May? Already?? ....Where did April go ?

I can't believe how much time has passed since my last post.  Wish I had a valid excuse but none comes to mind ... other than busy or forgetful!    Oh! and then there was the Royal Wedding that kept me totally preoccupied, couldn't pry myself away from the TV.  Kate was absolutely an angelic beauty, loved her gown. The couple seems to be deeply in love and, as everyone else, I wish them a long and happy life together.

As far as anything new, well the kitchen tile work is done and  I could not be happier with the results.

Photo above...Gives me something to look at while slaving over a hot stove.  :)

Photo below...The damaged drywall was repaired and now, with the new tile, this corner looks so much nicer.

 

Photo above...All my new space for the old coffee pot and ....

Photo below...and the single serve coffee brewer (the culprit that started this whole remodeling).

Sorry about the angle on this photo I was trying to avoid my shadow but it is still in the photo.  A good photographer I am NOT.  LOL   Oh well I'll just enjoy the wonderful photos of  others such as Aly at AlyGator's Everywhere, Annette of So Many Memories , Tash of Palos Verde Daily Photo  and dear, wonderful T at Poppy Place PDX.

The "Adjustment" continues

I really haven't forgotten about my kitchen "adjustment" that was started ...well, let's just say it started some time ago.

Our counter-top man, Nick Formica, was indeed able to salvage the 2 old pieces of solid surface quartz, counter-tops and meld them into one piece to fit the new work space that we created.  They did a great job considering that they were working with 2 different sections and I can hardly see where they seamed the two together...oh it's there but I have to really look to find it, so I don't really look.  :D  Now we have a bit more elbow room to brew our java (or tea) in.

Photos above and below...this space used to be only about 10 inches across, but since we switched the oven cabinet with the drawers cabinet that had been on the opposite side of our oven, we've gained another 30 inches. Yea !!

Unfortunately the project is not totally done as we decided... ahem, make that I decided...that I wanted a tile backsplash.  You really can't blame me as this tile is all too easy to fall in love with, I can envision it on the wall behind my range. 

How pleasant will it be to gaze on a  country scene of Tuscany as I stir a pot of spaghetti sauce ?  Since we had a section of quartz backsplash that had been on the wall previously, those sections had to be removed.  What a mess it made of the walls but the tile person says that's no problem.  He assures us he will patch it before installing the tile.

So now we're waiting on the tiles to come in.  Meanwhile I can dream of these.

The tiles have a precious matching border of boughs of olives but it would have cost us almost $300 more for the border...I think I can live without it...sigh...how nice it must be to have a life where money is no object, well maybe some day. :D

Stoned ... Or Not

 This past week the kitchen counter top company came out to see if our old counter tops could be salvaged. 
When our house was built we opted for a cost effect alternative to granite and chose a solid surface, man-made  quartz/granite.  To save even more of our limited funds we decided upon an overlay.  An overlay is done using a much thinner piece of the faux stone and it is made to simply fit over an existing counter. (Sort of like putting on a wig.)   Since there wasn't an existing counter to start with  a thick sheet of plywood was attached to the top of the base cabinets and then the overlay was glued to it.
The photo below shows the two sections of quartz/granite that were removed from the old base cabinets.  Notice that the one piece is turned over so you can see the plywood underlay (the tiny piece next to it is a piece of the backsplash...which is also right side down but not for any particular reason).

Photo below...Close up of the underside showing how the overlay creates the look of a more expensive thicker slab.

Nick, the owner of the counter top store,  has an unbelievable last name, it's Formica...no honestly that is truly his last name, Nick Formica.  Perhaps he was destined to go into this business or he thought because of his last name he was an ideal fit for this profession. 

Nick has taken the two sections of our old counter and will try to cut, slice and polish it into a new counter that will fit into the newly formed work area.  I have my fingers crossed, please send me your best wishes, as this particular stone pattern is no longer manufactured so we can't order a new section of it. 

We will be removing the remaining sections of backsplash as I'd like to run tile from the counter tops up to the bottom of the wall cabinets.  Wish I knew what could be done with these pieces of  stone as they are rather pretty.  Guess it would probably be impossible to make beads from it as it would make some pretty stone like beads and a whole lot of them. lol 

Could Care Less About Getting My Groove Back...Just Give Me Back My Microwave !

Last week my marvelous hubby, John, got the oven cabinet into its new position.  It was not an easy task as that sucker weighs a couple hundred pounds and that's completely empty, sans drawers, doors and shelves.
Once John had the cabinet in place and leveled he bolted it in place and then inserted and reconnected the oven and microwave.  Oh happy day !  I can't begin to tell you how much I missed that microwave.  At one time I even thought about sitting the oven on the floor and connecting the microwave but then realized that the sides of the microwave were exposed and it was designed to be shielded by the wood cabinet.  Didn't really like the thought of all that radiation bouncing around my kitchen.

Photos above and below...The oven and its cabinet are in position and back in action.  Now the next step will be the counter top and backsplash.

Photo above...John had to add a cove molding between the wall and the side of the cabinet as the wall was not all that plumb.  There was a good gap along a part of the back edge of the cabinet which was far too big to fill in with caulk.  I think the cove moulding looks very nice. 



Trying To Shake Off SAD

Lately I've been out of sorts, moody and down.  Perhaps it's SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) as we've had so many dark gray days this winter.  Yesterday was sunny and today promises much of the same so I'm hoping that my mood will also brighten up and I'll become more functional...especially blog wise.


Our kitchen "adjustment" is coming along nicely though we did have to wait a bit longer for the wall cabinet to come in (about 3 weeks longer).  But it is up and looks good.

Photo above and below...Wall cabinet box is level and in place.

Photo below...Remember the base cabinet that was sitting in our living room?

Photo below...It is now in position beneath the wall cabinet, giving me more useable counter space next to my stove. Yea! 

Photo below...Doors are now on the wall unit.  Looking good!

Photo below...And all those drawers that decorated my family room floor ?

Photo below...Those drawers are now back in their base cabinet where they belong.  Loving it!

Photo below...Just one drawer remains but we'll be getting to that soon. :)

Waiting On The Cabinet...

Since we're still waiting on the one wall cabinet that we need I've no updates on the kitchen remodel.  Though perhaps remodel isn't quite the proper terminology, it's more like a kitchen adjustment.  The cabinet was sort-of-perhaps-maybe-supposed to have come in this past Thursday, now they're thinking maybe next Wednesday.  No big surprise to either John or I as this is the 3rd kitchen that we've remodeled and we've always had to wait extra time for the cabinets.   Think it's one of Murphy's laws.

So instead I'm  sending you a pastoral shot of a sunny pasture and an adorable calf.  I could not resist that sweet angelic face.  Wish I had a sugar cube to treat him with, but then I would have needed one for the rest of herd too.

Photo above...Okay all together now...awwwww, how cute!

THE DOMINO EFFECT

Photo above...a cabinet full of K-Cups

The Domino Effect, where one thing leads to another resulting in an unstoppable cascade of events. We are all aware of this effect, as there are few of us who’ve not played with those little rectangular Domino tiles as children. Carefully we would line them up one behind the other and then with a slight flick of our tiny finger we’d knocked the first kingpin over, watching as tile after tile toppled in rapid succession down the path we had so diligently mapped out. I never actually played the true game of dominos until I was well in my 30’s; perhaps I never realized that those dots on each tile were there for other reasons than merely decoration.
In my last post I mentioned our new Keurig single served coffee brewer and hinted that with all the K-Cups we were accumulating our tiny kitchen space might require some modifications.  So begins the Domino Effect.

Photo above...Our Keurig single serve brewer, the kingpin domino.

Photo below...All the K-cups and paraphernalia that accompanies our new Keurig. You may notice the limited counter space in that tight little corner.

Photo above...There was a cabinet there, where the bare concrete of the foundation shows.  We had to remove the solid surface counter top in order to remove the cabinet.  The counter top is resting on the top of our coffee table, which is visible in the background.

Photo below...This is the cabinet that sat in the corner, that had the counter top, that was in the kitchen that Jack built.

Photo above...Notice the wall is open allowing service to the family/TV room.  The cabinet that was there is now sitting in our living room.  Our plan is to interchange our oven cabinet for the drawer cabinet.  So this means the ovens will have to come out, the cabinet will have to be detached from wherever and whatever it is attached to and then moved down to the end were the smaller drawer cabinet was.

Photos below...The framing goes in.

Photo above and below...The ovens have been removed. Does this mean I don't have to cook ?  Ha, only in my dreams!

Photo above...John's removed the the counter top to this tiny 9 inch Tray Cabinet, it will remain where it is and the larger drawer cabinet will come in and rest alongside of it.  A new 36 inch wall cabinet is on order (has been for about 3 weeks now).  Someday, when this project is over I will have 45 inches of counter space here to work on instead of 9 inches.  I have on a happy face right now just thinking about that.

Photo below...The oven cabinet now keeps the drawer cabinet company in our living room.  That big black boxy thing in the background is the oven and microwave unit.  Really don't miss the oven that much but the microwave has been sorely missed.

Photo above...Drywalling is done.  All we're waiting for is the 36 inch wall cabinet and we can get this baby done.

Photo below...Meanwhile this is how I'm living.  It maybe easier to see which drawer has what pot in it but as far as interior design goes; it stinks!

Hopefully it won't be much longer before the wall cabinet comes in and we can finish up this project that all started out because of a new coffee maker and too many K-Cups.  I'll keep you posted.