Journal and Tags: Sept 2006 to March 2007

Had I realized how much the kitchen remodeling took over this journal, I would have put it on the cover. But I didn't. I started with my beloved Chucks.

I use my journal to encapsulate everything in my life: meeting notes, sketches, Cute Things They Say, and lists of things to get done (all noted with little boxes, waiting for that check mark.
Then add all of the samples of the kitchen old and the kitchen new, next to glued-in photographs and tucked-in event programs... This book will not close.

My life is too big to be fully captured. ;)

Journal and Tags: Sept 2006 to March 2007
Originally uploaded by Heidicrafts.

I have date tags in colors of fall and of my new kitchen. I chose fun fuzzy yarn with the kitchen colors, too.

I attached the Formica(R) laminate sample for easy Show & Tell. When the walls were painted, I took a little paint from the bucket and painted the back of the laminate tag with wall paint. You can see a little on the edges.

When Former President Ford died, I was researched flag etiquette for my Scouts. I learned that for a fixed flag, one on a pole that cannot be set to half staff, it is appropriate to hang a length of black ribbon from the top, folded or tied so two ends hang down. To remember that event with my journal, I added thin black ribbon to the edges.

Kitchen switch and outlet covers on display

The ceramic covers have been fired, picked up, and installed around the kitchen. They add a lovely, personal touch to the place.



These are Ganoush's. She included her initials, which I have craftily disguised using MS Paint. The pink puffy paint that she had used is now purple. It does not affect the design.



This was CHG's first time with ceramics. He did a lovely layering on the leaves that is hard to see now. The dark greens overpower the lighter greens. The stripes are bold.



On the flip side, my leaves could have used more layering. I used rubber stamps, and they are difficult to align for second or third stampings. The boldest fern, I went over the paint with a brush, but it seemed too thick. I do like it. I just wish that the leaves had come out darker. I also initialed (and masked here) my work.



Gonzo's Electric-type Pokemon cover turned out great. It features Voltorb, Electrode, and Pikachu.

New outlet and switch covers

The kids and I like visiting a local pottery store. We can paint bisqueware with glaze, they fire it for us at the store, and we pick it up a week later.

Since the kitchen's design phase, I have had a dream of each of us in the family decorating an outlet cover for the new kitchen. Today, my dream came true. We were all available to go painting together.

We realized that their stock had just the right switch covers for all of our configurations as well. Each of us now has ownership of one corner. The pink spells out "dad."

Near the dining room are the pieces by Ganoush. She made the three-switch plate and the outlet cover next to it. She finished early, so she also painted a cat.

The electrics between the stove and the garage door were decorated by CHG. His pieces are at the top, striped or leafy. What looks like a cover for one switch and two outlets is really for three outlets. Original to the house, at least since we've been here, is one "regular" switch for the kitchen overhead light, and two left-to-right switches, one over the other, for the light in the garage and the light for the landing just before the garage.

The corner by the pantry is mine. I used rubber stamps to make a leafy theme. The kitchen has a lovely summer to autumn feel without really having any glaring orange in it.

The three of us used the same palette of three green and three wood-beige colors.

Gonzo went off and did his own thing. He didn't use any of our colors but had a definite theme in mind. He drew Pikachu from Pokemon. He also drew Pokemon Voltorb and Electrode. These are all Electric type Pokemon. For an electric outlet cover. Cool.

The big revealing entry!

We've moved the dining table back to the dining room part of the house. We've written big checks. The Access Key box has been removed. The kitchen remodel is done.

Last week, we hosted my mom, my brother Goof, his wife Equestrian (sounds nicer than Horse), and their college chum, Raven's Path. They came over for a day. We played Apples to Apples with the kids. We left when the smell of varnish got to bothersome to a few.

We had Final Christmas with my family. We were showered with Target gift cards, most of which are already spent on the kitchen.

But you want to see photos of the finished product, don't you?



This is the view from the dining area.



Over the fridge is more once-a-season storage. Not full. Yea!



Everyone who saw the refrigerator in the dining room and the space that was reserved for the fridge was certain it would not fit. It does.



The little cabinet by the fridge. Gonzo noticed that we still have the little shelves around the garden window. I liked those in the old design. Open, airy. This one holds meds. It isn't the shelf visible from the living room. The paper towel holder was from the Target cards.



Here is my fancy new super Flylady-shiny sink, all polished and pretty.



The sink in use. We bought a sink guard at Bed, Bath & Beyond when we bought the pans, since I scuffed the sink when I washed the crock pot. New cookware is drying in the rack because none of it can go in the dishwasher!



There was a small leak under the sink. It soaked the lower third of the box of dishwashing detergent.

We called back Top Jimi. He tightened the connection between the handle and the silver pipe leading to the dishwasher. We all agreed that if the trouble was with the red plastic pipe, we were calling in the plumber. So far, no more leak.



Lower shelf holds baking utensils, upper shelf has food storage. Target gift card bought the new RubbermaidTM storage set with handy-dandy holding frame. The nicest part is that the two large sizes share one lid size.



This long shot shows the little pocket lights over the sink, replacing a small fluorescent fixture.



I really like the pantry. Lots of roll out shelves.
The lowest shelf is for baking foods: baking powder, brown sugar.
Next up is for pasta. A box of lasagna fits exactly from side to side. Gotta love industry standards.
Then semi-snacky foods: graham crackers, peanut butter, Nutella, raisins.
Then canned goods.
The fixed shelves hold Coke with Splenda and coffee for CHG, Cub Scout microwave Double Butter popcorn.
The upper section holds really-snacky foods on the roll-out. Pretzels, blue chips, Girl Scout cookies.
The uppermost shelf is out-of-season storage.



Here is the view from the landing, as I had taken at other times. The step stool is where the stove used to be. If you click to the larger view, look at just how close the top of the PringlesTM can clears the underside of the roll-put above it. If the can is under the roller track, it won't stand.





Bulk food storage to the right of the stove. Good stuff. Falafel mix, oatmeal, unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour, corn meal, burger mix, varieties of beans, and we finally started using the oil decanter from Endora, Christmas 2005.



Top Jimi made this special over burner cover for me. It has little feet that reach out over the stove and rest on the counter, like a little bridge. Extra counter space, protect the glass top. Way cool.



This shows the inner wall without the stove cover.



The main hub. Dishes, bowls. Overflow bulk food. CHG wants a different plate holder. Not one that is white. We'll look at BB&B this weekend.



The new spice rack bought with Target gift cards. And bananas. And the Lego model of the kitchen that Ganoush and I made. [See below.]



The drawer holds silverware and "fixin' food" utensils: cheese slicers, apple slicers, can opener.
Below is the cereal shelf. The lower shelf holds the toaster and water bottles. The theme there was: They both fit.



The angled appliance cabinet.
Wedding-gift heart-shaped-waffle maker.
Blender.
One-Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker v. 2 after the wedding-gift v. 1 died last year.
Popcorn popper (behind the blender, that splash of green) From my nine months at the apartment, I think.
Steamer. Pre-wedding.



Close-ups of the LegoTM model for Ganoush's Kitchen Remodel display for the Homeschool Share Fair.



We dug through the bins and even found pieces to make the Vanilla Wafer colored wall. White for refrigerator, black for dishwasher (though Top Jimi spray painted the Harvest Gold to be Spruce Green), blue for sink, green for lower cabinets, red for stove, yellow for upper cabinets, flat pieces for the flooring. She even found a garden window piece and I found some roof bits.

Then she found little LegoTM people to be those involved. Designer, painters (stormtroopers), carpenter (Top Jimi was a ninja), banker, plumber, electrician, dry wallers, appliance guys, and inspectors.