Some day, Brad and I are going to have an airy kitchen with miles of counter space, built-in wine racks, a full-size freezerless refrigerator (with one drawer reserved for raw cheese and one for fresh herbs), a superbly organized and functional spice drawer, and, if favor shines on me, a marble-top island.

For now, I have this shelf. It holds the oils and spices we use often and the pretty containers of jams and honey I can’t bear to hide in a cupboard (not that I have room anyway). It fills up the empty wall space above the sink. It gives me something pleasant to look at the one time a week I feel guilty for letting Brad do all the dishes and decide to knock a few pots and pans out.

But my favorite part of this favorite spot is the poster. Not for its World War I matter-of-fact message or sensible typography, but for the itty bitty pink post-it note stuck right next to “5—serve just enough.” It says “Work on this one :)” My sister Jessie stuck it on there, presumably after having one too many dishes of leftovers forced on her. It always makes me smile. And when I’m scrubbing dishes, I need every smile I can get.

shelf | Umbra
print | Wallblank (I’m also loving this one.)