A Long and Busy Month

Boy  it is nice to have the month of August over with. We have kept so busy tearing apart, painting, staining things, and adding new flooring to the kitchen. All this while George worked 5 days a week.  I thought you might like a tour of the new look.

We had years ago enlarged the kitchen and added several new cabinets to one wall in the kitchen.At the time we put down just some cheap tiles on the floor not knowing what we really wanted to do for flooring. We figured a few years down the line we could put in  a good last floor. Well that was about 8 years ago and I had been living for the last couple years with peeling, cracking tiles that just would not clean good any more.

This is what we started with

 We looked and looked for what we would like and could never agree as to what we wanted. What George wanted I did not want and what I wanted he did not want. While shopping one day at Menards we noticed they had a flooring sale which was pretty good. We found some swift lock type of ceramic tile looking flooring we both loved. Well guess what. They did not have enough for our kitchen and it was a discontinued item. Would you not know it when we find some we both agree on there is not enough and no way of getting more. So we left empty handed as far as having flooring. A few days later we decided to head back up there and we were determined to come to an agreement and come home with something for that horrible floor. Well after looking and looking we had narrowed the flooring down to two different looks. One a hardwood bamboo and one a swift lock that was almost a granite type look which I really liked. George thought it looked to dark though. So we decided on hard wood bamboo.

Getting it started was a job. When our home was build in the 60's nothing seemed to be squared. Once the first few pieces  were in it got a lot easier.  George got 1/4 of it done and came out and said. I am thinking of maybe moving the pantry cabinet over where the refrigerator is and the refrigerator where the that cabinet it what do you think? By then I am thinking oh no what else will he decide to do.

  My light switch is hidden behind the refrigerator with it this way.  And the dog dishes  have always been next to the refrigerator. Switching will open up the light switch was his excuse for doing this. So I agreed to moving the two around. Now I just need to get him to switch the door  of the refrigerator to open the other way. But I have to say stove, sink and refrigerator are now in the triangle they should be in to be efficient.

Well the floor is done and I am loving it. Sure made a big difference . We bought new cushions for the chairs and last week I asked my dad if I could have a few of moms linen table clothes being they no longer had an oblong table. I came home with three nice ones that I can use with nice place mats.

Here is the final look.

This is looking from the living room into the kitchen..

This is looking towards my computer and sewing room. 

This shows some of the teapot collect. Top cabinets here are the original ones in the kitchen which were a very dark brown, almost a black. I stripped, sanded and refinished them several years ago. Bottom cabinets are all new.

This shows my sink and the new window along with a lot more teapots in my collection.

The small space between the pantry cabinet and regular cabinet will have shelves added to make it look finished. I will have enough room there to add a few small teapots from my collection. Hanging next to the pantry cabinet is a picture I was given back years and years ago by a dear friend whom I took painting lessons from. . 

Today is a rainy dreary day so I have been baking. It seems great to be able to have it cool enough to turn on the oven. Oh how I miss baking in the summer. Even with air conditioning I just refuse to turn on the oven.

I am looking so forward to fall this year. I have been getting my fall decorations around and even talked George into a pretty new tablecloth, fall place mats, and new rugs for the fall months when we were shopping this past week end. Will get it all up and share my decorations  later with you. 

Now on to the next project . We have torn off the deck and will be rebuilding It is years old and even with treated wood we had some buckling of the wood and it was just not as sturdy as we would like.This is what it now looks like out my back door. 

 Also we are going to paint the guest bedroom. It is a green paneling and  a dark green at that. I am so ready for something different in there. And we will replace the carpet after painting. We are trading our king sized bed from there with our daughter for her queen size. Will be great having a bit more room in there. 

I have slowly been doing my fall cleaning. We had to have everything away by 3 feet from all the windows for them to install the new ones so I went into cleaning mode while doing it. Figured no time better than now. 

Well off to do some cookies. Got letter from  our grandson who is in the Marines. He said that if I could bake either 80 or 160 cookies that would be awesome. He wants for the whole platoon. Can hardly wait till Christmas to send baked goods and homemade candies to him. 

I hope everyone has a great week.