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Thursday, June 6, 2013

Tea Time

I'm not quite sure if there is one thing in the house I love more (or use more) than our Keurig. I was totally skeptical of all of the hype, but Matt surprised me with one a while back...and it might be my favorite gift of all time. Not a day goes by that I don't use it at LEAST 3-4 times, if not more. It is great for hot chocolate, tea, iced drinks and just plain old coffee, and there are a ton of fun "recipes" and other things you can do with it floating around on Pinterest. Since I had to switch to decaf while pregnant, it was perfect because Matt and I could each brew our own separate cups of coffee super quickly and easily rather than have to make two whole separate pots the old fashioned way OR make a single serving of instant decaf for me (GROSS).


Until today we have had the Keurig tucked away in a little nook with all of our booze, and during those 3am  feedings I would sometimes find myself tempted to reach for a shot of vodka instead of a K-cup to get me through the night...so I decided it was time to move it into its own spot. Instead of just plopping it on the counter, though, I wanted to make an area of the kitchen devoted to coffee and tea. And since we drink it so often, it makes sense.

Did I take before pictures? Of course not. I've got to get better about that! Anyway, there are still some accessories and styling to do (I have a super cute runner in the works), but behold...the coffee bar! 


 Straight out of Starbucks, right?? Ha! Not quite, but it is close enough.

We had the buffet table (World Market, ages ago) in our dining room but never used it, and it didn't fit with the decor anyway. It makes the perfect coffee bar, though, I have to say. The shelf was built by my Dad for my room when I was young, so I have been wanting to use it in our house somehow. It fits nicely above the bar, and it is going to finally give me a place to put all of my sentimental "junk" that just looked tacky everywhere else. I think if your tackiness is all contained in one place, it somehow becomes okay.



I made a quick Target run today which is actually where this idea was born a few weeks ago, and I grabbed most of the accessories there. The K-cups are in this glass jar, which I love. I'm sure some of you will object to the fact that they are all jumbled up instead of neatly organized in those little K-cup racks, but I happen to prefer this! We only drink a few kinds regularly, and they are so easy to find with the different colored tops...plus the opening is wide enough to reach in and dig through if you really need to.



This flatware and napkin holder makes the perfect caddy for all of the different sugars and tea bags, and I plan on adding some stir sticks to it as well. I grabbed these plant stakes as labels (I have a labeling obsession). The copper is great, but the downside is that the chalkboard part totally blows. It is super difficult to get the chalk to show up on it (which is why the handwriting looks the way it does). Never fear, though, I have some left over chalkboard paint and plan to put a quick layer over them which should solve the problem. The "trash can" is actually a utensil holder with chalkboard sides (similar problem as the plant stakes, though, will have to be repainted). Matt insists on having a trash can next to the Keurig for his sugar packets...and one next to the fridge for his bottle caps...and one in the closet for his dry-cleaning tags...you get the idea. The little vase has a chalkboard portion on it as well and matches the new canisters I got a few weeks ago (I still can't bring myself to write on them). You may have seen them on Instagram. Speaking of...follow my new Instagram, @sweetorangefox! I am phasing out the old @mrshollyfox.



We have an unnecessary amount of coffee mugs which take up almost two full cabinets, so this rack was a perfect way to free up some cupboard space and also have the mugs readily accessible since the bar is across the kitchen from the cabinets.


Finally...my beloved tea fox! I had this guy in my Etsy cart forever, and when I decided I was going ahead with the coffee bar project and also redoing the kitchen in oranges, yellows and blues (inspired by the canisters), I finally went ahead and bought him! I mean, could he BE any more perfect? A fox, a mug of tea and glasses (for Matt) AND my new kitchen colors?? I'm just going to go ahead and claim it was a custom piece. Now I just need to name him...any suggestions? I grabbed this light blue frame on half off at Hobby Lobby, and the bar was complete! Well..almost. I will post updates when I finish the rest of the kitchen.

For now, dinner calls. On the menu - my favorite. You already know... breakfast for dinner!





5 comments:

  1. The little chalk markers are such a cute touch!

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  2. I quite literally squealed at the greatness of the fox portrait! It is perfection. I swear by my Keurig, too. I love coffee and own all sorts of coffee making devices (two french presses, a large coffee maker, etc) but the Keurig is the go-to because my husband doesn't drink any. Crazy man, I know. I wish I had your touch for home decor! My decorating prowess only goes as far as picking color schemes for different rooms and matching curtains and pictures to the wall paint ... :P

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  3. What a cute little set up!

    http://loveliveandbehappy.blogspot.com/

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  4. Looks lovely! It always feels good to spruce up the home even in small ways. This would make me wake every morning with a smile on my face. You should add a tip jar and put that money into savings :) That's too practical. Use it to buy something nice like a manicure!

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  5. Quick trip to Target? No such thing!! Sometimes if you write on the chalkboard parts then clean, I have a pin for it that is supposed to restore it to be like new!, it cures it; I have found that the chalkboard stickers and sometimes aren't cured the way you are supposed to cure if you paint a chalkboard!

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