Two Weeks....Really??

As a blogger, I find myself apologizing a lot.  I feel really bad when life gets in the way and I'm not able to post very often or keep up with my blog friends.  I have been in the midst of a 'mini' kitchen remodel that has turned into a monster that is finally getting close to being contained and as a result, I have had NO time for blogging.  I apologize for not visiting and not keeping up my end of the bargain.  The good news is that I am beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully can get back to normal soon.  I'll be around to visit everyone as soon as I can. 

The intent with remodeling my kitchen was to make the space more functional and update the 1980's decor.  Removing two closets and a small pantry provided more space for the eat in kitchen area and removing some upper cabinets opened up a tight galley kitchen and made the kitchen appear more spacious.  We hired a contractor and laid out the plan and the work began.....our contractor was slow but the work he was doing was quality and I was initially blinded by the thought that I was actually, finally getting an update to what had become my albatros.  It is key to keep in mind here, that I said initially things were going well and the work was quality..... Oh, how quickly things can change.  I won't get into the nasty details but I should have been much smarter than I was...this was not my first rodeo but I had grown complacent and was just so glad to get something done. 

My first clue should have been when we sat down and when asked how long the changes would take, the contractor said.....two weeks.  Ha!  Am I an idiot?  Bells and alarms should have gone off right then!  Do you remember the movie with Tom Hanks called The Money Pit?  Yes, that's right....everytime Tom's character asked how long the remodel would take he was told......2 weeks.  I did not sink through the floor or anything and I was only dealing with a kitchen, but after 6 weeks we were still not finished and after a weekend where we found and had to rework several pieces of extremely sub-standard work, our contractor was 'Gone with the Wind'.  We have spend the past couple of weeks finishing up and redoing quite a few things.  It has been an experience.   Through it all and now that we are almost finished, I am feeling some satisfaction with the end result and I'll share some pictures of the complete kitchen soon.  I'll leave you with an image of my coffee area, so you will know that we really are doing something around here.   Still waiting for glass inserts for the top doors, needing to touch up the wall paint where caulked and need to remove some of the accidental paint on the hinges...so just overlook those little flaws and go for the vision!!

 

Joining the following parties.  Thanks, as always, to these ladies for hosting.

Seasonal Sunday
Met Monday
Show Off Your Cottage Monday

More Kitchen Renovation

I'm enjoying a beautiful morning here at the Jammi Homestead...the sun is shining and the air is filled with the crispness of early Spring.  That of course, is outside the house, where I am not.  My beautiful morning consists of starting the workday by gazing at my bank of monitors and getting ready for a day of reporting comparisons - which can actually be fun, except that after an hour of peering at the screens, my eyes are begging to be punched out.  Soon, I'll hear my contractor hammering away and the crack of 2x4s falling.  The smell of sheetrock dust will again be in the air.  Sheetrock dust, in case you don't know is like sin, it clings to everything and it goes everywhere, no matter how hard you try to contain it...it is impossible. 

But........

My kitchen is begining to take shape and is becoming the better space that I always knew it could be.  What started out as a mini kitchen remodel, has become a medium kitchen remodel and is consuming more money than having Cousin Eddie in the house.  The decision to knock out the pantry and the hall closets to add some square footage to the 'eat in' area was a good one.  I'll give you a sneak peek.  The area to the mid right of the picture is where the hall closets were.  Notice the beautiful heat/air connections for the upstairs unit....that was one of those additonal hidden and unknown costs that continue to beat my budget to death...I use the term budget very loosely, as it was blown quite some time ago.

A view of the two closet doorways opening from the hall into the kitchen.  Removing these two closets and a smaller pantry area, opens up the kitchen which was one of my major goals.   These two doors will become one opening and as a bonus will lighten up my dark hall. 

Wiring is on agenda for today.