Friday, June 1, 2012

Kitchen still in transformation...

Sam's parents came for Memorial Day weekend and got in some great time with the kids and helped us finish another phase of the kitchen update project.  Sam took out the breakfast bar that used to nearly block off the kitchen last weekend which completely opened the whole thing up.  We can now both be in there and not have to play bumper bums and elbows. We also don't have a bottleneck trying to get in and out of the kitchen now.  So much better!  The next goal was to take out the prep area and make that area and the existing pantry next to it one big pantry with bifold doors and shallower shelves.  It was only supposed to get as far as the framework and the sheetrock done.  We were to get the doors and the wood for the shelves next weekend after pay day. ;)  However, we would have had a dining table full of pantry items until that happened and Sam's parents wanted to make sure all that stuff could go back into the pantry.  So, for early birthday presents, they wanted to gift us the doors and shelving!  Isn't that amazing?!  So, Memaw a.k.a Sam's mom took us to the store and I picked out the doors and Sam picked out the wood and a couple of other items to make it all work.  Sam and his dad a.k.a. Pepaw went back to work and we now have an AMAZING pantry!  Our kitchen feels like a whole new room already and I haven't even textured and painted the walls or finished refinishing the cabinets, countertops and all else waiting in the wings in there.  Its truly refreshing, I can tell you!  You know, cuz I'm telling you right now. ;p  Anyway, I believe I have a before pic of the kitchen from when we first moved in, but I want to do a side by side when its all said and done, so I'm just going to post a pic of where we are at this point. ;)



(Pay no attention to the craziness that is my kitchen.  We are only focusing on the pantry to the right and the fridge there in the back.  Let's all remember that this is a work in progress.....;)

I cannot express what a fantastic present this is!  Thank you Memaw and Pepaw for your time, handiwork and materials to make this possible!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Also, the fridge that was here when we moved in had to go on a journey elsewhere.  It would make an alarming noise every time the compressor kicked on or off since we were introduced to it, but a couple of weeks and some days ago it started making a sort of chugging sound the whole time it was on.  We both took that as a sign that it wasn't going to be keeping our food cold much longer, so I got online and started scoping out possible fridges.  I'm a fan of Kenmore and found this one at Sears.com:

Kenmore 19.7 cu. ft. Bottom Freezer Refrigerator ENERGY STAR® at Sears.com

They were running a sale at that time and it was just under $700.00  I really like the freezer on the bottom, but 700 is a lot little more than I wanted to pay.  So, I got on craigslist and found this one:


It was $350.00 and only two years old.  Yeah, mo bettah.  We went to look at it and I totally didn't think about dimensions or whether it would actually work in the space in the kitchen... God was more than merciful with this whole thing, He was most gracious!  I offered $300 for it and that was accepted!  Score!  We got it home and it didn't quite fit, but Sam only had to make a minor, um, "adjustment" to the cabinetry above it and it went right on in!  I love that man! ;)  It also has an icemaker, which I'm excited about.  Sam is going to make some alterations to the plumbing under the sink....again (he had to in order to install a filtered water faucet for me a few weeks back ;) and we will have auto ice!  Woohoo!  Its the little things, really... :)



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