MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Merry Christmas to everyone in blogland. So sorry I have not posted in a while. My new kitchen reveal in early 2016...I promise! In the meantime, have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Kitchen Island Renovation and Waiting ... Rather impatiently

So what is it about contractors? I am really trying to get this kitchen in place and done! I've made my backsplash selection, paint colors selections, have the countertops in place, but I can't even get people to call me back (with the exception of my cabinet painter - she's been there from the beginning). So, I have some snippets to show you, but that's it.
In the meantime, my husband and I decided to remake our kitchen island. Here it is, plain as can be (without the top because I forgot to take a before photo).

 First, he added panels of beadboard to give it a little more character and hide all of the cracks and dents of the old wood.

 Then, I bought these legs online from Adams Wood Products. They actually cut the corners out if you don't have the tools to do it yourself (we didn't). They fit perfectly. I wanted the island to look as if it was a separate piece of furniture. I will be painting it a different than the rest of the cabinets, too.

Stay tuned for the rest of the kitchen project (if I can get someone to call me back). I honestly don't want to hang the tile for the backsplash myself -- you'll see why when I reveal the cool tile I got!

The Befores

A while back I told you we were remodeling our kitchen (It Started with a New Stove). No new cabinets, but new countertops, a new island configuration and new dishwasher. We are having the cabinets painted.

We are going through the process now and it's strange, I've become emotionally attached to my countertops -- formica and all. And my dishwasher, a Maytag that hasn't had a problem in the 20 years I've owned it, I love it. (Am I sane?) Seriously, these things  all gave me a good 20 years worth of service and I was not throwing them into a dumpster!

I tried to donate both to different charity organizations-- a place called Second Chance and Habitat for Humanity and no one would take these great countertops and my dishwasher (I guess I can't blame them about the dishwasher, but the countertops were in perfect shape). So, I went on Craigslist and listed them for free and guess what? I had many, many takers!

So, if they are all in such good shape, why update?
First and foremost, we don't plan on staying here forever. Maybe we we will, but the plan is to relocate someday. So, we wanted to update because everyone knows that kitchens sell homes, and we want to enjoy our investment! So, when we got the stove and the rest snowballed. Here are my before photos.

My beloved dishwasher and countertops:

My sink that really bugged me -- impossible to keep clean and ugh, the scratches!

So, we got the new countertops, sink and dishwasher yesterday. Sneak peek...

Still have a lot to do do...stay tuned!

Happy Valentine's Day with a Little Parisian Romance

It's Valentine's Day! I decided to do a little crafting in honor of this day so I could post some things to my badly neglected Etsy shop. These solid wood switch plates were purchased in at a flea market and I made them so pretty with just some chalk paint and ink!

 

Of course, Paris is one of the most romantic cities in the world so why not add a touch of romance with stamps?

Hope your day is full of Paris romance and love!

It Started with a New Stove...

Well, readers ...anyone still out there? I am back for a while, I hope. A lot has happened. A couple family things (I'll explain in another post) and the Christmas holiday and work and it's just been a whirlwind.

So, the stove. My 19-year old stove broke in July. I got a new one, which I'm not super happy with -- I mean how do you keep stainless steel and those black glass tops clean? That will be the death of me! Thanks goodness I decided to get a white refrigerator two years ago.

When we got the stove, we had to rip out part of our backsplash so that's when I decided that this 19-year old, formica counter topped, warped beadboard backsplashed kitchen needed to be updated.

Our plans:
Keep the cabinets -- they are in great shape, but probably need to be stained or painted because they are pretty banged up. I think we will paint and I would save a bundle if I did it myself, but I honestly don't have the time.
Get glass for the cabinets -- I never put the glass in 2 of the cabinets -- yep, dusty dishes.
Ditch the formica countertops -- I've longed for marble or granite and I think it's time. But, I have to say, the formica still looks pretty good after all of these years.See the beautiful quartzite to the right? -- our new island top!
Find a compatible, more functional backsplash. Beadboard looked great for about 6 years ... then it started warping behind the sink. It's been that way for a good 15 years.
Change up the island. I want the island to be the centerpiece. We are going to do some fun, inexpensive (except for the countertop) things.
Add cabinets to where the desk is -- We need storage for our waffle maker, mixer, etc. Right now they are stored in our family room. I honestly thought this would be inexpensive, but it is not. The problem -- the cabinet depth is not standard. It has to be under 21 inches. Looking at vanity size cabinets, but most have to be ordered. Kind of expensive -- way more than I thought. Heading to salvage yards this week.
Get a new dishwasher. Ours is almost 20 years old. It does an okay job. I mean, sometimes we have to wash the dishes again, but it's still going. I don't want to let go, but my husband is making me.
Get a new sink -- basic stainless steel. NEVER get a white enamel sink if you have 3 boys and/or well water. Just sayin'
Remove the railing between the family room and kitchen to open up the room a bit.

So stay tuned readers. I will be posting some before and after shots over the next few weeks.