The Hunt for the perfect Fruit/ Veggie Storage for the Kitchen

Man!!... I've been searching for functional fruit & veggie storage for a while for my kitchen counter and there are SLIM pickings out there if you really want one with a nice clean design! Most commonly, you can find black wrought iron versions with swirly wire designs - but there has GOT to be better options then these!

So, I decided to really dig and see what's out there for something more modern, simple and clean that said BUY ME, you want ME in your kitchen! So, here's what I came up with...

Williams Sonoma
Gathering Basket  |  $39.95
LOVE this one. Rustic, functional, great price - say no more.



 









Fresh Finds
Double Tier Produce Basket  |  $20
Wow- Best price and nice updated look and feel to the classic 2-tiered basket we all look for. This one, I don't think anyone could go wrong with. But when I'm out of fruit - where do I store this large accessory? Maybe the goal is to buy more fruit, and never run out! An apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?

William Sonoma
Metal Storage Baskets, Set of 2  |  $49.95
Small one for your veggies, large one for fruit? So cute, and can squeeze right onto your counter with your canisters into OR will look great on an open pantry shelving for an appealing way to display/store your non-refrigerated produce!

Hubert
Steel 2 Tier Wire Fruit Basket  |  $150
Pricey!... but this guy is the real deal, restaurant quality way to display your fruit on a large island, big dining room table or in a deep kitchen counter! And hey... its steel, so if your looking for an industrial-look - this would be my pick!















Pottery Barn
Galvanized Metal Tiered Stand  |  $69Need something that is multifunctional? This tiered stand is great for that deep corner you need to fill in the kitchen. The bottom shelf is definitely large enough for a loaf a bread, bagels, fresh rolls, etc... with plenty of room left on the top two shelves for fruits and veggies! So in my opinion, this one is very functional for every day use, and this galvanized cutie could step it up a notch for you to put our apps/desserts on when your entertaining at home or by the pool!

Crate & Barrel
Two Tier Basket  |  $50
A classic design of the 2-tiered basket. The dark slate
color, and gridded pattern definitely update this look.















Pottery Barn
Collapsible Basket  |  $31
I have to say... this one is the best space saver. When you're out of fruit you just collapse, and put the basket away. When the groceries come in... pull this cool, geometric basket back out again and what a great way to store/ display your produce! At this price you can easily get two and use one for veggies and one for fruit!




Happy shopping, and happier kitchen organizing! Thanks for reading!


Xo,

Julie

Creative, Make-Shift Kitchen Island!

My lack of counter space was driving me NUTS.... I couldn't take it any longer!
I had to get a decent sized kitchen island but didn't want to spend more than a couple hundred bucks. So this is what I did:

My POOR hubby got dragged to all the junky stores in one day! Lol... Christmas Tree Shops, The Unfinished-Wood Store, and Ocean State Job Lot to see if we could find a temporary kitchen island or table of ANY kind. The problem we had though, was that within the next 6 months or so we planned on started a major kitchen renovation. So this temporary fix had to be a re-purposed or recycled piece that I could resell to a new home later.

So, here is what I did! After some serious convincing that it had potential, my husband agreed to buying this sad little laminate coffee table that we found at Ocean State Job Lot. My plan that I had convinced him would look great... was to build up the legs to counter height and then paint the whole thing a great color that would coordinate with our existing kitchen. Maybe even a coat of Poly so it would be durable and some trim on the legs to give it some not-so-handmade character. I was very optimistic I could make this work!

Here is what we used:

• Laminate Coffee Table from Ocean State Job Lot
• 4x4's from Home Depot
• 4 Huge Double-Sided Screws
• Smaller Square Trim
• Sand paper 
• Kilz Primer
• 1/2 Gallon of Paint
• Polyurethane
• Some serious elbow grease! :)

How we did it:
1. We started by measuring the height of our counter tops in the kitchen to decide what the height of the island should be.

2. My handyman then cut 4 (4x4s) to the height we wanted to prop the coffee table up.

3. We then screwed the legs onto the coffee table legs using these nifty large Double-Sided Screws.

4. We then used the smaller square trim to hide the seam where the existing coffee table met the 4x4s.
**(By the way - investing in a decent nail gun makes these projects go by WAY quicker!)

5. We also used 2 Layers of the small square trim to frame out the feet/legs of the island, so they had some weight to them and didn't LOOK like cheapo 4x4s! :)

Then, it took me a few weeks before I got the sanding (don't worry my handyman was giving me crap the whole time) ha! But, that certainly didn't stop me from using the island in the process to prepare a nice dinner for friends! Although, before they came over I definitely through a nice big table cloth over the whole thing. :)

5. Once the building was done - I started sanding. Man-o-man... this took a few hours longer than I expected! But I knew it was a very important step if I wanted to refinish the laminate properly. I used our Dewalt hand-sander and coarse sand paper to start and then switched to a finer paper once I got a good "scuff" into all the laminate. I also gave the new wood a light sanding too to smooth out the corners and any hard edges.

6. After thoroughly wiping the whole piece down with damp rag, it was time to Prime the entire table. Using a really good primer (such as Kilz) makes a world of a difference to ensure your paint will adhere well to your laminate veneer.

7. Letting the primer dry for a full 24 hours is highly recommended (especially when refinishing laminate (the scuffing and priming are SO important).

8. I selected a dolphin grayish/ blue color and painted 2 coats, allowing the 1st coat to dry over night. I choose to paint the entire Island with a paint brush, after really liking the "brushed" finish on the legs. which made for a textured finish that came out really nice. You could also use a roller if you want a flat matted finish with a more even tone.

9. At last the painting was done, and we applied one coat of Polyurethane and we were done!

10. We did give the Island about a full week to completely cure before using.

This whole project cost about $200, and making my kitchen that much more functional was priceless!
You just have to see the potential in the piece of the furniture, and hope like hell it will turn out great!

Update (6 mths later): I can't tell you how many friends and family have said what a nice table this is. Ha - they are always shocked when I tell them it was a coffee table that we bought at Job Lot!
We recently just completely our full kitchen renovation and installed a built in island- yay) and I am happy to say that I was able to sell this kitchen Island on Craigslist for $300 buck without much effort. Now if someone had only been selling one of these when I was looking we wouldn't have had to do all that work! ;)

Just remember if you can't find one you like for the price you like, DIY!

Simple festive table decor

It's so easy to create great table setting and simple centerpiece ideas on a budget and with what you already have!

Here are some ideas that I came up with today while having a little fun dressing my table up for a holiday dinner party ~


Idea # 1 -
Layer your plates! Purchase inexpensive accent plates for a splash of color! You'll only need 6-8 of them & it can give your table a nice POP of color!

Idea # 2 - 
Use existing Christmas Ornaments on a pedestal cake platter or your favorite simple white serving dish. Its all about a simple pop of sparkle & color to create a holiday look on your everyday neutral set table! 




















Idea # 3 -
Grab some pine cones from that pine tree outside, treat them to a little metallic spray paint & place on your guests napkins - this will surely impress! :)



Oh And!!
Most often a great centerpiece is made up of 1 container + a bunch of the same item.

Examples of this... 
a glass jar of lemons, a basket of tiny wrapped gifts, or just a simple row of votive candles the full length of your table.

No matter what you come up with, just remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE & have fun!

Drab candlesticks? Holiday look for $1.99!

Grab a can of Metallic Spray paint at your local craft or hardware store and get searching for some home accessories that are longing to be festive holiday accents at your upcoming holiday party!

What you'll need:
1) Silver or Gold Metallic Spray Paint.
2) Dingy Accessories that need some sprucing up!
(Picture frame, candlesticks, or even a small tray for your coffee table.)

Find accessories that you already have laying around!

SPRAY AWAY...
For a nice even coat of spray paint - give yourself enough time to apply 3 or 4 light coats of spray paint & let dry overnight for a full cure before using!

Enjoy your new holiday accents for a pretty cheap penny! :)

Love me some Holiday Decorating- DIY ribbon hung wreaths!

  

There are so many wreaths out there for sale around the holidays & yet you can make one yourself that looks SO much better!! Do it yourself - they are so easy!

This is what you'll need to make your own 

RIBBON HUNG WREATH....

1) Twig Wreath (or the wreath of your choice)

2) Fresh Juniper (or holly)

3) 2" Wide Wire Ribbon (color of your choice)

4) Small Ornaments (the "non-shattering" type preferably)

5) Acorns

6) Metal Wire

7) Wire cutters

White Birch Twigs

Juniper

Step 1 -
Add the white birch twigs into the Twig Wreath to start. Then, break the Juniper apart into smaller sections and attach them (with your wire) scattered around the wreath how ever much looks pleasing to the eye. Next tie on the acorns (you may choose to use a metallic spray paint to paint the acorns for even more of festive style - although I left them brown for more of a rustic look).

Step 2 - 
Cut a nice long piece of ribbon. I would tie your wreath up before adding ornaments onto it (so you can spread your colorful ornaments away from your colorful ribbon with a little needed space).

Wrap your ribbon under the top of your wreath and lay it on the ground to get your bow tied (keeping the bow's knot a little loose until you hang it).
Once you get your bow looking good, go ahead and cut your long strands of ribbon on an angle & hang your wreath!


Step 3 - 
Add 3 or 4 clusters of small ornaments to your wreath in a coordinating color to your ribbon. If you can find the "non shattering" ornaments - those will be great for a wreath that will hang outside.

Step 4 -
Hang & Enjoy how pretty your door is now!

What is your DREAM JOB?

I've spent a LOT of time thinking about what I really would want my business to be.....
and I've come to the conclusion that nothing is worth doing unless it's my DREAM job!

If you could do exactly what you wanted to for work, what would it be???

I've always said...
I'd have a little shop (where I could keep the doors open in the summer and bring my dog to work with me) and I would repurpose, and fix up old furniture & accessories. I'd have a comfortable salary & enjoy my life - but try my best NOT to be a work-a-holic. 

Well, after quite some thought - guess what I've decided to do!

Hunt & Gather, LLC. will be my new venture!

I plan to hunt for great pieces of furniture & accesories that need a lift, coat of paint, or just a new purpose in their life and fix them up & sell them!!
Recycled & Repurposed furniture & accessories if you will!

Figuring this simple idea out was more than 1/2 the battle for me! But now I'm ready to see where I can go with my business plan!
I started by registering my business name as an LLC with the State of Connecticut and now its time to keep moving forward onto the next steps....
1) Obtaining a Tax ID number or Resale Certificate
2) Creating a business Plan
3) Starting to hunt & gather for some great pieces.
4) Researching any other legal documents that I should have in order.
5) Thinking about locations.
6) Seeing whats available for financial backing for my business.

This blog is going to show case some of my DIY projects of recycled furniture & accesories, and anything else that tickles my fancy along the way in the start of my business!
I mean how hard can this really be???

Starting an LLC & Registering your business name!

Well for the average small business entrepreneur... it appears that an LLC (Limited Liability Company) is what you want to open.  These are the steps I found to getting an LLC registered for my new business...

1.) Name your LLC. The secretary of the state has a free online database where you can search to see if anyone else in your state is already using the business name that you want. If not, you are good to go!

2.) Choose a Statutory Agent. More than likely this is yourself. Its basically the person who will be speaking for the business, and signing your forms to open the business, you must be a resident of the state you are opening the LLC in.

3.) Go to the Commercial Recording Division of the Secretary of the State's website to download your "Articles of Organization" form.

4.) File your Articles of Organization form by paying the State's fee (in Connecticut it is $120) and mailing your form & check in to the Commercial Recording Division.

So to register your new business, that's it!! :)

I will blog about what comes next once I hear back from my request to register my business .... Hunt & Gather, LLC.