New Photos

I still don't have all my accessories, but I have changed a couple of things, so here's the new photo. If anyone has any ideas what I should do with the open shelf on the top right hand side............ideas are most welcome. I like having the glasses handy, but find all of them up there a bit boring looking. Mmmmm, maybe I need some new wine glasses lol.........

So close..........

I can nearly feel like it will feel when it's all done. I can sort of walk into my kitchen. Keeping to certain parts of certain tiles. I have dinner on, a Korma Chicken Curry in the crock pot that I just had to brown off in the fry pan first. I did that tip toeing everywhere, and then washed up and then I have to wipe out the sink cupboard, because it's not all closed off now because the dishwasher is still unconnected. Tomorrow it will be sealed, I don't know when or how I am going to get dinner organized tomorrow night. Dancing is on tomorrow and I was itching to go. At this stage, I am not so sure. If I can't get dinner organized quickly and efficiently then dancing is a non event. It's just an added stress if I am prancing around getting cranky because I want to go out. Not fair on the rest of the household. We will see..........

The floor is filthy with mortar, so when I walk everywhere on the slate, it crunches underfoot. Ooooh, how nice will it be when I can mop it over and have it all spotless again..........

Don't get me wrong, I am not whinging................just grateful that normalcy is looming close!

It's nearly done and dusted..........

I am very excited about my kitchen, and just love everything about it. In hindsight, the only thing I would change is that I would have put one power point in a slightly different spot. I am very happy that that's the only thing I would change..............such a minor inconsequential thing.

I am however, over it!~~ over the dust, the dirt, not being able to walk where I want, having crap around, having to dust and clean, and dust and clean, and dust and clean ~~ ad nauseaum!!!

I won't have my dishwasher or direct access to my sink, stove and drawers, fruit bowl.................as the slate is glued, but unwalkable, and the grout takes place tomorrow, so I MAY be able to tippy toe on it tomorrow night. It still needs sealing.........do I dare to hope it will be walkable on Tuesday night. I want my husband to have some time off~ he has worked so hard the last couple of months, and, for the most part, still did his second job as well. I am so lucky to have a man who works so hard and who is bothered to make my dream come true. I said to him one day that he was building the kitchen for me! He said 'I am building it for both of us.' I answered, 'But if I didn't want a beautiful, big kitchen, you wouldn't be building it.' He answered..........
'No - you are right, I wouldn't be building it otherwise..........'

Now that's love!!

My beautiful Kitchen

When we have a drink of an evening, we just sit and face the kitchen, so we can admire it. I haven't uploaded any pictures in the last little bit, because all the work that has been done, is time consuming, but doesn't look any different on a photo. The plastering work was extremely tedious and has been the most painful part of the whole project. Mind you, even now with the slate going down I am still looking (and touching) at dust all around me, and I cleaned, dusted and vacuumed yesterday.............It's just oozing dust - my house that is.

Peter has painted and done the wall tiles this week. It looks fantastic. Today he has started with the slate floor. This is a little difficult as you can't walk on the area, and after its been sealed, the whole house needs to be open and we all need to be out, because it is quite strong and probably toxic to breathe in for a long time.

Things I love about my kitchen
* I can bake and have all my ingredients out, while mixing and have the trays ready, all on the same counter top.
* I am anally retentive enough, that I love stacking the dishwasher. It's quite a challenge seeing how you can fit everything in. It's a great dishwasher too.
* My oven cooks so evenly and doesn't make a horrible noise when the gas flares. (The oven is electric and the cooktop is gas)
* Having everything in drawers means I am accessing things I didn't use before, because they were too difficult to get. Do you believe, I actually have a baking cupboard which has all bowls, measuring cups, sifters etc in it.
* The bench tops are so easy to wipe down. Even biscuit dough doesn't stick and slide all over it when you wipe up.
* No more cooking smells. The rangehood is awesome. I love the light over my cooktop too.
* I can set my timer on the oven and it doesn't just go 'ding' and then you can forget to turn it off because you happen to be on the toilet when it 'dings'. It beeps until you turn it off, so I can even hop into the shower. I can also set the clock for a min (I don't hop into the shower then lol) and it works. The timer on the old stove only worked if I put in over five mins.......not very practical when baking.
* A huge pantry! I can't wait to get all my Tupperware from downstairs and organize my pantry properly.

Peter and I sit there every night and admire the kitchen. It's really special. We have never, ever had anything that great, and I have never had anything before where I have been able to choose everything. I love how it turned out. I love the colours and I love the 'feel' of it. Peter paid me a huge compliment the other night, and said I should be an interior designer, because everything I picked works so well together. Needless to say I was quite touched by that remark.

I will post another photo when I have some new accessories
* new jug
* window furnishings
* anything else that matches.

Kitchenart Begins

The guys fronted up around 8am on Wednesday morning and didn't leave until after 7pm that night. They worked so hard. It took over three hours just to get the kicks level in order for them to be able to put the cupboards on top. The pantry was built in my new dining area, as it's too big to be able to fit through the front door. Terry came back on Thursday and finished the kitchen. He fitted the rangehood too. At one stage on Wednesday afternoon, we had the plumber, the gas fitter and the kitchen guys all doing their thing.......

We had take away on the Tuesday and Wednesday night. Not bad considering we thought we would be without a kitchen for a few weeks at least! I will upload some photos of the guys putting the kitchen in. I will upload the 'after' shots in a couple of weeks when all the painting and tiling is done.

My little 'kitchen bubble' was burst on Friday when Mickey shot himself in the foot with the nail gun...........so forgive me if this post isn't as 'bubbly' as one would expect. I was on such a high still on Friday and then whammo.............. If you want details, I have more on my other blog.

Updated photos

Removing the kitchen

View from new door, with some of the new kickboards.

View from front door.........look how far back it goes now. You can also see the partial wall, the fridge will be gone from there, you can still see the back of it. It will be open right through, when the fridge goes back to the new spot.

Some of the mess.......

What a day!

Gosh, what a day! I thought today was the lull before the storm, but, alas the storm has already begun. I though I'd take some time out in the morning to have my hair trimmed and my nails done. I even went to the gym.

I checked my voicemaiL as I was leaving the gym, to a message from Paul saying that the boys wanted to drop the new kitchen around!!! YIKES!! The old kitchen was still very much there. So, in a panic I rang Peter and he came home, and, with Opa's help, and even Grant's (the plumber, who is a good friend) they pulled the kitchen out so it's living on the front lawn.........looks very charming I might add.

Since the gym/nails/hair,
I have
* unpacked the pantry, trying hard to keep out necessities like tomatoe sauce, tea, milo etc.
* helped with removal of kitchen and stove
* put crap absolutely on every spare cm of my dining. and lounge area......
* vacuumed and mopped floors (twice!!) and last night all that once.
* washed dishes in laundry trough
* attended parent/teacher interview
* took kidlets to Maccy D's
* took older kidlets to footy training
* showered
* mopped and vacuumed (that was the second time today)
* did Mickey's homework with him......(very quickly)
* removed junk from kitchen table so we could eat it, because my planned picnic on the living room floor can't happen, because there isn't much floor left!!
* poured small glass of wine and sat down to write in blog............
* Peter is picking up kidlets and dinner.................

I will upload photos later. Peter is still putting up cornices and architraves, so that at least around the kitchen is done........oh I forgot to mention, the new kitchen cupboards are also being stored in my kitchen, to save them time in the morning....... I hope breakfast isn't a drama in the morning, although, with my kids........mmmm............who knows!!