Heart of the Home Party

I love parties, don't you?

Even though you have seen much of my kitchen as background for my recipes and for my holiday decorating posts, I don't think I have shown pictures of the whole kitchen before

I'm joining Shelia @ Note Songs for her

My kitchen is the Heart of Our Home. With 10 grandkids, I spend a lot of time cooking up meals and goodies for them. Nothing makes me happier than when one or more asks "Can I help?"  Sometimes that slows down the process a little, but I always find something to do for anyone who asks.

Starting on the right side and working around.

There is one of these corner cabinets on both sides of the kitchen

This is my "candy counter" which I have shown many times decorated for different holidays. I should have my fall decorations out but.....

Skipping the fridge and laundry room door, this is probably my favorite area.

COFFEE

My farmhouse sink (great for bathing grandbabies or hiding dirty dishes)

Above window over sink.

Corner to left of  sink

Spice cabinet

Below spice cabinet

We chose to use subway tile for the backsplashes and tile for the counter tops instead of granite so we could use these tile pieces with the black liners around the edge. I wanted a more retro look and saw in a magazine where this look was retro 1920's.

Mr. SS did all the tile work and was ready to "wring my neck" by the time he finished all the cuts.

I love my stove top and oven.

Not much room for a fancy hood with the microwave, but we managed a

little one. The center is a door with storage room inside.

Counter next to stove.

 A close-up of my bin pulls. These came from Pottery Barn  a long time ago and I had saved them for this kitchen. They are a vintage reproduction.

Above the other window.

My appliance garage. Love being able to hide my mixer, food processer and blender here.

An important cupboard in the Parks household is this one. There is a giant Lazy Susan behind that door that holds all my baking supplies.

I saw a cabinet like this in a magazine.

It had beans and pastas in the little drawers, but I knew I had to fill it with these for the kiddos.

and Mr. SS...well maybe the York mints for moi.

Counter underneath

Corner cabinet on other side of kitchen

Now the island in the center.  I am never happier than when someone is sitting on one of the stools talking to me as I cook.

This is one place, I gave in to having granite. It is so useful for food prep and baking and easy to clean.

The other side and sorry, I forgot I had not put away the milkglass pieces before I snapped the picture.

I really thought this prep sink was a little extravagant when Mr. SS insisted in putting it there, but I really use it as much as the other one, because that large door next to the drawers is a trash can, I clean all my veggies here and wash and prepare meat.

For all holidays, I decorate the center of my island. But in between, I usually go with a lemon theme here as well as with the other little vignettes around the kitchen.

I think I have told you before that my youngest son Brandon and my husband built all my cabinets. That's the only way I could get everything exactly like I wanted it. I showed them pictures and made a list of must haves and I really wouldn't change a thing.

The love they put into making it exactly like I wanted it really helped make it the

HEART OF THE HOME.

Be sure to visit Note Songs and see all the really special kitchens shared by others.