Thanks for the honey-done...

We've lived in this house for 14 years, and I've never been crazy about the shower in the master bathroom.  It is very small.  It has a weird showerhead set up.  The cold and hot water controls are backward.  And the shower head could not be swiveled, so in order not to have it come straight down on my head, I had to hug the perimeter of the shower (and curse that bleeping showerhead) during the entire process.

For years I made do.  Then one jet got blocked (that vinegar soak would not dislodge), and there was no way to avoid either water on my head or water spraying cockeyed right into my face.  I did not suffer in silence.  I finally quit taking showers, and only took baths, but that's a lot of water, and my knees are not happy with climbing and lowering into the bath.

We have talked about remodeling the bathroom to make the shower larger and handicap accessible (wider entrance and lower threshold as well as built-in grab bars), and also adding a walk-in bathtub.  (I think there is space to do both of those projects if we decrease from the giant tub we have now to increase the shower space.)  Those are expensive projects, and something that we can continue kicking down the road.  

Carey is such a Johnny-on-the-spot fix-it guy, that I just didn't understand why he could not change the shower head.  I think it just confounded him, and it didn't bother him, so it wasn't a priority.

This week he undertook the job, and completed the change out in very short order.  The first time I took a shower, I left him my review (photo above).  I think he liked it, as he hasn't removed it from the shower door.  I always try to make sure he knows how much I appreciate all the tasks that he is able to do to save us paying someone to come  in and do it.  This particular fix deserved more than a verbal thanks.  I heard him laugh out loud when he saw the "2 thumbs up" rating at bottom left.  :)

This project has been waiting for YEARS...

These are the tracings of silver trays, and they are taped to the wall as a template to see if I liked this arrangement.

I've been collecting silver bread trays forever, and always intended to hang them someday.  The impetus, finally, was a few larger additions to the silver collection.  My friend, the other Kathleen, was downsizing, and she was trying to decide what to do with two very large trays, and three medium size trays.  I told her to hang them, that's what I was going to do with mine.  She said, well why don't I just give these to you?  😮

They have literally been on the floor of my craft room/office for a year and a half.  That room has finally reached critical mass (pronounced: MESS), so I figured there was no time like the present to get these hung.  Also the other Kathleen is coming to visit this summer, and I wanted to shock surprise her by having it done!

 I've been polishing and attaching hangers for the better part of a week.  I didn't try to get every bit of tarnish off, as I kind of like them to show a little vintage wear.  (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.)  Carey put all the holes in the wall this morning...some nails...some screws for the heavier trays.

Once the trays were up, it looked a little top heavy with that largest tray at the top, so I tried switching it out with the round tray in the middle.

Ah...I like this better.  The middle tray overlaps the light switch plate a bit, but the switch that it partially covers controlled an outdoor pond pump that is no longer in use anyway.

There are a couple of trays that I couldn't hang, and one that was just so big and heavy that I put it on a stand on a nearby shelf instead.  Most are silver plated.  One is gold plated; it was a gift to my parents on their 50th anniversary, and I wanted it in the group.  A couple of them are vintage hand-wrought aluminum family pieces.  But taken as a group, I think it looks pretty cohesive.

So what do you think?  I'm just SO glad it is done at long last.  

A minor home project...

 

I have hated the dated look of these vanity lights since we moved in thirteen years ago, but they've never been a real priority.  Never really found anything else that could be configured for our need.  Though this mirror (shown above) only has one bar of lights, the other vanity in the room has a bar like this, and then another on the perpendicular wall.  So for the three light bars, there are 20 or so bulbs.

I found these socket inserts.  They screw into the light bar, and they have a swivel extension that allows the bulb to be oriented downward.

I replaced the round bulbs with Edison bulbs.  It's a small change, but is a slight update.  I'm living with it for awhile, trying to decide if I want the chrome fixtures removed from the wall and painted more of a bronze color.  Thoughts?

I love the smell of paint fumes in the morning...

Looks like Carey got the memo...

when painting, wear clothing that matches paint color so drips don't ruin garment.  :)

Long delayed laundry room redo has begun!  I chose and purchased all the paints towards the end of 2014.  Then we decided to forge ahead with the kitchen remodel, and we put the laundry room on the back burner (no pun intended).  When the kitchen was finally done, we needed a break from the disorder and drudgery.

When Carey started painting the cabinets today, I heard a lot of grumbling.  He didn't like the way the paint was going on.  I had purchased a paint specifically for cabinets that is supposed to minimize brush strokes, but apparently looks awful going on, and needs 3 or 4 coats with 24 hours drying time between each coat.

I am beyond thrilled to be saying goodbye to that horrid blonde finish on the cabinets in here.  They are also in all the bathrooms in the house, so I hope he doesn't mind that I would eventually like them all painted.  I'll wait awhile to spring that on him.

There are so many obstacles in here: washer, dryer, cabinets, water heater, water softener, freezer.  All of which he will paint behind perfectly, because that's how he is. 

I have been slowly collecting rugs and art for in here, so I look forward to getting all of that into place and out of where they've been stashed for the past year or so.  That will still be awhile, since the room won't get finished before he has to go back to work.

I'll be updating as work progresses.

To make sure he knows how much I appreciate his efforts, I baked a Chicken Pot Pie (recipe here) to reward him and keep his strength up.

Linking up with Cath@Home What's for Dinner Wednesday.

Ready for company...

Well...almost...I still have to do the grocery shopping, but I just didn't have it in me today.  Carey is going to pick up his mother tomorrow, so I will grocery shop before they get back here tomorrow evening.

The guest room has been a long time being finished.  We started by painting it right before we began the kitchen remodel late last year.  Since it was empty, we ended up storing most of the kitchen things in it instead of finishing it.  Though the kitchen is long since complete, the guest room languished in its undressed state ever since.  Having Carey's mom coming to stay for three weeks was the perfect incentive to finish it up and make it comfortable.

I love this bed in here!  I bought it years ago at an antique auction, and we have been using the headboard (with some diy side extensions) in the master bedroom with our king size bed.  I love SO much more seeing it with its footboard attached.  The mattress is a new purchase, and I hope will make all future guests comfortable.  It is a Sleep Number that can be set to suit individual firmness preferences, and can also have the head and knees adjusted up or down as needed.

I have been looking madly for the framed samplers as I've been decluttering and organizing for the past month or so.  I looked everywhere I could think of with no luck.  We rent a storage unit* for some things that don't fit in the house, and today I asked Carey to go with me to see if maybe they were there.  I didn't really have any hope that I'd be able to find them even if they were there, but lo and behold there they were within easy reach!  These were all ones I made between the ages of maybe twelve and twenty-five.  Not something I've wanted to decorate with in the recent past, but they look lovely with the soft green walls and the vintage furnishings.

And I finally have the perfect place to use these old beauties (suitcases).  Boy was I excited the day I found them all at the same store for $8 each.  I've used some of them before in the living room, but like them much better here.

A few days ago my m-i-l emailed me saying that her antique picture of her beloved grandmother (circa 1891) needed a new home.  She was wondering if we might want it, and if so she would bring it when she comes.  I super promptly emailed back an emphatic, 'YES!'  I told her we have the perfect spot for it.  She doesn't know yet that said spot is in the room in which she will be staying.

I've been contemplating making the fourth blank wall of the room a gallery wall of antique photos I have inherited, and I am beyond thrilled that we will now have one from Carey's side of the family to include.  Here are two of the ones that will also go on the wall.  The baby in the rear picture is my grandfather (circa 1895) and the toddler on the left of the front photo is my mother (circa 1918).  I'm really excited to put the wall together, but I'm not going to start on it right away.  I will be sure to share later, though.

For now these are housed in a bookcase along with vintage books.  I am going to add some folded quilts to the bottom two shelves tomorrow.

Man it feels nice to have another home project finished!

*My goal is to empty the storage unit by late Spring.  It's a job that definitely has to be done during the cooler months.  It is so crazy to pay to keep stuff you don't have room for.

Ta-daa!...

At long last, I present the kitchen!

addendum 1: When talking about the antique cabinet, I said "I'm getting closer to it."  Though I was walking toward the cabinet at the time, I was referring not to my physical location in comparison to the cabinet, I was referring to myself getting closer to antique status.  :)

addendum 2:  I was kind of focused on showing the lower drawers and drawer/cabinets.  The former kitchen only had three or four small drawers, so I am in seventh heaven with all the drawer space that we have now.

addendum 3:  When I said I don't anticipate using both ovens much, I should have said that I foresee that the small oven will suffice for about 95% of my baking needs without using the larger oven except for maybe a large turkey or ham on occasion.

Five things I won't miss...

Since it's Friday, I thought I'd list five things I won't miss from the old kitchen.

1.  I won't miss the pinkish-toned sink and counter top.  I think the sink was supposed to be maybe bisque?  The counter top was a very close match, and together they definitely read 'pink.'  Aaargh...that sink would only stay clean for a maximum of ten minutes...always looked dreadful.

Below is the new, shiny, WHITE, under-mount sink.  L. O. V. E.

2.  I won't miss the garbage being in open view.  And I won't miss having to reach down into the opening with wet hands to flip on the garbage disposal.  (What were they thinking?  We had it rewired to be on the backsplach.)

Replaced with slide out trash container

3.  I won't miss the two uselessly-narrow cabinets.  I know they were meant to be for trays or something, but they were so deep and so tall that they just seemed to waste a lot of space, and things always seemed to slide way back to the back.

Replaced one with slide out rack.  I think it's supposed to be for spices, but I'm not sure the warmth from the dishwasher would be good for keeping spices fresh, and I'm also not sure I could read the spice labels from that angle.  The shelves are adjustable, so I'm considering spacing the shelves so that foil, plastic wrap, parchment, etc. can be on them and accessible.  

4.  I won't miss the two flimsy lower-corner turntables.  If anything heavy was stored on them, it made the whole thing rub on the bottom making opening and closing difficult.  Things often fell off the back into the corner and jammed the whole works.  

The new ones are much sturdier...wooden turntable atop a wooden shelf top and bottom.  The back of the cabinet is now rounded off, so things won't be able to fall off and get stuck in the corner-angle dead space. 

5.  And most of all...I won't miss the clutter-magnet desk area which was really just a waste of good space.

In its place is now a full length 'pantry' cabinet.  Sliding shelves in the lower section make it easy to reach everything in the back.

Before we can finish up, the backsplash has to be put in, then have the electrician back to finish up, THEN stove and microwave can go in.  I can't wait to be all done and settled in.  :)

Kitchen reload...

No blogging for a whole week.  Also no reading, no sewing, not much of anything.

Except putting the kitchen back together.  Slow going.  The shelves are mostly covered with shelf liner now.  I'm trying to put a lot of thought into reloading kitchen gear to maximize storage and user friendliness.

I did do one thing last night that tickled me pink.  I was looking online for some dividers to organize baking pans which I want near the oven.  The lower storage in that area are all deep drawers; and I didn't want to pile the baking pans in one of those, where I would have to lift up the whole contents (with a lot of clanging and banging) to reach the one thing I wanted from the bottom.  So that leaves the upper cabinets.  But the shelf dividers that I was interested in were too large for an upper cabinet.

Then I had a brain storm.  I had purchased about four (packages of two) of the Inreda book ends from Ikea awhile back to use in my closet to keep stacks of tee shirts neat.  I ended up only using a couple of them.  So last night I retrieved the unused ones and slid them in place on an upper kitchen cabinet shelf.

Yea!  They work perfectly to support and separate (sounds like an old bra ad, doesn't it?) the baking pans.  And since they don't have to be permanently attached, I can easily move them to another spot if I want to rearrange.  Added bonus is they have a place for a label so now hubs will have no excuse for putting something in the wrong place.  Oh, he will still do it...he just won't have an excuse any longer.  :)  I'm thinking of labeling EVERY drawer and cabinet!

Sadly I couldn't find them on the Ikea website to link to.  Perhaps they have been discontinued?  Which just goes to show that my tendency to buy multiples of something when I find it...you know, just in case I need a bunch...actually works in my favor occasionally.

I will have photos of the kitchen up eventually.  I'm waiting till we get the hardware on the cabinet doors and drawers.

Day 15: Timeline of my day...

  4:00 a.m. went to bed
  8:30 a.m. up and dressed waiting for counter top guy
11:00 a.m. counter top arrives
  2:00 p.m. Carey went to work
  3:00 p.m. counter top installation complete (YIPPEE!!!)
  3:15 p.m. yard stick, tape measure, pencil/paper,
                  calculator...figuring amount of shelf liner
                  needed for cabinets and drawers
  4:00 p.m. on road to Container Store
  5:00 p.m. checking out with 15% discount
  5:15 p.m. Trader Joe's  
  6:00 p.m. picking up dinner out
  7:00 p.m. Doc Martin
  8:00 p.m. computer
  9:00 p.m. bath
10:00 p.m. early bedtime

One more cabinet installation tomorrow morning...then I am putting in shelf liner...and starting kitchen reload at long last (2 1/2 months after emptying it).  Monday the plumber comes to hook up sink, dishwasher, and refrigerator water connection.  Still need to purchase stove and microwave, raise table/island to counter height, put up back splash, caulk, build open shelving...

Kitchen remodel progress...

I apologize for the rotten photos.  The kitchen window makes it very difficult to get a decently lit shot.

Before...

Dark brown painted cabinets and a GINORMOUS island.  It seems like such a long time ago that it looked like this.  Baby steps.

After deconstruction complete...

This is what the kitchen has looked like for the past several weeks...empty...hollow...cavernous.  The white walls are areas that were covered with cabinets before, and the horizontal stripe around the room is where Carey had to rip off the slate backsplash.  On the far left you can see there is no horizontal stripe.  That's where removal of the backsplash was so difficult that the drywall had to be replaced in that section.

Top cabinets in...

Yesterday morning the lone installer (I thought there would be two or three at least) arrived and began work on the upper cabinets.  By evening they were all in place, except for the one over the refrigerator space which was the wrong size.  We'll have to wait for a replacement, but over the fridge is not an inconvenient one to do without for awhile.

After the installer left for the day, Carey and I painted the walls on either side of the window.  There will be open shelving from the window to the cabinets on the left and right.  It was such a small area, that I figured it would be quicker and easier to paint before the bottom cabinets went in.

Bottom cabinets in...

This morning the installer was back on the job, and by five o'clock he was done.  At long last...tangible progress!

Now that all the bottom cabinets are in place, the counter top guy can come to measure; he will be here in the morning.  Yea!

Demolition men...

This is how it was left when Carey went back to work a week ago.

Carey and Jared back at it yesterday morning.

The last upper cabinet coming down.

Clean slate...or rather it will be when the horrid slate backsplash comes down...which is proving difficult.  The plumber was here yesterday and did some necessary work.  The electrician will be here tomorrow to give it a look, then will come back to do the work on another day soon.  THEN we can schedule the cabinet installation (they were delivered this week, and are waiting in the garage).

Now I have to choose a countertop material.  Today I narrowed it down to these two.  One of the above is laminate, and one is granite...can you guess which is which?  I really thought I wanted laminate, because: it can look very similar; we have never been hard on countertops as far as burns, scratches, etc.; it's less expensive; and just seems less...snobby?  But after looking at the edge options today, I didn't like any of the laminate edge choices.  Also, I would really like an undermount sink, and those are not really suited to be paired with laminate countertops.  So I'm going to think about it for a few days.  Any thoughts or advice?

The kitchen work begins...

This was the kitchen before we moved in.  Love the size.  Love the high ceilings.  Love the fireplace.  The color...not so much.

Shortly after we moved in we painted the whole house a sort of khaki color.  I'm not a fan of dark cabinets, but I was willing to live with their color.  

But for four years, what I continued to struggle with was the work layout.  The island was TOO big, and we removed it last year to re-purpose as cabinets in the garage apartment.

Lots of other things made this the most frustrating kitchen work space I've ever had.

This is the second house where I've had a built-in desk in the kitchen, and I've hated them both as space wasters.  I just pile things on them, and they always look awful and inefficient.

I like the luxury of the double oven, but do you want to know how often I needed to use them both at the same time?  Maybe once...twice?

 Now the desk and the ovens are gone.  

 Along with all the upper cabinets on the left side of the kitchen.  The rest of the deconstruction is going to have to wait till Carey gets back from working out of town.

 Here is my temporary kitchen space in the laundry room.  It worked very well for making most of tonight's dinner.  For now the stove top in the kitchen still works, so I used it to make rice...

...which we topped with Crockpot Creole Chicken and Sausage from Pinch of Yum.  It was easy and really, REALLY good!

I'll be showing more kitchen reno as we make progress.