Win the new Haven's Kitchen cookbook (and a Williams-Sonoma stainless steel tool set!)

Hello, lovelies! Today, Artisan Books has partnered with me to support an exciting new cookbook: The Haven's Kitchen Cooking School: Recipes and Inspiration to Build a Lifetime of Confidence in the Kitchen. One lucky The Lovely Side reader will win this must-have manual to kitchen confidence and a shiny Williams-Sonoma stainless steel tool set (prizing pictured above). Keep scrolling to read an excerpt and enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget down below.

No matter what kind of home cook you are—budding beginner or full-on chef—this book will come in handy and equip you with the fundamental building blocks you need to feel confident and at ease in the kitchen.Want to know how to boil eggs or whip up the perfect omelet? What about making dressings, stocks, and sauces? Or properly stocking your fridge and pantry? Cayne's got you covered. I'm most interested in getting over my fear of frying (it's a thing) and learning to pick and cut my own herbs. 

Downton-Meets-Farmhouse Kitchen Wall (feat. decor from Gordmans!)

You guys, I'm about to share the most neutral I've ever gone with a room. Ever. So over our Christmas/NYE break, we removed wallpaper, repaired plaster walls, and painted our kitchen. 

Kitchen Inspiration: Homey, Neutral, and Vintage

Our kitchen's mini makeover is nearly complete. Wallpaper down. Plaster repaired. Walls painted. This weekend, I'm putting some initial decorating touches on the space. (For me, spaces and decor are always evolving.) I can't wait to share the big reveal with you guys. This is the most neutral I've ever gone in a room, but you can bet that it's not all white and gray and brown. ;)

In the meantime, I wanted to share a few kitchens that I found on Pinterest that ended up serving as a source of inspiration—whether it be borrowing colors or brainstorming decor details. Together, ideas from these kitchens sum up what I want my kitchen to be: Homey. Functional. A nice nod to the vintage feel of turn-of-the-century kitchens. A little farmhouse action—since we're in rural Iowa, after all. And some bits of color brightening up an otherwise neutral space.  

Kitchen Makeover | Part I

When we got this house, I really thought I'd have sooo much more blogging material. And as a matter of fact, I do. I've just been short on the blogging time. So allow me to apologize for blog posts being so few and far between for the last few months. Good stuff is coming, I promise. We spent the summer and warmer months of fall focused on the the exterior. And we're devoting our winter to giving the interior a facelift. That mostly means: peeling wallpaper, fixing plaster, and sealing / priming / painting the walls.