That is the kind way my older son described my latest accomplishment. Thank you, Ian!

Our kitchen is a long way from being complete, i.e., nowhere near my dream kitchen, but I still have the complete vision in my mind. Originally, everything was a lovely shade of Harvest Gold. This included the walls, the counters, the backsplash, the sink, and all the appliances. We painted the walls a slate blue (BM Yarmouth Blue), but much of the original “charm” remains. The future plan is for white cabinets and a large island with soapstone counters, a gray marble backplash, a large farmhouse sink, and all the appliances with door panels that match the cabinets. Meanwhile… here in the present, we brought in a white cupboard for additional storage and today I added a white shelf, aka “plank”, above it for “random stuff.” I am quite pleased with the result, regardless of the way my son characterizes it.

The top of the cupboard had become a repository for all things that didn’t have a home… as most horizontal surfaces around here tend to do.

Step one: Clear off the top of the cupboard… done.

Step two: Perform complex mathematical calculations to hang the shelf brackets at the desired height with a minimal amount of cursing… done.

Step three: Hang the shelf… mission accomplished! (Please ignore the “charming” light fixture that has yet to be replaced.)

Now for the fun part: Random stuff.

My Mom passed away several years ago now and she left me some Fiestaware dishes. I love using them. I also decided to collect a few pieces in what is called Radioactive Red. I thought it would be a nice accent color for the future white, black, and gray kitchen and I especially love the shapes of these pieces. I found some Remington Dairy bottles online. Added a couple of Ironstone pieces. Et voila!

The collection is still a little sparse, but adding to it over time is half the fun!