The Kitchen

Finally. Our kitchen is [almost] complete. All that is left are some finishing touches - artwork, decor, etc.

I knew I wanted to go with either a bold green or gray for the paint color. Before, it was two nasty shades of green. I also knew I wanted to go with the same color on the top and bottom of the chair rail. People were skeptical of my gray [Valspar: Montpelier Ashlar Gray], but it is my favorite color in the whole house. I was nervous as to whether it would be too light, or what undertone would show through [green, blue...]. It is just the right color, however, to go with my bright turquoise and green accents [these accents are the things still missing from the room].

This is what the room looked like when we first saw the house:

And now:

The flowers are from our backyard!

Our appliances were straight from the 80s.

We updated!

Like I said, I'm still hoping to add some items including a chalkboard, two large matted prints of rainbow eucalyptus bark from www.imagesofthewildeye.com, and 2-3 colors of fiestaware. All these things will take lots of saved birthday and Christmas money.

But for now, I am happy with my little kitchen. You may wonder where I keep all our kitchen stuff, including our food. The cabinet space isn't plentiful, but in the basement I have a lovely pantry. I get my exercise while cooking!

For a final look at the before & after (click photos to view larger):

Straight out of the 70s

Oddly enough, the kitchen has become one of my favorite rooms in our house. I will likely say that about all the rooms in our house. But, the kitchen color, the windows, the [future] decor...I love it all.

The reason it is odd that I love the kitchen is because I thought it would be the thorn in my flesh while we lived here. Just take a look at these spec pictures and you'll see why.

Check out that counter space...all 3 feet of it.

It isn't the most conveniently arranged, nor the largest kitchen I've been fortunate enough to have. But, it's amazing what some new appliances and paint will do!

But, I'm not going to show you the end result yet. Mainly because it isn't quite finished. Close.

You see, on Saturday we said good-bye to this beloved piece:

Before living here, I had never even heard of a "drop-in" range. But, they still do sell them [by "they," I mean only THREE companies]. Actually, there was only ONE model that would fit in the space, making the decision process easy. We only had to decide between black or white. And as it's name suggests, you just drop-it-in.

Check out these push-buttons.

HI - 2 - 3 - LO - WM - OFF: What more do you need?

Don't let its small size fool you though, this over puts out major heat and cooks quicker than anything I've ever used. It was actually quite fun to use. But its gone now and soon a much snazzier and more updated range will take its place.

Meanwhile, we've gotten to see the original floor laminate and cabinet color. It's a shame they covered that stuff up...

And until the new one is installed, we are grilling our way through Weber's Real Grilling cookbook.

And yes, the vintage hood is staying.

Coral is "in," right?

When we first saw the house, the bathroom was the biggest eyesore. Not only was it small and the only bathroom in the house, but it was outdated. Whether you call it coral, peach or salmon...the tile color was not exciting to us.

Nor was the black and teal strip around the room and the off-white [dirty-looking] walls. However, the tile is in great condition and we just weren't interested on spending money to update the bathroom.  So, we planned to leave it as it was. The former owners obviously thought they would make the bathroom soooo busy that you wouldn't notice the tile. I thought I would get a black shower curtain to distract from the tile and it might look decent.

(I apologize for the bad before pictures. In my haste on move in day, I snapped one picture of each room and didn't care what they looked like. Now I realize they are dark and dingy and can't do a think about it.)

As I have now learned, though, when one buys a house they tend to do more to it than originally planned in order to make it their own. Since painting was happening in most of the upstairs, we decided to also give the bathroom a fresh coat of paint. Simple. So we thought.

We had many difficulties in this bathroom. The walls are plaster - therefore uneven. A semi-gloss coat of paint only accentuated that fact. Plus we didn't clean the walls and tile before painting, so the paint just peeled off.


So, we scrubbed and repainted with texture (matching the rest of the house). I was worried that the gray we chose would make the room look too dark. But we added a white shower curtain and two light gray rugs to finish it off. I would like to find some prints for the wall with the coral color to pull in the tile and finish it off.

I'm actually really happy with how it turned out. While not the most modern of bathrooms, the coral seems to stand out less.

More lovelies popped up

It's fun to see what kind of new flowers pop up when you first move into a new home. In the front of our house, these puffs came out:

They come in blue, pink, and purple! And they are beautiful.

Again, I'm not sure what they are called, but they sure make me happy!

A new step

On Wednesday, Hubs and I signed a lot of papers that mean today we own a house.

     A house that we have seen once.

     A house that we won't see for another month.

     A house in a town we are unfamiliar with.

     A house that I can't wait to live in!

This means that it is really going to happen. We are going to move soon and we are going to have a house. One in which we can change anything we want to! After 5 years of living in wonderful rentals, (and I truly mean that) I am ready for this. I get more excited about moving each day, not only because of the house, but for this next adventure.

I'm already pretty attached to the house. It is the only thing that I know for sure about the move. And so I've been wrongly clinging it to it. But when uncertainty about a job, church, friends, city, and even what school will be like is lurking above me, I've found comfort in this house that I know we'll be living in. I picture our things there. I think of what we will do to the house and where we will spend out time. I even think about cleaning it and get excited (weird). The problem is that what I should be clinging to is God. Not this house.

I think its great to be excited about this. I think its great to want to change the house to fit our style and needs. But, I remember today that God alone has given us this house and the resources to update and improve. And that now that we have a house, we want to seek to use it for His glory. So, I have to make an daily, active shift to cling to my Savior & Lord in the midst of uncertainty, not this house.

Now to picking paint colors...

We've never been able to paint walls and it kind of makes me nervous. I found a few paint colors that I really like, one that I am absolutely sure of, but as much as I love looking through home magazines and what others have done to their home, I am at a loss in my own. Never fear, though, I'm still searching through what will be the right option and I'm confident we will find something.

A new adventure

I could ramble on to you about what's been going on. From computer viruses to broken copiers; from ordered clothes that were defective to Hubs' sore knee. Yep, I could tell you all the crazy frustrations of life right now, but there are so many exciting things that I prefer to dwell on.

As long as all continues to go according to plan, Hubs and I will be homeowners in less than 8 weeks. Here is our [future] humble abode:

Isn't it cute? We are getting more and more excited about having a home to make ours. Living in rented space has been nice and convenient, but it has never been ours. This little 936 square foot home will be perfect for our little family of 3, which we aren't planning to expand [with a human] anytime soon.

So, I have become addicted to home furnishings magazines and home designing blogs and websites. One of my favorites is The Lettered Cottage. This house is actually very well maintained (one of our prerequisites due to Hubs rigorous schedule), but a coat of paint and decor changes will be in order in a few rooms. This is so new to me that I just keep pursuing pictures and ideas of things I like, making mental notes along the way.

My favorite parts of the home include: the basement

the hardwood floors, which will keep us diligent about keeping Ransom's nails clipped

a master bedroom large enough for our bed and our furniture,

and, the landscaped yard with an area for a vegetable garden

 

For those of you who are wondering how Ransom would ever be contained in this sort of a yard, an invisible fence will be a must.

After almost 5 years, we have a cute little house. I'm so excited!

Smarts

Our dog has some smarts. Hubs and I will forever be amazed that he found his way back to my parent's house in Kansas City this summer. And, although he does lick the oddest of things, he really adjusts to life in a very smart manner.

I mean, he knew that something was going on during our move. He whined as we packed up and he was constantly on our heels ready to dash to the truck, not to be left behind.

Within 30 minutes of being in our new house, he had found "his" couch and was curled up relaxing. Five hours later we left for a party and he knew exactly where to go when I said, "Kennel." And by the next evening, when we said, "Ransom, let's go night-night," he trotted straight back to our bedroom and plopped down onto his bed.

After 2 days of being fed at our new house, Ransom has completely adjusted and knows where home is. He has even (and we have too) adjusted to hearing himself walk along the floors. Our old home didn't have a basement and he was quiet as a mouse. Now, we hear his ever step, which could be a very good thing. AND, he knows that the best place to poop in our yard is as close the fence as possible, so that he doesn't step in it while playing.

After 5 days, however, I still have to think when I get out of bed of where the bathroom is, when my contacts are, and how to go about my normal routine. And, let's not even go into finding items in the kitchen.

Victory occured yesterday and this morning, though, when I finally found my salt dish and my fleece jacket, both of which I was missing severely. I still have no clue where my napkin holder is hiding.

Yes, I would say Ransom feels right at home.

And we do too.

Kitchen Organization

One of my goals is to get most items off my kitchen counters. This is easier said than done when you just lack storage space. I have gone through a lot of items and put them in a "get rid of spot" for my garage sale next spring, but I still have stuff cluttering up my counters.

There are a few things that I just think belong on the counter. 1 - the coffee maker. 2 - the utensil holder/turny thing. 3 - the mixer.

Since it is inevitable that some extra things will remain on the counter, I want to make them look neat, clean, and organized. I got an idea from a magazine that I am very excited about:

This large white tray does not fit in my cabinets. So, I decided to put all of my daily-use items that just hang out near stove on the tray. Ta da! I got rid of two areas of clutter and they are all very handy, sitting right next to the stove.

First, we have the sea salt grinder.

 And, we also have regular salt. I prefer keeping it in this little $.74 dish than the entire carton or a salt shaker. It is easily accessible when using a measuring spoon or just your fingers.

Next is the cooking spray. I like this to be handy so I can use it at all times.

Then the black pepper grinder. I love black pepper.

And, the olive oil. I go through this stuff pretty fast.

This is actually a new oil for me. A recipe I am trying this week calls for it and I have actually wanted to try it. It is on the tray and we will have to see if it stays.

There are a few things I still want to add to the tray. I would like to get two spice jars (ceramic with a cork lid) and load them up with my most-used spices. I hate digging around in my cabinets for my spices (and I have another idea coming soon for organizing that area). I just need to figure out which two spices get the most attention before I buy the jars. Are there any other items you would add?

I was very happy with the result. Such a simple change, but it cleaned up the cluttered area well. And when my kitchen is cleaned and organized, cooking is SO much more enjoyable!

Work Day!

Hubs and I rarely have house projects. We rent. So, yesterday we spent the day at my parents' home working on a major transformation.

The mission: cover this out-of-date blue house with blue trim with white paint
Hours worked: 12

BEFORE:

There is a lot of blue. It was a big task and didn't necessarily get started on track. Finally, the first of the paint was applied:

When we started using the sprayer, progress sped up!

Getting dirty also sped up.

That's not a glove on his hand...

Wedding ring, watch...all sacrificed for the project. Or, inadvertantly sprayed by Jake.

I was content to work on the railing. All. Day.

Only my mother seemed comfortable high on a ladder, though we all were up there at different point in time. Hubs and I even ventured on the roof to get some hard-to-reach spots. It only took me 5 minutes to gain up the courage to actually get back on the ladder and come down. Finally, we reached our goal for the day and began the clean up. We used a lot of paint.

You may have noticed that we painted right over the windows...

Watch this...

Just cut...and peel.

Walah!

Hubs thought it was cool too.

The railing turned out pretty well.

Mission: Accomplished!