Calendar Kitchen

Our kitchen remodel made the remodeling company's 2017 calendar! We're August. I guess all those hours selecting finishes and accessories paid off.

My beloved 96-year-old Grandpa is still on Hospice. A couple of times in the past few months, he has taken turns for the worst, but he's perked up both times and is hanging in there. We'll visit him next week. My aunt Kerstin has been sending frequent text and photo updates to all of us on his status. Since she's sending them to two generations of family, she was calling him Granddad/Dad, but over the weeks, it's become G-Dad. Love it! I call it his rapper name.

Sunday Stealing: The Here-to-Serve 16 Questions

1. Which is worse? Being gossiped about or being lied to?

Being lied to. Everyone talks about everyone, and I honestly don't care about that, but being honest is very important in any relationship.

2. What is your favorite "Starbucks" drink? Or if you have better taste, Dunkin’ Donuts? 

I love plain old Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Iced mocha is my favorite Starbucks drink.

3. Name an embarrassing moment (Make it good).
I always go back to tripping in the courtyard in high school, during lunch when everyone and their dog was out there (not literally, because people didn't bring their dogs everywhere then).  I was wearing high heels and a dress. My girlfriends and I were walking and laughing about something. My heel got stuck in a crack and I fell to the ground. I was right next to the entrance to a classroom building, so I immediately ran in there. It was absolutely hilarious, but totally embarrassing.

4. Is it hard for you to ask some to forgive you when you have wronged them?

I just apologize. I don't know that I've specifically asked someone to forgive me. I just assume they will, if they accept my apology.

4. Who do you wish you could meet?
Michael Symon. He's too cool.

5. Best food comes from which country?
USA! USA! USA!

6. Do you like small talk, or deep conversations?
deep conversations

7. Who do you most want to encourage this year?
Lauren

8. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it?
Take a vacation! They would be right, but I probably won't.

9. How often do you get real sick?
very rarely

10. Are you a person who has a whole lot of acquaintances, or just a few very close friends?
I've lived here quite a while, so I do have a lot of casual acquaintances from various groups, but my life is mostly centered on a few very close friends.

11. If you could cure a disease, or heal a sickness, which one would you choose?
cancer

12. What was your favorite book of 2016?

Didn't read a book in 2016. Not one.

13. What was one of your biggest accomplishments in 2016?

Making a very successful transition from full-time corporate job to part-time contractor. I didn't even want to do the contract at first, but it's working out well!

14. If you could be guaranteed a spot on the reality show "Survivor", would you go?
Um, no. I don't even like to camp. I would be most likely to play "The Mole," but only with Anderson.

15. Which is worse? Shopping for jeans or a bathing suit?
Jeans. So many factors are at play- height, body shape, style of jeans, waist to hip ratio, fabric... Bathing suits are stretchy and adjustable.

16. How old was your oldest living relative (still living or in the past)? 

I think my grandpa is the oldest. He'll be 97 in February.

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Dolores's Kitchen

Oh. Mah. Gawd. Dolores Catania's kitchen reno before and after looks almost exactly like ours, right down to the gray island! Cool!

Dolores's
Mine

She has great taste. I just adore her and Siggy on RHONJ. Those two are like a couple of regular girls floating around in the sea of drama. They have the same shocked reactions to everything that we're having at home. I hope they stay around.

Lauren declared the Cheeseburger Spaghetti Pie I made last night for the first time to be "a recipe made up by high college students with a bunch of burger ingredients in the fridge." Neither she nor Jeff liked the ketchup that's in it. It tasted good to me, but I agree the sweetness is unexpected, since a more spicy or neutral tomato sauce is typically on pasta. I thought it would be a good alternative to pizza night, but it'll be a no-go!


Saturday 9: Tubular Bells (1973)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) According to Reader's Digest, The Exorcist is the scariest movie of all time. Have you seen it, and if so, did it scare you?

Yes and yes! It gets my vote for scariest. The Grudge is pretty damn scary as well.

2) The Exorcist has been made into a TV series on Fox, premiering last month. Have you become a fan of any of the season's new shows?

This is Us - the best new drama on TV. From the very first ad, it reminded me of Thirtysomething in a very good way, and I was thrilled to find out later that Ken Olin- Michael on Thirtysomething - is the executive producer. The characters are great. Perfect amount of humor thrown in. Bravo! Also, American Housewife cracks me up. 

3) "Tubular Bells" is a popular ringtone for both Android and iPhone. What's your ringtone?

Night Owl

4) As Halloween approaches, do you watch more scary shows and movies?

Not really.

5) Do you have any recurring nightmares?

I have a recurring one where I am driving and the road starts doing strange things, like going into the ocean, or straight up into the sky, or down in a steep spiral.

6) Have you carved a jack o' lantern this year?

Nope. We don't usually carve one. We did when Lauren was little.

7) Do you like the taste of pumpkin seeds?

Yes! Roasted and salted.

8) What will the trick or treaters who knock on your door get?

They'll get nothing if they knock on the door, because we'll be handing out Kit Kats with Scott-n-Julie's cul-de-sac.

9) A Halloween "let's pretend:" Back in the 1950s, a home in your neighborhood was the site of a gruesome murder/suicide. Relatives retained ownership of the house but declined to live there. During the ensuing decades, a legend grew: The tragic couple haunts the halls. Generations of schoolchildren insist they heard strange sounds and saw curtains often move mysteriously. Now the house is about to be demolished. A local charity is raising money by sponsoring a Halloween sleepover. Would you be willing to stay in this haunted house over night?

Hell to the no.

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Kitchen Remodel Before and After Photos

Ta daaaaaa!!

Here we go. The "before" was 90's orange oak cabinets and forest green Corian countertops. The "after" is white cabs and black quartz countertops. Click on photos to see the full size images.

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Wood-look tile flooring: Daltile Forest Park, color Timberland, 3x36, grout Mapei Cocoa 

We LOVE the wood-look tile. This one is a smooth, modern choice. There are also several out there with a more rustic look, if that's what you like. To get a more wood-floor appearance, go with tiles longer than 24". The rule of thumb is to place tiles running from the front of the house towards the back, but you can do what you prefer, of course. There is another "rule" that you lay them inwards from the entrance to the room, to welcome people into the space. In our case, the two rules suggested two different directions. I chose front to back for two reasons: 1) We also tiled our foyer with this tile and it runs front to back. 2) The longer dimension of the kitchen space was front to back and I think it makes the space look larger, with the longer runs.

Lay long tiles in a staggered pattern, with no tiles meeting at the 1/2 mark, because long tiles tend to bow in the middle just a bit and that would create an uneven floor.

As a side note, we have a red washer and dryer in the utility room and they look FABULOUS with this color floor!

Quartz counters: Cambria Edinborough (black on perimeter), Viatera Minuet (white on island)

The Cambria reads black, but is actually a mix of black, brown and gray. It has a small number of those shiny bits, not a ton of them, but just enough in addition to the gray flecks to give some interest and prevent visual blending when placing black objects on the surface. 

Yep, that is a problem with solid black quartz. Who knew? 

The gorgeous white Viatera Minuet is only available in slabs, like granite. Be aware of this if it applies to any quartz countertop you are considering, because if you have a little bitty island (or bathroom counter, etc.) you should buy a scrap (if you're lucky enough) or you'll have to purchase an entire slab, even though you're only using a sliver of it. 

You have to ask whether or not the brand of quartz you're looking at comes in slabs or is custom produced to your dimensions. It is not obvious in the store. The slab quartz is priced per square foot PER SLAB. The price looks the same as the other quartz that is made to custom dimensions, but it definitely is not. Say it's $70 per square foot. Your island is 10 square feet. You think it's going to be $700 (it would with the regular quartz), but instead it's $3500, because you have to pay for a 10'x5' slab. Go with a regular, non-slab quartz for a small countertop. I think Caesarstone quartz is available in half slabs, which would have helped in our case as well.

I say the island has a gold bar countertop, because it cost a fortune. I love it, but I would never have purchased it, had I known how much it would cost. OR I would have arranged to have my upstairs bathroom counter replaced at the same time at literally no additional cost, using the rest of my slab. (Incidentally, your slab isn't yours. The unused portion stays with the vendor and is re-sold as a scrap.) The crazy cost was an omission by the contractor that wasn't presented to me until it would have caused a project delay and a lot of heartache to make a new selection. It took me weeks to get over. 

I'm over it. 

And not bitter at all. 

GOLD. BAR. COUNTERTOP. Y'ALL. 

Backsplash: SOHO Surface Tech Hex River Bed, grout Mapei Sahara Beige 

The individual tiles are all variations of texture and color, from glass to stone to granite to etched surface. The sheets are 11 1/4"x 10 7/8", a little smaller than the standard 12x12, so take this into account in your budget calculations. It was exactly what we were looking for to blend the white and black and gray.

Walls: Benjamin Moore Stone Harbor

Perimeter cabinets: existing oak cabs sanded, primed, painted with Benjamin Moore Frostine

Island: existing oak island sanded, primed, painted with Benjamin Moore Eternity

 The cabinetry is where things got crazy. We wanted to get new doors and stain the cabinets darker. We were told we could stain or paint, that there were no limitations. Once the project started, we were told that we couldn't stain new doors, because the color of the existing boxes would never match the new doors exactly. Then we were told we couldn't paint new paint-grade doors, because you can see the oak grain on the boxes through the paint and the doors would have no grain. We would have had to buy expensive oak doors and then paint them, which is ridiculous.

It was suggested that we stain the boxes gray and then paint the new doors a matching paint color. Just... no. Once we decided to keep the existing cabinets, we thought we could stain them, but they informed us that the additional sanding and prep of the old doors would cost $10,000. 

Good gawd.

So in the end, we kept the existing cabinets and had them painted. I have always hated painted cabinets, especially white. It was the last thing I wanted. I do like the brightness in the new kitchen, but I still would have preferred to have the darker stain. Also, painted cabinets chip when things hit them in a certain way, unlike the stained cabs we had for twenty years with no visible color issues, even in spots where there were minor dents or dings. I recommend staining cabinets whenever possible. Just my two cents there.

The wall paint was a pleasant surprise. It's a true gray, like cement. It's bright and blends well with just about any other color.

Cabinet/drawer pulls: Richelieu BP85820128195

I think adding modern hardware made all the difference in updating the cabinets.

Towel bar: Kohler Elliston 18"

This is a nice, non-obtrusive, contemporary towel bar only available at Lowes.

Island Lighting: Kichler Silver Coral Pendants

I am so glad I found these! Love them. The kitchen lighting is on three separate switches: ceiling can lights, island pendants and under cabinet lighting. The pendants are on a dimmer.

Over-Range Microwave Height Issue: RESOLVED

So. The whole kitchen remodel discussion began many years ago, when we were dealing with the issue I later described in detail here on the ol' blog. We had replaced our original microwave which was 12 inches tall, only to find that manufacturers no longer make microwaves under about 15.5" tall. There are codes requiring minimum overall height, minimum distance from stovetop to microwave, etc. (Check your local code.) If your manufacturer requires a greater distance, you need to go with that. There was and is no new microwave made to meet these requirements with the way that cabinet was made in 1995. 

We considered replacing the double oven with an oven/microwave combo, but I really like having two ovens. (See this post for more details on our decision process.)

To finally fix this problem, we had the team raise the bottom of the cabinet to fit a microwave that would be even with the bottom of the cabinetry (the original installation height, most common placement, and about as tall as I can use at 5'4.). We were able to keep the middle shelf of the cabinet where it was, and they just rerouted the venting a bit. We ordered two new oak cabinet doors to fit the smaller cabinet size. The new microwave is in code compliance, a safe distance from the stovetop, and gives us the space to be able to see into pots and cook without setting off the vent fan.

So glad the remodel is complete!

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Kitchen Finished!

Ohmigosh, y'all. They have completed the kitchen!! Big cleaning going on today and then all that's left is to seal the backsplash next Tuesday. And! It's just occurred to me that they always leave at 3:30 on Fridays (lucky them!), so it's less than two hours to completion. Whee!!!!!!!!

It took a total of four weeks, which is fabulous, considering the scope of the project-  an extra-large kitchen, tiling the foyer, and painting/tiling the breakfast/utility/dining rooms. Of course we'll have the walkthrough items, but those can hopefully be taken care of while we're using the kitchen. Best of all, I don't have to get up early anymore to move the cars out of the driveway and unlock the back door and the garage, etc.

The poor cats won't be stuck hiding out in the bedroom either. They have food and water and a box in there, so they aren't suffering of anything but cabin fever, but still. Kiptyn was doing one of those "cats gone wild" moments in the condensed space of the master bedroom the other day and jumped right into his water bowl. 'Twas hilarity.

So YAY!! Kitchen!!

Well, I finally watched the new Match Game. First question on the new show (one of my very favorite TV shows as a kid) was "Costco opened a new adult section. They're giving out free samples of blank."

The contestant's answer was "lotion," which no one matched; however, the show's judges allowed "lube" as a match (what the...????), so she got 4 matches!

I feel compelled to let the judges and people everywhere know that lotion and lube are not the same.

Alec Baldwin has a wireless mic, but also carries around the old style hand microphone. Very strange. Otherwise though, I love that it's back, and pretty much the same as it was. I am reminded of the great Gene Rayburn and all the hilarious celebs from the 70s. There were far too many to list, but remember Charles Nelson Reilly, Richard Dawson and Brett Somers? Fun.

Also watched the fabulous $100,000 Pyramid! Remember Dick Clark hosting (back when it was 10 or 20 thousand)? If I were to compete on a game show, that would be IT.

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Real or Enhanced?

Is Camila's voice digitally enhanced at the end of "Work from Home" (beginning at around 2:55 below)?



I've been trying to sing along during that part on the radio forever and I can never match that exceptionally staccato-ish thing (totally the technical term) she's doing during those runs. It sounds super cool, but I didn't hear it when they performed live on the Billboards.

Yeah, I know way too much about this song. It's catchy and chock full of double entendre, so what's not to like? Either way, she has a great voice.

Countertops have been installed and now the crew is painting everything in the kitchen. They've reinstalled the washer and dryer in the utility room (thank goodness). We should be very close to done by Monday! Wheeee!! Of course, I will post before and after photos, once it's decorated. It is looking really nice so far!

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Packing for a Kitchen Remodel

The plastic is about to come down on the kitchen project! The kitchen and utility room have been contained behind plastic walls since day 1, but the last of the dirty work will be Monday, when they sand the primed cabinets prior to painting, and finish the wall texturing (we had wallpaper removed). After that, I can begin the process of cleaning the dust from the rest of the house. Yippee!

The thing that is making me nuts more than the plastic walls is the plastic on the floors around the project. It's this sticky thin plastic they press onto the carpet, and it has air bubbles in it that pop when you walk on it. You'd think the air bubbles would pop out by about day 3, but no. We also had them tile our foyer, so we get bonus sticky plastic on all the floors around that area!

Before you remodel your kitchen, you should move everything out. Even if you aren't doing anything to the inside of the cabinets (ours are being painted, so it was required), I recommend boxing everything. Dust will get into every crevice of every item, so you'll be cleaning that stuff for weeks if you don't.

Actually, before you pack anything, get rid of all the glassware, obscure barware, weird serving dishes and random appliances you never use. Then packing will be MUCH easier.

Take everything off the walls and pack it.

Remove any toddler locks from the cabinets and drawers. Trash them, if your kid is 22. If you have toddlers, keep them.

Check to see if your new oven comes with a broiler pan. The vast majority of ovens today do not come with one! If yours doesn't, keep your old broiler pan. It can be packed, of course.

Those pull-out trash bins? You may just want to buy new ones. Mine had a melamine bottom, like many do. It was dirty and water damaged beneath the cans. The new ones have metal grates under the cans, so we're going to put Lifeliner plastic liner on the cabinet bottom to catch dirt and spills.

Do NOT pack your junk drawer(s). I dumped all our "junk" into a plastic storage drawer and put it in my makeshift kitchen, and I am so happy I did. You'd be surprised how often you need something out of there.

Leave out your dish towels and rags, because there will be spills and such in your makeshift kitchen, even though you're using paper products.

Use paper and plastic products in your makeshift kitchen. Just go ALL disposable. You don't want to wash anything in your bathroom sink or tub. Bless you if you are cooking in a crock pot or toaster oven during your remodel, but for me, it just ain't worth the cleanup. I froze cooked entrees ahead. The only appliance I kept out was the toaster.

Buy styrofoam cups for hot drinks, if you're a hot beverage drinker. You can't microwave anything in styrofoam, so we kept a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup out for boiling water. No washing needed!

Keep your bug spray and carpet cleaner and any other cleaning supplies you use regularly.

Most importantly, don't pack the alcohol. You'll need it. ;)

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Duuuuust in the Wind

...and everywhere else.

Kitchen remodel day #4. There is dust on tables, couches, chairs, shelves, knick knacks.... every single surface in the house. Today I feel it on my skin. I think it's on the cats, too. Soon, they will take down the plastic surrounding the construction zone. Then I can start the real dust cleanup process in the rest of the house.

Neighbors who have gone before us in the kitchen remodel adventure warned us, but you really can't fathom the reality of dust in every nook and cranny of your home until it's in your house. Gah.

Tiling begins tomorrow. They have some of my tile laid out on the floor this evening. I LOVE it. Whew!! You always wonder what it will look like in your space. It looked beautiful in the brochure photos, but would it work in our kitchen? Yes. Yes, it does.

On the Presidential race: I wonder if Bernie would consider running as an Independent. I think I could vote for him over these other two losers. He couldn't hurt things much, with Congress blocking anything too weird. He'd be fun to watch in State of the Union addresses.

Gary Johnson might be a viable and more realistic alternative. He needs to get himself into the news more though- get his views out there, so people know there is another choice. Come on, Libertarians! Let's see what you've got! It's your time to enter the spotlight.

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Who Uses their Vent Hood?

Well, in packing up the kitchen last weekend, I learned something about over-cooktop vent fans. You should use them every single time you sauté or fry.

I thought it was just for smelly things like fish or bacon, or for things that got too hot and smoky. Turns out, if you don't use it each and every time you cook something in a pan, a layer of grease slowly coats EVERY TINY CREVICE of your cabinets and the items within them that don't get washed at least once a week. Especially those things on the top shelves that never get used in twenty years.

Twenty years of greasy residue is pretty icky.

Can't wait to get those items back into refinished cabinets, all clean and sparkly! I'll use the new cooktop fan more often.

So demo was completed yesterday- took two full days. Electrical work and cabinet priming began today. Tile comes tomorrow!

I had the hardest time finding pretty pendants for over the island, but I've decided on these:

Kichler "Silver Coral." Pretty!

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Preparing for Remodel

Kitchen remodel begins Monday morning at 7:30. I've spent the past week and a half at tile and countertop and flooring stores with the designer, selecting appliances, deciding which direction the wood tile plank flooring (so pretty!) will run, which lighting will be on which switch, what trim will contain the unfinished ends of the backsplash and all sorts of other teensy details. All that remains to be decided is the pendant lights for over the island, the wall paint color and kitchen towel bars. Gah.

The packing of the kitchen is killing me, but I am getting rid of a bunch of things I don't need. I wish I would have sold my china and crystal before this packing thing. Ha!

Turns out, we have metric buttloads of glasses for every type of alcohol ever invented. We barely drink, so a few sets of those are going. I'm totally keeping the cordial glasses though. So cute!

Saturday 9: Ode to Billie Joe (1967)
If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) This song takes places on "the third of June," which is described as "another sleepy, dusty" day. Describe the weather where you were on Friday, June 3, 2016.

warm and rainy and flooding in the area

2) In this song, the family sits down to eat and discuss the doings of their friends and neighbors. Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister were at the table. Who did you have dinner with on Friday?

Jeff

3) Young Billie Joe MacAllister playfully put a frog down another kid's back. Do you see many frogs where you live?

A few. I think the snakes eat most of them, unfortunately.

4) This song made Mississippi's Tallahatchie Bridge famous. What's the name of a bridge in your neighborhood?

The closest named bridge is the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge.

5) Bobbie Gentry often performed with Glen Campbell. Mr. Campbell's family is very open about Glen's battle with Alzheimer's. Is anyone in your life facing this terrible disease? 

Not currently. Jeff's grandfather had it.

6) "Ode to Billie Joe" was made into a movie directed by Max Baer, Jr. Mr. Baer is better known for playing Jethro Bodine in a famous 1960s era sitcom. Can you name it?

Petticoat Junction? (Awww man! The Google says Beverly Hillbillies. So close!)

7) Bobbie Gentry made one of her last public appearances in 1981 onThe Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Johnny is now seen in reruns on the Antenna TV channel. Think of the last TV show you watched. Was it new or was it a rerun?

Ridiculousness- it was a new episode

8) In 1967, when this song was popular, Sweden changed its traffic laws and Swedes began driving on the right. Have you ever driven in a foreign country? If so, did you have a hard time adapting to their laws?

I've only driven in Germany. It's pretty much like driving here.

9) Random question: Which would you rather have more of -- compliments or hugs?

hugs!

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Kitchen Update

"Yeah, I want the tofu spring rolls... except I don't eat tofu. So, do you have, like, a tofu-flavored chicken you can substitute in for me?"

Hee! Thanks, JeffC!

So. the kitchen designer and I met. Unlike my previous designer on my bathroom project, this one hated every idea I had. She wants to do a grey kitchen. Not only had I never looked at grey kitchens in all my perusing of websites over the past several years, but I don't really like grey as a kitchen color. It looks sort of like a cinder block prison cell.

Oh, I know it's a very popular kitchen color, just like the white I've been complaining about for a while. Well, I am proud to say I've learned to love white, in lieu of soul-sucking, penitentiary grey.

She thinks I should get rid of the over-the-range microwave, then get a microwave/convection oven and thermal oven to replace my double oven. Sounds like a no-brainer. We had even mulled that thought ourselves. Turns out though, that microwave/convection ovens have the following drawbacks I found on a message board, or two, or ten:

1) Can't use the microwave when the convection oven is in use
2) Can't use the microwave for a while after the convection oven is used, because it is HOT
3) Can't use the convection oven if any morsel of microwave splatter is present, else it bakes onto the surface
4) No self-clean mode, because it's a microwave really, so lots of scraping both oven messes and baked-on microwave splatters

I think I'll stick with a double oven and separate microwave.

I could move the microwave to a drawer, which I think is supercool, but that would be a big jump in the budget, since I'd then have to buy a drawer microwave $$$ (over the range microwaves are only $$) and a hood $$.

Then there is the matter of the cabinets. We originally wanted to stain them darker and get new doors. The contractor had said this would be no problem. At some point, we realized the oak grain would show through on the boxes and wouldn't match the doors, so we decided we could paint instead.

The designer said the stain would never have matched between new doors and existing boxes anyway. So... 'matching the stain is no problem' or 'they'll never match'? Gah.

Then she said paint will show the texture of the grain on the boxes, so to paint, we'd have to buy all oak doors so the paint would match the grainy texture of the boxes. It's a huge waste of money. To avoid this, she wants to stain the boxes and paint new paint-grade doors to match the stain. I think I will hate it with a flaming passion, but I agreed to let her take a door as a sample to show me what this grey stain is going to look like.

I've definitely decided I cannot abide stain on the boxes and paint on the doors, which will accentuate the different woods.

I think we're probably going to keep the existing doors and either stain the whole thing or paint the whole thing white. Not buying new doors will save me some money, and that is always a good thing. Our cabinets are 20 years old, but they don't have big ol' visible hinges or anything particularly dated. I think the kitchen will look just fine with the current doors. With hardware added, they should be even more updated.

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Outdoor Repairs- Check! Kitchen Remodel Beginning

My outdoor repairs are now completed, by the original guy, surprisingly. I was just about to make a call to #2 when I received his bid. It feels GREAT to have everything fixed out there!!

On to the kitchen! We've signed the contract. Monday, I'll start working with the designer. We'll be deciding colors and materials. She will even shop with me, like they do on HGTV. Fancy!

Since we are refacing existing cabinets, sadly it looks like we'll have to forego the darker stain and have them painted instead. It turns out, oak grain shows through even dark stain, and it won't match my new cabinet doors ('cuz I am NOT getting oak doors). How much do I hate white kitchen cabinets? They are by far the most popular kitchen cabinet color. It's always been very cold and commercial looking to me. Hopefully, the designer can help me learn to love them next week.

I've looked at painting them another color, but most other colors make kitchens look very country cottage, which isn't my style.

So. White cabinets. Do you match the cabinets to your white trim? Go for a completely different white than the trim? Go off-white so they don't match at all? *sigh*

On the bright side, my kitchen is dark and could use the lighter backdrop.

Here are a couple of white kitchens I like:

All white cabs with black quartz, dark floor, beige backsplash

Dark island with white quartz, other cabs white with black quartz, dark floor

All white cabs, black quartz on lowers, white quartz on island

I'm leaning towards the last one at the moment.

I did want a warm, red/orange/dark green sort of backsplash. With white cabinets and a high contrast backsplash though, all you see when you look at the kitchen is the backsplash. It's not great. I think a beige backsplash is actually the one I like best with white cabinets. It's not white to blend in with the cabinets, and not contrasting, so it doesn't draw your eye directly to it.

We'll see what happens when we talk to the designer! Could be totally different next week when we actually start shopping.

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Remodel

Well, my outside repairs still aren't done, and I've now had our master bathroom contractor out to make a bid on my kitchen remodel. Looks like I'm going to have to go with my second choice on the outdoor repairs, since the first choice is flaking on me. GRR.

But... excited for the kitchen! I want something like these two examples:

Ha! I didn't realize they were so similar! I must really like this color combo. I like the light countertops better, I think. We meet with the contractor again next week.

Saturday 9: These Boots Were Made for Walkin' (1966)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song/video, Ms. Sinatra's boots make a serious fashion statement. Do you choose footwear for comfort or fashion? 

Gotta have both.

2) This is by far the biggest hit of Nancy Sinatra's career, which includes 6 top ten hits. Can you name another? 

The only other one I know is "Wishin' and Hopin'."

3) Nancy recorded it on Reprise Records, which was founded by her father, Frank. Did your parents give you a leg up in your chosen career?

No. Although I originally wanted to be an aerospace engineer, which my dad could have helped me into, I ended up taking a completely different path.

4) Professionally Nancy has been involved in espionage, singing the theme to a James Bond movie and appearing in an episode of The Man from UNCLE. Do you enjoy spy/secret agent stories?

They're ok. It's not my favorite genre.

5) Nancy maintains the official Sinatra family website, which includes a link to the site of Mia Farrow. Ms. Farrow was, briefly, Nancy's stepmother, and obviously they are still on good terms. Do you have a big, extended family?

No, which is funny, considering my mom is one of five kids and my dad is one of three! Between those eight aunts/uncles from both sides of the family, there are only six of us cousins, and there are just two kids between the six of us. Jeff has a lot of cousins!

6) Nancy's music -- and posters -- were very popular with the troops during the Vietnam War. Nancy continues to return their loyalty and affection with her efforts on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Here's your chance to promote a cause that's near and dear to your heart. What charity gets your support?

MD Anderson

7) Nancy hosts a Sirius radio show devoted to her father's music. Do you have a subscription to a satellite radio or podcast network?

Jeff got me satellite radio for my birthday this year.

8) Nancy has said that she and her sister Tina had a more comfortable relationship with their famous father than their late brother, Frank, Jr., did. Do you think it's easier for mothers to get along with their sons, while fathers have an easier time with their daughters?

No, I think it's completely based on personality and family dynamics. There are moms/daughters and sons/fathers who are closer as well. I was always closer to my mom, even before my parents split up.

9) Random question: Tonight's dinner is on us. Would you prefer to eat at a casual restaurant with exceptional food, or an exclusive restaurant with so-so food but a celebrity clientele? Definitely a casual restaurant with exceptional food. That is always my preference.

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Holy Bajeezus, Don't Tell Me You Use My Jergens to...

What?! I didn't tell y'all about Zack and Miri Make a Porno? OMG. I love Kevin Smith and this is one of his best. It is one filthy, hilarious movie. Not for the easily offended... or even the moderately tolerant. There's your warning. Now the other 95% of you who read this blog, go out and rent it today.

From IMDB: Lifelong platonic friends Zack and Miri look to solve their respective cash-flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.

The love story is cheesy, but cute. It's just a backdrop for the hilarity.

Justin Long in his funniest, although possibly briefest, role. I can't even explain why he had me in tears of laughter. You just have to see it.

Jason Mewes is surprisingly attractive without the long hair.

Just as funny as the flick is the DVD bonus material. Seth Rogan has THE goofiest laugh I've ever heard. And the whole sh*t shot thing.... ahahahaaaa and eww.

On the remodel front----- everything went terribly wonky yesterday afternoon. The mirrors were a no go, and then the plumber realized that he won't be able to install my tub fixture now that the cabinet is installed in his way. Jeff, the GC and I all told him that two weeks ago when the whole tub was opened up. Did he listen? Noooooo. So they aren't sure what to do. They'll probably have to cut a panel out of the side of my brand new custom cabinet. Hidden from the outside, but visible from the inside. Freakin' GRR.

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Crisis Averted

In one day, I went from impending bathroom remodel disaster to all OK. Whew!

While I was gone Friday, the electricians installed the lighting wiring way too low over the countertops, and it sounded like they had to do it that way because of whatever was going on behind the walls. That left no room for my mirrors. The GC also said that the tile company probably didn't have the shower tile available that I had taken two weeks and several trips around town to select. AND... my lights appeared to be on backorder from the online store where I ordered them.

O.M.G. I was freaking out. No really. Most of the bathroom is lighting, mirrors and tile. That is basically my design up in smoke, with very little time to make alternate selections.

But, the electricians came back yesterday morning and moved the lighting to exactly where I wanted it (and at no charge). The GC called about 5:45pm to tell me that my tile IS available. And sometime in the evening, I got an email that my lights will arrive on Thursday. Hot dang! We're ready to go again.

Today begins the wallpaper removal process and sheet rock repairs.

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Finally Thursday

PA gunman was bitter about women

He is a nice-looking guy. The psychosis must have been a bit off-putting.
After three days of band camp, Lauren looks like she's been in Jamaica for a week. That is with heavy-duty sunscreen reapplied several times a day. She is having a blast. I'm really glad, because she quit marching band last year because of all this time commitment. Now she's in guard, which she loves, so it's a totally different experience. And we don't have to haul her baritone all over town. Woohoo!

Here are the remodel selections so far:



The dark is the cabinet color. The darker brown tile is floor. The lighter brown tile is the shower and backsplashes. The bottom left corner is Silestone countertops. The light brown paint swatch is... well, paint. Not sure whether to take the paint to a golder tone. I've been trying to stay away from gold tones here though. The faucets are that satin nickel, as will be the knobs and lights.

Being my own designer is exciting and frightening.

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Bathroom Shopping

Sunday, Kath and I went remodel browsing at Lowes and Home Depot. The real stores are closed on Sunday, so we'll have to think of that idea on a Saturday. lol. She's remodeling her kitchen and master bath, and redoing her downstairs floors and painting the entire house interior.

It's always entertaining to shop for home stuff together because our styles are completely different. She loves "old world" style, very rich and Mediterranean. Lots of stone and iron and carved wood. I'm very "transitional." I like clean lines and contemporary art, but with the curves and softness of a traditional style thrown in. Sort of "sophisticated eclectic."

So, when we go furniture shopping or browsing art or looking at kitchen/bathroom remodel stuff together, we spend double the time. There isn't any overlap between the styles. Luckily, we both LOVE home decor, so it's all the better. We have gotten to where we say things like, "Oh! Here you are." or "Here's me!" when a certain style of items appears in view.

So now I am down to a huge decision. I can go with dark cabinets or white, and dark countertops or lighter. That adds up to 4 combos. Here are examples:


white with darker countertop- I absolutely love the turqouise, but I'm doing a much more subdued look for our particular bathroom. I would go even darker on the top- more a chocolate brown


espresso with lighter top- I think this is my fave. This is my overall color scheme, coffee browns


white with lighter countertop and dark floor- my second fave. This bathroom is gorgeous, but I don't have a clue how you'd put on makeup in that dim light.


espresso cabinet/dark top- I adore the dark silestone, but it may be too dark all together. I'd have to do a lighter floor.

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Seussical and Such

One of Lauren's best friends has a leading role in the AISD Summer Musical, Seussical . Let me tell you, there is some serious talent in that show! It runs through the weekend at Austin High School, so go see it if you haven't.

The bathroom remodel hasn't even begun and I'm pulling my hair out. We're down to two bids, and one is a good 60% higher than the other. Of four bids, two were the low (and at least remotely close to the amount I had originally estimated) and two were the high, so I can't figure out which is best. We don't want to do a remodel on the cheap, but we certainly don't want to pay unnecessarily out the yang either.

Shoot me now.

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Remodel

At the completion of the bidding process, our master bath remodel budget is already at 150-200% of the original. We haven't even begun that inevitable tearing down a wall and finding plumbing not up to code, or termites or other apocalyptic disasters.

Some of the increase is due to budget information that I got from a couple of sources that is evidently low for this area. A couple of the contractors said that would be a DIY price. We are not DIY people, folks. I may paint or even screw in some knobs, but I'm not building a shower.

The remainder of the increase is going from installing a framed shower to frameless. This is where the term "resale value" came into play. One contractor got me with "a framed shower will date your brand new bathroom." I'm only going through this process at all because that bathroom is dated and would not be sellable at this point. Did these guys read this blog? Sneaky.

All four bids are due back by Friday. Soon we can begin the demo!

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