Jen Russum

White Kitchens

White Kitchens

My newest obsession is white kitchens. I love them. So much. I want one. Really bad. And by "white" I mean kitchens with white cabinets. Here are my current faves: Love that white brick back splash!http://www.athoughtfulplaceblog.com/2010/09/our-kitchen-makeover-is-complete.html http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2008/04/house-renovation-part-4-kitchen-fr/ http://jonesdesigncompany.com/decorate/our-kitchen-2/ This is probably my very favorite one!http://nameisgrace.blogspot.com/2009/12/kitchen-reveal-part-i-before-and-after.html I realllly like this one too! Look at those ceilings!http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2009/06/come-on-to-my-house-my-house-come- This is the same kitchen as above, but the view is from the living room. Love how open this whole space is. Sorry it's an instagram pic, but you get the idea...http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2009/06/come-on-to-my-house-my-house-come- And the other day when I showed Micah a white kitchen for the zillionth time, he said, "I want to give you a white kitchen someday..." We rarely have mushy moments like this, but he can just be so sweet every now and then... ... Read more

Fiesta!

Fiesta!

I promise this will be last of my dinner party posts for a while. I hate to be redundant, but there are just so many pictures to share. These are from the "fajitas and piñata" party we had last week with our missional community. The fajita meat was delish, the pinata was a "hit" with the kids (no pun intended, but now that it's there I'm pretty happy about it), and the company was awesome as usual. Probably the highlight of the night though was when the party was winding down, and all the ladies were getting their last 500-1,000 words out (each), and Micah and Adam started playing tag with all the kids. There really is nothing like watching grown men go all out in a game of tag with little children. It just melts my heart every time. Everyone went home sweaty and happy and full of steak, chicken, and shrimp... Señor Piñata and me.  Love these ladies so much! He just hung out waiting for us. Yes, his left foot is a soccer ball.  Us. I was talking on the phone and couldn't figure out why there was a big black blob by my ear. Ha!  Shalyn made dirt cups for the kids!  Piñata time! Piñatas are fun! Then the adults took a turn... And then we told Micah to finish him off... The kids were so ready...  Kate is thinking "what the heck are these?" No bake cookies!  Micah had to collect a little candy too, of course!  And then a game of tag finished off the perfect evening!  ... Read more

That time we had 17 people over for dinner in our 900 square foot apartment…

That time we had 17 people over for dinner in our 900 square foot apartment…

Since yesterday's post was on our recent Italian feast, I should probably share about our other summer dinner parties as well. Again, I just love our community here! We have lived in Arizona for less than a year and already we get to hang out with all these amazing people on a regular basis. I feel like our church is FOR REAL about community and I am so blessed by it! Our missional community group is on a little sabbatical from our regular weekly meetings for the summer, but we are committed to still hanging out on a semi-regular basis during our break. A few weeks ago, we crammed 17 people into our tiny apartment. We grilled burgers on our patio (illegally, I learned the next day, when I noticed a new sign posted around the complex that stated that gas grills on patios are against the rules. Oops...), ate yummy fruit and lots of dessert, and spent the night talking and laughing and trying to make sure the little ones didn't throw objects off the patio. For some reason, our after dinner conversation revolved around stories that involved encounters with cops - either near arrests or running from the police... Let me just say that there were enough stories from the men in our group that this one conversation topic lasted all evening. Should I be concerned? Thankfully the good Lord transforms crazy teenagers and young adult males into loving husbands and fathers and law-abiding citizens... I hope :) Buns for daysss.... This is when I tried to be a good wife and toast an extra bun for Micah who had been slaving away at the grill for 45 minutes. #Wifefail... This was the result... waving a  huge blanket in front of the smoke alarm. Cute Anne Mac and her daughter! Shalyn brought me my very first herb plant, Mr. Basil! Homemade moon pies! Recipe forthcoming... Natalie was so proud of herself for being able to lift my weights. Everyone else made fun of me that a  five year old can lift my weights... Eh... Seventeen people in 900 square feet = success! ... Read more