Dear Beekeeperswife,
Do I have your permission to quote the 32 sample cans of gray post above next time my husband says to me, gently, as I stand in front of a blank foam board with sample cans of Farrow and Ball arranged in a pyramid before me, "So, are you deciding what color to paint your board today?" I don't think that I've reached 32 yet, and mine are polychrome. I can't overcome my fascination with this stuff. (And I dare not get started with old fashioned milk paint, because the permutations are infinite.)

Along the lines of lax's cookbook confession, I must admit to buying bottles of whine (and other stuff) just because of the shape and color of the bottle so I could have the bottle for my kitchen.

Feeling boring here! So far my only matches: using the vacuum inside the oven - works so well; buffing surfaces till shiny; dreaming about collecting beautiful containers for my open-shelf pantry.
Real confession: Reading this post so to see what more I can incorporate once my kitchen is complete!

My husbands big Christmas gift this year.... is a re-gift. Bless my evil evil heart.

(And I can't say what it is, but it's kitchen related I swear!).

My husband does not realize that you can buy an oven and cooktop for less than $10,000.

I confess that I just barely joined this forum after reading obsessively for a few weeks. I am guilty of being a OTK lover. In my defense, I live in rural Idaho where it takes a solid 10 years for current trends elsewhere in the country to become popular here...so I guess that ultimately makes me a bit ahead of the curve.

I confess that I'm quite proud of my repurposed DIY mobile kitchen island with its obviously fake distressed paint faux-finish, despite the down-with-distressed thread not long ago.

Posted by jejvtr (My Page) on Wed, Dec 21, 11 at 20:03

We finished our whole house/kitchen reno nearly 6 years ago & I still hang out here

7+ years here. Kitchen was completed in Nov 04. It's still NEW to me though. I still marvel at my granite counters which I absolutely LOVE. And my bay window. And my appliance garage. And my walk-in pantry (organized by type of item). And my Brookhaven cabinets. And my travertine floors. And my backsplash! And and and... the list goes on.

Posted by dretutz (My Page) on Wed, Dec 21, 11 at 23:05

... I do not alpha organize the spices--mine are organized by savory/sweet and cooking purpose ...

Same here. I don't have duplicates though.
My sister was visiting once many years ago and came into my kitchen and did me the favor of alphabetizing my spices. Eek!! No! I have them in a perfect order according to what they are used for and how often I use them! I couldn't get mad though, she was trying to help! LOL

The kitchen skill of which I'm proudest is my ability to eye up a pot of leftovers and know instinctively which Tupperware container will be the perfect fit.

I have an entire shed worth of furniture, cabinets, hardware, old doors and windows, and millwork that I have been collecting at construction sites, garage sales, and auctions. I have a 36" Thermador in my dining room, because I don't have a gas hookup in the temp. kitchen. I started collecting this stuff 5 years ago with no intentions of ever using them until we built a new house. We don't start building until this spring. Honestly, I think the only thing I'm going to keep is the Thermador and one of the doors.

LOL! Zeebee, never thought about it, but I'm with you on that. Call it "spatial geometry". Impress your friends. :) (I'm good at loading up a car for camping, too.)

Lowspark, that's horrible that someone would do that to you! My assistant once did that with a project I was working on while I was on a business trip and I was so beside myself when I got back and saw what she'd done that I had to go home and cry. (How's that for a confession?) When my spices were in the hated super susan in the old kitchen (literally nowhere else to put them!), I grouped them by type and what gets used together, too. I thought I would in the new kitchen, but the spice rack told me it wanted to be alphabetical, and when one's new kitchen speaks, it's a good idea to listen. :)

I have walked up to a faucet in a kitchen display showroom and kissed it. After doing a GW kitchen remodel 8 years ago, we moved a year later into a new home, but with a 100% "builders grade" kitchen. I think I missed my pull-out Moen Aberdeen faucet the most, and couldn't contain myself when I saw one in the store.

I do have to give DH credit -- he then actually surprised me and bought me one (and a suitable sink to match)all on his own for Christmas that year!!!! While some women are offended at getting vacuum cleaners and such for gifts, I think that faucet was the most thoughtful and special gift ever! I didn't even think he would know what kind it was!

I always fill my own stocking, somewhat sulkily, every year because my DH's family never did stockings and I haven't managed to make him follow my lead. Sometimes I can get him to wrap them if he's around when I'm wrapping.
This year I made a wish list of gadgets from a recent-ish gadget thread and um, others. I have bought myself some of them, alright most of them, and I'm going to wrap them and put them in my stocking. I'm sure my DH will think I just went to the dollar store and grabbed a bunch of junk to stuff my stocking with but each one was carefully selected based on GW's recommendation. No sulking this year!

Confession: I read every one of these posts, 109 when I started (and I have so much to do for dinner guests coming tomorrow night). You guys are hilarious, you made my day, I laughed so many times reading them I almost pee'd. Definitely my favorite thread.

We spent more on the sink than the oven (and we have a niice oven) because the sink HAD to be just-so. Exactly a certain depth, rounded corners, offset drain, apron front with narrow front lip, flush-mountable, forgiving surface, etc.

Alphabetize spices? But of course. This is the main cook's survival set during remodel (it lived in a briefcase and was recently transferred to its cabinet). There is only a small subset of the peppers. The cook and I disagree as to whether paprika, a sweet pepper, goes with the other kind of peppers or as 'paprika'. He says 'paprika' since we have several kinds, I say it goes under 'pepper' subalphabetized as to kind since it IS a pepper) He cooks, he gets the final vote. We both agree the peppercorns, being a different thing entirely, go after the true peppers, even though they are sometimes called 'pepper', and yet we put pink 'peppercorns' and szechuan 'peppercorns' under 'peppercorns'. Go figure. A friend was poking around our cabinet, so a couple got a little out of order (the mexican oregano is after the turkish), after looking at the photo, I think I'll go fix it.:

New spice home for when the rest come home from storage (there will also be shelves on the door):

Dh came home from work today with an Amazon gift certificate, which he gave to me(Don't ask). And the first thing that comes to my sick mind is- can I find trash can bags to fit in the jerryrigged trash can I keep in the sink? Earrings? nah. A new hair straightener? nah. Nice looking garbage bags, with no printing from a grocery store.

kitchendetective--I had no idea how many little pots of paint of gray were in my house...my dh counted them. I had poster boards all over the house taped up. As they were eliminated I would take them down.

ICFGreen, it all started with winning the backsplash, then the tile company photographed it for advertising for their purposes, then it was on Nate Berkus's newsletter about kitchens, and finally it was picked up by a stylist/scout for a Better Homes & Gardens specialty magazine. Look for it in the Spring edition of BH&G Kitchen & Bath makeovers. It was such fun having the incredibly talented photographer and stylist here. Little nervous when she walked on my counters....but that's another story!

Mea culpa.

I buy limes just because they match my kitchen and I don't buy bananas anymore because they don't.

I use the limes only when they start to look tired.

Very cool, Bee! Please remind us when it hits the stands!

Realized another today. I use my lower double oven to store my cookie sheets and pot holders in. I rarely use it, so I figure if I use it as storage, it gets "used" daily. And I vaccuumed the bottoms of my ovens a few weeks ago.

Bee, I love that you won that backsplash. I have had some serious backsplash envy of your fantastic arabesque tile. What a great story, except how did you win a backsplash? And where can I win one just like it?!

When this thread hits 149, as unofficial, self-appointed chaplain of the Kitchen Forum I'll grant you all absolution.

I don't think the fact that I'm a presbyterian who doesn't believe in "absolution" per se is a serious problem, because I don't think the "confessions" are very serious either!

As for me, I confess my cute red cannisters are all empty -- they are completely for show!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Clergychick Amy

My biggest confession: the renovation is complete, but I haven't posted pictures yet -- haven't had the camera handy when the kitchen was neat enough to pose for photos.

I have ALWAYS alphabetized my spices, though I agree about agonizing about the paprika/pepper issue. And what about cayenne pepper? My adult son came home at Thanksgiving (he cooks a lot, too) and reorganized the spice rack along the savory/sweet continuum, whereupon I reinstated the alphabetic order. I did explain to him (nicely) that I would be confused about where to put the ginger/cinnamon/nutmeg/cardamom. And then there's pfefferneuse.....

Another OCD item -- I got really exasperated with all the bags of nuts, raisins, craisins, etc., in the pantry going every which way. So I bought a lot of stacking square containers & labeled them top & sides with my label-maker. And yes, the canned goods all face forward and all pantry items are grouped by category (soup, sauces, beans, tuna, pasta....) I can't stand it when I'm helping out in someone else's kitchen & the pantry or cupboard is all haphazard & chockablock. I don't understand how they can ever find anything!

When someone asks for an ingredient or an implement in my kitchen (or laundry room), I can immediately locate it -- or tell them exactly where to find it. It's like I have a mental map of the kitchen in my brain.

And -- I am hands-down the expert on loading a dishwasher. Some have challenged me, but no one can get as many dishes in the load, yet get them all clean with no breakage.

Most of all, I stop & smile a bit every time I walk into my new kitchen, whether anyone else can see or not.

I am enjoying this thread so much. But I had no idea so many people alphabetize their spices! I am familiar with label love so for all of you with my sickness and no label maker here's a great site for pretty fantastic labels. I don't get any kickbacks from the company or anything, they really just are the best labels I've ever used.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mabel's Labels

I confess that I would like to invite one of you OCD types to visit me for, oh, about a week. I think on the 4th day of that week, I will make an excuse to be out of the house for "just a few hours," and implore you to make yourself at home while I run my errands.

Oh wait, I do have one kitchen quirk, I just thought of it. Of course I also think everybody ought to do it this way. I always load the utensils in the DW in groups: all the teaspoons in one compartment, all the forks together, all the butter knives together, all the soup spoons together -- in the same groups they are in in the utensil drawer. It makes it so much faster to unload, just scoop up a handful and drop them in the drawer, and no worries about the spoons nesting in the DW because they are in slots. DH used to look at me weird for doing it this way but he has come around.

doggonegardener, I am so glad I could help, though I am not convinced that turning the rolls around will stop a truly determined TP-loving cat. Your description of the bites cementing the rolls together is hilarious. You will have to let us know if it works.

What a wonderful thread. Just this morning I was ready to confess that I like the printed paper towels and that I now start my day reading this site instead of the online newspaper. But there is a cure for the paper towel sin-use cloth. Love it and am running to pick up some microfiber towels today at COSTCO. I have also developed a strong desire for a label maker and can't wait to use different colored labels for different groups of food.

I sit, kneel and stand (very rarely) on the counters when I paint/tile the kitchen.

North Carolina, I am very anal about how I load my dishwasher now that I got the top drawer for the silverware and everything has to stay together like you. It is so much easier to load that way.

I love reading all about others that are perfectionists about their kitchens with their routines are paint samples like me so I don't feel alone.

I hide all my good knives when my mother-in-law comes to visit. Otherwise she opens cans with them and breaks the tips off, then offers to buy me a replacement knife from the 99 cent store.

This year I unplugged my microwave and told her it was broken. There was an incident over Thanksgiving where she microwaved a sausage, for 22 minutes on High.

I keep my Bluestar cooktop covered up with foil except for one burner. In case she decides to deep fry another whole fish without turning on the vent.

I want my new kitchen (in January) to be beautiful, even though I plan to spend as little time in there as possible!

tress21 - I am still gasping from having lost my breath when I read your "confession." I'm afraid in similar situations, my "confession" may need to be given at the police station were my mil to do that!

(but she never would - she just may be even more into kitchen gear etc than I am - makes for some nice christmas gifts when she draws my name :-) )

My confession:
My kitchen keeps getting put on indefinite hold. And yet I spend waaay too much of my "free time" (what free time - I have 4 kids ages4-11!!) constantly examining and re-examining what will be the best layout. I am always shifting things around in the the kitchen "do I like it better this way... or this?"

I have also started going to friends' houses (on invitation) and helping them re-organize their kitchens to better maximize efficiency...

it's a sickness, I tell you, a sickness....

i spent a lot on faucets. There's value in faucets.

I spent more there than I spent on cooking appliances and associated new bakeware and pots (AllClad, Tramontina, Ikea365+). I do cook. I can cook anything from scratch and often do.

My husband, a GC, would not paint my kitchen another color. I, hated the color, it was so one weekend when he, was out of town on a job. I, had another contractor, came in and paint it. He, thinks I, did it with a little help. That is true I, did have help.

I too alphabetize my spices ... but I am even more compulsive. I put a little sticker on the bottom of each spice jar with the date I bought it. None of my spices ever live to see their second birthday. Every six months or so, I go through all of them and pull out the ones that are either near empty or approaching two. I then make a run to the Penzeys store to restock.

Proper loading of a dishwasher is an art form.

Proper loading of a dishwasher is an art form.

I can only wish I alphabetized anything in my entire house. Don't give my OCD partner any ideas, please.

LOL @ shar-az! We'll never tell ....

I wash pieces of tin foil, dry them , fold and place in drawer and re-use. Can't imagine not doing this.

I'm right there with you on the alphabetized spices. How else can you locate what you want when you need it?

Have been known to re-use foil.

When I decided to do a checkerboard floor I did planning drawings of the entire kitchen and back hall showing the placement of every single tile in the border and the field to make sure it would come out exactly right when it went down. I did this for two sizes of tiles before making up my mind. I also counted out the rows of tile in my bathroom and then had the height of the platform into which the tub would be set built to exactly the right level so that the installation would have complete rows of tile marching around the walls and the platform without any cut tiles.

I wash the filters in my range hood in the DW after practically every single use-- usually three or four times a week. I break down the top of the Blue Star and wash it often too. I cannot stand even the faintest smell of cooking when I'm not cooking.

My neighbor's kitchen always smells -- at least to me. They installed a Ventahood about ten years ago. I asked how often they clean theirs (they cook almost daily when they're around). Reply -- have never cleaned it!

One of us is surely crazy or maybe we both are.

I now feel like a wasteful, disorganized, but normal slob.

Kitchendetective, I agree that proper loading of a dishwasher is an art-form and I always have to redo how others load my dishwasher and I tell them to not touch it. I have to have everything be in its place.

Kitchendetective --> My DH and you must share the gene. He will re-load the dishwasher and rewash any dishes he did not personally wash.

Well, this thread is getting pretty close to the end, and tomorrow is a big work day for me, so, as promised, here's absolution for all you who made confessions:

From vacuuming ranges to alphabetizing spices, concealing costs to protect the innocent, or appealing to other's sense of smell or your own ideas of beauty, our peccadillos are part of who we are, the ones who bear proudly the T K & O.

As long as we caress our beloveds at least as often as our countertops,

offer hospitality and welcome into our kitchens, if not our dishwashers,

count the blessings that are poured out upon us as often as we bless the faucets in our sinks,

as long as our hearts are not empty though our canisters may be,

we should consider ourselves absolved of the guilt of being totally kitchen obsessed.

May you find in your homes this holiday season the light that shines in the darkness, whether it comes from the candles of an Advent wreath, a menorah, twinkling strings of LEDs, or the pendant lights you chose to hang over your island. May you find warmth, whether it is from hard-working ovens in a busy kitchen, or when you share a cup of coffee or kindness with family and friends gathered around. May you find joy, whether in the third glass of wine, the perfect holiday meal or Chinese takeout, the perfect gift given or received, or in knowing that you are loved and cherished.

Happy holidays!

Clergychick Amy

Thank-you, Amy! That was perfectly lovely.

Amy that was indeed lovely, and I wish the same for you.

Daaang, girl, you definitely have the calling!

I might be the last, but got a good laugh in rereading again!

I, too, love my label maker.
I alphabetize.
I (quoting STBX) can load 10 pounds of crap into a 5 pound bag. Referring to me loading the DW. It's astonishing how space-wasteful some people are!

I only stand on my counters to paint my cabinets. Where I struggle moving a ladder, I never hate to worry about the cabinets being in the wrong place. Of course, until very, very recently, I just had plywood countertops.

When picking up fixtures for the house in 2006, I convinced DH I had found some "on sale" online. My Cifial kitchen and 1 bathroom faucets and a couple of other things. He'll never know that I'm SO good, I can convince eBay vendors to let me do a "lay away" with them, where I'm paying them on time.

I confess the 12" tall wall cabinets I'm building and putting on top of my 30" cabinets for architectural detail will remain empty. I can't reach them, and if I put anything in them I'll never, ever think of it again. But they look cool!

I confess I buy doors, cabinets, hardware, and other sundries at the Community Forklift because I might have a use for them, or they're too cool not to buy. I can, however, load up my truck and take a lot back when I just plain can't figure something out for them. They become a (re)donation. For $5.00 a cab, or $15 an antique door? I'm fine with it.

And finally, after work today? I'm going to spend my 1st Christmas in 3 years of work and about 4 years of other crap, (my DH's hospitalization, then a fire, then his depression, then unbeknownst to me, his blah about xmas because he was running back and forth to his chick's, kind of killed any Christmas we were to have) I am going to be home tonight, tomorrow and Monday.

I am going to get my Fein MultiMaster and cut out some existing drywall (can't believe I'm doing that) to fit cabinets into the MBR. I'm going to use my fabulous orbital sander to sand my butcherblock countertop again. I'm going to hopefully change out some pocket doors for antiques I got at Comm Forklift. And? I'm going to make myself some Crown Rib dinner and sit on the couch and DO NOTHING.

Merry Christmas to you all!
And happy other holiday I can think of.
Be safe and spend it with people you love.
Christine

Thank you Amy! That was a beautiful blessing!

Thanks to all for the good laughs in this holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

I resent the insinuation that I'm TKO. I'm the one with the lopsided misdone symmetry at the range, remember? There's stuff in my drawers that I haven't seen since the original move-in day. My spices are alphabetized but DH can't spell and he doesn't see the point of it because Curry and Gurry are the same to him so where should he look? He buys a separate container of cinnamon and puts it into some obscure place so he can find it without me. He knows that cinnamon is a long word that begins with C, but then, so is Cream of Tartar.

In this penultimate entry, I confess that, as I was screwing in the plywood subfloor with approximately 800 screws over the last 2 days, I wondered if perhaps I should have used a contractor and a bigger checkbook..... Naah!

Okay, who will honor us with the ultimate entry to this thread?

CEF, you definitely deserve a break , best wishes to you.!