Before and After

After ten days of motoring through the Okeechobee and Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Hans and I finally arrived at our new home.

We are now an official live-aboard couple and our home is on a boat in a marina.

Due to family problems this has been the worst and most bizarre year of my life and I'm glad to finally get settled somewhere where I can try to get back to normal.

We no sooner got ourselves settled than we both had to leave for two weeks. Hans to France on business, and me back home. When we finally got back together I decided that something needed to be done to make our boat a bit more like home. When you're constantly on the move (sailing or motoring) a lot of aesthetics get left at the curb, otherwise you'd have a huge mess on your hands at the end of each day.


I attacked the galley first.

This is an overall before picture.

Cookbooks stacked on top of the pantry, and a plastic bin (hiding behind my bourbon) full of stained tea towels and a bottle of Crisco Oil.

After.

Cookbooks and pot holders (huge ones I made last year) are now stacked behind the bourbon, stained tea towels are under the sink where they belong, and my nice new tea towels (a wonderful present from a former employer) are above the pantry where the cook books used to reside.
The Crisco is in a cupboard.

Before.

A close up.

BTW, this is where we used to have a microwave but we got rid of it. You can only have so much junk on a boat!

After.

Sitting front and center is a cute little crab dip dish (a gift to Hans and me from my kids years ago), and a lighthouse/sailboat salt and pepper set from my mother. You can't leave this stuff out when you're on the move.

Before.

Those cookbooks.

After.

Tea towels and a Pyrex measuring cup.

I keep this list tablet at the helm station and I've used it several times since we've arrived. It was a gift from Cyndi (at Blue Bird's Wing).

You may recall that I was fortunate enough to hook up with Cyndi this summer and I consider myself very lucky to have met such a fun and wonderful lady!

I would also love to start sewing again but Florida's summer temperatures make it very difficult and I can't imagine trying to use a steam iron in a sauna. Our air conditioner is wonderful but it barely keeps up during the heat of the day.

However I do have a small project in the works so I'll keep you posted.