen, and I can’t think of one who wouldn’t be ecstatic to receive these nesting stoneware bowls with scoop-style handles and narrow spouts for pouring. This set would make an extra special gift filled with gourmet baking mixes and kitchen tools.

As a knitter myself, I’ve eyed this Birdie Yarn Bowl for some time. Find it here! Such perfect & functional design. Visit Uncommon Goods for more great gift ideas for mom!

Moms (especially of little kids) are famous for this line: “Don’t buy me a thing. Just give me peace and quiet.”

My thought: why not both?

Check out this lovely Pottery Oil Candle here, sure to bring hours of peace and serenity. I love curling up with a good book and cup of java. Quiet music. This Pottery Oil Candle burning. Crafted in Maryland by potter Erik Hertz, the pottery oil candle design is based on ancient oil lamps found in archaeological digs. The glazing is amazing. (Poet: me.) This is a clean burning oil candle that uses liquid paraffin, with a fiberglass wick that won’t deteriorate. Add essential oils if you like! This is a unique gift, sure to be cherished for a lifetime. Find more great eclectic gift items for mom here.

Since you’re already spoiling mom, why not treat her to an easy homemade breakfast too? Whip up these delicious Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes for Mother’s Day. They’re light and healthy, incorporating white whole wheat flour and coconut oil. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh raspberries and lemon zest. If you love lemon poppy seed muffins, these Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes are a sure winner for Mother’s Day or any day!

Enjoy the pancakes, and tell me your favorite Eclectic Mother’s Day Gift Idea from UncommonGoods! Have a super weekend, friends!

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Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes with white whole wheat flour! Light, delicious and easy. Make a double batch!

Servings 16

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour I used King Arthur, but all-purpose flour works too
• 5 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil or melted butter or vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 cups milk or more
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Optional garnish: whipped cream fresh raspberries and lemon zest

Instructions

• In a small mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, coconut oil, milk, lemon zest, poppy seeds and extracts.
• Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
• Thin batter with additional milk if needed.
• Pour by 1/4 cupfuls onto greased, hot griddle.
• Flip pancakes when surface bubbles begin to break.
• Serve immediately while hot.
• Serve with syrup or garnish with whipped cream, fresh raspberries and lemon zest.

You may also like: Sweet Almond Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

The post Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes & Eclectic Mother’s Day Gift Ideas appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

“Deck the halls with boughs of holly! Fa la la la la, la la la la!”

Rhode Island is near and dear to my heart. I was born there just a few short years ago. Giggle. Only thirty-nine by forty-one miles, Rhode Island has some of the best coastline in all of New England. (I’m not biased or anything.)

I’ve got a real treat for you today. Through Her Looking Glass was invited on an exclusive Rhode Island Christmas Home Tour in Barrington. Love this home owner’s style, she knows a thing or two about design and ringing in the season. When you got it, you got it. And she does. You’ll see warm wood tones, artistic vignettes, lamp light, gorgeous artwork, eclectic decorations and a dash of coastal inspiration.

Fireglow mingles with saltwater breezes…

Clever perch, fella.

The starfish were hung by the chimney with care…

“Meet me under the mistletoe…”

Love. Love. Love.

Clever use of driftwood….

Pewter. Fruit. Classic.

The Holy Family.

Twelve drummers drumming. (Well, actually just one.)

“Sing we all Noel…”

Unclench those teeth, little holiday man. It’s Christmas after all!

There just aren’t enough wreaths in this house. 

“Infant Holy, Infant lowly, for His bed a cattle stall.”

An elf! (Not on the shelf.)

Rudolph putting on airs.

This gorgeous platter is begging for some Decorated Christmas Roll Out Cookies http://throughherlookingglass.com/?p=1821

(Or Peppermint Bark  http://throughherlookingglass.com/?p=1977 )

Must. Have. Chocolate.

“Peace on earth, good will to men.”

Snowman. With attitude.

There’s just something about a cut glass shade. Gorgeous.

“Silent Night. Holy Night.

All is calm, all is bright

Round ‘yon virgin, mother and child.

Holy infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.”

-Franz Gruber, 1818

Thanks, Sis, for an inspiring home tour and getting me in the Christmas spirit. Love what you’ve done. Such a beautiful home and family, inside and out. Merry, merry Christmas!

The post Rhode Island Christmas Home Tour appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.