I used to juggle carpools, piano practice, and a hundred tiny emergencies while balancing a mug of coffee on the counter that always seemed to attract crumbs. As a mom in my forties with two kids between eight and twelve, my kitchen is where homework meets dinner and where neighbors pop in to borrow sugar. I remember the afternoon my daughter drew a tiny sun on the back of a wooden board while I chopped herbs; that little mark somehow turned an ordinary utensil into a keepsake. Those everyday moments made me rethink practical decor. I wanted something warm, simple…