Lingonberry love and tree-hugging

I must confess my ongoing relationship with the store that has "our kitchen" to-be, IKEA. My friend Elzbieta and I had the fortune of being able to dine on IKEA breakfast, complete with lingonberry preserves and lingonberry drink. That drink is so tasty- a fresh cross between a cranberry-like tartness and a strawberry-like sweetness. Make a trip to IKEA if you haven't yet, at least to try the beverage. Yum.

Prior to this engagement, my parents announced the bulk of our Christmas gift- money to update our oh so dysfunctional kitchen. Limited counterspace, a countertop hogging microwave with some many crumbs under it you'd think we snacked there, an ugly fan light- which has a replacement in waiting- and just un-lovely laminate wood-grain wannabe cupboards, all located on one side of the kitchen to present an unattractive top heavey arrangement. The new kitchen is everything but that. It will be modern, airy, and contemporary. Delightful, and functional. With 2 pull-out pantrys for all the food goodies and healthy stuff, a fabulous long uninterrupted counter for my sous chef offering a great distance of prep space, IKEA's sliding stainless steel spice rack (also eagerly anticipating its introduction to the kitchen while doing time in the guest bedroom for now), and Varde cupboards, with a row of glass- fronted cabinets, then traveling up the wall space for pretty things, then. I should really put in a picture of our current kitchen. I am very excited for the overhaul- I can barely wait. It's very gratifying for me to just ooh and aah at the display kitchen in IKEA and visualize the drastic change that is coming...

So- tree-hugging. I was a tree-hugger on Friday in the dark alleys of the Menards "pick-up merchandise here" lot. I learned that first one must assess the height of the bundled up trees, and then give each one a hug. By hugging the trees one gets an idea about how big the tree with "foof" out once unbundled. My new method worked, and the result was a big fluffy balsam fir tree. Now the next project is to get it decorated to my liking.

I also decorated my mantle, which is a favorite pastime. It's like giving me a white sheet of paper and saying, go ahead, create. I will post a picture of that result soon. I was inspired by a workshop that I attended with Nadia Ramirez, and her suggestion to use old books for variety and height on the mantle. Well, we had one old book, so I ended up taking the paper jackets off nearly all our hardcover books, and pretending they are old. Some of the books on the shelf include: Walden by Thoreau (yes I read it and found it quite intriguing), Self Matters by Dr. Phil, and Troy's old book addition of a Nancy Drew.

Well, I just finished my Power Yoga with Denise Austin video. Buster is especially skilled at getting in the way while I exercise in-home, but, like many things he does, it is too cute to put him in the kitchen for the interruptions.