What's For Dinner?

The mess while the range hood is reconnected!

Back to Normal!

Hi! Well, after much back and forth and an almost threat I finally had the kitchen people send out a contractor to re-connect my range hood. The first two photos show my kitchen turned upside down! It took him about 3 1/2 hours and the job was more involved than I thought it would be. When the contractor saw the screws that held the hood he could not believe it, he said I was very lucky that it did not hit me in the head! He had to pull out the range, which had been secured into the studs, that took him some time to reach under the oven and get to the screws. After he hung the hood he stood back and had to start over again because it was off by over 1/2 an inch on the left. Thankfully the contractor was pleasant but I was happy to see him go so I could clean and get back on schedule with things I had to do.

The good news was that after he pulled out the range I got my Vermont Sign back! That made me happy, very happy. I now hung it on the other wall next to the fruit. If it should ever fall again it will only bruise the bananas! I hung another little picture over the range, it hung in the kitchen before, I moved it into the family room and now it is back in the kitchen. I was going to leave the space empty, but it looked empty! I had hung my BIG clock there before, but after the backsplash was installed I could no longer hang the clock, the clearance from the top was too tight. When I moved the clock one hand fell behind the range and I now have that back too! Now, I can watch time fly by!

Today I have a lot to finish up and want to use Wednesday to relax before I head to Walt Disney World on Thursday. There will be a lot of running around when I am there, fun times with my sons and their families and then I bring my two grandsons back home to spend time with us.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe week!

Kitchen and New Table?

Here is a photo of my kitchen! I am loving it, well this half anyway!!! There was a problem with a drawer and the new range so I am now waiting for the base cabinets on the other side to be removed and moved over 3 inches so the drawer can open! The stove cannot be hooked up until after that is done, nor can the counter be installed. . .well, I wasn't planning on using the stove anyway ;) and at least now I have my sink, which I missed the most. Having to use a half-bath to do dishes and clean up is a bit daunting. It was funny after the plumber left though, I had been programmed to get water from the half-bath, it took me nearly a day to stop doing that. I am very happy with the quality of the workmanship and the outcome, a bit upset by the man who came out to measure though, just for a mere three inches it put everything off. Right now I have made makeshift counters so I can at least use that half for the microwave and taking out and putting things into the fridge! My husband does not know this yet, BUT tonight I am going to ask him if I can buy a new kitchen table, I have my eye on a round/white pedistal table . . .Please!

I have also done a bit of spring Easter decorating, I am skipping over St. Patty's Day! Wishing everyone a great day.

It is getting there, my kitchen I mean

I could never have survived a kitchen remodel where they would be here for months. . .a week of demo was bad enough! My new cabinets are hung and things are slowly getting back into place. I can once again see my living room floor and the remainder of the kitchen stuff is on the sofa. These are items that I cannot put away just yet. There are a few little odds and ends that need tweaking and next Tuesday the counters will be installed and then next Wednesday my sink/dishwasher/exhaust fan and range will be connected. I am the most excited about getting my sink back. As you can see I have created make-do counters for the time being. Friday I did all the touch up painting, we have decided to leave the kitchen the color it is for now since it was painted only a short time ago. I love the yellow with the white cabinets and accents of black, it reminds me of Spring and my favorite flower -Daisies-! I painted some of the area where the backsplash will be installed, I still have to decide what I want, but I am leaning toward the tin panels. So, my house has been cleaned and most everything has been put back. . .I cannot wait to finish decorating and being able to enjoy my new kitchen.

Kitchen-Good News-Bad News

Day Two: I am anxious for the work to be finished so I can enjoy my new kitchen, now by enjoy I mean put the house back together, being able to display my white ironstone china in my glass front cabinet along with a little seasonal decoration! (see photo of my little corner glass front cabinet-sitting on a dropcloth) Putting my stuff back up and just looking at the newness of it all. I love the look my new gas stove, I will be able to fit a turkey, 3 pies, vegtables and other foods instead of having to cook everything on item at a time, my wall oven was so small. WAIT, what am I saying, I am not going to use the new range, this way it will look brand new forever. . .we can eat out, heck, we have gotten used to eating microwave food, cereal and can goods, that should work. Yes, the new kitchen will look new forever because I will rope it off with velvet ropes. . . (at least for a day!) Bottom line, it is still a mess as the electrician is here and there is a long way to go, but I AM LOVING IT so far!

Now, we had a lot of snow yesterday. The cabinets are being stored in the garage, last words I heard were keep the garage locked up and do not let these get wet. Well, my daughter's car was covered in snow, she only cleaned off the windows and the snow remained on the rest of the car, overnight the snow of course melted and made its way to where the cabinets were stored. The base cabinets and all the trim work got wet! I brought in the trim and dried it off, but the cabinets are too heavy for me to left so I had to scoot them as best I could onto the dry area of the garage floor. My carpenter is not here yet, he said he would arrive after the electrians left. . .so I am hoping with all my heart that the cabinets have not be "hurt". . .

Update: My carpenter arrived and he said the cabinets should be fine, but he will know more after he inspects them, he was more concerned over the trim work, but said since I brought the stuff inside, dried it off, they should be fine, ok, on the count of three everyone X their fingers!

A few more photos of kitchen

Some more photos of my kitchen.

Day #1 of Kitchen Remodel

Well, the day I have been waiting for has arrived. . .demo day for the start of my new kitchen!

Everything has been moved into the living room and I created a tiny little kitchen area in the dining part of the kitchen.

So far it is not half as bad as I had expected. I am remaining calm and staying focused on the end results. The man who is doing the work is very nice, neat and organized and I like that a lot.

Anyone who knows me knows how I am when my house is not in tip/top perfect condition, but I have learned to deal and know that all is this will soon be a memory. I keep focused on how I will decorate that glass front corner cabinet.

Speaking of cabinets, they were supposed to be delivered by now, so far nothing, we are also waiting on the plumber. The only major thing is that when he removed the built in oven he said the gas line will have to be moved over, if only it was about 25 inches over in the other direction it would be fine.

So, some photos of what my living room looks like now and the kitchen as it looks at this moment! I will keep you updated as time goes on. Meanwhile I will try to find something to keep me busy. I was going to work on doll clothes, but never moved my fabric and such so I could get to it, now I cannot. Maybe this evening I will pull some fabric and such out.

Shopping for a new kitchen stove.

Yesterday we went shopping to find a range for the kitchen. All the cabinets are going to be white and the counter top will be beige with specs of black/white/browns/golds, very muted. I did not want granite and picked Corian, after doing research it will be easier to maintain and of course the cost! I read that natural stone can crack if something very hot is placed on it and that is not something I wanted to chance. I am happy so far with my choices. I found a paint color for the wall, it is called Safari Tan/Vintage Masters by Ralph Lauren. My new stove is black and white, it was the only one of its kind on the display floor and when I saw it I knew it was the one. I hope I will not change my mind when it is installed the end of the month! I did not want everything to be white since I have many accents in black, so we purchased it along with a exhaust fan hood. I do not like stainless, so this should work out. I think for a backsplash I may use tin, today I went to Home Depot and saw these "tin" squares that can be used for a backsplash. There was a display kitchen that used it and it looked really nice. I do not want tiles, thought about wainscoating, so I will have to decide.

Yesterday and today were busy shopping days, but FUN! Expensive, but FUN!

Now, I need to find something to entertain myself, Super Bowl Sunday is not my thing!

Dates for the start of Kitchen remodel!

Well, this is how it goes, I was told the work will start on TUESDAY, February 11. . .after I hang up the phone I look at my calendar to mark the date and February 11 is a Monday. . .so I am thinking in my excitment I made the error, yesterday another call, I bring this up and the project coordinator said she would check and get back to me. Today I am told that the start date will be TUESDAY, February 12. . .that's more like it. Now this sets everything back a day and it will not be until the end of February until the water can be hooked up again, thank goodness February is a short month! I do not know how people can live through a complete home remodel project. . .I would not make it!

My cabinets are being emptied of things that I feel I must keep, even though I never use them, for example a very pretty canister set, I have collections of a lot of primitive things and vintage kitchen items, so I sort and will have a yard sale in the spring and some things I have tossed out. I plan on being very selective of what I will keep. I want my new kitchen to have a less primitive look with fewer collectibles this go round. Of course my style is a mix of primitive/upcountry/cottage, very eclectic. I hope I can pull this off! I guess by March I will know for sure and will keep everyone updated on the progress.

I guess my glass front cabinet will not be decorated for Valentine's Day this year. OK, so what holiday will be next, St. Patty's Day! I may have to go out and shop for something "green". . .

A New Kitchen

My kitchen how it looks today, I had the walls painted two years ago, paint chips, I found out, are not the same as the paint on the wall. I had chosen a soft golden buttery yellow and it was much, much brighter than I had expected. I have come to like the color, but will have to decide if I will keep it after the new cabinets and counters are installed. The side of the kitchen where the cabinets are does not have a lot of wall space, the eat in area does. But, I have time to decide and may change my mind at least 100 times.

This is the third week of waiting for the call about the installation of my new kitchen. Why does time fly by when you do not want it too and stands still at other times? I put off new cabinets and counters/appliances for a long, long time and now the waiting seems longer than the wait I had to make up my mind. My kitchen has lost its sparkle and is looking old and dated. Not vintage/quaint/charming old, but old and dated. I more or less knew the look I wanted so picking out the cabinets was easy as well as the counter top. It will not be a complete overhaul since my kitchen functions well with the layout. We are opting for a full size range in place of a built in wall oven and cooktop and I will get added counter space where the cooktop is installed. I picked out white cabinets, black antique knobs and those old fashion country style black drawer pulls that look like half-moons. That is the only way I know how to describe them. I have been removing all the "stuff" from my cabinets so when the call comes I will be ready. One corner cabinet will have a glass front door, this is what excites me most because I will be able to display my ironstone china and for different seasons/holidays add a little display. I am hoping this will be finished well before Easter because I have a great Easter Rabbit and some painted wooden eggs that will look so great in that cabinet with my ironstone china. Everyday I think about a new display for the cabinet, 4th of July, Fall, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, have I mentioned I love to "decorate" and move things around in my home? I am trying to be calm and taking one day at a time. I do not like a messy home, things have to be neat/tidy and clean. . .I guess I will have to tolerate the invasion of my house and the mess and in the end I hope it will all be worth it!