Best of '09: What's the best change you made to the place you live?

This one is so very easy. Because, while I've lived in this house since March of 2005, I just, this year, started making changes to my house. I stripped the wallpaper, painted the fixtures and walls of my ugly main floor bathroom, and I love it (I posted pics earlier this year.) But my favorite change by far has been in the kitchen.

Ok, first of all, ignore the boy in the pic - he will be irritated that I posted him, but this is the best photo I have of the kitchen before I attacked. I am not a wine and grapes kind of girl, and I really hate wallpaper borders, so that was the first thing to be destroyed - I mean, removed. There was also wallpaper in an odd shade of blue that had to be done away with. We ditched the builder-grade brass chandelier and the 1980's ceiling fixture, and installed brushed stainless fixtures. Patched up the walls, painted a sunny yellow...

I know, I've posted this before, but it really does bear repeating. I love the color more every day. I need to do something about the windows and backsplash, but I love being in my kitchen now.