A Country Mix

A Signature Kitchen

I've heard it said that every woman should have a signature scent. Well, I'm not much of a perfume person, but I do like having "signatures" in my kitchen.  These are special things that make a kitchen, well, special.  Here are a few of my favorite things in my kitchen.

Flowers in a vase are very pretty, but they are so magazine-ey.  I like the country look of a canning jar.  It doesn't have to be flowers.  It can be vines, little pine branches in winter, or clippings of a berry bush.  I use a pint-size mason jar, so I keep the flowers small. 

  

I vary this by the time of day--fast, happy music when I'm cleaning or when we're getting ready for church (fast music really does make us get ready faster), soft classical music during nap time or quiet time, and pretty love songs when my honey is coming home from work. During meals, I like to play soft music without any words, so we can hear each other talk. 

  

At night, after the dishes are done, I like to light a candle and turn off the kitchen lights.  It's a symbol that my work is done for the day, and now I can relax and enjoy my family.  To me, it means "everything's all right at the Mix house."

Sometimes we don't notice some of our signatures.

We received this plaque as a wedding gift, and I hung it in our first apartment.  I didn't really think about it after that, until, a few years later, my husband told me that he really loves seeing this plaque.  It reminds him of the very first time he came home from work after we were married.  I had been working all day to get our little apartment decorated.  This plaque was the first thing he noticed when he came home that night. It reminds him how happy he is that I am a part of his life.  Now this is one of my most treasured possessions, because of what it means to my husband.

Other signatures may not be so nice.  A dear friend of mine once told me, "It would be nice if you could get rid of those shelves.  They collect so much clutter."

Oops!  Isn't that embarrassing?  I got used to seeing it this way, and I didn't even notice it anymore. Now I try to pay more attention to these shelves.  I don't want clutter to be something people remember about my kitchen.

My last signature I going to show you is influenced by my mom.  When I was growing up, she cooked in cast iron skillets a lot.  She made all of us kids firm believers that food tastes so much better when it's cooked in cast iron.  I have these pans hanging on my wall as a link to my mom and my growing-up days.

What kinds of "signatures" do you have in your kitchen?  I'd love to hear your ideas!

P.S.  Don't forget about the giveaway!  See my previous post for details!