The Heart of the Home...

I suppose it could be said that the kitchen remodel is officially over. Only a few holes --- one the result of our saw-crazed electrician --- remain unpatched, and these will be done once the temperatures around here reach double digits and my fingers thaw! So, would you like to take a peek? Well, for those of you who have never been to our house, you have to see the before pictures before you can truly appreciate the after pictures.

We live in a 1940s Cape Cod nestled in a quiet WWII-era neighborhood. This 65-year old house is absolutely wonderful, and the process of God leading us to it is truly a testament to His perfect provisions. The story of this kitchen remodel, particularly His timing of everything, is also further evidence of His constant leading, but the story is too long to post here.

What I call the "footprint" of the kitchen didn't change a bit... but nearly everything else did. We replaced the cabinets, painted the walls, replaced the sink and fixtures, replaced the floor, new curtains, some new decorations, and ultimately we will replace the ice box too! Yes, I called the refrigerator an ice box --- I am not from here, remember!

Here are the before pictures (plus a few silly pictures of Dylan, Brooklyn, and Riley playing inside of the old empty cabinets --- I had to post them)...

Remodeling the kitchen proved to be an enormous disruption to normal daily life... especially when done during Christmas! The results were worth it though, and the efficiency of this kitchen surpasses the old one incredibly. Those of you with small kitchens know how important it is to have a well-organized and well-designed kitchen to maximize its usability. While we were unable to do some of the "major" changes that we would have ideally liked to do, the changes that were made have definitely created a kitchen that is more functional than the old one... and much nicer looking too! So, welcome to our new kitchen...

For me, the feeling of this kitchen is overwhelmingly "Southern" - the dark green walls, the oil-rubbed bronze fixtures, the black & white pictures of New Orleans on the soffit, the brick floors, the bronze fleur-de-lis that pepper the kitchen with little reminders of home, and the magnolia swag that Brian suggested. A little bit of decorating still remains, but we are so happy with the result thus far... ya'll come by, you hear!

The Chaos Continues...

The kitchen chaos continues... but the good news is we're getting a lot closer to the end. We had to take a bit of a break while we were at Passion and while the replacement cabinets & countertop were on order, but as of today, we have officially resumed the project. The final cabinets were installed this afternoon --- well, except for the doors. Of course, the manufacturer forgot to ship hinges for the replacement cabinet that was received yesterday, and we'll have to wait a week or so on that one. The flooring will be delivered tomorrow, and hopefully, the trimwork/molding will be installed on the cabinets on Friday. Progress...

Want a sneak peak?? Okay, so these pictures are from very early on in the remodel, and right now the walls are completely painted and the cabinets are installed. More pictures will come after the flooring has been installed, but for now I don't want to give too much away!

Chaos in the kitchen...

So, I missed posting Brooklyn's 7 month pic with Bossier and haven't posted anything since Michigan week, but that doesn't mean I've been up to nothing. There has been so much going on around here that I've just completely forgotten about blogging altogether. We're about to undergo a complete kitchen remodel --- fun, but chaotic!! The cabinets arrive on Tuesday, and hopefully, between the installer, the electrician, the plumber, and the painter (that's me!) we can get things back in order before Christmas! I know, you're probably thinking "Why in the world would anyone attempt a kitchen remodel during the month of December?" Yeah... I wonder the same thing! Actually, the financial incentives were too good to pass on and since we're here until we leave for Passion '07, we've got the time. I just hope we're not eating canned chicken noodle soup off the camp stove on Christmas day...

I will get Brooklyn's pics up soon... probably along with her 8 month pics!

All Hands On Deck...

When you buy an older house --- in our case, a 64 year old house --- you are bound to have a few eye sores that linger from the previous owner(s). For us, it was the deck in our backyard (we have a few others too, but they are not the subject of this post). The deck was hideous... 30 years old... built by a not-so-meticulous do-it-yourselfer... never been treated...moldy... slippery... and killer slick in the winter snow! It was so ugly that we hated to even go out in the backyard.

Not anymore!!

The week after Brooklyn was born Mom and Brian decided to clean the deck with a little bleach. This effort yielded very little results, so they decided to power wash it hoping that the entire thing would not disintegrate upon contact. Much to our surprise, the deck held up and looked much better. Their project did not stop there though... a few coats of new stain, some lattice to cover the bottom of the deck, a few new container plants, a new fire pit, and a new set of patio furniture finished it off, and I am so proud of everything they did! The deck looks fabulous --- welcoming and comfortable! Now, all we need is some warmer weather so we can enjoy a nice "al fresco" dinner!

Check out these before and after photos...

The right side is the deck before being power-washed

The deck surface after being power-washed

The new patio furniture

The new deck!!