just me, in the kitchen

“just me, in the kitchen” is where I share what I’m actually cooking, how I’m making it (even when I don’t feel like it), and the behind-the-scenes chaos that comes with keeping a real-life kitchen running.

You’ll find easy, unfussy recipes, quick pantry meals, kitchen thoughts, and yes… even the occasional cleaning motivation post. Because someone has to wipe down the counters… and it’s usually me.

This isn’t a polished food blog. It’s more like a peek into what happens when an ordinary woman with big foodie dreams and a limited grocery haul decides to make dinner anyway.

Let’s cook. Let’s eat. Let’s clean. Let’s keep it real.


It’s just me, in the kitchen.


I’m Kristin

aka Kiki, a dreamer, doer, and daydream decorator living in Louisville, Kentucky. I share my home with my husband, our college-age daughter, and two high maintenance landlords named Magnolia and Briar.

By day, I juggle multiple part-time jobs, including working for a home staging and design company and by night, I scroll through dreamy real estate listings and Hampton private chefs Instagram and imagine the life I’d live if I lived there.

Welcome to just me, living here a space where I pretend to be the homeowner and designer of beautiful homes that are (sadly) not mine. I create mood boards, and design ideas, all while living my very real, very ordinary life in my own home.

Some days I might be me showcasing a multi-million dollar riverfront stunner, and the next it’s just me… sharing my favorite products, throwing together dinner, ordering mocktails, eating bread or planting radishes (that nobody eats).

This blog is my love letter to the life I dream about and the real one I live. It’s part inspiration, part pretend, and part practical. A little home design, a little gardening, a little cooking, a little drinking, and a whole lot of honest living.

Thanks for being here, it means a lot to a girl with big dreams, a lot of love to share and a messy little house. 🌿✨

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