Office Update!

I thought about just updating my last post with the new stuff like my desk...but I decided to keep that one the way it is for posterity and just make a new post with everything updated...and a little more detailed about the materials I use in case anyone is interested. I have updated this post since I first posted it, though. 

Here's what my office [mostly] looks like now (I've added/changed a couple things since this picture that was taken 4/26/26): 

Right next to my office door is Johnny's old desk. I used to have just the top hutch sitting on the floor as a bookcase, but when I got my new desk, I moved his desk to be under the hutch. Pretty much everything stored in/on the hutch is personal stuff...our cookbooks, my artbooks from my aunt, my non-fiction books, the decorations from our wedding, etc. Oh...and there's also the "Word's Best Mother" wooden plaque that Aubry gave me for Christmas when she was in elementary school. :)  

My paper cutters on the desk. Johnny had this paper cutter before I moved in and that's what I'd been using for years. But this year I got a 400-sheet paper cutter kind of like this one to use for making notepads and sticker books. I actually put the top to my old art desk on top of Johnny's desk (it was next to the desk in the photo above). His desk is pretty shallow and I needed more room for the paper cutters. I have one of these LED light strips attached to the bottom of the first shelf on the hutch for more light. I have random stuff stored in the drawers of the desk. I also have two plastic drawers under the desk...one to store legal-size paper and another that just holds mail and documents that I need to file or scan and shred. Next to the drawers are some plastic boxes that have cords, old cameras, and other stuff like that in them. Those are really just there for lack of a better place to put them right now. I'll eventually get the office closet organized better and they'll probably be in there. 

Next to Johnny's old desk is an armoire entertainment center that we got from Johnny's sister-in-law. I used Command Strips (I obviously really, really like Command Strips lol) to hang up a mail holder I got over a decade ago. I couldn't even find anything on Amazon like it...but I guess this would be the closest. On top are a whole lot of shipping boxes in different sizes (which I don't go through very fast). In the main cabinet, I have my cold roll laminator. I have it attached with command strips so it doesn't move around while I'm using it. You can see the LED light strip in this photo...it's definitely too dark in there without it. The shelf at the top of the cabinet holds the Oraguard 215 Matte and Glossy laminate that I use for my stickers and magnets. I have felt squeegees (which I run over the page after laminating) in a holder kind of like this one attached with command strips. I also have a command strip hook to hang scissors. And you can't see it in this photo, but I use this Slice tool to cut a strip of laminate backing to stick the laminate to the page before running it through the cold roll laminator. Then I use the cabinet below for storage...mostly shipping supplies like rigid cardboard mailers, less rigid mailers, larger envelopes, Priority Mail envelopes, shipping boxes, some acrylic display trays that I rarely use, etc. 

On the wall next to the armoire I have this hanging file organizer with some miscellaneous laminating sheets...mostly different styles of holographic laminate that I pretty much never use. And in front of the armoire, I have a bunch of white plastic storage drawers. The ones I bought back in 2011 have been discontinued, but they're similar to these. I have a lot of miscellaneous stuff stored in them...tape, post-it notes, all the Happy Planner stickers I'd collected over the years, and stuff like that. One of the middle-size drawers I use to store magnet backing paper after I've used it (which I later use for sticker books) and a lower one is where I store my 8x10 adhesive magnetic sheets (and a smaller one above it to hold scraps and smaller magnetic sheets). I also store my 11x17 matte and glossy sticker paper and 12x16 magnets in the first large drawer. There are two drawers that I'm actually able to turn and face toward my desk which is really convenient. In the middle-size drawer, I have a few rigid mailers, small Priority Mail envelopes, and my little label maker. A small drawer on the top holds some measuring tapes and rulers, my digital caliper, single hole punches, and some other miscellaneous things. 

Oh and on top of those drawers, I have this dehumidifier that we previously had in the basement (it wasn't big enough for downstairs). Sticker paper has a habit of curling when it's humid and our house tends to have high humidity after we got our new HVAC system. Then next to that, I have a new thermal label printer that I use for shipping labels. I'd previously been using these two-per-page shipping labels that I was printing with my regular printer, but I am busy enough that it's time-consuming to keep cutting them down to 4x6. But I still highly recommend them for anyone who doesn't have a thermal label printer...they worked great for me for 5 years. 

My printer stand is next to the plastic drawers and faces toward my desk. I needed one that is sturdy enough to hold my heavy Epson ET-16650 printer but is compact enough not to take up much space...and this one works perfectly. It has two shelves that I use to hold extra glassine bags, quarter-letter envelopes, and half-letter envelopes. I used to keep them in the armoire, but I go through them fairly quickly and it's easier not to forget to reorder more when they're right there where I can see them.  I have a small paper shredder kind of like this one on the roll-out shelf and this small trashcan for the tiny strips I cut off of the laminate. There's a little cubby on the end of the printer stand that I have extra printer ink in. On top of my printer, I have my 12" sticker storage binder. For my die-cut stickers, I use these 9x9 pages. I have 2", 3", and 4" size options for reach design, so the 3 columns of 4"x4" pockets works great. I have another one with sheets that have (6) 4x6 pockets that I'd planned to keep my sticker sheets in, but the pockets are just a bit too tight to be useful. Now I am using these 5x7 pages in a regular 3 ring binder for sticker sheets. 

 

Then there's my desk...which I've had since my mom got it for me for my birthday in 2004. The drawers on the left have small post-it notes and tabs in the top, miscellaneous stuff (like command strips, spare parts to furniture, index cards, etc) in the middle drawer, and then hanging file folders are in the bottom drawer. The cabinet on the bottom right of the desk has computer stuff in there like replacement screws and parts for repairs, DVDs and software, old hard drives, etc. I also have some of my art supplies like my colored pencils, drawing pencils, charcoal and pastels...stuff like that. On the shelf just above that I store corrugated cardboard sheets that I sometimes use to make bubble mailers more rigid or to make my small rigid mailers thicker so they can be sent as a package. I also cut a couple of the cardboard sheets down to use as cut templates for sticker sheets. 

The cabinet on the top left of my desk has my notepad and sticker book supplies. I have a box of binding coils in a lot of different colors for my sticker books. Then I have padding compound, paintbrushes, and this wooden book press for notepads. There's a shelf just below it...I usually just toss my packing slips there after I've printed on both sides. It's a convenient place to put them while I'm packaging orders...then I use them as scrap paper and/or shred them. 

On the bottom left and the shelves on the right, I have some acrylic drawers. I have this set that I store all my door sign stickers and magnets, some regular magnets, and my sticker book covers, pages, and completed books. On top of the acrylic drawers on the bottom right, I have my postage meter for calculating postage. I have both sizes of my envelopes with my packaging inside and stickers/label outside so that I can just add my stickers or magnets with the sample envelope to know how much postage it needs before actually packaging the order.  Then on the top two shelves on the right side of my desk, I have this set of acrylic drawers that hold different sizes of the notepads I make. On top of the drawers on the top shelf I usually just have either things I made for family members that are waiting to be picked up and things I've made but haven't photographed and listed yet. Then on top of the drawers on the second shelf I have my notepad 

There's also one section of the acrylic drawers on the main part of my desk that I have some stamps, binder clips, labels for my small label maker, and other random stuff in. I have this monitor stand which I use for a little more vertical organization. I actually removed the drawers and they fit perfectly underneath. I use it to store my order packaging supplies...the glassine bags, the cardstock cards I print and include with my orders, etc. I have two sets of plastic drawers on top of the monitor stand kind of like this 5-drawer one and this 3-drawer one. I keep pens and pencils in them...I have lots of different kinds. My favorite pens include Inkjoy gel pens and ballpoint pens (including the mini ones), RSVP, iBayam, Tombow, FriXion markers and pens, and several different kinds of Sakura Gelly Roll pens. And I prefer to use Bic pencils. Oh and I have an Amazon Echo Dot that I listen to music on while I'm packaging orders. We actually have the old 3rd generation model that they don't sell anymore...we got it for free several years ago as a bundle with the security cameras we bought. 

I have these hanging organizers attached to each side of the open middle space to hold my packaging stickers, sheets of stamps, and other little miscellaneous things that I use while packaging orders. I also have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite with this case hanging on the wall with this wall mount. There's another LED light strip because it can get dark at my desk at night...which is usually when I package orders. Oh and on the very top shelf of my desk, I have white plastic storage drawers. It's where I keep a lot of different papers. I have my three different packaging stickers (round, 2.5x1.563, and 2.625x1), regular cardstock, thick cardstock, and glossy cardstock. I have some other random sticker papers including holographic and transparent sticker papers that I rarely use. I have my glossy and matte vinyl sticker paper and the glossy sticker vinyl that I like to use for my kitchen stickers. And on the end, I have a washi tape organizer that Johnny bought me in 2014 that they apparently don't make anymore and that I couldn't really find a link for something similar. :P 

Next to my desk, I have my light grip and strong grip cutting mats hanging on the wall. I use white curtains on the window so it still lets natural light in when I'm taking photographs. And I have this awesome set of folding shelf brackets that I put a piece of plywood on and then it's covered with a piece of 12x18 cardstock that I printed, laminated with matte laminate, and attached to the shelf. Then I have my ring light to provide a little extra light when I'm taking product photos on the shelf. I love that I can store the shelf down against the wall so it doesn't take up any room (like the first picture in the post), and then just lift it up when I'm taking photos. Plus it makes use of that short wall under the window that I wouldn't be using for anything else.

Next to the window, I have a tall set of plastic storage drawers that Johnny has had for, like, 20+ years. They're kind of like this set (with 4 shallow drawers and 3 deeper drawers) but it doesn't have the organizer on top. I store scraps of cardboard and chipboard in the top drawer. I have thermal laminate in 3 mil and 5 mil plus 4x6 pouches that I use for the cover of my sticker books. Then I have 22pt chipboard, 30 pt chipboard, 20lb paper (in the first deeper drawer) that I use for office printing, 28lb paper that I use for notepads, and to store the extra reams of 80lb cardstock because I go through it pretty quickly for packaging cards in all my orders. On top of those drawers, I have these four storage bins. They hold leftovers of other brands of matte and glossy sticker vinyl I've tried and then I have my "oopsie" stickers and magnets in the other two. Oh and there's an outlet under the window where I have this surge protector. 

And now to my new desk which is making a HUGE difference in my office. I bought this one because it checked off all my boxes. I wanted one that was just the right size to fit my large Siser Romeo 24" cutter and my new Epson Workforce Pro WF-4833 printer (which is also greatly improving my workflow) printer without much extra space. The size couldn't be more perfect. And I also wanted one that had an upper shelf that went all the way across the desk but didn't have a support bar in the middle (so it wouldn't get in the way of the cutting mat on the Romeo). It also had to be high enough so that I could put my Cricut Maker 4 on the shelf without the Romeo being in the way of the cutting mat for the Cricut. And as a bonus, the height is perfect enough that the cutting mat for the Cricut actually rests on the Romeo to help prevent the mat from bending...so I don't have to use my mat extender anymore. The desk also has a very large fabric drawer with a shelf above it. I keep my bubble mailers in the drawer so they're handy when I'm packaging orders. On the shelf above the drawer, I have my thermal laminator and my cinch binding machine. I have room underneath the desk to store my old laptop desk that I can pull out to stabilize my 12x24" cutting mats for the Romeo so they don't bend (curved mats tend to cause random cuts as it moves across the sheet because the page hits the blade when it isn't flat). Next to it I have two 10 gallon trash cans (one for trash and one for recycle). This desk also has a fabric cubby on the end that I don't really know what to do with...right now it just has an extra maintenance box for my ET-16650 printer. 

Behind those plastic drawers I have a wooden shelf that I got at a garage sale, like, 15 years ago. It's about the size of this bookshelf. It fits perfectly in the small space that is behind the closet door when opened. It has all of my grandma's books that I got from her after she died. On top I have a couple little stuffed animals that I've collected (like a tiger from the community college I went to, a stuffed Eeyore that I got a long time ago. etc). Then there's a short little dvd storage shelf where I have some of my paperback books and some books from my childhood. And then the closet is stuffed full of stuff we've been storing for the last almost 10 years...which I hope to clean out sometime in the near future.  

And...I think that's about it! :) Here's the video I took:

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Living Room!

Since I've already done a Kitchen post and my Office post, I thought I'd go ahead and do a living room one, since we've finished getting new stuff for now. We were really excited to redo the living room because it was mostly just a hodge-podge of furniture that we had before...the couch I'd gotten from my (now ex)brother-in-law, a tv-stand that had been in his family for years, and an octagon coffee table that the multiple dogs in the house before I moved in had chewed up on the bottom. Now it feels like the room is more "on purpose" rather than just thrown together. 

We first started working on the living room in 2020. We removed the carpet and installed this LVP (in Cherry) flooring. We really love the look...except that the planks tend to come apart on the ends, so we're not really a fan of that. But...it's good enough for now. 

At that time, we also bought these black grates for the floor vents. We thought they went well with the black scroll items that we have. It started with the Spectrum Diversified mail and key holder that I had in my apartment back in 2011. It's kind of like this one, except mine is taller with three slots for mail instead of one. 

My sister bought us this large floor rug and we bought the small rug for inside the front door (they don't have the small rug available by itself anymore). And then we bought these back-out curtains for energy efficiency with these sheers and this scarf valance to add some more color to the room. We hung them on these curtain rods (continuing the black scroll look). 

Oh and we also have two of these gates...one at the stairs and one at the hallway to keep the dogs contained. I got the one for the stairs shortly after I moved in...because previously it had just been a regular baby gate kinda leaned up against the half wall by the stairs and it was so loud every time it would inevitably fall. And then when we got Boz, we bought the gate for the hallway since Johnny was working from home (our bedroom has double doors that just push open, so the doors alone wouldn't keep him out). 

In 2021, I decided to paint the living room, kitchen, and dining room. We used Sherwin Williams paint and used Accessible Beige for the main walls and Green Onyx for the accent wall. We really love how the colors turned out. 

Our first big purchase was our LG 4k TV (kind of like this one but the 65" model) in January 2021. We were having issues with our previous tv and we were able to put our Christmas money toward the new one. And in 2022, we purchased an air purifier. It was actually the Winix HR900 but they've discontinued that model. It's a lot like this one they have now, though. We really like it...it's amazing how much dust, dirt, and hair it captures from the air. 

Then we didn't really purchase anything else for the living room until October 2025 when we needed to replace the couch. We bought this modular sectional (purchased on Wayfair) in October 2025. We're loving it so far. I like that it's modular so we can arrange the pieces however we want to fit the space. The only "complaint" I have is that the ottoman doesn't have storage, but that's really no big deal. A lot of the reviews complained that it's too firm, but I think it's perfect. They also mention that the dark gray color has a blue tint, but it looks fine with our decor. We also have these waterproof couch covers to protect the couch a bit more and these waterproof pet blankets that we cover the couch with at night (to prevent the cats from destroying the couch while we're sleeping). 

The couch also came with six 12" pillows...three that are the color of the couch and three that are blue and white. The blue and white ones don't really go with our decor, but we use the others. We also have these apricot brown covers on 24" throw pillows, as well as two 18" pillows and two burgundy covers to go with them. Johnny really loves the colors and how well they go with our color scheme. I guess I just have a gift for matching colors. And interestingly enough...Bozley really blends in to the apricot brown covers. ;) LOL.

We have this lift-top coffee table which we love so much. It's perfect for eating dinner and working on my laptop. I liked that we were able to decide which direction for the large portion of the table so that it matches where Johnny and I sit on the couch to eat dinner. There's also some storage and the bottom shelf is a perfect place to put my laptop when we're eating. 

Since we were getting a coffee table, the only other piece of furniture in the living room left to replace was the tv stand. We were pretty picky about the coffee table we wanted, and we were just as picky trying to pick out a tv stand that would go well with the new coffee table. We also had a lot of preferences which narrowed the choices down a lot. We wanted a black one with a fireplace heater (and Johnny wanted to be able to change the colors and brightness), wide enough to fit the space we put it in, and doors for the front shelves (but not high gloss...which a LOT of them were). We finally found this one that checked all our boxes. We really love it so much...it looks great and it fits the space perfectly (it's 70" wide and the space is 72"). Johnny also really liked that it has an LED color-changing light strip that goes along the inside of the top. The fireplace heater looks pretty realistic with the wood logs (it also came with crystals, but we didn't want to use those) and has several different colors it can be changed to.  

Now the only thing we have left to get is a new ceiling fan! :) 

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Rearranging my office!

I finished rearranging my office a couple days ago! I did a post with everything we use in our kitchen awhile back after I reorganized, so I thought I'd do it with my office, too. :) 

I started rearranging my office Tuesday because the original plan was that I was going to get a desk from my grandma. It had been in her shed, and I thought it was going to be a perfect spot to put my new Romeo, my Cricut Maker 3, and my paper cutter. However, the clearance between the desk and the shelf wasn't tall enough. :( Since the desk was pretty big, I didn't want to limit my already small office space even more. So I decided to just rearrange everything that I already had...with a couple new additions. Here is what my office looks like now:

Compared to what it looked like right after I got the Romeo: 

I still have my main desk/hutch that I received as a birthday gift from my mom back in 2004 and the armoire that we got from Johnny's sister-in-law in 2017. They're both really heavy and I don't know where else I'd even put them...so they stayed where they are. Basically everything else was moved around, though. 

Originally, I had my printer and paper cutter on an old desk of Johnny's and I had my Cricut on the "table" that I made using the top from my old art table that I had in high school on top of the Sterilite modular drawers that I got back in 2011. They've since discontinued the ones I have, but these are kind of similar. I had two sets each facing outward that had a large bottom drawer, two kinda square-ish drawers, and then three smaller drawers. 

When I got my Romeo, I had to put it on the DIY table by itself, so I had to find a new place to put my Cricut. I settled on this little cart and it's worked out pretty good. It's on wheels, so I can store it in a convenient place and then move it more in the open when I'm using it. I haven't decided what else--if anything--to store on it. I know I don't want to put heavy stuff on it, just because it'd be harder to move around on the carpet. I also have a ring light similar to this one for some extra light when taking product photos. One thing I haven't really figured out in my newly rearranged office is taking product photos...but I may just do it on the floor in front of the window. I have laminated background images that I attached to a piece of plywood that I take my product photos on.

When I was rearranging, I decided to put my Romeo on Johnny's desk and turn it 90 degrees from the way I had the DIY table. It's parallel to the closet doors...and I have it out a little more than the length of the closet doors when they're folded open. I use the closest for storage, so I don't have to get into it very often...so I didn't want to leave a lot of space in front of it but I wanted it to still be accessible. Next that desk I have another set of paper storage drawers. I couldn't find the exact one on Amazon, but it's similar to this one. Then I put the paper cutter on top of those drawers. Oh and I have my trash and recycle bins underneath the desk. The short top drawer has some of my cutter supplies. The other three drawers have cardboard sheets, tissue paper, and then the bottom drawer is just miscellaneous stuff that I don't know what else to do with. 

I decided to stack the two sets of modular drawers on top of each other next to my desk where the other paper drawers used to be. Some of the drawers are currently empty, because before I rearranged the office, I didn't really use the drawers that had been facing the closet because they were kind of a pain to get to. Two of the drawers that are fully exposed from the side of my desk, I am actually able to turn those around to face my desk while the rest of the drawers face the armoire. In the small drawer, I have some rulers and tape measures that I use frequently, this digital caliper to measure the thickness of my packages, and some hole/corner punches. The larger drawer has the rigid mailers that I use every once in awhile when I send sticker orders as a package instead of the kraft envelopes. They used to be in the armoire cabinet, but since I package orders at my desk, they'll be more accessible. One other thing I have in that drawer is this little label maker that I love...because I love labeling everything. ;) LOL. Now that I've rearranged everything, I need to print some new labels. ;) 

On top of the modular drawers, I have the board that I use for product photos. I also have this small dehumidifier which helps a lot...especially in the summer. If there's a lot of humidity, papers tend to curl which is a huge hassle.

Then next to the modular drawers, I have my printer. When I first made plans to get the desk from my grandma, I wanted to get something smaller to put my Epson ET-16650 printer on than the desk I'd been using. I had to search through a LOT of different printer stands to find one that was big enough and strong enough to hold my big, heavy printer. I finally settled on this one. I like that it has support in the middle since my printer is so heavy...it made me feel a little more secure about it holding the weight. It's also nice that it has a plug-in on it. I have a small paper shredder kind of like this one on the roll-out shelf and I ordered this small trashcan for the strips I cut off of the overlaminate backing. Then I just have unopened reams of paper and miscellaneous stuff on the other two shelves. 

I also have my sticker storage binders on my printer stand. For my die-cut stickers, I use these 9x9 pages. I have 2", 3", and 4" size options for reach design, so the 3 columns of 4"x4" pockets works great. Then I have these 4"x6" top-loading pages for my 4"x6" sticker sheets. 

The armoire really just has my cold roll manual laminator in the open space and I store a lot of shipping materials on the shelves underneath. Oh and I use this slice tool to cut a thin strip on just the backing of my overlaminate to stick the laminate to the top of my sticker paper to start. On the wall next to the armoire, I have this hanging file organizer where I store different types of overlaminate. 

Some of the things I have on my desk... 
- I have this LED light strip underneath the top of my desk (and in the armoire) to provide extra light. 

- I have this organizer that is actually an elevated shelf for computer monitors. I use it more to take advantage of vertical space. The drawers in it actually fit underneath it...so I have 6 storage spaces instead of just 3. I put my packaging envelopes and full-page cards in the spaces where the drawers went and my half-page cards in the drawers underneath.

- I have a cover like this one for my Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite tablet. I also have this wall mount where I keep it when I'm not using it for drawing. I like watching Netflix or Hulu on it while I'm working.  

- I have these hanging organizers which I really like. It holds my packaging stickers, sheets of stamps, and other little miscellaneous things that I use while packaging orders. 

- I use this postage meter and I've never had any postage adjustments. 

- I have these clear organizers that I store my door sign stickers and magnets, oopsie stickers, books of stamps, and other miscellaneous things. 

- On top of my desk I have these drawers where I store all different kinds of cardstocks, sticker papers, etc.  

I think that's about it. :) I really love the way everything is arranged now. It feels like a lot more room...and laid out in a more functional way. 

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All the kitchen stuff!

Back in October I created a Puppy Products post that I keep updated with all the helpful things we've bought for Bozley. While I'm having to sit here and regularly refresh the queue for work files, I thought I'd make productive use of my time and create a post with all my favorite things that we have in our kitchen...and I'll update it as we get more useful things as well. We've been accumulating everything over the last few years, and I'm in love with how it's all coming together.

Please note: these reviews and suggestions were not compensated by the makers/sellers of any of these products. This post does contain affiliate links. 

The first change we made to the kitchen was actually in 2014 when we used my tax refund to replace the refrigerator with a Samsung Side-by-Side. It was a great fridge for awhile...then it became a pain in the butt. First, the ice maker kept freezing and we'd have to repeatedly thaw it out. Then...the ice maker stopped filling with water completely. Samsung's suggested fix is to replace the whole dang door for the frozen water line. Uh...no. I've found directions for replacing the water line in the freezer door, but it just seemed like more trouble than it was worth and we just bought bags of ice for several years. :P 
UPDATE: We've replaced the Samsung fridge with a Frigidaire French door refrigerator which is basically just like this one except it's stainless steel instead of white. We've loved it so much more than the side-by-side Samsung fridge. Everything is easier to get to and there is so much more room. 

We really started working on the kitchen more in March 2019 when we got our tax refund. Our dishwasher had quit working and we also decided to replace the vent hood above the stove. We bought a Samsung dishwasher and a Samsung over-the-range microwave. I've already had to replace the water inlet valve on the dishwasher, but other than that, I really like it. The dishwasher is a lot bigger than our old one and does a far better job washing the dishes than the old one did even before our old dishwasher broke. And I love the 3 adjustable racks...I can fit a LOT of dishes in there. The microwave has been great, too. I like the large size and that it has a shelf for two levels, if we need it. 

I like this part of the kitchen, although I think Johnny would rather not have anything on the counter, but I like having everything handy when I'm cooking. 

I've really liked the OXO Good Grips Pop Containers to store all our dry goods. They come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. There are also quite a few different scoops and accessories. There are also some containers in the back which have pasta in them. Next to the canisters, I have this microwave shelf to take advantage of vertical space to store my Instant Pot Viva 6qt pressure cooker and PowerXL Air Fryer Grill Combo. I tend to use my old Cooks Essentials Oval 8qt pressure cooker most often, but I keep it over on a shelf in the dining room. Same with the crockpots...they're stored away in case we need extras for holidays or something. And it's hard to see behind all the dog treat containers, but on the other side of the microwave shelf is our condiment storage...to hold all the extra condiment packets that we get from take-out/fast food places. We've since moved it over to the other side of the counter by the stove. Oh, and the screen in front is the Echo Show that we got free with one of our security cameras. We can use it to play music, videos, look up recipes or the weather, video chat, and even look at our security cameras. It's pretty handy...but it did develop a flicker after a few years.

I've always been big on small appliances. We have this toaster oven which we bought a couple years ago for the rotisserie feature (we never really used it and gave it to my sister). We have this griddle which we use a lot to cook breakfast and this four-slice toaster. We have a Copper Chef electric skillet, but ours is a 16" version which I guess is no longer available. I also have an older KitchenAid stand mixer that I got from my grandma years ago. 

My favorite spot in the kitchen is our pantry cabinet. It hooks to the hinges on the back of the garage door and we store most of our canned goods in it. On the back of it I've attached our spice racks with the large size command strips...and I absolutely love the way it turned out. I also used these spice jars for some of the spices that were in containers too large to fit in the spice rack. 

There are a lot of other organizational items that I have throughout the kitchen. I have one of these to organize our random knives in a drawer. I have three racks like these that hang over the cabinet doors. Two of them under the sink hold things like Ziploc bags and aluminum foil. Then I have a larger one that holds a cookie sheet, this kitchen scale, a small loaf pan, etc. I also got a towel rack for the cabinet under the sink. We also have a two-tier shelf like this under the kitchen sink to take advantage of vertical space. 

We got some stainless steel colored items in our kitchen that we bought to go along with our appliances. We have this spoon and lid rest on the stove. This is what we have on the wall to store some plastic bags. And I have this coffee canister for the bags of QT coffee that Johnny likes. 

I have always loved the black "scroll" look though. Back in 2003, I got a paper towel holder, a trivet kind of like this in black, and a bowl kind of like this. I've also recently gotten one of these which I use to hold a package of napkins on the table (stores more than refilling the smaller napkin holders more often).  We also got this 3-tired bowl and this wine rack (which is actually in the dining room). We have this organizer behind the sink to hold sponges, brushes, etc. We have this utensil holder except that ours has three equal sections. To go along with those, we also have some serving pieces like this chip and dip set as well as a 3-section white server with a black stand that kind of looks a little like this one except it has the "scrolls" and the three sections are all attached on the same level. 

There are a lot of handy tools that I have, too. I use this digital thermometer for when I'm cooking meat. It has a probe that you can leave in while it's cooking and you can set an alarm for whatever temperature you want to get to...so that's handy! I use this avocado tool when making guacamole. We have a Hamilton Beech can opener. I recently got this handy set which I use for hard-to-open things lids and things. We have this pasta cooker that I use to quickly heat up pasta when I don't want to deal with it on the stove. I used to use this OXO Grate & Slice to grate cheese and slice vegetables as well as this OXO Chopper to chop vegetables. I've since gotten this rotary grater/slicer which I absolutely love. I can shred an 8oz block of cheese in under a minute. I also got this chicken shredder which has been working out really well. 

I am someone who loves leftovers. I don't like wasting food, and I like being able to cook one night and then have leftovers the next day instead of cooking again. :P As such, food storage is a necessity...and it must be dishwasher-safe because I don't like washing dishes by hand and I don't like single-use containers. One of my favorites are these Rubbermaid Brilliance storage containers. I always use these for red sauces like spaghetti and chili...because they don't stain like other containers. And for big family gatherings we have with my mom, her mom, and my sister, each of us gets one of these Rubbermaid Take Along Sets to take leftovers home in. I use the largest size for dry dog and cat food storage and the rest we store in the cabinet for leftovers. I also like these Pyrex bowls with lids for storing leftovers and heating things up in the microwave. 

We also got a new rug for the kitchen that better matches the curtains and towels. The only other decorative thing on the walls (aside from the hanging picture that Johnny bought back in 2008), I hung one of my paintings above the garage door. It's the one that used to be in the living room and I think it fits the new spot perfectly. :) I really want to get back into painting more sometime. 

These pictures are from our kitchen in 10/10/2021 after we painted the walls. 

UPDATE: These are a more recent (10/10/21) pictures of our kitchen after I painted the walls, took most of the stuff off the top of the cabinets, Johnny hung the new light fixtures, etc. And then I also included a picture of our dining room taken in May 2021 right after we were done painting. It shows the wine rack along with the shelves where I store my Instant Pot accessories, my other pressure cooker, the crockpots, etc. We've since gotten a smaller round kitchen table (which has two extra leaves that we use when we host Thanksgiving dinner) from my grandma.