We Keep It Real

Yesterday I alluded to the fact that J and I were in the market for a wire shelving unit.  What I didn't share with you is where it was going or why.  To explain, I am going to r eveal some less than revealing pictures of our current kitchen and office. We like to keep it real around here, so here we go!

Warning: these photos are not for the faint of heart.  

See, a few months ago J's mom generously gave us a brand new Magic Chef stainless steel microwave.  It is a real beauty and much bigger and stylish than the one we currently have.  The only problem: our small microwave cart simply cannot hold the microwave.  Magic Chef is just too big and heavy for the poor little cart.  Here is our current cart in all its glory:

Enter a larger, more sturdy option: a five shelf wire unit similar to this one at Lowe's. 

Now you may be wondering what we will fill the other four shelves with once we add the microwave.  Well, let me tell you.

At the wedding, we were the lucky recipients of many new kitchen electrics, including: Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, food processor, and blender.  Combine this with J's coffee roaster and grinder, and we have little breathing room.  Case in point: our food processor has taken up residence in our linen closet.  This makes it difficult to get out and often deters us from using it, which is quite unfortunate.  The shelving unit could really help us display (and use) many of these generous gifts!

We also received a lot of white chinaware, such as a soup tureen, large pasta bowls, plates, salad bowls and so forth, as wedding presents.  So much so that many pieces are hidden in cupboards and closets, with a few pieces in our hutch.  The hutch pieces, especially, take up valuable real estate that could be displaying our wedding china which is also in a closet.  Our two bedroom apartment has five closets, including one that goes under the stairs of the building.  Yes, we are extremely lucky/spoiled!

In short, I am hoping that the larger, stainless steel shelves allow us to display some of these pieces in a more aesthetically pleasing manner, while allowing us to find permanent homes for our new microwave and kitchen electrics.

Next the question became what to do with the old microwave cart.  I debated selling it on Craigslist, but then a light bulb went off!  Why not use it as a craft table/gift wrapping station in the office?!  This would help me cross off another of my 130 Before I'm Thirty goals (number 76: create a craft room or table) and help me organize some of the mess in the corner of my side of the office--see horrifying picture below.

Crafting, wrapping a present or merely finding what I'm looking for under all that mess has become extremely difficult.  I think that the hooks on the side of the cart and the shelves will be great for storing and organizing all of my materials.  The wooden top will provide a great surface for doing anything from writing a letter to my pen pal to wrapping Christmas presents!

I can't wait to get started.  Here's hoping the after pictures are a lot more soothing and organized!