Let's talk junk!

Most all of us have a junk drawer in the kitchen. You know, the one that has nothing to do with the kitchen and everything to do with scotch tape, screwdrivers, bottle caps, scissors, extension cords, birthday candles, you name it - it's in there somewhere LOL. 

I grew up with one and of course have had one in ever house.  Up until my kitchen remodeling - the one that took about a year bit by bit - I had a good size, well organized, junk drawer.  So much so that we build the new island around that drawer! All I had to do was move it from the old cabinet to the new island! 

But - instead of having just one junk drawer - pretty much the entire island is a junk drawer!  Though the Recycle bin may not quite qualify as junk! 

​We'll start with my original and beloved junk drawer and the island view - the traditional junk drawer is the upper drawer in the middle section of the island.  During the island design time, I knew I wanted a recycle away from the trash bins (I have two ordinary trash drawers, one left of the sink for anyone cleaning or cooking, and one to the right of the dishwasher for anyone making coffee or coming from another room (did not want coffee grinds and muck going across the room to sink trash) 

So - First pull out to the left in the island is my trash. I also decided to give the paper towel drawer idea a go which meant what to put underneath - well - since I'm not 7 feet tall and my cabinets reach the 8 ft ceiling, I was going to need a step stool, or two. So the far right pull out has my paper towel drawer, which turned out to be a fast and easy we need new batteries or flashlight drawer (i never could find a flashlight when I needed one!) and the pull out step stool drawer wound up also storing doggie things and a hidden slot for the extra racks we don't use in the oven (each over came with three racks - so not needed when cooking a turkey) . You can just barely see the bottom of the one rack to the right of the dog/ step stool (2) stash!  All of this brings me to what has turned out to be my delight. What to do with the other two drawers? One average size, one deep.  Well, without planning it turned into the back up junk drawer - the extra stuff that has no place in the real drawer.  One narrow stuff and one for deep stuff and please don't ask me why I'm storing a lampshade there - but I am probably because I can! When I can't fiind something odd, I pull out those drawers and usually - there it is !  I strongly encourage multiple junk drawers for any kitchen redesign - it has been a blast. 

Another drawer I didn't take a photo of is the one under the bread box. It's deep and long just like the bread box drawer. I always dreamed of a breadbox drawer so keep the miscellaneous bags of bread off the counter - and I am delighted with it - but - the drawer underneath was empty for a long while. No idea what to put in such a deep drawer. Considered buying another insert for more bread - but one day - tossed a box of boxed cakes in there, then hubby tossed a box of apple pie cakes, and now, it is the official junk snack food drawer. Not chips and things, but containers of brownies, or cinnamon rolls, or snacks like twinkies and such (not that we buy twinkies lol). The kitchen is proving to be a delight even if I hardly ever cook! 

and now - what you have probably been waiting for - my really crummy camera photo of the lights in the front of the house  The photograph doesn't do the light colors justice - the tree is wrapped in multicolor lights not white lights.  This is the first year we have ever done this.  Some of our neighbors have gone hog wild with their lights every year but the most we would do was a wreath with some electric candles in the windows.  This year I am looking forward to seeing the grand kids faces when they pull up! 
That's it for today - remember - one week until Just One Chance comes out - this is probably my favorite book in the series - hope y'all agree! or at least like it LOL !