Ah, the kitchen design! I have redesigned this space time and time again, continually tweaking to find the most functional layout. In this kitchen, our objective is to maximize storage while maintaining an open, airy feel. We want this house to feel serene, evoking feelings of a simple beach life. One thing I am doing in this kitchen that I have not done in YEARS (not since our very first home, 7 moves ago!) is upper cabinets! I toyed with many different layouts and kept coming back to uppers near the range. Open shelving felt too cluttered. Towers felt too heavy for the scale of the kitchen. A range alcove would have eliminated too much counter space. Ultimately, upper cabinets fit the bill! Gasp! 

Today, we have rounded up some gift ideas for the mothers in your world! Having our first child last year, I have experienced firsthand the joys and challenges of motherhood. This year is extra special as we celebrate the gift of another child on the way. Thank you for all of the love and support after sharing this news on Instagram yesterday! The gifts compiled below are for that special, nurturing presence in your life. 

You all have been guessing about the exterior color of our Florida house! As I mentioned in this post, I had been day-dreaming of a 30a beach house for years. You better believe that I spent a lot of time in those day dreams designing said hypothetical house. I always envisioned a classic white beach house. Alas, our house with not be white! Like the Michigan build, we picked something unexpected. I think the answer may even made you chuckle, considering the Michigan build saga! That's a big hint! 

Our first blog post about the Florida house design....yay! I have been bottling up all of these design concepts for months too long! I am eager to share! It has been 4 years since we went under contract on the first build which fell through and 3 years since we bought this lot! Considering, the design theme, along with my own personal design, has slowly evolved! 

Are you ready to see the actual house?! I still can't believe this is real! Ok, little back story on the house plan...the neighborhood is filled with custom homes, all different from one another. There are certainly themes amongst the neighborhood and HOA requirements, but in general, there is a lot of variety within the community, which is something we love about the neighborhood! I could walk the streets all day admiring the beautiful homes, each so unique! 

It's been a while since we've done a Friday Faves! Here are a few things I've been loving lately, from a new rug, to my favorite morning drink, to an email subscription I enjoy, to homemade bread!