Oh So Close

I may have spoken a little too soon.  My kitchen cabinets are not quite done. . .yet still, I love them.  Perhaps I should make you wait for the final reveal to make a bigger impact--but no.  Here is what we got done today: uppers in, first step of two part crown in, cook top and downdraft in, sink in, facet in.  (And by "we" I really mean the cabinet installer and Rob--with a smidge of help from me.)

Ode to Soapstone

Oh inky soapstone, how do I love thee?

Let me count the ways:

I love the depth and richness of thy color. . .

and the wispy veins that flow upon thee.  

I love thy texture and thy shape,

thy silky smoothness and thy soapy talciness.

I love they way you set off my cabinets and make my appliances shimmer.

I love thee with smiles and tears, with sighs and long glances.

I shall love thee here. . .and I shall love thee elsewhere--

should we ever move and have to install thee all over again.

And I love that my cabinets will be all in by the end of the day. Yeah!

Welcome Spring!

So this time of year I start getting spring fever.  I want to be outside--with my hands in the dirt.  I start looking up plants and planning beds and thinking of making hypertufa pots.  But what I am really excited about this year is my garden. And since my kitchen is on hold mode until Wednesday (since last Saturday)  I decided to get a jump start.

Last year was the first year in this house and so the first year I had space for more than a couple tomato plants and maybe a pepper plant or two.  But since I had ripped out my rotten raised beds I merely had a dirt patch for a garden.  I threw in some tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins and a few herbs and called it good. 

But THIS year, I have big plans.  I am getting ready to build several raised beds in my side yard for lots of lovely gardening.  I have drawn diagrams and made lists. . . and over the weekend I purchased SEEDS.  I am going to attempt to grow a garden from scratch.  I figure if they all die I can run out last minute and buy plants at the nursery and try again.  But since seeds are cheap I splurged and bought like 17 different kinds of seeds.  Then I purchased some of those little peat pots for starting seeds.

I filled the peat pellets with water and watched them swell--in equal increments with my excitement--then I pushed tiny little seeds down in the musty soil and stuck in my make-shift labels. . .

Then I covered them up to keep them moist and wait for the day when they will pop their tiny heads up out of the dirt.  I can't wait.  Just the sight of the water condensing on the domed lid makes me giddy. . .

And now that they are on their way to becoming little plants that will some day soon need a home, I have further incentive to get out there and build my garden.  Wish me luck!

Kitchen Update

Since we went backwards on Wednesday, it may look like we didn't make much progress (especially since an upper that was up is now down--it wasn't square and got rebuilt), but here is where we stand at the end of the week. 

The counters have been templated--and will go in next Tuesday. The sink is in place. . . finally (it was a lot of work because it was a little TOO irregular!). 

 Plus Rob and I installed our convection microwave and our oven.  I have to say I used to be stronger!  I will have to work on that.  But at any rate, it looks great!

Oh, and my bar legs went in. . . lovely!

Install Day One

Here are the pictures for the day.  The installers will be back bright and early to finish up.  And the counter top fabricator will be here shortly after.  And the HVAC guy will come somewhere in between.  It is a regular zoo around here.   

This morning the excavating guy showed up right before the cabinet installers at 7:30 (We had a grade issue on our side yard that was causing water to pool under our house) and between his dump truck, regular truck and trailer with bobcat plus the cabinet people's two vans, truck and trailer and car we had a regular traffic jam.  Hannah was worried the bus wouldn't get through.  It almost didn't!  Luckily we had alerted the neighbors about their pending arrival so everything went smoothly.

See you tomorrow. . .same time, same place!

A Peek at Progress

The cabinets are FINALLY going in!  Happy birthday ME!

After a minor hiccup with a down draft vent, progress is being made in my kitchen.  I have to keep sneaking in to take snap shots of the action.  I can hardly focus on my homework--good thing it is spring break (which means I have less work, rather than no work.)

So without further ado, here are some pictures of the progress so far:

The first piece into my house.  It is one side of the upper cabinets for my hutch.  It will rest on the cabinet. (It is also upside down in this picture.)

One of the legs for my bar.  I LOVE this leg.  You might remember the kitchen I saw in a magazine that featured these little lovelies.  (Only they were stained brown in the picture).  I had legs made up to match.

The bar cabinet. . .I can't wait to see the legs and arched valance attached. 

Did you notice the new pendent light over the sink area?  What do you think? I will get close ups of everything when it is all done.

More to come later.  

And. . .Take three!

Friday was delayed until Saturday was delayed until Monday was delayed until Tuesday.  I am promised tomorrow will be THE day.  Again with the fingers (not that finger--cross fingers with me please).

Anticipation. . .

It's like Christmas around here.  The kitchen is all ready and waiting for the cabinets.  They were delayed but they are supposed to come tomorrow.  Cross your fingers with me.

Kitchen Progress

Over the past week:

1.  Cabinets have come the rest of the way out (and were sold).

2. Electrical outlets/lights have been moved.

3. Plumbing has been redirected.

4. Drywall has been patched.

5. Ceiling has been mostly planked (and will be painted white).

6. Purchased:  Cabinet hardware, faucet, pendant light (for above the sink).

Thanks Dad, for coming to help us!

I am now relegated to washing dishes in my laundry room sink!  We have been eating a lot of sandwiches, microwave food and the occasional dinner out--and of course crock pot meals. Less than two weeks and we will be back in the kitchen--in style.

Kithcen Demolition: Day Three

The trick is to get enough work done to be ready on time and  not take things out too early. . . like the sink.  Because next week we are really busy and won't be able to work on it much until Thursday or Friday.  I want to keep my dishwasher and sink as long as possible.  Regardless, we did our fair share of damage:

Getting started.

Hmmm. . .that's not good.  Plumber?. . . Electrician?

Rob--getting my pot light hole ready to become a pendant light hole.

Overview of the mess--I mean progress.

One more lower cabinet out--but I still have my sink!