see them shine!

Last weekend, Hubby and I were able to make our hope of updating our 17 year old kitchen come true. While we like many aspects of our kitchen (the hardwood floors are a big plus and we are loving our new dishwasher), there are many things we would like to eventually improve. The first facelift: knew hardware for our cabinets. Look close and you'll see the dated and original cabinet hardware.

After spending a great deal of time deciding which style and finish we preferred, we finally placed the order and received them just in time to spend a rainy Memorial Day in the kitchen, updating. But, because I am my mother's daughter, I couldn't just remove the old hardware and drill in the new hardware. This was opportune time to give our cabinets a new shine. And it wasn't even that bad - just ask Hubby!

Step One ~ Remove all cabinet doors and drawers (keeping in mind where they belong). Wash all doors, drawers, and frames with Murphy's Oil Soap.

Step Two ~ After doors, drawers, and frames are washed and have dried, buff out any scratches or dull areas with Old English Oil.

Step Three ~ Finally, use Scott's Liquid Gold on the front of doors, drawers, and cabinets. Plish liberally and buff dry with a soft cloth.

Last step ~ add new cabinet hardware, stand back and revel in the new look!

Up close:

Images from Murphy's Oil Soap, Old English Furniture Polish, Scott's Liquid Gold

scary sights

Last night was demo night. Well, partial demo. By 9:30 we were plum tired, a little frustrated, and a little frightened. It is obvious this renovation was desperately needed. We're a little scared to see what we find behind the walls and underneath the basin today. A call for help might be in order. I must remind myself - we have to face the yuck before we can see the beauty.

Hubby is tackling the shower. Possible mold = mask. Gee-ross.

I worked on the tub. A little tough but not as nasty.

a neutral look

My how our minds have changed during this pre-renovation process. I feel like we've been talking about it FOREVER with no progress or results. But, we've made a goal - choose bathroom tile today, order countertops tonight, and begin demo this weekend. Once we pull off that old, standard tile, there's no turning back!

Here's the look we're fancying now - to be the accent in our shower and the backsplash behind our sinks and tub:



It's slightly hard to tell but the blend colors are Dewdrop/Olive Mist/Deep Sea. Originally we were thinking blue but with the base tile we chose for our shower, this is going to flow a little better. Plus, let's be honest - I am a green girl.
Hoping this decision can be final and I don't waver at the last minute!

going bananas!

For my first, official day of "summer", it has been a little hectic. It started last night with the blog fiasco. Thanks to Hubby's coding ability and my realizations, we were able to salvage most of my blog. I did, however, lose many of the "gadgets" that used to be in place. Oh, well. Guess it might be time for a makeover anyway...

Today was a busy day - run to the tile store to pick up samples (we are getting somewhat closer), run some insurance quotes, head back to the school offices (how did I end up back there so soon?), and to Home Depot for some more paint swatches. It was a crazy day! It's nearly 6:00 now...clearly I'm procrastinating making dinner. The fun continues tonight as Hubby and I look through the samples I brought home and attempt to make a decision!

Even with all of these to-dos, I managed to bake a yummy treat for Hubby and I to enjoy with a tall glass of milk. This will be the ultimate unwinding treat!

new (unwanted) look

After trying to experiment a bit with my blog, I entered land in which I shouldn't be treading. I'm not sure how, but I screwed up some things on my blog. Here's hoping after a night of rest
(for me and my computer) I can get things back to normal!

*fingers crossed*

where is the music?

The weather is warm enough to be taking my running treks outside. My first outdoor morning run occurred two Saturdays ago. It was a beautiful day, a nice cool breeze, sunshine lighting the way. But one thing was missing - my music. Before heading out and after getting my iPod into place, I realized it wasn't working. Strange, I thought, since I remember charging it not too long ago. I set off on that trek musicless.

The next day I looked at my iPod again. Definitely not working. Plug it into my computer for a charge. Nothing is happening. Hmm. iPod is not that old and I don't use it every day. Still, it's not working. For a fleeting moment, I can see the colorful screen light up and then, nothing.

This morning brought another beautiful day for running but I set out musicless. Hopefully a trip to the store and the purchase of a new charing cord will do the trek. With the summer ahead of me and many outdoor jaunts, I'm going to need my music!

Image from Amazon

new pulls are in!

Nearly a year ago, Hubby and I dreamed of the day when we could get rid of our old, dated cabinet hardware in our kitchen and bathrooms. We aren't really into the brass look and it's definitely permeating our cabinetry! Over this past year, we've gone back and forth on what to do - Just do pulls and leave the hings? Change everything but do two tones? Go with one streamlined look throughout our whole house?

Well, I'm proud to say we FINALLY made a decision, got them ordered and received our beautiful new cups and pulls yesterday!






Hubby and I both have the day off on Monday and with a 70% chance of rain in the forecast, we have a date with a screwdriver, some Old English (let's be honest - I need to give the cupboards a new shine!), and our new cups, pulls, and hinges! I'll be sure to post some before and after pics!

dizzy

Having the opportunity to help at my building's "Play Day" today, I'm enjoying a few chuckles at the relay station watching kids attempt to spin and run as well as do a crab walk race. Watching dizzy kids run is pretty entertaining!

Image from adifferentview

gaining relief

It's been quite some time since I've posted. Lately, things have been very busy (and a tad bit stressful) and I have probably needed one of these:

Photo by ~kdoes

But, since I don't have one of these at my desk or in my home (though maybe I should...), I've had to find some other ways to handle some of the stress. Here's some things that have helped:

1) Breathe ~ It's something we do without even thinking but when stress levels, anxiety, and tension rise, taking a deep breath - a deep from the stomach breath - can really help calm nerves.

2) Laugh ~ Laughter truly is the best medicine so surround yourself with people who can cause you to laugh from your gut, cackle, or even snort! I'm lucky I work with some funny people and that Hubby is a goofball!

3) Family & Friends ~ Spend time with people who care about you and whom you care about. Time with loved ones can help melt woes away.

4) Talk ~ Don't complain, don't nag, don't whine but talk to someone about how you're feeling or what you're experiencing. Getting it off your chest can help a lot. And then, you can be the listener for someone else!

5) Remember ~ Tomorrow is another day!

Sure things have been busy. The school year is ending, my job (and the certainty of it) has been a little hectic lately, and Hubby and I are embarking on a few time consuming projects. But, I know I can handle it all. I need to slow down and be sure to take some of my own advice!

what a day!

I should have know better - taking a personal day from work rarely means that I'll do something personal, which in my world could mean sitting on the couch doing nothing but reading a book (but usually does not). Sadly the day flew by with such force, I'm finally sitting on the couch,

exhausted!

It started simply enough, with morning errands. Oil change...check. Then I decided to head over to Panera for a bagel and coffee and to catch up on some back issues of Real Simple (yes, that was an indulgence for me). The rest of the afternoon was spent running errands. This, of course, involved shopping and while the items were things for "us" (for the house and such), I was proud that I did not browse or buy one item of clothing! Back home again to whip-up and prep some goodies for the book club I'm hosting tomorrow. Then, into work for a couple hours for a couple of meetings (I know, I AM ridiculous). Home once again to finish up some goodies, make dinner, and clean up. Hubby attempted to install the new curtain rods I bought...wrong size. Exchanging them will be on my to-do list tomorrow. Measured countertops for new custom countertop order. That feels good. And, now sitting on the couch, catching up on some news and TV.

Whew! What a day! I'm thinking a day at work might be less hectic!

A glimpse into my day...

A GREAT new purchase. Thanks, Target! Image from Target

Goodies in the works! Image from Kraft Foods http://www.kraftfoods.com

mama's day

Not being a mom, I'm not sure what it feels like to have a day set aside to honor and acknowledge everything mother. But, having a great mom, I do recognize and appreciate why we honor and acknowledge all the work, support, determination, motivation, creativity, spontaneity, sincerity, and unconditional love mothers provide for their dear ones.

Thanks, Mom, for showing me all of yourself and for always being willing to give. You are a true model of what a great mother is and I am thankful that you are mine!








And, Happy Birthday to this girl, my sister, who loves her Mama too!

fill 'er up!

Today is the day we had been anticipating for quite some time…nearly two years to be exact. After months and months of hand washing dishes, raisin fingers, after dinner commitments, and a crowded sink we finally have a little friend that will help us with our washing…and greener washing at that!

The delivery men came at 8:00 am – no waiting around for us this Saturday! They took away our old piece of junk dishwasher and left our brand new dishwasher in its place. We Hubby got to work pretty quickly – carefully cutting the box, removing it from the appliance, looking through the directions and then…problem! We didn't have a power cord. Hmm…maybe this wasn't going to be as simple as we thought. So, to Lowe's we went and got what we needed. Headed back home…we were missing something else. Back to Lowe's Hubby went (thank goodness Lowe's is close!). Home again and we were good to go. Once again, this project seemed more like a one person job. As much as I wanted to be involved, Hubby really was able to do much of it on his own. I was able to help once he was ready to slide it into its spot. And this time I was the one who got to get under the sink! After a few hours and a few trips for supplies, we have ourselves a new, beautiful, green dishwasher!

Hopefully the years of hand washing won't prevent us from using this gem – I can totally see us filling up the sink with suds and then realizing WAIT! We have a dishwasher!

our old dishwasher - :-(

OUR NEW DISHWASHER!

I'm so excited! Fill 'er up!

personal design

On one of my favorite blogs, It's Great To Be Home..., talented creator and writer, Liz, presented a post this week on design personality. Since we'll soon be switching up the design a bit in our home, I was intrigued by this quiz from Pratt & Lambert Paints. Basically, you answer questions - some having to do with your design preferences and others having to do with your own personality, hence the design personality! I tried to be most honest in my responses and the results really didn't surprise me!

My personal profile color is Raffia - a collection of neutrals and interesting greens that signify a timeless appreciation of diversity. A person drawn to this palette appreciates texture and the importance of tactility in all surfaces. They wish for a sophisticated environment that is also casual. They seek a balance with nature and time.

Looking at the color palate, I can see that many of the colors match tones that I prefer (I'm typing from a green laptop right now!) - a bit earthy with some different tones:

Image from It's Great To Be Home and Pratt & Lambert

We are thinking about a very light blue for our bathrooms. That's not necessarily in the Raffia color scheme but I'm thinking it might work...I should have Hubby check out the quiz!

Check out Liz's blog for other fabulous home and design ideas!

change of plans

As I've mentioned (many times) we are getting ready to start some sort of renovation in our master bathroom. We had some plans set, had looked at some materials, but the deeper we got into it, the more concerned Hubby and I became. This renovation is going to be completely DIY, with a little help from a friend. As we reflected on our plans we realized maybe our dream was a bit too big for reality. Yesterday, as I was looking through my updated blog roll, I stumbled upon this post from All Things G&D. Often, D will post pictures of recent parade of homes tours she visits. I'll browse through the pictures but yesterday, this picture caught my eye:

Image courtesy of All Things G&D

We currently have a large soaking tub in our bathroom but have never used it - it's been more of an extra item to clean in the bathroom. Maybe the desire to remove it is because I'm bored with the standard white ties and am not a fan of the (ugly) painted panels that support it (in this picture, they're a nice finish). But, after I saw this picture, I got to thinking...we could do a major facelift to our tub and re-work/re-design our current shower and cut down the workload (and cost) quit significantly. Plus, a huge bonus - we can keep our large window (which we love) that is positioned above the tub.
I shared my thoughts with Hubby last night. After we weighed the pros and cons and examined the bathroom once again, I think we both agreed our second plan was better for us. I'm glad I stumbled upon this post and picture.
Now we're just hoping to get a consult and get started!

success ~ after 4 hours!

Among our list of to-do's for 2009, one of them was to replace our old (likely original to the home) kitchen faucet. Sure, it served us well the first year and a half of our dwelling but as of lately, it has decided it would prefer to spread water over our entire sink top and counter than in the sink basin. We dealt with it for awhile (not without several nasty and bitter comments) but after a few months of wiping up the river of water evertime we used it, we decided to send our kitchen faucet to hardware heaven. We found a beauty at Lowe's.

Image courtesy of Lowe's.

After we bought this beauty, we quickly realized our kitchen sink wasn't equipped for an easy set up. So, with some helpful advice from a friend, we figured out the hardware we would need (I will admit - the necessities seemed foreign to me. Luckily, Hubby knew just what to get). After another trip to the store, we were set! Hubby began work, positioning himself under the sink. Since there wasn't room for two under there, I provided excellent moral support and conversation. Things were going great. Hubby finagled the old faucet from it's home, we were getting excited, he installed the new turn-off valves, we were even more excited, he connected tightened the valves, we were pumped to turn on the water. And then...a leak. But, hopes weren't diminished. Try again...a leak. About 6 more attempts...the hours passed. My excellent moral support and conversation were dwindling. Soon, it was 9:30 pm and we were still at a loss. But finally, around 9:45, something clicked and we had SUCCESS! I can honestly say I LOVE the new faucet. It turns on with easy, it's efficient - no river flowing from the base! After 4 hours, we have ourselves a brand new, beautiful kitchen faucet!

sunday browsing

Hubby and I spent a fun-filled day browsing at Home Depot and Lowe's. We're gearing up for our master bathroom renovation which, in a way, has turned into an all-the-bathrooms-in-our-house renovation. Funny how that works. We have a vision in mind but need to finalize some of the details. After all is finished, we should have 3 updated and (hopefully) great looking bathrooms! We're still working on some final decisions but below are some of the ideas we have:


A neutral color mosaic tile for an accent with a single handle faucet.
Images from Home Depot and Lowe's.

Master Bath - 2 by nicolelynn on Polyvore.com



A blue tile accent with a double handle faucet.
Images from Home Depot and Lowe's.

Master Bath - 3 by nicolelynn on Polyvore.com

A blue-green tile accent with a single handle faucet.
Images from Home Depot and Lowe's.

Master Bath - 4 by nicolelynn on Polyvore.com


Stayed tuned for some decisions soon!

sun & blooms

Well, it's officially May and the sun is shining (finally)! With all the rain and the bit of sunlight we have had over the past week, things have really started to sprout and green up. It's been especially nice not having to water our newly planted herbs and veggies for a few days. In the spirit of spring and May Day, I'm posting some pics of our blooming plants.

our mini herb garden

the transplanted hostas in a new pot

our flowering trees in the backyard - so pretty

our new tree - lots of little leaves!

Happy Spring!