And so begins the Kitchen

Kind of. Not really. Karen, you would be proud of me. We had a sit down, where I brought a detailed list of everything I could think of that would be part of the kitchen reno, and we measured, and hammered out prices. When something was too high, I said we needed to do something else, and we now have it to where we want it (Which means it'll go up by 10-15", and we are okay with that). We also spoke about time line. And the truth is, the kitchen won't START until the beginning of September. Cabinets, counter and windows need to be ordered. 4-6 weeks. And then 2-3 weeks from start to finish (4-6 weeks) But.... we HAVE a plan, we have hard and fast pricing, and we have a time line. Refrigerator and stove have been moved out of the kitchen for floor finishing which is happening today. Bathroom, back entry and kitchen all at once. The floors look much nicer in photos than in person. So imagine the dark areas are just completely down to the wood... no finish and dirty And the rest aren't shiny - they're just smooth.

Here's an update to the bathroom, and now no more pictures until it's complete. (End of next week...?)

Now, you may be thinking, "But that kitchen looks pretty cool." It probably was REALLY cool. In 1950. May I walk you through some of the hazards of age? So this is how these doors stay shut. The only way they WILL stay shut. IT's pretty cool that they are in-laid doors (as in, flush with the cabinets). But not cool that they swing open - especially is you are walking in from the back door and get hit in the head with one. Then, it's downright irritating. DO you also like the paint chips? YEARS Of paint. Chipped right down to the original wood. Do you know how much time and effort and money it would take to strip them? More than I have. And there's this: the cabinets are about 4 inches thinner (from the wall to the front), then the standard ones that have been around since, say 1950.

Do you like this?

Yes that IS some kind of nasty stain. On the wall. The plaster wall. That the cabinets are attached to. And I used straight up BLEACH on eery bit of every cabinet. (After Steve's mom had already cleaned them from nasty to as good as possible with bleach). And yet, the stains remained.

Okay, this is cool. It's staying. (It's an old fashioned bottle opener, in case I took that picture too close up to tell)

Isn't that a pretty little light to have over your sink? How do you turn it on? Oh - do you see that CHAIN? You can't see it? It's right up there - about two inches long. Well, it's really easy to reach. I stand on a step stool, and then ON the counter. Then I can turn it on...

Nice window huh? NO vent over the stove. Whatever - just open the window. I'd love to... but perhaps yo can see the clear gel caulk up at the top that has it completely sealed up? Well, sealed enough to not open, but not enough to keep the cold air out...

This is a nice little number. Especially if it were still in a bedroom, with it's original DRESSER DRAWER top on it.

I LOVE this laminate. Especially the parts that haven't been cleaned in AGES. Years, probably. Please don't make me think about it anymore. It makes me want to throw up.

And the truth is, my life is grand. I have a great husband who adores me, a daughter who thinks I'm the best bonus mom a kid could ask for (her words in a card she made for me, not mine), and a really pretty house. But... we knew we would update the kitchen. And now's the time. I just wanted you to be able to fully appreciate the upgrades as much as we will. Thanks for looking.