No Pantry? No Problem.

So I created one...

BTW... as you scroll through the photos you need to know that editing them takes a ton of time. So in keeping with simplifying my life, I'm using my iPhone, making only a few minor adjustments so you can see what is in the photo (light v. dark; shadows removed), and that's about it. And that folks, is as good as it's going to get. :-)

Don't you just love my folding chairs? I know... I'm quite the trend setter! Truth is, we sold the big farmhouse table and chairs. And until I find what I want, these work just fine. I did pick up two wicker chair that I love! Not sure if I'll keep them at the table, but so far I like it.

The dining table has been in the family since the late 1800's. I grew up eating all my meals on it. This one stays.

And the light fixture? It's a rental. Some things just have to stay as they are. If we were living here long term, I'd swap it out temporarily and replace it before leaving, but probably won't do that this time around.

On the plus side... I adore all these windows!! It's like having a sunroom. Morning light pours through and this is where I drink my coffee and read my bible each morning unless I'm soaking it in on the back patio.

Anyway, back to the pantry and the reason for the post. In the last house, I had a HUGE walk in pantry... about 20' x 8'? I can't tell you how much stuff was in there, but a LOT.

Part of our goal for selling the big house was to downsize and simplify our lifestyle. It's easy to become a slave to your house and it was swallowing us up. The rental has no pantry space at all and it's likely our new home won't either (still working on the plans in case we build). So something had to give.

I sorted everything from the pantry, kitchen, and dining area that was in the big house and kept only what I LOVED or USED regularly. Some of it actually fit in our rental kitchen, but what didn't had to fit in the dining room on these new wire shelving racks (we opted for Trinity Brand EcoStorage with free Prime shipping after LOTS of research). I purchased an extra shelf for each and a wire basket that slides out for one of the racks. And ladies, I put one together by myself, so you can do it, too!

Baskets hide things that are necessities, but aren't so lovely to look at... like pot lids, paper goods, stainless steel and glass water bottles, zip lock bags, and empty egg cartons.

Hooks on the end hold pots, aprons, baskets, hats, etc.  LOVE this feature!

I would like to report that keeping food in bulk worked well... just in case we had an emergency. We just couldn't rotate it fast enough to keep it from spoiling, despite freezing extra grains, using every method possible for long term storage, etc. So I decided to reduce the amount of food storage.

Since I already was using the large Anchor Hocking jars for grains, I just decided that whatever they hold will be my limit unless I can squeeze some in the freezer. Each of the 2 gallon jars holds roughly 10 lbs. of wheat, flour, rice, oats, etc. I have more in the kitchen, but I keep a couple on the shelves.

While wire shelving isn't traditional, antique, or even rustic, it does have that industrial look that's so popular right not. When I travel to the Big City, one of my favorite places to shop is Sur La Table and once I was fortunate to shop at a Dean & Deluca! Now when I walk in my dining room, I feel like I'm right back in one of those gourmet cooking stores.

I made one additional purchase that I had research for a LONG time. I invested in a quality bread box. With all the money I made selling the big farmhouse furniture, I was able to splurge a bit without dipping into our monthly budget. This Wesco bread box is a dream! I had debated off and on about buying a vintage granite enamel ware bread box, but my OCD tendency kept kicking in when I thought of storing my bread in a box that I had no clue as to it's prior use. I love my antiques, but a new bread box for me, please. 

Here are a few other reasons I like the open wire shelving: 

• I can see all the things I love. Like in The Sound of Music when Julie Andrews sings "These are a few of my favorite things...", these are my things that are my favorites. No more hiding behind cupboard doors or in a hidden pantry. It's truly out in the open. But it means I had to put a bit more thought into the arranging. Could I get more on these shelves? Of course. But why look at all the regular pantry/can goods when I can look at my pretty things? All that other stuff now fits into a couple of kitchen cabinets or in jars on the counter. 

• Second, it's dry here in the southwest and that means dust. More than most of you can ever imagine! It gets EVERYWHERE and FAST! I've thought of Sarah, Abraham's wife many a time and reminded myself that I COULD be living in a tent in the dirt and sand all my life. It helps me stay content with my own dust! Wire shelving collects very little dust. Almost none in fact. I do have to dust the items on it, but it's MUCH easier to manage. 

• Easy access... everything is within reach and a breeze to put back. I LOVE this about my wire shelving!

• They're portable and easy to move. I can move my shelves to mop under them and I can take them with me to the next house. Piece of cake.

• If I ever want to go back to a traditional hutch or other furniture, these wire racks can easily be repurchased for storing items long term in the garage, Costco extras, craft supplies, you name it! These won't make it to Craigslist anytime soon.

• Modest pricing makes these affordable. Buying one a month is so much cheaper than a piece of furniture! And this stuff is industrial quality. I think every shelf holds something like 50# (don't quote me!).

So there you have it. A pantry in the dining room. In the next post, I'll try to show you where all the REAL "pantry items" are housed. 

Farmhouse Fall Tour

I do love fall! Hands down it's my favorite time of year. I think it's all the deep rich colors that I adore the most, but the brisk mornings, occasional fog, and other "signs" of autumn just take it over the top. Really... what's not to love about it?

When it comes to dressing up the home for the season, I really don't do all that much. For the most part I prefer to bring the outdoors in a bit, but none-the-less, I thought I'd share just a few photos for fun.

Deck the Halls... Simply!

I know the posts have been sparse lately, to say the least. We've been blessed to host out-of-state company on two separate occasions in the last 3 weeks, so I've been having fun with family and friends. In between I managed to get a few things up around the house to make it festive for the season.

I'm convinced with our media saturated lives, we crave the simple and uncluttered. Our eyes need a break! But they need beauty, too. Keeping the adornments simple and not over done allows us to focus on a few items really well.

And can I add that decking the halls shouldn't take a week to put up OR to take down? As much as I like to decorate, there IS more to life! Like building snowmen, reading a good Christmas book, taking a hike in the brisk afternoon air, baking cookies with the kids...

However, I will confess I took the opportunity to deep clean the main room as I put up a few things. It was sorely needed and easiest to do at the same time.

The fireplace mantle got the biggest transformation. I removed the large picture that normally hangs between the sconces and dug out an old window I had been saving for a project. The sconces themselves got red bows and old tree toppers (stars) were used to fill in along with a couple of red plates I had (usually I have yellow plates up on the mantle). As for the greenery... we have a wood stove that heats the house. Nothing can be close enough that would be flammable, so no stockings or garlands. But even with that limitation, I was pleased with how it came out.

To the left of the mantle I added more windows, a pine wreath (I just switched out the bow to coordinate, and a matching chicken. The green rosemary tree is a bit too small, but that will be planted in the garden later and I may add another larger one if I come across it.

On the right side of the fireplace is a large red armoir my husband made for me years ago (how convenient that it matches the holiday!). I removed some flowers on top and added antlers that an elk shed behind our house a few years ago. The sun bleached them white and they were perfect on top! Makes me think of reindeer antlers. I'm going to add another little rosemary tree on top in another galvanized pail to bring more green and some needed height.

A basket with a white pitcher and red mercury glass balls are all that was needed. I REALLY like these and I may buy a couple each year to put on the tree as well. They look rustic, antique, and glittery without being overdone.

The hutch is mostly the same, but I pulled out a few items and replaced them with red and white things. A few pieces of greenery and viola!

The NOEL angels were my mom's when she was a little girl and the antique bells were my grandmother's. I love using selections from their Christmas decor for my own decorating. Sweet memories!

The Italian made nativity was also my mother's, now an antique. It sits in a creche made by my husband on a table behind the sofa in the center of the room.

On the opposite wall is another half hutch that has very little to adorn it, but just enough. I removed a summery bouquet and threw a fun berry wreath around one of my VERY favorite pieces... a ceramic sheep. While this is MY favorite item, it's a joke for the rest of the family. When I bought it, I ran in a store while the family sat out in the car (not interested in the shop I was excited to see). After quite a while, I came out with the sheep that the store keeper had wanted to part with and gave to me at about half the original price. I was THRILLED. My husband? He started laughing so hard, tears streamed down his face! He couldn't believe I was so excited about it and that it looked... well... odd, I guess. Of course, this set the girls to laughing and apparently embedded in their brains as a permanent memory! I still don't see what was so funny.

Oh, notice the screen door to the right? I wrote about it earlier and long story short, the shop keeper accepted an offer I made and it's now at home on my pantry!

The china cabinet got the same treatment as the rest... just re-worked with those things in the right colors taking center stage along with a little greenery. I typically like to use fresh greens from around the yard, but these will be added closer to Christmas as it dries out too easily. If I'm going to spend money on the fake stuff, I like to at least get the kind that looks as real as possible.

There you have it. I don't think I spent even $20 on all this. Almost everything was from "Christmas Past" and got re-worked in some way or another. Or it was an everyday item in the right color palate. A frugal Christmas fits our family philosophy so that we can give more and not overly participate in the commercialism of the holidays.

The tree is yet to go up and I'll post additional photos of other rooms later. But for now, get to writing your own holiday or Christmas post as the Barn Hop Ladies will be hosting a special Monday event on December 17th where we will link up related holiday posts instead of the regular homestead post. That way we can share and enjoy more terrific ideas for the holiday season!

See more Holiday Home Tours Here!