[The daily view. Don’t mind the gaping hole at the top of the ceiling. “A work in progress” means just that.  And there is beauty in that alone. Perfection is overrated.]

So, in case you’ve been under a rock. Or on vacation. Or are somehow able to ignore my obnoxious posts on instagram lately, something big happened last week.

That I’ll probably remember until I’m 80.

The day Cooking Light Magazine came to shoot me. You know, with a camera, and a team and stylist, for their upcoming November issue.

In the kitchen I obsessively designed from a remodel war zone in the 1920’s little house we bought 3 years ago.

They’d heard about the cookbook, and wanted to know more about how I take my (and I quote) “almost too good to be true” real food approach and apply it when I have people over for dinner.
Or, for bigger occasions.

Me?! Little me? In a national magazine I grew up leafing through?
Get out of town.
It was a dream, for sure.

It was also, on the other hand, with approximately, only 4 days notice.

So, when the stylist, photographer and equipment guy from LA, showed up last Thursday like it was no big deal, I tried my best to play it cool, and like this kind of thing is just a normal thing for me.

A casual Thursday.
Making healthy cocktails for (pretty much) famous people.

You guys. I was hilarious. Could not stop smiling.
I snapped a few pics of the day, and after posting a few on insta-G, someone asked for more, and a little sneak peak into my kitchen these days.

So while I’m no design guru or profesh, I love keeping my happy space clean, bright and inspired. Which means it’s always changing a bit, based on my mood or the season.

Physical space and well designed places keep me excited, organized and fresh feeling. And without a lot of extra clutter, physically, I can create better things, mentally. Windows work good for the same purpose – my next post on how to choose the right replacement windows for your Fort Lupton home brings details.

And because things are always moving and shifting around, and since it’s been a few months (too many) since I’ve done a video post, I figured this was the next best thing to give you a little peak into this project.

When the reporter for Cooking Light started asking me where things came from (light fixtures, that table, the curtains, glassware, tulip table, stove), every answer seemed a bit disappointing to her.

Instead of the usual retail stores, my answers went something like this: overstock.com, craigslist, goodwill, the sample sale, ikea, and homedecorators.com.

Oh. She said. Hmm.

I love a good deal, what can I say. And curating objects.

 

[A little snap during the shoot. My kitchen, the usual war zone.]

So today, a inside look into my home, my kitchen and my daily life.

Take a look around, sweet friend. It’s not perfect, but it’s been a great adventure, and one that keeps on going.

Kind of like healthy eating. You’re never “done”, and it’s always a work in progress.

But, I think that in itself is something to celebrate and embrace.

So, this is your time to ask me anything about the space or the objects in it.

Ask away in the comments below!

[The cocktail bar. Not pictured: the fully crammed, bottle to bottle, bar below of all the amaro’s, apertif’s and bitters. Some people collect rocks. I like to think of mine as a much more convenient/helpful hobby.]

[A little snap from after the shoot itself. Let leftovers go bad? Never. I am just loving these West Elm cocktail glasses I got right before the shoot. A steal of a deal at $6 each.]

[The dining room. Minus the table leafs on the end to save room for workspace flow with a shoot and crew like this. Table from craigslist and chairs from overstock.com]

[The glasses and the vintage tray, from goodwill. Those cheese knives, from World Market.]

What else do you want to know?

Post it below.

And be sure to pickup a copy of the November issue when it arrives this Fall!