I asked for it.

All those moments in magazines—looking, flipping, drooling, and pinning.

Oh! This rustic looking oven hood.

Thank you Better Home and Gardens for this inspiring idea.


Could we (as in he)?

Would he?

Please….?

……?

Oh yea!!!

Thanks Mr. K for your handy craftsmanship!

I love.

In time—in precious time there will be open shelving accompanying this hunk of a hood.

Again, this will be brought to you by my hunk of a man.

For now I’ll gladly smile and wait.

And cook.

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what’s new [and what's old!!]

The birth certificate came!!! And earlier than expected—phew. Guess I am heading south this week!!!!

Something else got delivered to my home address as well—that would be a few things!

Shiny things.

Some of the latest * kitchen * love.


New appliances. Oh!! Oh!!!

I had that we’ll get appliances someday attitude going strong. Was even fooling myself.

Then Mr. K surprises me. He gives me a call on his lunch break to swing over to Appliance Smart and take a look at some things he put on hold for me.

Aw shucks.

Smiles and jubilee!

[Appliance Smart is so great! We got a discount on the stove since it was a return, dishwasher is last years model, and the fridge is a new model but still came in a bit under the other big shops around town.]

And that simple faucet. [Kohler Simplice] I describe it as just there. I was torn about what style. The dark, oil-rubbed bronze faucet made sense with the pulls, but made way too big of a deal about itself and I want the sink to do that on its own.

There is another feature that is still missing.

It will be so lovely. That is when I can install it. (See it’s not really up to code-this-code-that.)

But so cute isn’t it??

Worker Peter (you must check out Peter’s corner at Second Hand Rose. He’s the one with all the signage and that industrial touch), custom made it for me to hang 18 inches from the ceiling.

I ask for one with some good rust on it and he delivered!

I love!

As for the island surface top—

—drum roll—

 


An old workshop table. (!!!!!)

I get to have some old wood in my kitchen!! I can say things like “reclaimed and industrial,” I do so love those words. They are not always easy to come by. Thank you Second Hand Rose!!

Jake helped Mr. K cut this baby down and it will go smack dab on the island…


The island.

This one got outta hand. I mean it.

Right now I will say it is arguably adorable. But only on these two sides.

This was after I put on way to much crackle paint medium and it sort of was ooozing or bleeding itself to death. Looking more scary versus homey.


No scraper would do the trick. Mr. K hauled this outside and sanded it down, thus the current look.

I’ll have to pull some tricks out of my sleeve on this project. Likely it will end up looking aqua, hoping for a bit of a sheen and a layered look. Somehow.

Need to get back to emptying the POD—dang.

And need to pack my bags as I can now can say I am officially heading south! Yay!

 

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about time!

About time I get back on here. Holy cow.

Time!!!

A girl thinks—I will have running water in my sink, and appliances!! I’ve arrived!!

But then the workers leave. And the work’s not exactly done. And the rest is all up to us.

So…we start transitioning our lives back into the upstairs. But there is no furniture.

And people are really wanting to have a place to sit down. Badly.

Even poor puppy Mini is trying to create something soft to lay down on by fluffing up a drop cloth with her muzzle.

So… do we haul stuff in? Or, probably finish the floor first… and paint? Get counters ready?

I find myself starting to miss my little life in the basement and cooking on the skillet next to the laundry tub.

What is happening???

We need to paint. Install floors. Oil counters. And a scary POD gets delivered into the driveway full of items that we own. Too many items. Way too many items. I do not want them in this house.

And it’s a full moon. I am not a werewolf but sort of been acting like one these last few days. If somehow I got plunked into the woods I think a wolf pack would sniff we out and identify me as one of their own kind.

Oh, and I am getting to go on a very exciting vacation in one week. Birth Certificate required.

Can. Not. Find.

Is it in the POD??? Ummm. It could be???


Not sure I’m up for that search, so I use up one of Mr. C’s sacred preschool afternoons to go to my local county office. After waiting and filling out paperwork it’s my turn…

“Yes, I need a copy of my birth certificate.”

Oh. Right.

I was not born in this state.

Aww shucks.

I head home, go online and answer a quiz that requires me to call several kin folk for the answers. Apparently I don’t know what model car was registered to whatever home address and when I’ve sold houses and I do not pass the test.

Now scan and upload your ID here, enlarge by 200%, 2 shades lighter for view. You will be notified if your documentation is approved.

Oh my. Hells bells, I up my order to two birth certificates (????), hit overnight express shipping and sweat out the last couple of days wondering if I will be indeed joining my daughter and sisters and mother on this once-in-a-lifetime vacation…..?!?!?!?!

To be continued…!

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cabinets-flooring-more!

Out of the box! Top it off with BIRCH countertops and wah-lahh!


The pulls.

The pulls.


The pulls!!!

I obsessed about these for some time — brushed nickel, oil rubbed bronze, matchy, mismatchy???

Martha Stewart, soft iron. Yes. I love the weight.

I had this—”I don’t want my kitchen to look like it is floating away,” sense in me. These pulls seem grounding.


And the flooring!!

The flooring—friend Gloria gets full credit for this one. (You too Mr. K.) Thanks pal for giving away your vast knowledge so freely. I love them. Even after I freaked out thinking they were too dark.

I am happy to say I love.

Continuing in the spirit of spreading the joy—flooring from Home Depot—distressed, hand scraped hickory.

Still have the faucet to resolve. And the plumber installs tomorrow—better get on that. The sound of running water out of this baby is very exciting!


Oh, my sweetie-pie sink. You and I know how much I love thee.

And the hardware for the pantry cabinets—decided on handles. Need to grab those too.



Mr. K really kicked it down this weekend getting the floors down.


At least this far—the living room lies in wait for its turn at some new flooring.

Off to the Home Depot.

Oh! Before I go! Jake just called—he’s coming to help Mr. K cut something quite amazing for the island surface!!

Oh boy! Oh my!

Will snap a pic of that surface top—all I can say is Second Hand Rose is involved.

(Need I say more??)

 

 

 

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cabinets!

I hear the sound of a dolly rolling. Thud. Heave. Hoe. Door opening and shutting.

What shall appear?


Oh my!!

Oh my!

Another Christmas Morning! I refrain from hugging Worker Mark.

I want to open the boxes and play all the day long. Or just sit in a chair sipping a mocha and watch this little puzzle come together.

And sing loudly. Or talk nonstop to the Worker Mark about how cute my kitchen will be.

Mr. C is trying to help haul more in—and running into boxes—and oh, his little toes. Ok. Best if we exit the scene for all involved here.

One peek before I go.

Oh my!

White.

Inset.

Lovely.

This would be the lazy susan.

Leaving now but my heart is so here.

As my dad always says, “let’s go so we can get back.”

Yes.

!!!!!

 

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weekend: painting!


Mr. C contributing to the weekend project.

Cutie.

Gotta love rolling and painting when the drips and drops can fly in this empty space with plywood floors.

As for the wall paint color? That is where I really get all jazzed up—heading to and fro from the paint store with samples and shades.

The winner is…


That would be aqua.

!!!!!

Shocking isn’t it?

Particular shade of aqua is Seven Lakes by Glidden. It mixed up great in the Benjamin Moore Natura base. LOVING it.

 

Posted in CREATIVE, decorating, kitchen, painting | Tagged , | 1 Comment

drywall: all week long.

This week it’s all about the drywall.

Monday up.

Tuesday through Friday: tape, mud, dry. Tape, mud, dry. Lots of mud. Dry.

Now I knew there are layers to this process… but I didn’t calculate the fact that it’s a full week long event.

I admit that the mud scent got to me. Puts a humidity in the air and irritates the lungs. And— well, basically me.

Which leads me to open windows and run fans— which in turn irritates everyone else.

You can look at the situation as irritating, or as options—from the wintry-wind-chilling main floor, to the dry-summers day in the upstairs bedrooms, and the ever-changing temperature in the basement depending on who cranked the electronic heat last.

Sort of like the 4 seasons.

Kitchen Kari asks, “do you like the popcorn ceiling?”

No, Kari. I do not.

The adjacent family room gets a full scrape down and these guys load on the mud for a flat finish. Yay!

Thanks Corey and Rick for making it happen. All the week long. Thanks too for cleaning up so well with your handy-dandy vacuum.

Walls and ceiling are dry and ready to roll.

Time for paint.

Posted in celebrating, kitchen | 2 Comments

little storage space.

Not having a full basement means there is something missing.

Storage.

So quick—Mr. K! Before those sheet-rocking drywallers show up in the morning and seal off access, would you heave up some big and bulky plywood boards in and over your head?

I’ll cheer you on! Come on. It will be great.


Unless we want to fall through the ceiling that is.



Yes.

A little crawl space.  S P A C E .  I can just envision the stacks of organized chaos up here.

Thanks hon for the hauling and heaving. It is no small thing.

[Note to Mr. Inspector, as homeowner-law abiding citizens let it be noted we did enclose the light as required. You will not be able to view during final inspection; consider this the proper documentation for city records.]

 

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d-r-a-b….to fab!

Toss in the dumpster? I purchased this very creepy-looking light from deep in a garage in Edina 6 years ago, which I believe originally came from IKEA.

Attempting to add some light to the sunk-in kitchen room this light has hung for years. I believe it has only further contributed to that sunk-in feeling.

I have been waiting for a kitchen-remodel sort of excuse to use my sacred Hirshfields gift card—yes, all $100 smackers!! (Actually I completely lost it and all this packing up of EVERYthing from the main floor into a POD allowed me to find it.)

I head off to officially use the gift card. It is time. It is time to reap the benefits of my claim to fame.


Bingo!! Lucky me! They have my shade of blue. (Btw, no one recognized me…)

And more luck—it’s a bazillion degrees out here mid-winter. So I can play outside….



Ready??

Before

and

Thee After.


Wah-lahhh!!! And WOWZA!!!

So glad this didn’t get tossed in the heap! Yay!

Love that I like!

Posted in art, CREATIVE, decorating, how to, kitchen, painting | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

light at the end of the tunnel.

Plumber Monday.

Electrician Tuesday and Wednesday.

And our contractors in and out as well prepping walls for the upcoming drywall.

The guys names—or “workers” as Mr. C says:

Brad
Mark
John
Paul
Dan
Rick.

Cute, huh? I did not make that up.

And guys, I am so very sorry I referred to you as cute—it’s either that or as the disciples.

Honestly though, at a glance you all sound like honest hard workers—and sure enough you are.

A hint of what’s to come. That is what I have seen this week. A peek into what will be.

Recessed lights! And one lighting the way!!

I stand at the placement of the new gasline and turning around I can see a glimpse of the lay of the land. One of those “this is happening!!” sort of moments.

So much happens under the drywall, I tell you. So though it doesn’t look much different at a glance—key elements are in the works.

All the while Mr. K is at work and I am just bopping in and out.

And more ahead!

More as in I received a text today from Kitchen Kari that the cabinets order is in.

Oh my!!! Truly this process is moving along!!!

:)

 

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