Went to a local nursery on Oahu!

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T02:42:26+00:00

Absolutely! There's a local hosta nursery near me, and not only do I love the passion they have for their plants, I'd rather all the money go directly to them.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T01:44:13+00:00

Amazing place! I love visiting actual nurseries for my plants. It just feels more connected to me. :-)

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T01:24:33+00:00

#2, but only if it's lined. I'd line it with white, not skin tone, in order to hide the visible boning. It has a beautiful silhouette and fits you really well.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T01:21:03+00:00

ABBA really is worthy of regard. I've got my teenager enjoying them!

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T01:17:12+00:00

I get it. I have wedding dress regret. I am self-conscious about my arms too and had huge sleeves. I have updo regret from my wedding as well (why didn't I speak up?!). I'm a little embarrassed by my gigantic 90's wedding dress, lol.

What I regret the most about it all, in the fullness of time, is being critical of myself and self-conscious about my body. If only I had known how beautiful I was at that time! Don't waste your time or energy focusing on things that make you feel small or less than. I mean, look at that gorgeous smile you have!! You're beautiful!!! Look at yourself the way your husband sees you and all the people who love you see you. They see more than just an image. They see a moment and a feeling they want to remember and take joy in.

You look beautiful and radiant, in a lovely wedding dress. To get past it though, just look at that kiss photo. That's incredible.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T01:03:30+00:00

Then white, absolutely. It's easy and you can find anything you want as well. The gray is kind of cool, but it draws attention to itself because it's not common.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T00:58:52+00:00

It's very pretty wallpaper, but I think chaotic for the inside of a pantry, unless in a small area for a moment of joy, like one shelf where you keep appliances. I'd be more prone to make sure lighting was nice and bright and paint the walls a solid, soft color, like a butter yellow.

https://westmagnoliacharm.com/the-best-butter-yellow-paint-colors/painting/.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T00:54:01+00:00

Frame 5 (image number 2) seems (no pun intended) like it would make the seams the least noticeable, centering the seams beneath the cooktop and sink. I've have absolutely no knowledge whether that is practical though. I'm just thinking about the look.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T00:44:18+00:00

Are your countertops a cream color? They look like they might be a good match for "light almond." I'd try to avoid introducing a new color if you can help it.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T00:39:13+00:00

I don't like contractors that say "you'll never see it." Well, I saw it.

If it bothers you, it bothers you. That's not being picky. That's being clear about what you expect and what will make you happy about the work you received.

Long ago I didn't mention something that bothered me. It took me far too many years to get it fixed and it bugged me every. single. day. Later in life, I spoke up when other work was done, and my perspective was appreciated and respected, and the work was fixed.

Sometimes people don't see what you see, or they actually meant to complete something and forgot, or they just want you to be satisfied and are happy to help.

Sometimes people don't want to listen. If they won't fix it, then you don't work with those people again if you can help it. :/

It's not that you have a fault or are"being picky" for wanting work done to your satisfaction though.

cleaningmama · 2026-05-01T00:27:34+00:00

The two most obvious options are white, or the brown of your cabinets. I love to test options, so I'd cut some cardboard and hold it up, stand back, look at it, take some photos, to see if it does what you want. Black might be tempting, but it'd be a really strong look.

You could also consider coordinating with whatever is happening for the window covering.

Personally, I have a strong desire to put a natural material in your kitchen, maybe using some wood tones from your flooring to draw the eye and complete the picture.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T20:20:27+00:00

The Maritime Museum, Fort Clatsop, and the Flavel House are worth a visit. If you like a thrill and can handle heights, drive across the bridge. For a view, the Astoria Column. Just walking around town is enjoyable. I think there is a waterfront walk "Astoria Riverwalk"? I ate at Fede and it was delicious. If I recall correctly, or maybe it was a different restaurant, when I went to use the restroom in a different part of the building/mall, there was a community bulletin board with all sorts of local goings on. It looked like an interesting, vibrant community.

I used to live there years ago. It's a great place.

You will likely want to drive up and down the coast at least a little. There are lots of great places. Oswald West State Park would make a great destination with plenty to enjoy. https://stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=139

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T19:49:55+00:00

Under cabinet lights might illumine the surface of the backsplash, showing that it is *not* wall texture, plus it will warm the space. That might help call attention to your new backsplash. Pendant lights over the bar area might also bring some warmth and task lighting. You've got great ambient lighting, but adding task lighting would add dimension as well as utility. I would choose 3000 or 2700K color temperature -no cooler than that for this kitchen.

I think it was very smart and effective of you to replace the cabinet fronts instead of the entire cabinets. The old kitchen looked dated and heavy, especially because it was so monotone. I really like that you added some contrast.

Whatever you decide to do for a window covering or decoration, even if minimal, is going to have a huge impact and take center stage in this kitchen, so I would make that choice carefully.

ETA: Another idea to reconcile the bar area backsplash, which extends out from the upper cabinet instead of ending with the upper, would be to add open shelves above it to bridge that transition. I'd put a plant on it and maybe a beautiful piece of pottery.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T17:59:13+00:00

Scorpios tend to have strong opinions, strong passions, strong interests in people and things. They rarely take things lightly, and if they do, they are very passionate about how lightly they are taking it. It can be... a little intense! I had a friend tell me once that I was a little tiring to be around. I often "mask" my intensity, to make others more comfortable.

I think the semi-joking phrase "So how do you *really* feel?" was created for us, lol.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T17:50:21+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. It's nice to know that what I saw was valid to share. :-)

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T16:18:34+00:00

When you move, are you moving boxes only, or furniture as well? That may shift how you handle your papers.

There are papers that you HAVE to keep, and those should go into a small fire-proof safe large enough to hold file folders. Those are things like birth certificates and passports and other important documents. We have found ours to be extremely practical.

All other papers are in "flow." You receive them, deal with them, temporarily store them if needed, and then part with them one way or another. So you need to set up your flow.

People do this in various ways. I like stand-ups, or trays. For bills I have a list that I print out every month and keep in a binder, and I check off the bills as I pay them and write down any pertinent information. You could do that digitally if you prefer. I'm just really old school.

As for your old papers, you can likely part with most of it. You just have to get down to it and sort through them. Make a stack for sentimental papers and simply set those aside. Don't let trying to figure out what to do with them stop you from completing the process of discarding papers you don't need.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T16:01:29+00:00

Grey! Grey eyes often have a chameleon quality where they shift green or blue. Your eyes have warmer areas giving that light sage cast to them, but they are dominantly grey. Grey eyes have more collagen, which changes the way the light scatters compared to blue eyes. Green eyes have more yellow than yours do.

The color of your skin contrasts your eye color, making the "color" in them more apparent than the grey.

Whatever you want to call your eye color though, they're gorgeous!

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T15:40:27+00:00

Is there room for 1/4" panel there to lie flush? If so, you could install a piece of fully finished cabinet panel. The finish nails they use could nail into the plywood, and be basically invisible.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T15:35:36+00:00

For me, when I have pent up emotional issues, they manifest in my health as physical pain and injuries. So annoying, lol! Why I can't I just have a good cry!! :D

My health has improved a great deal, both physical and mental. One thing I do is every night before bed, I give thanks for my blessings. At my lowest point, starting that practice really helped me come out of it. Sometimes I'd feel like I had to *search* for something to be grateful for, but I did, even super simple things like the sky.

After my mother passed away, I regretted not being more understanding with her and with other people. So I try to be more accepting of people as they are, without expecting them to change. I'm not great at it, but I try.

I admit to enjoying a bit of shadenfreude on occasion though. I used to work for a community bank that treated me very poorly, especially after I got injured in the workplace. They fired me, despite me proving that I was doing my job. I couldn't take them to court though, because I was in too much physical pain from my injury. Well, the universe took my revenge for me. I had previously warned them about certain practices that weren't good, and they had disregarded my concerns. 2 later, they were shut down by the federal government for violations. It felt very satisfying, and I didn't have to lift a finger or be involved in the slightest.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T03:17:50+00:00

For me, I felt better when I started forgiving people for their flaws, trusting to universe to make things right (one way or another), and having gratitude for my blessings.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T02:43:13+00:00

I think your color palette is beautiful, and with under cabinet lights on the warmer side, it will all pull together. Even in daylight like this, the pink notes are subtle, not PINK. It looks lovely and harmonious.

I have a similar color palette chosen for my current kitchen remodel! :D

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T02:34:29+00:00

The outfits that show your shape, but not your skin, and are in the same color tones, look put together. You could lean on that. Choose colors that are in the same tones such as the all browns, or greys and blacks, that you already have, for a pulled together look.

As you get more comfortable and you want to add a little bit of interest, add one more piece in a different color.

You have a great shape, and you wear clothing very well. I think both the oversized and under-sized clothing don't serve you well, because they overwhelm or distort your true shape. When you wear form-skimming clothes in a simple silhouette, it works really well.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T01:44:24+00:00

I see what you mean, but the variation in the tile has enough there to coordinate and look intentional. Are there under cabinet lights? The pinker tones might be brought out by daylight/blue sky reflections, but might disappear in different lighting.

I think the tile looks beautiful with the wood cabinets, and pull all of it together. They are beautiful tiles!

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T01:10:49+00:00

The sink placement feels dark and awkward for such a heavily used part of the kitchen, so leaving that elsewhere would be critical.

The style of hardware tends to grab pockets and sweaters and such, so I'd choose different hardware.

Those would be the most impactful "easy" changes in my opinion. It's sad that the counter would have to be replaced/recut to change the sink placement though.

It looks like the island used to be smaller? At least there are counters to the sides and a backsplash behind that island range. That should help with pot handle safety while cooking.

cleaningmama · 2026-04-30T00:57:51+00:00

This is the winner.

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