Kitchen Adventures

I know the 5 of you who read this blog are chomping at the bit, ready for me to reveal my brand spankin' new kitchen! I hate to disappoint you, but it's not done yet.  We've been working hard on it, but we've run into a few...adventures.

Adventure #1 - We shattered a 3'x9' granite slab. Yep, 250 bucks down the drain. As I always say, "What doesn't kill us makes us more broke."  We bought another piece and moved on.

Adventure #2 - Remember the great deal on door/window trim (casing) that we got? Yeah. It wasn't the same stuff.  Unfortunately, Mark didn't notice until he had already installed it on some of our doorways.  The one we picked was very square...this one has soft edges. Needless to say, it's the one we're sticking with!

Adventure #3 - Mark thought it would be a good idea for ME to lay the tile in our kitchen (while he made all the necessary cuts).  I'm a perfectionist and our 62 year old floor is not. Mark had to intervene a few times, but we're all still alive.

So, as you can see, remodeling doesn't always go the way you want it to.  You learn that you have to be a little bit flexible and have a lot of patience (throw in some good spousal communication and you've got it made!).

To hold you over until the big reveal, here are a few sneak peaks.

I leave for Washington DC on Saturday and get back the following Friday night. I'm hoping to be able to use my kitchen when I get back!

Guess what's different

Obviously we have loads more work to do before our kitchen is "finished", but Mark added a few more touches today that makes this room feel a little more "done".

Notice anything different?

1. Crown moulding, check!
2. Plywood decking, check!
3. Wood panels on end cabinets, check!
4. He even went to Lowes today and bought all the cabinet hardware (pulls) as you can see in the picture above. They're not installed yet...that will be a real finishing touch...but they are stainless steel and look like this (image from here):

Mark does not waste time - I just heard a "pow!" and a "holla!" come from the kitchen area...he's laying Hardibacker on the kitchen floor in preparation for our stone/tile floors which, no, we have not picked out yet.  He also just finished the wiring for the double wall oven and microwave. Everything just gets us closer and closer to a real, working kitchen!!

And now for a story ... We (that was the imperial we - meaning Mark) had a major score at Big Orange, otherwise knows as The Home Store That Is Taking 90% of My Paycheck yesterday...he went in and talked to the special order people about our moulding situation (door and window casing).  The style we like only came in Hemlock and it was going to be a pain to prime and paint, so he asked if it came in the already primed MDF.  They looked and found that they do have it - but only by special order.  Wondering how much it was, he asked and while the sales person was making the call, he did some math and figured it would be near the price of the Hemlock which was a little over a dollar a linear foot.  The sales person got off the phone and said to Mark, "It'll be .28 cents a linear foot."  And he said, "Give me one million feet of it!"  Kidding...but he did get more than he needed.  I have no idea how it was that price, but that was a God deal (good deal), for sure! (Makes me think of our double wall oven.)  :o)

A little unrelated fun for my mom and dad

Mom and Dad,

Because you now live in the desert of Arizona, I think one or two of these would be perfect to decorate your house!

What do you think??  It's the "prickly pair chair".  Ha!  Awesomeness.