Kitchen Remodel...Day 15,001

Okay, not really.  But it feels like it!

I have a date (sorta) for the next phase. Cabinets should leave the warehouse next Wednesday. THEN the delivery agent will call me to set up delivery. Once those 2 cabinets are here, installation can resume. I'm hopeful that won't take more than 2 days.

Of course there's more after that.  Counters installed...dishwasher and fridge connected...backsplash installed.

I'm hopeful that it will all be done by Labor Day.

In other news, my old sink was temporarily hooked up!!!

Kitchen Remodel...Day 7.5

So things happened today!!!

For example, my fridge moved upstairs!

Isn't she pretty.  I may be in love.

You're probably noticing that the fridge is sticking way out.  While we didn't buy a counter depth fridge, it will sit farther back.  That won't happen until after the counters are installed. You see (or probably you don't because I've had to have it explained to me multiple times) the finish plumbing won't happen until the new sink is installed.  That won't happen until the counters are installed. And that can't happen until the new sink cabinet front is delivered.  Alas, it was damaged in transit and despite being expedited is taking much longer than expected.  After it is received the sink cabinet can be built.  THEN the counter be installed.  It is my hope that all of this happens next week as the counters are scheduled to be installed 8/27.  We shall see.

Next, the GC gave me temporary counters.  Plywood, MDF, whatever.  Yay!!!  Chopping veggie and other things on my little deck table was getting old.

You can see, we immediately put the new counters to good use by making cocktailss

After that, and possibly most importantly, my Josh helped bring the contents of the old fridge up to the new.

Again, I think I'm in love. So much room for so much good food!

The last thing that happened was that I received from my wonderful mama, the really cool paper towel holder I had admired, and quite honestly desired.

In my finished kitchen I see this behind my sink.  A good use, I think, for that otherwise useless triangle space.

The paper towel holder came just in time.  I made my first big mess in my kitchen.  I know.  It's not even done.  I wasn't even cooking.  In moving a bottle of grenadine into the fridge it slipped; the bottle broke.  It was sad.  But it was also bound to happen.

The contractor took pity on  me with my stunted project. He is coming back on Monday to rig up a temporary sink for me.  Woohoo!

That's all from the reno zone.

Date Night--Wednesday August 13

My kitchen still isn't done.  Nowhere near completion.  I went into Lowes this morning and watched emails get sent to the contractor...AGAIN, but still haven't heard from him.

Anyhoo, it's Date Night and I'm trying my hardest to make a nice one.

I was in the mood for shrimp and had decided that we'd have shrimp cocktail for dinner.  So I bought 20 shrimp at Mariano's.  The lovely, very helpful fish monger weighed my shrimp, printed off the label and then added another handful to the bag.  Then, after I had told her that today is National Filet Mignon Day, she took me to "the wall" to show me a much cheaper ($3!!!) cut.  I bought it and we'll give it a try.  (I think it was labeled "chuck roast tenders.) Right now it's in the fridge smeared with garlic an Dijon mustard.

I found a cucumber tomato salad on LaaLoosh that was low in points and easy on the dressing as we are still eating on paper plates with plastic utensils. I modified it a little based on what I had and what I like, but this is basically what it looks like.  Or what I hope it will look like when it's out of the zip top bag in the fridge..



This is dessert.  Mind you, I'll be serving it in a plastic cup.  This washing dishes in our bathroom is the pits.



It's strawberries in balsamic with a little grind of black pepper.  I'll serve it with vanilla greek yogurt.

I do realize that I'm telling you about dinner all out order.  My life seems a little out of order so I ask you to please forgive me.

Cocktails are Martinis.

Appetizer involves proscuitto.  Mine with melon, Josh's wrapped around a breadstick with a hunk or two of parm.

These are my dinner plans, how 'bout yours?

happy cooking

Kitchen Remodel--Tagging our Granite

I think the title says it all.  Went to the place and saw our counters.

Now you can't really see it in this picture of the sample we saw at Lowes, but there is some rose in it.

Both of these slabs are ours.  You can see that the left edge of the piece on the right is much rosier than the right edge of the left slab.  There is great gradation.  A kind of "exotic" feel.  

There will 2 seams in my counter tops, one on each counter.  This will be done in such a way that the drastic difference in color will be minimized.

I think it will look good.  The paint color is spot on and that is my door (my actual door!!!) in front.

That was today's excitement!

Kitchen Remodel...Day 7

I love my new kitchen. It's not complete yet, but I love it.

These pictures don't really do it justice. I can't wait for it to be finished so you can come to see it.

Pantry cabinet.  Pull out drawers insid.

Sink cabinet.  

On the left is my pantry cabinet. You can see that it's proximity to the window is going to require some creative decorating.  I'm open to suggestions.  On the left side (from the window) you see the cabinet for my oven/microwave.  That cabinet hasn't been hung yet as we are still working out some electrical bugs for my oven.  At the front of the pic, pulled away from the wall, is my cook top cabinet.  It will not be protruding in the final version.  The gas line needs to be moved a little.

Upper cabinets.  Yes they are tall.  And yes I am not.  That's what step stools are for.

Today, the granite guy comes to measure.  I'm hopeful that tomorrow one of the guys will be here to fix the gas line issue, install my cabinet shelves and add the hardware. Once that happens, I can start to load the cabinets.  Even without a finished kitchen, I'll feel more in control then.

There is still much work to be done.  The oven issue has to be resolved.  When that's taken care of, that cabinet can be hung.  That has to happen before they can hang the uppers on that side of the kitchen.

The sink base was delivered damaged as was the wine rack.  Those things have been reordered and rushed.  They should be here in a week.

And, of course, my appliances need to be installed.  Dishwasher, new sink, and cooktop are dependent on the counters.  

Kitchen Remodel...Day 5

We have paint!!!

I really, really love it.

Somebody at the Hall said my tile looked Tuscan (what I was going for...thanks Dad). I think that's been amped up with the paint.

I especially like the way the color plays with other colors in the house.

Kitchen remodel...day 4

Nothing outstanding happened on day 4. Okay, the tile was grouted after 2 trips to Lowes to get the right color grout.

Not a blurry pic, the floor hasn't been cleaned yet.

Additionally, we found out that the new double oven requires a 220 line and our kitchen only has 110.    David (from Lowes) tells me not to worry about it. They and the GC work figure it out.  Don't worry about it? He's got to be kidding me. I'm doing my best, but it's tough.

On a personal note, my day wasn't that great.  After 2 trips to Lowes and rescheduling my dental appointment and then going to the dentist, I went to Marrianos. (Never a problem there.)  I came home, made Josh a sandwich for lunch and left for service.

I never made it to arrangements.  In fact, I never made it out of the house.  I fell down the stairs, sprained my right ankle, hyperextended my left knee and then passed out.  Okay, I exaggerated.  I didn't fall down all the stairs, really it was more of a stumble at  the end.  The rest of the story is 100% true.

That made service today a no go.  I need to continue to rest, elevate and ice my boo-boos.

Josh is taking great care of me though.

Nothing happened today on the kitchen. Monday I hope to see some cabinets installed.  Or at least some color go onto the walls.

That's it from here.