The kitchen Renovation: WEEK 3

Construction is all but at a pause...  while the carpenters do their thing back at the shop.

Scott and I had a VERY busy & productive weekend working on clearing out the desk a bit more. 

So much accumulation finds its way in to files and drawers. It is unbelievable how much we held on to and forgot about! 

Some- I have no real idea why we saved... & can be easily tossed.

BUT,

then you stumble on a special memory and everything comes to a complete halt while you sentimentally remember. 

They finally began clearing a bit of pasture for the solar panels. 

I am not quite sure it will be all that easy "being green"... but we plan to give it a try.

Alas, there was only one day all week without rain... so they did not get very far. 

Oddly enough, we discovered pockets of water beneath the sand and walking on it felt like quicksand.

The April showers have allowed the early arrival of the "May flowers"... 

and my flowerbed of roses offered me a spring welcome. 

(pic above is from the only day all week without rain!)

I am excited to report most of the appliances are in & today the sink we chose arrived! I can't wait until we have a counter and cabinets to put it in!

The storms are intensifying... again- so I will keep this update brief.

Until next week,

The kitchen Renovation: WEEK 2

It has been what I am told is a particularly calm week in the remodeling world.

Final measuring & remeasuring… 

Final structural planning for new gas & water lines.

The parade of contractors continued.

WEDNESDAY… Wednesday was like that scene in ET when the Mom discovers her son's weakness & E.T. & the government agents invade the house. 

3 trucks pulled up… a big sign was put on the lawn (In case no one saw the huge white trucks)… and then the whole area was sealed off and I was informed I must make myself scarce.

And then the “parade began”... 

2 men in face masks:
breathing gear
disposable coveralls
rubber gloves
rubber boots
goggles… (among other things)

the whole area was sealed off… 
and I was on my way.

I am told they have showers in those trucks 
and everything, everything- including their suits must be properly disposed of.

When the work was finished, the air had to be tested.

I am relieved to report: My kitchen is now asbestos free.   

And then the prep work resumed.

There were quiet moments… but with them… the difficulty sleeping, spending ways too much time on Pinterest & Houzz… obsessively seeking just one last inspiration. 

It was time to make final decisions in flooring, lighting, hardware.

I still knew exactly what I wanted my new kitchen to look like… well, unless I didn’t that is.

After weeks of waiting- my granite sample finally arrived. I adore it & was able to place it beside the wood floor & tile samples we had it narrowed down to. Both looked wonderful.

That night we had awful storms and a friends home one town over was hit by a tornado. 
It put it all my worries in to perspective.

It is a house… one I am blessed to have.

So I went back to my “saves” and reviewed them yet again. 

Nearly all had wood floors… and so I realized I had my answer all along.

The next morning I went to the fixture store & chose all my lighting & cabinet knobs & handles. 

And that night… 
I finally SLEPT. 
I slept without obsessively worrying, rethinking, or staring aimlessly on line. The major decisions were complete!

The next day I handed my contractor a listing of my final selections. 

And that was that.

I want wood in the living room, dining room, hallway & especially- the kitchen. 
I told him to make it stunning! 

Get it right I told him… take my breathe away.

Today the floor guy was here with our contractor to make final measurements to order “our acacia planks”.

I wanted to follow them around and check every measurement.

Instead, I went into the dining room and finished packing another cabinet.

I decided our contractor knows what he is doing or we would not have hired him 
& he is being well paid. 
Time to get use to trusting him to earn it.

The kitchen Renovation: WEEK 1 (Year 3)

After years of waiting & dreaming & planning... renovations are finally full speed ahead. 

So, while we started with our contractor over the summer & chose the granite, appliances, and rest in February... this was their first REAL WORK WEEK. 
(For the crew anyways... I have been sorting, and packing, and planning, and reviewing, and shopping for months!)

I have decided to post updates weekly to remind myself of the "journey".

Monday was minimal.

Tuesday was devoted to new electrical circuit boxes.

But Wednesday--- 

Wednesday came at me from all sides. One team was taking apart the window seating while another was taking out pantry cabinets... & Another was in attic exploring gas set up for range change. (And in the middle of all of that the alarm company came to fix something & the exterminator!)

Window seating.... gone! 

Wednesday/Thursday were spent taking apart the pantry/mudroom. 

We are breaking down its wall to add the space to current kitchen.

Thursday they also removed a window where the window seating had been!

By this weeks end there were discussions of old termite damage in that window & asbestos in pantry floor tiles... 

I am grateful it is the weekend & I can clean up some of the mess... and recharge.

Only one week in and I am already losing track 

of who works for who 

and who was hired by our contractor to do what. 

It is very hard for me to try to stay out of their way. 

Not that any of them are discussing it with me anyways.

Honestly, there have been moments this week that have felt like chaos 

& others when I have felt like an outsider looking in.

But I am relieved to say... week one is behind me.

  

Here is my fortune cookie when I snuck out for some comfort food:

until next week...

Quilter's Burn Out

Have you ever suffered 

Quilter's Burn Out?

How did you get your Mojo Back?

My goal for April is to locate mine...

April's thaw needed :(

I just returned home from a week visiting family. (I had planned it for a few days after our guilds show as a combo escape-reward).
While there, I spent several hours making a purse with my niece. I am envious of her enthusiasm and determination to learn to sew. Kimberly is 10 1/2 now and each visit brings with it another eagerly anticipated lesson on her machine.

But, I am back home now, finally caught up on laundry... 
and packing up those final stragglers remaining in the kitchen for its remodel. They will finally break down the first wall on Monday. 

Everything I brought home after our quilt show remains stacked on my cutting table. 
I just can't seem to bring myself in there to sort it.

There are official documents from guild show stuff. 
The few items I actually purchased... including the silent auction items I bought because they were homemade & I could not bring myself to let them go unsold. (But would not have otherwise)

Then there are the quilts I entered... and atop, my earned ribbons. 
I would usually proudly display them on the wall. (Though no one but myself is likely to ever see them). 
Sadly... the are simply displayed atop the stack... 

I fear I have quilter's burn out. It has been coming on for a while now & I just don't seem to be able to shake it.

I don't know why I haven't been inspired... or even motivated to quilt.
I know it is all in my head & I have no real reason not to.

I have a dear friend determined to get me over the hump... I hope we make it... I need the distraction and calming from the remodel chaos.

Have you ever suffered burnout? How did you get past it?

My goal for April is just that: to get my mojo back...
to return to the outlet I love...
to get back to the joy in QUILTING... 

I created this quilt of my daughter last year... 

      "Springs Sunflowers for Deandra"