Side Trip

After coming to the sad realization that our kitchen floors couldn't be salvaged we decided yesterday was as good as any to start the hunt for a new option. We went to all the usual places (Home Depot, Lumber Liquidators, etc) and checked out what they had. Guess what we came home with.

A blueberry bush.

Oh and a few others. We also brought home rhubarb, sweet peas, tomatoes, and strawberries. We couldn't decide on flooring but we could decide on fruit. Go figure. Home Depot was having a 50% off sale on their veggies and Costco had the blueberry. I just couldn't pass them up.

We did narrow down our options and hopefully after a bit more research we will be ready to bit the bullet. We've had plumbers in and out giving us quotes on moving our gas line so that should happen in the next week or so. It will be nice when I no longer have to cook with the stove in the middle of the kitchen. It feels like this project is finally moving along.

Anyone else go shopping for one thing and come home with another? That usually only happens to me at Target.
Cheers!

There's Good News and Bad News

The good news is I'm almost done taking up the flooring in the kitchen!

The bad news? Most of it looks like this

Yeah, someone got pretty happy with a drill bit here. Looks like we will be putting down new flooring. The only question is what kind. Hopefully we will manage to get out today and go look at some but between plumbers coming to give quotes to move the gas line and the fact that technically it is a work day we will see. I'm kind of bummed, but new floors will be nice too.

It can't all be good news I guess.

This Old House

I love my house. I love how old it is, how unique it is, and all of it's twists and turns. So often we will be working on a project (or even just sitting around talking about our house, because that's how cool we are) and we will wish we had the original plans for the house, just to see what it used to look like. Like why the ceiling in the used-to-be breakfast nook is solid wood, or why one side of the internal chimney is sided with green siding. Who knows.

The kitchen, as noted above, has been full of strange quirks. I still have never understood why they put a nook there in the first place. What did the room used to be? As we uncover more and more of the floor other things have cropped up. Like this random floor transition in the middle of the room.

Was this really two rooms once? If it was they would have been two of the tiniest rooms in the world.

What about the phantom shelving in yesterday's reveal?

Was this room full of open shelving? I can just imagine what a cute little farm house kitchen this could have been. Part of me (ok, a lot of me) wishes the previous owners had left the kitchen as is just so I could have seen what the house was meant to look like (and saved a few thousand dollars on both our ends). I guess I'll have to be content with my imagination on this one.

What about you? Anyone else house or apartment have strange quirks that leave you scratching your head? I remember when we remolded the house I lived in as a kid we discovered a door behind the refrigerator. I still wish I had opened it just to see what was inside. 

Cheers!

Open Spaces as Far as the Eye Can See

After a bit of hard work and sheer brute force (I kid but it was an effort) our kitchen is finally ready for the next phase. Which means, it looks a little something like this...

Here's another angle

Just to refresh your memory, here's what it looked like before we began this little journey.

This is an MLS shot from before we bought the house. 

We're getting there! Daniel is looking for a plumber to move the gas line this week and we've got flooring to rip up so hopefully the next step of the project will move along quickly. For those of you just joining this little adventure, you can check out the finished kitchen plans here. It is going to be huge! The best part? We still have complete use of our appliances. Sure some of them are in another room, but they are still there. Bonus!

How was your weekend? Get any major projects started/done? Did you just relax? I could have used some more of that myself.
Cheers!

It's What We Like to Call Progress

I spent yesterday taking down all of the upper cabinets.

Next up is the island and then I can get to work removing all of the flooring. It was kind of cool to see what was behind the cabinets. You can tell they didn't paint before they put them in.

Makes me really wonder what the kitchen looked like before they did their "upgrades".

I'm on a roll today! Maybe I'll have something for you tomorrow (or maybe not). Fingers crossed the other cabinets come out as easily.

Cheers!

Spring is in the Air

I have kitchen work to do the next few days but, in honor of spring, I thought I'd show you what is springing up in my garden.

We've come a long way since I posted about my garden two months ago. And even further from the begining. Can you believe it used to look like this? One of the best things about blogging about our house is that I can look back and remember all the hard work it took to get the garden to where it is now. Still a ways to go but we are getting there! What can I say? I'm proud of myself.

What project are you most proud of? I'd love to see all your hard work! Leave me a link!
Cheers!

The Year at a Glance

Remember that cute calendar I got way back in January? Let me refresh your memory.

Well, after a few months I was getting sad of saying goodbye to each month. They were just too cute. So I thought about the original idea some more and decided I had at least one more wall that could use some life.

Big blank walls are always the worst. I never know what to put on them, so this large scale art installation seemed perfect.

What do you think?

I wanted to keep it feeling fun and light so I hung each picture with a mini clothespin.

I got the wire device from Ikea. It is supposed to be for hanging curtains but it works even better for art. I could totally see this in a kids room or office. As for the current month? I whipped together this handy pinterest inspired design and had it printed on photo-poster paper.

That way I can enjoy the current month upstairs and still be able to see all of the other months in the guest room. I'm really liking March right now.

Yes my friends, I am having my cake and eating it too. Ain't it grand? We need some brightness around here. For the first day of spring things are looking a little glum. Hope you all have some better weather!
Cheers!
Linking up to

The Shabby Nest

Between Naps on the Porch

 

Revving our Engines

The kitchen project has reached a point now where the next step is clearing the whole thing out. Yikes. That means all of the cabinets, appliances and what-not has to find a new temporary home until we can move everything back in again. All to pull up the floors. My plan is to have this done by the end of the week so we spent the weekend trying to figure out where things will go. We are back to using the library as a bedroom so hopefully we can use the master bedroom as a temporary kitchen until we are ready to put it all back together. Which gave me the kick in the pants I needed to finally get working on the closet. I know, it seems a bit backwards but believe me, it was necessary.

The major construction on the closet has been finished for weeks, but it has been looking like this for awhile now.

This weekend I finally got it cleared out and put together properly. See all that storage? Even with adding the Billy in the middle I still have the exact same amount of hanging room (thanks to the double rack on the right there).

Ok, I wish I could say I styled it up nice and pretty for you but in reality it now looks like this.

Yup, this is where my dishes and pantry are living while their homes are being relocated. At least all of my clothes fit now! Like I said, it was a necessary step to getting the kitchen cleared out. One day it will be beautiful and finished but until then just close your eyes and imagine it looks like this.

via

That's what I am doing.

Anyone else just wish this project was done? I'm raising my hand. So tell me, what do you when you get frustrated about lack of progress? I could use some advice. 

Cheers!

Junk in the Trunk

Junk drawer. Is there a better named household device than this? Somehow no matter how hard I try it always ends up looking like a bomb went off.

Friends, I give you exhibit A:

Sick right? It seems that we have been using this drawer to store all manner of useless items that can be better stored elsewhere. Would you believe me when I say it took a whole hour to clean this out? It did.

I used the ever popular keep, donate, trash method, though to be honest mostly it was a keep- trash method in the end. I did come away from the project with some clarity, and the desire to not let it get this bad again. Much better don't you think?

Now when I need a pen I can find one. Because that is all we really use junk drawers for right?

Hope your plans for the weekend are more thrilling than cleaning out junk drawers. We've got kitchens on the mind and some more demo to do. Fingers crossed for progress!
Cheers!

Birthday Boy!

It is my wonderful husband's birthday today so I thought I'd share a Keller tradition with you: The Birthday Tray.

Daniel's family has been doing this since Daniel and his sister were kids. Each year on your birthday you are woken up with a try of goodies. Nothing too big or amazing, just treats you don't normally get (Daniel is particularly fond of eclairs). Everyone presents the tray and sings and then everyone enjoys what is on the tray. It is a fun tradition that is about celebrating and not presents.

Can you guess how old he is?

Normally they do this while the person is sleeping and surprise them but we aren't big early morning risers in this family. I got to be part of a family birthday in Mexico this year and it was fun to be part of the whole family tradition.

We've got a fun dinner planned tonight and hopefully Daniel we take most of the day off so we can enjoy the rain together.

We don't usually do presents. Our favorite gift is a vacation so we are currently planning our 3rd Honeymoon (more on that tradition here). I love that we celebrate the old traditions while making some of our own as well. 

Anyone else have a fun birthday tradition? Or just a fun tradition in general? I may regret having all of these tasty bits around all day but you only get one birthday a year right?

Cheers!

Vacation Photo Dump: Part 3 (and final!)

I've been nursing a migraine the last few days so not much is getting done around here. I blame the shock of going from non-stop sun to pouring rain. Seriously Seattle, Spring starts next week! Yesterday we had snow flurries, hail, pouring rain and blinding sun all in the matter of 30 min. It was crazy. So let's bask in a few more sunny pictures while we wait for the weather to turn.

This last set is a bit of a hodge-podge of pictures from my parent's house and the Huntington Library gardens. First off I should introduce you to the cast of characters that currently inhabits my parent's home.

There is Bubba- our rescue Pit Bull. He is the sweetest and stupidest dog I know.

And Nacho. My older brother's cat who now lives with them.

The Guinea Fowl- Or as I like to call them, the not-chickens.

Are they not the ugliest birds you've ever seen? Not only are they ugly they are insanely loud, but they are good at eating ticks and weeds (and everything else). My Dad enjoys them.

He also has two Peacocks that are currently dating.

 Well... he thinks they are dating, she could care less. Normally they have the run of the ranch too but they are worried she would run off and try to find a better mate. Sorry girl, this is as good as it gets.

If you've never seen a peacock showing off before it is quite the sight. It is also quite noisy. He rustles his feathers at her and they make the strangest sound. I'm looking forward to when he molts. Dad is saving the feathers for me. Now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do with them.

When we were at the Huntington Library we spent most of the time in the desert area with the succulents. I was playing with my fixed focal lens so I got some great detail shots.

We also managed to get to the Chinese Garden before we it closed. I wish we had more time there but it was beautiful.

Wouldn't this make a cool bathroom floor? Give me a bag of rocks and 10 years and I might be done.

There you have it. My vacation I wish I was still on. I've been having trouble getting back in to the swing of things but I'm hoping once my head stops hurting I will be more enthusiastic.

What's inspiring you all right now? Maybe I can siphon some of your enthusiasm for myself.
Cheers!