A Day of Jubilee!

Hickory cabinets hung - check. Granite counter tops set - check. Stone back splash installed - check. New appliances purchased - check. Come next, the tin ceiling.

For me the tin ceiling was a big decision. I don't have a visionary eye when it comes to the finished product. But, Larry? That's another matter. His eye for design and the unusual is impeccable! So, I had to go with the design master and agreed to a tin ceiling, and I'm so glad I did! My contribution to this great decision was picking out the tile pattern - Jubilee @ TinceilingXpress.com . Has a happy ring to it, don't you think?

Wikipedia has the following to say about the history of tin ceilings: " Historically, tin ceilings were introduced to North America as an affordable alternative to the exquisite plasterwork used in European homes. They gained popularity in the late 1800’s as Americans sought sophisticated interior design. Durable, lightweight and fireproof, tin ceilings were appealing to home and business owners alike as a functionally attractive design element that was readily available.

It was during the Victorian era (1839–1901) that thin rolled tin-plate was being mass-produced. Between 1890 and 1930, approximately forty-five companies in the United States marketed metal ceilings; most were in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, located along railroad lines that served as the main routes for delivering the pressed metal products directly to contractors."

I can't express to you how beautiful my kitchen ceiling is (you'll just have to see it in person), but more importantly how it fits with the overall design of the kitchen. After hammering the remaining nails into the ceiling, the egg-drop cornice will seal the deal - the perfect finish to a perfect room.

I can't help but think how this ceiling is a great analogy for our lives. God has designed all of us to be unique. He stood back and checked the list of things he wanted particularly for us. He stamped just the right pattern into our hearts and minds. He sealed the deal with us by sacrificing his only son who hung on a cross with the nails others had pounded into his flesh.

The tile pattern I chose is named Jubilee. Leviticus talks a lot about Jubilee and the freedoms associated with it. Wikipedia calls the concept of the Jubilee a special year of remission of  sins and universal pardon.

I want my kitchen to be a warm and happy place. A place where memories are made (and Larry's famous cinnamon rolls!) I want folks who enter our home to know what we stand for and how our lives have been changed by the concept of Jubilee.

Hmmmm, now that I think of it, a tin ceiling was the right decision in so many ways!

You've Been Asking...

It's nice that so many of you have been asking for an update on the kitchen. Sorry, it has been a while, so, here it is:

• The microwave has been hung beneath the cabinet
• The new stove is in its new place
• The refrigerator has been moved back and ice is once again being made (love it!)
• All of the cabinet doors have been secured
• The sub-ceiling is complete
• The dishwasher has electric and waterrunning to it
• The wiring for the lights in my glass-front cabinets is in place
• Cabinet shelves have been lined with linoleum (much better than contact paper and lasts forever!)
• The granite folks have made a template for the counter-tops
• The ceiling lights have been purchased (love them)
• The ceiling tiles have been purchased (we went with the Jubilee pattern pictured in this blog)

Trust me, many more little details besides the ones mentioned here have been undertaken and completed. Reminds me of our lives as Christians. Each day God is doing a good work in our lives. He is tweaking and tooling and most of us don't take the time to see how the events of our days might just be part of God's plan, i.e that "bump in the road", the fight you had with your spouse, the adventure you had at the zoo, the sight of a beautiful moon.

Like me, life comes at us fast, but it's the "stuff that life is made of" that dictates our futures. I've often shared that I hate going through the difficulties in my life, but I love the person I've become. Just like my kitchen, it takes time and preciseness. Remember, it might seem like God is taking His time refinishing you, but remember God don't make no junk. He wants you to be polished, beautiful vessel for his kingdom.

For those of you who say I've had great patience over this remodel, I say to you, I almost hate to see it come to an end. The adventure of each day has given me something to look forward to and to marvel at the intricacies of many of the projects. My master builder is doing a great work on my kitchen - How about your Master Builder? Are you allowing Him the time and flexibility to do a great work in your life?

Adaptability

April 1st marked six months on the calendar since our kitchen renovation began. We survived the winter, family moves and illnesses, and so far the wet and somewhat tumultuous spring. And, for those of you who've been asking, I've survived cooking in a kitchen and dining room that looks a little different every day - you might say I've adapted to what is.

In this microwave world of ours, we lose our patience much too quickly. Phrases such as "are we there yet?" "is it 'Friday yet" or in the case of our kitchen, "when will it be done?", we often lose sight of doing things right the first time.

I don't want a cookie-cutter kitchen. I want a kitchen that is unique, functional, beautiful and cozy. Let's face it folks, it doesn't matter how often we tempt our company into other living areas of our home, the huddle always ends up in the kitchen - so we're building for all of you to be comfortable as well!

Today is Easter. Because of the construction we can't have as many family and friends over for dinner as we usually do; but a small, informal gathering with good food, family and friends will happen in spite of what many may think is a mess.

We're doing it right the first time - it will be as perfect as this world allows. Just as our Savior was resurrected to give us new life, the Daniels' kitchen will soon be renewed to contain that which makes up the stuff of life - family, friends and good eats!

Now, just where did I put that portable mixer?!

The Storm Before the Calm?

What a long winter it's been! Colds and the flu, unexpected calendar events, electrical challenges, and lack of energy have plagued our winter renovation. However, I'm happy to report that all minor details (and there were many) associated with the electricity have finally been resolved! Thanks Lou for your expert consulting!

We are in full swing moving toward adding the cabinets sometime this week. All insulation is in place (which by the way we received an energy credit for on our 2011 taxes); all wall boards are in place; all wires are in place; all plumbing is in place. Now it's time to put the cabinets in their place!

Yes, the birds are singing their spring song this morning in anticipation of a new day!

To see what we've been up too since October, (from start to present) - go to

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2207037229551.120414.1656031758&type=3&l=fb03823c9e

Granite - You Rock!

Yep, it's me, I haven't forgotten my fans, and we're still hard at work remodeling my dream kitchen. After a few weeks of challenges with the electric, moving our daughter and her family to another state, and working our day jobs, we're back on track.

And, it's not like nothing has been happening (just not photo-worthy) - a few new pieces of copper have been added to the kitchen plumbing, a few more electrical boxes and wires have been added and routed, and cement board has been added to parts of the wall in preparation for our stone back splash. And...last weekend, we picked our granite design for our counter tops!

If you've never been to a granite yard, it's an interesting way to spend your morning. Last Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Couldn't have been a better day to walk the yard, examining the beautiful pieces of stone that the Master Builder created. Quartz, stone and minerals all swirling together in magical patterns of gold and silvers, orange, shades of red and blue - and, that's what it looks like before it's been polished!

My mind has been set since the beginning of this project, that I wanted a counter top with flecks of blue to showcase my blue cobalt glass collection. Be careful what you want, it may not be what you get. There's this thing called changing your mind. It can happen to anyone and this time, it happened to me! There it was, shinning in the sunlight. And, I'm sure I heard a faint voice saying, "pick me, pick me." And, did I mention that it's not blue?

Counter tops are fickle. They need to match the cabinets, spotlight the back splash and say WOW when you walk into the room. They want to be the center of attention, but not take all of the glory. They want to be flashy, but not scream for attention. Mission accomplished! Attached in the picture here, you'll see what we chose. It's not polished and it's not held up against our cabinets, but just wait, in a few more weeks you'll see that we made the right choice.

Progress is also a fickle thing - it's likely to change, it's not loyal to the way I want things to go, and is often irresolute to when the job will end. However, today I'm beginning to see in my minds-eye the finish line. It looks sort of like a puzzle with missing pieces, but my mind is anxiously filling in the missing pieces. Soon this journey will be over, and life will take me on to another project. But, for now, I'm enjoying the process in front of me.

Electrified!

I'm so excited for this weekend. After weeks of identifying old and existing electrical sources and finding possible new sources for plugging in all of those neat kitchen gadgets, we are about done with this part of our journey. On Sunday, a friend will stop by and link all of it together. This is the final step before Larry can begin adding cement board and drywall to the walls.

I think about how often we try to short-circuit God's plan for our lives. When the going gets tough, we reroute or dodge the work that needs to be done. We fail to step back and take a second, third and sometimes fourth look before moving forward. We are often shocked when life doesn't go our way, when all along God was trying to move us at his pace.

Really all I have to say today is that I'm electrified to be this close to having the walls ready so that we can add the cabinets! After that the counter tops and back spash, the ceiling and the floors, but hopefully none of them will be as complicated as the wiring has been!

P.S. And, I'm exicted to report that we found our new stove at Lowes! And, even better, it was discounted.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

You knew it was coming, right? Here's what "Know Your Phrase.com" has to say about this idiom:

"The exact origin is unknown. Said to have been born somewhere during the early part of the 20th century, and later made popular during World War II.

It's possible that if people had to evacuate their homes on short notice, or if they were moving to another location, they would want to bring all of their belongings with them. Some things though, like kitchen sinks, were heavy, connected to various pipes, and bolted down. Obviously, taking something like that along isn't very convenient, so it's left behind while everything else is taken. So they took all of their things with them, except the kitchen sink!

The earliest time that this phrase was used was on Queen for a Day, an American radio and television show in 1945, where viewers could win huge prize giveaways. There was a woman who won many prizes, and the host said she's "won everything but the kitchen sink!"

Yep, progress continues - everything has been removed from the kitchen now except the kitchen sink. My sweet hubby is allowing one more weekend for me to have running water in the kitchen until he strips away everything from the walls, including the kitchen sink!

For the next several weeks, food will be served on paper plates, stored in plastic bags and eaten with non-metal utensils. Most plates will be trashed or washed in the basement slop sink and dried by hand (I know, some of you without dishwashers are showing no sympathy for me right now, and it's okay.)

It's amazing to me how little we need to prepare and serve a meal these days. If you think about it, we hardly use utensils as we eat our morning danish, our afternoon hamburger or our evening pizza! Since the invention of plastic, no one has to use china if they really don't want to. That's all well and good with me for a little while, but I'm looking forward to the day I can eat on china plates and pick up my food with metal utensils again.

Speaking of which on this quiet Saturday morning, I think I'll check Overstocked.com to see what specials they may offering. New plates and utensils would look really hot in my new kitchen space. See ya...